Freya's words caused everyone in the surroundings to stiffen, especially the five individuals sent to capture Alex.
'Ally? This man is allied with the Drazen family?' The same question echoed in the minds of everyone present, including the plump man walking beside Freya, whose expression reflected his surprise at this revelation.
'This complicates things,' Kradwell, the old man, clicked his tongue in displeasure.
"Does that mean the Drazen Matriarch intends to interfere with this man's capture?" the old man asked cautiously, his gaze hardening.
"And what if I do?" Freya retorted, her tone sharp with dismissal. "You seem to forget, but let me remind you, just as the Drickon family is an Earl family, so is the Drazen family. He is in no way superior to me. So, I suggest you carefully consider your next words or actions if you value your life," Freya threatened, her voice cutting through the tension.
As if to underscore her words, all the soldiers behind Freya drew their weapons, pointing them menacingly in the direction of the five would-be captors. Even the plump man at her side pulled out an unusual weapon—a short staff tipped with a glowing crystal.
In one swift moment, the five-man team became public enemy number one.
The old man gritted his teeth in frustration and signaled his comrades. "We're leaving." He shot Alex a final, icy glare. "This isn't over."
"Oh, I do hope not," Alex chuckled darkly. "After all, I haven't repaid you for what you've done."
The old man's glare intensified before he turned his back on Alex. The other four regrouped behind him, two of them nursing visible wounds, and they began their slow retreat from the scene.
"Before you go," Freya called out, her voice cold, "deliver this message to Earl Drickon: he will be held accountable for all the damages done to the city, and he shall pay the reconstruction fees. If he refuses to pay, both he and his family will be exiled from Drisidd."
The old man gave a slight nod of acknowledgement but kept moving. Just as they were about to leave, Alex's voice rang out once more.
"Don't forget to tell the Earl that I'll be expecting what he owes me," Alex said with a dark chuckle. "And he knows exactly what will happen if he doesn't pay."
From Alex's perspective, after today's events, he was already an enemy of the Drickon family, so he had no reservations about pushing them further.
The group of five ignored him, leaving the scene under the watchful gaze of everyone present.
"My previous statement applies to you as well," Alex called out to the group of nobles gathered nearby. They had been standing there for a while, quietly observing. "For those whose family members I rescued, I'll be staying in Drisidd until the end of the auction. After that, don't expect to find me. As for payment, it's simple—you'll pay based on how much value you place on your children's safe rescue and escort."
Many faces twisted into displeased frowns at Alex's blunt demand, but by that point, his attention had already shifted to Freya, who was walking toward him.
"How are you holding up?" she asked, her voice composed, though Alex could detect a subtle hint of concern beneath her tone.
"Besides a few broken ribs, I feel fantastic," Alex replied, a wry grin playing on his lips.
"Thank the gods," Freya sighed in relief. "I shouldn't have let you return on your own. If you'd ridden inside our carriage, they wouldn't have dared attack you, knowing that doing so would mean challenging the Drazen family."
"You don't have to blame yourself," Alex said, shaking his head. "We couldn't have known I would be ambushed. And believe me, if I'd had any idea I'd be targeted by those people, things wouldn't have reached this point."
Indeed, had Alex known that he would be a target of Earl Drickon's men, he would have prepared himself accordingly, and the outcome of the battle would have been very different.
Freya seemed ready to add something, but at that moment, the two of them heard someone clear their throat nearby. Turning their heads, they saw the plump man who had been walking beside Freya earlier, now standing with a curious expression on his face.
"Oh, right," Freya said, collecting herself. "Sir Arcanor, allow me to introduce Baron Drisidd, the ruler of this city."
'So he's the ruler here?' Alex thought, sizing the man up. 'He's got the aura of a mid-level 4, though I doubt he can fully draw on the potential of that level with a body like his.'
Extending his hand, Alex said politely, "A pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Drisidd replied, shaking Alex's hand with surprising firmness. "An ally of the Drazen family is an ally of mine. Whatever I can provide, you need only ask."
"Thanks," Alex nodded, noting the surprising strength of Drisidd's grip despite his plump appearance.
At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps drew Alex's attention. He turned to see the two people who had intervened in his earlier fight against the five level-5s approaching. 'Ah, I'd almost forgotten about them,' Alex thought with a wry smile under his mask.
"What, don't tell me you forgot about us," the woman with cyan hair said, grinning as if she could read his mind.
"How could I forget the only ones who stepped in to save me?" Alex replied with a chuckle. "By the way, thanks for the help."
"You're welcome," the dark-haired man replied with a curt nod, his tone clipped.
'Why does it feel like even saying that much is a chore for him?' both Alex and Drisidd thought at the same time.
Meanwhile, the cyan-haired woman was far more lively. She walked up to Alex, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and grinning. "You don't need to thank me. After all, it's thanks to you that my little shrimp of a sister is still alive."
Alex glanced her up and down, his gaze lingering on her generous chest before he replied, "So, you're Daisy's sister."
"Yep, she's my little sister," the woman nodded. "What made you think we're related, though?"
Alex eyed her cyan hair and replied, "Let's just say you two share a resemblance."
"What the heck are you talking about?!" she snapped suddenly, her eyes narrowing. "I look nothing like that shrimp!"
Alex raised an eyebrow, tempted to point out the obvious similarities, but in the end, he decided to play along. "You're right; you're definitely taller than her."
"Exactly!" she exclaimed, looking satisfied. "I'm much taller than that shrimp. By the way," she leaned closer to Alex and whispered conspiratorially, "how come you're taller than me? Are you using some kind of trick to boost your height? If so, it's fine, you can tell me. I won't judge you, even if you're secretly a shrimp yourself."
"...."
Alex blinked, speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond to her absurd question. After a pause, he sighed and whispered back, "No, I'm not using any tricks to increase my height."
"You sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
She stared at him a bit longer, as if trying to peer through the smoke mask, before grinning widely. "That's good. I like men who are taller than me," she paused for a moment, then added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "You are a man, right?"
"..."
Alex didn't know who this woman was, but he suddenly felt bad for Daisy. If her sister behaved like this most of the time, then she must be a handful to deal with.
'She kinda reminds me of Grace,' Alex chuckled internally. 'Both of them have that carefree attitude and a very questionable sense of personal space. Although, Grace doesn't go around hugging people she barely knows, especially those of the opposite sex.'
He was about to respond when the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted him. Turning his head, he saw Freya staring at the two of them with a smile that clearly didn't reach her eyes.
"Hello, Lady Althea," Freya greeted her in a polite tone, "I see you're as... sociable as ever," though inwardly she added, 'Maybe a little too sociable.'
Meanwhile, Alex's mind was still processing. 'So her name is Althea, huh.'
"How is your mother doing?" Freya asked.
"You know her," Althea replied with a shrug, "she's probably lazing around somewhere in the mansion back home."
"Most likely," Freya agreed with a slight nod, before turning her attention to Alex. "Sir Arcanor, allow me to introduce Althea Wardell, the heir of the Wardell barony."
Freya then gestured to the man with the dark hair standing beside them. "And this here is Baron Vesper, the patriarch of the Aldrion family."
Vesper gave a polite nod in Alex's direction before turning back to Freya. "Lady Freya, I've been meaning to speak with you. I wish to withdraw the treasure I submitted for auction at your family's annual event."
Freya's expression didn't change, but there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "That's quite the coincidence," she responded smoothly. "I was planning to meet with you as well. Sir Arcanor here would like to make an offer for that very treasure."
Hearing Freya's words, Alex quickly connected the dots. 'So he's the one with the memory treasure.'