On that day Farad could only bring the high-level officers with General Marce and Legonal back to his ship. As for Viper, he died due to his severe injuries therefore they didn't have to pay any ranson for him. Alex didn't do anything to him, it was just that some of his organs got burned from the inside when he got hit by the Mid grade explosion type Inscription Scroll. No one was capable of saving him.
The rest of the soldiers were going to get transported to an island nearby the territory of the Count after a few days. But Alex didn't tell him the specific island. They would only know on that day.
Marce left with a broken heart, he not only lost his reputation but also his High-Grade Black Ranked sword and the precious Mid Grade Black Ranked Ring which had the ability to produce a protective barrier three times a day.
The rest of the weapons and life-saving Inscription Scrolls were also grabbed by Alex. Legonal was not spared. Even Marce's soldiers had their weapons and light armors taken.
The ransom amounted to a total of twenty thousand gold coins and two thousand five hundred spirit stones. Thousand spirit stones for each General and hundred spirit stones for the rest of the officers having cultivation at the Early- stage of Dantian Formation Realm.
The treasury of the Seashell Island got richer again. Alex put the spirit stone aside for his cultivation purposes. He also distributed some to the other family members.
After the envoy left with his people, Alex went to supervise the preparation done by his subordinates for the wedding until now.
The rest of the day was spent in cultivation, practicing Alchemy, and spending time with Laila and Fiona.
...
Two days passed by unknowingly.
On the morning of the third day, a few merchant ships arrived at the port of the Mordrake city. Some came from the island nearby to trade, some island has sent their envoys to send gifts to give during the wedding. Rather then sending their envoys, they would have come themselves if invited to the wedding.
The senior brother of Nora came down from one of those ships. He had a haggard look, who hadn't eaten for a few days. He helped the porters on his ships to bring the goods down and place them where the Merchant has pointed. After finishing that, the merchant gave each porter some copper coins.
The Senior brother, whose name was Trystan, took his share with trembling hands and slowly walked outside the harbor towards the food stalls put near it. He purchased a little bit of wholegrain soup and started stuffing his face immediately.
Only after did he felt himself getting freed from the eyes of the soldiers patrolling the nearby. The moment he had stepped on the jetty, Trystan felt numerous eyes falling onto his body. As a professional killer, he can't easily get caught and has quite some acting skills to infiltrate any place.
But Trystan still felt that someone was watching his every move very intently. No matter where he went, that feeling would follow him before vanishing and reappearing once again.
What he didn't know was that any foreigner who arrived here would be watched for the time they stay on the island by the puppets. It was a protocol established on Alex's orders.
If any foreigner shows any signs of being a spy or does something that is against the interest of people of this island then the puppets would pounce down on him or her and bring that person with them to spend some quality time together for the purpose of getting to know each other better.
When a foreigner walks out from one area to another, the puppet responsible to watch him also changes. That's why Trystan was having that feeling. If it was any other person, then they wouldn't even know they were being watched by someone.
It was due to the gap of the cultivation level between Trystan and the puppets. Even after being watched continuously for six hours, the puppets couldn't find out any anomaly appearing on Trystan. But they still kept their eyes on him as that was their duty.
"Was I found out... No, it doesn't seem like that. But why am I still being watched? Trystan was after all a professional assassin. He knew it was better to keep acting this way and find a chance to escape from under the surveillance.
When Trystan wanted to enter through the gates of the city, the guards stopped him and told him to get in the line for a full body checkup.
It was a long line, whether high profile merchants wearing luxurious robes or a porter like him, everyone had to join that line except people who are already the residents of this island.
Tryston couldn't find how the guards were able to distinguish between the residents and outsiders. But thankfully the line was moving ahead with a fast pace. He didn't have to wait for long for his turn to come.
"Spread your arms apart and don't move."
"Ye..yes," Trystan nodded his head. He was not nervous but only acted like how a refuge would behave when checked so intently by a police officer.
No matter, if it was between the crouch or under the armpit, the police officer did not bash away from checking every part on Trystan's body. If the person being checked was a woman then she would also be searched like this by a female police officer but in the wooden room put to the side temporarily. Even the kids were not spared.
If it was the previous modern world, then the public might have protested in the name of sexual harassment.
That police officer then waved his hand to Trystan to tell him to pass and then started searching the body of the next person. Trystan has never seen such tight security being placed in front of any city gates he had traveled to and the police officer following their work this seriously before.
Fortunately, he didn't bring any weapon or stuff that would sold him out in an instant. he was again stopped by another police officer who was carrying beast skin and a brush.
"Your name, age, occupation, the purpose to enter this city, and till what time will you stay here... your place of origin..." Trystan was asked question like a rapid-fire round. Some questions might look unnecessary but Trystan had a gut-wrenching feeling because he was able to tell that every question was connected to each other and if anyone answered these questions casually and then those answer didn't match logically with the previous one, the police officer would take him aside and interrogate him like a real criminal.
"Alright, you can enter. Read the rules you have to follow once you enter the gates. If you cannot read then listen to officer reading out rule near that bulletin. Don't do anything that will put you behind the prison. Have a good time. Now please enter." like a repeating tape, the police officer said to him and the same thing happened when he listened to the officer reading out the rules to the people entering the city first time.
'Fuck... is this the gate of a hidden assassin organization or of a powerful sect. Why is there such tight security around here?" Trystan felt stupid. He just prayed for his junior sister that she would at least get inside without making getting found out.