The sun rose the next day as usual, and Alpha, holding a cup of richly fragrant coffee, leisurely stood on the balcony basking in the sunlight, feeling at his best.
The door creaked open, and Adonar entered to see Alpha so at ease that he couldn't help but tease, "Oh, in such high spirits today, it seems yesterday's spar was quite satisfactory."
Alpha nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, "It was. Speaking of which, Adonar, as our acquaintance grows, I find myself increasingly unable to fathom you. Your transformation is quite dramatic; what can I say, this must be your true nature, you cunning fox."
Heehee, the same to you, I can't quite see through you either. It feels as if you're shrouded in mist, and your heart is not as relaxed as you appear.
"Foolish wolf, don't move, or I'll accuse you of assaulting your superior," Adonar quickly said as Alpha threatened to splash water at him with his cup.
Alpha put down the cup with a sigh, "Right, I'm asking for a favor. I want Sisso. I find him quite useful, and I'll need his help in my subsequent investigations." Adonar responded with a surprised tone, "No problem, as long as you can persuade him."
On the training ground, Sisso, who was in the middle of his drills, suddenly shivered. Thinking about his experience yesterday, he shuddered again; it was a nightmare. Who would have thought that Lord Alpha was that worgen? Reflecting on his own reckless actions, he couldn't help but feel a chill of fear, but Lord Alpha was truly impressive.
"Sisso!" Upon hearing his name called, Sisso immediately responded, "Yes!" "Report to the council chamber; the lord requests your presence," the messenger instructed. Sisso hurriedly replied, "Understood." He made his way to the council chamber, hoping it wasn't about yesterday's incident.
However, fate seemed unkind, and as Sisso entered the hall, he cursed himself silently, for there was Alpha, grinning at him. Today was definitely not a good day, he lamented inwardly.
"Good day, my lord. How may I be of service?" Sisso asked, clinging to a sliver of hope. But Adonar offered no reprieve: "There's a mission for you. Lord Alpha requires assistance in his investigation and has strongly recommended you as his aide. As a reasonable lord, I won't compel my subordinates to undertake tasks against their will. If you refuse, that's the end of it."
Meeting Alpha's teasing gaze and recalling his boasts from the previous night, Sisso straightened and responded, "It is an honor, my lord. I shall not fail in my duty."
Observing the soldier, Adonar was taken aback, but upon seeing Alpha's confident demeanor, he understood immediately. "The matter is in your hands, Alpha. You may both take your leave now."
"Yes, sir," they answered in unison. Alpha made his exit first, with Sisso following closely behind.
"What do you think, I said I could do it, so just follow my lead, young man," Alpha remarked without turning back.
Sisso glared at the figure in front of him, itching to throw a punch, but recalling the pain from last night, he reluctantly held back and retorted, "So what? One day, I will defeat you."
Hearing the resolute words from behind, Alpha paused, a corner of his mouth lifting, "I look forward to that day."
In the afternoon, Alpha and Sisso arrived at a nearby farmhouse. "This is Sarding Farm, once the wealthiest farm in the area, now it's occupied by a band of brigands," Sisso explained dutifully.
Alpha surveyed the farm, then suddenly said to Sisso, "Take off your armor."
"Huh?" Sisso was taken aback. "What did you say?" Alpha repeated, "Remove your armor; it's too conspicuous and will hinder our operation."
Upon hearing the explanation, Sisso stripped off his armor and concealed it behind a rock.
Observing his actions, Alpha said, "Since you're under my command, you must understand that my orders are absolute. I will not tolerate disobedience. I hope this is the first and last time, understood?" His voice grew increasingly stern.
"Yes, sir," Sisso replied. This was the first time Sisso had seen such seriousness in Alpha. He had always thought of him as a mere adventurer, but he had not expected this man to possess such a formidable aura.
Sarding Farm, the forsaken farm, teemed with a motley assortment of individuals.
"Hey, looks like we've got two lambs here," a sly, small figure said to his companion. "Seems like we're making a profit today."
The companion, wielding an axe, approached them. "Halt, who are you to dare step foot here? It's your lucky day to meet your grandpa me; hand over the toll."
One of the two individuals seemed to step forward, but was restrained by the grey-haired man in front. The grey-haired man spoke up, "We are from the Sly Fox. We've heard the Brotherhood operates here and have come to find them."
The small figure retorted, "Sly Fox? Never heard of it. We have no Brotherhood here; you've been misinformed. Hand over the toll quickly."
Alpha interjected, "Your ignorance is showing; you've not even heard of the Sly Fox. I suspect you're mere gatekeepers. Go fetch someone in charge; we bear vital news for the Brotherhood."
With that, he stood firm, unmoving.
The two bandits exchanged glances, unable to discern the truth of his words, and with no other recourse, they said, "Wait here." The small figure then disappeared inside.
Observing the scene before them, Sisso quietly inquired of Alpha, "How did you know there would be Brotherhood members here? We've patrolled this area so many times before and never noticed anything out of the ordinary."
Alpha glanced at Sisso, "Intuition. Believe it or not." Sisso immediately felt disinclined to engage with the man, or rather, this wolf, further.
"Please follow me, the chief is waiting for you," the small figure reemerged shortly after with another individual, who spoke respectfully and extended an inviting gesture.
Upon entering the building, Sisso realized that his previous patrols had been in vain; the place was teeming with bandits, hidden in plain sight. The surrounding bandits, armed and watchful, eyed the two newcomers. At the far end stood a burly man with a scarred face, clad in a wolf pelt, his voice a raspy growl: "I don't recall seeing you before. How is Sly Fox?"
Alpha replied nonchalantly, "Sly Fox has been quite eager for the fine liquor here. I am his newly appointed steward, Alpha, and this is Sisso, my apprentice."
The scarred man rose and approached Alpha, his gaze decidedly menacing. Sisso, tense, readied himself behind Alpha, his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword, prepared to draw at a moment's notice.
"Come, brother Alpha, you should have said so. I have plenty of good liquor here. Come, let's have a drink before we talk business. I must say, a heads-up would have been nice so I could prepare," the scarred man clapped Alpha on the shoulder with one hand and waved them forward with the other, his face a mask of feigned joviality.
Alpha subtly winked at Sisso, and they proceeded side by side with the scarred man, Sisso following with an inward sigh, his mind filled with many questions.