After several hours, they emerged from Eli's hut to see the whole group sitting around the fountain area, seemingly waiting for them to come out. Tara looked triumphant and Eli had a goofy grin, but was back in his cloak and mask so no one could tell. Bethany rolled her eyes with an expression that was a mix of jealousy and 'I could have done better' on her face. Audrey blushed embarrassingly just thinking about what they had been doing. Lucy seemed completely ambivalent to the situation except for the fact that she might get some direction from Eli now. Beau's face and body language showed a complete lack of interest or concern, but Eli and Audrey could feel the jealousy, not because he wanted Tara, but just because he was lonely.
"There's someone here to see you Lord Ash." Lucy said bowing to him.
"Why?" Eli asked.
"Don't you mean who?" Bethany asked with a smirk.
"No, I mean why? As in, why are they here? Why should I see them? Why can't one of you sort it out? Eli asked, while being able to sense who it was, it was someone strong with five people next to him and three more hidden nearby. If he had to guess it was Ghost, there is something in his magic that he hasn't sensed on anyone else yet, and since he sensed it on this person and Ghost was the only other lord nearby, it was probably him. Now that he had an outside perspective on the magic that it seemed only those the system designates as lords had, he frowned.
Eli knew that it was some kind of system magic that others didn't have but could never really make sense of it inside himself, it was just too faint and other aspects of his magic drowned it out. Sensing it in Ghost made him realize that it was tracking magic, the system wanted to know where all the lords were, but it felt like that part was vague. The tracking was more about power level and something like activity, perhaps how it could tell when a lord died so it could keep the number of active lords to 100. It didn't seem like it did anything but let the system know about his power and if he's alive, but why would it do that when it's already everywhere. The only conclusion was that there were places that the system couldn't reach and the tracking was to ensure it could keep the lord system accurate even if someone is out of range.
Again, Eli found himself with more questions than before he answered one of them. But now wasn't the time, now was the time to see why there was a vacuum salesman at his door and to see how politely he can ask them to leave. He really didn't want anything to do with the safe zones at all, something in his gut told him to stay out of them so he wouldn't intervene unless his people asked him to. Maybe this was a chance to see how well Lucy was trained, see if she can tell this guy to take a hike in a polite but insulting way.
Eli's facial expression changed to one of amusement, "Come here Lucy."
Lucy walked up to him and noticed how happy and amused he looked after he took his mask off and couldn't help but smirk. She just knew in her heart that he was so happy because of how useful she was going to be to him. She would handle this issue perfectly to start building the house of trust, brick by brick, as her father would say.
"I want you to talk to this man, his name is Ghost, I want you to tell him to leave in the most polite and insulting way you are capable of," Eli said to her loud enough for the whole group to hear. Tara and Bethany both face-palmed so loud it sounded like they smacked themselves, Beau smirked and shared Eli's amused expression, Audrey and Lucy both looked confused and couldn't decide how they felt.
"Lord Ash, I'm not sure that is the right move to make, this is your closest neighbor, in my diplomacy lessons I was taught…" Lucy trailed off as some of Eli's presence surrounded him and Lucy only. This was restrained, but a very powerful statement that she needed to stop talking and listen.
"Do you serve me or your teachers?" Eli asked with gritted teeth.
Lucy's eyes were as wide as silver dollars and she dropped to her knees, "I serve you and you alone."
"Then do as I say and do not second guess me, now remember to be polite and insulting." Eli said as his presence vanished and he again had the look of amusement on his face. "Bethany and Tara go with her as if you are guards, this guy's spies have been watching us for weeks, and I want him to second guess everything he thought he knew about us."
"Make him doubt his spies reports, or at least their competency, brilliant." Audrey said now understanding what this was all about. "He wants everyone to act slightly outside their perceived roles so Ghost thinks he knows nothing about us, " Audrey said. She wanted to play along so she hooked her arm around Beau's and walked over with him as if they were dating.
The group arrived at the gate where Ghost and his people were standing just outside the 'get attacked' line in the ground. Ghost was obviously trying to look stoic and heroic, but something about his face just screamed villain to the group on the inside.
Lucy took a few steps forward more than the others and spoke to them in her most formal sounding tone, "Please leave, we are not donating to any charities today."
Ghost's mouth dropped open and he just stood there while his brain rebooted for a second then one of the people next to him spoke up.
"You can't talk to my…"
"Sir, please muzzle your dogs, they seem to not know their place."
While the man's face turned red, Ghost put his hand up for him to back off. "I think we got off on the wrong foot, my name is…"
"Irrelevant," Lucy said, "I know I said please, but it wasn't really a request. Go now."
"I am here to speak to Lord Ash," Ghost yelled and pointed a finger at Lucy, "Now go and get him or I will be forced to come in and find him."
"No," said Lucy. "You now have ten seconds to leave or your dogs start dying."
Ghost's people, to their credit, did not flinch or back away. They stood still and attentive, wary of an attack. Audrey let go of Beau's arm and walked forward to stand next to Lucy. Ghost just smirked at the two small women in front of him feeling really sure of himself. Audrey didn't speak, but instead pointed to her shoulder then to one of Ghost's men and in the exact spot she had pointed on herself, the man's arm was severed and fell to the ground without a noise or movement from anyone. It was a terrifying display of power, even though in reality Tara had used her time skill to warp her time enough to take out an axe, throw it through the man's shoulder, then have it return to her inventory in a split second.
Ghost and his men all froze, even the man who had lost the arm. They had seen nothing and didn't even know anything had happened until they heard the arm hit the ground. Ghost quickly gathered his thoughts and decided that this was not what his scouts had been reporting. First, the person talking wasn't even someone his scouts had told him about, but she was talking with such confidence and superiority like she was someone very important to the group. Next, lord Ash's people were far more hostile than reported and the two women who he had been told were sleeping with Ash, were acting deferential to this younger girl.
"We will leave," Ghost said and he turned and walked away and his men followed. Once they were far enough away Ghost addressed his men. "We need someone ready to join them next time they are recruiting. I don't think they are interested in the safe zone in the near future, but letting them grow without inside knowledge would be foolish. Find me two candidates and place them in two nearby towns, make sure they are paid well and that they are strong enough to draw their interest. They are less likely to suspect someone if they are the ones seeking them out."
"Excellent plan my lord, it will be done," one of them said and left with two others.
"I want to hire some people to watch them, let's make it obvious and let's not use our own people. I want them to know we are watching." Ghost said as they all started heading back into the safe zone and went about their tasks.
"Well I think that went well," Eli said when everyone was back in his hut seated at the big table. "How long until Cody and Stevens are back with their new recruit?"
"They should be here before dark," Tara said.
"Ok, when these weirdos attack, what do you guys think we should do? I know what I want to do, but I want to hear from you guys first." Eli asked, he was trying to make them feel heard and appreciated while also reminding himself that other people can have plans too and with his track record, probably better ones than him.
"I'll go first," Said Tara, she knew what he was doing and was proud of him for it but he still didn't realize how intimidating he was, so she would go first. "I think we should wait for an attack on crater town then Eli jumps out and kills the other guy." She said the last parts while smashing her fist into her other palm with a predatory smile on her face.
"I have an idea," Audrey said hesitantly, "We should fight without Eli at first, make them think that Tara is the lord here, then Eli can just ambush him if Tara loses. We all get experience in fighting other people, and Ghost's spies get to see us take out a lord without Eli even lifting a finger."
"I think we see if they attack, and if they do, we kill all of them and all their families for insulting Prince Konzak!" Lucy yelled while standing up, clearly getting too caught up in this strategy session.
"Ok hun," Bethany said to Lucy sitting her back down, "As it happens I agree with Lucy." Everyone turned to face Bethany with a surprised expression. "Yes, yes, I know, but I think this calls for a display of power that sends a warning. And not just to Ghost, to any who dare to go against us." Bethany paused for a few seconds. "Maybe we won't kill their families though."
Then everyone turned to Beau. "What?" Beau said looking like he really didn't want to get involved.
"Give us an idea," Tara directed him.
"Ok, um…" he started but ended up pausing for almost a whole minute. "Oh, I know, we could just use them as training. Fight them off but don't kill them, so they come back and try again. We won't get experience but we will be able to work on cooperation and strategy."
The only person who hadn't said what their plan was was Eli and he looked at each person before speaking his mind. "I think we should do all of the plans. Wait for an attack, kill some, but not all, I fight the lord vampire demon guy and capture him. Sound good to everyone?"
"We should kill more than some." Lucy said with total confidence.
"How about several?" Eli offered.
"A lot" Lucy counter offered.
Eli scratched his chin, "Many, that's my final offer"
"Deal" Lucy said and looked really satisfied with what had happened.
This was a different side of Lucy, she lost a bit of her rigid propriety when she was out for bloody vengeance on his behalf it seemed. He would need to keep an eye out for this in the future, along with the many other things he was trying not to take his eye off of.