"You aren't a porter, or are you one?" Gran shifted his eyes over Ary, questioning what the latter said before.
William just met this elder, and he wanted to get to know him better. He got a good impression about this elder, not like the devils Ary tried to picture them before.
William knew if he waited until they'd meet up with the Long clan's patriarch, knowing about his role in curing Berry and such, then this elder might consider what he would say.
So if he wanted to know what a man this Gran truly was, then this was the right moment to do so. Gran lowered his guard, underestimated William. So, he wouldn't care about what he'd say.
"I was one," William didn't give a direct answer, "but what about the elder's opinion about us?"
"What do you think an elder like me shall think about someone like you?" Gran pushed aside his confusion and felt more curiosity to hear William's opinion about this.