"Thanks for the breakfast, Mr Sagren. It was very delicious," Miguel complemented.
Mr Sagren lead both his guests out the house. Miguel had a good impression of the old man, in fact, back in his old world, it was natural for people to receive guests and treat them well. This was the case in cultured backgrounds but it wasn't as such in richer places. People who had money and plenty of it had the tendency to be selfish. It was something like a self-defense mechanism that these people had, like the feeling that someone or something was out to get them. So you had to protect yourself and the things connected.
After leaving Sagren behind, Miguel and Lydia went in deeper into the village. The next destination was Miguel's old home. He was calm on the outside but inside, he was nervous. What would the sister of his say?
It's been more than a decade, Miguel knew some things may have changed. Perhaps his sister left the village or became an adventurer like himself. It wouldn't be far out if that had happened.
Miguel was walking briskly with Lydia at his tail. The swamp elf was doing her best to keep up, unfortunately, the gap between Minerva's priestess and Minerva's champion was getting wider.
All of a sudden, Miguel slowed his pace. This allowed Lydia to catch up. When she got to Miguel, Lydia found that he came to a stand still. She looked past Miguel and found a carriage out there in front of a house.
Outside the door, a woman lead a man inside, she didn't look all that happy to see the man. She appeared very solemn and her eyes seemed dead.
The man that followed the woman was dressed quite well in the attire of opulence, the man could be some sort of aristocrat. When he disappeared inside the house, the lady closed the door.
shua... PAK!
A stone flew abruptly and hit the carriage then another hit the horse causing the beast to bray.
"KID! When I catch you, I'ma beat you with a stick," said the coachman. Jumping off the carriage, he chased after a boy who appeared no less than ten.
Miguel saw what went on. He didn't feel like going to his home with the local authority present. He didn't know why the woman would bring a man to her house. But that woman, that was his sister, Bethany.
Miguel's face sunk. He only had one question at the moment. When he was at Sagren's house, the geezer went out to pay his tax, merely, Bethany did the opposite. She brought the man inside the house.
Why was she bringing a man to the house?
Miguel felt that he couldn't act just yet, instead he saw a kid run away after throwing stones. The driver of carriage chased after him.
"Maybe that kid knows something." Miguel murmured, stepping after the carriage driver.
Meanwhile, Lydia gave a last look at the house then ran after Miguel.
The coachman chased after the kid, still, he wasn't close to catching the brat. He was getting closer though, as an adult, he had better stamina and experience. The kid was good in his own right, having not been caught yet proved his talent.
The kid ran in between two houses. Clearly he was not an amateur to the location and terrain. Reaching the back of the houses, the kid took a deep turn. Shooting behind the home.
When the coachman came by, he halted. The weirdest thing happened. Standing there with serious look, the kid he was chasing after, vanished. Not a trace.
The back of the houses had some bush plants growing there. It produced the most fragrant flowers, like weeds, these plants were all over the place.
"Come out kid, I know you are hiding in here somewhere."
The carriage driver entered the backyard of the house. Occasionally he would kick at the short trees, bending now an then to look under the plants.
A minute or two later, the kid wasn't found. The coachman was fed up, he had to return to the carriage. The employer would be displeased if the driver was absent when it's time to go.
Miguel was following behind, there was no rush for him. Even if he couldn't see them, following there life signature was easy.
Lydia and Miguel strolled over, eventually, they found the coachman who was heading back to the carriage. Miguel ignored the guy and walked past him. They were just strangers moving along the pathway.
Although they found the coachman, he wasn't the aim. Miguel was searching for the kid. Using 'Life Gutter' at zero expense, it lead Miguel to the place where the kid hid himself.
Behind the house where the coachman searched and failed, Miguel found the life force he was looking for. It would be to much of a hassle to pull out these plants to find the kid, although he knew exactly where he is. Instead, Miguel sucked the life out of all these plants.
All greenery started to dry, a yellow going brown color swept through the plantation and eventually it all withered.
"I see you, come out."
Miguel was calm with his words, he stood at the back of the house. Facing the wooden wall, he appeared nonchalant.
The seen, however, was a frightening one. It was uncommon for mystical things to happen in such a rural location. Villagers wouldn't have the experience of terrifying phenomenon, what to speak of a kid who barely hit puberty.
The kid was scared, he never seen such a thing. At the back of the house, right at the center of the wall. A ditch was at its bottom, it even dug under the house. Usually such a thing would be very visible, as luck would have it, the plantation hid it well. What made the ditch an even better hiding spot was loose shrubs that was used to cover it, the shrubs used to cover the hole at the back of the house made it impossible to think that a ditch was there. Who would expect someone to hide inside?
"Be a man and come out. Don't be a sissy." Miguel called out again.
The kid in the ditch hadn't moved, clearly he was lacking courage. It was obvious that he couldn't hide anymore but the kid still played dumb.
"Sissy, sissy you are a sissy." Miguel provoked. He added, "A good person like myself won't do anything to little girls"
"I'm not a girl, I'm not sissy," said the kid, angrily. Pushing away the dead plants and climbing out of the ditch, he held his fist out to Miguel.
The fear that the kid had previously was instantly forgotten. A blazing flame of anger filled the young boy. Being called a girl didn't sit well with the youth, on top of that he was called a sissy. His rationale got lost, the kid displayed his courage but fell for the simple provocation of Miguel.
The Champ smirked, "What's your name kid?"
"My name is Miguel, I'm the man of the house."
"Miguel is it?" Miguel questioned, tilting brow slightly. He continued, "Guess what, my name's Miguel too."
"Hey! My name is Lydia," the priestess cut in cheerfully, looking at the kid who's clothes became dirtied.
"You name is like mine," the kid reacted to Minerva's chosen.
Miguel said, "Yeah, you can call me uncle Migs. I have a question for you, I want to know why you was throwing stones at the carriage, are they bad people?"
The young boy named Miguel nodded, "Every time that man come my house, he always go in with mommy. I also wanted to go inside but the door is always locked. When the man is gone, I go home. I see mommy sit on the chair crying."
Miguel listened as the kid spouted his words, when he heard it, his brain went blank for a second. Miguel was deeply shocked. Was it possible that this kid was his sister's?
'Do I have a nephew?' Miguel thought.
All he wanted was to know the situation with the tax collectors and infer their involvement with his sister. Asking a kid that freely roams around the village should've been the best choice. After all, kids don't do as you say but do as you do. Kids see everything that's why asking this kid seemed reasonable.
Miguel's heart sank when he thought about the content he just heard. His sister alone with a man behind locked doors, certainly nothing good is happening if Bethany has to cry afterwards.
"Where's your father?"
"For da?!"
"Father... dad, daddy, papa. Like that," explained Miguel.
"Papa, I have a papa," replied the kid.
"Okay, where is he?"
"The bad man took him away," said the kid, "Mommy said me that papa was taken to the ca-pi-tala. Papa said me that I'm the man of the house."
Miguel watched as the kid proudly called himself the man of the house. Miguel shook his head, his heart felt heavy and cold at the same time. A thick stroke of bad luck had hit not only him, his sister also suffered. She's suffering even now.
'I'll solve this problem Beth,' Miguel mentally determined, remembering his sister. He couldn't change the past but he was here now, Miguel had already put the corrupt village head and company on his hit list.
Lydia stood beside Miguel the entire time, not saying a word. She understood the situation somewhat. From her understanding of Minerva's chosen champion, she knew Miguel is going to do something ridiculous.
Miguel smiled at the kid also named Miguel and said, "Miguel is it, like I said before. You can call me uncle Migz, you want to be friends?"
A hand rose from the Champ and one from the kid, they shook hands.
A handshake meant for establishing friendship.