Miguel remembered how ugly the food prepared for the Alipins, they don't have a proper food and rice is their only food, prepared for them. In some occasions-however, they are fortunate enough to eat crops from harvest, meat or fish from the hunt—its just that, its from leftovers!

Talk about people worst from pig? Yeah its those Alipins!

Toto supported Miguel and side by side they walked out from the tent.

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[Alipin's Grounds: Court Hall]

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Miguel scowled to see how pitiful the scene that is right in his sight.

There are Numerous Alipins that are packed together like canned sardines, eating on the floor while the guards holding a machete or sword with robust physique were guarding them....

They were divided accordingly, they were divided by their different labors and tasks from which they are in charged with.

The first line were slaves tasked for harvesting crops.

The second line were slaves tasked for poultries,

The third line were slaves tasked for grinding and refining ores.

And there are also young ones who are just unlucky as they are.

Also, there are Alipins that is in the same situation as Miguel, spoils of war or captives taken from other tribes who then failed to get their tribes to give treasure for ransom for them to get freed.

What are them in their eyes, they are just a simple tribe member who lacks value, those tribal leaders probably deemed them unimportant.

Toto exchanged glances with the other slaves, recognizing that there is another batch of slaves coming up, they all looked gloomy.

One of the Alipins protected their own food, afraid that Miguel, Toto and the other batch would take away his food.

Royals emancipated their egotistical living, displaying it as their status.

And slaves? They too had ranks!

In this place, food was limited only to families who were born on this Tribe's land that became Alipins and in some cases there are fights towards food due to its scarcity.

Miguel and Toto quietly sat down together with the other Alipins, they all look pitiful, some also have scars and bruises deeper than them. While the other old Alipins looked like they were about to be swayed and blown away once a strong wind came to them.

That's how weak and fragile they looked.

Also there are slaves who still have wounds that haven't recovered yet, maybe due to continuous tasks from those lazy-bastard-robust guards.

There are also thieves caught stealing whom are stripped off from their statuses which then became as Alipins.

In these place, becoming an Alipin can also become a form of punishment, anything that the Datu says is the Law! If he says you are to become an Alipin then you could only brace yourself and comply by these cruel laws.

Miguel looked at those Alipins who were eating, he then noticed something...

The food that they eat, were rice that are cooked without water, so definitely the rice would turn into a black or brownish rough textured bundle without taste.

Then he had an idea splashed as he thought of something...

Miguel went to one of the robust man who holds a sword that was guarding them.

Toto became worried when he saw what Miguel was about to do.

In a hushed voice Toto faintly whispered,

"Argus! What are you trying to do?!"

Miguel smiled as he tried to calm down Toto who are too nervous

"Shh! Relax, Toto."

Toto simply could not nod while Miguel continued his steps to approach the robust guard.

"You there! Lowly Alipin! What do you think you are doing? Are you scheming for something?"

"Like what I thought." Miguel mumbles inwardly.

The guards are alert to this kind of Alipins.

These guard recalled an escaping Alipin not too long ago.

The Datu warned anyone who tries to escape that they would be killed on the spot and their heads be hanged outside the Grounds if caught.

Miguel pretended to be afraid to this guard but in reality from his past experiences this robust guards were all just a chunk of meat and doesn't have brains, he could kill him if he wants to, but currently his body was weak plus he had a weapon.

And speaking about weapon, he noticed those scraps of metal scattered everywhere.

He could not help but to scream inwardly "Aren't those can be used as weapons?"

Even a cup used to hold a food can be used as a weapon to instantly kill these guards, but that is not what Miguel is considering right now.

When he reached the guard he spoke flamboyantly,

"Argus greets this handsome guard, I am but a lowly Alipin, but can I ask something? I'm doing this to avoid mistakes."

"Nailed how they ceremoniously talked! World of old had it rough..." Miguel thought to himself as he waited for the Guard's response.

Looking at this guard, he had a pretty craggy face and a scar at the back of his head, lowly visible from his head's temple. Covered with animal hides and wolf's fur—he had a very barbaric attire, coupled with bone necklace and tribal tattoos.

The guard stared at Miguel, he looked fierce yet dumb just because of the way he tilted his head.

"Your name was Argus right?"

Miguel faked a timid tone and politely answered, "Yes"

Unlike the other Alipins, Miguel was the only one different from them.

He is the only one who had a proper name. Other Alipins were recognized with Marking tags that has different figures in their body, neck, arms or in their tattered clothes; if too young they get to wear it on their thin cloths that wee used as a scarf or a coat.

Of course their numbers and writing language were different from Miguel's world but still it's similar. Good thing Miguel learned their language when he became a General coupled by the past memories of Argus, so now he can probably read, write and understand the language of this place without worry.

After some short breath Miguel smiled,

"The next time we cook rice can I be the one in charge of the cooking?"

The guard scratched his head, confused.

From the old Alipins until the younger ones, nobody would volunteer for some additional workload, yet this young Alipin in front of him was asking him to do so?

He can't help but to compare Miguel from the other Alipins. Truly such a huge gab between a born-Alipin and a caught-made-Alipin.

But still its such an odd statement of Miguel, Why would he be willing to add another workload to his delegated tasks? For him he can't see a benefit for Miguel in doing this, too bad that he was reduced into a pitiful-lowly-Alipin.

The guard can only admire this conduct of Miguel. He did not think much, maybe he's just too good and kind.

Then the guard happily patted Miguel's head like of that to a child's. He thought that he had no problems in delegating this task to Miguel because it's a cut from his load. And of a useless job to him.

Thus he replied with awe while trying to maintain his imposing aura towards Miguel.

But still had the nerve to ask.

"Argus, why would you want to cook for your fellow Alipins?"

Argus smiled wryly "I just want to give them better food and for us to share more food with them"

The guard smiled faintly but thinking about this kid's statement, to where do this kid thinks he can get the food?

"I know what you are probably thinking" Miguel smirks.

"The answer lies from the way you cook this rice"

The guard exclaimed, laughing boisterously hard after hearing what Miguel said.

"Haha! Kid what the heck are you thinking? ... what are you going to cook the rice with eh? Add leaves for them to eat? Haha you're not allowed to eat any crops from the harvest!"

"Well we could and we should add leaves to it!" ... without waiting for the guard to speak, Miguel continued.

"Add leaves at the bottom of the pot, specifically banana tree's leaves then Cook rice with water but before that, wash the rice first and rinse it well three times then add water just the same as the volume of this rice and allow it to be heated and cooked by the fire"

The guard was dumbfounded! This is the first time he heard someone spoke of a different way to cook rice. But now it was spoken by a kid, the guard then took a step back and he knitted his brows, he thought that this might be how this kid's tribe cooked their own rice thus he smiled and faintly nodded, making a gesture that he agreed.

Miguel smiled in satisfaction, he's happy that the guard finally stopped the long chit-chat.

"Alright! I'll take your nod as a yes. I'll go back to my place now" And he did not forget to thank the guard with a slight bow.

The guard were still deeply thinking about this kid's words, he is now curious to know how will the kid would cook that rice but in his heart he begun to admire this kid's intelligence for him that kid is the first person to ever tell him a new way of cooking a rice. The guard observed Miguel from his disappearing silhouette.

Miguel was brimming with smile as he walks back to where he left Toto. He mumbled to himself "Idiot! This is just a simple way of cooking! This is not a big deal! You are just ignorant"

Meanwhile the nervous Toto can't help but to shake his toes from being anxious from what could be Miguel have discussed with that guard.

"Argus what did you talked about with that guard?"

Miguel smiled faintly "That's nothing, pay no attention to that. But starting tomorrow, I'll be in charge with the cooking"

 

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To Be Continued...