"Ehh! What?! Another workload!?" Toto exclaimed being shocked.

"That's right but starting tomorrow you will eat better food from before."

"Don't tell me you bargained to that guard for this?"

"Not exactly but you could say almost, anyways stop asking too many questions and being too nervous every time! Just wait! Follow my lead!"

Toto faintly nodded and he did not dare to utter a word again to Miguel but in his heart, he felt that Miguel cared for his fellow Alipins and he can't help but admire Miguel.

Is that so? Is that really what Miguel intended? Well, partly it is. But the main thought of Miguel is different and in reality, it was for him to eat a portion of better food, he was worried to eat the same food over and over again. Fried rice you say? That is different from the fried rice Miguel had known, but the fried rice here is not even eligible as food, too crispy that you can't even chew it and also, it's burned. How do you expect him to eat that?

After eating their food, Toto and Miguel went back to their own respective quarters, surprisingly they did not receive any task after that transportation of chunk metals so both of them had decided to rest.

On their way, however, an incident occurred...

"Hey! You! I told you not to eat if you did not finish your task before lunch."

One of the guards suddenly screamed, yelling from the backs of Miguel and Toto

It was that bastard who had been abusing Argus before Miguel had taken over his body.

Miguel recognized this warrior immediately at a glance upon seeing him.

He was also the same bastard who tasked him to carry those four boxes of scrap metal.

Miguel and Toto slowly looked back, a scary middle-aged man is seen scowling a stare of dagger towards them.

Toto immediately bowed, but Miguel just shrugged his shoulders and patted his hands.

[7] "Pagtimbaya! And my respects to you warrior." Toto said while raising his right arms beside his left chest, beating his chest once and slightly lowering his head.

It was a form of greeting conducted by warriors of the tribe and could also interchangeably perform as a greeting for fellow tribesmen.

The guard seemed pleased, yet he displayed a furled up brows and agitation, slightly opened and closed his mouth.

[8] "Hmph! Who told you to perform the same greetings we Timawas do?"

"You are an Alipin! you are supposed to bow your head to the ground!"

And with that, the guard suddenly came close to kick Toto to the ground.

"There, there. do it well! you lowly Alipin!"

Toto being pummeled down just did as what he was told without resistance.

But Miguel had a different expression. He is mad, felt sympathetic and he formed a knuckle behind his waist.

"You! You do the same! You are now an Alipin! No longer a Ranoan! Your prestige from your tribe has no power here!" The guard yelled at Miguel and immediately proceeds to kick him too.

But at that moment it was the start of another incident,

A much bigger one!

When the guard was about to kick Miguel...

Miguel evaded his kick and observed how the guard moved.

"Psh. just like what I thought. They rely solely on brute strength. who am I? I'm a General! I smelled gun powder, iron, and blood all my life. This measly kick is nothing."

The guard was played into a fool, he fell flat to the ground from a few paces, away from Miguel.

"You... damn brat!" Facing the dirty ground, the guard quickly stood up. And immediately launched another kick. But Miguel casually evaded it again like it was nothing.

Then a barrage of kicks went flying straight towards Miguel's body which he evaded too in short breaths.

Toto whose been prostrating a bow in the ground, sneaked a peak and went dumbfounded after witnessing Miguel display his evasive stances.

Being continuously evaded, the guard felt embarrassed.

"Just a measly brat!" As if he's not been taught from the previous encounter, the guard launched another attack, this time he used his punches.

At this moment, Miguel who had been contemplating a lot while trying to evade suddenly got a scratch.

The guard who tasted his first successful attack felt inspired, he did another strike.

This time, Miguel was not able to evade and his face was hit directly without a hitch.

He stumbled and fell from the impact.

Drunk with success, the guard triumphantly laughed.

"Haha! I thought you were something, turns out you are just a measly brat. If not for being a former Ranoan, then you are nothing."

And the guard kicked Toto before exiting the scene.

When the guard left, Toto hurriedly went towards Miguel.

"Are you alright?"

Miguel was shaking his head as he stood up, supported by Toto.

"Heck! this is nothing." He said in a pissed tone while shrugging the dirt in his tattered clothes.

"This body is really weak, without proper nutrition how the heck does he supposed to expect a proper fight from me? And that punch earlier, what was that? Am I too weak or these people were too strong?"

Miguel could not help but shudder, agitated of how weak he probably had become.

How much more damage could he have gotten if he was hit in a vital spot?

Toto with a worried look helped Miguel towards his tent, Miguel rejected Toto so he could contemplate and arrange his thoughts, but Toto insisted and Miguel couldn't be bothered to argue as the two walked.

Miguel and Toto's Tent were located at the furthest part of the Alipin's Grounds.

The ground itself was divided into different camps.

With each camp having four guards and two warriors patrolling the square.

Those who became an Alipin earlier or born as an Alipin were given priority over the new ones, they were located near the Quarter's Gate where they could easily receive their task.

Mainly, those who belong there are adult Alipins who had more use than young kids.

In Toto and Miguel's Camp were numerous kids and some old Alipin's Camp.

And the Camp beside them can be considered a breeding camp.

It was the place where they put a couple together.

Further at the spiked borders of the camp was another gate dutifully secured by a bunch of warriors. It had a tall bar of metal and the only place where you can see a metal amidst the wooden objects you can familiarly see at the Alipin's Grounds.

Miguel who had been intensely observing his surroundings thought that it must have been the place where they put the prisoners of their tribe.

When Toto and Miguel reached Miguel's tent, the sky created a gap to reveal a bright crescent moon. Miguel stared at it for a while before bidding Toto a farewell.

"Thanks a lot for your assistance... Toto." Miguel's mouth curled, revealing a faint smile.

[9] "Wala'y Sap'ayan" Toto smiled back with a courteous bow.

Miguel waited for a while before Toto eventually vanished upon Toto's own tent.

Miguel stared at his own tent being helpless that his living conditions were too poor.

He can't help but reminisce his own bedroom in the Military Official's Quarters.

Its a much better place than here.

He thought of the things he had taken for granted and the sufferings he had when he just started as a soldier.

"Isn't this the way I started as a soldier? This is no different!" He inwardly thought as a way to help console his heart.

And with that, he decided to lay down on his bed made from a stack of hay.

He gradually felt the heaviness of his body.

Miguel wanted to contemplate and arrange his thoughts but he felt weak.

He was really tired. Then, it took him quite some short breaths to suddenly fall asleep.

But he will soon realize that his rest is short-lived.

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....

[Alipin's Grounds: Entrance]

"Open the gates!"

"Our Dearest Saman is Here!"

"Quick! Open the gates!"

At the Slave grounds entrance, a pretty lady walking together with robust guards with marks probably a tattoo, some of the guards had scars all over their bodies while holding swords.

The pretty lady who walks grandly with prestige and imposing aura was none other than the Saman of Lumin Tribe, Saman, Talia.

One of the guards guarding the Alipin Grounds were dumbfounded, it was his first time seeing this Saman, he can't help but stare at the Saman while her silhouette left him behind.

He could only blankly stare her from behind, this type of beauty that is one to behold, she looks like a goddess who descended from heaven. She's not that tall, an average in height, her skin was flawless and it's not too dark or not too brown, a perfect blend of brown.

Of all the ladies here on this land, she was the only one who has some part of strands in her hair colored in brown. The reason behind this was unknown, but if you look at her, she's dazzlingly stunning.

Also, she had a voluptuous body armed with her not too big but just exactly ample rack, the word pretty would become an understatement towards her.

Too many men were attracted to her, if not because she is the Dearest Saman of their tribe, maybe she's long been attacked by hungry warriors begging for some stress release!

After three to four breaths the guard standing at the gate slowly approached.

He made a salute as he raised his arms in his chest, beat it once and spoke,

"Pagtimbaya!"

And when the other warriors at the place saw it, they all imitated him and did the same.

"Pagtimbaya!"

It took a while before silence returned.

One of the Guards finally dared to speak,

"Our Dearest, Saman, for what reason you came here?"

The Saman only stared at this warrior and the warrior just stood there stupidly.

Looks like instead of rest, there's only trouble coming on Miguel's way.

A Troublesome Lady Appeared.

 

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[7]Pagtimbaya = a term of courtesy greeting, primarily done by warriors followed by placing their fist at their chest and kneeling either with their two knees or just one bended knee.

[8]Timawa = Free Man, majorly consists of warriors and considered as the middle-class before the colonial/pre-colonial period in Ophir.

[9]Wala'y Sap'ayan = You are welcome, term when they reply to thank you.

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To Be Continued...