The coat itself was more like a dress than anything else, it was a long-sleeve silk jacket that had many buttons decorating it, along with those weird french white frills that hung loosely around the end of its sleeve and neck.
The coat seemed to have multiple layers all sewed into one, the length itself going down to the top of his knees. It looked as if it was supposed to be worn without all the buttons fixed, but Michael was rather cold at this point so he didn't really care about whether or not it was fashionable.
Other than it standing it due to its tangerine and maroon colouring, the flower patterns across it would make Michael stand out in any crowd back on earth... Though, whether or not this is true in this world had yet to be seen... Other than the rough-looking brigadiers the thieves wore, school uniforms the student wore, and reserved robes the teachers wore, he'd not seen much concerning actual clothing.
With that all said and done, Michael pulled the corpses into the woods so they wouldn't immediately be noticed by anyone travelling the roads, afterwards hopping onto the coachman's seat where the two horses were still waiting for orders to move.
He didn't have a good impression of horses due to the last one he encountered throwing him off of its back. He was a magnanimous person however, willing to let bygones be bygones if these two did what he wanted...
He picks up the weird stick-whip the coachman had been using before he'd 'gotten lost in the woods' and gives the horses a light *Thwap!* with it, causing them to start moving faster than he intended... Not seeing a point to dissuading them though, he just sits back and holsters the knife he'd been tightly clutching the entire time. Once the runes fade again, exhaustion quickly overtakes Michael, causing him to blackout as the horses continue pulling the carriage down the road.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey?"
...
"Hey?!"
...
"HEY!"
Michael's eyes shoot awake as his hand reflexively grabs the handle of his holstered dagger. He glances around with sharp, predatory eyes as the Gandalfr runes activate, but stops when he spots the concerned face of the man slowly walking beside the carriage...
"Hey? You alright kid?" he asks again, "I've been trying to wake you up since you arrived in our village..." he states, causing Michael's eyes to widen at the fact he'd fallen asleep.
The man himself had a taller, firm build, one suiting someone who worked manual labour all day... Judging by his tanned skin, loose clothing, and dirty, calloused hands, he was a farmer. He had thick ginger facial hair, as if he was trying to make up for the slow loss of the hair atop of his head... His hairstyle looking as if he had a thin red doughnut as a hat.
Michael shakes his head and lets go of the dagger, shuddering as his suppressed emotions were unleashed like a floodgate had been lifted. Fortunately, while the runes didn't seem to be able to condition his mind, the memories didn't seem as raw as they did prior to him falling asleep.
He looks to the horses who were still walking along, though, they seemed quite tired... Considering that they'd probably walked throughout the entire night, he couldn't blame them. He pulls on their rein slightly and allows them to slowly crawl to a halt, Michael glancing over at the concerned farmer. "Sorry... Last night was... Tiring." he admits with a regretful look in his eyes.
The farmer slowly nods, seeming to understand that Michael hadn't had it easy recently. He pats himself on his chest while flashing a smile, that, while it was somewhat disconcerting due to his poor dental hygiene, didn't deter his good intention in the slightest. "I'm Ronald, something as the guy to talk to around here. This is Redfield if you didn't know, not much to look at but, it's still home." he smiles.
Michael looks around as the man speaks, finding himself in the middle of a small, yet charming village with many luscious fields surrounding them. The road he was currently on seemed to be in the centre of the village, a few people watching Ronald speak to him. Michael wasn't sure what crops they were growing, but it certainly didn't match its name. "Redfield... Was it named after you?" Michael asks, causing Ronald to burst out into laughter.
"Hahahahaha! I wish! No, I'm not sure when it started, but I think the name stuck because of our rooftops." he says, gesturing around at them.
Indeed, just as he said, the many wooden houses had ceramic tiles that ranged in colour from bright red to dull pink. It looked a bit peculiar due to how rickety and ill-insulated some of the houses looked, but it was charming in its own way.
"So, what's your name? And how'd you end up riding through here passed out?" Ronald asks, curious.
"My name's Mi-..." he pauses, unsure whether or not he should be using his actual name now that he was a criminal. He didn't know how the authorities searched for criminals, so it would probably be best to choose a nickname for now?... "Mi-...Mick..." Michael sighs and shakes his head at the stupid name, he'd rather get caught and die than think of Micky Mouse whenever someone called his name, "Mike, sorry... My head's a bit fuzzy, long night."
Ronald nods, "You don't have to answer me, but, it'd put me at ease to know what you might be bringin' here." he says, not allowing 'Mike' to skirt around the subject.
Michael lets out a sigh while putting together a believable story in his head, "My father is a merchant, this was my first time doing a job without him... I had some bodyguards but, we were attacked by thieves... I was forced to leave my guards behind as they fought them off... You'd probably find some bodies if you looked..." he mutters in a solemn tone, the shellshock of brutally taking a life making his acting far more believable than one would expect.
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Ronald gives an empathetic smile as he steps next to the carriage and pats Michael on the shoulder, "I'm sorry for your loss, it ain't much of a consolation but, almost everyone here has lost someone close. May not have been by bandits, but the feelings are generally the same." he says, a couple of the people watching them giving small greetings to him as if in some kind of solidarity.
Michael slowly nods, feeling slightly guilty at taking advantage of their kindness... "Thanks... sorry to ask but, how far am I to reaching the port city?" he abruptly asks, causing Ronald to shake his head and chuckle.
"You ain't going anywhere with your horses lookin' like that... They'll drop dead if you push them any harder." he states
Michael glances back at the horses pulling the carriage, while they seem to have caught their breaths after the short break, they still look as if they're on their last legs. "W-what should I do then?" he anxiously asks, knowing that the military and bounty hunters would probably be pursuing him soon enough.
Ronald, noticing this, audibly sniffs and shrugs, "Well, you can rest in Redfield for the day, I doubt those thieves'll be willing to follow you here... Might set up an ambush for you further up the road though if given enough time..." he trails off.
"I'd be happy to stay for the day, but I don't want to leave it to chance. I need to get to Antomiers before those bandits get any bolder." Michael stresses, "I'd even be willing to trade these horses for some of yours if I could leave quicker." he offers.
Ronald crooks a brow and walks over to the horses, giving each a couple pats while examining them, taking a close look at their muscles, fat, state of their hooves, even dental health. "Well, these two are fine mares, but we only have a single mare that we use for ploughin', doubt she'd be able to pull your carriage alone..."
Michael frowns at this, unsure how he should proceed from here... Honestly, he was acting how he thought most medieval people did, as if he were mimicking a game character or something. He simply wasn't trained in trade, negotiating, or even the general worth of the horses themselves. Fortunately, getting a good deal wasn't really his objective right now. "How about this then... These two and the carriage for your horse, but I also want lessons on how to ride, as well as supplies..."
Ronald slowly nods with a thoughtful look on his head, stroking his thick red beard as he goes over it in his head, "Alright, think I could spare the day. Specially considerin' these mares'll help with the workload. Surprised you aren't able to ride a horse though, only learned to coach?"
Michael sheepishly nods in response, "Er, yes... My father thought it was too dangerous and not worth the risk..."
Ronald laughs, "Haha! Typical Merchant thinking. Alright, hop-off and we'll see about getting you started on ridin'," he starts, but Michael's stomach interrupts with a loud growl that almost seems to silence everything else...
"Maybe some breakfast first then?" Michael mutters as he hops off of the carriage after retrieving the bags filled with jewellery and clothing, stumbling slightly due to the height of the carriage. Ronald then leads him into to his house where his wife, Aubrey, and two teenage children, Samuel and Hugo.
It was a bit awkward being introduced to them, especially since both of Ronald's sons were taller than Michael is, despite him apparently being older by a year or so. Regardless, he caught them just as Aubrey had set out breakfast, the kindly woman setting out another plate for him so he could join them.
Michael wasn't really good with new people, especially in this kind of familial situation, so he decided to just treat it like an 'information gathering job'. Using this chance to get a general idea on the area's happenings.
"So, in the capital, we don't really hear much about what's going on in the countryside, any news I should know about?"
Ronald shrugs, "Ah, it probably won't involve you, but I'm worried about the future, specially for my boys." he says, tapping Samuel on his shoulder, "Count Mott's been given this area, and he's already begun sending people to each village. Last time somethin' like this happened they were conscripting folk for a war..." he explains, Aubrey solemnly nodding in agreement with her husband's words.
Michael frowns, knowing for a fact that a war with Albion would be occurring in the near future. Samuel and Hugo would be prime targets for the Tristain army due to how young and able-bodied they seemed. Their close vicinity to the capital made it almost impossible for the Count to miss them as well. "You think they'll really be forced to fight?"
Ronald nods, "If it happens, yeah... Doesn't matter if they need their fields worked if their positions are put at risk... They'll throw our whole village at an enemy army if it'd slow them down... Even if my boy's were spared, the war-time taxes and seizure of food would slowly destroy Redfield." he mutters, "To be honest though, I'm more worried about the young, unmarried girls here... I've heard bad things about the Count... Don't mention this to anyone, but, rumours say he doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to taking mistresses."
A prominent scowl makes its way onto Michael's face as he hears Ronald's words. Count Mott is the man who would've taken an interest in Siesta had she not been fired. So while she might've been spared, apparently he'd just switched targets to the nearby villages. "Is there nothing that can be done? Surely the Princess would have something to say about it?" he says, knowing that Princess Henrietta is a kind and just person from the anime.
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