ตอน 90: As Long As I Can Lead Them Right

After his encounter with the Dayang, Miguel hurriedly went to the cornfields where he is supposed to meet up with his group feeling satisfied and is even smirking from ear to ear. But having little knowledge about Saon and the Lunin's Tribe as a whole, Miguel asked the tribesmen for assistance.

"Where do you plant cornfields?" Miguel asked the seemingly uninterested fat tribesmen holding a basket full of varying fruits.

But to his dismay, the tribesmen shrugged as she waved her hand. Gesturing to Miguel that she doesn't want to be bothered.

As usual, some of them had ignored him, but a few tried to help him and it did not take long before someone was able to tell which way it is towards the cornfield.

"Just head at the west gate of the tribal square, where you can see a small field of flowers, following a patch of grassy plains there's a trail. Then you follow that trail which will lead you to the cornfields." An old man with a white wool beard patiently instructed.

Miguel beamed a smile in return, thanking the old man who saved his day, "Many thanks you old..." Not able to think of a way to identify the old man, he simply bowed his head as he passed through.

Little did he knew, it was actually that Mysterious Old man who gave Argus the Bardiche and have taken away Argus's spear.

Upon reaching the cornfield, he found out the corns that are planted were bigger than the corn plants he used to know.

He found himself lost inside the cornfield as if the field is a maze itself!

He stumbled his way through the cornfield. The crops were scratching his arms and legs as he pushed them aside with one hand and gathered the moringa tree in the other, leaning the branches to his shoulder.

The corps reached way above his head, leaving him disoriented as to where he is. The afternoon sun beats over his head as he trailed further into the cornfield while the crops become denser and harder to push through.

At the distance, he saw a looming figure that resembles the bamboo huts he saw in the Lumin's Tribe which made him eager as he pushes his hands forcefully forward, Trying to find out if he got his directions right.

While his feet toppled through the dense grassy foliage of fallen leaves from the corn plants, he contemplated his confrontation with the Dayang and his future plans.

With the approval of the Dayang, once his plan is put into motion, his status of an Alipin shall cease to exist. Miguel inwardly thought, "If you want to change the course of the waves and birth a great change, you'll have to become the wind itself. Only then, that the tides of the seas shall go in your favor. Meaning, I'll have to be free first, just like the wind."

Blankly staring as he passed by while occasionally touching his chin, Miguel finally arrived at the empty patch of grass where a huge wooden hut that resembled a granary appeared.

When his right foot landed on the ground, he saw numerous Female Alipins threshing the corn with their bare hands. They don't have any clothes on their top, exposing their breast as it wiggled due to the constant moving of their hands as they separate the corns to another basket.

The Male Alipins on the other hand carried a basket of harvested corns on their shoulders which they place in front of the rows of Female Alipins.

Miguel came close to one of the female Alipins as he asked, "Have you seen three Alipins..." Just then Miguel realized he never really knew much about the bunch. Because he never truly bothered observing their appearance he felt at a loss on how he should describe them but luckily as he stood there, awkwardly asking the female Alipin...

He noticed at the distance a group of Alipins that resembled the bunch. He stopped talking with the female Alipin and moved past away from her which in turn made the female Alipin weirded out.

Ignoring the woman, Miguel proceeds to walk towards where that group is headed.

...

"Sigh, we finally finished our task today. We will have to sneak outside the Alipin Grounds at night later so we can train. I wonder when would Argus come and visit us." Patting his sore muscles, Aen issued a complaint.

Then as he turns his face where a figure of Argus is approaching, he instantly recognized that it was Argus. He nudged at his fellow comrades gesturing them to turn around.

"Argus!" They all yelled out.

"I was not sure if it was the three of you. Luckily I immediately saw you. You are the most recognizable one here." Miguel said as he approached the three, even ruffling the hair of the small Aen. "Are you guys ready? We have something to talk about," he added.

"We just finished. Young Master." Malpi, the most reasonable among the bunch interjected.

"How about you Talto?" Miguel shifted his gaze to Talto who is busily reattaching his wooden foot. Upon seeing Miguel, Talto beamed a smile that looked stupid in Miguel's opinion but he did not comment on it as he instead sat at the wooden stool located at the entrance of the granary.

The granary is spacious, almost as if a huge warehouse from Miguel's previous world.

"Is there somewhere more private where we can talk among us without anyone interfering?" While observing his surroundings, Miguel noticed the influx of Alipins coming in and outside the granary.

"Well, you could just wait for us here, we are almost done. We just have to wash our hands a bit." Aen spoke on behalf of the three.

"Alright then. I am not that in a hurry anyway." Miguel perfunctorily answered.

...

A few minutes passed and the bunch has retreated to the corner of the granary where nobody can disturb them.

"I'm going to make this quick. I have news for everyone." Miguel stood at the center of the small circular formation the bunch has created, seemingly displaying his presence akin to that when he is still a soldier planning for an ambush with his teammates.

At that moment, Miguel could not help but reminisce about his past, but he swiftly placed these distracting thoughts at the back of his head as he prepares to tell them his plans.

"First you all have to know that the Datu of this tribe had already died." Miguel flatly stated with his insipid tone as if he is just reciting a report to his superior.

The three exclaimed in shock when they heard it. Their eyes opened wide as they were about to question Miguel.

But before they could even speak, they were immediately greeted by another statement from Miguel.

"The Dayang has been hiding this to the council of Elders and to the tribesmen as well. Perhaps she fears that once she informed everyone, her rule over this tribe shall come to an end."

Followed by their initial shock, they found themselves silently nodding at Miguel and so, Miguel continued...

"She can hide it among the tribe but she can't hide it forever. Those who have ill will against this tribe, especially those that have been conquered by them might strike their own vengeance." Clearing his throat, "On that day, I plan on having this tribe. Will you follow me?"

Asking in a solemn manner, the unappealing kid who looked weak at first glance dared to spout these words. If somebody has heard him they'll probably laugh at Miguel, but to everyone present who had constantly seen the wonders that both Miguel and Argus have created took him seriously.

The scene of Miguel defeating the large crocs and him fighting with Bagno is firmly etched in their minds. Since the day they took an oath to follow this young man in front of them, they believed in his promising potential.

And yes, probably because they are a bit dumb themselves, they can't even bother to think. They all exchanged glances with each other having a determined look on their faces.

At that moment it is as if they all have decided to bet everything as they silently nodded towards Miguel.

Seeing them nod made Miguel smirk. "Looks like I don't even need any speech for them to be persuaded," muttering himself as he added another piece of information, "You won't need to put your lives at stake but I might labor you hard to death like a cow!"

As he said so, they all stared at the floor, Talto on the other hand stared at the darkening sky. He wondered what Miguel is planning.

While Malpi had a suggestion, "Why not also use those other kids we have gathered? Yagnos had been training a batch of Alipins in his own land just near from here."

When Miguel heard this, he was taken aback. "There is? Oh, I forgot, Yagnos told me a while ago that he has been training kids my age. And he mentioned that he had a secret training ground. Are you talking about that?"

"Yes!" Malpi jovially replied.

"Hmmm if he agrees, then our job will become much easier," Miguel said as a light curve rose from the corners of his lips.

"Then this is my plan." Coming close with the group as he gathered everyone into his embrace and they formed a huddle, he whispered his plans in a hushed tone.

And he could not help but think, "No matter how useless they may be as long as I can lead them right, they'll have a great use!'

Along with the settling sun, retreating behind the mountains... that's how Miguel began to start to carve a path of his own.

Whether that path could become his destiny or just a path dictated by someone else, it is the start of something more.