Chapter 7
The moment Nick and Miguel realized they were finally out of the forest, they started running.
"Finally!"
Nick sprinted across the open field, his oversized clothes flapping behind him.
Miguel wasn't far behind.
"We're actually going to find civilization!"
After days of wandering through the forest, the sight of lights in the distance gave them a burst of energy they hadn't felt in a long time.
But their excitement didn't last.
As they got closer, the lights became clearer.
A large stone wall surrounded the settlement.
And at the entrance stood two guards.
Nick immediately slowed down.
"Wait."
Miguel stopped beside him.
"What?"
Nick stared at the gates.
"My reincarnation knowledge says these guys might not let us enter."
Miguel frowned.
"Why?"
Nick scratched his head.
"Because we're children, we're dressed like we crawled out of a forest, and we don't have any identification."
Miguel looked down at their oversized clothes.
"...Fair."
Nick continued.
"And even if they let us enter, they might ask for money."
Miguel suddenly looked at him.
"Huh?"
Nick blinked.
"What?"
Miguel casually reached into his oversized clothing.
"I already got some gold coins from those travelers."
Nick stared at him.
"You what?"
Miguel pulled out several coins and held them up.
"I took them earlier."
Nick's mouth opened.
"Since when?"
"Since we searched them."
Nick stared at the coins.
Then at Miguel.
Then back at the coins.
"Bro..."
Miguel shrugged.
"What?"
Nick shook his head.
"I thought you were the innocent one."
Miguel smiled.
"I learn quickly."
They continued toward the gates.
As they approached, the two guards noticed them.
One of the guards sighed.
"Kids?"
Nick and Miguel stopped.
The guard looked them over.
"What are you doing outside the town at this hour?"
The boys exchanged a glance.
Nick was about to answer when Miguel suddenly stepped forward.
His eyes became watery.
His lower lip trembled.
"Some bad guys kidnapped us..."
Nick froze.
Miguel continued in his most innocent voice.
"A adventurer helped us escape..."
The guards stared at him.
Nick slowly turned his head toward Miguel.
What the hell are you doing?
The guard's stern expression immediately softened.
"Oh..."
The second guard crouched down.
"Don't cry, little one."
Miguel sniffled.
Nick stared.
He's actually falling for it.
The first guard looked at Nick.
"And you two were kidnapped?"
Nick nodded.
"Yes."
He put on his most innocent expression.
"We escaped from them and wandered through the forest."
The guards exchanged glances.
The first guard sighed.
"You poor kids."
Nick nearly smiled.
It was working.
Before the guards could ask anything else, footsteps came from inside the gate.
A young woman walked toward them, yawning.
She wore the same guard uniform as the others, though she looked considerably less interested in being awake.
"Sleeping..."
She rubbed her eyes.
"It's my shift already?"
She stopped.
Then she noticed the two boys.
Her sleepy expression disappeared.
"...Huh?"
She stared at Nick and Miguel.
Nick and Miguel stared back.
The woman slowly crouched down.
"They're..."
Her eyes practically sparkled.
"...adorable."
Nick blinked.
Miguel blinked.
The woman leaned closer.
"Look at those faces!"
Nick whispered to Miguel.
'Are we actually this cute?'
Miguel whispered back.
'I don't know.'
He looked down at their clothes.
'We haven't seen ourselves in a mirror.'
Nick glanced at his oversized shirt.
'We probably look dirty.'
Miguel nodded.
'Then why is she reacting like that?'
Nick thought for a moment.
'Maybe the clothes?'
Their oversized clothes made them look even smaller, almost as though they had stolen clothing from adults.
The woman finally straightened.
"What happened to you two?"
Miguel immediately repeated his story.
"We got kidnapped..."
The woman frowned.
"Kidnapped?"
Nick nodded.
"An adventurer helped us escape."
The woman looked at the guards.
"You two were about to interrogate them?"
The guards shook their heads quickly.
"No."
"We were just asking questions."
The woman nodded.
"Good."
She looked back at the boys.
"Don't worry. You're safe now."
Miguel's shoulders relaxed.
Nick also lowered his guard slightly.
The woman smiled.
"You two can follow me."
Nick looked at Miguel.
Miguel nodded.
They followed her through the gates.
The moment they entered the city, both boys slowed down.
They had finally reached civilization.
Buildings lined the streets.
People walked beneath lanterns.
Shops were still open despite the late hour.
The smell of food drifted through the streets.
Nick's stomach growled.
Loudly.
The woman stopped.
Miguel's stomach growled immediately afterward.
She looked at them.
Then laughed.
"You two are hungry."
Nick tried to maintain his dignity.
"...A little."
The woman smiled.
"A little?"
She looked at their exhausted faces.
"You look like you haven't eaten properly in days."
Miguel quietly nodded.
The woman sighed.
"Come on."
She led them down the street.
"My name is Elara."
She looked over her shoulder.
"And you can call me Big Sister Elara."
Nick blinked.
"Big Sister?"
Elara smiled.
"Yes."
Miguel nodded politely.
"I'm Miguel."
Nick followed.
"I'm Nick."
Elara smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Miguel and Nick."
She continued walking.
After a few minutes, they stopped in front of a small restaurant.
Elara opened the door.
"Come on."
The smell of freshly cooked food immediately hit them.
Nick's eyes widened.
Miguel's stomach growled again.
Elara laughed.
"You two want something to eat?"
Both boys instantly answered.
"YES!"
Elara smiled.
She had never seen two children become so energetic from a single question.
"Then let's get you some food."
Nick and Miguel followed her inside.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, they finally felt like they might actually be safe.
And, more importantly...
They were finally going to eat some good stuff.
To be continued...