Chapter 54: Eccentric

Chapter 54: Eccentric

The sun was midway through the morning sky, its warm touch and a cool breeze highlighted by the silence that spread over the crowd.

George cleared his throat once more, closing his eyes to collect himself.

Poor bloke, I thought. For someone with debilitating social anxiety, addressing all these people must be a nightmare...

He started speaking, his voice shaky and hesitant.

"As you all know, taxes have been progressively increasing in the past months..."

A soft murmur came from the crowd, a large collection of the present farmers both agreeing and lamenting the fact.

"I assure you, this was as the crown willed, and I understand your pain. No one has felt the pinch of decreased funds as much as I. You..."

He spread his arms wide, encompassing the crowd.

"The farmers of Tropica—you are the people that keep the village afloat through your hard work. The knowledge that you have been doing it tough has filled my heart with despair, and my every waking moment has been tormented by your plight."

As he spoke, George seemed to gain more confidence. His voice grew deeper and clearer, his body language more robust.

Another murmur came from the crowd, this time with a notable tinge of hostility.

"But!" George yelled over the crowd's growing displeasure. "Today, we have news of tax relief!"

The murmuring shifted as people turned to their neighbors, whispering excitedly.

"Yes! It's True!"

George waited, letting the conversation swell and die down.

Man, he's actually pretty good at public speaking when he gets over his nerves. You go, George!"

When the crowd returned to silence, he continued.

"It is with great pleasure that I tell you, the workers—nay, the very backbone of Tropica—that the taxes will be returned to the level of three years prior. You will now—"

The gathered farmers erupted.

People yelled, whooped, hugged, and turned to each other, unbelieving.

I glanced at Maria; she embraced her father.

Roger held his daughter as she bounced on her toes, unable to contain her joy.

His lip curled in a smile, and I joined him, happy to see anything break through his exterior shell.

His eyes locked onto mine, and seeing my mirth, his scowl returned, so I laughed and looked away, not wanting to ruin their moment.

Similar scenes played out throughout the square, and I bathed in everyone's excitement.

George waited patiently atop his makeshift podium, a benevolent smile fixed on his face. There was still an underlying hint of his anxiety, but it was mostly buried.

It looks like he genuinely enjoys delivering the good news. It's heartwarming to know the village's lord actually cares about the farmers’ wellbeing.

When the noise died down again, he continued.

"That's right—your taxes will be one third of where they'd climbed to. My contacts in the capital have also assured me that, going forward, the taxes will remain stable at that reduced rate for the foreseeable future."

Again, the crowd erupted.

***

"... Barry?"

Barry’s heart tried to jump from his chest, and his eyes went wide as he stared down at Sharon.

"Sharon... you... recognize me?"

A smile teased the corner of her lips, only slightly diminished by her gaunt frame.

"Of course I recognize you, Barry. What an odd dream, though..."

"Sharon... you're not dreaming."

She shook her head lightly, finding the idea humorous.

"The system asking me to pick a name says otherwise. Usually I dream of Roger and Maria, but your face isn't unwelcome."

While the speed of her recovery was astonishing, the news of her awakening didn't shock Barry; that had been his plan, after all.

"Sharon... you're not dreaming. This is all real."

He leant down, picking up a pastry Roger had left, and the rest of the sugarcane juice.

"Try to eat and drink as much of this as possible. You've been unwell for a long time, but I suspect you'll recover quickly."

She smiled and nodded, picked the pastry up with one hand, and bit into it.

As the sensations hit her tongue, her eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes looked at the pastry, around the room, then back up at Barry.

What kind of person would buy such expensive clothes, then make them appear cheap...? I have to—

"Something confusing you, friend?" the man asked, giving me a genuine smile.

"Yeah, mate—your clothes! They're made to look cheaper than they are, right? I don't get why...?"

The man smiled and nodded.

"You have a good eye. Are you perhaps a merchant? Is that why my attire offends you?"

My eyebrows shot up.

"Offends?"

I laughed.

"Mate, I want a full wardrobe for myself!" I tugged at my linen clothing. "These can be scratchy, but I don't want to buy the good stuff and stand out from my neighbors, ya know?"

The stranger paused, cocked his head, and just when the silence was getting unforgettable, he chuckled.

"I approached because you confounded me and I wanted to understand why, but all you've done is give me more questions."

I grinned.

"Yeah, sorry about that, mate. I seem to have that effect on people. What did ya wanna ask? I'd be happy to help if I know the answer..."

His face tilted in confusion at my vernacular, but that was intentional—I just couldn't help myself.

He pointed down at my shirt.

"Well, I wanted to know about your clothes, actually. You dress like a farmer, but you're not one, are you?"

"Nope!" I extended a hand. "I'm Fischer, by the way."

He took my hand and shook it.

"Theo. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Fischer."

"Pleasure's all mine, mate. But yeah, I'm not a farmer."

"What do you do, then?"

My curiosity for Theo grew as our conversation stretched on.

He was trying to present this as a conversation, but it was anything but—it was an interrogation.

I considered my response and decided lying would be a bad idea.

Theo seems exceptionally smart.

"I do heaps, mate! Recently I've helped in the tailors, the smithy, made some jewelry, and now that I think of it, I did do some farming. The fields are on my land, but they're not actually mine—I'm letting a neighbor use them to supplement their income."

As Theo's eyes weighed me, they gave nothing of his intent or thoughts away.

Finally, after what felt like too long a moment, he smiled and clapped me on the shoulder.

"It's truly a pleasure to meet you, Fischer—you seem like a good person."

Relief flooded me as I passed whatever test that was, but I paid it little mind.

"Likewise, mate—what about you? What do you do? I also find myself a little confused by your getup."

"Oh, I can't tell you yet. I hope I’ll see you later, though."

"Ahhh, you too... mate...?"

Theo was already gone, having pushed through the crowd toward the north side of Tropica.

I crossed my arms, watching where he'd gone.

"Weird bloke..."

***

Theo let the positive emotions from his interaction with Fischer linger, genuinely enjoying having met a kind soul.

He's clearly some sort of eccentric noble or heir to a house.

He smiled at Fischer's odd speech and eclectic range of activities.

Whatever else he is, he's kind. That's all that needs to be said.

Theo pulled out his map, and after scanning the streets scrawled on the parchment, pinpointed his location.

"Straight, then left, then right after two streets..."

As he strode away, he banished the echoes of his interaction with the friendly eccentric.

It's time to ask the lord about these 'reduced taxes'...