Musou Knight: Crow of Cinders-Chapter 12: Migration

Chapter 12 - Migration

Studium and I resumed our work, making and breaking vases. After the feast, my body was healed. The burn marks vanished as if they had never existed. My HP and Musou bar should be full.

We also fed the crows with leftover food. Cow-Cow had turned into a ball-like chicken. I was tempted to cook him, but he gathered his friends and left the area before my thoughts came to fruition.

With nothing else to do, Studium and I discussed the situation.

"We almost died there. Did you provoke the Invidia army?" I asked.

"That’s impossible. I was selling kitchenware to some housewives at Frogine Fortress."

Hearing the name of the fortress, I could not help but recall the iconic stage in the campaign mode. Many campaign stories had involved this place. Moreover, there was a super boss I did not want to encounter.

"I see. Is that how you made a living?"

"How else? Selling my asshole in the red-light district?"

"Just kidding, sir. Chill."

"Whatever. Those men were probably patrolmen from the fortress. Did you have to kill them?"

I rolled my eyes. He hadn’t heard the topic of their conversation, had he?

"They were planning to kill us and steal everything, just like the Avaritia men did to your family."

Studium’s eyes widened, his pupils dilating. He ought to grasp everything by this point.

"I see. All nobles and soldiers are the same." With a sigh, Studium slumped onto his wooden stool. He rubbed his head and sighed again.

"So, what are you going to do next?" I asked.

"Stay here and wait for my death? I don’t know where to go anymore."

"How about we migrate to a big city and quit living in the wild?"

"Are you crazy?!" Studium stood up and yelled in my face. "Do you have any idea what kind of life awaits us inside the city?! They tax everything! A onetime pass into that fortress cost me a silver coin and ten of my wares. You stay in a tavern overnight, and they tax you a gold piece per day, not including the tavern fee! Only the filthy nouveau riche can afford those! If you can’t, you end up as a war slave!" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

I pointed at the ground, where Cow-Cow and his friends had left behind money. We stared at the coins in silence.

"Ahem!" Studium coughed and adjusted his tone. "This won’t be enough for the two of us. You’re young, and you can use musou. You have a life ahead of you. I won’t live long. I want to be left in peace, so move to the city yourself."

"...You’re a good man."

"I’m always a good man!"

I sat on the ground and pondered, collecting my thoughts. I could have ditched the elder and lived on my own, but I had not mastered all the pottery techniques yet. I did not want to join any force either, but we were in danger.

Then I had an idea. We could leave the area and head south. To the best of my recollection, we could access the Constantia territory. They belonged to the protagonist faction, even though Lenitia’s uncle was a backstabbing SOB. We had a better chance of surviving there and getting through the game stories without being implicated.

After calculating enough, I voiced my idea.

"Let’s head south. We migrate to Constantia."

"Constantia? That poor land?"

Whoops. I had forgotten their current financial background. With a weaker military and fewer resources, Constantia was seen as a falling nation. Lenitia had been sent to marry Choi Fraus for a reason.

Still, their country had several heroes and heroines. We would be fine riding on their coattails as long as I did not run into that traitorous general, Troturre the Torturer.

"It’s fine. We’ll have a better chance there."

"...If you say so."

Consequently, for our own security, we packed our luggage and migrated.

.

Our journey began late, around 10 AM by my estimation. Again, for the sake of our safety, we had no choice.

Our belongings included a wooden cart filled with ceramic jars that held clothes and small tools. The remaining space was saved for the spears and leather armor of the soldier I had killed. We would find someone to buy them later.

As we traveled through the woods, Studium and I struggled to push the cart through rough terrain. In the end, we reached the stream before nightfall and rested there.

We set up a campfire for the night, even though the light revealed our position. The old man was not someone who could sleep outdoors without warmth.

Cow-Cow had not returned yet. Not that I cared, but I hoped he and his buddies would not get caught by someone or a beast.

Although drowsiness set in, I persisted in remaining alert to protect Studium. It was astonishing that I had pledged to protect a stranger whom I had encountered only a few days prior. I couldn’t stop wondering why I bothered. In the end, it was all due to my guilty conscience.

After midnight, the wind grew colder. I covered myself with the tunics we had stolen from the dead soldiers. The sound of the wind gradually turned into a lullaby, or the wailing of infants, which kept me awake throughout the night.

Every second felt like hours. I counted from 1 to 100, then from 100 to 1,000. I gave up when the count surpassed 2,000.

I turned to the campfire and hypnotized myself.

I thought of the Musou skills I’ve used so far. Every time I swung my weapon, the musou activated automatically, and my weapon produced fire. I wondered if I could summon fire with a thought whenever my Musou bar was full.

My imagination ran wild. Without realizing when, my thoughts and dreams overlapped. I fell asleep.

...

When I woke up, I found myself lying next to the extinguished campfire. The sun was high in the sky, and Studium was already awake.

"It’s late," Studium complained. "I thought you were dead. Your body was literally on fire."

I sat up. However, the cold sensation and the rough surface of the ground jolted me awake. I looked down and noticed that my clothes and armor had been burnt to a crisp.

I turned to Studium.

"What happened?"

"As I said." Studium smirked. "You fell into the campfire, and you were burned. I don’t know how you survived that, but kid, you have a bad sleeping habit."

"..."