Musou Knight: Crow of Cinders-Chapter 7: Uninvited Guests

Chapter 7 - Uninvited Guests

The elder had already woken up. He was sitting in his usual spot, but his eyes fixated on my Cow-Cow. I warned him.

"Please, Uncle Studium. This is my pet. He’s not food."

"Pet? All these corpse-eating birds? These bastards can’t be tamed, kid. They will pluck your eyes out one day. You should get rid of them."

"Nah, Uncle. I don’t wanna die. These guys will remember me and tell their grandchildren about it. Every crow and its sisters will never stop harassing me until I die."

The elder, Studium, scoffed at me. He turned to his job and washed the newly collected clay in his wooden basket.

If I remembered correctly from elementary school classes, it was a process of removing impurities from the potential clay, as sand and stone would harm the product later during the firing step.

"First lesson to you, bird boy!" Studium smirked and explained. "Before you can make any pot, you need to know more about the river fat."

"River fat?"

This was the first time I had heard that term.

"Yes, river fat. It’s sticky and firm. You can find them on riverbanks, floodplains, or ponds. Grab a bucket and go fetch me some river fat. Don’t return unless your bucket is full."

Getting an assignment on the first day of apprenticeship was a good sign, but I hadn’t had breakfast yet. I asked the elder. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Can I smash something and get some food first?"

"No. We broke everything yesterday."

Whoops. Sorry.

"I already ate the leftovers. You go pick berries or nibble some grass in the woods. Dried grass isn’t edible. You’re not a goat. Don’t eat those. But you can try your luck with some mushrooms. If ants eat them, you can eat them. If not, take some home anyway. I can use those."

That was a lot of lessons I got on the first day.

Also, come on, grass was not my diet. I ain’t a cow or a goat.

Grabbing an empty wooden bucket, I made my way southwest, heading to the previous stream from which I had come. Cow-Cow and the gang instantly rose up and followed me, though some of them were too heavy to fly and had to walk like chickens.

Finding clay was an art. Not every pond or riverbank had clay.

After walking down the stream and visiting ponds nearby, I managed to fill the bucket with what seemed to be clay. The bucket got so heavy that I had to carry it with two hands.

This body was pretty weak. Moreover, after comparing my height with Studium, I seemed to be on the shorter side.

Based on my reflection in the pond, specifically my height, complexion, and facial features, I believed this body’s frame was similar to a teenager’s. That was why Studium kept calling me a kid.

I found this troubling. The game events had already started, and a grand war would engulf the entire continent, including this place. With this weak body, I wouldn’t stand a chance against the early game’s bosses, especially Louis Bu and the Thor’s Knockoff.

Boosting my hidden stats was an option. To do so, I would have to raid military bases and kill some commanders to obtain status tokens. I could also break some crates in the barracks to get weapons, armor, and status boosters. Unfortunately, I would have been killed by a random patrol soldier before I could even infiltrate a military base.

My vitality attribute would be my priority. They dropped in the form of full-course meal items, such as the grand meal I had consumed yesterday. A similar item in the game increased the max HP by 10 points. But I didn’t have a status menu. Without an indicator, I had no idea how strong I was.

"I guess I have to make multiple good vases and farm them for max HP full-course food."

I set my first goal and dragged the bucket full of clay back to the shack.

It was already midday, and I still hadn’t eaten anything solid, except a white mushroom I had picked up from a random tree. While not toxic, I could have had diarrhea by the next day.

Upon returning, a hundred soldiers surrounded Studium’s hut. They were different from the militia at the mass grave site. They had breastplates and a black tunic over their armor. One of them carried a banner of a black wolf.

While it wasn’t a good omen, I couldn’t help but smile. The black wolf banner identified that they were from a good guy’s side, namely, the Constantia Faction. Its country was the origin of many heroes and heroines of the game, who would soon rise during the upcoming continental war in the following years.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. I was still wearing the uniform of their rival faction’s militia soldier. If I showed up suddenly, they might mistake me for an enemy, and I would be doomed.

"WHO GOES THERE?!"

That moment, I hated my life. I had forgotten one fact.

These guys were exceptionally good at detection. Constantia males were conscripted into military service at the age of 12, where they were trained in archery, hunting, and scouting. After finishing their studies, they had the option to go back home or enlist in the army, with many then becoming rangers or knights. Because of how they were raised, even common soldiers possessed heightened senses of smell and vision.

Without a choice, I dropped the bucket and raised my hands, surrendering. I walked out of the thicket.

One of them noticed my uniform. He grimaced and unsheathed his sword. The others drew their bows and aimed at me.

"Really? Just because you show up unscripted? What did I ever do to you?"

"A brute from the Invidia?! What is he doing here?!"

Ah, shit. It was my stupid leather armour. I should have taken it off.

Anyway, they were being unreasonable.

"I’m a freaking potter apprentice. Also, you’re in Invidia land. Why can’t I live here? You’re the one I should be questioning. What the hell are you, Constantia dogs, doing here? Sniffing around for leftover bones?"

Whoops. I hadn’t meant to provoke them. I hated my mouth sometimes.

The men paused. I could tell that they were reluctant to answer me, yet their expressions were full of hate.

I guessed combat was inevitable. I exhaled deeply.

My musou meter should have been full at the moment since I had drunk a lot of wine yesterday. If I had to, I could have taken out ten or twenty guys before going down.

My fingers tensed up, getting ready for action. I could still sense the leather belt around my waist, and my two knives were still with me.