Musou Knight: Crow of Cinders-Chapter 56: Crow VS Cash Fraus

Chapter 56 – Crow VS Cash Fraus

Cash laughed and lunged straight at me. His sideways stance carried into a sweeping arc, and the blade swung toward my neck.

I raised an eyebrow. I had no musou energy, and I couldn’t activate bullet time. However, the strike was so sluggish I could’ve taken a nap before it landed. In my vision, Cash glowed with an orange aura. A ring of light circled his sword, shrinking tighter with each millisecond.

Recognizing the collapsing ring, my arms and shoulders moved. My sword struck the center of the ring.

Steel clashed in a burst of sparks. My broadsword met his sweep at the perfect angle, halting it mid-swing. The impact reverberated like a gong, and the orange ring shattered into fragments of light.

I remembered this phenomenon. It was the game’s counterattack system when an enemy general used a big move.

The entire world was still in slow motion. Cash’s momentum was reversed, and his stance was broken. His whole body lurched to the side in an exaggerated manner. I twisted my blade, driving the flat surface of the sword against his face, and slapped him like I was swinging a baseball bat.

The slap connected, turning his head and distorting his cheek. A wisdom tooth flew out of his mouth in slow motion.

Free dental service. You’re welcome.

Cash staggered two steps to the side and collapsed on the bridge guardrail. His body dangled while his eyes saw stars.

It was a clean parry and counter. All it took was two moves.

Bickar checked on Cash’s condition. Seeing the prince unconscious, he announced the outcome. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Winner of the duel, Crow!"

Gasps erupted from the crowd. Some knights cursed under their breath. Others shouted in disbelief, as though they had just witnessed a miracle. The gamblers lamented their losses, tossing gold coins angrily at the bookmakers.

Sylveria twirled her fingers, and all the coins flew toward her in a glittering stream. She turned, opened a chest her retainers had prepared, and let the coins pour inside. Then she smirked at the crowd.

"Anybody else wants to challenge our new recruit? I’ll allow any level three knights to test his skill. But you must pay fifty gold coins to him. If you win, you get your gold back, and I’ll put in a good word with my father."

I glared at her. She hadn’t even asked for my opinion. But she ignored me, already accepting more wagers while her subordinates shook their heads at the gamblers’ desperation.

From the crowd stepped a middle-aged man clad in brown full plate armor, the color theme of Paul Xess’s faction. The weight of his gear made the ground thud with each step, and the bridge seemed narrower with his presence. He carried a mace and a scarred shield, and his armor sealed tight without a single gap.

The crowd hushed as he advanced. Even the gamblers stopped muttering. Their eyes focused on the heavy knight.

The spectators whispered.

"Monte Norg."

"That heavy knight lieutenant?"

"He fought on seven battlefields. They say he’s close to breaking through to level four."

Monte’s visor tilted toward me. He shouted, introducing himself through the steel.

"I am Monte Norg, lieutenant of the 67th Xess Battalion. I shall test you."

The crowd erupted again. Many cheered, but half grumbled at my odds. Some knights clanged their weapons against their shields in rhythm, chanting his name. Others muttered that I was finished before the fight even began.

Sylveria smiled. She adjusted the rules.

"Since Sir Monte is stronger than Sir Crow, there will be a handicap. Sir Crow may use musou energy, while Sir Monte is prohibited. If Sir Crow manages to inflict a wound, he wins. Do you accept?"

I exhaled slowly. My musou energy tank was empty, so I had nothing left to draw on. Fighting a level 3 heavy knight without musou energy was not impossible, but it would be annoying. I had to make an excuse or find a way out of this.

"Fine, but I’ll need a jar of wine."

The crowd murmured. Some laughed while others frowned.

Sylveria tilted her head. "Wine? In the middle of a duel?"

I shrugged. "Call it a ritual. I always drank a bit before big fights. I fight better when I’m tipsy."

Sylveria chuckled. "You’re hiding something again. I can feel it."

"If I wanted to cheat, I would have asked for a poison weapon. Here I am, asking for wine. I mean, I’m handicapping myself. What is wrong with that?"

Sylveria studied me for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. Bring him the jar. But if this is a trick, Crow, I’ll expose it myself."

I cackled, masking my nerves. "Fair enough. Also, give me privacy. I want to be alone while I drink. I don’t like spectators."

"..."

"Also, I might break the jar as part of the ritual. Do not peek."

"Hoh?"

The crowd erupted in whispers. Some knights laughed at the absurdity while others muttered about strange rituals.

"He’s stalling."

"Eh, if I were him, I would stall too. A level 2 can’t possibly defeat a level 3 heavy knight, especially an earth knight."

Minutes later, a team of five common soldiers brought a sealed wine jar for me. I unsealed the lid and took a sip.

It was potato wine. I doubted it would affect my musou energy. My only option was to break the container and beg RNGesus to yield another wine jar.

"Is there a place where I can be alone?"

The crowd laughed and jeered.

"Hey! Don’t run away!"

"Be honest and admit defeat!"

"Going home to cry to your mama?"

I endured the humiliation and looked at Sylveria. She nodded and gestured to her subordinates.

Unlike the other crowd, they shrugged and guided me to an empty storage room located in a stone watchtower in the wall formation. As they dropped me off, they gave me a piece of advice.

"Psh, hey newbie."

"Yeah?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Don’t offend Lady Sylveria. She can read your mind."

"I can tell."

"That’s why, be honest when you talk to the lady, or she’ll bully you."

"Bully? She bullies people?"

"Well, she rarely punishes her people. On the other hand, if you get on her bad side, you’ll desperately wish you were locked away."

"She’s that scary?"

"Imagine this. You made her angry one day. That night, strange monsters appeared in your dream to torture you, and it was so realistic that you screamed when you woke up. The following nights, the same dream repeated until you lost your mind."

"..."

"A friend of a friend has already gone crazy. Don’t be like him."

"...I will keep that in mind."

The men winked and left me alone. Somehow, they were friendly, and I kind of liked those guys. However, the story was a bit disturbing since the developers and the game never mentioned anything about Sylveria entering someone’s dream.

After the men left me alone in the tower, I smashed the wine jar and prayed.

Seconds later, the item came out. However, it was not an item that replenished musou energy.