Musou Knight: Crow of Cinders-Chapter 54: Audience with “Lu Bu”

Chapter 54 - Audience with "Lu Bu"

At noon, I left the villa. A carriage had already been parked outside, waiting for me. A hundred common soldiers, donned in leather armor, had gathered behind the carriage.

When the men saw me, they saluted. Their captain dismounted to greet me. However, his tone wasn’t so friendly.

"Get in the carriage. Don’t waste our time!"

Someone was jealous. I couldn’t blame him since it aligned with the faction’s name. I entered the carriage while the captain slammed the door behind me.

The group brought me to the castle. Fortunately, the route was short as the wealthy district was close by.

The carriage dropped me off in front of the castle. The captain brought me to the hall, where hundreds of scary-looking men had gathered.

Louis Zen and his subordinates used it as a general meeting place, despite its original purpose as a gathering point for ordinary soldiers. This was something he often did in the game.

On the elevated throne, the supreme general sat overlooking the entire room. Despite being the intended late-game antagonist, his imposing stature, chad-like face, and dragon-scale armor gave him the presence of a hero.

Aside from Louis "Bu" Zen, his aides, lieutenants, and vice generals were present. Only his four top vice generals sat at the central meeting table while the lieutenants and others stood behind their respective leaders. Bickar was among them, but he stood with the bureaucrat officials, who wore casual uniforms.

Cash Fraus and Slavus also joined them. However, even though Slavus was a level 5 knight, he didn’t get to sit down like the other generals. He stood among the military men on the opposite side of the strategists and bureaucrat officials. I couldn’t blame him since all generals at the table were level 7 musou knights. Only Louis Zen could topple them. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

All eyes were on me as I entered the hall. The captain saluted and announced my entrance.

I broke a sweat. I hadn’t expected all subordinates of the infamous big boss to be present.

At the table, the fifty-year-old grizzled general let out a contemptuous sound at me. He leaned back in his chair and sneered.

"So, this is the lucky brat. He doesn’t look special."

I recognized the person.

Paul Xess, the grand commander of all cavalry divisions, was a dual-element knight like Louis Zen. Unlike his gigantic master, he was merely six feet tall and had an average build. His unique green knight armor was made from green dragon bones, which gradually healed its wearer. He was a tough opponent in the game, and players disliked him because of his persistent self-healing.

According to the story, he would lead his troops to Avaritia after Zoli’s death, but he would be defeated and killed by the illegitimate child of Choi Fraus, aka the protagonist I hadn’t met at the Garuda Stand. That tale, though, was for another time.

Each of the other three generals reacted in their own way. The old man in white robes, possessing a long white beard, bushy eyebrows obscuring his eyes, and flowing hair, maintained a stoic demeanor. A middle-aged man with blond hair, attired in a black official uniform, frowned at Paul. The last person, a red-haired woman in her early twenties wearing red dragon armor turned and cocked her head in my direction. Although she was blindfolded, she seemed to see me without problems.

These people were Alfred Vain, the grand paladin; Garrick Thorn, the grand commander of the infantry division; and Sylveria Zen, the sole daughter of Louis Zen, master of the logistic division and the future goddess of war. All of them mastered two elements. Including Paul Xess, they were like the four heavenly kings under the demon lord.

Comparing these individuals’ abilities to Zoli’s, I found myself questioning Zoli’s intelligence. Even though their most skilled generals were only level 5, they dared to confront a nation supported by knights of levels 7 and 8. It’s understandable why they were easily defeated in the narrative, despite having devised a flawless plan for world domination and all the preparations.

"Is he the one you mentioned, Father?" Sylveria questioned her father.

Louis Zen leaned forward and called me.

"Crow."

"...Yes?"

I didn’t know what to do in front of these people. I stood unmoving, responding only when absolutely needed.

"How did you awaken your power and rise to level 2?"

"Umm. I accidentally fell into a campfire?"

Sylveria and two other generals chuckled while Paul mocked me again.

"I told you! He’s just a lucky brat. He’s nothing special! Just kick him out, my lord. Giving him a mansion is a waste of war funds!"

Louis Zen ignored Paul and continued with the interrogation.

"Do you know what you can do with your power?"

I inhaled deeply and pulled a kitchen knife, which I had stolen from the breakfast table. The crowd murmured and grabbed their weapons, but the generals at the table raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

I shrugged at their reactions and stabbed my hand with the knife. Pulling the knife out, I tossed it to the ground to avoid a misunderstanding.

"May I borrow a candle or a torch?" I asked.

"No need. I can tell what you’re going to do." Sylveria smiled and twirled her index finger. A palm-sized fireball manifested, and she flung it toward me.

I reached forward and caught the fireball with my injured hand. As soon as it contacted me, it erupted and engulfed me in flame.

Oddly, my red clothing did not ignite or suffer any burns. My hand was healed, and the fire vanished.

Sylveria spoke in my stead.

"Flame immunity. Regeneration. Or perhaps a fire unknown to us, one that surpasses mine own."

Louis Zen furrowed his brow. "Could it be the Phoenix Flame?"

"Possible, yet most unlikely. The legends tell that to gain the Phoenix Flame, one must first perish by cremation. Only when the host returns from death does the phoenix descend, setting the heavens ablaze. We have witnessed no such omen."

Louis Zen’s eyes narrowed.

"A new flame, then."

He said no more, but his gaze lingered on me, and it did not look friendly.

I saw greed and envy.

Sylveria stepped in. "Father, do you suspect a trigger? Often, such awakenings are not born of chance. Encountering a beast, enduring a trial, or some strange omen may stir the musou core to life. The baptism in flame alone is not enough."

Louis Zen inclined his head slightly, yet he let his daughter continue leading the conversation.

Sylveria continued, "If he met an unusual being before his power awoke, it may explain the nature of this fire. It’s important to pay attention to all the signs so we don’t mistake it for a legend."

Sylveria turned to me.

"So, by chance, do you have any... unusual companions?"

I sweated profusely. She was too sharp. Were you L in your previous life?