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“There’s a story behind that name,” Luigi said, gesturing out the window. “In the Second Empire or something, there was a valley that had a First Empire era road between two important places, don’t remember what they were. One end north, the other south towards the sea. All sorts of money going up and down this road, and a lot of people lookin’ to take advantage. So when a bunch of landless knights came around and cleaned out the bandits, the Emperor gave them that valley and called them Di Scurostrada. Used to be a lot of forest too. All gone now.”
“A nice story,” you said, “But <span class="mu-i">Dark Path</span> is still a rather ominous title, isn’t it?”
Luigi chuckled at that in a thick, fake sardonic tone. “That’s what the other thing I’ve heard mentions. Not as much somethin’ to take pride in, the other story. You know what landless knights became a lot of the time? Bandits. So there’s as much a chance that the first Di Scurostradas were just bandits who got paid off to not be highwaymen no more. You know how nobles are. Not much better than bandits if they think they can get away with it.”
“I don’t think our Captain would appreciate that sentiment,” you joked.
Luigi shrugged and joked back with a raised finger. “A noble <span class="mu-i">and</span> a woman. Mama always told me, never trust a woman unless she’s your mum, or one your mum picked out. Never steered me wrong, that bit of advice.”
…Mother would <span class="mu-i">never</span> have picked a mountain girl for you…
The train pulled into a quaint, rural station that was little more than a stop for water, coal, and passengers, with a little town around it to sustain and be sustained by it. Not where you expected the villa of Di Scurostrada to be, but perhaps some nobility preferred to be away from the hustle and bustle. These surroundings were assuredly what Yena would be more used to, at least. A smaller and more relaxed community, and a link to an important, known figure. A far cry from how she described the Holy City in this time of strife.
“Well,” Luigi picked up his haversack and raised a hand, “Guess I’ll see you in…a month? Two? Until your spawn pops out and you feel the need to show him to me? May the Saints guide you, boss. Preferably one of the reasonable ones.” He began to walk off, but you grabbed his ear. “Oi, what’s all of that?” He whined. “We’re on leave, find somebody else to kick into mush.”
“You’re meeting Yena,” you said flatly, “What are you in such a hurry to leave for? This leave is so long, and Scurostrada so narrow a territory. If I didn’t know better, I’d wonder if you were in a hurry to head off to the pleasure palaces of Marenabocca.”
