Hawk the “Jackal”?
Rosie immediately frowned the moment she saw Hawk.
This was a military camp belonging directly to the royal knight order.
What was a guy like him doing here?
At the same time, Hawk spotted Rosie as well.
His gaze lingered on her face for a brief second before shifting away without any change in expression, as if he had just seen a complete stranger.
Rosie looked away as well, pretending not to know him.
When Lucius stepped inside the tent, his eyes swept past Hawk's figure and visibly paused; he clearly hadn't expected to see the man here either.
However, he quickly recovered his composure, stepped forward, turned slightly, and introduced them to the young man in the main seat:
“Your Highness, this is Lady Vera of the Dawnguard. Beside her is Miss Rosie.”
Vera stepped forward and bowed slightly. “A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”
Rosie followed suit with a polite bow. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
The Third Prince's gaze swept over the two of them before he gave a slight nod. “No need for formality. Please, sit.”
Vera naturally walked over to an empty chair nearby and sat down.
Rosie followed her and sat in another chair beside her.
“Your Highness, did you call for me regarding the vampire matter?” Vera asked.
The Third Prince got straight to the point. “Yes. I hope you can eliminate the escaped vampire while we purge the plague in Stratholme.”
Just as Vera was about to reply, a voice chimed in from the side.
“Your Highness! What do you mean by purging the plague?” Lucius asked, a look of utter astonishment on his face.
The Third Prince looked at Lucius and said calmly,
“The Grand Temple of Light demanded that the kingdom establish the Temple of Light as the state religion, or else they would not dispatch a High Priest. My father rejected their demand. To prevent the plague from spreading across the entire kingdom, Father has ordered the burning of Stratholme.”
Silence descended upon the tent for a moment.
The firewood in the brazier crackled softly, throwing sparks against the iron rim that quickly dimmed and faded.
Lucius suddenly raised his voice. “Burning it down?! There are still living people inside! How could—”
“Lucius! Silence!”
Nikus cut him off sharply.
“This is His Majesty's decree.”
Lucius unwillingly bit back his words.
The Third Prince showed no anger, continuing with a matter-of-fact indifference,
“Stratholme is filled with vectors of the plague. To prevent its spread, a complete purge is necessary.”
“Nikus acted without authorization, causing heavy losses to the order. Effective immediately, I am taking command of this camp.”
“Lady Vera, please ensure that the escaped vampire is dealt with. We cannot allow a repeat of what happened in Stratholme.”
Vera nodded. “I will handle it, but I will require full discretion to act within the Kingdom of Norman.”
“Rest assured, Lady Vera. Nikus will join you in hunting the vampire, and he will handle all administrative matters within the kingdom on your behalf.”
Having said that, the Third Prince turned his attention to Rosie. “Nikus informed me of your capabilities. I hope you will join as well.”
Rosie opened her mouth. “Um... I...”
She wanted to find an excuse to decline.
Just then, several lines of small text popped up in her field of vision:
【Optional Adventure Quest: Kill or Be Killed】
【Quest Objective: End the evil deeds of the vampire elder】
【Quest Reward: Path of the Hunter or Path of the Knight】
Rosie's eyes lit up.
Meanwhile, the Third Prince continued, “Not long ago, Baron Rhodes was killed outside Frostmoon Town. According to witness descriptions, the culprit bears a striking resemblance to you, Miss Rosie.”
Vera glanced sideways at Rosie before speaking up:
“Rosie is my sworn sister. She wouldn't kill someone without reason. If she really did kill him, then that man must have had a serious problem...”
The tent fell silent for several seconds as everyone was stunned by Vera's twisted logic.
However, the Third Prince was clearly not so easily fooled. He smiled and said,
“By your logic, Lady Vera, couldn't I arrest Miss Rosie simply because I think she has a problem?”
The Third Prince had beaten magic with magic.
Vera was immediately stumped by her own crooked reasoning. She opened her mouth, unable to find a counterargument.
“Of course, I won't do that. I will thoroughly investigate before reaching any conclusions. Perhaps Baron Rhodes really was dirty...”
The Third Prince looked at Rosie. “Wouldn't you agree, Miss Rosie?”
“It is everyone's duty to eradicate vampires!”
Rosie declared with a righteous expression, as if that had been her stance all along.
The corner of the Third Prince's mouth twitched slightly before he continued,
“Very well. I trust Miss Rosie will help us eliminate the vampire, while I locate the evidence of Rhodes's crimes.”
At that moment, the middle-aged noble who had remained silent finally spoke up. “Your Highness, I have something to say.”
The Third Prince looked toward him. “Lord Goluk, what is on your mind?”
“Hawk is very familiar with the kingdom. I would like him to lead some men and join Lady Vera.”
After saying this, the middle-aged noble added, “I believe testing our latest research results on an ancient vampire would yield better data.”
The Third Prince pondered for a moment before giving a slow nod.
“Very well. Hawk, you will assist Lady Vera. Remember, do not mess this up.”
Standing behind the middle-aged noble, Hawk immediately bowed his head and responded respectfully, “As you command, Your Highness!”
Afterward, the Third Prince turned back to Vera to discuss the arrangements for the hunt.
Rosie sat quietly beside her, listening without interjecting.
The discussion lasted about fifteen minutes before Vera stood up. “Then we shall take our leave, Your Highness.”
The Third Prince nodded.
Vera turned, and Rosie rose to follow her out of the tent.
The moment they lifted the flap, a blast of cold wind struck their faces, cutting a sharp boundary between the warmth inside the tent and the chill outside.
They had walked only a few paces.
A voice called out from behind, filled with forced familiarity.
“Miss Rosie, it has been a long time.”
Rosie stopped and turned her head slightly.
Hawk stepped out of the tent and stood a few paces away, a perfectly tailored smile plastered on his face.
Vera's eyes flicked between the two of them before turning to Rosie. “Are you acquainted with this gentleman?”
Rosie replied in a cold tone. “Not at all. Who would be acquainted with a hound that loves chasing after people to bite them?”
Her words held a double meaning, mocking Hawk both for being a lapdog and for relentlessly hunting her down in the past.
Hawk's face stiffened for a moment before he forcibly brought back his smile.
“Miss Rosie, I apologize for our past misunderstandings. We are both working for His Highness now. Please don't take it to heart.”
Rosie snorted softly. “Don't worry. Why would I hold a grudge against a beast?”
With that, she didn't spare him another glance and turned to walk away.
Vera scanned his face and let out a click of her tongue, speaking in a voice just loud enough to be heard:
“And here I thought he was somebody important. Turns out he's just a dog...”
Hawk's complexion instantly turned livid.
Catching up to Rosie, Vera walked alongside her, muttering, “Little Rosie, don't waste your breath on a dog. It's not worth it.”
...
That noon, the two ate lunch in the camp's mess hall.
The oatmeal porridge was mixed with dried meat and beans—solid military rations. It didn't taste great, but it was filling.
After lunch, the team assembled to hunt the vampire elder was ready to depart.
No one came to see them off; every member of the order had been assigned new tasks by the Third Prince.
Traveling alongside Rosie were Vera, Nikus, Hawk, and five of his men.
In the middle of Hawk's squad was a flatbed wagon carrying an iron cage wrapped tightly in layers of black cloth and hemp rope.
The black cloth was wrapped so securely, its edges bound tightly with rope, that it was impossible to see what was inside.
The prince had provided swift horses for both Rosie and Vera.
Holding her saddle, Vera gave Rosie a brief demonstration on how to mount, grip the reins, and signal the horse to turn or stop.
“Don't squeeze your legs too tightly, or the horse will think you want to sprint. Don't leave them too loose either, or it'll think you don't want to move at all...”
Rosie listened carefully and swung herself into the saddle.
The saddle was harder than it looked and a bit uncomfortable, but fortunately, she had plenty of flesh and bounce on her backside, which served as a natural cushion.
Holding the reins, she mirrored Vera's posture, lightly resting her feet in the stirrups and adjusting her seat.
The horse beneath her snorted and tossed its head, its mane blowing in the wind.
Rosie adjusted the position of the meteoric iron sword at her waist so it wouldn't poke her leg while riding.
She hadn't brought a shield this time, as her new sword was better suited for two-handed use.
While she lacked the defense of a shield, offense was the best defense... well, probably.
The Third Prince had promised a satisfying reward once the vampire elder was dealt with.
Furthermore, Rosie's criminal record would be wiped clean—though this was implied discreetly rather than stated outright.
Once she finished the contract and received the payment, Rosie planned to buy a proper set of heavy armor.
Or maybe she could just convince the prince to gift her a set of knight's armor?
The vanguard was already moving.
Nikus rode his tall warhorse at the front, with Hawk's men driving the wagon right behind him.
Vera rode behind the wagon, with Rosie keeping pace beside her, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned Hawk and his crew ahead.
The only variable in this operation was the “Jackal” ahead—and whatever “thing” he had brought along...
The hooves clicked crisply against the frozen road, mingling with the crunch of wagon wheels rolling over gravel.
The hastily assembled vampire hunting squad rode slowly toward the dull gray horizon, united by what appeared to be a shared goal.
Adventure Guide Character Status Panel (Skippable):
【Name: Rosie】
【Strength: 16+1】
【Agility: 12】
【Constitution: 13】
【Intelligence: 10】
【Talent: Unremitting Self-Improvement】
【Skills: Lvl 2 Unarmed 130/200, Lvl 3 Swordsmanship 150/300, Lvl 2 Throwing 135/200】
【Combat Skills: Lvl 2 Heroic Strike 12/200, Charge, Severing Strike】
【Traits: Tireless Marcher, Ancient Language Proficiency, Heavy Armor Proficiency】
【Divine Magic: Holy Light】
【Title: Goblin Slayer】
Equipment: Linen Gambeson, Slightly Damaged Brigandine Armor, Meteoric Iron Sword, Leather Boots, Ring of Strength
Wealth: ~12 Gold
Rate on N.U.
