A few days later, on the training grounds.
Rosie stood at the edge of the shooting range, her hands empty. Suddenly, she reached for her waist and flicked her wrist.
A dagger flew from her hand, spinning rapidly through the air before embedding itself in the bullseye twenty paces away.
But she wasn't done yet. She immediately began throwing with both hands.
In an instant, she threw the remaining four daggers from her waist. All of them hit the target, though two strayed from the bullseye.
“My left hand's accuracy is still a bit off...” Rosie muttered to herself.
She let out a breath and was about to walk over to retrieve the daggers when a translucent notification popped up.
【Level 3 Throwing, Strength +1】
A warm sensation rose from her abdomen, and her muscle fibers tightened slightly in the warmth before relaxing once more.
She clenched her fists, her knuckles letting out a few crisp cracks.
Rosie pulled the daggers out and tried again. This time, the daggers flew even faster and with greater accuracy.
She had finally achieved some mastery.
A satisfied smile spread across her face.
The nearby recruits who were resting saw her smile. The teenagers exchanged glances, looking as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.
Perhaps Instructor Rosie had also reached the age where she was prone to daydreaming about romance.
The next afternoon, at the Dawnguard Keep smithy.
“Uncle John, is my armor ready?”
Rosie walked into the smithy. The heat radiating from the forge rushed over her, the air thick with the smell of coal and metal.
The middle-aged blacksmith, John, was sitting on a low stool in the corner of the shop, tapping a sheet of iron with a small hammer.
Hearing her voice, he looked up, put down his hammer, and stood. “It's ready. Try it on and see if it fits.”
He walked over to the corner of the shop, bent down to haul out a wooden chest, and opened the lid to reveal a brand-new suit of armor.
It was a standard-issue, full set of plate armor.
The Dawnguard jokingly described it as: “Different molds go in, but the same mold comes out.”
Because of this, Rosie had specifically paid to have it customized.
For instance, the curvature of the breastplate was deepened, the clearance at the shoulder joints was widened, and the waist was appropriately tapered.
After examining it closely, Rosie was quite satisfied.
She took off her brigandine armor and began changing into the full plate armor.
Unlike on Earth in her previous life, this suit of plate armor wasn't the type that had to be put on slowly, piece by piece.
Instead, it was a modular set specifically designed to allow an individual to don it quickly on their own.
After all, the Dawnguard did not have squire attendants to help them dress.
As for how to put it on, it was actually quite simple.
First, she had to pull on the greaves and cuisses like a pair of trousers. Anyone could do this step; the only drawback was that it required a ridiculous amount of strength.
After all, these metal plate leggings weighed ten kilograms—definitely not something just anyone could easily lift.
Next came the armored boots. Once she slipped them on, she fastened them to the leg guards with metal buckles.
Then she stood up, picked up the heavy upper-body armor, and slipped it over her head. This step wasn't complicated either, but anyone with low Strength might end up crushing themselves to death.
After that, she fastened and locked all the metal buckles connecting the leg armor and the cuirass, securing them into a single cohesive unit.
Finally, she picked up the long arm guards, slid them on, and locked them in place the same way.
“You seem well-suited for fighting in this. I've never seen anyone put it on so quickly on their first try,” the blacksmith said in surprise.
The fastest person he had ever seen still took five minutes.
Yet Rosie had finished in just three.
“Maybe it's because I'm quite strong,” Rosie said with a smile as she put on the full-face helmet.
She stood up and rotated her wrists and shoulders, then bent at the waist. The various components of the plate armor shifted in unison, offering no noticeable resistance to her movements.
Amusingly, the crotch area of the armor featured a hinged design, making it convenient to answer the call of nature at any time.
Of course, if an enemy ever pinned her down, they could also flip open that piece of armor and thrust something inside—an incredibly terrifying thought!
This suit of plate armor weighed nearly forty kilograms. Even among the official members of the Dawnguard, only a select few were willing to wear it.
It wasn't because the defense was lacking, but because it was simply too heavy; wearing it for extended periods drained far too much stamina.
Moreover, vampires were highly agile creatures. If one's reactions were slightly delayed, it was incredibly easy to fall victim to a sneak attack.
Rosie had seen a Norman Knight toyed with like a monkey by a vampire. If Vera hadn't ambushed it with a flash arrow, the knight might not have won.
Another factor was that plate armor was extremely expensive.
A set of plate armor like this without any enchantments cost a hundred and fifty gold coins, and with the customization fee, it came to a total of a hundred and sixty gold.
Even for the Dawnguard, this was no small sum.
However, the current Rosie could easily afford it.
Although the treatment of the wounded at Dawnguard Keep had concluded, she had collected over three hundred gold coins in medical fees alone during this period.
That was why she was willing to upgrade her gear and replace her brigandine armor.
The climate here on Dawnguard Island was much warmer than in the North.
It rarely froze even during the coldest days of winter, and it would only get warmer further south. Thus, wearing full metal plate armor wouldn't turn her into a walking icebox like it would in the North.
Thanks to her Heavy Armor Proficiency, the forty-kilogram plate armor felt like it only weighed about twenty kilograms. This was even lighter than the marching load of a modern soldier.
Rosie's Strength was already far beyond that of an ordinary person, so this weight felt like almost nothing to her.
She thanked John, left her old brigandine armor behind as partial payment, and walked out of the smithy.
She followed the stone path to the second floor of the castle's main hall.
The door to the lord's hall was slightly ajar.
When she pushed the door open and walked in, Duke Grest and High Priestess Sylvia were sitting at the table discussing something, with a map and an open envelope spread out before them.
Seeing her enter, the Duke looked up, taking in her suit of plate armor with a look of understanding in his eyes.
“Your Grace, I am preparing to hit the road again,” Rosie said, getting straight to the point.
“Leaving so soon?” The Duke leaned back in his chair.
“Everyone in the keep who needed treatment has recovered and left, so it's time for me to continue my adventure,” Rosie replied.
Both Vera and Balu had already departed, and it wouldn't be right for her to overstay her welcome.
Furthermore, her Swordsmanship had hit a bottleneck at 299/300. That last single point refused to budge no matter what she did.
Rosie suspected that this final point required her to draw blood.
Sylvia looked up from the map, her gaze landing on Rosie.
“You are the most promising God-favored I have ever seen. Would you like to join the Grand Temple? You could spread more of the God of Light's gospel.”
Rosie shook her head. “I'm sorry, but I prefer my freedom.”
Sylvia smiled slightly and said no more.
She did not seem disappointed. The God-favored were natural missionaries; even if Rosie did not join the Temple, her actions would naturally spread the influence of the God of Light to those around her.
Even without entering the Temple, she was still preaching.
“It seems your mind is made up.”
The Duke took a silver badge from his drawer.
The badge bore the same design as the Dawnguard's emblem, but with an extra decorative border at the bottom.
“Rosie, this is the Honorary Dawnguard badge. Take it. It might afford you some convenience while traveling.”
He placed the badge on the table and slid it toward her.
“This is awarded to those who have made significant contributions to the Dawnguard.”
Rosie had saved Vera, cured many members in the keep of their chronic ailments, and even taught the recruits the simple but extremely effective “One-Punch” training method, raising the overall physical conditioning of the newcomers to a whole new level.
Oh, and there was also that “Xingyi Quan” that left everyone utterly sore.
Based on these contributions, Duke Grest had decided to award her this honorary badge.
The Dawnguard's reputation could be very useful at times, so Rosie did not hesitate to reach out and take the badge.
After bidding farewell to the Duke and the High Priestess, she returned to her room.
Her travel pack was already packed with rations, a tinderbox, a waterskin, and other miscellaneous travel supplies.
She hung her meteoric iron sword at her waist and tucked her remaining coin purse into an inner pocket.
Then, she placed a letter on the table, weighing it down with a cup. The paper bore only a few lines of writing: “Keep studying hard, boys. Next time we meet, I'll personally test your progress.”
She glanced out the window at the shimmering water of the lake, then bent down to pick up her pack, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Passing through the three layers of castle gates, she looked back as she walked across the stone bridge. The castle looked exceptionally majestic and grand under the sunlight.
Withdrawing her gaze, she stepped along the stone slabs of the bridge toward the opposite bank.
Before long, she arrived at the docks.
The place was as bustling and noisy as ever.
Rosie found a medium-sized merchant ship bound for the south.
The captain was a dark-skinned, middle-aged man.
“Is your ship heading south?”
The captain glanced at Rosie's full plate armor and nodded. “We are heading to the Kingdom of Deros, Port Osborn.”
“How much?”
The captain grinned. “No charge, but if we run into pirates, you have to fight.”
“Deal!” Rosie nodded immediately.
The captain gestured toward the cabin with his head. “Get on board. We set sail this afternoon and should arrive the day after tomorrow.”
The journey went smoothly.
The merchant ship did not encounter any blind pirates.
Two days later, the ship arrived at Port Osborn in the Kingdom of Deros.
Once the ship was securely moored and the gangplank lowered, Rosie bid farewell to the captain, slung her pack over her shoulder, and stepped off the ship onto the stone slabs of the dock.
She raised her visor and took a deep breath of land air.
The sea breeze hit her face, carrying salty moisture, the smell of fish, and the stench of garbage.
A forest of masts filled the port as sailors bustled across decks. Men shouted rhythmic chants as they hauled cargo along the docks, creating a deafening din.
A flock of seagulls glided low over the water, circling a few times before landing on the roof of a warehouse.
As Rosie walked, taking in the sights of this unfamiliar port city, a harsh, abusive shout suddenly echoed from nearby.
“Filthy refugees! Get the hell away!”
Rosie followed the sound.
A middle-aged man dressed as a merchant stood at the entrance of a warehouse. Multiple rings adorned his fingers, giving him the look of an ostentatious nouveau riche.
In front of him, an old man and a young girl were sprawled on the ground, propping themselves up with their hands, looking as though they had just been pushed or kicked down.
Both the old man and the little girl were emaciated beyond recognition, their clothes reduced to mere rags barely hanging onto their bodies.
The guard beside the merchant had already raised his hand, preparing to deliver a heavy slap.
“Stop!”
Rosie shouted.
She lowered her visor and strode forward with large steps.
Even if you wouldn't give them money for begging, why resort to violence?
It wasn't like there was a beggars' guild here. What kind of achievement was it to bully an old man and a child?
As she moved, the metal plates of her armor clanked against each other. Her imposing aura prompted several pedestrians to hastily step aside.
The merchant's eyes fell upon her full plate armor and the meteoric iron sword at her waist, and his expression shifted slightly.
He quickly looked away and turned, intending to leave.
“Hey! You injure someone and think you can just walk away?”
Rosie's voice echoed from within her plate helmet, carrying a deep, metallic resonance.
“Who do you think you are? Do you have any idea who our master is?”
The guard, eager to show off in front of his boss, glared at Rosie and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, trying to look brave.
Rosie said nothing.
She slowly placed her right hand on her sword hilt as well, then raised her head and calmly stared at the guard through the slit of her visor.
The guard's expression froze instantly.
That was not the gaze of an ordinary person; it was the look of someone who had truly taken lives.
And from the feel of it, she had killed quite a few.
His hand quietly slipped off his hilt, and he instinctively took half a step back.
“Apologize to them,” Rosie said.
The merchant's face flushed with a mixture of emotions.
He gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening for a few seconds, before he lowered his head and squeezed the words through his teeth: “...I'm sorry.”
With that, he spun around and walked away, his guard hurrying to keep up, walking even faster than his master.
After a dozen paces, the merchant's stride grew increasingly hurried, almost turning into a jog as he vanished around the street corner.
Rosie walked over to the old man, bent down, and reached out to help him up from the ground.
Then she looked down at the little girl, who was staring up at her with chapped lips and wide, hollow eyes.
Rosie fished out a few silver coins from her pouch and placed them into the old man's rough palm. “Here, buy her something to eat.”
The old man stared down at the silver coins in his hand, his fingers trembling.
He looked up, tears rolling down his wrinkled cheeks. “Thank you, Sir Knight! Thank you, Sir Knight!”
He pulled the little girl, preparing to kneel.
Rosie quickly held him up. “I'm no lord, there's no need to kneel. Go quickly and buy some food for the child.”
The old man did not persist. Holding the girl's hand, he thanked her repeatedly once more before slowly walking away.
The little girl looked back at Rosie. There was no expression on her thin face, but her eyes shone a bit brighter than before. Then she turned back and followed the old man.
Rosie watched them walk away, only withdrawing her gaze once the figures of the old man and the young girl had completely vanished.
A line of text silently appeared at the edge of her vision:
【Completed knightly deed: Gained 1% advancement experience】
Her eyes lit up inside the helmet.
Immediately after, Rosie felt like slapping herself.
To think a so-called knightly deed was actually this simple... She had wasted so much time for nothing...
Rate on N.U.
