Episode 28

Rosanna’s nocturnal investigations were yielding results after a few days. Crow had discovered suspicious tea leaves being traded as smuggled goods in the port town of Hookpool, located near the southern outskirts of Ingdberry.

“They’re conducting an investigation on-site, but will you be going personally?” the butler asked as he delivered the news.

“Of course. If someone tried to harm me, I want to see their faces myself when I catch them. Where exactly?”

“The port town of Hookpool. It’s two hours away by train.”

“Get me ready for departure. I’ll leave as soon as I’m finished here.”

“Anticipating this, I’ve already prepared everything. Your bags are packed, your train ticket booked, and I’ve also reserved a hotel room in Hookpool. It’s unlikely this matter will be resolved in a single day.”

“You’ve done all that… already?”

“I’m merely fulfilling my duties as a butler.”

A servant who only follows orders is third-rate. One who understands their master’s intentions and acts accordingly is second-rate. But the one who anticipates their master’s needs and acts a step ahead—now that is first-rate.

Rosanna found herself marveling again at her butler’s competence.

“I’ll have the luggage sent directly to your hotel room. You can travel without worry.”

“Right. What about Henry?”

The door to Rosanna’s room burst open with a bang. There was only one person bold enough to enter without knocking.

“Henry is here!”

The butler clapped without so much as a flicker of emotion. The staff had learned that failing to respond to Henry’s dramatic entrances meant he would repeat them endlessly until they did. It was probably that magic show he’d attended with his parents a while back.

Rosanna, though exasperated, clapped her hands together softly. She needed to butter him up before delivering news that might disappoint him.

“Are we going on a trip?” Henry asked as he climbed into her lap.

“Why do you think that?”

“I saw them moving luggage to the front door. I noticed on my way here!”

“Hmm, this time, it’s just me going.”

“Why just you? What about me?”

“Your mom and dad will be back soon, and you need to have dinner with them.”

“But I want to go too…”

Henry looked up at her with bright, pleading eyes. The unyielding weapon of pure innocence—how could she resist?

Rosanna swallowed her desire to give in and softened her tone.

“This is a secret.”

A good story was needed to convince him.

“I’m going to hunt a dragon.”

“A dragon? Wow…”

“Remember that storybook we read yesterday? The hero always goes alone. If someone else comes along, they can’t use their full strength, and that would be dangerous, wouldn’t it?”

Henry pouted but nodded reluctantly.

“I want to go with you, but dragon hunting has to be done alone.”

“Okay. I’ll stay home.”

“When I bring back the dragon’s tooth, I’ll give it to you as a reward for being so good.”

“Really? I’ll wait! Rosanna, you’re amazing!”

Henry burrowed into her arms, rubbing his cheek against hers. Rosanna patted the back of his head and gave a subtle signal to the butler. Catching her meaning, he left the room.

Soon enough, the butler would procure a large, well-polished ivory ornament—something that could easily pass as a dragon’s tooth.

* * *

The sky was vivid, the air salty, and the cries of seabirds echoed everywhere. That was Rosanna’s first impression of the port town of Hookpool. The weather, in particular, was intense. While the sunlight didn’t burn her skin, it was bright enough to make her squint in annoyance.

Rosanna disembarked at the train station and headed straight for the harbor. As its name suggested, Hookpool’s coastline was shaped like a hook, with the docks nestled in a basin-like formation.

The docks were a cacophony of noise, filled with the shouts of fishermen and sailors engaged in maritime trade. It was a chaotic scene—hardly the ideal place to pinpoint a smuggler.

“I need to catch those smugglers and wring them dry,” Rosanna muttered.

Her attention was drawn to a man in uniform patrolling on horseback. A member of the coastal guard. This wasn’t the place to gather clues.

Deciding to change tactics, Rosanna turned toward the village. It was still daylight, but pubs always attracted people, and people brought information. All she needed to do was settle in and wait for something useful to surface.

The idea of a “vacation” put her in a good mood, and she began humming as she strolled through streets lined with shops, searching for a pub. Not one on the main road, though—she wanted a shady spot where criminals might frequent.

“This one looks promising.”

She examined the back of her chosen establishment. Its rear exit led to an alley, an ideal escape route.

“What’s that?”

Near the alley, she spotted a cart loaded with something covered in straw. She approached and brushed the straw aside, revealing burlap sacks typically used for grain. A mix of dried plants and other scents wafted up from the bags.

“Tea leaves?”

As Rosanna reached to open one of the sacks, the pub’s back door swung open, and a group of men emerged. She quickly ducked behind a corner, peeking out to observe.

The men were the cart’s owners. They exchanged crude jokes before starting to move the cart. Rosanna considered taking them down immediately but decided against it. It was better to follow them to their hideout.

“Time to stay out of sight.”

She tilted her head upward. The path wasn’t limited to the ground. In one leap, she scaled the wall and perched on the rooftop. From above, she could see the cart weaving its way through the alley.

“There it is.”

Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, Rosanna kept pace with the cart. But as she focused solely on the ground below, she suddenly collided with something—or someone.

“Ah!”

The impact threw her off balance. As she struggled to land, her foot shattered a red clay tile, and she began to slip. Just before she fell, a strong hand grabbed her and pulled her to safety.

“Fancy meeting you again.”

“You… what are you doing here?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

The person who had saved her was Raymond.

“You’re chasing that cart, aren’t you?”

“I have business with it. And you? Let me guess—you’re after it too. Why?”

“There was a mix-up with my shop’s flour delivery. I traced it here and found it might have been swapped with contraband. If I had baked desserts with it, I’d be in prison by now.”

Both of them looked down at the cart, which was nearing the outskirts of the village. The road ahead led into open fields.

“If I catch them, I’ll let you know what I find. Go back to the hotel. There’s only one in town—it’s my lodging.”

“It’s more efficient if we work together. Let’s get this done quickly.”

Rosanna studied Raymond intently. Being a dhampir, he wouldn’t fall behind her in speed. He could handle a fight, too—humans wouldn’t stand a chance against him. As a potential ally, he was qualified.

If the council found out about this mission later, it would be better to have a co-conspirator than to be acting alone. She could always pin the blame on Raymond if things went south.

“Fine. Temporary alliance. But I call the shots.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Get in my way, and I’ll leave you behind.”

“Agreed.”

The two exchanged glances before resuming the chase. They followed the cart to the village outskirts, leaping from the last rooftop into the open field.

Ahead was a dilapidated farmstead. The old wooden structure, surrounded by hay storage sheds, stood against a cliff with the sea behind it. The place looked long abandoned, though the deep wheel ruts in the dirt path suggested otherwise.

“This is the smugglers’ den.”

Rosanna didn’t care about their crimes. Her only concern was whether they had clues about the people who had targeted her.

“Let’s go.”

She took a step forward, but Raymond blocked her path.

“You’re supposed to follow, remember?”

“Can’t I make suggestions? We’re supposed to be cooperating.”

“I’ll listen.”

“Let’s get captured. It’ll make gathering information easier.”

“Why not just beat the answers out of them?”

“Threats don’t work as well as letting them talk freely. Gangs like these aren’t careful—they’ll spill everything, even if they have hostages.”

“And how do we get captured?”

Raymond smirked as if the answer should be obvious. “Just follow my lead.”

From their hiding spot behind a tree, the two strolled out onto the dirt path, heading straight for the wooden structure. The guards outside scowled at their approach.

“Excuse me, is this Mr. Smith’s place?”

“Smith? There’s no one here by that name. Now get lost!” one of the men barked, while the others snickered. One of them pointed at Rosanna.

“Hey, there’s a woman! It’s been ages since we’ve had someone like her. Pretty, too!”

“The guy looks strong, though. They’ll fetch a good price. Grab them!”

Just as Raymond had suspected, the smugglers were also involved in human trafficking.

Rosanna and Raymond allowed themselves to be captured and were dragged into the wooden building. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and the smugglers, feeling they were no threat, let their guard down. They began chatting openly.

“When’s the next shipment coming in?”

“It’s been delayed. They’re rerouting it to avoid customs this time.”

“Tch. Damn traitor caused all this trouble.”

“At least we gave him a taste of his own medicine. Shoved a pistol down his throat. You should’ve seen his face—it was priceless. He even pissed himself.”

The man imitating the victim’s final moments lost interest and turned to Rosanna.

“The boss won’t be here until sunset. How about we have some fun with this one?”

“Why not?”

A disgusting chorus of laughter erupted.

One of the men approached Rosanna, his filthy intentions evident in his gaze. Just as his hand was about to touch her, Rosanna couldn’t hold back any longer.

“I’ve had enough!”

The ropes binding her wrists snapped as she punched the man with enough force to send him flying across the room, smashing the boarded door into splinters.

“Ah, that felt good.”

A satisfied smile spread across Rosanna’s face.