"Your generosity has deeply moved me,"
Rollin nodded slightly, responding with the proper level of gratitude.
Besides money, he certainly wanted other rewards—
But he needed to think carefully.
Standing beside him, Peamon muttered, "As a serf, the only thing you could possibly want is to become a free man. But this isn't enough for a special favor. If he really asked, it'd be pure fantasy."
Bill, crouched on the side, gave Rollin a look—
It was an unspoken message: "This is a rare opportunity, grab it."
"Respected sir, please allow me to have Xiao He accompany you on the campaign. I promise it won't be a bother,"
Rollin replied.
Becoming a free man was his main goal for this trip, but now wasn't the right time.
The reason was simple—
He didn't know much about Lord Donner.
Before fully understanding someone, you couldn't expose your true intentions too early.
Opportunities needed to be seized, but also built upon proper accumulation.
When the time came, it would all fall into place.
Otherwise, you'd be wasting it.
"Ah, there are also war dogs on the battlefield. Xiao He's bravery is sufficient, so it should be fine to let it accompany you,"
Lord Donner seemed surprised.
The retainer's request was surprisingly simple, and he added curiously, "Just to confirm, are you asking for anything else?"
Peamon, standing beside them, was a bit taken aback.
He had been trying to survive for the sake of becoming a famous musician.
He had fought hard, but his only goal was to have a dog by his side.
It was scary how little ambition he had.
"Of course, my lord,"
Rollin nodded, still not asking for anything.
Too much would seem greedy, and too little would be a waste.
After all, he had been shot, and Xiao He had fought.
As a human, he couldn't let that go unanswered.
Sometimes, not asking was the best way to get what you wanted.
After all, Lord Donner had said he would reward those who helped protect his honor.
He wouldn't just give a few trinkets.
"You're more humble than I expected,"
Lord Donner smiled, pointing at the neatly arranged loot, "Considering your performance tonight, I won't be stingy. You may take one piece of armor, two weapons for yourself. And I declare, from now on, they are your personal property. You can do with them as you wish. Oh, and do you know how to use a crossbow?"
"No,"
Rollin replied honestly.
"That's something you need to learn,"
Lord Donner said, then glanced at Peamon, "You have some free time, so teach him how to use the crossbow. I'd like to have one more person by my side."
Clearly, he had no expectations from his retainer.
But on the battlefield, having someone reliable was always a good idea.
After the ambush, he had a new view of this serf.
"Your command, my lord,"
Peamon said with a bit of surprise.
He hadn't expected such generous rewards from Lord Donner.
But given the serf's performance, it was deserved.
Rollin thought it wasn't enough.
Xiao He had fought all night, and as a dog, it deserved more.
As the master, he had to fight for its rights.
So, he sent a mental signal to Xiao He: "Eat up the meat, and keep watching the pile."
Thanks to the [Heartfelt Synchronicity] talent, Xiao He immediately understood.
It swallowed the remaining half of the meat, then stood up, staring at the pile as if it were its own.
The message was clear—
It was trying to eat.
"Bad dog, that's not ours,"
Rollin feigned to stop it, performing the whole act of scolding, then patted Xiao He on the head, saying, "You can't be rude, see how I deal with you."
"Ha, I forgot about it,"
Lord Donner laughed, pointing at the pile of meat found on the savages, and kindly said to Xiao He, "You did well tonight. All this meat is yours."
"Thank you, it was a bit reckless,"
Rollin replied, taking a moment to remember the treasure.
"Xiao He's help is worth more than the meat. That's what I'm rewarding it with."
"Thank you,"
Rollin bowed slightly, accepting all the gifts.
Now, both he and Xiao He had food.
He knew, after taking the rewards, he should say something nice.
So he added, "I'll train it well, and make it more useful."
"That's good,"
Lord Donner said, getting up and entering his tent.
"Rest up for the morning. We have a long journey ahead."
Rollin finally noticed—
Lord Donner slept in his tent wearing chainmail.
Of course, everyone had their own way of surviving.
He now understood that it was common for nobles to wear chainmail while sleeping in the wild.
"Rollin, you're really wasting this opportunity,"
Bill, cleaning up the mess, whispered, "Lord Donner let you choose your own rewards, and you just let Xiao He stay by your side. What a rare chance you have, and you have zero ambition. It's even more impressive than Xiao He, who actively asked for more food. I really have to worry about you."
"I was nervous, and I didn't think about it,"
Rollin replied casually, cleaning up the mess.
He picked out a decent piece of armor, a longsword, and a dagger.
Finally, he grabbed a wooden crossbow.
It was easier to master compared to a bow.
At least, he had a basic set of gear now.
He could at least defend himself.
"Still, Lord Donner is incredibly generous,"
Bill said, looking at the crossbow, "He gave you so much because you were too shy to ask. Next time, don't be so naive. Knights and nobles love to give rewards. It's how they show they're fair and honorable."
"Thank you for the reminder,"
Rollin nodded.
Through his understanding, he realized that the knights of this world were different from the ones in his previous life.
Their actions were often questionable, but their public image was always pristine.
"Rollin, let me give you a taste,"
Bill pulled a pouch from his chest, grabbed a few biscuits, and handed them to Rollin.
"These are made by my wife. Rye flour, honey, and almond paste. It's a real delicacy."
"Looks fancy, the taste must be amazing. Thank you,"
Rollin accepted the biscuits, then took two pieces of meat from the pile and offered them back as a gift.
Bill smiled, "You're just as humble as Lord Donner said. You're a real friend. I like you, Rollin."
"Best not let your wife know you also 'like' others,"
Rollin added with a laugh.
"She might also like you. But you have to visit my place on the way back. I'll make sure she knows."
"Sure,"
Rollin laughed back.
Everything was now in order, and the two of them returned to their posts for the night.
Xiao He was now by his side, finally allowed to be there openly.
As for Rollin, he examined the armor and found it a bit too big for his frame.
But it could be tightened. Better than nothing.
The longsword had some nicks from the fight, but the tip was still sharp.
The dagger was suitable for close combat.
And the crossbow, though worn, was still functional.
He hadn't expected to get such a basic set of gear all at once.
After all, buying this would cost a lot.
But the real treasure was Xiao He now being by his side.
"Let me feel it out,"
Rollin sat by the tree, rubbing Xiao He's head.
In his mind, he planned—
He still needed one more dog to unlock the [Killing Intuition] talent.
It would be better if he could do it before the battle started.
So, he needed to find another dog.
As the morning arrived,
The group packed up, extinguished the campfire, and continued their journey.
Xiao He stayed close to Rollin, now officially allowed to be by his side.
It walked at the back of the group, acting as a scout.
By midday,
They came upon a small free man village, filled with a dark atmosphere and a heavy scent of blood.
The village was tiny, only around six or seven houses.
A few of them had been burned to the ground.
At the village entrance, a wooden post stood tall, with several villagers' heads hanging from it.
As they stepped inside,
They found more than ten bodies, all missing their heads.
Even with his mental preparation, Rollin felt a wave of nausea.
"It must be those savages we killed last night,"
Bill said angrily, "They love doing this kind of thing. Don't be soft when you meet them on the battlefield."
"Yes,"
Rollin nodded, remembering how Lord Donner had deduced the savages had attacked the village.
At this moment,
Lord Donner, riding ahead, turned back and said, "Check if there are any survivors."
"Yes, my lord,"
Bill and Rollin split up to search.
Bill carried his longsword and searched to the right.
Rollin, with Xiao He, went to the left.
He entered the first room on the left, which was in disarray.
No survivors were found.
He exited and went to the second room.
His steps stopped mid-air.
On the blood-stained wooden table, a woman lay in a pool of blood.