After emerging from the depths of the forest, Adrian Vale soon discovered a man-made road.
Following it for a while, a small village appeared ahead.
It was a typical medieval-style settlement, nestled deep within the forest. The scattered houses, built from wood and stone, looked weathered with age.
At noon, thin trails of smoke rose from the chimneys, slowly gathering and drifting above the village.
Looking at the surrounding farmland, it was clearly not the busy farming season.
Yet smoke still rose at midday.
That alone suggested something—
The villagers here lived relatively well. At the very least, they could afford three meals a day.
This was clearly a peaceful and prosperous village.
Perhaps not the best place to recruit troops…
But definitely a good place to earn some money.
Just then—
A figure appeared on the path ahead.
A petite girl in a bright red velvet cloak skipped lightly forward, carrying a basket.
The moment Adrian saw her—
A striking system marker appeared above her head.
Immediately, a notification popped up.
[Notice: You have encountered an important story character — "Little Red Riding Hood, Britney"!]
[To prevent communication barriers from affecting your ability to conquer this key character, the system grants: Trait — Language Mastery (You can communicate fluently with people of all nations).]
[Successfully conquering this character and recruiting her into your harem will grant generous rewards!]
Then, as expected—
The text glitched again.
[Notice: Encountered important story character "******"…]
[To prevent ******** from affecting ********… Trait granted: Language Mastery…]
[Successfully ** this character… recruit into **… rewards granted…]
Even though the system panel remained incomplete, Adrian had already made up his mind—
This was a war system.
And he had roughly figured out the mission.
The girl in the red cloak in front of him was clearly an important character with her own storyline.
As long as he successfully subdued her and brought her under his command, he would receive substantial rewards.
"Looks like… an early-game talent."
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly and examined her more carefully.
She had fair skin and a petite frame.
Her delicate features gave her an innocent, naive charm—like someone who had never experienced the harshness of the world.
But…
Her "advantages" were a bit too… noticeable.
As she skipped along, they bounced lightly—like two lively rabbits.
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
Judging from her movement, she had clearly never received any combat training.
Not a combat-type unit.
And honestly—
She wasn't suited for that path anyway.
With such a top-heavy build, maintaining balance in battle would be difficult.
"Probably a high-potential special NPC… meant to be trained."
Adrian activated the "Insight" skill granted by the beginner package.
A status appeared.
[Britney (?)]
That was it.
Just a name.
"The name is green… friendly NPC."
Adrian muttered.
It made sense that there was no loyalty displayed—she hadn't pledged allegiance yet.
But still…
Shouldn't it at least show basic stats?
While Adrian was observing her, the girl had already noticed him standing by the roadside.
A man clad in magnificent armor, wearing a crimson cape—
Impossible to ignore.
Britney stopped in her tracks.
She glanced at him briefly, then quickly lowered her head.
A thought surfaced in her mind:
Even without attendants… he looks like a noble prince from a story…
After hesitating for a moment, the naive young girl politely curtsied.
"G-Good day, my lord."
It wasn't Chinese.
Yet Adrian understood it perfectly.
Clearly, this was the effect of "Language Mastery."
Even if she was just a young girl, she was still a special NPC capable of triggering quests and recruitment.
Naturally, he had to treat her with respect.
Adrian raised his hand and removed his helmet.
His already handsome and heroic face was revealed—now enhanced by extraordinary charm.
He smiled gently.
"Hello there."
For Britney, who had grown up in a quiet and peaceful village—
This was the first time she had ever seen someone like him.
So handsome.
So captivating.
Her mind went blank for a moment.
She had lived a sheltered life, innocent and trusting.
And now, under the influence of his overwhelming charm—
Her guard completely fell.
Someone so noble… so handsome…
There's no way he could be a bad person…
Adrian wanted to trigger her questline.
So he took the initiative.
"Are you heading somewhere? Mind if I walk with you?"
Britney's cheeks flushed red.
She nodded almost immediately.
"Y-Yes…"
The two began walking together.
Along the way, Adrian casually started conversations.
And the naive girl answered everything without suspicion.
Without much effort, Adrian gathered a great deal of information.
Britney's parents were both alive.
She also had a grandmother who loved her dearly.
Their family had always lived in this forest village.
The village was small, with only a few dozen households.
Since there was no lord collecting taxes, life here was quite comfortable.
As for why Britney had gone out today—
It was because her family had asked her to visit her grandmother.
Her grandmother lived alone outside the village.
Recently, she had fallen ill and was bedridden.
As for the outside world—
Britney didn't know much.
Having lived in the village her entire life, her knowledge was limited.
She had only heard from her grandmother that this place was part of the Reap Forest of the Capet Kingdom.
Hearing this, Adrian already had a rough idea.
The reason this village appeared so peaceful and prosperous—
Was precisely because it had no ruling lord.
For years, they had hidden deep within the forest, living in isolation.
Cut off from the outside world.
Knowing little of what lay beyond.
If he wanted real information about the outside world—
He would have to meet Britney's grandmother.
Adrian's gaze unconsciously fell upon the bright red velvet cloak she wore.
Britney had mentioned earlier—
It was a birthday gift from her grandmother.
A red velvet cloak…
That wasn't something an ordinary villager could afford.
Which meant—
Her grandmother was anything but ordinary.
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Either a beginner guide NPC…"
"Or a key figure tied to her questline…"