Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Chapter 151 Ominous Things

"When did you get involved in this?!"

I waved my hand and told everyone my plan.

We currently have the following clues. First, there is a smuggling route in Mount Jerrol that few people know about. Second, as far as I know, the people who may know the location of this route include: Resad, the leader of the tiger caravan, the Skooma supplier of the tiger Akali, and the bandit wizard who sneaked in from Cyrodiil. The third point is what I just thought of in the past two days, that is, this smuggling route that was temporarily suspended due to various changes may have been reactivated.

A few months ago, Helgi and I went to Whiterun and happened to meet Akari. She even borrowed Hayu and Agis for a few days. Through the conversation with Hayu later, I learned that this female cat once provided customers with inferior products diluted with water because the supply of Skooma was cut off. Since she dared to resume supply, it is obvious that she has opened up the upstream channels again. This kind of forbidden things usually require familiarity to get the goods. In nine out of ten cases, Akari's upstream has started to ship again. This can also deduce a conclusion: the smugglers in Mount Jerrol have started to work.

To the northwest of the Pale Passage is my Bloodthrone Fortress, and to the northeast is the Newgra Fortress, which is currently managed by my father. As military bases, these two places have strict control over the entry and exit of materials. It is not an easy task to transport smuggled goods to the hinterland of Skyrim without alerting the garrisons in the two places. Smugglers must have at least one storage point to hide supplies and personnel when the wind is tight. In addition, if they have cars and animals to transport goods, it will bring a lot of trouble. On the one hand, it is not easy to hide, on the other hand, it consumes a lot of fodder, and the mountain road is not convenient for driving. If there is no animal-powered car, a considerable number of people are needed to carry it.

Normally, these people should be very cautious and would not easily eat grass in their own backyard. But I think that with so many people involved in this matter, it is inevitable that some people will be quick-witted and do business before they get far away. If Lund can arrange one or two unfamiliar faces to go around and ask around, maybe he can really find the one who is willing to risk his life. At that time, he can stabilize this guy first, buy a few bottles of Skooma every now and then, and then slowly increase the purchase volume. When both parties are familiar with each other, they can follow the clues and try to find the other party's purchase channel, which is equivalent to finding the smuggling route.

This is like fishing. Make a nest, put the bait in; wait patiently for the fish to bite; carefully judge whether the fish is really hooked or just sift the bait; if you catch a big fish, hastily pulling the rod will only cause the line to be cut or the fish to escape, so you need to walk it for a while first. This is why I don't want Lydia to be in charge of this. This girl's style of doing things is too strong and tough, and her temperament of being a child of aristocratic family can't be concealed. Even if the previous steps of fishing can be completed by the subordinates, the person in charge will inevitably have to do it himself when the rod is lifted at the end. Instead of changing the general at the critical moment, it is better to hand over the matter to a more suitable person from the beginning.

Lund did not comment, but changed his pen and wrote down my request in a small notebook. Eric sighed and said that he could accompany Lund during the closing phase to protect him. However, I was not prepared to let a middle-level figure in the comrades group come forward.

"You and people of decent status like Lydia are best not to get involved in this. I have a backup plan, and it must be all unfamiliar faces. Speaking of which, Lund, you will have to add another thousand Septim to your monthly expenses from now on."

I informed everyone of the agreement I reached with Masinissa. Lund's face remained calm as he continued to write and draw in his notebook. Eric questioned the Red Guards' fighting power. After all, when the Companions sent food to Loristed Town, he was in debt of more than a thousand Septim. Now that eight people wanted this amount, it only showed that these people had limited abilities.

"Lydia has met three of them. She said they are quite skilled. This is just a trial period. After six months, I will renegotiate their price based on their performance."

Lei Mei is a warrior on par with Eric, so her certification is naturally important. Eric gave up on the matter and discussed with us where to buy land. Large tracts of fertile land near Whiterun and Falkreath have been reclaimed, including large estates such as Lakeview Farm and War Mad Farm. They are generally private property of local nobles, and there is almost no possibility of buying them at a low price. If we build a village on the edge of the territory like old Lori did, we will face security challenges.

We finally agreed on two target areas. Eric would find someone to inquire about the prices, while Lund and I would find a way to raise funds.

The first is the area near the official road west of the Western Watchtower and south of Grayswamp Fortress. It is not far from Whiterun, and the Western Watchtower is the westernmost of Lord Balgruuf's forces, so it is relatively safe. Although Grayswamp Fortress has been occupied by bandits, Eric believes that the reputation of the Companions and the guards of the nearby watchtowers are enough to make these guys afraid to act rashly. The disadvantage is that there is a giant camp at the foot of the nearby mountain. These big guys have amazing destructive power and are obviously not the objects that can be communicated and negotiated.

The second is the area east of Loristed Town and west of the Rejuvenation Valley. The upper reaches of the Yar River, which originates from the Gray Swamp Mountains, flows through this area. Due to the gentle terrain, a large fertile alluvial plain has been formed. If it can be carefully cultivated, it will definitely become a good farmland. The disadvantage is that this place is close to the border between Whiterun and Yar March, but Eric believes that we can build some shelters and fortifications based on the southern foothills of the Stone Mountain Range in the north. Moreover, he learned from the huntress Ella that the scholar Drela who provided information about the Wuthrad fragments to Scoyue was living in seclusion in this area. This incident started a series of attacks on the Companions by the Silver Hand, and Eric hoped to use this as a clue for investigation.

The banquet ended happily, and the three of us also clarified the direction of our next efforts. Eric and Angie set off for Helgen Town the next morning, and I followed Lund to take a look at the mine. The dark elf Talver, who we rescued from Old Holdan, has decided to stay in the Bloodthrone. He is a very skilled miner and is now appointed by Lund as a foreman in charge of the daily affairs of the mine. Lydia found Stein and handed over the affairs she was responsible for to him, and then took Helata and others to the Bretsing Mountains.

This small territory is like a paradise, completely unaffected by the turbulent situation in the sky. Everything is in order and reassuring. After lunch, I curled up in the room and absent-mindedly flipped through the account book. The records on it are clear and the handwriting is beautiful. It seems that Lucia copied it. The original voucher attached to it is extremely sloppy, and the handwriting is obviously not from the same person, but there is Lund's signature at the end of each page. After comparing the two, I really can't find any faults.

There was a knock on the door and Helgi cautiously poked his head in.

"Brother, are you still angry?"

"Angry? What are you angry about?"

The little girl curled her lips.

"You scared Lucia and made her cry yesterday. I comforted her for a long time. Are you okay now? Brother, I know why you refused to help Aunt Moira."

"Oh? Tell me."

I closed the account book and pointed to the chair opposite. Helgi came in and spread out on the table a small, crudely bound book and a small hand-drawn map.

"This is the map of Snake Cliff Ridge that I drew. Our location at that time was here..."

The little girl drew a small circle on the map with a feather pen.

"This place is close to the back mountain, where the enemy's food and weapons are stored. When Aunt Moira attacked, the enemy not only did not transfer the guards here to the front line, but instead sent an additional team of soldiers to guard. This proves that Aunt Moira did not break through their defense line, and may not even have caused too much pressure. So, my brother said she was fooling around. Right?"

“That’s what I thought at the time.”

Helgi raised his smug little face.

"But, brother, if we suddenly attack the enemy from behind and disrupt their deployment, wouldn't that be a pincer attack? The Imperial Army that attacked Falkreath was defeated by us in this way. Sister Winnie said that if we forcefully attack the city from the front, even if we can win, we will pay a heavy price. Besides, we are an elite team that has hunted down vampire kings, and my brother and I can summon powerful ice blocks. If you just give up like that, won't you miss a good opportunity to retake Snake Cliff Ridge in one fell swoop?"

hiss……

I gasped. As the saying goes: If you don't take what God gives you, you will suffer the consequences; if you don't act when the time comes, you will suffer the consequences. This is fat meat that has been delivered to your mouth! Besides, we basically won't have the opportunity to sneak into the enemy's warehouse again, why did I back down at that time?

"You have a point..."

I glanced at the map and looked up at Helgi. The little girl's face was also full of regret. She shook her head gently, but her playful mouth curved into a soft arc. The smile was fleeting, but I still caught it.

"Helgi..."

I lowered my head and stopped looking at the little girl's face.

"Ok?"

"If you don't take that mask off, I'm not going to talk to you."

There was a rustling sound from the other side, and Helgi let out a long breath, and she placed a heavy object on the table. It was a strangely shaped mask, full-faced, dull in color, with intricate patterns outlining a majestic face with a mustache, and translucent gems inlaid in the eyes. A pair of long curved horns protruded from the forehead of the mask, which seemed to be quite hard.

The mask of Clavicus Vile, this is the reward Helgi got for helping Barbas.

"Brother, what else don't you know?"

"I have, of course, heard of this famous mask, and know a little story about it."

According to legend, there was a woman named Avalia who was disfigured when she was young. Afterwards, she made a deal with Weir and obtained the mask. The mask did not change her appearance, but it made her respected and admired by others, and Avalia also gained a marriage. However, Weir suddenly took back the magic artifact after one year and one day. Although Avalia was already pregnant at this time, she was still abandoned by her husband. Twenty years later, her daughter killed her father and avenged her mother.

Helgi rested his elbows on the table, held his delicate little face in his hands, and listened with great interest to my not-so-nice story.

"Well, brother, this mask is an ominous object. If Will takes it away one day, will you also despise me?"

I burst out laughing.

"Of course not. You are my sister, and the relationship between us cannot be maintained by the gift of the demon god. So, Helgi, I hope you will use this mask carefully in the future, especially towards the people you care about."

The little girl picked up the long horn on the mask and threw it behind her with disgust.

"Tsk! I thought it was something good. But, brother, you haven't answered my question yet."

I leaned back in my chair and looked at the girl in front of me.

"I have to admit that my decision at Snake Cliff Ridge was purely based on intuition, but I don't think my choice was wrong. Since you are interested, let's review the whole thing. My teacher once said that only by having a clear understanding of both yourself and the enemy can you be invincible on the battlefield. Then, I will try to analyze the situation at that time from both the enemy and our side."

"Who is your teacher?"

I was caught off guard by Helgi's shrewd focus.

"Uh...he's not a resident of Skyrim..."

"Is this the person who taught you to make those delicacies?"

"His knowledge covers everything in the world. What's the point of talking about just a few dishes?"

I pretended to be profound, and the little girl looked fascinated. Before she started to dig deeper into my teacher, I quickly brought the topic back to that night at Sheya Ridge.

"You just said that we are the elite who have hunted down the Vampire King. However, the strongest fighters facing Movarth are Falion and Cindy. If either of them were here, I might have the guts to make a scene. Besides, you forgot to count one person."

"Mr. Lott?"

I nodded.

"Don't you think Old Lotter is a little strange?"

Helgi frowned slightly, her left hand resting on her chin, and the feather pen in her right hand was like a cat's tail, sweeping back and forth across the tip of her nose. After a dozen seconds of silence, her eyes lit up and her lips opened slightly...

"Ah!"

The little girl rubbed her nose and sniffed hard, then she realized that I had been staring at her and her little face immediately turned red.

"Mr. Lotte... I don't think there's anything strange about him. Looking at his performance in Solitude, I thought he would be a very powerful person. But later, he himself said that he was the teacher of the female officer, so she gave him face. As for the rest, I can't think of it."

"Some things happen to you, so you don't notice anything unusual. This is what they say: those who are involved are often confused, while those who are not involved can see things more clearly."

"Did your teacher say this?"

"Don't interrupt! I'm talking about old Lot. Helgi, think back to the wizards you've met, Aunt Annis, Ms. Moira, Verus from the circus, and Falion from Morsal. They all admired your talent and expressed their willingness to take you in as their apprentice. Only Mr. Lot never expressed anything in this regard. This man is an instructor of the Imperial Legion. It's no exaggeration to say that he has seen countless people. I don't believe he didn't find that you are different."

Hearing this, Helgi's ears turned red. The little girl lowered her head and fiddled with the corner of her clothes.

"Who... who knows?"