Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Riya answered straightforwardly.

"I am responsible for the safety of my wife under the order of the Baron. I cannot leave at will, but I hope someone can start investigating this matter as soon as possible. In addition, you have an official status in Whiterun and friends in the Companions, so it will be more convenient for you to investigate."

"Don't you think you're being overzealous in this matter?"

The Red Guardian's face visibly turned cold.

"I have a blood feud with the Thalmor. If I could, I'd like to see these bitches working for the elves die!"

I glanced at Masinissa next to me. He had been kicked so hard that the chair beneath him broke into pieces, but he was like nothing had happened. He brushed off the footprints on his lapel, put away his nonchalant and playful expression, and looked at me with eyes full of expectation.

I waved to the two Red Guards and slowly picked up the tone.

"I'm afraid I'm not as laid back as you think. And I think you two missed something."

Riya looked confused, but Masinisa spread his hands.

"Your Excellency hasn't agreed to help yet, so I can't tell you too many details. But I can tell you now..."

I raised my hand to interrupt him.

"Sir, you misunderstood. What I mean is, what benefit can I get from this? Look at the two of you, one wants revenge, and the other wants to complete the mission. What about me? Why should I get involved in this matter for no reason?"

Riya rolled her eyes and was speechless for a moment, but Masinisa reacted quickly.

"You want money? Or treasure? You can't... you can't want a woman, right? It's not impossible, but..."

I kept shaking my head until I felt a little dizzy, so I had to interrupt this guy again.

"That's something you should consider. You two came to me to discuss cooperation, but you never mentioned any conditions or compensation, which makes me doubt your sincerity. There is another important point. You clearly have captured this Satya, but you let her slip away right under your nose. Excuse me, if I get involved with people like you, I'm afraid it will bring trouble to myself. I've said that I also have important things to do, so I'll take my leave now. Please stay."

After leaving, Lydia was still angry about Masinissa's attitude, but I didn't think he was really offensive. In 175E , after the tragic victory in the War of the Red Ring, the Empire officially made peace with the Thalmor and signed the humiliating White-Gold Agreement, agreeing to cede the southern territory of Hammerfall and ban the faith of Talos. The Redguards refused to give up their land, so they declared independence and drove all the Thalmor troops out of Hammerfall after five years of hard fighting.

They had driven away the invaders 20 years ago, and now they have started to hunt down traitors and settle accounts with the traitors. On the other hand, the Nords have not yet figured out whether to accept the White Gold Agreement, cherish the hard-won peace, and enjoy the freedom of being dogs for the elves. Can you blame others for looking down on you? It's obviously your own fault! Although I didn't treat this Masinissa well in the basement, it was a necessary gesture during the negotiation, and I personally don't like or dislike him. If the other party can offer an attractive condition, I don't mind helping out. Anyway, the next official business is just to make contacts everywhere, and I think I will still find some free time.

Being delayed by Riya, I walked quickly through the streets and alleys with Lai Mei, and came to a familiar cabin and knocked on the door. The person who opened the door was Sam, my former squire. This kid should be about the same age as Stein, about 17 or 18 years old, but now he is the head of the family. His face no longer had the rebelliousness of the past, only humility and caution.

Sam let us into the house, poured a glass of water and placed it on the table, then stood aside.

"Mr. Hayou informed me this morning that the Lord would come to visit."

"Have a seat, Sam. I have something I want to ask you."

Sam didn't sit down. He kept his eyes on the ground and nodded slightly to show that he heard.

"I want to know about the gang of robbers who killed Baron Montoya. How many people were there? Where did they come from?"

The boy's body trembled slightly.

"I don't know the exact number, probably about fifteen or sixteen. Judging from their accents, they should be from Cyrodiil."

"Fifteen or sixteen bandits took over a castle?"

Sam forced a wry smile.

"I heard from Nicole, Baron Montoya's daughter. She said that the giant dragon that appeared in Helgen might have triggered a series of accidents, resulting in the Pale Passage being blocked by an avalanche. The Baron once sent people to investigate and confirmed that the road was no longer passable. After receiving the report, the lord transferred most of the garrison in the fortress, and the Baron himself probably neglected to take precautions because of this. It is said that there is a wizard among the bandits, but I have never seen this person, and Lord Danger does not seem to have caught him either."

"So, did this gang of bandits enter Skyrim before the avalanche, or did they have another unknown route?"

Sam shook his head.

"I don't know that."

"Thank you very much, and please let me know if you recall any other information related to this matter."

Sam nodded in agreement.

"Sir, please wait a moment!"

Lai Mei and I stood up to say goodbye, but Sam stopped us at the door. The boy took a deep breath and clenched his fists, as if to cheer himself up. He finally mustered up the remaining courage and looked up at me.

"Sir, please give me a chance and allow me to serve you again!"

I turned around and patted his shoulder.

"Sam, I understand your feelings, but you are a family man now, and you can't be as casual as before. Following me is risky. What will happen to your wife if something happens to you? Now that Falkreath is in ruins, you don't have to be a brave warrior to prove your worth. Taking good care of your family and contributing your strength to the reconstruction of the territory can also win people's respect. If you are still willing to come back to me after doing all this, and your family supports your choice, then I will welcome you."

What a joke! I finally sent you away, how can I let you come back?

When I said goodbye to the dejected Sam, it was already late, so I had to stay in Falkreath for another night. On the way back, Lydia looked around and lowered her voice.

"Sir, the only clue we have now is the old cat."

"Hayu advised me not to ask him directly."

Lai Mei frowned.

"How can you listen to him?"

"Because what he said makes sense. And didn't Sam say that there might be some fish that slipped through the net among the robbers? I have an idea, but I don't know if it will work. I'll let Lund try it when we get back."

"Sir! Please let me do this!"

Lydia startled me with her sudden excitement.

"Lund is more suitable for this task than you. I have other tasks for you, and I believe no one can do it better than you. I don't have many people, so everyone must play to their best advantage."

Lai Mei nodded silently.

After dinner, Riya came to visit and said that Masinissa asked me to meet him outside the Peak Shadow Tower tomorrow morning. In the game, this is an abandoned watchtower outside the east gate of Falkreath City, where a tree spirit lives. In our reconstruction plan, the city's scope will not only expand to the north to the Howling Bastion and Falkreath Watchtower, but also to the south to the cliffs of Mount Jerrol, and the Peak Shadow Tower will become part of the east side of the city wall. I was going to the Blood Throne and happened to pass by here. Riya came with us, in her words, to "be a witness" to the transaction between me and Masinissa.

After walking a few steps out of the city gate, I saw Masinisa standing under a tree and waving. In the dense forest at the foot of the mountain, two Red Guards were guarding a bonfire. Lai Mei winked at Hayou, and both of them touched the long swords at their waists. Masinisa, as if he didn't notice these details, politely invited me and Riya to get into a felt tent.

"Lord Locke, I will not beat around the bush. If you agree to help hunt down Satia, then my brothers and I are willing to be at your disposal during this time."

I pointed outside the tent.

"You three?"

"There are other brothers somewhere else. Including me, there are eight of us in total."

I scratched the freshly shaved stubble on my chin, secretly calculating the pros and cons. Although this Masinisa didn't brag, judging by his figure and demeanor, and the confident look on his face when he mentioned working for me, he must be no ordinary person. I guess if he really fights, he can at least fight on equal terms with Hayu. I have always suffered from a shortage of manpower, and I envy my father for being able to keep a private guard. It would be a great thing if I could use these eight people. But Masinisa has already stated the conditions, that is, he will obey my orders during the pursuit of Satya.

This is too tasteless.

"This Satya is so cunning, I don't have the confidence to catch her in a short time. To put it bluntly, if I can't catch her for ten or eight years, you won't always follow me, right?"

Masinissa looked embarrassed.

"To be honest, even if we catch her, I'm afraid we will have to stay with the adults."

"how do I say this?"

Masinisha sighed. According to him, Tansi City was conquered by Thalmer during the World War. After driving away the invaders, other families investigated and found that the city was lost because it was betrayed by a woman named Iman from the Suda family, who had already fled. So the three families joined forces and sent a team of 25 people led by Kematu to hunt down the fugitive. After more than ten years of hard searching, they finally determined that Iman, aliased Satya, was hiding in Tianji.

"We weren't actually sure where she was hiding in Skyrim, so Kematu decided to send two people from each territory to search, and he led the rest to stay in the center of Whiterun. But fortunately, Miss Rhea, and of course Your Excellency, helped us find her. Kematu had planned to imprison her first, and then leave Skyrim together after meeting up with the brothers sent to other territories. Unfortunately, he let his guard down, which gave this woman the opportunity to use her charm to incite some people to rebel. These people killed Kematu and his loyal brothers, and then took Satia and hid again."

"So you know who the traitor is?"

Masinissa nodded.

"Syphax. Kematu, Syphax and I, the three of us represent our respective families. But obviously, not everyone is as content as I am with the role of deputy. Moreover, Syphax's family and the Suda family were once married, and I suspect they are still entangled. Now that such a big mess has been caused and Kematu is dead, our mission has actually failed. I only hope to catch this woman and prove my innocence. As for whether the family is still willing to take us in, that is hard to say."

Lydia's face was a mixture of sudden enlightenment and confusion, but this subtle expression was fleeting, and if I hadn't caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye, I would have never noticed anything unusual. She seemed to notice me, too, and nodded imperceptibly.

"Do you think they will escape back to Hammerfell?"

"I don't think so. Although I failed to stop them from killing Kematu, I was able to escape with my brothers. We have been monitoring the road from Falkreath to Hammerfell since then, and have not found Syphax and his men. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that they left by boat, but there are seven or eight of them, and I don't think Syphax can easily get so many tickets through legitimate channels."

"In that case, please let Miss Rhea bear witness that I accept your commission and help search for Satia and Syphax, and the eight of you must swear allegiance to me during this period. As for the reward, I can only give you a monthly salary of one thousand Septim. As for how you divide it, I don't care."

As soon as the words came out, even Ruiya's face changed.

"This...this is too little, right? I can't explain this to my brothers!"

Masinisa looked embarrassed. I also know that my price is extremely low. A skilled carpenter can earn more than 100 Septim per month; and an average farmhand can earn more than 30 Septim, and also provide food and accommodation; although the income of farmers is low, they do not need to buy food and vegetables, so the expenses are much less. On the other hand, mercenaries are different. Daily expenses are secondary. The real big expense is weapons and armor. To put together a set of equipment, at least 500 Septim are needed. If you want high-quality ones, it must be thousands. Unlike a steel knife in the game that will not break for a thousand years, the weapons in this other world will wear out, and the cost of daily maintenance is a huge sum.

"Right now, I can only offer this price. If you think it's too little, please find another job. With all due respect, your previous performance is not elite. If you can prove your worth in the future, I will not be stingy. How about we temporarily agree on a six-month limit and renegotiate the price after six months?"

Masinisa gritted his teeth and agreed. I sent him to gather people and wait at the pine watchtower. From a distance, I could still hear a few Red Guards arguing in their native dialect. It was obvious that others also thought my offer was too low. As the middleman, Riya witnessed such a transaction and felt even more ashamed. Before leaving, she did not forget to tease me.

"I've heard that Lord Locke is stingy with money and rewards, and today I finally saw it for myself."

"Thank you for the compliment, Miss Riya."

I pretended not to hear the sarcasm and bowed lightly to say goodbye. I waited until there were only two people around me, then I looked at Lai Mei.

"What do you think of Masinissa and the others?"

"My Lord, I think this is very strange."