Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Did I agree too quickly? Would it be better if I could act more like I had no choice? Is there a sinister murderous intention hidden under the kind smile of the old fox? Does he really intend to fulfill his promise, or is he trying to trick me with tempting conditions? Since he already knew that Sunil was my child, why did he leave this trouble behind?

Dark clouds rolled in, covering the twin moons and the stars, making everything that was originally clear dim. Endless sleepiness swept over me, and my consciousness was like a small boat torn into pieces by the raging waves of the sea.

In the New Year, the city of Falkreath was decorated with lights and was bustling. A long queue formed in front of the town hall, and every citizen could receive a piece of white bread and a bottle of malt wine, which had never happened since Sidger became the lord. People smiled, said auspicious words, and looked forward to peace and prosperity in their hearts.

Howling Wind Bastion was also filled with festive joy. The fire in the fireplace was blazing, filling the room with spring; the candlelight on the wall was dancing, and the lights were bright. The hall on the first floor was cleared, and the servants were busy shuttling back and forth, making the final preparations for the banquet. In addition to the knife, fork and spoon, there was also a pair of shiny silver chopsticks in front of each seat, which of course meant that the famous chef Eddie in the southern sky would be the chef for this banquet.

The distinguished guests dressed in gorgeous clothes greeted Tager who came to greet them during the roll call, and then entered the hall under the guidance of Nanya. Three bards played their respective instruments, sang softly, and told ancient legends and future fate.

The maid served the wine, and the guests enjoyed the exquisite appetizers while chatting with their acquaintances. The noble ladies surrounded Rigel, who was holding the prince, like stars surrounding the moon, and said some flattering words insincerely. The little saber-toothed tiger was not used to such occasions, and a strange expression of crying and laughing was squeezed out of his stiff face.

I was dragged by the future Tarzan to meet a lot of strange people. Some were old friends of Baron Sengard, who seemed to be quite popular in both the military and political circles; some were businessmen who traveled far and wide and planned to cultivate the territory of Falkreath in the future; and some were from prominent families, and it was said that they could be related to nobles half the size of Skyrim. When we were facing the pressure of the Imperial Legion, I don't know where these people hid, but after the dust settled, they emerged like dog urine moss after rain.

They knew I was going to be a baron and was engaged to Irina, so they kept praising me like a child peeing, always splashing all over my face when I least expected it. As for how the old lord, who was over sixty and had always claimed to have only two sons, suddenly had a daughter in her prime, no one would investigate such trivial matters.

Baron Sengard was in his element, but I thought they were just too noisy. Fortunately, Danger, who was standing alone in the corner, raised his glass to me, and I found an excuse to escape.

"It seems that you are not used to this kind of occasion, my child."

The old fox gently turned his wrist to the rhythm of the music, and the amber wine in the glass danced with it.

"I was thinking, if we had gathered all these distinguished guests three months ago, maybe we wouldn't have to act so recklessly."

"People always seek good fortune and avoid disaster. They will help whoever wins, which is normal, so friends in need are precious. However, if you are in charge of a region in the future, you will inevitably have to deal with these people. How to win their support and how to make good use of their power are also compulsory courses for nobles. You can ask your father-in-law for more advice on this point."

Seeing that I looked like I didn't agree, he didn't say anything more and instead changed the topic to my marriage.

"I plan to send someone to Helgen Town to pick up your mother after the holiday. After all, marriage is an important matter, and it is more appropriate for the elders to come forward. You and Irina should not have any private contact during this period, so as to avoid rumors."

He pointed in the direction of the ladies who had finally let Rigel go and were now gathering around Madam Gangli, responding to her every grunt. Next to the pit full of toads, a pink lotus stood proudly.

Irina wore an emerald sleeveless dress with yellow fringe at the neckline and hem, and a long-sleeved white linen shirt. She had a small bun on her head, and the rest of her black hair was braided into a pigtail, which was twisted into a half circle at the back of her head, revealing her fair neck. The end of the braid was wrapped around the base of the bun and fixed with a small white flower. Today, she had delicate makeup, red lips, white teeth, and bright eyes.

However, such a wonderful person was obviously rejected. Mrs. Ganglie seemed to have a very high status among the noble ladies, and no one dared to risk offending her by talking to Irina. However, the girl always had a gentle smile on her face and maintained a nearly perfect demeanor, neither stiff nor lazy. Only the occasional flash of fatigue and loneliness in her eyes revealed her little thoughts.

Inadvertently, our eyes met, and she nodded slightly, then lowered her eyes and nervously turned the copper ring on her left middle finger. Because this marriage was too sudden and I never had the habit of collecting jewelry, I couldn't find a suitable engagement ring for a while. In the end, it was Rigel who found these two similar plain rings among her trophies and gave them to me to make up the number.

However, Danger has contacted Erlund of the Graymane family to make a pair of silver rings inlaid with amethysts for us. And the Nanya steward promised to build a large brick and wood structure house within a month and a half. Both of them said that Irina and I can definitely hold a decent wedding at the end of the sunrise month, and in these nearly two months, my task is to hand over all my property to Baron Sengard's steward.

Yes, even though the man who was about to become my father-in-law had long lost his territory and lived in extreme poverty, he stubbornly retained the pomp of a baron, with no less than twenty male and female servants in his house. These poor creatures had served their masters since childhood and could not imagine a life without protection. Even if they were reduced to eating bean cakes and wild vegetables to fill their stomachs, they had no intention of making a living on their own. The butler was named Lugede. I had met him twice and he looked quite steady.

As the dishes were served, the guests took their seats. Mrs. Ganglie sat in the second seat among the female guests, next to Rigel, and Irina was almost arranged to sit outside the door. The male guests were led by Tagel, and Sidgel was not present. No one present seemed to be curious about the whereabouts of the lord.

At the end of the New Year's greetings, all the main dishes were served. Over the past year or so, Eddie has carefully honed his cooking skills. Not only has he cooked the Chinese dishes I taught him, but he has also learned from other things and improved some of the specialties of the Nords and the Rich. So today's table is full of both land and sea food, and it is very rich. The finale is naturally the old clam with pearls.

However, the guests had a very bad reaction to this dish. Mrs. Ganglie even loudly questioned Tager, saying that it was unreasonable to eat fish during the New Year. Baron Sengard, who was sitting next to me, also shook his head and smiled bitterly, muttering to me in a low voice.

"I heard that this so-called famous chef Eddie was originally a farmer from the Pinewood Watchtower. I think he is used to a poor life and doesn't understand the rules of our nobles. If the cod from the Ghost Sea can barely be served on the table today, how can ordinary river fish be served? Moreover, the fish has not been gutted yet. Are the gentlemen and ladies here going to eat it with the internal organs? Alas, this is really embarrassing for Lord Tager. How will it end?"

I was too lazy to pay attention to him. The origin of this dish is so great that it would scare people to death if I told them about it. But you are a barbarian, and how could a wild boar ever eat bran?

Unexpectedly, the old man thought I didn't understand what he meant, and he continued to talk in detail. According to him, meat is the most dazzling pearl on the nobles' table, and pork is the best, followed by mutton and venison, and then beef and other beasts. Poultry meat is not as good as beast meat, among which goose meat is barely acceptable, and chicken and duck are not elegant.

As for fish, it was of the lowest quality, especially river fish, which were usually smoked or pickled and given to poor families as a new year's treat. Families that could afford to raise a few chickens would not eat such things on the most important day. The only exception was a legendary giant fish called the whale deep in the Ghost Sea, which was said to have extremely delicious meat. Baron Sengard modestly said that he had only heard of it but had never seen it, let alone tasted it.

Fortunately, Eddie's appearance temporarily calmed the discussion in the hall. According to the Nord banquet tradition, the chef must perform a show with the last dish he made, and then accept the guests' thanks. The last time he welcomed his father, he performed barbecue dolls, but this time, the guests looked unhappy and were waiting for an explanation. It was a big festival, and giving fish to the nobles was almost like an insult.

Eddie's bald head reflected the angry or mocking gazes, but he seemed oblivious to them. He just walked forward slowly, bowed deeply to Tager, and then picked up a pair of serving chopsticks. He inserted one chopstick deep into the junction of the fish head and spine, muttering something.

"One chopstick decides the fate of the world. May the Stuhn family live forever like the water of the White River."

The other chopstick is inserted into the fish meat right next to the previous one, and then moves along the fish's back to the tail fin.

"I wish that the Stuhn family will be strong and powerful. His enemies will be like fish out of water and trees without roots, and will be defeated in no time."

Eddie lifted up the half piece of fish, and all the guests sitting near the front seats held their breath.

First, a strange aroma hit my nose. You know, Chinese characters refer to fish and mutton as fresh, and Eddie made shrimp and mutton balls, with matsutake mushrooms, and steamed them in the belly of the fish. This table of rough people who only know how to eat barbecue, where have they ever enjoyed real food? I inhaled it in one breath, and I couldn't bear to exhale it again.

The delicious steam rose up, and the meatballs were plump and the sparrow eggs were crystal clear, emitting a pearl-like luster. Eddie took a small spoon, filled a small bowl, and placed it respectfully in front of Rigel.

"May the House of Stuhn prosper, and may his descendants be as numerous as the stars in the night sky and as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore."

Eddie saluted again and calmly took a step diagonally backward, avoiding Rigel's murderous gaze.

No one dared to question the fish anymore. The chef's three words were all auspicious words to bless the host. If anyone was dissatisfied, it would be too rude. The person sitting far away was already impatient to open the fish in front of him, but after looking around, he didn't find the incision of the knife that had cut open the belly. There was another gasp in the room.

Tager smiled and twirled his beard, then cut the fish with a knife and distributed it to everyone. The men picked up their knives and forks, not being polite, but the ladies were at a loss for a moment. The slippery and round meatballs fled around on Mrs. Ganglie's plate, and were finally stopped by a spoon and buried in the giant mouth. The lady lit up her triangular eyes, wiped the sweat from her forehead, picked up the rake, and looked for the next prey.

I picked up a bird egg with chopsticks and put it into my mouth. This action caused a sensation that was even greater than the moment when Eddie opened the belly of the fish. In the following time, I could only patiently explain to the people around me how to use chopsticks, while the female guests pricked up their ears, watched intently, and secretly tried it on their own plates.

The New Year's banquet was certainly not for eating and drinking. During the banquet, Tagel announced the tax rates for all industries in Falkreath next year, as well as the preferential policies for some specific industries, such as blacksmiths and stonemasons. Danger once again called me to the corner.

"The news from Whiterun is that the High Lords Council requires Flotar to go to Solitude in person to accept the title of Lord of Morningstar City."

"Lord Balgruuf will not agree to that."

"He agreed."

I just felt my head buzzing. Balgruuf dared to send his eldest son to the Blue Palace, which could only mean one thing: he had already made peace with the Empire in private. Tullius was likely to use the entire Cangyuan Territory in exchange for the Lord of Whiterun to give up the town of Loristed.

"Do you understand now why I want you to go to Sunny Garden Fortress? Our agreement with the Reachmen still has two years to go, but it seems that the crow hag alone cannot conquer the serpentine defense position. You must do everything possible to help them regain their homeland and drive away the imperial garrison in Loristed Town. You are still a baron appointed by Lord Balgruuf himself and have the right to take back your fiefdom."

Danger tapped my chest with his finger.

"Also, my child, the Lord of Whiterun is not a pedantic man. He may change his position at any time. You must hand over the affairs of the south to Baron Sengard before the wedding."

So, on the next day, that is, on the 203nd of Morning Star in the year 2 of the Fourth Era, Steward Luged and I, along with our respective followers, headed for the Bloodthrone Fortress. I no longer needed to personally take care of the specific affairs here. Stein was in charge of defense, Kalan was in charge of internal affairs, Talfer was in charge of the operation of the mine, and the financial data was basically collected by Lucia.

The girl's eyes were black and blue. She had fallen seriously ill after hearing that Helgi had been captured, and she has not yet fully recovered. I avoided her questioning eyes and quickly hid in my room. Years ago, Annis sent a letter saying that Moira had confirmed that the soldiers who captured Helgi were from Markarth, and proposed to exchange prisoners with the other party. This time, not only did the female leader fail to receive a reply, but even the messenger disappeared.

My old aunt fell into despair, but insisted on staying in the tribe so as not to miss any news from Richland - although she and I both knew that there would be no news at all.

Lachlan and Ajith helped me sort out my personal belongings. The little cat turned into a curious baby and carefully examined my collection.

"What is this?"

She took out a square wooden box from a pile of empty wine bottles and held it in front of me.

My eyes lit up.

Luo Ke, you are a brainless idiot!