Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Giving Tiger Man a raise doesn't bother me. Considering that Lai Mei tends to slack off at work, I need to give her a competitor. Although Ha Yu is slightly inferior in terms of individual ability, this cat is the only one I can currently offer.

Considering my good relationship with the tiger-man caravan, the fact that the shopkeeper Zenabi is Hayou's lover, and the fact that the little cat girl Ajis has also been caught by the tail, I figured I had some leverage to keep him under control.

Besides, why not take advantage of Riesard's interest-free loan? You have to show sincerity before you ask someone to do something for you.

As for Lahlan... well... so what if he's not very skilled? He's just born good.

The two cats got their wish, their sweet words like sticky, mushy mooncakes simmering in a cauldron, filling my ears. Only when we were in the shadows of the Sunshine Garden Fortress, and they saw the serious expression on my face, did they belatedly shut their mouths.

The man who led the way was Dehenggu, one of the female chieftain's lovers. He had a dark expression on his face, as if I owed him money. In the main tower of the inner city, I met the even darker-faced Raven Witch, Moira.

"Greetings to you, esteemed matriarch."

I gave a flamboyant bow and then looked for an empty chair, but unfortunately I couldn't find one.

Moira snorted and casually reached out to the kneeling girl beside her. The girl was about twelve or thirteen years old. She straightened her upper body, gently cradling the crow hag's claws with one hand, while holding a small file in the other, carefully trimming the chieftain's nails.

"I heard you sent men to raid the Flying Bear tribe. Baron Locke, how impressive! Since you don't respect me, the chieftain, why bother to feign respect and bow to me?"

I stared directly into the old witch's strange, dark eyes, trying my best to blend a hint of realization into my confused expression.

“I think the esteemed chieftain is unaware that the Flying Bear tribe has betrayed you. Knowing I am your ally, they took advantage of my unstable position and plundered the supplies I had painstakingly gathered. Those seeds were originally intended to be planted in Granite Village so that they could supply the castle’s daily needs in the future.”

Moira was clearly taken aback by my counterattack, and while she was still stunned, she felt a sharp pain in her hand. It turned out that the maid serving her had been angered by my words and had scraped her paw hard with a file.

"You're talking nonsense! My aunt did not betray the clan leader..."

"How dare you! I was answering your mistress's question. Who do you think you are to interrupt me!"

I took a piece of parchment from my pocket and placed it on the table in front of Moira.

"This is the interrogation record of the traitor leader. She has confessed to her crimes and signed the document. Please review it, Your Excellency Chieftain."

The contents of the paper weren't complicated. In my opinion, it simply stated that the Bear Tribe was dissatisfied with the hunting grounds allocated to them by the female chieftain, and therefore wanted to instigate a conflict between Moira and me to profit from it. Obtaining a signature was easy; after all, the lives of the entire tribe were in my hands, and I couldn't act recklessly.

My conversation with Anis gave me a little inspiration. His testimony vaguely hinted at collusion with the Bear Tribe, promising them better-located territory. I'm sure Moira would recognize herself in that connection.

Sure enough, after the crow-like witch finished reading the confession, she raised her hand and slapped the maid across the face. The girl covered the two bloody scratch marks on her face, crying and shouting that she was innocent. Dehenggu, who was blocking the doorway, stepped forward, grabbed her by the back of the neck, and dragged her out without waiting for Moira's orders.

The female chieftain waved her hand. Another trembling girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, emerged from the shadows in the corner. She brought over a chair, and I finally had the right to sit down.

"So, I should thank you for cleaning up my house?"

“I dare not accept such praise. The matter was rushed, and I had no choice but to act. The chieftain's magnanimity in not blaming me is already beyond words, so there is no need for thanks. Before coming to Granite Village, Lord Danger asked me to convey that the Falkris Council believes that only you are suitable to lead the Snake Cliff Ridge tribe, and we also cherish our alliance with you. The reason why they sent me, a councilor, in person is because I am familiar with you, so that even if a misunderstanding arises, it can be resolved quickly.”

"You mean you won't support anyone else vying with me for the position of clan leader?"

The old witch's biggest concern was, as expected, the chieftain's throne, and I confidently assured her. Seeing Moira's expression gradually soften, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this girl was actually quite easy to appease.

Next, we chatted casually and then finalized the details of our previous cooperation agreement. This included the plan I proposed last year: I would purchase all the produce of the Snake Cliff Ridge tribe and provide them with necessities such as food. In return, the tribe would cease robbing passing merchants and focus on hunting in the nearby mountains.

Lund and I discussed this plan in detail. He pointed out that the Rijk tribe did not have the custom of using currency, so he suggested that I use grain and salt as the barter currency and barter with the tribe. To this end, he prepared several sets of weighing scales and volume measuring instruments, and specifically asked me to bring them to avoid conflicts between the two sides due to inconsistencies in units.

He also had a plan for dealing with Moira, who was wealthy but stingy. The female chieftain could inquire about prices through her own channels, but if the prices were the same, she should give priority to trading with them.

The old witch was very impressed with my thoughtful fellow villager and praised Lund highly. I returned the compliment, saying that I admired the handsome and brave young man, Dehenggu, even more. The two of them seemed to be quite guileless, beaming with joy at my flattery, completely forgetting the awkward scene of their confrontation just hours earlier.

After the guests and hosts had a pleasant time, I met Iriana and Miko.

Helgi's pet dog had visibly lost weight, and its black fur had lost its luster. Ajis had searched for its owner without success and then left it at Sunshine Garden Fortress. The people living there clearly didn't care much about feeding dogs. To prevent the poor animal from starving, I decided to take it back to Granite Village.

Iriana was sent by Lund to communicate about the Bear Clan attack, but was placed under house arrest. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, she has regained her freedom. Considering that Lady Montoya did not return to the tribe after last year's fierce battle, I have decided to leave Iriana here as my spokesperson.

Perhaps my skill at lying had improved, for Dehenggu, who had previously been quite hostile, now regarded me as a confidant. Before parting, the young man escorted me all the way to the outer city gate, then held my hand and promised to treat me to drinks the next time we met. Amidst our laughter, I inadvertently looked up and saw two figures hanging on either side of the city gate. The one on the left had two long, deep scratches on his cheek.

Dehenggu noticed my gaze and smiled nonchalantly.

"You have your rules, and we have ours. Betraying the clan leader means certain death."

I pretended not to notice the threat in his tone and waved goodbye with a smile.

With just sweet words, a dispute was resolved without any real conflict, but I couldn't feel smug about it.

According to the information Lund gathered, those sent to the castle were likely the most outstanding girls from their respective tribes, carrying the hopes of their families. Sadly, they learned nothing, serving only the old witch as slaves. And these two from the Bear tribe were sent to their deaths by my false testimony.

It's not that I'm overly sympathetic. At the public trial a few days ago, five death row inmates, both men and women, were executed without hesitation; after all, they had lives on their hands and deserved their fate. But these two girls were different. They didn't live with their tribe, didn't participate in looting, didn't enjoy the spoils, and didn't cause any deaths. Even if they were guilty, their crimes didn't warrant death.

But they both died. While Moira and I were chatting and laughing, these two young girls were hanged and their bodies displayed at the city gates as a warning to others.

On the way back, I kept thinking, if I hadn't forged that confession, would they still be dead?

Perhaps to alleviate my guilt, I tried to convince myself: Moira would definitely kill them. As long as that old witch didn't want to completely turn against me, the bear tribe I had wiped out would surely be abandoned by her. The only difference was how much compensation she could get from me under this pretext.

Perhaps, from the moment she learned of my revenge against the Bear Tribe, the deaths of these two girls were already destined. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that when I visited the tribe, it was one of them who was serving me?

And I suddenly realized that Dehenggu's parting warning was also meaningful.

The so-called "your rules" refer to my use of forced labor as a pretext to detain the Bear Tribe members. According to Lund and my plan, their property has already been confiscated, and they will have no means of survival even after serving their sentences. Then, I will "show leniency" by distributing land to them, and this portion of the population will be absorbed into my fold.

Moira's solution was to kill the two girls during my visit. The tribe's brightest children died because of me; how could a few acres of land make up for that? If not handled properly, this would become an irreconcilable feud.

Verifying my guess isn't difficult; all I need to do is watch whether news of their deaths reaches Granite Village in a short time. If Moira deliberately spreads the news, it will confirm that her idea is just as I predicted.

Damn it! I planned everything perfectly, but I still fell for it!

There's no point in morally condemning Moira. We're just a bunch of opaque allies, each with our own agendas; we shake hands in public but kick each other behind the scenes. We can only blame ourselves for not having a strong enough fist, not being well-informed enough, and not being shrewd enough.

Lund agreed with my analysis. His advice was to ignore it, pretend not to care at all, and not to ask or explain.

"How can this be? Are we just going to let that old monster pin the blame on me?"

"Of course not. If I really put it on, then it would be my dereliction of duty."

Seeing my puzzled expression, Lund explained that the Bear Tribe had offended more than just me. They competed with larger tribes for resources and plundered and bullied weaker groups. The Ritch people now living in Granite Village were forced to flee south to Falkriss by having nowhere else to turn. Therefore, most people in the village would not sympathize with the Bear Tribe's plight, nor would they pass on any information to the convicts.

As for the distinguished guests from Sunshine Garden Fortress, they were naturally invited to rest in the government hall by Mr. Lund immediately. Whatever business the honored guests needed to conduct, they were accompanied and assisted by designated personnel, without the slightest neglect. At the same time, considering the personal safety of the distinguished guests, prisoners currently serving sentences were absolutely not allowed to approach them for any reason.

Moreover, while Moira may have little influence over Granite Village, that doesn't mean I have no say in Sunshine Garden Fortress. Lund still holds the title of Chieftain's Advisor, wielding the power to manage the economic affairs of both regions. Annis and I have a close relationship due to Helgi. Add to that Esmoridae, who, while not a friend, would certainly be willing to hinder us.

If a real war of public opinion breaks out, it's not certain who will have the last laugh.

However, even though we had a high chance of winning, Lund still advised me not to dwell on the matter.

"Lockel, tell me, why are we farming and training troops in Granite Village?"

"Of course, it's to retake Loristed Town."

“Exactly. Moira’s goal is to reclaim Snake Cliff Ridge, so we have a common enemy. Moreover, this enemy is very strong, and we need to join forces to have any chance of winning. This time we wiped out the Flying Bear Tribe, so we can say we won against her. It’s understandable that she would retaliate. As long as neither side takes any further action, the matter can be kept quiet.”

I understand the reason.

In the current situation, the relationship between Sunshine Garden Fortress and Granite Village is a classic example of the strategic pincer movement often depicted in novels. The isolated castle atop the mountain can draw the enemy's main forces, protecting the village located on the plains. Meanwhile, the well-connected and resource-rich village supplies the castle with provisions and protects its flanks, preventing it from being besieged.

The two sides have a symbiotic relationship; if one suffers, the other suffers.

Conversely, our opponents, Snake Cliff Ridge, also known as the serpentine defensive position in the game, are in a similar situation to Loristed Town. Why did Moira's initial attack fail? It was because she bypassed the villages and towns, launched a direct assault on the fortress, and ended up being routed by reinforcements sent by Loristed Town.

Faced with a formidable enemy, the weak can only huddle together for warmth. But before the white-clad oarsman rowed, weren't Ten Thousand and Big Ears also huddling together for warmth?

Our own strength is still too weak, and we urgently need to develop and expand!

With Mednatch's uprising in Markars, and Igmund preoccupied with his own troubles, this should have been the perfect opportunity to advance and recapture Loristed. Unfortunately, I have no generals to command and no troops to spare.

My friend Levi has been gone for a week now, and I don't know when she'll be back. I'm hesitating whether to send someone to urge her to come back.

Hayoo and Lahlan set off yesterday, and it'll probably take at least half a year. Besides going back home to recruit people, they also need to help me buy some local specialties. I overheard Ajis saying that besides the famous moon sugar, Aysville also produces many kinds of spices that aren't found in Skyrim. This news is incredibly appealing to a cook.

The little catgirl enthusiastically began exploring the terrain north of Granite Village. In the basement of the government building, we made a clay model together. Each time we returned, Aguis would spend a whole day with me putting the information we had gathered into the model. Out of caution, she hadn't ventured deep into the hills yet, but instead wandered around the edge of the mountains with Miko, watching for bandits coming and going through the two mountain passes she had discovered.

As it turned out, the little cat didn't see the robbers; instead, she brought back the three villagers who had been kidnapped by them.