56 A life for mine, blood for glory

Finally!!! Chapter!!!

I'm sure you were all very eager for this, don't worry, me too.

This chapter is 6K words long, and I won't spoil much of it.

There are many images I would like to add, but I'll likely forget about them since it's already late.

I'll try to post some, the rest I'll add if I remember tomorrow.

This chapter is mainly narration, similar to how most of the other Class Chapters ended, a narration of Mc's action at the end sort of thing.

And as this Arc ends, I wonder, what do you think will be his next Class?

I'm eager to hear your opinions.

I hope you like it, and that it wasn't underwhelming, hopefully, once we return to the real world, things will heat up!

Peace!

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/A few hours later…/

'As he waited for Battlecry to be refreshed, Philip bought a new steel shield and a decent bow.'

'As always, he was extremely appalled at the price of equipment in this place, a good quality steel shield and bow would cost years of an ordinary family's income…'

'There is a reason why sometimes, a good bow would be passed down from Grandfather to Grandson, same going to a good sword, it was something that would be bought once or twice throughout their lives unless they were more wealthy.'

'Regardless, with this, Philip could proudly say he had upgraded his gear to steel completely, with the next step being either Elven or Dwarven armor…'

'However, he wasn't so sure about that…'

'Albeit that was the obvious route by following the perk tree, it is impossible to quantify the defensive attributes of armor, and offensive attributes of weapons, at least in a simple manner.'

'Dwarven armor was made by reforging the old alloys left behind by the Dwemer since the way to make the metal itself was lost and even after thousands of years, it is still a mystery as to how they made this exotic alloy that was stronger than steel.'

'Albeit being heavier, it has the ability to resist corrosion to an incredible degree, with weapons almost never losing their sharpness, and armor with its extreme impact resistant properties.'

'While Elven armor is a high-class piece of armor, comparable to the standard armor issued by the Imperial army.'

'However, the Imperial armor is made of steel, so why is the Elven armor better than the current one he was using if it was also made of steel?'

'Of course, due to many reasons such as the skill of the smith that made it, and the overall quality of the materials and the methods used to handle the metal and shape it during the armor's confection, that is how one is better than the other.'

'But for the average people of Skyrim, the Imperial armor would be the best anyone could get, especially if they got a higher position, receiving an even better piece suitable for their rank.'

'Something like Ebony armor would be only seen in a lifetime, with the smiths capable of making it is far in between… As for anything above that?'

'In game, the Level required to make Daedric armor was extremely high, but literally, every Daedra has it, does this means there are many legendary smiths within the scattered realms of Oblivion?'

'Perhaps… Perhaps not, the appropriate word would be... Unlikely.'

'But for Philip, he is limited by the Skill tree of the system and the only way to free himself from it would be to spend many, many years studying.'

'Not really his goal in life right now...'

'As for his current armor, he put it for maintenance, it was indeed a bit... Dirty.'

"This should be good enough."

'For his meeting with the personnel of the Caravan, he decided to go with a more casual attire, one that showed his arm muscles.'

'Why? Simple really, Nords respected strong warriors, and both the two people he'll be meeting today, the General Administrator, and the Guard Captain were Nords.'

'From Eddy's diary and by asking a few people here and there, he already had some understanding of his current reputation and how those two acted.'

'Eddy himself used to be a hardworking man that would definitely succeed his father without a hitch, the problem is that everything came crashing down too early before he was ready, he was simply too young.'

'And this caused all of that mess with him hiding with all of his wealth due to paranoia, damaging his previously decent reputation, had he not done so, Philip would be in a much better position...'

'But had not Eddy done so, would he still be alive?...'

'In any case, in order to change their views on him, Philip has to give them a reason, and show them that who he really is, what he has become.'

'A man that was worthy of being their leader.'

"Hm…"

'Philip stared at his reflection in the bronze mirror, shaking his head.'

Everything would be perfect if I had a beard to hide this young face, but there's nothing I can do about that.

Hopefully, they'll listen to me and everything will be set back on track…

'His eyes sharpened.'

But if they don't… I may have to consider some other means.

'He turned around decisively, it was time to resolve this issue once and for all.'

…

/Sometime later.../

/Tap… Tap…/

'Inside an empty and warm room, 2 people waited patiently in silence.'

'The room was very rustic and in a sense, empty.'

'It had a large circular table in the middle, a door, a set of stairs leading to the attic, and a fireplace on the side, and apart from a few decorations, that was all it had.'

'As for the people, one of them had half of his hair white, wearing a formal attire clearly of higher quality than those of common civilians, but still rather far from the quality Nobles were accustomed to.'

'The other one was wearing a unique set of Steel armor that was full of scars, memories of his past battles, he looked tough.'

'His head had a large scar on top of it, his shoulders were broad and strong, and his beard was small but firm, a true Nord warrior.'

'Obviously, they were both the General Administrator and the Guard Captain that had been serving Eddy's father for years.'

"He's late." The Guard Captain said as he tapped on the table

'He seemed annoyed, but for a good reason.'

'The activities of the Caravan have been put to a complete halt due to a lack of command, and some of the men under him have started to lose their composure due to thinking that they won't receive their pay.'

'This has caused him quite the headache, especially since he has already given the boy several days to calm his head down, but he couldn't wait any longer.'

'He wasn't insensible, the kid lost a father, he lost a good friend, but now wasn't the time to grieve, they had to hit the road, or else, all of his friend's life-work would end up on the drain.'

'To this, the Administrator replied:'

"Calm down, it's been only a fifth of the hourglass, that is barely 12 minutes."

'The Guard Captain took a deep breath, he wasn't angry because he had to wait, but more so because he had many things to do…'

"Aye… I know. I'll give him some more time…"

/Creak…/

'He barely had enough time to end his sentence, but the doors to the room opened with loud creaking sounds as the old metal hitches protested their many years of mistreatment...'

"Hm?...!"

"?!"

"Let's start this meeting," Philip said in a deep tone as he took a step inside the room, his chest up high, his steps firm and heavy

'The two watched him close the door and take a seat, they kept blinking their eyes in disbelief, not being able to process what they were seeing.'

'As soon as he sat, he opened his mouth, giving them a quick nod:'

"First things first, before we start talking, I would like to apologize for making you two wait, and also for not discussing how we should proceed in regard to the future of the Caravan."

"..."

"Instead, I took a self-centered attitude and decided to seclude myself out of paranoia and in order to give myself some time to think, ignoring everyone else who was also just as shaken by the recent events as me, people that were in dire need of reassurance for their futures..."

"Something that I'm now responsible for."

/Silence…/

'The two were shell-shocked by his attitude, utterly speechless by his display...'

'It was completely beyond what they expected, and the General administrator even thought for a moment that he was seeing old Jum again.'

'But he soon "understood" what happened, thinking that Eddy had forcefully matured due to the pressure, and he silently shook his head in regret.'

'The guard captain on the other hand was focused on something else…'

His attitude… And those muscles… Just what happened within those last few days for him to change so much?

But… It doesn't matter, for now, things seem to be going well.

Now then, everything truly starts... You may have changed your looks, but are you up for the responsibility?... Or will you run away once more?

'Seeing that they were silent for too long, they quickly replied:'

"No no… Boy… Eddy, it is okay for you to act like that, everyone was shocked and you, out of everyone else, needed some time to settle your thoughts, and I'm glad you did."

'The guard captain kept nodding, saying his own lines when the chance appeared:'

"Indeed."

"I won't lie, but I was pretty disappointed when you refused to listen to us, secluding yourself inside your room, but I'm proud you finally sought us out."

'The two smiled slightly, they were pleased with how things were going, they expected to see a shaken man, still trembling due to fear…'

'But instead, they were seeing a strong-willed man, his eyes serene, and his voice deep and strong, unwavering… Even his body was strong, but they didn't comment on it, this was one of the least abnormal things they've seen in the long years they followed his father.'

'To their honest replies, Philip smiled.'

"Thank you, I'm sure it hasn't been easy, and everyone is likely full of unrest in regard to our future, so let us resolve everything together, and leave these troubled times behind."

"I totally agree."

'The Guard Captain also nodded, flatter talk wasn't what he was good at, and for him, a nod was enough.'

"Alright then, a few days may already have passed, but it's not like everything was in vain…"

'Philip's expression changed as he said his next line, slightly deeper than before…'

"In the past few days, I have thoroughly read my father's journal, and I have completely absorbed what he has left behind, and albeit I may still be young, I am confident to say that I'm ready to succeed him now."

Almost there... Just a bit more talking and we're game.

""!""

'The two of them opened their eyes in silent shook.'

'His words meant much more than a simple reassurance, they also pointed at the core issue of the Caravan.'

'The Convoy had always been very depending on his father, the way he always gathered exotic materials and how he always found a way to dump unneeded cargo whenever they failed at selling everything…'

'Some may call it foul magic, others said it was simply Skill, a few believed that Jum had an extensive array of connections…'

'But they all agreed on something, if he were to die, those assets would completely disappear, and this Caravan's fate would be sealed, having nothing to distinguish itself amidst its competitors.'

'Whatever was the truth though, both the Guard Captain and the Administrator kept silent, doing their jobs out of sheer respect for the lifestyle Jum had given them.'

'As such, his words had another meaning to the two of them, because it meant that… He had succeeded in whatever Jum had that made him so successful in the first place.'

"D-Do you mean it like…"

"Yes, Hor… I have 'succeeded' him completely." He said as he looked at the General Administrator

Interpret it as you will, I won't go further on this.

"I may not be as skilled in handling people, nor as Skillful at managing right now, but I have faith that I will one day become just like him…"

'His eyes portrayed his confidence as he said once more:'

"No… I will... Surpass him."

/Thud!/

'Phillip smashed his two hands on the table, startling the two.'

"So, without further ado, let's talk business."

…

'Following this, Philip took the reins of the conversation, completely setting its direction, leaving the other two little to no space to talk apart from agreeing or shaking their heads in denial.'

'He discussed with them the funds, what sort of products they usually traded, what they currently had, the personnel, and more. Showing them that he was up for the job and not here for fun.'

'Truth be told, the condition of the Caravan was much better than he had initially expected.'

'In a sense, Philip was expecting to meet a sinking ship, but he merely saw the consequences of his, Eddy's, own actions, or thereby lack of.'

'They were mostly in a bad spot due to Eddy's bad conduct, such as grabbing most of the funds, the wealth of the Caravan, and going into seclusion.'

'Philip was thankful that they didn't just rush into his room to beat him up, so he kept silent in regards to this, letting them complain if they wished.'

'But fixing this was simple, he simply gave the Administrator some funds so he could take a breather again, problem solved.'

'This is money that would eventually come back to him multiplied as long as he played his cards right.'

'A few boxes worth of products they brought from Hammerfell were still left to be sold, but they had already sold quite a lot, mostly spices, but there were indeed other things, albeit not much since they had made a run out of the Province due to the War.'

'It took a little while for Philip to go through all of the trade leggers, it was a boring process, but one he had to go through.'

'He opted to be a merchant, so if he didn't act like one, he would be shooting himself in the foot and wasting his opportunity.'

'The biggest problem now was sticking to the schedule, they had to leave by tomorrow, but they barely had anything, they sold some things, but bought very little, a Caravan makes money by bringing in products from here to there where there is a demand.'

'They also needed to take in commissions for delivery, those were pretty common and they made for a big chunk of their revenue.'

'Skyrim had no Ebay, so most of the time, to have a package travel the Holds, such merchants were the way to go.'

'Regarding this, Philip left them to deal with that, as for the issue regarding the products, he merely said that he already had some things ready…'

'And indeed he had, Philip was thinking of giving the Administrator the potions he had brewed together with some of the ingredients he bought, perhaps even some of the enchanted items he made.'

'But not all, he still needed to save some ingredients to brew more potions.'

...

'The meeting lasted for about 2 hours, and they left, each with their own expressions.'

'The General Administrator was smiling from ear to ear, the Guard Captain had a look of relief now that he had an excuse to give his men, and Philip was just happy that everything had gone well.'

'His reputation wouldn't take a complete turn for the better, but he didn't care, as long as those two saw him in a good light, then it was okay, that was everything he needed.'

'As long as the soldiers and workers were paid, everyone would eventually see him in a good light.'

'And now that the Caravan had been secured, making money would become extremely easy, no more had he a need to fill his inventory with dozens of potions, he could simply store them in a box and leave them with the Administrator to sell.'

/Yawn.../

I need some rest...

'As for now, the day was still very long, so he took this time to relax slightly and see how things would progress.'

'He didn't go back to the alchemy shop as he had already said his farewells to them, and it would be awkward to go back.'

'So instead, he went back to his room, taking this chance to disenchant some of the items he bought and use some of the Spellbooks he had recently acquired as well as tasting more ingredients as to unlock more potential recipes.'

'Once night fell, a few workers were sent to his room at the Inn to retrieve the items he had previously promised during the meeting.'

'They were confused at first, but who was them to complain? They were paid to move, not to talk.'

'Regardless, they left the inn full of items, and also full of questions… Why were there so many things in that room?'

"Phew… Finally… This is done."

'With a relaxed expression, Philip let himself fall onto his bed, letting the tension go away and his tiredness wash away…'

'Amidst this comfortable feeling, he started to think about the future.'

Surprisingly, things went smoothly, I was expecting some form of resistance from the others, but they were more reasonable to talk to than I expected.

Taking the reins of things was a completely natural and smooth process... Perhaps due to my high Speech Skill?

Sigh, my recent experiences may have caused me to have distorted expectations and assume the worst…

But that is for a reason, I'll keep a foot back just in case.

For now, I just have to wait for tomorrow and proceed with the plan, the Caravan can almost self-regulate itself, it just needs one thing…

The special and exotic items that Eddy's father used to sell.

For that, I'll need to Conjure the Daedra… But now's not the time.

The Daedra can be conjured wherever I want, so I can do it once I arrive at the next hold, being able to gather the exact items I need and that I know I can sell.

This will reduce the chances of them being damaged during transport and also reduce the costs and speed up the convoy…

And most importantly, I won't need to bother thinking about what a Hold would need and how the market fluctuates there… Sparing me that trouble…

'Philip sat on his bed, taking out a small diary from his inventory.'

"Welp… You helped me greatly buddy… But now's time for you to rest."

'He turned to the side, throwing the diary back onto his inventory as he shook his head faintly, it would likely never see the light of day again…'

Previously, I lied about reading Eddy's father's journal… I don't even know if such a thing exists, but it's likely that it doesn't, perhaps it was destroyed before I took over.

Everything he had went to Eddy as soon as he died, and nowhere in his own Diary, did Eddy mention receiving such a thing.

Everything Jum wanted Eddy to know was left in the letter I read yesterday, but as long as it's in my inventory, no one will ever know the secrets within it.

So I technically didn't lie, Jum's plans were conveyed within the letter, his plans went as far as 10 years ahead, and even if they became less and less detailed as time went on, they already pave a pretty decent foothold for me who just needs 2 weeks.

In case things took a wrong turn, I was more than ready to show most of this letter to them, ripping apart the most important details from it…

"But I guess that was unnecessary."

(A little bit of a recap… Pretty much copy and paste)

Now, I just need to follow the schedule.

The plan was to first move to Whiterun, passing through a few Villages and small towns on the way, sticking to the main roads in order to secure safety.

After that, Windhelm, Winterhold, Dawnstar, Morthal, Solitude, and finally Markarth, and if it wasn't obvious already, Riften is being excluded due to it being riddled with thieves, only stupid merchants would go there unless they are directly associated with the Thieves Guild.

(End)

"If I repeat what I did this time, I'll definitely be able to amass enough funds to complete this boring mission…"

[Acomplish your father's dream of having a plentiful plot of land near Solitude while also paying for his debts so you can live a fulfilling and promising life]

The debt being the 200K+ Septims I have to pay the Daedra… With it increasing every time I call it.

"The problem, however, was having the rights for a 'plentiful plot of land' in no other place than Solitude…"

Money should definitely do it, but how much are we talking about?

And if doesn't… What do I do?

'Philip thought of this for a few more minutes before closing his eyes, taking a rest for the first time in a while…'

…

/A few hours later…/

"We move!"

"Haa!"

/Horse sounds.../

'As the wagon drivers whipped their horse, the Convoy took its first steps while under new leadership.'

'Thanks to Philip taking care of things so well, they all managed to hit the road in no time despite spending a few days lazing around.'

'The potions would also sell very well, at least from the General Administrator's perspective.'

'And albeit they would likely see fierce competition within the large cities, Philip already said that they could go very low for the prices since they would literally still be on the green even if they were to sell them for 10% of their original price.'

'This is how profitable potions are for someone who knows what they're doing.'

'Of course, he wouldn't want that to be the case.'

'Aside from that, the administrator was also very curious about their source, this was different from the items his father used to sell, but he kept silent, it wasn't his place to barge in.'

'He knew they were of good quality as they had been tested by the alchemists of Falkreath, something he found surprising, given the fact he didn't expect Eddy to have such connections.'

'But everything was explained once he learned about what he had done before yesterday… Exterminating a Vampire! What an achievement!'

'Due to his armor, not many knew that Eddy had been the one behind that, who would expect a coward man that hides at an inn to go out of the Hold to kill a Vampire?'

'But the more he asked, the more he learned, and the less space he had to deny it.'

'The little scared boy went from that to a warrior capable of killing a Vampire within a few days…'

'It wasn't something he could take in just like that… But Philip already knew how to deal with that skepticism.'

'Midway through their journey, he would challenge one of the Guards for a small fight, and he would win… Again and again, and eventually, his position would be unmovable among everyone in the Convoy.'

'For now, he focused on reading his books inside the carriage as he leaned to his absolute despair that he would be spending most of his 2 weeks inside an uncomfortable wooden wagon, making his way across Skyrim.'

'Initially, he wanted to train one of his Skills, but there wasn't much he could do inside a wagon, potion-making was impossible, and most of the other Skills required some sort of cycle to improve...'

'So he just stuck to reading the books he acquired from the Vampire's subjugation, it would have to do to sate his boredom.'

…

/Two hours later.../

"My ass hurts… I truly hate this."

It's been a few hours… We should be arriving at our first destination soon.

I hope so, for the sake of my ass.

/Crackle…/

'Inside the carriage, Philip opened his hand, creating a strong but small flame.'

'The flame then condensed into a chunk of ice, and the ice disintegrated into a bunch of sparks before turning back onto a small flame again...'

"Hm…"

Magic huh…

There is a reason why wizards are feared, and why there are so few of them.

I'll try to gather as many books as I can, I have to make the most while I'm still here.

It would be a shame to have the chance to explore this world, but only raise my Skills, something I can easily do outside of it as well.

/Knock knock knock!/

'The flame on his hands was quickly extinguished as he asked, "What is it?" in a calm tone.'

"We've arrived at Helgen." Someone replied

"I see, let us proceed then."

"Yes sir."

"..."

There isn't much to do in Helgan, but it's a big stop nonetheless.

Helgen is a border town to Cyrodil, the Empire's Capital.

It is a heavily fortified town with high stone walls and many watchtowers, and overall, it has a better infrastructure than even the Falkreath Hold itself, which is rather ironic, but not unsurprising given the heavy Imperial presence it has.

Now that Hammerfell has rebelled and won, they are completely on guard, so hopefully, they'll allow us inside, or at least give us the chance to trade.

We'll rest for a few hours, and Administrator Hor will try to sell some of our cargo, and buy a few things more.

Each Village has its own specialties and needs, knowing what to buy and sell at each stop is the standard, and what makes a good manager is knowing how to do all of that and plan a good route.

Hor has many years of experience, and he's very capable at his job, but that alone is not enough.

As for me, this isn't my time to shine yet…

I'll just focus on improving my skills as always and take a look around.

I have to get as strong as I can.

'Philip closed his eyes, resting a little as he waited.'

…

/The days passed, and they went from Village to Village, and from Hold to Hold…/

'Immediately after passing through Helgan, Philip made question to visit the Guarding stone near the Town of Riverwood.'

'The Guarding stones were a set of 3 ancient obelisks full of carvings, including the constellation they represent.'

'They are a part of many other stones scattered around Skyrim since ancient times.'

'According to legends, these stones granted powers to the Heroes of Old, and honestly, Philip thought that might've been the case, but that was but a story of the past.

'When no one paid attention, he went into the woods alone under the cover of the night sky, touching them.'

'And as expected, a system window appeared in front of him, asking if he wanted to activate the Thief Stone.'

'He obviously accepted, with its power, all of his Theif related Skills would increase 20% faster, and this included his Highest Level Skills, Speech, and Alchemy.''

'With a small smile, he returned to the Town under the cover of the cloudy sky back onto his lodging as tomorrow they would make their way to Whiterun.'

'And he was very eager to see how that would look like as even Riverwood looked completely different from the game.'

'And how this power he was bestowed with would function.'

…

/1 week and 3 days later…/

/THUD!/

"?!"

'Within a beautifully decorated room made of polished stone, full of high-quality wooden decorations and tapestry, a woman fell onto her knees, clutching onto her bed, not being able to move her body due to a sudden moment of weakness.'

'What is happening to me?!' She thought to herself in a moment of desperation

Don't tell me…

/Fwoosh!/

'Before she even had time to react, something covered her vision as she was heavily hit in the head, losing consciousness completely.'

/Whistle!/

'The man who did this, a thief wearing tight dark leather armor whistled, giving a signal for 2 more men to enter the room.'

'One was wearing an elegant dark robe, plain, but it was clearly of high quality, while the other one was wearing clothes of the highest quality together with a golden tiara on his forehead embedded with a large and clear Ruby.'

'His attire was fit for a King, his disposition was also that of one.'

"Hm…"

'The man with the tiara didn't say much, he instead waited for the thief/assassin to proceed, his eyes sharp, his mood heavy.'

/Pierce!/

'First, the assassin pierced the woman's neck with a nail coated with a potent paralyzing toxin, to make sure this powerful Wizard wouldn't suddenly revolt while their guards were down.'

'Next, he placed her on her knees in front of the man, opening her eyes as he removed the sac from her head.'

"As I stated before, she is, undoubtfully, a Vampire, so allow me to show you further proof of this."

'He took a small vial, giving it to the man.'

"In your hands is a special potion from the Vigilants of Stendarr, I believe you are aware of who they are, so I'll cut down the explanation."

"This potion, when in contact with Human skin, does nothing..."

"But when in contact with Vampire skin, it'll boil almost instantly, causing them an unbelievable amount of pain stronger than standing directly under sunlight for extended periods of time."

'To prove this, the man let a few droplets fall onto his skin, and as he said, nothing happened.'

'But he then grabbed the woman's hand…'

/SIZLEE!/

""!""

'The potion immediately took effect, turning into steam almost the moment it got in contact with the woman's… The vampire's skin!'

'She immediately opened her eyes, she looked around in distress and confusion, not understanding her situation at all.'

"If this is not enough to prove it then allow me to test it on you as well."

"Uh…"

'The man in the dark cloak looked at the Nobleman, and seeing him nod, he could do nothing but gulp as he allowed a few droplets to fall on his hands…'

"?... Phew…"

'But nothing happened, making the man absolutely relieved, seeing his lack of composure, he coughed quietly in embarrassment.'

"If this is still not enough…"

'The assassin opened her mouth, showing them her sharp canines way bigger than normal, a clear sign of Vampirism, and also pointed out at the abnormality that were her red eyes.'

'He also said that they not realizing this may have been due to the Vampire charm, an inherent ability most Vampires of higher Class have.'

"Is this enough, or do I have to show further proof?"

"No… This is… Enough." The Nobleman replied with a dark expression

'He turned around, not wanting to see this any further, he clenched his hands in silent anger.'

"I need some time to think this over… Alone."

'Turning his face to take a look at the assassin, he said:'

"But let me be clear, no one can know about this… No one."

'He turned to the other man, saying:'

"Maleran, from now on, you shall take her mantle as Court Wizard so… Deal with this mess."

"Understood, I shall do it as you command."

'The Elf nodded as the Noble turned to face the assassin once more.'

"As for you… I'll handle you the proper reward that you requested of me."

"I gave you my word, and I shall abide by it, for my name is Torygg, High King of Skyrim."

"However, there won't be any fancy ceremony, this is a matter I wish to forget, and I expect you to let it be forgotten as well, for as long as you do so, our promise remains standing."

"Come back tomorrow when the sun rises, I'll prepare your reward by then, you can rest assured proud warrior…"

'His eyes then sharpened.'

"For now… Finish what you started, and may this issue find its end here."

/Creak…/

'He left the room, leaving the Maleran and the Assassin alone.'

'Maleran nodded, and the assassin drew his blade while under the furious eyes of the Vampire…'

/CUT!/

'He cleanly cut her head off, but no blood came out, and instead, her body started to quickly disintegrate onto dust…'

'Seeing this process, Maleran shook his head in contempt.'

"So it was true, I still had some faint doubts, but now there is no mistaking it, Sybille Stentor, the Court Wizard of the Blue Palace is a Vampire, one so old she immediately turned into dust the moment of her death..."

"I'm impressed, such vampires often hold great powers, but right now, even such a great being was butchered like a pig... Perhaps in a similar way as she killed her own prey."

"I always wondered why no one ever asked her age, for a Breton she looks unusually young despite working as the Court Wizard for well over 30 years, and her magical prowess... Well, even I had to give it to her, I could barely fathom her magical theory understanding."

"She even raised Torygg, and I imagine this revelation has been… Deeply shocking for his majesty."

"I wonder if she turned halfway through her servitude, or if she were one from the very start… The implications of this will surely shake the Palace for a while."

'He turned to face the assassin, saying:'

"Follow me, I'll lead you to your quarters."

"My… Quarters?" He asked in suspicion, raising an eyebrow

"Do not misunderstand, there are no second intentions hidden within this, it's merely due to the nature of this matter."

"Until proper investigations have been conducted, which should last not even a day, please, be understanding and remain within the premises of the Blue Palace."

"By the time the sun rises again, you'll already be free to leave, so I don't see this as an inconvenience by any means."

"You should rejoice instead, this will likely be the best bed you've ever slept on in your entire life."

"... Fine."

Asshole.

'Maleran nodded before he turned to face the body of the Vampire for a moment, he shook his head, leaving the room with the assassin right behind…'

…

/The next day…/

'Inside a beautiful hall made of stone and marble, a man sat upon a wooden throne, several people around him waiting for his words.'

'In front of him was Philip, kneeling on the ground, this time, he wore some very formal clothes, and he looked rather handsome with his hair pulled backward…'

"As I've promised before, and as there is room in my court for a new Thane, I shall stick to my words and name thee Thane of Haafingar..."

"It's an honorary title, mainly, but there are a few perks you could make use of, albeit I'm sure that someone, as prepared as you already, knows that."

'He tapped onto his throne, saying once more:'

"Truly, you had me shocked, it hasn't been long since you and your Convoy arrived in town, but your name is already in many people's mouths, you did many good deeds throughout the city, fit for a Thane."

"And barely have I granted you the honor of buying property within the Hold, but you already discussed this matter with my steward, you have me impressed, you're a man of many skills, I haven't been this overwhelmed ever since… Forget it."

'His expression a bit more melancholic, he said:'

"Your name is well known, you possess a property fit for a Thane, and there are no longer any requirements left to be fulfilled, you fit them all."

'He smiled slightly, but that wasn't the smile of a happy man…'

'Getting up from his seat, he grabbed a beautiful blade made of steel from the hands of his steward, approaching Philip with slow but heavy steps.'

"By my right as a Jarl, I name you Thane of Haafingar… Congratulations."

"I'll soon grant you a personal Housecarl to watch over your Manor and this Sword directly from my Armory to serve as your badge of office."

"The guards shall be notified of your Title so next time you are summoned or request an audience with me, the proper procedures shall fall in place, we can't have the Thana wait in line after all."

"I expect great things of you, as the youngest Thane of Haafingar."

/Clap clap…/

'Following his words, a quick round of applause echoed through the room, and with a thin smile, Philip raised his head to grab the sword… Proof that he had succeeded in his annoying mission.'

[DING!]

'With a proud smile, Philip waited for the Jarl to dismiss him, ignoring the Notifications windows.'

'But he was much more relaxed now as if removing a weight from his chest.'

Finally... It's over...

I took a lot of risks to be here.

To raise my Skills higher... It were many tireless nights...

To find treasures to bring with me... I risked my life and braved many ferocious beasts...

Spending massive sums of money to make more money... I swindled people, I stole from others, and I even assassinated people I believed were deserving of such.

All throughout this journey across this magical place that is Skyrim.

'However, it wasn't over yet, he still had a few days left… Right?'

'To confirm if that was true, he opened his notifications as he got up from the ground…'

…

.

.

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Notes