Getting a new weapon is always exciting, but you can’t eat a weapon, and you certainly can’t use it as a pillow!
The Companions were willing to prepare rooms for Sio and Kaye, but Sio didn’t want to live under the same roof as a bunch of brutes no matter what…
Well, even though there are plenty of female members in The Companions, it was still a no!
Absolutely not.
Her preferred choices were the Drunken Huntsman or The Bannered Mare.
After weighing her options, Sio finally chose…
the latter!
After all, The Bannered Mare is a well-known landmark in Whiterun!
“Welcome, travelers.
We have a warm fire ready for you!
Saadia—” “Coming!” The proprietress of The Bannered Mare, Hulda, was a kind middle-aged woman, which was quite rare among Nords.
And the waitress busy inside the inn was a young girl with reddish-brown skin.
With such a unique complexion, she was clearly a redguards from Hammerfell.
Well, Sio didn’t care about the waitress’s race or homeland; she only cared about the specialties here…
like Sweetrolls!
The pastry, covered in creamy frosting, had a sweet and rich taste, which was exactly what Sio loved.
However…
too much cream inevitably made eating messy, and some always ended up on the corners of her mouth.
Looking at Sio with her mouth full of cream, Kaye glanced at her and awkwardly looked away.
Although this squirrel-like appearance was very cute, it couldn’t help but remind him of the candlelight and her heavy breathing that night.
Back then, she…
Forget it, it was better not to dwell on the ambiguous atmosphere of that night.
Dessert was just a side dish; the main event was the main course.
Plump cod freshly caught from the White River, baked with butter to make it even more fragrant and rich.
According to the proprietress, these sturgeon came from an enterprise run by Commander Caius.
Compared to commanding the guards, this Imperial seemed better at business.
There was also stewed venison soup, rich in flavor and perfect for warming up on this cold night…!
Even the prices were affordable.
With the rewards the two had received from Tomb of Qianshan, they could easily afford it.
“I love it!” Sio put down her bowl, her eyes curving into crescent moons with a smile.
She even forgot to wipe the cream off the corner of her mouth.
“The Juniper Berry Mead tastes great too; it’s a very novel flavor.” Kaye looked at Sio’s satisfied expression, picked up a handkerchief from the table, and wiped the cream from her lips.
“You have a good eye, guest!
This is a specialty of Helgen; it has an extra layer of fruity aroma compared to the common meads on the market!” Even an innkeeper would be willing to chat a bit more when meeting a discerning customer.
“It’s just a pity that our shop hand has fallen ill recently, and it’s too dangerous to have Saadia make the trip, so we can’t go to Helgen to pick up the goods.” “How about we help?
As long as the pay is right!” Sio’s interest was piqued as soon as she heard there was work to be done.
Besides, she had already wanted to visit Helgen.
What was the current state of Helgen?
To her…
that was very important.
Sio and Kaye’s attire clearly didn’t look like that of ordinary adventurers or mercenaries; they wouldn’t be able to afford such exquisite protective gear.
Whether it was Kaye’s full plate armor or the gorgeous and sophisticated dress Sio wore, both were enough to inspire trust.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you to make the trip!
I’ll give you the order list and the deposit first, just a moment.” Hulda took out the bill and a purse from under the counter and handed them to the two, also giving them some instructions.
For instance, which path to take to avoid beasts and bandits, who to look for in Helgen to pick up the goods, and so on—she explained almost every detail clearly.
As an extra thank you for the errand, their lodging for today was also free.
However, business was booming, so they had to stay in one room again.
Compared to her bashfulness the last time they shared a room, Sio seemed much more frank after the door was closed.
Even this girl, who was usually lazy with personal matters, actually started taking the initiative to tidy up the bed.
After taking off his armor and setting it aside, Kaye stretched his somewhat stiff neck and shoulders, and the sound of someone patting the bed reached his ears.
“Hurry over!
The industrious Miss Sio has already started, you have no reason to refuse!” Turning his head, he saw that Sio had already changed into her pajamas and tucked herself into the bedding.
One hand held up the blanket, while the other patted the bed, urging him to come over quickly.
“We still have work to do tomorrow…” Kaye saw through Sio’s little scheme at a glance.
Although he teased her, he still walked toward the bedside.
“Th-that’s exactly because we have work tomorrow!
I need to stay in peak condition, right?” Sio stammered slightly, her cheeks already turning red.
“An-anyway, you have to listen to me!
We agreed on it before, right?
You can’t back out!” She grabbed Kaye’s sleeve and buried her head in the pillow, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
Well, to keep this girl’s body from becoming strange…
tonight was going to be another long night.
…
It was a very pleasant long night, and their hearts grew closer.
Yes, closer in the physical sense.
Sitting up from the bed, Sio stretched, mumbling something that sounded like a cat’s purring.
She had gotten used to it; despite her small stature, she hadn’t been worn out after the night’s activities; instead, she looked refreshed!
As for Kaye…
obviously, this kind of experience didn’t even count as physical labor; it was a breeze.
After washing up, the two had breakfast in the inn’s main hall and set off for Helgen.
They didn’t have much luggage, and besides, for the sake of picking up the goods, they had rented a pack horse with excellent endurance from the Whiterun Stables.
The horses in Whiterun Hold are mostly large breeds; they lack speed but have excellent endurance, making them suitable for long-distance travel and hauling.
Not only could it carry the goods, but it could also easily bear the weight of the two of them.
Why not rent two?
Naturally, it was because the budget was limited.
The deposit Hulda gave was just enough to rent one; any more and they would have to pay out of their own pockets.
…Besides, Sio didn’t know how to ride a horse.
To keep her from falling off the horse and splitting her backside into four pieces, she would probably have to be tied to the saddle!
It was better to ride together!
With the route pointed out by the proprietress Hulda, their journey was peaceful and serene!
Not only were there no bandits, they didn’t even encounter any wolves jumping out from the roadside!
While Kaye held the reins and rode slowly, Sio had the leisure to enjoy the snowy scenery along the way, sketching and writing in her journal.
As they got closer to Helgen, that strange premonition grew stronger.
For some reason, they hadn’t seen a single traveler on this trip.
Juniper Berry Mead is a famous specialty of Helgen, so logically, there should be many merchants coming here to stock up.
Until they arrived outside the gates of Helgen.
No guards stood watch; all they saw were raging flames and collapsed walls.
A loud boom echoed over Helgen, a roar that definitely shouldn’t be active in this era.
It could only be…
a dragon’s roar.
Sio’s pupils constricted suddenly, and her brain seemed to be seized by some fated terror, leaving her unable to speak or think.
It was just that…
a massive amount of memories flooded in like a tide, dragging her into recollections she had never known.