"And that is when I wake up in the stable covered in shit!"
I laugh at the tale Hod tells us. After the feast, it is a party where all the villagers enter the inn and have a drink.
And let me tell you something—the Nord drink by the barrel. They chug beer and mead like water, holy shit. If not for my [Gamer's Body], I would be dead by now with how much I drink.
At least the drinks are great. The mead tasted sweet with a hint of berry in there. The beer is bitter but smooth going down.
"Here is another mug, Mattias."
I look to the side and see Camilla offer me another mug with a smile on her face. She wakes up a couple of hours before the sun goes down. Now? She is drinking alongside me and the others. Her brother tries to tell her to continue to sleep, but she ignores him and joins me.
"Thank you, Camilla."
We make a toast and drink the mead. While drinking, I watch Sven, the local Bard, look at Camilla with hesitation. After a second, he walks away from us.
"What's with him?" I say behind my mug. "He looks at you with so much guilt and shame."
I hear Camilla scoff and say.
"He is a coward. He says that he is a True Nord, but when the bandits come, he stands at the back. What's worse, he said that he would protect me, but when the bandit managed to break the formation, he ran away."
She slams her mug on the table and continues.
"I need to fight alone and get stabbed. If not for my brother and you, I would be dead by now. If not for his father, a hero of Riverwood, he will be punished for his cowardice."
"I see."
Sven is a coward in this world, huh? I know that he is not the best companion a Dragonborn can get. However, a coward? That is new.
"Anyway! Let's forget about him. Let's talk about you. Where are you from?"
"Bruma, the Edge of the Empire. It is the city that has the most Nord among the Empire Province."
"How is Bruma? I have never visited that place."
"Really? You are an Imperial, no? I thought you would visit that place before reaching Skyrim."
"Ah, we do not stop at Bruma before reaching Skyrim. Because of the war, my brother and I used an alternate route to reach Skyrim. We thought that we would manage to get away from war, but it looks like our luck is so bad that another war breaks out in Skyrim. What makes matters worse? Dragons flying around and causing a lot of destruction. It causes many goods to increase in cost, you know?"
"Really?"
"Yup. We are lucky we have a farm and the river is bountiful, or we will be starving. The other villages do not have the same fortune as us. Some of them even have a hard time farming."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because of the Civil War, no one is taking care of the wildlife. Usually, the Hold Guards will be the ones taking care of them, but with the civil war happening, no one is killing the wolves, bears, or even the trolls."
That is interesting information. I know that I picked some negative World Perks from the CYOA, but I don't know if it will be like this. I pick [Wild Wilds], which increases the number and aggression of the monsters and animals of this world. The second one is [Bandit Plague], which will increase the bandit's presence in Skyrim.
I don't think the CYOA will integrate the two of them into this world so seamlessly.
"Is that the reason for the number of bandits attacking Riverwood?"
"Aye. Bandits are running rampant, and we need to defend ourselves. Don't get me wrong, the guards sent by the Jarl help defend our village, but it is not enough to completely take care of the problem. Bandits with more members will attack us like we experienced earlier. The problem is so big that I hear the Jarl of Winterhold begrudgingly letting the Mage from the College erect a barrier around the Winterhold."
That is another time that makes this world different than in the game. In the game, isWinterhold is a place where the Jarl hates the mage, but it looks like he is willing to bow his head to ask for protection from bandits and wildlife.
"Anyway, I just remembered something."
She looks at the owner of the inn, Orgnar, and shouts.
"Oi, Orgnar! Are the wolves still a problem?"
"Hmmm? Aye. Those wolves attack me when I am about to harvest some honey. I think they are making a den up north. They are migrating north because of the bandits that make Embershard Mine their base. I don't know why they made that place their home, but I once heard screaming from that place. I hope the Jarl sends more guards to deal with those bandits."
Before I can say something, two notifications appear in front of me.
[New Missions!]
[Den of Wolves]
{There is a den of wolves near Riverwood. Kill them all and bring the corpses back to Orgnar.}
|Reward: 5,000 EXP, 100 Septims, and 3 Honningbrew Meads|
===
[Bandits' Nest]
{Bandits make a base in the Embershard Mine. Kill them all and report back to Orgnar.}
{Special Mission: Orgnar says something wrong is coming from the mine. Investigate it.}
|Reward: 12,000 EXP, 250 Septims, and Blacksmithing Skill Book|
|Special Reward: Swordsmanship Skill Book and Novice Alteration Skill Book|
I mentally accept the missions and say.
"Do you want me to take care of them for you?"
All the people look at me in shock, and Alvor says.
"Are you sure, my friend? It will be dangerous, you know?"
"I need preparation, but I think I can manage to kill them all. I can take care of the wolves tomorrow, but for the bandits… I need time to prepare."
Alvor releases a relieved breath and says.
"It is good that you know your limit and are not attacking the bandits tomorrow. Too many young men die thinking they can take a group of bandits without preparation. I will give you armor to wear. Your clothes look like they are not enchanted. It's better to have something light but durable, like leather armor. It will serve you well."
"Thank you."
Alvor raises his mug and continues drinking. When I turn back to Camilla, she looks at me intensely and gets up. She picks my hand and says.
"Come. Let's make an experience you will remember so you can fight harder to get more after you finish your mission."
I ignore the catcalling as Camilla drags me back to her home.