nycdaug Chapter 138 Bad Fate
Chapter 138 Bad Fate
Horse-drawn carriages rumbled along the official road.
According to Governor Rikki's suggestion, we should first reach Dragonbridge, then bypass the border region of Ar where war is imminent, go south along the east bank of the Kaas River, cross a mountainous area, and turn east at Old Haldane. In this way, we can reach the serpentine defense position controlled by the Lord of Markarth, which is Helgi's hometown. Continue eastward and you will reach Hofdirsted, my hometown, Loristed. From Loristed, you can take the official road to Whiterun. Along the way, except for the dangerous mountains on the east bank of the Kaas River, it is not difficult to find the garrisons of the Empire in other areas. It is indeed safer than crossing the battlefield.
Everyone in the car had their own thoughts. Although Sebastian acted arrogantly in the Castle of Dur, he was actually very panicked. His daughter turned against him and ran away from home in anger. After many years, she finally bowed to her father, but it was because she was seriously injured and disabled. How could a parent be calm after hearing such news? The old man kept asking me about Madeleine. I didn't know much, so I had to repeat the same words over and over again.
And there are too many things I care about. An unexpected trip to Solitude provided me with a lot of information. Judging from the situation, General Tullius is definitely doing something again. Governor Rikke's hesitation about his whereabouts can also confirm this inference from the side. The question is, what is Tullius going to do? Is the main force of the Imperial Army really at the northern border, confronting Lord Skade? Since the town of Loristede has fallen, theoretically, Tullius is capable of attacking Whiterun from the west. However, if this is true, Rikke will definitely try his best to prevent Sebastian from going to the war zone. Another possibility is that the Imperial Army will attack the Sunny Garden Fortress to the south, and due to the alliance, Falkreath will have to send troops to assist in defense. We can't afford to toss now!
The three strongholds of the Serpentine Defense Position, Loristed Town, and Sunshine Garden Fortress are like a horn, strangling the throats of the four territories of Western Skyrim. This is probably what the ancients called "a battleground for military strategists", right? This time I revisited the old place, I have to investigate the truth and find a way to take this area into my pocket as soon as possible. But if Tullius takes this place as the main attack direction, it will be difficult to deal with.
Another thing that made me curious was Sebastian's identity. Governor Rikke was not only the second-in-command of the Imperial Legion, but also a veteran who had participated in the World War. Regardless of her qualifications and status, she could make the nine lords speak to her politely. Such a person was actually scolded by the old man, and after being scolded, she had to come to cheer the old man up. This is outrageous. And from the conversation between the two, it seems that even for Tullius's face, the old man may not have to buy it. Even if Sebastian is a few years older than the two of them, he can't scold him like a father would his son, right? As for Helgi's "sister", Rikke must have had to agree to it because of Sebastian.
Nords don't have the habit of deliberately calling women younger. In their view, everyone will age, and what's important is to age gracefully. Pretending to be younger is a very despised behavior.
Of course Sebastian knew what we were thinking, and he had promised to identify himself on the road, so every day when we set up camp, he would gather his grandchildren like a kind grandfather and tell the little ones stories of the past.
As we all know, in the 171st year of the Fourth Era, thirty-one years ago, the ruler of Summerset Isle, the Aldmeri, declared war on the Empire. They divided their troops into two groups, attacking Cyrodiil, where the Imperial capital is located, and Hammerfell, the home of the Redguards. In the original plan, the Cyrodiil army was just a feint, and the real goal of the Aldmeri was to seize Hammerfell. However, the combat effectiveness of the Imperial army was so poor that it took only one year for the Aldmeri to reach the Imperial capital. So they decisively adjusted their strategy, changing the feint attack to the main attack, and completed the three-sided siege of the Imperial capital at the end of 173. It was also in this year that the Skyrim Legion rushed to Cyrodiil under the command of General Jonah.
The Nords are undoubtedly brave and good at fighting, but their rejection of magic limits their abilities. Even more unfortunately, the enemy they are about to face is the High Elves, who are famous for their magic skills. In order to prevent precious lives from being lost meaninglessly on the cruel battlefield, the Empire decided to send instructors to teach the Nords the experience and skills of fighting magic. However, the Nords are as famous for their arrogance and stubbornness as they are for their bravery. If the people sent cannot gain their recognition and respect, then there is no point in teaching and imparting knowledge.
The Imperial Legion chose Breton Sebastian Lott.
The Lot family was not a prominent family in High Rock Province, and Sebastian himself was from a side branch, so he did not get enough political resources from his family, so he chose to join the army at a very young age. Years of military career tempered his body and spirit, and also honed his fighting skills, but he never gave up his study of magic. Although he was not first-class in magic and martial arts, Sebastian had other advantages. He devoted himself to studying the combination of magic and fighting very early, and proposed many training plans. These plans were later proven to be effective, and Sebastian became an instructor of the Imperial Legion.
At that time, old Lotte was only 27 years old, a perfect age for his youth and vigor. Born into a family of nobles, he had served in the army for many years, and his every move had a unique temperament, a mixture of the perseverance of a veteran and the respect of an aristocrat. As you can imagine, such a handsome young man must have gained a large number of true fans, and even many girls were willing to throw themselves into his arms, just to spend a night with him. Sebastian was a decent person, never hiding the fact that he was married, and he was calm in the face of the passionate pursuit. In order to avoid suspicion, he never gave instructions to female soldiers in private.
At the age of fifteen, Rikki was also one of the little fans of old Lotte, but she was quite self-aware and knew that her figure and appearance were not outstanding, so she did not have the idea of seducing him. But Rikki was the most hardworking person in the training ground. She carefully studied and practiced the knowledge and skills taught by Instructor Lotte, and often asked Sebastian for advice on things she did not understand. Such a good student who could draw inferences from one example was rarely disliked by the teacher. After a while, Instructor Lotte even made an exception for Rikki and gave her special training. Sometimes, Lotte was so excited about chatting that it was already late at night when Rikki returned to the base.
What many white swans were willing to do even if they took off their clothes but failed to accomplish was accomplished by an ugly duckling in armor.
The fire of jealousy almost burned the tents in the barracks. I don't know when it started, but the rumors about the two of them became more and more outrageous. Some said that Rikki was wealthy and paid money to get Instructor Lotter. Some said that Sebastian was a pervert who liked Rikki's short and thick style. There were many such rumors. Sebastian knew all this, and thought that the little girl was shy, so he took the initiative to ask Rikki to keep his distance. But he didn't expect that Rikki would counterattack him.
"I have a clear conscience. If the instructor feels that it damages my reputation, I will not come here again."
To Rikki, Instructor Lotte opened a door for her and led her to see the treasure behind the door. How could a wise man give up the opportunity to explore this treasure just because of a few rumors spread by a scheming villain? Sebastian was also aroused by the girl's words. In the past, he only gave private guidance to a few good seedlings after training, but now he simply reduced the collective training time by half, letting others go their own way, and he specially gave special training to the top students. Rikki was the only female soldier in the special training class.
Another old acquaintance in the special class is Skoyue.
The future top fighter of the comrades was three years younger than his instructor and served as a squad leader in the Sky Legion. This thorn was self-reliant and did not take the new instructor seriously at all. He often provoked him during class. However, Skoyue did not know that Sebastian was also looking for an opportunity to establish his prestige. Skoyue's ability and status were very consistent with his expectations of his prey. As expected, the two people who were running in both directions fought each other the next day after they met. At first, Old Lot only relied on fighting skills to deal with Skoyue, but was ruthlessly suppressed. Just when the student thought he had won, a long sword with a faint glow appeared in the instructor's hand, instantly reversing the situation.
After that, every time Scoyue started a fight, Instructor Lotte would use magic to teach him a lesson. The victorious instructor was not arrogant, but instead reviewed the previous contest and made suggestions for improvement. The student who suffered a loss went back to train hard, striving to win back the next time. However, old Lotte was full of tricks and always gave Scoyue different scares. Slowly, Scoyue no longer took action for provocation, but to show the instructor the results of his training and pursue greater progress. Until one day nine months later, Scoyue resolved all of Sebastian's moves and knocked his instructor to the ground. The two looked at each other and laughed at the same time.
From that day on, or perhaps even earlier, they became good friends who understood and respected each other.
In 174E , the Imperial Capital fell.
The Thalmor commander, Grand Duke Nayariffin, thought the war was basically over, but he didn't know that the Imperial Emperor Titus Maide II was secretly planning a desperate counterattack. In the Rainy Hand Month of 175, the Skyrim Legion, led by Jonah, crossed the Niben River, recaptured Bravil and Skengrad, and completed the encirclement of the Aldmeri army with the Imperial Legion in the west. On the 30th, the Battle of the Red Ring officially began. In the end, the Aldmeri Cyrodiil Front was defeated, Grand Duke Nayariffin was captured, and the Imperial Capital was recovered.
Due to the urgent military situation, Sebastian did not return to his own organization, but continued to fight with the Skyrim Legion. His left leg was broken in the battle, and it was only thanks to Scoyue's desperate fight that he was able to save his life.
After the war, Sebastian retired and returned to High Rock to reunite with his wife. Not long after, Madeline was born. Scoret and Rikke returned to Skyrim to pursue their own careers. However, they exchanged letters from time to time. When Madeline was seven years old, Sebastian's wife died. In addition to condoling, Scoret invited his old friend to stay in Skyrim temporarily to avoid being saddened by the scene in the old house all day long. Old Lot didn't expect that this stay would last for ten years. His daughter grew from an innocent little baby to a heroic young lady, and fell in love with Scoret, who was more than twenty years older than him.
Seeing that his brother was about to become his son-in-law, how could Sebastian bear it? The two had a big quarrel, and the life-and-death friendship turned into an enemy. In order to cut off this evil fate, Old Lot forced the couple to leave Whiterun with Madeline, and accepted Rikke's invitation to go to Solitude. Who would have thought that there was more than just love between Madeline and Scorch, and this girl accepted the werewolf blood! Sebastian was also stunned by this news, and he actually asked for help from the demon god Clavicus Vile. The solution given by Vile was very simple, split Madeline's head with an axe, and the matter was resolved.
It's not that Sebastian didn't have the opportunity to end his daughter's life. With his skills, it wouldn't be difficult to accomplish this. But when he looked at that young face, his eyes were full of the shadow of his deceased wife. The old man was busy with military affairs when he was young, and he felt that he owed a lot to his wife. After the family was finally reunited, his wife died early. His daughter was not only a witness to his once happy life, but also his only thought of his deceased wife. How could he bring himself to do it? Madeline saw the Axe of Regret and her father crying with his face covered, and she understood everything in her heart. She stole the artifact and went to Yuevaska alone to marry Scoyue. In less than two years, the reputation of the Green Axe Wolf Girl resounded through the sky.
Sebastian, who had lost all hope, was depressed for several years, relying on Rikke's help to survive. However, after Ulfric's rebellion, the Empire sent Tullius to quell the rebellion. Rikke missed the days of fighting side by side with the Imperial Legion, and gladly accepted Tullius's appointment to become his deputy. The former girl had already established her own family, and her feelings for old Lot had also changed from admiration to care today. She couldn't bear to see her former instructor continue to sink, so she strongly recommended old Lot to General Tullius. The reason why Tullius agreed was actually quite subtle.
The position of instructor can only be regarded as a middle-level position in the Imperial Legion, but its actual influence is far higher than the level of the position itself, especially for a person like Sebastian who has real skills. After all, there are countless future great generals who have asked him for advice and received his guidance. Anyone who has been on the battlefield knows that they can survive because Instructor Lotte taught them everything he has learned in his life. No matter if you are a provincial governor or a pillar of the country, without Instructor Lotte, you are just a pile of yellow earth and a ghost in the grave. Therefore, many big figures from the military of the Empire will not put on airs when they see Sebastian, but politely call him "sir". The same is true for General Tullius.
But when Tullius saw old Lot, he immediately realized that he was no longer the same as before. But he had invited him here after all, so he couldn't just send him home after meeting him, right? In the end, Tullius decided to give Sebastian an easy task, and he sent him to the Rime Rock Cave.
"What did General Tullius send you to the Rime Rock Cavern for?"
Hearing my question, Sebastian smiled faintly.
"Young man, this is not something you should be asking."
I knew I had said something wrong, so I quickly changed the subject, pointing the whip in my hand forward.
"Go further and you'll find Old Haldane. We'll stay here tonight and head into the mountains early tomorrow. After we cross this mountain, we'll reach Snake Cliff Ridge."
Helgi, who was originally listening to the story with a smile, shuddered, raised her head, and stared silently into the distance.