Disclaimer: Neither High School DXD nor Elder Scrolls belongs to me, all rights to their respective owners.

Chapter 2

Solstheim - Middas 19 of Last Seed of 202 of the Fourth era

Edzard's eyes began to open slowly. He blinked several times, trying to focus on his surroundings. His head throbbed as if he had spent the night drinking with Jon Battle-Born and half of the Companions. Looking around, he realized he was in his tent.

'What happened last night?' he thought as he brought a hand to his temple, trying to calm the headache that tormented him.

Still disoriented, he decided to sit up. As he did, he noticed Asia lying next to him, asleep.

"Oh, I remember now. I used Neloth's scroll." he murmured, recalling why they were both on the ground.

With a bit more clarity, he got up and went outside the tent. Outside, he checked that they hadn't been robbed by bandits. They were camped near a lake, which seemed convenient for replenishing their water supplies. After filling their water skins, he decided it was a good time to prepare breakfast.

As he returned to the camp, he spotted a nearby nest. Approaching it, he saw it contained some eggs. He smiled at his luck and collected them before heading back to the camp.

Back at the camp, he lit a fire and placed a pan with butter over it. When the butter melted, he cracked the eggs and poured them into the pan. As he cooked, Asia's nose began to twitch slightly. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"Umm…" she yawned as she stretched lazily.

Still sleepy, she stepped out of the tent. The sunlight momentarily blinded her, so she blinked several times until her vision adjusted. Once she could see clearly, she saw Edzard preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Edzard." Asia greeted in Latin, approaching him.

"Good morning, Asia." Edzard replied in Italian.

Asia stopped, surprised. "Wait… Since when you speak Italian?" she asked, confused. If he knew how to speak it, why hadn't he done so before?

"Since last night." Edzard answered, taking the eggs out of the pan and serving them onto two plates. Then, he turned to look at her directly.

Asia blinked, not fully understanding.

Edzard sighed, noticing her confusion. "Do you remember the scroll from last night?"

Asia nodded, and immediately recalled what had happened. She took a few steps back, remembering the pain she had felt.

"Relax, I didn't hurt you." Edzard said, standing up slowly. "I want to apologize."

Asia looked at him, puzzled. "Why are you apologizing?"

"The spell from last night caused you a lot of pain. I wanted to apologize for that."

"Did you know it would hurt?" she asked, with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"No, I didn't know. It's the first time I've had to use that spell." he replied sincerely. And it was true; he had never used that spell before, nor did he even know of its existence.

"I see." Asia said, looking away.

Edzard felt guilty for what had happened, but before he could apologize again, Asia spoke.

"You don't have to apologize. You suffered last night too, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes… I wouldn't want to feel that pain ever again." Edzard lied. Although the spell had caused him pain, it wasn't something he couldn't handle. What had really exhausted him was the mental stress the spell had caused.

"Then, it's settled." Asia smiled, with an innocence that disarmed him.

Edzard blinked, surprised by how easily she forgave him. Asia seemed to be an incredibly pure and naive girl.

"Asia are you hungry?" he asked, changing the subject.

She nodded enthusiastically.

Smiling, Edzard walked to the fire and took the plates. He offered one to Asia, who accepted it gratefully and said a brief prayer before starting to eat.

Breakfast passed in a calm atmosphere. Once they finished, Edzard began to pack up the camp. Seeing this, Asia offered to help, and together they quickly dismantled the camp.

Already on their way, they walked through the ash wasteland, having left the lake shores behind not long ago. As they advanced, they chatted with each other.

"Edzard, where are we?" Asia asked curiously.

Edzard blinked. "We are on the island of Solstheim."

"Solstheim?" Asia repeated, clearly confused. She had never heard of a place with that name. "In which country are we?"

"This island belongs to Morrowind." Edzard explained.

"Morrowind…?" Asia still didn't recognize the name. Thinking it might be a small place, she tried to locate it on the continent. "On which continent is Morrowind?"

Edzard stopped dead in his tracks. It was understandable that Asia didn't know Solstheim, but not knowing Morrowind, one of the great regions of Tamriel, was quite strange.

"Asia, what I'm going to tell you might sound very strange." he said as he turned to look at her. "Where have you lived to not know what Morrowind is?"

Asia pouted, thinking Edzard was making fun of her. "I've lived in Italy."

Edzard blinked, surprised. "Italy?"

Asia nodded, smiling as she saw she had left Edzard speechless.

"Forgive my ignorance, but… where is that place?"

Asia looked at him incredulously. "Edzard, Italy is on the European continent."

"European continent? How did you get to Tamriel from there?" he asked, increasingly puzzled.

"Tamriel? What's that?" Asia asked, frowning.

"Tamriel is the continent where you are." Edzard replied.

Asia blinked several times, trying to process the information. She didn't know any place called Tamriel.

Edzard, seeing the confusion in her eyes, opened his bag and took out a scroll.

"Asia." he called her softly.

She looked at him cautiously, remembering the pain the translation scroll had caused her the previous night.

"Relax, this is not a magic scroll. It's a map of all the regions of Tamriel." he reassured her.

Asia sighed in relief and approached to look at the map. Her eyes widened as she saw the continent of Tamriel, completely unknown to her. Slowly, her eyes began to fill with tears.

"We are on this island." Edzard said, pointing to a small island in the north of the map. Receiving no response, he turned and was surprised to see that Asia was crying.

"Asia, why are you crying?" Edzard asked.

"I don't know this continent…" Asia replied, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her dress.

Edzard blinked, surprised. An undiscovered continent?

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to get more information.

"Edzard… On Earth… all the continents are already mapped. There's no place like this on the maps." Asia's voice trembled as she spoke.

"Wait, Earth? What's that?" Edzard asked, even more confused.

"It's… it's the planet I'm from…" Asia replied, unsure.

"Asia, this planet is called Nirm." Edzard corrected calmly.

Asia took a few steps back, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"No… No… No!" she suddenly screamed, turning abruptly before starting to run.

Edzard watched her, stunned. He stood paralyzed for a moment as his mind processed the revelation. 'Asia is from another world…'

He snapped back to reality when he noticed where she was running.

"Damn! There's a flame spider nest in that direction."

Quickly, Edzard mounted his horse and spurred it at full speed, determined to reach her before she got into danger.

Asia ran as fast as she could, not knowing where she was going, but she didn't care.

'It's not fair… why is this happening to me?' she thought desperately, not realizing she was heading towards a burned area. There, among the ashes, moved some white spiders surrounded by fire.

"Asia!" Edzard shouted, but his call only made her run faster.

Seeing Asia accelerate, Edzard spurred his horse even more.

'Damn, almost there…' he thought as he approached.

When the horse was close enough, Edzard leaned down, stretching out his right arm. As he passed by Asia, he lifted her off the ground with a strong, decisive movement, seating her in front of him on the horse. With Asia safe, he pulled the reins, making the horse turn sharply to the left, away from danger.

"Let me go!" Asia shouted, struggling to free herself from Edzard's grip.

Edzard frowned. Her movements could make them both fall.

"Damn it, Asia! Calm down!" he shouted, trying to maintain control.

But Asia didn't listen and continued struggling until they both finally fell off the horse. Luckily, Edzard managed to twist in the air and position himself beneath her, cushioning her fall. He took the impact, while Asia only suffered some scrapes.

Although she kept struggling, Asia's movements began to lose strength, gradually turning into sobs.

Edzard felt Asia's tears seep through the gaps in his armor. He gently hugged her, rubbing her back while murmuring words of comfort. They stayed like that for several long minutes until Asia finally calmed down.

"Do you feel better now?" Edzard asked, in a softer tone.

Asia nodded, and Edzard loosened his embrace. Free, she looked at him in amazement when he hugged her again.

"Edzard?" Asia murmured, confused.

"Shhh…" he whispered, "Relax, everything is alright now."

"Everything is alright. How?" Asia looked at him incredulously. "I'm not in my world anymore…"

Edzard looked at her with a mix of understanding and compassion, sighing.

"Yes, you may not be in your world, but that's no reason to run towards death." he said while stroking her hair.

"Death? What are you talking about?" Asia asked, confused. She had no intention of dying; she just wanted to escape and cry alone.

Edzard sighed again. "Asia, you were running straight towards a flame spider nest."

"Flame spiders?"

"Yes, white spiders the size of a dog." Edzard explained with a tired smile.

Asia looked at him incredulously. This world seemed stranger to her by the minute. "You're joking… there are no spiders that big."

"Oh, yes there are. And the worst part is they explode if you disturb them." Edzard added, with a seriousness that left Asia speechless.

They both remained silent for a moment until Edzard decided to get up. He inspected himself and noticed that, although his armor had absorbed most of the impact, he had some scratches.

"I'm sorry…" murmured Asia, lowering her head.

Edzard looked at her, surprised. "Why are you apologizing?"

"You lost your horse because of me…" said Asia sadly.

Edzard let out a laugh that echoed across the wasteland. "Ha, ha, ha! Don't worry, it's not a big deal."

"What do you mean?" asked Asia, confused.

Edzard didn't respond immediately. Instead, he whistled loudly, and the sound was soon replaced by the galloping of the horse, which returned at full speed.

Asia looked at him, astonished. "How…?"

"Surprised?" asked Edzard, smiling.

"Yes…" replied Asia, approaching the horse to stroke its muzzle.

The animal snorted, annoyed, but Edzard laughed softly. "Don't worry, he doesn't like strangers." he commented, seeing Asia's embarrassed expression.

She nodded and then looked at the horizon, lost in her thoughts. Questions crowded her mind, but the most important one was: What to do from now on?

Edzard was also watching her. He knew that now that he knew the truth about Asia, he had to protect her. If someone dangerous found out she wasn't from this world, she would be in grave danger.

'What should I do?' Edzard thought, until a crazy idea crossed his mind. Maybe Asia would take it badly, she might even hit him, but it was the only thing he could think of.

"Asia." he called her seriously.

"Yes?" she replied, shyly.

"I have two options for you. You'll have to decide."

"Options? Decision?" asked Asia, not fully understanding.

"The first option is for you to stay at an inn until you find a job to support yourself." Edzard explained. "Of course, I'll pay for your stay and meals."

"And the second?" asked Asia, curious.

"The second option… is for you to stay and live with me." Edzard replied, looking away, nervous.

Asia looked at him, surprised. She never imagined that someone she had just met would care so much about her to make such an offer. Asia's eyes began to fill with tears.

'I think I was too direct…' Edzard thought, feeling uncomfortable.

"Please, don't cry…" he stammered, feeling even more awkward in the situation.

"I'm sorry, forgive me… I just didn't expect you to care so much about me." Asia sobbed as she wiped her tears, trying to calm down.

'Asia, I just prevented you from taking your own life.' Edzard thought with a bead of sweat running down his forehead. However, he soon began to smile.

"Asia, we haven't known each other for long… in fact, literally, it's only been a day." Edzard sighed. "But in this short time, I've realized that you are a very kind and innocent person."

'Maybe too kind and innocent for this world.'

Edzard's words made Asia blush. Smiling, she hugged him. The gesture took Edzard by surprise, but then he smiled and hugged her back.

"So, have you made a decision?" Edzard asked when he let her go.

"Yes. I want to live with you." Asia replied with a radiant smile.

"In that case, we need to go to my home in Raven Rock. Luckily, it's not far."

Asia nodded. She had no idea what or where Raven Rock was, but that didn't matter anymore. Edzard had offered her a home, and she wouldn't refuse it.

Edzard gently took her by the waist and helped her mount the horse. Once Asia was settled, he mounted as well. With both of them on the saddle, Edzard moved the reins, and the horse began to gallop.

The sunset painted the sky a beautiful shade of orange. They continued riding through the ash wasteland. A few hours ago, they had passed near Hrodulf's house, indicating they were very close to their destination. During the journey, they took the opportunity to get to know each other better: Asia talked about her childhood in the church, while Edzard shared memories of his childhood in Bruma. She told him about her Sacred Gear, and he talked about the Dragon Blood. They also discussed other topics, including religion.

"So, are these devils and demons like the Daedra?" Edzard asked curiously.

"Well, in theory, yes." Asia replied. She was uncomfortable, shifting slightly; her backside was starting to hurt from her lack of experience riding a horse.

"I see. Well, to be honest, your god seems stupid to me." Edzard said bluntly.

Asia frowned upon hearing that. She pouted and looked away, annoyed.

"Asia… Asia… Asia!" Edzard ended up raising his voice when he saw she wasn't paying attention to him.

But Asia refused to look at him.

Edzard sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry for calling your god stupid."

Hearing his apology, Asia finally turned her head and stuck out her tongue before smiling mischievously.

"Asia, three. Edzard, zero." she said happily. They had had small arguments over silly things, and Asia had won them all.

"You know, I feel weird speaking your language. What was it called?"

"Italian." Asia replied. "Why does it feel weird?"

"It's just that you're in Tamriel and you should speak the local language. If you don't, no one will understand you and you could get into trouble."

"Edzard, I don't know how to speak your language." Asia replied, rolling her eyes.

Edzard smiled, seeing an opportunity to win one of their little fights.

"Are you sure? I think you can speak it." he said in Tamrielic.

Asia blinked, surprised to realize she could understand what he was saying. "How is it possible that I understand it?"

"The magic scroll I used allowed you to understand the language of Tamriel." Edzard replied with a triumphant smile. "Oh, and by the way: Asia, three. Edzard, one."

Asia pouted, knowing Edzard had cheated. She was about to complain when she saw him reach for the hilt of his sword.

"Edzard?" she whispered, worried.

He didn't respond, keeping his eyes fixed on the horizon. Asia followed his gaze and was alarmed to see several figures approaching.

Edzard tightened his grip on his sword, assessing whether the approaching people were hostile. He began to plan how to confront them but dismissed those thoughts upon seeing their armor. They wore full bone-mold armor, typical of some bandits; however, they were all mounted on guars. Bandits couldn't afford guars, as their upkeep was very expensive. This indicated they were Redoran guards.

"Halt in the name of House Redoran!" one of the guards shouted.

Edzard obeyed and stopped the horse. The guard approached.

"Who are you, and why are you wearing Morag Tong armor?" the soldier asked.

In response, Edzard removed his helmet.

The guards recognized him immediately and bowed their heads in reverence.

"Apologies for the inconvenience, Serjo, but we cannot lower our guard." said the guard who had stopped him.

"Relax, you're just doing your job." Edzard replied.

The guard nodded. "Apologies for the imprudence, but who is the young lady accompanying you?"

"Her name is Asia, and she is a friend who will be living with me."

"Understood."

Edzard noticed the sarcastic smiles on the guards' faces and had to resist the urge to hit them. He wasn't a mind reader, but he could imagine what they were thinking.

For her part, Asia smiled upon hearing Edzard introduce her as his friend. She was happy; she had finally made a friend.

"Where are you headed?" another guard asked, approaching.

"To Raven Rock." Edzard replied.

"Understood. Would you mind if we travel together?"

"Not at all. In fact, it's an excellent idea."

The guards nodded, knowing that traveling in a large group intimidated most bandits.

The group advanced in relative silence, occasionally broken by conversations between Edzard and the leader of the guards.

"By the way, what were you doing around here?" Edzard asked.

"We were returning to Raven Rock from Fort Frostmoth."

"I see. I suppose everything is calm over there."

"Yes, ever since you stopped the ash spawn, the situation has been peaceful."

Edzard smiled, satisfied. He had done a lot for Raven Rock: he had stopped the ash spawn attacks and reopened the ebony mines.

Finally, they spotted the walls of Raven Rock in the distance. Asia gazed in awe at the imposing walls, nearly ten meters high. After passing through a tunnel, they arrived at the guard barracks. The Redoran guards bid farewell and headed to the stables.

"We should continue." Edzard said as he dismounted the horse.

Once Edzard dismounted, he extended his hand to help Asia down. Taking his hand, she also carefully dismounted, while he held the reins with his other hand and began to walk.

As they walked through the streets, an elf approached them. Asia identified him as a Dunmer. According to what Edzard had explained, this race of elves had gray skin and red eyes. Although their hair was usually black or brown, in exceptional cases it could be white or even blonde. The elf in front of them was completely bald, with a goatee. He wore the same armor as the guards who had escorted them, but without a helmet.

"Edzard, you're still alive." the elf greeted, glancing at Asia, who was trying to hide timidly behind Edzard. "I see you've brought company. What's your name, miss?"

"A… Asia Argento, sir." she replied timidly.

"Modyn Veleth, captain of the Redoran guard, at your service." he introduced himself with a slight nod.

Noticing how nervous Asia was, Edzard decided to intervene.

"Captain Veleth, I didn't expect to see you so soon." Edzard said.

"Neither did I, but Councilor Morvayn wishes to see you as soon as possible." the captain replied.

"Did he mention what it's about?"

"No, but he instructed me to inform you as soon as I saw you."

"Understood, I'll go immediately." Edzard replied. "By the way, the patrol you sent to Fort Frostmoth has already returned."

Hearing this, Captain Veleth's eyes widened slightly. Without saying more, he hurriedly bid farewell and headed to the barracks to receive the patrol's report.

"Well, we need to head to Morvayn Manor." Edzard said. "I can't leave you alone; you don't know the place and you could get lost."

"No… I don't want to be a bother." Asia stammered, uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, it's no bother at all." he replied with a smile as he took her hand, and they started walking.

As they advanced through the main street of the stronghold, Asia marveled at the houses and buildings. They were very different from those in her hometown, as they seemed to be made from the shells of giant creatures. The inhabitants wore clothes in blue, red, and yellow, and they were all dark-skinned elves with eyes of various reddish hues. Many greeted Edzard respectfully, and he returned their greetings in kind. Some even greeted her, which made her blush.

Upon reaching Morvayn Manor, Asia couldn't help but be amazed. Unlike the other constructions, this one didn't seem to be made of shells but had the appearance of a common building, with two towers flanking the central part. Edzard greeted the guards at the entrance, and they both crossed the threshold.

The interior of the manor was much more spacious than the exterior facade suggested. It was richly decorated with banners displaying an insect like a beetle. Near the entrance, a table was set with fruits and bottles of wine, and a bookshelf full of books adorned one wall. The floor was tiled, and several torches made from goat horns illuminated the place.

"Asia, you can wait here while I talk to the councilor." Edzard said, pointing to a nearby bench.

Asia nodded and sat down, watching as Edzard walked to the right and began talking to a Dunmer sitting on a wooden throne.

While she waited, a woman approached Asia. She was a Dunmer with black hair, not very long, worn loose over her shoulders. She wore an elegant noble dress in dark green with gold embroidery and red details, along with light brown fur-lined boots.

"Hello, I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?" the woman asked with a smile.

"Oh, hello. Yes, I arrived today." Asia replied shyly.

"I see. My name is Cindiri. What's your name?"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Asia Argento."

"That's a pretty name. What brings a young Breton here?" Cindiri inquired curiously.

"I… I…" Asia stammered, not knowing how to respond.

"You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable." Cindiri said kindly.

Asia shook her head and decided to share a simplified version of her story.

"I appeared in the ash wasteland, and Edzard saved me from some creatures made of ash." she explained with a slight smile.

"Oh, poor girl!" exclaimed Cindiri. "That explains the state of your clothes."

"Yes, they almost killed me, but then Edzard appeared and rescued me." Asia said with a look of relief.

Cindiri looked her up and down, which made Asia nervous.

"Um… why are you looking at me like that?" Asia asked, uncomfortable.

Without responding immediately, Cindiri took her hand and guided her towards the right wing of the manor.

"Wait… wait." Asia said, trying to pull away.

"Relax, I won't hurt you. Just come with me." Cindiri assured her.

Resigned, Asia followed her. They climbed some stairs to the second level, where Cindiri led her to a room. Once inside, the woman left her sitting on a bench and began searching for something in a chest.

Asia looked around, surprised by the size of the room. There was a double bed, several wardrobes, and displays with jewelry.

"Asia, try on this dress." Cindiri said, handing her a garment.

Asia tried to refuse, but Cindiri explained that she no longer used it and preferred to give it away rather than discard it. With no other option, Asia began to try on the dress.

"So, you were saved by Ysmir?" Cindiri asked, intrigued.

"Ysmir?" repeated Asia, confused.

"It seems you don't know Edzard's titles."

"Titles?" asked Asia, surprised.

"Yes, he has several. But I think it's better if he tells you himself." replied Cindiri with a smile. "You're going to live with him, right?"

"Yes, Edzard offered to let me stay with him." answered Asia, surprised at how easily she could talk to someone she had just met.

"I see. Let me tell you something, Asia. That guy is quite peculiar." commented Cindiri, while watching Asia finish dressing.

"Oh, it looks very good on you." Cindiri remarked, observing Asia. "Now, come here."

Asia approached, and Cindiri began to gently comb her hair.

"What do you mean by saying Edzard is very strange?" asked Asia.

"The guy is a kind person, no doubt about that, but he can also be a real monster." replied Cindiri.

Asia was thoughtful, trying to imagine Edzard as a monster, but she couldn't.

"So, Asia, where is your bag with your things?" asked Cindiri, not seeing any luggage next to Asia or on Edzard's horse.

Asia lowered her gaze, remembering her lost bag. "I don't have it anymore, I lost it when I arrived here."

Cindiri put her hands to her mouth, feeling a wave of compassion. She stood up and began to search her wardrobe. After a few minutes, she took out several dresses.

"Asia, take these dresses." she said as she handed them to her.

"But…" began Asia.

"Don't worry, they're new. Even the one you're wearing is new." interrupted Cindiri.

"They're new?" asked Asia, astonished. "Why are you giving them to me if they're new?"

"Simple. They're not my size." replied Cindiri with a smile.

Asia blinked, confused, not knowing how to respond.

"I ordered them a few months ago, but the tailor made a mistake and made them a size too small."

Asia finally understood. "I see. Then, thank you very much."

Cindiri smiled and approached with a measuring tape.

"What's that tape for?" asked Asia, curious.

"Lower the top of the dress and take off your underwear." said Cindiri.

Asia blushed upon hearing that and took a few steps back. "Why?"

"Don't worry, I'm just going to take your measurements so I can send you to make underwear."

Although nervous, Asia agreed. She pulled down the top of her dress and took off her bra. Cindiri took the measurements and wrote them down on a piece of paper.

"Done. I'll send the clothes to Ysmir's house later." Cindiri said.

Asia nodded and got dressed again.

"Well, I think it's time to go down. Ysmir must have finished talking to the councilor by now."

Both went down to the first floor. Upon reaching the room where they had met, Cindiri placed a hand on Asia's shoulder.

"Cindiri?" Asia asked.

"Listen, Asia. It doesn't matter what you were before; that's your past. Now you have a new future ahead of you. Don't let the prejudices of yesterday stop you from doing what your heart truly desires."

Before Asia could respond, Edzard's voice interrupted her.

"Asia, I see you've already met Cindiri…" he began to say, but his voice trailed off as he looked at her.

Edzard's jaw dropped. When he went to talk to the councilor, he had left Asia in her torn dress, planning to buy her some dresses in Skyrim, as they were hard to find in Raven Rock. In fact, he intended to pay for them with the thirty thousand septims he had received from House Redoran, a payment for defeating Miraak and helping to reopen the ebony mines.

"What's wrong, Ysmir? Did a kwama eat your tongue?" Cindiri joked, amused by Edzard's expression.

"I… I…" Edzard stammered.

"Come on, don't you have anything to say to Asia?"

"Asia, you look very nice in those clothes." Edzard said, looking away.

Asia blushed at the compliment.

The dress she was now wearing was made of linen, a dark blue that reached her ankles, decorated with silver threads. Fitted to her body, it elegantly highlighted her figure.

Cindiri smiled and decided to take Edzard aside for a moment.

"You owe me five thousand septims." Cindiri said, handing him a bag with the other dresses. She had no intention of telling him she had given them to Asia.

Edzard nodded, thinking it wasn't a bad deal, as those dresses were worth much more. "I'll send you the money in a few days."

Cindiri nodded with satisfaction.

"Well, Asia, I think it's time to go." Edzard said.

Asia nodded and said goodbye to Cindiri before leaving the manor.

As they headed to Severin Manor, Cindiri watched them from afar with a smile on her face.

"Cindiri, why are you smiling?" her husband asked.

"I've seen something very interesting. I think I need to think of a good gift." she said.

"What gift?" Councilor Morvayn, who had just joined the conversation, intervened.

"The gift for those two's wedding." Cindiri replied mischievously.

Both councilors stood still, not fully understanding what the Dunmer was referring to.

The journey from Morvayn Manor to Severin Manor passed in silence, one of those moments that felt comfortable and relaxing. Upon arrival, Asia noticed that the manor, like the other houses in the area, seemed to be made from the shells of giant insects. Outside, plants resembling enormous red sheets grew.

Edzard led Asia to the main door and opened it, inviting her to enter.

Asia looked inside, surprised. She thought she would see the remains of the animal to which the shell belonged, but instead, there was a small fireplace at the back of the room and a central staircase leading to the lower floor.

"Well, I suppose I should say: welcome to my humble abode." Edzard joked, knowing full well that the house was anything but humble. Although the facade was simple, the objects inside were of great value, many of them imported from Morrowind.

'Good thing the house came free and furnished.' Edzard thought to himself. In reality, he had had to stop an assassination attempt against Councilor Morvayn to get it.

Asia, not understanding the joke, just blinked in confusion.

Then, Edzard guided her to the lower floor, where a long hallway with several doors stretched out in front of them. He began to point and explain each one.

"The first door on the right is the kitchen and dining room. The first on the left is a small library. The second on the right is a storeroom. The second on the left is the armory. The third on the right will be your bedroom. The third on the left is the bathroom, and the room at the end of the hallway is my bedroom."

Edzard took Asia to her room and left the bag with the dresses that Cindiri had given her.

"Well, Asia, you first in the bath."

Asia nodded and watched as Edzard left the room. She looked around. It was a simple room, somewhat small, but much larger than the one she had had in Italy. There was a bed, a table, two chairs, and a wardrobe.

"I'd better decide what to wear." she murmured as she approached the bag. Opening it, she took out several dresses. She hesitated for a moment but finally chose one of the simplest, a one-piece gray dress.

"Asia, a package from Cindiri has arrived." Edzard said, entering the room.

Asia turned and saw him with a bag in his hand.

"Thank you." she replied, taking the bag and placing it next to the dresses.

"Not that I care too much, but… what's in that bag?" Edzard asked, curious.

"Nothing important." Asia replied quickly, blushing.

Edzard raised an eyebrow, confused, but decided not to press her.

"Well, I'm going to return the horse." he said, and as he left, he added, "Oh, Asia, when you finish bathing, could you go into the storeroom and bring some vegetables and meat for dinner?"

"Alright." Asia nodded.

Edzard left the room, and Asia listened to his footsteps fading away. Sighing, she approached the new bag and began to examine it.

'What will the underwear be like in this world?' she thought as she took out a garment. She felt relieved to see that it was very similar to what she used to wear. Taking the dress and the underwear, she headed to the bathroom.

Upon arrival, she was surprised to see how spacious it was. The floor was made of stone, and in the center was a large pool covered with polished white stone. Two faucets adorned it: one with red eyes and the other with blue eyes. When she opened the faucet with red eyes, she marveled at the hot water flowing out. She soon realized that the one with blue eyes was for cold water. She let the pool fill up and then closed the faucet.

Once naked, she immersed herself in the warm water and let the heat relax her, while her thoughts wandered.

'This feels wonderful… I was lucky to find Edzard right after being excommunicated. Maybe it's God's work.' she reflected as the water soothed her body and mind.

The memory of her excommunication made her feel sad. She had dedicated much of her life to the Church, only to be expelled for healing a devil. However, despite everything, her faith remained firm. She knew this was just another test from God.

After a while, she decided it was time to get out. She dried herself and dressed in the underwear and the simple gray dress, which had a belt around the waist. Once ready, she left the bathroom and went to find Edzard.

"Edzard, I'm done! The bath is free!" she shouted from the hallway.

"Alright, I'll be down in a bit!" Edzard replied from the upper floor.

With a smile, Asia headed to the storeroom. Upon entering, she was surprised to see the shelves full of products: potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and meat preserved in salt. She decided to take some potatoes, carrots, and a bit of meat, and then went to the kitchen.

The kitchen was also spacious, with a stove in the center, a small table on one side for preparing food, and an oven in the back left corner. There was a table with six chairs at the other end. Asia left the vegetables and meat on the table, took out a knife, and began peeling the potatoes, so absorbed in her task that she didn't hear Edzard approach.

"Asia, I'm done." he said from the door. "Let me help you."

She turned and saw him standing there. Edzard was wearing a black sleeveless shirt fitted to his torso, dark pants, and black leather boots. His slim but toned physique, along with the visible scars on his arms, made Asia blush.

Edzard smiled slightly, noticing her blush, and took another knife to help her prepare dinner. Between the two of them, they quickly cooked the stew. When everything was ready, Asia served two plates and brought them to the table. Edzard prepared two cups of lavender tea, and they sat down together to dine in silence.

After eating, they began to converse. Edzard talked about the recent civil war in Skyrim and mentioned some of his titles. For her part, Asia told him how she had been excommunicated for saving a devil.

"Asia, do you still wish to return to Earth?" Edzard asked.

Asia reflected for a few moments before nodding.

"Alright." Edzard sighed. "I promise I'll find a way for you to return."

"Thank you, Edzard." Asia said, with evident joy in her voice.

They spent the rest of the evening talking about lighter things. The conversation lasted well into the night. Finally, they both retired to their respective rooms.

Author's note:

To those who have made it this far, Thanks for reading. The truth is that this is not the original chapter, since I have almost completely rewritten it. I hope this one has been better for me and that it does not have as many errors as the original. Because being honest, I don't know how to write much in English and I'm relying on Google translators and the dictionaries that come with office 2019.

Well, I apologize for any misspelling. Do not forget to leave a review if you liked the chapter or if there is something that needs to be improved. With nothing more to say, until the next chapter.