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

Chapter 3

Raven Rock – Tirdas 25 Last Seed of 202 Fourth Age

Asia was preparing lunch for the day. It had been six days since she started living with Edzard. She wouldn't lie if she said they had been the happiest and most peaceful days she had had in a long time.

In that short time, she had learned a lot about him. The first thing was that they were both fourteen years old. The second, that Edzard had slightly larger canines than a normal person. The third, that he worked part-time as a blacksmith. The fourth, that he was very good at cooking, although his true specialty was baked goods like cakes and bread. And the fifth, that he was a book lover.

"Oh, the stew is ready." Asia said as she approached the kitchen.

Since she had started living with Edzard, she didn't want to feel like a burden, so she decided to take care of the meals and cleaning, although he also helped with the household chores. At first, cooking on a wood stove was a real challenge. She was used to modern conveniences, but in this world, there were no thermometers or gas ovens. After several failed attempts and burnt dishes, she finally managed to adapt by the third day.

Seeing that the stew was ready, she served two plates and placed them on the table. She took off her apron, left the kitchen, and headed to the armory, from where the unmistakable sound of steel hitting steel was coming.

"Edzard, lunch is ready." she said as she opened the door.

Edzard had just given the final hammer blows to the blade of a sword when he heard Asia.

"Alright, I'm coming. Just let me temper this sword." he replied, approaching a barrel filled with a tar-like substance.

Asia watched as he submerged the red-hot blade into the barrel. After a few seconds, he pulled it out and quickly examined it.

"Perfect, the tempering is good." he commented with a smile, placing the sword on a table where there were several more blades, a total of seven.

With an agile movement, he took off his blacksmith apron and was left only in his shirt, ready to leave the armory. However, he was stopped by a touch on his arm.

"Asia?" he asked, puzzled.

"Are you really going to eat like that?" she scolded him with a slight pout.

"Of course, I'm hungry." Edzard replied nonchalantly.

"No. Wash up first. You stink." Asia replied, wrinkling her nose.

Rolling his eyes, Edzard sighed. He never understood why Asia insisted so much on these details. Since they had been living together, she made him wash his hands before eating and didn't allow him to sit at the table until he was completely clean. With no other choice, he approached a barrel of water and, after taking off his shirt, began to wash his torso, arms, and face.

Asia watched his toned body out of the corner of her eye, but what really caught her attention were the scars that crisscrossed his skin. Some looked like claw marks, others were small points or cuts of various sizes. The first time she saw them, she couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

After finishing washing, Edzard was about to put on the same shirt, but Asia quickly handed him a new one.

"Thanks." he said, taking the garment and putting it on.

Asia just gave him a smile in return.

Once clean, Edzard followed her to the kitchen, where lunch consisted of boar stew with grilled leeks and potatoes. They sat down and, while eating, began to chat.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Edzard asked.

"Mmm, Cindiri has invited me to have tea with her." Asia replied.

In the past few days, Asia had spent a lot of time with Cindiri; almost every day they chatted while drinking tea.

"And you?" she continued. "What will you do for the rest of the day?"

"First, I'll finish those swords, then I'll go train with the guards. And in the evening, I might stop by the tavern."

"Who ordered those swords?" Asia asked, curious.

"No one in particular. They're an order for Glover Mallory. He asked for help because he has too much work piled up." Edzard explained.

Asia nodded and continued eating.

When they finished, Edzard offered to wash the dishes while Asia got ready for her outing. After finishing in the kitchen, he returned to the armory to complete the swords. After placing each one in its sheath and tying them together, he went to his room and put on a leather armor. With the package of swords in hand, he went to the main entrance, where Asia was waiting for him.

They walked together to the market. Once there, Edzard delivered the package to Glover and then accompanied Asia to Morvayn Manor, where they said their goodbyes.

"Don't forget to pack your bags, we're traveling to Skyrim tomorrow." Edzard reminded her.

"I know." Asia replied, before turning to him. "Good luck with your training."

Edzard nodded with a smile and headed to the barracks, ready to stretch his muscles and have a good time sparring with the guards.

The interior of The Retching Netch inn was filled with smoke and the bustle of conversations. At a table, two people were chatting. One of them was Edzard, and the other, an elderly Imperial man wearing a green tunic over a white shirt. The tunic was slightly open at the chest, held together by laces in an "X" shape. The old man also wore white pants, a brown belt, and boots of the same color. He was almost bald, with a few silver strands, and an impressive mustache decorated his face.

"So, Edzard, are you leaving tomorrow?" Crescius Caerellius asked.

"Yes, I've neglected many of my duties." Edzard replied, looking at his bottle of mead.

"And what will you do with the girl who lives with you?"

"Asia will come with me to Skyrim."

"I see. You know, at first, I didn't believe that you had saved her." Crescius commented before taking a sip of his sujamma.

"Really? What did you think, that I had kidnapped her?" Edzard joked.

Crescius didn't respond, limiting himself to taking another sip.

"Did you really think that?"

"Honestly, I considered it… but then I remembered you're not that kind of person."

Edzard rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, a figure approached and knocked his drink to the floor.

"Haaa… What do you want, Mogrul?" Edzard sighed.

Mogrul, a green-skinned orc with brown hair, looked at him with disdain. His golden eyes gleamed, and his tusks protruded from his mouth. He wore a green tunic with gold details, a brown vest, white pants, and brown boots.

"You know what I want. When do you plan to pay your debt?" Mogrul demanded.

Edzard sighed again. This game had been going on for weeks. It all started when Neloth asked him to find a new steward. The only one who accepted was Drovas Relvi, a Dunmer who decided to take the job to escape his debt to Mogrul. Since then, the orc had been bothering Edzard to pay it in his place.

"I already told you: I'm not going to pay you a single septim. Go collect it from Drovas." Edzard replied.

Mogrul growled.

"You know that elf is out of my reach thanks to you. So, either you pay his debt, or…"

"Ah… I'm tired of this, Mogrul." Edzard said, standing up.

He looked the orc in the eyes and saw how the Dunmer mercenary accompanying him began to reach for the greatsword he carried.

"Tell your dog not to do anything stupid." Edzard warned.

Mogrul raised his hand, stopping the Dunmer.

"Let's get something clear, Mogrul. Drovas's debt doesn't concern me. If you want to collect from someone, collect from Neloth. Or are you a coward who only harasses the weak?" Edzard said with a mocking smile.

The orc growled.

"We'll see how long that smile lasts."

Edzard pulled several letters from his pocket and handed them to Mogrul. Leaning close to his ear, he whispered:

"You should send better thugs; the ones you sent weren't even a warm-up."

Edzard stepped back, and before Mogrul could react, he added:

"By the way, the councilor has given me carte blanche to kill you if you keep bothering me."

Mogrul's face turned chalk-white upon hearing that. His body visibly trembled as he mumbled some words and walked away from Edzard, followed by his mercenary.

When the orc and his companion left the tavern, Edzard sat back down.

"Ha, ha, ha. By the Eight… did you see that orc's face? He looked like he was going to crap his pants." Crescius mocked.

Edzard sighed. He didn't enjoy making threats, but Mogrul had asked for it. He called the waitress and ordered another bottle of mead.

"Aren't you worried he'll try something against Asia?" Crescius asked.

"No." Edzard shook his head.

"Why not?"

"That idiot is a coward. He hardly has any thugs left, and he knows that if he sends them after Asia, I'll end up killing him." Edzard replied, receiving the bottle of mead from the waitress.

Crescius nodded.

"You know, you've become very protective of her. That's good."

Edzard raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Why would that be good?"

"That girl is going to need all the protection you can give her. She doesn't seem like someone who knows how to fight."

Edzard didn't understand why Crescius mentioned that until he thought about it more. Asia could be in danger because of his enemies. The Thalmor were still looking for him, and in the courts of the jarls, there were always rivals willing to do anything.

"I see you've realized."

Edzard nodded in response.

"And what do you plan to do?" Crescius asked, taking another sip of his drink.

"I'll protect her. And if anyone wants to harm her, they'll have to go through me first." Edzard replied in a voice so cold that the entire tavern fell completely silent.

Crescius felt sorry for any unfortunate soul who provoked the wrath of the Dragon of the North.

They continued chatting until late into the night. Finally, each retired to their respective homes.

Sea of Ghosts - Middas 26 of Last Seed of 202 of the Fourth era

Secunda and Masser were high in the sky as the Northern Maiden sailed the waters of the Sea of Ghosts towards the port of Windhelm in Skyrim. The Northern Maiden was a single-sail vessel, twenty meters long and seven meters wide, loaded with merchandise being transported from Solstheim to Windhelm, specifically to the East Empire Company office. The ship's captain was the Nord Gjalund Salt-Sage. The ship had set sail that same day from the port of Raven Rock, carrying merchandise and, as the only passengers, Edzard and Asia.

Inside the ship, in a cabin, Edzard and Asia were conversing. Edzard was absorbed in reading one of the Falmer books he had obtained in the Forgotten Vale.

"Edzard, how much longer until we reach Skyrim?" Asia asked.

"Umm, we'll arrive tomorrow morning." Edzard replied, putting his book aside. "Are you bored?"

"No. It's just that this is the first time I've traveled on a ship like this."

Edzard raised an eyebrow.

"What are ships like in your world?"

Asia thought for a few seconds and then began to describe the little she knew about ships in her land.

"Wait. Are there ships so large that they can literally carry a thousand people?" Edzard asked, astonished.

"Yes, they're called aircraft carriers. They're called that because they carry airplanes on board."

"Airplanes? What are those?"

"They're vehicles that soar through the skies." Asia replied.

"Ah, they're aircraft." Edzard said.

"Wait, are there aircraft here?"

Edzard nodded.

"Really? What are they like?" Asia asked, excited, as it was the first thing both worlds seemed to have in common.

Edzard took a piece of paper and, with the help of a charcoal, began to draw the shape of the aircraft. When he finished, he handed the drawing to Asia.

"They look like dirigibles." Asia said, observing the drawing.

"Dirigible?" Edzard asked.

Asia nodded and began to tell Edzard the little she knew about airplanes. The conversation extended well into the night, and finally, they both went to sleep.

Windhelm - Turdas 27 of Last Seed of 202 of the Fourth era

The Northern Maiden had docked at the port of Windhelm that very morning. Asia watched the port and the city in awe. The docks were spacious, though few, and the city was protected by high, thick walls of a dull gray that conveyed a sense of fortitude.

Asia wore an elegant dark blue dress, accompanied by leather gloves and boots. A thick wolf fur cloak covered her shoulders; it was a gift from Edzard. The cloak was long, with a hood she wore to protect herself from the cold northern wind.

As she contemplated the docks, Edzard approached her. He had opted for a long-sleeved black shirt, paired with pants and boots of the same color. Over this attire, he wore reinforced leather armor and matching gauntlets. A sword hung from his left side, and a knife rested on his belt to the right. To complete the ensemble, he wore a black hooded cloak.

"Asia, is everything ready?" Edzard asked.

She nodded silently, and they both began to walk towards the city. They hadn't gone far when they were approached by an Argonian. The Argonians, a race of bipedal humanoid reptiles, stood out for their exotic appearance.

Asia, fascinated, observed him with curiosity. Although Edzard had already told her about the beast races, she didn't expect to encounter one so soon.

The Argonian wore a long-sleeved green shirt, over which he had a black vest. Brown leather pants and boots completed his outfit, along with a dagger and a small pouch on his belt.

"Ed, my friend. It's good to see you." the Argonian greeted, extending a hand to Edzard.

"It's good to see you too, Swims-in-Swamps." Edzard replied, shaking his hand with a smile.

The Argonian noticed the young human accompanying his friend, and his curiosity led him to address her.

"Hello, young lady. I would like to know the name of the one traveling with my good friend." he said with a kind smile and a cheerful tone.

"H-hello, my name is Asia Argento. It's a pleasure to meet a friend of Edzard." Asia replied, somewhat shy, afraid of making any disrespectful mistake in front of such a different creature.

Swims-in-Swamps looked at her with a smile. The girl seemed very kind. Then he turned his head to Edzard and resumed the conversation with him.

"So, Ed, what's new?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I just stopped another madman trying to conquer Tamriel." Edzard replied indifferently.

The Argonian was silent for a moment. To him, it was no surprise; it seemed Edzard had to save the world at least twice a year.

"Well, changing the subject. Do you and the other Argonians have some free time?" Edzard asked.

The Argonian nodded, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. Whenever his friend visited Windhelm, it meant extra work, and the pay was more than generous: the equivalent of three months' salary at the docks.

"Perfect. I need you to transport some packages to Hjerim."

The Argonian nodded again, but before leaving, he remembered something.

"Oh, Ed, Revyn Sadri wants to talk to you."

Edzard blinked in surprise. He hadn't spoken to the Dunmer in a long time.

'What does he want?' he thought aloud.

"Do you know what he wants?" he asked.

"No. He just asked me to tell you to find him at his shop when you arrived." Swims-in-Swamps replied.

Edzard nodded, then bid farewell to the Argonian. Taking Asia's hand, he began to walk towards the city.

"Edzard, why did the Argonian call you Ed?" Asia asked curiously.

"It's my nickname. All my friends call me that." Edzard replied, scratching his head.

"Can I call you Ed too?" Asia asked, looking down at the ground.

Edzard thought for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Sure, no problem."

Asia returned the smile.

"Thank you, Ed."

They both smiled and continued their way, climbing some stairs that led them to the city. From the entrance, they turned right.

"Ed, where are we going?" Asia asked, intrigued. The neighborhood they were walking through was very different from the rest of the city. The houses were stacked on top of each other, creating a maze of alleys.

"We're heading to Sadri's Used Wares. Apparently, the owner has been looking for me." Edzard replied.

They walked for a while until they reached the shop. Asia noticed that the building showed signs of wear; the roof seemed about to collapse, and the walls had small cracks.

They entered and took off their cloaks, as the interior was much warmer. Asia observed the spacious shop, where armor, shields, and weapons were displayed behind a counter.

"Hello, Sadri." Edzard greeted the Dunmer behind the counter.

"Ed." Sadri replied with a slight nod.

Revyn Sadri was a Dunmer with gray skin and red eyes, like most of his race. His black hair was carefully styled upwards, and he wore a purple tunic with a black vest. He wore dark pants and brown boots adorned with golden buttons.

Sadri looked at Edzard, but then his eyes settled on Asia. Noticing this, Edzard decided to introduce them.

"Sadri, this is Asia Argento."

Asia nodded timidly.

"Well, after this grand introduction, tell me why you wanted to talk to me." Edzard said, with a touch of impatience.

"Alright, but follow me. It's something we need to discuss in private." Sadri replied, indicating for him to follow.

Edzard understood that the matter was delicate. He turned to look at Asia.

"Asia, can you wait here? If you prefer, you can go for a walk nearby, but don't go too far."

Asia nodded, watching as Edzard went deeper into the shop with the Dunmer. When she lost sight of them, she decided to go outside. She put her cloak back on and left.

Meanwhile, Edzard sat down in front of Sadri, who handed him a letter sent by Malborn.

The letter read:

Edzard,

My friend, we must meet as soon as possible. There are many things I need to tell you, but I can't express them in this letter. I'll see you at the Frozen Hearth Inn on the 17th of Hearthfire. Proceed with caution; the Thalmor are watching you.

M.

Edzard sighed and, after reading it, stood up, walked to a torch, and burned the letter.

"Do you know what it said?" he asked, watching the flames reduce the paper to ashes.

"No. When Ambarys brought me the letter, I kept it in a secret compartment. I don't want to be associated with Malborn." Sadri replied cautiously.

"Is the situation that bad?" Edzard asked.

"Yes. The Thalmor have put a price on his head, and they have spies in the city. They're looking for any clue that leads them to him." the Dunmer confirmed.

Edzard nodded.

"Alright. Let's act as if this conversation never happened." he said, preparing to leave.

When he reached the counter, he noticed that Asia's cloak was gone.

'She must have gone for a walk.'

He was about to leave when the shop door burst open.

"Ed! There's trouble!" Swims-in-Swamps shouted, out of breath.

"What happened?" Edzard asked, helping him to sit down.

"It's Asia. Rolff and Angrenor are attacking her."

"What do you mean?" Edzard asked, his tone hardening.

The Argonian recounted how, upon returning from Hjerim, he saw Rolff arguing with Asia. He was about to intervene when Rolff lifted her off the ground. Then, seeing Angrenor join the altercation, he decided to look for Edzard.

Edzard didn't finish listening to what the Argonian was saying. Without even worrying about his cloak, he dashed out like the wind. As he ran, he used the clairvoyance spell to know where to go.

Asia felt her mind beginning to shut down. She was being strangled.

She had left the shop and ventured to walk around until she saw some Dunmer children playing. As she approached, the children looked at her with curiosity and started running in circles around her, laughing. Finally, they asked her to play with them, and she accepted with a smile.

It was all laughter and fun until one of the children stumbled into a Nord. This man wore a light beige long-sleeved tunic, over which he had a shorter, darker-toned tunic. The garment reached his knees, and his pants, of the same color, were tied at the calves with X-shaped straps. He wore brown ankle boots and had a dagger on his belt. He had a brown fur cap on his head.

The Nord, enraged, began to strangle the Dunmer child, and Asia decided to intervene. It was a fatal mistake. The Nord released the child, but neither he nor his friend managed to escape, as another Nord, with a shaved head and dressed in rags, held them back. This second man had brown eyes and a cruel expression.

Asia tried to argue with the first Nord, but he insulted her and then lifted her by the collar of her dress. The other man suggested, in a lascivious tone, that they interrogate her, which caused her captor to start touching her lips. In response, Asia bit the aggressor's finger. This only made the Nord start strangling her more forcefully.

Unconsciousness almost claimed Asia when, suddenly, she stopped feeling the pressure on her neck. Opening her eyes, she found an unexpected scene: Edzard had appeared and was firmly holding her attacker's wrist.

"I suggest you let go of the girl, Rolff." Edzard said, squeezing the Nord's arm harder.

Rolff growled in pain but had no time to react before Edzard kneed him in the stomach, forcing him to release Asia.

Before she could fall, Edzard caught her and, with an agile leap, moved away from Rolff. He gently placed her on the ground, then began to walk towards the man. Observing more closely, he saw that the second Nord, Angrenor, was still holding the Dunmer children. Extending a hand, Edzard cast a lightning spell, which struck Angrenor with such force that it sent him flying against a wall, leaving him unconscious. The children wasted no time and ran to Asia for protection.

"It seems you don't learn, Rolff." Edzard said, standing in front of his opponent. "I warned you to stop bothering the Dunmer, but it seems you don't understand."

"Go to hell, you damn brat!" Rolff growled as he quickly got up, drawing a knife and attempting to stab Edzard.

"Ed!" Asia screamed, terrified.

With agility, Edzard dodged the stab and, taking advantage of Rolff's momentum, grabbed him by the head and slammed him against a nearby wall, knocking him out instantly.

Edzard sighed as he saw the two men lying on the ground. He approached Asia and, with a smile, gave her a gentle pat on the head.

"You were very brave, Asia."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, blushing.

"You decided to protect the children even though you knew you couldn't do much."

Asia looked away, embarrassed, while Edzard turned to the children.

"Wait a bit, we'll soon go find your parents." he told them. The little ones nodded without saying a word.

Before they could do anything else, several guards arrived at the scene.

"Legate, can you explain what happened here?" asked the patrol captain, looking disapprovingly at the two unconscious Nords on the ground.

"I was in Sadri's shop when an Argonian came to tell us that these two idiots were causing trouble again." Edzard replied, pointing to the men lying on the ground. "My intention was to resolve everything peacefully, but they threatened a friend."

Edzard knew that lying to a guard was a crime, but he couldn't tell the truth either; he couldn't mention that he had been reading a letter from a criminal wanted by the Thalmor.

The captain gestured to his men, who began to take the two Nords away. After a formal salute, the captain left with his patrol.

When they were alone again, Edzard and Asia took the children to Sadri's shop, where they waited while he contacted the parents. Once the families were reunited with the little ones, Edzard and Asia walked back to Hjerim together.

Night had fallen over Windhelm, and Edzard lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. The journey back from the Gray Quarter had been quiet.

Upon arriving at the mansion, Asia had asked him why Rolff had acted that way. With a sigh, Edzard explained the xenophobia that existed in the city. He even showed her the reports of the victims of that violence, which caused poor Asia to vomit upon reading them.

In addition to that, he talked about the tensions between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion, a situation that only worsened over time. After the conversation, he set out to prepare dinner, but was interrupted by the Jarl's steward, who handed him a letter that now lay open on the table.

The letter read:

Edzard,

I regret having to ask you this, but the situation has become untenable. Today's incident was the last straw, and we cannot allow this to continue. The mission I assign you must be carried out with the utmost discretion. Unfortunately, thanks to their contacts, both Rolff and Angrenor have been released. Your task is simple: eliminate them.

Edzard sighed and jumped up. He quickly changed clothes, donning an all-black outfit. Then, he walked to his bedroom window, opened it, and silently slipped out. Once outside, he took an invisibility potion.

He jumped from the roof and landed in a nearby alley. With his hood covering his face, he headed towards the city square. For almost an hour, he walked through the dark streets until he found his first target. Angrenor was warming himself by one of the torches near Candlehearth Hall.

Taking advantage of the night's cover, Edzard approached stealthily and, with a swift movement, slit his throat. Without looking back, he left Angrenor choking on his own blood.

Immediately, Edzard took a more complicated route, weaving through several alleys to ensure no guard could follow his trail. Although he hadn't seen anyone at the time of the murder, he preferred not to take any risks. Better safe than ending up in a cell in Windhelm.

After walking for a while, he reached a house. He approached stealthily and picked the lock. The residence, evidently abandoned, was covered in dust and cobwebs, but Edzard paid no attention to the dirt. With precise movements, he headed to the master bedroom.

Once in the room, he drew his weapon and approached the bed where Rolff was sleeping peacefully. With a single lethal strike, he stabbed him in the chest. The Nord's eyes shot open, but before he could scream, Edzard slit his throat.

Before leaving the house, he placed several fire runes at strategic points. Once at a safe distance, he activated the runes, causing an explosion that shattered the night's stillness. Flames began to consume the house, and the guards ran back and forth, trying to extinguish the fire, though it would be a task that would take them some time.

Edzard left the city and, under the bridge, burned the clothes he had worn during the murders. Then, he opened a hidden chest and took out a clean tunic, pants, and boots. He quickly changed and re-entered the city, making sure not to be seen.

Back in the safety of his room, Edzard sat down and began to draft a letter to Malborn. He decided to change the location of their next meeting to Ysgramor's Tomb. Although he had been careful, he noticed several Thalmor spies discreetly following him. Something was happening, and his instinct told him it was nothing good.

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.