Hold business

[A/N]: Bonus chapter

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The next day found Rictus meeting with Jarl Korir. Part of the meeting was for Rictus to share his opinions on the new archmage. Korir was a little nervous about her. She was mostly an unknown. Korir had heard some things about her from various sources which seemed to paint her in a mostly good light, for a mage. He did not know what she would do after becoming the archmage though. Savos was easy to work with since he simply wanted to be left alone and isolated the College. Korir wondered if Morrigan would be the same, and which would be best for him and his people.

Rictus was more than willing to share. He was not sure why he was so willing to help the Jarl. There were obvious benefits to having a Jarl on his side, but that didn't fully explain why he wanted to help. Basically, every other Jarl had more power and influence than Korir. As a mage, the College would be a much better fit overall for him to learn more about magic.

Rictus was a little surprised to find he actually liked Korir. Korir seemed to have changed compared to how hew was before. He was still wary of mages, but he could at least tolerate them now. Rictus thought it probably had something to do with his son's near-death experience and how a mage saved him.

Korir was also surprisingly insightful about some things. He fully believed the Thalmor were to blame for what happened. He could see the obvious signs of what the Thalmor were doing. Armies may not be fighting, but the Great War did not truly end. It was simply postponed as each side consolidates power and fights a shadow war.

The battle with the magical anomalies really opened Korir's eyes to the power of mages. The few mages which were present played a massive role in the conflict. They defeated significantly more enemies than his guards had. He did not even include Faralda and Rictus into these thoughts. Each of those two master mages had more of an impact on the battlefield than his guardsmen or the other mages combined. The Thalmor and the Dominion had countless mages and tons of masters. Korir was willing to set aside his personal distaste for the College to prepare for the true threat. He would do everything in his power to not let harm come to his family again. Besides, better the devil you know than the one you don't.

Rictus also believed there was a lot of untapped potential in Winterhold. He always felt a little bad for the place when he was playing Skyrim. The only reason people bothered traveling there in game was for the College. The place had potential though. The mountains around the city should be full of minerals waiting to be found. The sea was close and if there was a port, it would be a good stopping point between the different sides of Skyrim. Then there was the College itself which creates countless benefits.

Rictus was not 100% sure if or how long he would stay here, but he would do what he could to help Winterhold be better than it was before. Winterhold would also need the help for when the dragons started showing up. A lot of dragons always seemed to show up here. Rictus was not sure if it was a glitch or if the magical power of the College was a draw to dragons. Regardless, they could not afford to lose the few people they did have in the city.

Korir finally broached the intended topic.

"How did your meeting go? What are your impressions of her, and did you learn anything of interest?"

Rictus took a second to gather his thoughts. He naturally wasn't going to share everything, not did Korir really expect him to share every detail. They were becoming close, but Rictus was not his subordinate.

"Hmm. I would say it went well. She seems like a decent sort overall. She wants to improve and expand the College beyond its current capacity, almost like the mages' guild of Cyrodiil. I think it would be wise to work with her in ways to improve the city. I wouldn't go so far as to say you should trust her though. As long as you don't threaten the College, I think she will be agreeable."

Korir thought it could have been worse. Perhaps he would still be able to gain something though.

"What type of cooperation do you think would be possible with the mages? Most people still are wary of the mages."

"Well for starters, I think you should get enchanted gear for your guardsmen. I am actually a little surprised you don't have that already. I have a strong feeling they will be needing a lot of practice for enchantments, so your guards would be perfect for that. Farming would be another great thing to work with them on."

Korir was a little puzzled by that last point.

"Farming? I understand the enchantments, but how will they help exactly with farming? I don't see any of those pretentious mages dirtying their hands or fighting the rocky soil to plant crops."

Rictus smoothly replied to the question.

"I do not think they will actively help with the planting or harvests. I do think they will be able to do things to create spaces like greenhouses where more crops can be planted. They walk around the College in robes which shows they have a way of regulating temperature to some degree. You could take advantage of this for farming. I bet they would even willingly do this since it would increase the amount of food they would be able to receive as well."

"Hmm…armor and weapon enchantments and farming. Those seem simple enough to find a trade. Is there anything else you can think of from them?"

Rictus pondered it for a moment longer.

"I don't know the true feasibility of it since it is not my area of expertise, but you should ask about warding key areas of the town. A few defensive wards near the entrance of the town could help keep out some of the more dangerous animals or any attackers. Maybe even some around town like in the market area and the tavern. I think they should be able to do that at least."

Korir liked the wards idea a lot. There were a lot of fierce creatures around the area. Also, if they could make the tavern and market more inviting, it would stimulate their pitiful economy.

Rictus cleared his throat and drew Korir from his musings.

"I also have a couple other ideas I think could be beneficial if you are willing to hear them."

"Of course. Please tell me what you are thinking." Korir was quick to respond. So far, Rictus has not lead him astray and had very good insights.

"Well first off, what is your mining situation like?"

Korir seemed to deflate a little at this.

"It is basically nonexistent. There are some mineral veins near the Chill, but no one would work in a prison besides the occasional prisoner which is very rare. We have basically no mining operations going on though. Not many prospectors are willing to search in such a poor climate. Whistling Mine has a couple small iron ore veins, but it is basically depleted."

Rictus had his thoughts confirmed. It was a shame though. There was bound to be large mineral deposits in the surrounding mountains.

"As you saw before, I am very talented in manipulating the ground with magic. I recently picked up a spell which I think will help guide me towards mineral deposits, but I have not tested it as of yet. If I am successful in finding anything, would you be willing to sponsor and control the mine while giving me a percentage of the profits?"

A smile started to appear on Korir's face. If Rictus could deliver on this, it would be a huge boon for them.

"I think we could easily come to an agreement if such an event was to pass."

Having expected such an answer, Rictus went into his next proposal.

"The next thing is the population. If there are mines, that will attract some people. I have a suggestion for gaining a larger boost to the population which I am unsure you will like."

Looking a little weary, Korir nodded for Rictus to continue.

"Well, I have heard about the poor living conditions for some of the people in Windhelm. The Dunmer are basically living in a ghetto area while the Argonians are not even allowed in the city proper. I recognize they are not Nords, but I bet if you promised them some land many would make the trip. I bet there is even a chance Ulfric would welcome their relocation. Plus, there is even the giant shrine to Azura which many of the Dunmer revere. A long time ago, the Nords, Dunmer, and Argonians were united in a pact. I do not see why the races couldn't coexist peacefully yet again."

Rictus waited to see the Jarl's reaction. Not many of the Nordic Jarls would want more foreigners in their Hold. Most would outright reject relocating a large number of them to their city. Most have the luxury of having large populations though. The conflicting thoughts were obvious on Korir's face. He seemed to be battling between the two decisions.

On one hand, his traditionalist Nord mindset deeply rejects bringing more foreigners to his Hold. He was worried about how the others would view him if he did that. He already had to contend with housing the mages which many of the current Nords rejected.

On the other hand, his logical mindset told him he needed more people. These refugees would be a quick and easy population boon for him without having to really invest hardly anything. If Rictus was able to find a large mineral deposit, they would need more workers. Same if they could create larger farming areas.

"I am not sure about the relocation of those people. We do not have the infrastructure to easily support a large number of people, nor do we have jobs for them."

Rictus believed this to be a good point. If a large number of people entered Winterhold, the resources may be strained to the breaking point. Rictus was surprised by what Korir said next.

"However…I am not totally against the idea. If you are able to find a large mineral deposit and the expanded farming work, then we will need more workers for those areas. I would also welcome more skilled tradesmen to work with the retrieved materials. I am not well versed in the history of other people, but I do believe the dark elves are talented in magic. If I am able to get them indebted to me, then that would provide an additional check against the College. I will be leaving later this week for the Moot. I can easily join Ulfric on the way to Solitude where I can discuss the possibility of such a move."

Rictus was shocked to say the least. He never would have imagined Korir to be one to think in such a way. He thought Korir would need a lot of persuasion in order to agree to the idea. Rictus was especially impressed by Korir thinking to use the Dunmer as a counterbalance to the College. He was not sure of the feasibility, but it was still a good thought.

Korir was not quite done yet though.

"Thinking of ancient times, there is one more thing. I received a letter from the new archmage asking if she could come have an official meeting with me tomorrow. She even hinted she may know the location of the Helm of Winterhold. I had heard rumors of it, but nothing concrete as of yet. If she does have information, would you be willing to retrieve it for me? If you do, I would be willing to name you a Thane of Winterhold with all the benefits that come with it. The Helm may be able to get the ear of some of the other Holds even."

Rictus thought over the request. He was not sure he wanted to go fetch a helmet for the Jarl. It would probably depend on how far away it was located. He didn't really care about being a Thane, but if Winterhold starts becoming more prosperous, it could be beneficial.

"Depending on the location of the helm, I would be more than willing to help retrieve it. We will just have to wait for the meeting."

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After lunch, Rictus found himself standing outside near the mountain which rested behind the Jarl's longhouse. He was still thinking about things to improve Winterhold. Not many were immediately coming to mind for him sadly.

Rictus was immensely jealous of many of the protagonists from isekai and reincarnation novels/fanfics. They all seemed to somehow have memorized many revolutionary concepts from Earth. A lot of them were engineers or programmers who just happened to know how to make or build amazing things. How many normal people had the formula for gunpowder memorized off the top of their head and were able to easily make it? Rictus was just an average man who worked as a statistician. He knew some basic things, but that did not mean they would be useful or completely revolutionize his new world. Rictus decided not to worry about it too much. If there was something he knew or remembered which would help, then great. Otherwise, he would keep doing what he had been doing.

Tomorrow would be fairly busy since he had agreed to be there for Korir during the meeting tomorrow with Morrigan. Rictus was looking forward to what may come from that meeting.

Right now though, he had a job to do.

The plan to find mineral deposits was simple. Rictus would use his newly learned Clairvoyance spell to try and locate the deposits while using earth bending to go directly there. He had already discussed the use of clairvoyance with Faralda the night before over drinks. She had been a wonderful sounding board in regards to magic. They had a pleasant evening together where both were able to unwind. Rictus was glad for the company and someone to talk magic with, while Faralda was happy to talk with another mage outside of the college. She was happy to have another master mage who was closer to her age than the older mages in the College.

With Faralda's guidance, Rictus was able to learn some things about the clairvoyance spell. Because clairvoyance is a self spell, the caster must feel in their mind while casting. Under the correct circumstances, the spell will show you the way to that which you seek. To correctly use, you must have a good idea as to what you are looking for, or a physical object that is connected to it. The latter being vastly more accurate and clearer, having a map of the surroundings can assist as well.

There are a few ideal conditions for the spell such as: flat ground, having an object that is connected to the destination, and a large pool of mana to maintain the spell. Sometimes there will be no direct path and the spell will fail or stop at an obstacle. You will then have to recast the spell after getting around the obstacle. It is possible to still cast the spell even if ideal conditions are not met, while it is also possible for the spell to fail despite all ideal conditions being met.

Rictus had gathered up some materials to help with the search. The 3 main materials he was searching for was iron, corundum, and gold. The first two was in order to make steel, and iron was always useful for common tools. Gold was self-explanatory.

Rictus started with iron. He held the iron ore in one hand as he channeled clairvoyance to try and find more iron ore. The ghostly path way was leading into the mountain. It seemed to want him to go nearly due east from behind the longhouse. Without further ado, Rictus began making his way into the mountain.

He completely missed the shocked faces of Assur and Eirid watching the stone seem to swallow him up with only a small hole as evidence of his passing. Watching such an amazing feat, they grew in their determination. Rictus had left them both a novice spell tome of candlelight to practice and play around with. He even left a small note with some instructions and encouragement. Not too long ago, Assur would have thrown away the book and complained about useless mages. Things were different now. He still did not want to become like those mages at the College, but Rictus was much different in the eyes of the boy. He and Eirid continued trying to cast the small light above them and compete to see who could do it better.

Meanwhile Rictus was pleasantly surprised. He had been following the path before him for only a few minutes before he felt it start to slowly change direction. It was hard to tell being surrounded by stone, but Rictus was very focused on maintaining the spell as well as using magic to move the stone around him. Another minute had him stopping before an iron vein. Dismissing clairvoyance, Rictus focused solely on his earth magic. He used the magic to feel along the iron to try and guess the size of it, a trick he learned from trying to use his magic to feel through the earth. This one vein was about the size of a mammoth.

Rictus couldn't help but smile. He had only just started looking, and he already was successful. It seemed there would soon be a mining revolution happening in Winterhold.