Chapter 49: Establishing Connections Part 2

The next following days Sivreth had thought of his next corse of action. He needed to ensure the success of his newly acquired Honningbrew business.

Sure he had all his Treasures from Ahbiilok's horde but he needed ro ensure self stability and success on the business alone otherwise he would constantly have to maintain it himself.

The idea came to him when he remembered the Halted Stream Camp, a place that held significance from his past life as a player. He knew of a spell tome there, the original Transmute Ore spell, which could be used to transmute iron into gold. It was a powerful tool in the hands of a blacksmith, and even more so in his, as he could enchant the gold with his own magic during the forging process.

All he needed was to recruit a trustworthy mage to be in charge of using this spell of Harvested ires and he could make Honningbrew Meadery rich with profits. Fortunately one of the Khajiit subordinates he had gained when the Clanmother's of Elsweyr had given him, could use magic. He just needed to have them stationed at Honningbrew Meadery for the future, he sent a magical Raven familiar he made of frost into the sky as it carried his orders to Na'shi and the others.

Meanwhile he himself took care of things with just Rael and if needed, with Ahbiilok as well.

The first order of business was to gather his newfound "workforce." Sivreth ventured out to the nearby bandit camps, where he had placed several enchanted items with a weak version of the Bend Will shout. He approached the bandit leaders with a proposal they couldn't refuse. After all, who could say no to a whisper in their ear that promised wealth and protection in exchange for their loyalty? The bandits, wearing the enchanted rings and necklaces, fell easily under his control. He had them leave their camps and set to work rebuilding the abandoned forts scattered across the landscape. These would serve as his bases of operation, each one strategically placed to control the nearby resources.

With the bandits under his command, Sivreth had them mine the rich iron and gold veins he remembered from his past life as a player. The cold, unforgiving mines of Skyrim were no match for the Falmer's strength and resilience, and the ore flowed like rivers of gold into his coffers. His newfound "employees" toiled without complaint, their minds shackled by the enchanted jewelry that bound them to his will. It was a symbiotic relationship, one of necessity and greed, but Sivreth was careful not to push them too far. After all, even the most loyal of pawns had their limits.

The forts grew stronger with each passing day, their crumbling stones replaced with freshly hewn timber and gleaming steel. Each fort became a bastion of Sivreth's influence, a place where his bandit-turned-miners could rest and replenish their supplies before heading back into the depths. The Falmer knew the value of keeping his workers content and promised them riches beyond their wildest dreams, dreams that he had no intention of fulfilling.

As the days turned into weeks, Sivreth's influence grew. The forts became bustling hubs of activity, with the clang of hammers on anvil and the murmur of voices echoing through the halls. The bandits had taken to their new roles with surprising enthusiasm, their greed for the promised gold overshadowing any doubts they might have had about their mysterious employer. They mined the iron and gold veins tirelessly, their eyes gleaming with the promise of wealth and power.

Sivreth knew that he needed to make use of his slave army, and so he had began teaching certain key figures about the knowledge he possessed on various tasks and trades. Sivreth had the information and knowledge from the Elder Grimoire of many subjects, but the key ones he taught his specialised slave workforce was Blacksmithing, Enchanting, Alchemy, Farming and the maintaining of plants and herbs, refinement of minerals and ores, Crafting and Iiterature.

The last one was needed since he might have additional uses for them, but he also ensured they would send encoded messages ro him under an alias so no one can read letters if importance directed ro him.

Sivreth and Rael arrived at Halted Stream Camp, the snowfall had ceased and the sun was peaking through the clouds. The camp looked abandoned, but Sivreth knew better. His heightened Falmer senses picked up the faint scent of iron and the foul stench of bandits. He approached with caution, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The bandits were caught off guard as Rael leaped into the fray, his teeth bared in a fierce snarl. They were no match for the ancient beast's speed and power, and Sivreth's enchanted spear sliced through them like butter. Within minutes, the camp was secured, and the bandits were subdued, the enchanted rings and necklaces clamped onto their necks and fingers.

With the camp under his control, Sivreth set to work immediately. He knew exactly where the spell tome was hidden, having played through this very quest in his previous life. He found it tucked away in a dusty corner, the leather-bound cover worn with age. The Transmute Ore spell was a rare and powerful tool, and in his hands, it would be a game-changer.

He had the bandits, now loyal through the enchanted rings and necklaces, set up a makeshift forge. Using the stolen gold and iron, they began the process of transmutation. The air grew heavy with the scent of magic and metal as the ingots took shape, the gold gleaming with an unnatural brilliance. Sivreth watched with a critical eye, his mind racing with the possibilities. These enchanted ingots would not only be a source of wealth but a symbol of his power and influenc in the next 5 years when he announces himself to the world.

The days at Halted Stream Camp turned into a blur of activity as the bandits, driven by the whispers of their enchanted bindings, mined tirelessly. The clang of hammers and the roar of the forge became the rhythm of their new lives. The Falmer oversaw their work, occasionally casting a spell to speed up the process or enhance their endurance. Rael, ever vigilant, patrolled the perimeter, his eyes piercing the shadows, ensuring their secret remained safe from prying eyes.

Once he was sure enough materials had been Harvested, he had a few of his bandit workers dress up in bodyguard attire and some as decently dressed individuals. They would work at Honningbrew Meadery's main headquarters. The many ores of iron and some gold were transported to Honningbrew Meadery via carriages.

Once we arrived at Honningbrew Meadery, the Khajiit mage subordinate along with the 14 year old Na'shi, the same age as me right now, were waiting.

The cat girl pounced on me in happiness at the reunion.

"Master!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with joy.

Na'shi's exuberant greeting brought a rare smile to Sivreth's lips. He had grown fond of the young Khajiit, her boundless energy and eagerness to learn had made her a valuable asset in his grand scheme. He ruffled her fur gently. "It's been too long, little one," he said, his voice tinged with affection for the cat girl.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked around the newly acquired meadery. "What is our mission here, master?" she asked, her tail swishing behind her.

Sivreth looked at her with a hint of pride. "Our mission is to ensure the prosperity of this place, Na'shi. We are going to turn Honningbrew Meadery into a bastion of wealth and influence." He opened his hand, revealing a few gold coins that shimmered in the candlelight. "But before we can do that, we need more resources. That's where the mage you brought from the others comes in.where is he?" I swear I saw him a moment ago."

Na'shi nodded eager. "He's outside, master. I made sure he was well-rested and fed for the task ahead."

Sivreth stepped into the dimly lit room where the Khajiit mage was waiting. The mage, a young and ambitious individual named Vesh. He was among the group of skilled Khajiit subordinates he obtained in Elsweyr long ago.

"Vesh," Sivreth said, his voice a soft rumble. "You have been chosen for a task of great importance."

The young mage looked up at his master, his eyes wide with anticipation. "What is it, my lord?"

Sivreth held up the spell tome. "This," he said, "is the key to our future. We shall learn the art of Transmute Ore. With this spell, we can turn the iron we mine into gold, and the gold into jewelry that will adorn the necks and fingers of the wealthiest in Whiterun. I don't trust these bandits that I had subdued and mind controlled to obey me, with this spell. Especially since if they suddenly break free of the mind control, the additional enchantment on the items they wear will kill them instantly. So if all my bandit mages died, only you will be left with the knowledge of this spell so you can ensure the survival of tlmy business, at least until I have replaced them and ensured stability once more."

Vesh's eyes widened in awe as he took the tome, his fur standing on end as he felt the power within its pages. "I will not disappoint you, my lord," he murmured, his voice filled with determination.

Sivreth nodded, a rare smile crossing his face. "Good. Now, let us begin your lesson." He led Vesh to a private chamber within the meadery, where a small forge had been set up. The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of burning coal and the sweet tang of enchanted metals. The Falmer placed a lump of iron on the anvil before the mage. "First, you must learn to channel the magicks within you, to bend the very essence of the metal to your will. It is like water. One cup is iron while the other is a cup of silver and the other caup of gold. The water is magicka. All you are doing, is shifting the water (magicka) from one cup to the other. In the end, rhe water (magicka) is the same, only the vessel that holds it is made of different materials. This is what you need to do, you need to make a crack in the cup, and make the magicka bleed through and coat the ore in its essence, and therefore allowing you to transform the ore into silver and into gold, but once transformed, you can't go back and undo the process. once the cup is cracked, it can never be reapired ro its original state, only a new cup can be used then."

Vesh's eyes were wide with anticipation, and he nodded, eager to begin. He studied the spell tome intently, his paws tracing the ancient symbols with a trembling excitement. Sivreth watched him, his gaze sharp and assessing. He knew the risks of teaching such powerful magic to a creature not of his own kind, but the need for loyalty and trust overrode any hesitation.

Once the lesson was finished Na'shi and Sivreth stepped out into the main hall of the meadery, where the warmth of the fireplace and the sweet aroma of honeyed mead filled the air. "It's good to see you again, Na'shi," Sivreth said, his voice a comforting rumble.

The young Khajiit beamed up at him, her tail swishing in excitement. "Master, I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "What adventures have you been on?"

"Except for fighting and forcing a Dragon to submit and obey me, becoming richer than any single Jarl in Skyrim and on par with a great house of Morrowind, Harvested two Dragon corpses, forced a Dremora Duke to betray Mehrunes Dagon and steal from both Dagon's Realm of Oblivion and from Molag Bal to get me what I needed, mind controlling a small bandit army and am almost ready to craft my personal gear to the peak of this world along with roughly 6 Enchantments placed on each item...does all that satisfy your question?"

Na'shi's eyes grew wide with wonder as she listened to Sivreth's recount of his recent escapades. She had heard tales of his exploits, but to hear them from his own lips was something else entirely. "Master, you're amazing!" she exclaimed, her tail swishing with excitement. "I can't wait to see what we do next!"

"Next I am going to rest. You are going to train more with Teldryn Sero. And tell him I'm upping his weekly pay from 1500 to 3000 septims a week."

It might be a lot but Sero is a very skilled and experienced bounty hunter I need on my side than him rotting away serving as a mercenary for someone else.

Next week came and the jewellery had been made, and I had met up with Ysolda. Right now we were discussing how to sell them in whiterun as this is where she is more experienced than me as she is familiar with Whiterun than I am.

"These are exquisite," she whispered, her eyes shining as she held up a necklace made of gold and silver intertwined with tiny sapphires. "The people of Whiterun will pay a fortune for these."

"Of course. And Whiterun is a neutral trading city, although I wouldn't say neutral since they are more aligned with the Empire, regardless. Goods in Whiterun come and goes from various merchants and buyers that what we sell will circulate around Skyrim in no time and hopefully to other provinces of Tamriel.

High Rock and Elsweyr are good places to export these goods to. Although the jewelry will need to have their quality in design modified and improved if we want to sell these to the High Eleves of the Summerset Isles, or as they call it now, Alinor."

Ysolda nodded in agreement, her eyes shrewd as she weighed the potential of their venture. "I know some caravans that can take these to High Rock and even as far as Hammerfell," she said, her voice low and thoughtful. "But we'll need to be careful. The roads are treacherous, and there are those who would love to get their hands on such valuable goods."

I raised my eyebrow in skepticism and doubt. " how do you have connections like that already, I have only been gone for 2 months and 23 days."

"I thought you said I had potential, now you know." Ysolda said with a smirk.

"As long as those connections are safe and legal, I want nothing to go wrong for now, later on we can become more bolder in the contacts we have and make."

Ysolda's smirk grew into a full smile, her teeth shining in the candlelight. "Don't worry Hroldir. I've learned from the best. And with your magic and my charm, we'll make Honningbrew Meadery the talk of the town."

12 days passed aincw then and the profits of sales went relatively well. And I was pleased. I can entrust everything to her now while I handle y own personal plans away from Whiterun. These last 4 months have been a waste since I needed to oversee the beginning of my businesses success before I could leave.

Now I have only 4 and a half years left before Alduin returns.

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Hroldir is the fake name Sivreth uses while in Skyrim to those he doesn't fully trust yet in order to keep his identity a secret.

Ps, I recently watched Eminence in the Shadows anime and I'm trying to adjust Na'shi into a type of character that acts like a mixture-hybrid between Alpha and Delta merged into one.