Is It Wrong To Be A Khajiit In A Dungeon

The sun was already high by the time we finish the checkpoint at the city gate leading to outsides. Although the plan was a bit too hasty and rushed, I took my time with Eina to take some quests that will correlate with the route we would take to the northern village.

Supposedly, it takes around a week using carriages there, and two weeks to take a walk. That still doesn't count incidents or bad weather. The route mainly consisted of the vast territory of forests and hills, and the occasional mountain range.

Luckily, we were able to hop to the passing traveling merchant carriages in exchange for protection until he got to the next town. Well even though the monster outside is the one that escaped from the dungeon a long time ago, their strength is noticeably weakened. Not that makes them harmless or weaker.

Not to mention bandits that prey on the fat and blissful merchant that caught in sudden ambush deep in the forest. With the descend of the god, and the Falna blessing that would make fewer crimes outside or so you would think?

Some people just want a quick way to get whatever they want, resorting to a life of vagabond due to various reasons. Twice the pride, double the falls. Orario promised great wealth to those who brave enough to sail the raging seas that is fierce competition, Familia politics, and dungeon monsters. The outcast left only with the scrap so sometimes, they would resort to something like banditry. They also not come from within the city, nearby settlements may also turn rogue due to harsh life in the wilds.

Or so, what Eina told me.

And Orario surprisingly had a very strict and lengthy checkpoint just to get in the city, not everyone capable of entering it. Maybe that's why the guild had a lax system in registering their new adventurers.

It's already three hours since we depart.

I look back at the sky, noticing a black dot that soon grew larger until I notice those were the flapping wings of birds that passed through the sky to the mountain range far in the horizon.

I was riding in the back of the carriage. It was an ordinary one, with a white tarp dr.a.p.ed over to protect the goods inside. Ereshkigal had decided to make the comfort of herself and slept inside among the crates. I only smiled at her sleeping face, before settling myself to the front of the carriages.

"Smooth sail?" I said to him, as I take a seat beside the merchant who currently handled the horse reign.

"Fortunately, yes, now don't speak it or you jinx it." The silver-haired merchant only chuckled dryly.

"Shame, this one would enjoy the sport and blood followed."

"Hah, that's an adventurer for you." The man laughed not surprised by this.

"Is this the first time you trade on Orario?"

Most of the smaller merchant is forming a group of caravans to better protect themselves in the arduous journey to deliver the mercantile goods to people out there.

The man only nodded, "Ah, it was rather unfortunate as I get some nasty business inside the city. I'm a small timer, mostly trading between villages to villages. Never been to Orario until I got an order to bring specialty goods to the town northeast for their annual harvest festival."

"That's sound will be a good experience," I said putting my finger on my chin.

"Well, what a merchant I am if I can't fill the demand. Maybe it's a sign for me to move up in the world. My dream was to open my own very shop someday, settling in somewhere and let the gold flow." He shrugged.

I laughed at him.

"Such a small dream I know, I tend to be realistic. Cross-listing from smaller things, it will eventually snow-balled."

"An avalanche it shall be." I nodded at him. Targeting smaller things before tackling the big pictures, is sometimes a wise move. Nevertheless, that is just one of the methods to get a living.

"Now you think about it I never get your name, what a failure of a merchant to not know the name of their contract partner."

I comforted him, "Well, now you made the mistake. Just be sure to not do it next time. And this one is M'aiq. They call me M'aiq the liar if you catch M'aiq drift." Some people just harshly assess themselves. Such an admirable yet destructive mentality.

The man noticing this scrunch his face before nodding, "Sure, I'm Lawrence by the way. No wonder you always wear your helmet and hood."

"One can't be too careful and always be aware, even more so, if trusted with someone's life. Second, it just a perk to be able to hide."

I confessed as he chuckled again in amus.e.m.e.nt. Could this man be one of my people? A lot of people, unfortunately, didn't always get my joke.

A pity.

And then a few hours passed by until the sky started to darken. The forest turned to mountainous cliffs and forest again by the time it's already dark.

"Come M'aiq, help me settle the camp." Said Lawrence, as I still guide the yet-sober goddess from her slumber.

"Wait a minute."

We were stopping at a clearing of the forest, and fortunately, it was near a river flow. I put the goddess beside the log facing the clearing, clapping her cheek so she would wake up.

"C'mon Goddess, a few hours and you already become this mess."

"Uhmm, Dro-

I shut her mouth with my finger, "I'm M'aiq don't you remember."

"M'aiq? What a strange name, hehe." She giggled with a rather rare sweet voice as her eyes drifted to sleep again. Damn it how can she be so cute and annoying at the same time.

I only sighed at her, touching the slit of my helmet where the nose lies. I got up before casting with a red spark in my left hand.

[Alarm]

This should alert me should someone unrecognized entered the perimeter around me or the clearing. To make sure I also cast a few runes near potentially vulnerable points nearby.

[Lightning Runes]

That should do it for some safe and extra protections. I turn behind the forest.

"Lawrence, M'aiq will gather some firewood now."

"Sure, I will take some waters and set up the tent. While at it, can you gather some feed for the horses."

"Will do!" I shouted slightly since I got far away from him.

After a half of hour gathering the firewood and the horse feed, I also noticed a few fresh wild vegetables and mushrooms were growing abundantly near a dirt cliff and the creak.

Thanks to my co-worker who kept bugging me out for camping and the knowledge shared. Then a thought dawn to me. I was not sure which to pick since this was a different world after all.

I cast a few [Insight] on the wild bounties coupled with my pieces of knowledge in 'tasting' ingredients of Skyrim for potion making, it didn't take too much time for me to figure out whether it's poisonous, inedible or not.

This should be good, I muttered as I hoisted the bundle of wood on my back. The feed horse on the left, and the food on the right. I crafted a few ropes with growing roots in the trees to tie them up.

The sight was rather comical, it must be. A man clads in heavy armor that weighs half a quintal, carrying everything in his hands and the back like some kind of pack mules.

It's a nice time to time, not to rely on the gate. And I don't want my fellow merchant friend to commit hate crime over my infinite storage. That would be an ugly sight.

By the time I've arrived back to the clearing. Everything was ready, and the goddess already wakes up, and currently hoisted a pot to the fire campsite in the middle.

"Fish?" I asked, seeing a dozen of fish were line up above a white tarp.

"Your wife helps me with her magic to catch the fish down the river. It was a great help since we can conserve some food this way." Said Lawrence after poking his head as he working to tie the ropes to the trees that support the tent.

Wife? I was confused and shifted my attention to the said wife.

"I use shock magic to the river as practice, never know that the fish was all floating up once I'm done."

She shrugged nonchalantly, as telling me to deal with it.

You know what, fine. I sighed again, before hoisting down all the luggage on my back.

"Hmm, this is rather a nice harvest. I believe I can make a hotpot with this." She said as inspecting each of the wild ingredients.

"That's a good idea." Nodding my head, I stand up to the tied horse near the right of the carriage to the entrance of the clearing where we came in.

It was an hour later that the dinner is ready, we've got a wild assortment of hotpot and roasted fishes. Well, honestly, I can just pull a few meat and ingredients from the gate, but this is not bad at all.

Ereshkigal sat beside me and ate in silence while Lawrence on the other side, busying himself with the food.

"So, M'aiq got any tales to share?" The silver-haired merchant asked me, wanting to fill the camp with something and pass the time.

"Hmm, a tales…" I put a finger to my chin as was thinking before decided into something.

A moment passed as Lawrence clutching his stomach and the goddess only gave me a bewildered eye. I recited a story of mine, or at least from the Dragonborn memories.

"A mammoth tusk!?"

"Yes, imagine his surprises when he found that she never relinquishes the tusk to the caravans, and the local bard told him about the oil she purchased earlier. So, we place a bet for whatever she was doing, and sneaked to her window at night.

Suffice to say, the lass was clever enough to dull the tip and use grease to ease her pain. And we pray to the divines at the time, truly, to give whoever that will become her husband the strength and perseverance since apparently his wife can't be satisfied unless it's half meder long!"

"Fu…" Lawrence inhaled as holding his breath to laugh, "Hahaha!" Though it didn't prevent only reducing it somewhat into a stifle and giggles.

The goddess was only staring at me, "What?"

"No, nevermind." Then her eyes shifted to the side with red hue marred her face of ivory.

The fire camp still crackles despite the darkness of the forest night. I assured that no one will be able to harm them since lighting a fire in the middle of the night is a very dangerous thing to do as it may attract a monster or an opportunist.

Anyway, after the dinner was done, I continue to teach the goddess in the way of arcane arts. It surprised me since she had a fast rate to understand each and everything I said. And Lawrence spending his time reading a book and leaned to a log.

"Don't be surprised. When I think about it, it is similar when I use my arcanum instead but with a different energy."

Apparently, she had an easy time to use lightning and fire instead of ice which she found very hard to imagine. Maybe there's an affinity system in this world or its equivalent. I never encountered this problem before, in the game or in here.

Then a thought dawns me, she should have learned alteration magic first before moving on destruction. Alteration is basically the foundation of magic since magic is to invoke miracles and bend the law of the world. It is unnatural if viewed from my point of view who only saw magic as something behind fantasy books.

Anyway, I tried to impart the knowledge to make a mage light, but without the help of the tome. All I told her was to imagine and gave her the specific description and how light supposed to works. It was thirty minutes later, with a struggle she managed to produce a hovering bulb of lights. The key was to understand, at least, the basic principles of natures or to put it simply, science. You can't manipulate someone without grasping the personality and d.e.s.i.r.e, this is the same case as magic.

Hmm, maybe that's why mages often also regarded as a philosopher. The sharper the mind, the greater the magic he gained too.

Tamrielic magic does not need incantation to spell, even then, it could help bolster the image of the spell that about to be invoked, especially for younger and apprentice mage.

It was a satisfying result I thought. One thing to confirm, even the divine can learn magic, what about the mortals? I'm sure they had the same chance.

After that, we turn in for the night, and I'm left with the task to guard the camp. I insisted on Lawrence as I will have my magic guarding us, and I have s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e awareness should something or someone trespass. He relented, but before dragging his fur mat nearby and slept beside the campfire.

In the end, there's nothing to worry about that night as we continue our journey to the north.