Skyrim System In Westeros

The day after they were rescued, at noon, Lord Medger Carwyn handed Geralt his equipment back inside the castle.

"Has the investigation report come out?" Meredyth asked.

Lord Medger, sitting behind his desk, had a serious expression, his demeanor formal. "Your statements and my report are all in order. They will be submitted to the Magic administration Committee for investigation today. Lord Wright happens to be in Winterfell, and I believe he will personally intervene in this matter."

Mages had not been immune to death over the years, especially in the rugged North.

As the saying goes, "the more skilled you are, the more daring you are". Skinchangers had died over a mere drink, some had jumped from cliffs only to fall to their deaths because their wind magic was too weak, and others had drowned in frozen rivers while testing their underwater breathing spells. The bizarre deaths of mages had become the stuff of tavern jokes.

Lord Medger truly didn't want to deal with this issue. Several mages had died at once, and the person bound was Wright's adopted son, while the one who had committed the murder was a Court Mage. He just wanted to quickly pass on this hot potato.

"Since that's the case, I hope Lord Medger's report won't leave anything out." Sansa stood up from her chair, and Meredyth, still helping Geralt, prepared to leave.

"I'll see you out," Lord Medger said, signaling for a servant to bring out the gifts prepared for the three of them. The gifts weren't expensive—some caramelized peanuts and hard chocolate from the South. In the cold North, these high-calorie treats were the best travel snacks for friends.

After thanking him, both ladies took the gifts and stowed them in their bags. Geralt, who had been hungry for a week, didn't care about that. He tore open the packaging and started eating right away. "Thank you, Lord Medger. I didn't expect to be able to eat something like this here."

"Ha ha, you've been in a hurry with business this time, but when you come back, I'll make sure to treat you to a proper meal!" Lord Medger was confident that the incident wouldn't have any impact on them, given their powerful backgrounds. He couldn't miss this opportunity to make connections.

The group said their goodbyes at the castle gate. Sansa and Meredyth' carriages were already waiting. As the coachmen saw them coming, they immediately set up ladders in front of the carriage doors.

Geralt was about to get into the carriage when he saw something that truly made him question how thick someone's skin could be. Just as they were about to board, Bronn and his companions walked over.

The three of them had cleaned their faces, and their outfits were drastically different now—uniform steel armor with long swords hanging at their waists, and large packs on their backs. It looked like they had requisitioned supplies from the military camp after being rescued.

The focus of the killings in the camp had been on the mages, and after being rescued by the castle defense troops, Bronn, who had some renown in the White Knife River area, was recognized. According to Bronn, since he had been with Geralt, Lord Medger had not made things difficult for them and had returned the military equipment to the three of them.

"Ah, my highest respect to the two beautiful and powerful mages!" Bronn said, then performed a noble bow. Sandor and Jaqen followed his lead, bowing as well.

"Hello," Sansa and Meredyth replied in unison, both returning the bow. They had heard about the three mercenaries from Geralt and knew they were here looking for him, so they paused to see what they wanted.

Bronn beamed with a smile. "Brave young man, Geralt, the magic swordsman from Tyrosh, these three loyal mercenaries will fulfill their promise and continue to serve you."

Geralt replied, "The matter is already finished, and I've paid the commission. Our contract is over."

"No, no, no. When you hired us, it was to protect your safety. Those mages obviously had a powerful organization behind them, and the matter isn't over yet."

Bronn argued, determined to stick with Geralt. With Wright in Winterfell, he knew that if he stuck by Geralt's side, he would have a bright future. No longer would he have to live day-to-day in the cold North.

"You three didn't seem to help much, though. Bronn, you even beat me up." Geralt didn't hold a grudge over the beating at the time—it had been a desperate situation—but he couldn't stand the look on Bronn's face.

Bronn still grinned. "That was to attract the guards' attention. I was trying to find a chance to escape the prisoner wagon."

"And what happened?" Geralt asked, smiling.

"Ha ha, clearly, the mages who caught us had better methods. But at least I tried, didn't I?" Bronn shamelessly made excuses, spinning a web of nonsense.

Sansa and Meredyth whispered to each other, then Sansa said, "You can follow Geralt. Meredyth will ride in my carriage, and you three can take hers."

"The beautiful mages understand what's right!" Bronn grinned and walked over to the carriage with the Ice Plains Wolf flag. He shoved the coachman aside and bent down to assist them up the ladder, striking a pose as if he were a servant.

Bronn did this much better than the coachman, each movement perfectly executed, resembling a high-ranking servant from a noble house.

Once Sansa and Meredyth boarded their carriage, Geralt mocked Bronn, who was acting like a sycophant. "You mercenaries will do any job, won't you?"

Bronn walked up to Geralt's side. "It is the duty of every knight to protect beautiful ladies! Brave young man, do you need me to escort you onto the carriage?"

"You really are something!" Geralt, unable to win the verbal spar with him, thought to himself that since he had already paid, having a few more people around wasn't such a bad thing. He stepped into the carriage first.

Sandor and Jaqen stayed behind, hesitating whether to continue following Bronn. The three had already earned a set of armor and weapons, and even taken some gold dragons. If they followed Bronn to Winterfell, they would undoubtedly meet Lord Wright.

Sandor wasn't too concerned; the details of the disaster at Casterly Rock had already spread everywhere, Joffrey had become a vampire, and Sandor couldn't really be considered a traitor. But when Jaqen thought of Lord Wright, images of the sinking of the House of Black and White and the catastrophic magic at Braavos flooded his mind, causing his hands to shake involuntarily.

"Let's go. We're all in our thirties, everyone has a past. You two can't avoid facing him forever," Bronn said, pushing the dazed pair into the carriage.

They headed north along King's Road from Castle Carwyn and the road was bustling with people. There were knights on horseback, peasants walking, and nobles riding in carriages.

"Sandor Clegane, the hound that disappeared for years, and a follower from the Faceless God. Aren't you worried about them following Geralt? Couldn't they pose a threat?"

"They've long lost their sharpness. I see two mercenaries down on their luck, willing to sell their lives for a meal, and a shameless, greedy little boss. If they want to join, it might be useful to keep them close," Meredyth replied, and Sansa answered immediately, having clearly recognized the two men.

Meredyth's family was based in Red Lake, where the Reach and the Westerlands met. One of the mission's goals for House Crane was to prevent attacks from the Westerlands. House Crane members had to be familiar with every house from the region. Sandor Clegane's features were too distinctive, and anyone with a keen eye could recognize him.

The House of Black and White held no grudge against Lord Wright; they were just a mercenary organization, nothing personal. The two sides had long since reconciled. The Faceless God had a temple in Tyrosh, and Wright had exchanged magic with their higher-ups. As a key contact, Sansa had learned Faceless God magic from Wright.

As for Jaqen, the former top assassin of the House of Black and White, even though his soul was damaged, the scattered magic still flowed through his body in the way of the Faceless God. Sansa had noticed this the first time they met.

Sansa's carriage flew the direwolf banner, with a live direwolf sitting next to the driver, looking around. Everyone stepped aside to let the carriage pass, and they reached Winterfell before dinner time.

The two carriages entered the city through the gate, traveling down several streets before stopping in front of the castle gates. Guards approached, and upon seeing Sansa's head poke out of the carriage, they immediately opened the gates, allowing the carriages to pass into the inner city.

Several people were waiting at the castle gates. As soon as Sansa stepped out of the carriage, someone rushed over.

"My Sansa!"

"Mother!"

Catelyn, touching her daughter's red hair, scrutinized her, checking if she had lost weight.

Several differently colored direwolves were playing nearby. Arya, Bran, and Rickon, upon seeing Sansa, immediately started shouting and making noise.

After some pleasantries, Sansa introduced her friends Meredyth and Geralt.

"It's cold out here, come inside," Catelyn urged everyone into the warm castle.

"Is Father here?" Sansa asked her mother.

"He's in the meeting hall, receiving some northern lords. I've seen their sons; all of them are tall and handsome," Catelyn began to ramble.

Meredyth, walking behind, covered her mouth and snickered, while Sansa quickly changed the topic. "Is Lord Wright not here? I saw his dragon flying over Castle Carwyn yesterday."

"Wright and Lady Kana went out to soak in a hot spring. Don't bring him up again. Several lords and their families have been waiting for you. You're all grown up now, and today you must meet with them," Catelyn said, firmly grabbing Sansa's arm, worried she might try to make an excuse to leave.

Bronn overheard their conversation and whispered, "I really miss the hot springs in Winterfell! I know a tavern that has the hottest springs and the most fiery girls. Geralt, let's go together!"

"Do you have money?" Geralt knew he was likely trying to scam him again.

Bronn puffed out his chest and showed Geralt a small leather pouch tied to his belt.

"We're guests now. Let's wait until Lord Stark arranges our accommodations, then we can talk about it," Geralt said, eager to meet his grandfather.

---

Not far from Winterfell, in a mountain hollow, steam and white mist rose into the sky. Odahviing was resting on a stone, and the snow in the hollow had melted into a pool from the dragon's fire.

Kana was soaking in the water, her body turning red from the heat, while Wright swam around in the water.

"Wright, what are you planning to do about Geralt?"

Wright swam back to Kana's side, his hand feeling for a flat stone at the bottom to sit on. "As long as the benefits are great enough, anyone will take risks. Geralt said that someone is mass-producing vampires, and as long as it doesn't turn into a war like it did years ago, I think these people are doing well enough."

Kana moved closer to Wright. "But they're vampires!"

Wright expanded his chest to its fullest, floating on his back in the water. "I didn't say we shouldn't do anything! Two batches of crows flew in from Castle Carwyn, and Lord Medger sent me all the information he got from different channels."

Kana mimicked Wright's floating position, and the two spoke as they drifted close together on the water's surface. "Is there something special about it?"

Wright replied, "All the evidence points to the Dreadfort in the North, but Roose Bolton doesn't have the ability to pull this off. There's definitely a powerful mage behind this."

"The Dreadfort? That cruel skinning family? A family with such a tradition would naturally see human life as insignificant." Kana found it reasonable.

Wright continued, "It's not just that. According to the information Lord Medger sent, many Northern nobles are involved, including Lord Medger himself!"

"What?"

Wright grinned, "He confessed his crimes in the letter, admitting to organizing female vampires and trafficking in grey dust."

Kana raised an eyebrow, "Such an obvious attempt to downplay things. Did he say who provided him with the supplies?"

Wright smirked, "Who else could it be? That shapeshifter named Rocco who turned to ash! He's dead now, and all the crimes have been pinned on him. According to Northern law, Lord Carwyn will just be guilty of smuggling, since he didn't pay taxes to Winterfell, and he'll only face a fine."

"So, what do you plan to do next? Lord Carwyn has surely informed his accomplices. It's a minor crime, and you can't use magic to interrogate him." Kana looked at Wright.

Wright already had a plan. "Ha ha, I won't do anything. I'll just wait."

"Are you waiting for the new Three-Eyed Raven?" Kana's excitement caused her to lose her balance, but Wright caught her back before she could sink.

"They want me to investigate through Lord Carwyn's letters, but the outcome is obvious. I'll find a bunch of evidence they already prepared."

The two floated to the center of the pond, and Wright stood upright in the water, holding Kana.

"Once the Three-Eyed Raven completes the inheritance, the young Three-Eyed Raven will have enough magic power. Through his prophetic abilities, he'll naturally help me find the mastermind."

"Are you sure the Three-Eyed Raven will help you?" Kana thought of the Three-Eyed Raven as an unfeeling, emotionless mage.

"Do you think the Three-Eyed Raven and I have no connection?" Only Wright knew that the next Three-Eyed Raven would be Bran. After the inheritance, Bran's consciousness would merge with the past Three-Eyed Ravens' minds, becoming an entity with centuries or even millennia of experience, no longer an individual.

Wright had done so much for the Three-Eyed Raven; he expected some return. "So, I don't need to worry about this. What I'm really concerned about is that there are things the Three-Eyed Raven can't touch, and some things might come up to cause trouble."

Kana understood that Wright was referring to magical matters, and since she didn't understand, she never asked.

The hot water made Kana feel weak, and she stretched lazily in the water. As she lifted her head, she saw four eagles flying above the pond. She quickly clung to Wright. "Someone's spying!"

Wright, with sharper eyesight than hers, recognized who the eagles belonged to. He waved his hand toward the sky. "Meredyth must need something from me."

Upon seeing Wright's gesture, the four eagles quickly dove down and landed on the stones by the pond, each gripping a piece of parchment in their talons.