- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 441
Before Lucan could respond, his sister, Camilla, eagerly chimed in.
“I know! I know! That’s a soul gem.”
“Soul gem?” Leo raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Camilla quickly explained:
“A soul gem is a rare crystal, an essential material for enchanters to craft magical items. It can also be used to recharge magical weapons. The one you have here is a small soul gem filled with a soul, typically worth around 80 gold coins. If you find a grand soul gem, it can sell for as much as 1,200 gold coins.”
“Do you sell soul gems here?”
Leo became interested upon hearing that it was a key material for crafting magical items.
Lucan shrugged his shoulders.
“These things are rare. Ordinary folks don’t have much use for them, so I typically don’t stock them. If you’re looking to buy, you’ll need to visit a large city like Whiterun, where they’re more likely to have them. Or you could go straight to the College of Winterhold, where the mages have plenty.”
Not even most low-level adventurers could afford or properly use enchanted weapons, and in a small town like this, adventurers were few and far between.
It wouldn’t make sense for Lucan to spend money on soul gems only to have them gather dust in his shop.
However, Lucan seemed to remember something. He rummaged through a cabinet behind the counter and pulled out a crystal, about the same size as the one in Leo’s hand, but completely transparent.
“Oh, I almost forgot about this! I got this blank soul gem from an adventurer a few months ago. If you’re interested, I can sell it for 25 gold coins.”
“Blank soul gem?”
Leo picked up the gem and compared it to the one he found. The blank gem had no soul energy inside.
Lucan, a bit puzzled that a seasoned adventurer like Leo was unfamiliar with these basics, patiently explained:
“Soul gems are just regular crystals when first mined. Only a mage can use a spell called Soul Trap to extract a soul from a creature and trap it inside a gem. Alternatively, a weapon enchanted with the Soul Trap spell can do the same thing when it kills a creature. That’s why blank soul gems are much cheaper.”
“Alright, I’ll take it.”
Without hesitation, Leo placed 25 gold coins on the counter.
Before Lucan could collect the coins, Camilla quickly handed five coins back to Leo and glared at her brother.
“Brother, you promised him a 20% discount!”
“Alright, alright, 20% off,” Lucan muttered, somewhat annoyed, as he pocketed 20 gold coins.
Some sister she is…
“Thank you,” Leo smiled at Camilla, then pocketed the blank soul gem and left the Riverwood Trader, heading to the Sleeping Giant Inn.
Earlier, he had rented a room there, and now it was the perfect place to rest while reading through the books he had acquired.
Lying back on a bed covered in soft animal furs, Leo picked up the first book and began to quickly skim through it.
**”The Creation Gods and Daedric Princes”**
This book discussed the differences between gods and Daedric Princes, explaining that many people often confuse them.
The book stated that gods fall into two categories:
The first are the Creation Gods, who either created or participated in the creation of the world. Examples include the major creator god, Lorkhan, and many of the Nine Divines. Some of the Divines, however, were mortals who ascended to godhood and didn’t participate in creation.
The second category is the Daedric Princes, also referred to as “outside gods,” who didn’t partake in the world’s creation. Examples of Daedric Princes include Azura, Boethiah, Clavicus Vile, and Mehrunes Dagon.
However, being a Daedric Prince doesn’t necessarily mean being evil. Some are very malevolent, while others are benevolent, or somewhere in between.
The book argued that the gods represent stasis while the Daedric Princes embody change. As such, gods can be killed—like Lorkhan, whose body became the two moons—whereas Daedric Princes can only be banished, not destroyed.
Still, Leo considered the book’s contents more of a reference than absolute truth. With so many races in this world, and with the blurred lines between history and myth, much of what was written was subject to debate.
Unfortunately, the book didn’t delve into specific events or abilities associated with the gods and Daedric Princes, leaving Leo uncertain about how powerful they truly were.
Closing *”The Creation Gods and Daedric Princes,”* he picked up the next book: *”The Dragon War.”*
This one was far more interesting and gave him a clearer understanding of the dragons in this world.
The book detailed how a man named Ysgramor led his people in fleeing from a land called Atmora to Tamriel, bringing with them their faith in animal gods.
These gods took the form of various animals such as eagles, wolves, serpents, moths, owls, whales, bears, foxes, and dragons.
According to historians, these animals were believed to be incarnations of the Divines.
This reminded Leo of the carvings he saw on the walls of Bleak Falls Barrow, which depicted scenes of humans worshipping animals. Even the symbols on the mechanisms he encountered featured these creatures.
The book explained that dragons were considered the mightiest of all the gods, and eventually, dragons physically appeared on Tamriel.
To worship these dragons, humans built grand temples and offered them tributes. In return, dragons granted some of their power to select humans, known as Dragon Priests.
Initially, there was harmony between humans and dragons, but one ambitious Dragon Priest sought to rule and enslave all of humanity. This led to rebellion.
The conflict escalated into a full-scale war between humans and dragons.
At first, humans were no match for the powerful dragons, suffering heavy casualties. But for reasons unknown, some dragons turned against their own kind and taught humans magic.
With this newfound knowledge, the tide of the war turned in favor of humanity. Many Dragon Priests and dragons were killed, while the remaining dragons were driven far from human lands.
Those who survived built dragon tombs, believing that the dragons would one day return.
As for why some dragons betrayed their race and sided with humans, the book suggested that it was due to the intervention of the great Time Dragon, Akatosh.
Akatosh, according to the book, was the chief deity of the Nine Divines, the first god, and the father of all dragons. He was said to possess dominion over time itself.
…
(End of Chapter)