- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 437
“Could you hand me those books to take a look?”
After scanning the shop, Leo noticed that most of the items seemed of little use to him. The only things that caught his attention were a few dusty books piled in the bottom-right corner of the counter.
Books were always a good way to understand the world better.
Lucan moved quickly and placed the books on the counter:
“This one, *Creation Gods and Foreign Gods*, is 10 gold coins.
This one, *The Dragon Wars*, is 9 gold coins.
Oh, here’s *Sparks*, a magic book. You know, magic books tend to be more expensive—400 gold coins. And here’s a free tip: if you’re interested in advanced magic, you can go to the College of Winterhold.
And finally, *Energetic Argonian Maid*. Haha, every man needs this one—it’s a real page-turner. Just 30 gold coins, and trust me, you won’t regret it!”
He lowered his voice, glancing at his sister to make sure she couldn’t hear.
“Thank you.”
Leo gathered the four thick books in his hands and paid a total of 449 gold coins.
As he turned to leave, Lucan suddenly asked:
“Excuse me, sir, are you an adventurer?”
“Of course,” Leo replied, pausing for a moment before nodding.
Since Lokir had been caught stealing horses, his identity couldn’t be used anymore, so Leo was now disguised as a novice adventurer named Chuan, with his appearance slightly altered.
“If you’re interested, I have a job for you. If you can retrieve the golden claw stolen from me by the bandits in Bleak Falls Barrow, I’ll pay you 1,000 gold coins.”
Since the golden claw had been stolen, Lucan’s adventurous sister, Camilla, had been eager to set off and recover it herself. Now that an outsider adventurer had arrived, Lucan saw an opportunity to hire him instead. If successful, the 1,000 gold coins would be worth the return of the claw. If the adventurer failed and died, at least his sister would learn how dangerous Bleak Falls Barrow was.
It was a win-win situation.
“Bleak Falls Barrow?”
Leo raised an eyebrow. He had only just arrived and had no idea what or where Bleak Falls Barrow was.
Camilla then rushed over, pulling him to the door and pointing toward the large mountain across the river:
“That mountain is called the Throat of the World, and halfway up it is Bleak Falls Barrow. It’s an ancient Nord tomb. I have no idea why those thieves would want to hide there.”
Looking in the direction she pointed, Leo realized that the Bleak Falls Barrow she mentioned was the impressive structure built into the mountainside that had already caught his attention.
After thinking for a few seconds, he nodded and said:
“Alright, I’ll take the job.”
Leo wasn’t particularly interested in the 1,000 gold coins or the golden claw itself, but he did have a curiosity about the grand architecture. He had already planned to stop by the location on his way to Whiterun, so accepting this task just aligned with his plans.
Seeing him agree, Lucan was naturally pleased, and his sister, Camilla, gave Leo directions and some advice on what to watch out for.
After leaving the Riverwood Trader, Leo headed to the nearby Sleeping Giant Inn and rented a room. Surprisingly, the room was very cheap—only 10 gold coins.
However, it soon became clear that the inn made most of its money from selling food, drinks, and services.
After reserving the room, Leo didn’t rest. He immediately followed the route Camilla had given him and set off toward Bleak Falls Barrow.
Climbing the path from the foot of the Throat of the World, he effortlessly dealt with two wolves, a brown bear, and three venomous snakes that attacked him along the way. Eventually, he arrived at an old watchtower Camilla had mentioned.
The bandits occupying the tower spotted him and attacked without a word.
“Avada Lightning Chain!”
With a flick of his wrist, a green light shot out, and three bandits fell to the ground instantly.
After searching their bodies and the watchtower, Leo found no sign of the golden claw. He continued heading north, climbing further up the mountain.
As he reached the snow-covered area, with the icy wind howling around him, the entrance to Bleak Falls Barrow finally came into view.
“If this really is an ancient tomb, the people buried here must have been quite important.”
After dispatching a few more bandits guarding the entrance, he pushed open the enormous stone doors and stepped inside.
“Shouldn’t we wait here and let Arvel take the golden claw inside first?”
“That Dark Elf wants to go first, let him. His life can serve as a test for traps. It’s better this way.”
“But if Arvel dies, we won’t get paid!”
“If Arvel’s using the golden claw to enter the tomb, there must be treasures inside worth far more than our payment. Stop asking stupid questions and trust me.”
Upon entering the tomb, Leo overheard a conversation. He looked ahead and saw two burly Nords—a man and a woman—arguing by a campfire in the passage opposite the tomb’s entrance hall.
The sound of the stone door opening caught their attention, and they grabbed their weapons, charging toward him.
With a flash, Leo appeared before them and used the *Makyō Kurei Ken* to temporarily seize control of their minds.
“Tell me, why did you steal the golden claw?”
From their conversation, Leo could tell that the bandits had a specific purpose for stealing the claw.
Under Leo’s control, the male bandit replied obediently:
“It was Arvel who hired us, paying a hefty sum to steal the golden claw from Riverwood.”
The bandits had been stationed at the old watchtower, robbing travelers along the road from Riverwood to Whiterun.
A few days ago, a Dark Elf named Arvel had approached them, offering 6,000 gold coins to steal the golden claw from the Riverwood Trader.
That was what led to the theft the previous night.
However, after obtaining the claw, Arvel didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he asked the bandits to help guard the entrance to Bleak Falls Barrow while he went inside alone.
The tomb was said to be filled with deadly traps and the terrifying draugr, which is why the bandits had never dared to enter before. Even experienced adventurers who had ventured inside were never seen again.
The clever male bandit suspected that Arvel was using the golden claw to retrieve valuable ancient Nordic treasures from within the tomb. Their plan was to wait for Arvel to retrieve the treasures and then claim them for themselves.
“Draugr? Ancient Nordic treasures?”
Hearing this, Leo’s interest in the tomb only grew.
After disposing of the two bandits, he continued deeper into the tomb.
(End of this chapter)