- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 446
Whiterun is divided into three districts: the Plains District, the Wind District, and the Cloud District.
The Plains District, the lowest area and closest to the city gates, is the commercial hub of Whiterun.
Here, various shops of all sizes line the streets.
The most notable among them are Warmaiden’s Smithy and Weapon Shop, The Drunken Huntsman tavern and hunting goods store, Belethor’s General Goods, Arcadia’s Cauldron alchemy shop, and The Bannered Mare inn.
Once you pass through the bustling Plains District, you reach the higher-elevated Wind District.
The Wind District is primarily residential, home to the Temple of Kynareth and Jorrvaskr, the headquarters of the Companions.
Strong winds frequently blow through this district, but the views are breathtaking. Standing by the city walls, one can gaze out over the natural beauty and vastness of Whiterun Hold.
In the center of this district stands a towering statue of Talos, where a fanatical follower of Talos was loudly preaching the benefits of worshipping the god.
“We are all the descendants of men! Talos is our true god, born of flesh and ascended to divinity!”
A crowd of Nords had gathered around, cheering and clapping in agreement.
In his previous life, Leo had always scoffed at the idea of worshipping gods, dismissing it as mere psychological comfort with no practical value.
But this world was different. Listening to the conversations in the inn, Leo had learned that, in this world, sincere belief in a deity—whether a holy spirit or a Daedric prince—could bring real, tangible benefits.
For instance, by praying at the altar of a holy spirit, worshippers could receive blessings that cured diseases and restored their health.
Each deity also granted unique blessings to their followers.
Some blessings could make believers physically stronger, increase their stamina, enhance their magical power, or improve their charisma.
As a result, there were virtually no atheists in Skyrim; everyone had their own holy spirit or Daedric prince to worship.
However, Leo wasn’t particularly interested in these blessings.
He had no intention of truly devoting himself to any deity, and thus he would not receive any blessings. Even if he did, the blessings wouldn’t be of much use to him.
It was similar to the healing potions and magicka potions of this world.
Leo had obtained a few from bandits and ancient tombs. While they did work, their effects were… underwhelming, to say the least.
The healing potion restored health, but his body’s natural regeneration was faster than the potion’s effect. The magicka potion restored energy, but it was far less potent than his own sorcerer bloodline, which allowed him to continuously convert magicka.
In the time it took to pull out a bottle and drink the potion, his body would have already healed itself.
Likewise, the blessings granted by the gods, which strengthened ordinary people, were insignificant to him and could be mostly ignored.
Lastly, these external powers were bound to this world. Once he left, they would be lost.
After passing through the Wind District and climbing the steps, Leo reached the highest part of Whiterun, the Cloud District, home to Dragonsreach—the Jarl’s residence and the place where city matters were discussed.
“Please wait here for a moment while I inform the Jarl,” the captain of the guard said, giving Leo a nod before pushing open the doors to Dragonsreach and entering.
After about ten minutes, Leo was invited inside.
Sitting on the throne in the grand hall of Dragonsreach was Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun. His expression was serious, but there was a certain calmness in his gaze as he looked down at Leo.
“Adventurer, I’ve heard that Gerdo sent you to request aid. Can you explain in detail what has happened?”
“A dragon executed by the Stormcloaks has appeared in Riverwood.”
Leo didn’t hold anything back. He recounted everything he knew and all the information Gerdo had told him to Jarl Balgruuf.
After listening to the report, Balgruuf’s emotions became visibly more agitated.
“By Ysmir, Irileth was right!”
After exclaiming, he turned to a balding man dressed in noble attire standing nearby and asked, “Proventus, what do you think? Can we truly rely on our walls to withstand a dragon from the legends?”
“My Jarl, we should immediately send troops to garrison Riverwood. If that dragon is lurking in the mountains, this is the most dangerous time!”
At this moment, Irileth, a dark elf woman dressed in fine armor standing on the other side of the Jarl, interjected with her own suggestion.
Proventus, the balding noble, immediately opposed her.
“Irileth, what are you saying? Riverwood is right next to Falkreath’s border. If we station a large number of troops there, it will make the Jarl of Falkreath think we’re provoking them.
“He might believe we’ve sided with Ulfric and are preparing to attack, and that would cause huge problems!”
At this point, Leo understood Proventus’ concerns.
Falkreath was aligned with the Imperial Legion, while Whiterun remained neutral. Riverwood lay directly between the two holds, and a sudden military buildup at the border would naturally arouse suspicion.
As Proventus continued to argue his case, Jarl Balgruuf’s brow furrowed. Finally, he slammed his hand down on his throne and roared in anger.
“There’s a dragon outside, burning my lands and slaughtering my people, and you want me to sit idly by because of a *possible* misunderstanding? Absolutely not.
“I won’t let a single one of my citizens come to harm—that is my duty as Jarl!”
Proventus, Whiterun’s steward, reluctantly fell silent after his lord’s outburst.
From his perspective, even if Riverwood were destroyed by the dragon, it would have little impact on Whiterun as a whole. Sending troops there seemed like a waste of resources.
After reprimanding his steward, Balgruuf turned to the captain of the guard and gave an order.
“Irileth, immediately dispatch a garrison to Riverwood.”
“Yes, my Jarl!”
The dark elf captain swiftly left the hall to carry out her orders.
Proventus, seeing this, could only withdraw to attend to other matters.
Once they were gone, Balgruuf’s gaze returned to Leo, now filled with appreciation.
“Adventurer, thank you for braving the danger and rushing here with this vital information. You’ve made a great contribution to Whiterun. As a token of my gratitude, you may choose either a reward of 4,000 gold coins or a piece of enchanted equipment from my private vault.”
Covering the distance from Riverwood to Whiterun in half a day was no small feat for an adventurer.
“I don’t need gold or enchanted equipment. I enjoy reading. If possible, I’d like access to as many books as you can provide.”
Leo calmly expressed the reward he had already decided upon.
(End of Chapter)