Simon took the letter, and couldn't help but pull out a bottle of warm mead from his inner pocket and hand it to the messenger. It was too pitiful; the man was red all over from the cold and still panting, dressed in less than a plucked dog on such a cold day.
The messenger's face was dirty, and he said thank you, took the mead, and drank a large gulp. It was scalding, fiery, and intense, extremely comfortable. He shivered violently, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face, and he repeatedly thanked Simon for his kindness.
"Do you know who sent this letter to me?" Simon examined the wax seal on the envelope; there were no markings. He planned to read it when he returned to the Wolf Pack Resting Place.
"It was a young man with a hood, very mysterious."
When Simon heard this, a word popped into his mind—the Dark Brotherhood.
A famous assassin organization in the game, the interesting part about this questline is that you can assassinate the Emperor.
The story would happen more than ten years later, when the poor old Emperor came to Skyrim for sightseeing, and incidentally to boost the morale of the Imperial army, and then he was cut down by the Dark Brotherhood as a whetstone for their rise.
Regarding this shocking assassination, there is actually much more to say. Simon vaguely remembered that the Imperial Elder Council's conspiracy led to the Emperor's death. The specifics didn't really matter; what impressed him was that the Emperor had great integrity, facing death without a change in expression.
However, these were still not important.
The story of Skyrim had not yet begun, the civil war had not broken out, and the Dragons had not returned. Now it was calm, a good time to recuperate.
Simon once again fell into a jumble of memories. When he came back to his senses, the messenger had already run far away.
What a pity, he had planned to give him a pack of dried meat for the road.
Jonas sighed, "Nord blood is truly cold-resistant."
Simon mumbled, "I'm more curious where the mailbox is. What if I want to reply?"
"You can give the letter to the tavern owner. When the messenger comes to collect letters, he'll take it too."
"Oh! They even offer forwarding? That's really good."
Simon decided to ask about Jonas's studies, "Have you thought about what path you want to take in the future? Destruction, Conjuration, Alteration, or Illusion?"
Jonas looked bewildered, "I haven't decided."
"Is there anything you're particularly interested in?"
"They're all okay."
Hearing 'all okay,' Simon's heart immediately sank. This phrase was what he used to placate his parents back then…
"Did the mages say you have a particular talent in any school?"
"They're all okay."
Simon remained calm on the surface, but inwardly he was greatly alarmed. This tone, these lines, this boy might not be studying well!
"Cast a spell for me to see."
Jonas nodded, and shot a small fireball at a berry bush by the roadside that had just sprouted tender shoots. With a bang, the poor shrub turned into a bonfire.
Simon raised an eyebrow. The resonance was very precise, no need for incantation. The magical energy reserve also seemed quite sufficient, and the release was fast… So, he was a top student after all.
The Troll was very satisfied, nodding and encouraging Jonas a few times. The boy was a little proud, then his eyes rolled, and he made a request to visit the Land of Peace.
Children who behave well always get rewarded. Simon naturally agreed, and led the boy back into the pure land.
This pure land was indeed vast, boundless. Yet, it was also truly small, as the amount of soil it contained was limited; the rest was a vast ice field. Besides the green fields, everything was white, with nothing particularly interesting to see.
However, its charm lay in the endless creative space. Jonas could run wild on the ice field, cast fireballs at will, practice other spells, carve ice blocks to build an ice house, help with farming, or hum songs while lying on the tractor, enjoying the greatest degree of childhood fun.
Simon sat on the ridge, watching Jonas run wild, feeling a silent sense of loneliness.
Childhood is a good thing, full of possibilities, full of novelty, without boredom. Even playing with fingers can make a day happy. He had long lost his childhood, and had never recalled his childhood, but seeing childhood again, he felt a faint sadness in his heart.
What should Jonas's future be, and who would decide it?
Simon knew he couldn't just let him be, but he also didn't want rules to shackle the boy's spirit.
Adult rationality often fails to understand a child's romance.
Simon hoped he could also be a romantic person.
Over there, Jonas found a bone flute, a relic of the old mage killed by Simon. The boy blew the flute, and the sound was sharp and piercing, like the cry of a crow in a lonely night. It was too abrupt, and the boy was startled. After a long pause, he turned his head to see Simon's reaction. In the green field at the end of his vision, the Troll lay on his back, disappearing among the tall wheat stalks.
Jonas continued to try blowing the flute. This time, it sounded much better.
Blowing the flute, the sound was high-pitched and bright, as if birds and the sun scattered from the flute holes, rising straight into the sky, circling low in the pure cloud space. The flute sound was not formless; it was precisely colorful. Those birds, petals, night lamps, and stars all alternated in light and shadow within the undulating tunes.
Simon was startled by the flute sound. He looked at the boy in surprise, tiptoeing, carefully, stepping on the high ridge, walking onto the ice field, and then suddenly began to glide. His posture was both leisurely and elegant, like a young Xiao Lu suddenly transforming into a swallow skimming over a tranquil lake.
The flute sound, distant, then near; sometimes distant, yet seeming close at hand; sometimes near, yet like separated by a vast distance.
The Breton's poetic sense transformed into a clear stream on the ice peak of the pure land, infinitely clean, infinitely soothing, scattering into the fields and the sky, lighter than clouds, more moisturizing than rain.
Simon walked to the edge of the field, sat down, and watched Jonas glide over after the song ended.
"Who taught you that song?"
The boy froze, then squinted and smiled, "My mother taught me."
Simon had never seen such a smile. He couldn't quite say how much spiritual power Jonas concealed within that smile.
"It's very beautiful."
"If sir likes it, I'll play it for you forever."
"...Okay."
The Troll remained seated, his tall body like a heavy reef, able to touch the boy's forehead with an outstretched hand.
"Okay…" Simon repeated softly, in a low voice.
...Back at the Wolf Pack Resting Place, Simon opened the envelope.
"Dear friend,"
"Long time no see. I'm writing to you this time to tell you some good news. After receiving great favor, I am no longer that sad, helpless weakling. Now I have begun to plan my counterattack and have found some capable assistants. I believe I will be able to start my revenge soon. Of course, this matter alone, I would not dare to deliberately disturb your life, but I still have some doubts that I wish to resolve with your help."
"Regarding that favor, I find it difficult to restrain an impulse. It is forcing me to commit unjust killings. Currently, I can still control it, but I don't know when the beast in my heart will lose control. Please help me and teach me how to control it."
"As for your living situation, I will make time in a few months to prepare a batch of supplies for you. If all goes well, you will receive them before the Day of High Sun. At that time, I will have a messenger send you a letter, and you can pick them up at the old place."
Signed, A person with a burning desire for revenge in his heart.
Simon nodded and began to write a reply.
Note:
Dear readers,
The Lunar New Year is approaching, and I wish you all a new year filled with success, good fortune, and prosperity!
Holiday Announcement:
I'm writing this to announce that I will be taking a short break from posting to celebrate the holiday from February 15th to February 22nd, 2026. I will officially return to work on February 23rd.
Don't worry though! During this break, I'll be busy prepping a bunch of new chapters so I can post them consistently once I'm back. I promise the upcoming parts will be even more exciting, so please stay tuned!
Thank you so much for your understanding and for always being such a supportive community.
Happy Lunar New Year!