Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 180 - Well-prepared...probably

The bell rang.

The sound of the bell was a power that could not be suppressed by defensive magic arrays—there are always things whose importance must outweigh the safety of the city from the very beginning of the ritual design. After all, in the thousands of years of kingship changes in Skyrim, the vast majority of the High Kings came from Windhelm and Solitude.

The magnificent chimes then resounded.

In an instant, it covered the entire city, and under the operation of the pre-set mechanism, it bypassed the protective magic array and surged in every direction of the Eastern Territory—the vendors and customers who were arguing with each other before stopped arguing, and the thugs who were pushing and shoving with the city guards stared blankly upwards. And beyond this, many elderly people opened their doors or windows, their surprise gradually turning into panic.

Because this bell will only ring under one condition.

Because its roar only signifies one situation.

That was the High King of Skyrim, the nominal and de facto ruler of Skyrim, who governed the entire land and bore only partial responsibility even towards Cyrodiil, who met his end at this moment. The problem, however, was that the current High King was young and healthy, with no history of illness or old injuries.

Unfortunately, the entire city of Windhelm knows that Lord Ulfric and High King Toig have diametrically opposed governing philosophies. Furthermore, Ulfric had recently led a group of elite warriors to Solitude to pay homage to the current High King!
The death of the Supreme King was too coincidental.

It was such a coincidence that anyone with a normal brain could connect it to Ulfric's visit, this unusual meeting! And almost the instant the bell stopped, someone screamed.

"It was Ulfric! Ulfric killed the High King!"

He was a neurotic man, and everyone knew he couldn't possibly be allied with the elves or the powerful clans of Solitude. Therefore, his words carried considerable weight in this situation. And precisely because of this, with just a little guidance from someone nearby, he could become a living megaphone with considerable authority and persuasive power!
"Shut up!" "Don't talk nonsense!" "Hold him down!"

People around him shouted, some with concern, others with malice. The dim-witted man was immediately gagged and pinned to the ground. However, after the first one to stick his neck out appeared, those who followed did not immediately attract much attention.

In ancient cities with a history spanning thousands of years, there is no shortage of ambitious individuals willing to take a gamble and seek advancement. Almost immediately, a moderately powerful family raised its flag and shouted excitedly.

"Toig is weak! Ulfric is the true High King!"

"Skyrim belongs to the Nords!"

They rose up in a clamor, calling for the service of Ulfric. And without hesitation, they drew their swords, striking at the dissident forces with whom they had previously had some economic conflicts, and who had historically leaned more towards Solitude and the Cyrodiil!

Blood splattered immediately, something that would normally be insignificant—the death of a group of unfortunate souls as a sacrifice during a change of dynasty was a normal loss of manpower. However, the timing was anything but good.

A magical gust of wind suddenly rose up.

The next moment, under Hera Morley's watchful gaze, a contingent of Windhelm guards, assembled before she even set off, swiftly arrived, propelled by magic, and descended from the sky!

"Stop! Private fights are prohibited!"

"Go back, all of you, to your own homes!"

The soldiers were fully armed, carrying official orders and witchcraft. This one-sided conflict was quickly suppressed by the rapid reaction force. However, before they could even catch their breath, three more battlefields, driven by ambition and desire, emerged within Windhelm.

More troops were mobilized.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, whether it was Wynfis, Joreford, or Brunwuff, they all personally led their trusted guards to assist in the attack—they ran back and forth under the witch's guidance, also serving as bait. However, until the chaos within the city was initially quelled, no hidden forces attempted to launch an attack.

No one attacked them, not even Hera. However, this meant another, less friendly situation.

—The hidden power is not here, nor in the open battlefield. —The real Windhelm City... is not the main battlefield.

Frowning, Hera knew that many hidden forces remained within the city, waiting to be unleashed. For example, the powerful assassin who never spoke, or Milmoniel, the rune imbued with Dust's power—their whereabouts were still unknown. This undoubtedly meant that they were currently in a considerable hurry.

So……

Magical light danced between her fingers. Just now, she had received another piece of not-so-good new information.

The watchmen of Standal have vanished. They went to the dungeons of Windhelm to investigate the vampire. Now, their fate is unknown, their whereabouts unclear. There are no signs of battle, nor the remains of the dead.

This only means one scenario.

....................................

—Speaking of which, when was the Stormcloaks formed again?

—Ah, I remember now. On the way to Windhelm, that guy seemed to want to pull me into a powerful, albeit vaguely named, army.

Time, slightly forward.

Hera's one-way communication echoed in Wu Chen's ears—his decryption ability was practically negligible, and he couldn't muster any other thoughts besides raising his hand and cheering for his senior. But when he bit his finger, dipped it in vampire ash, and touched the glowing stake, a thought inexplicably popped into his head.

The Stormcloaks appear to have been formed before Ulfric's rebellion in the game. This core force only began to expand after he actually killed Toig – and naturally, the assassination of Toig was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by Ulfric. In other words, he must have made ample preparations beforehand to ensure that Windhelm remained under his control.

I have no idea how he did it.

And then there's his seemingly formidable lieutenant, Stonefist Gadama... I don't recall ever seeing him in the Palace of Kings, or hearing anyone discuss him. Indeed, it's quite strange that Brunwuff, this pro-Imperial fellow, is in charge of Windhelm's defenses. After all, at the start of the main storyline, this veteran general of the powerful clan didn't seem to have any real power; even tasks like suppressing bandits were outsourced.

I don't understand, but it probably doesn't matter.

In any case, no matter what happens outside, it probably won't affect Wu Chenchen much. As for his intelligent and beautiful senior, Hera, there's absolutely no need to worry about her.

but……

—Ramaye, huh. I think I installed some kind of mod before that involved Ramaya. It's quite unexpected that the first vampire actually lies buried here.

With a change of heart, she felt quite relaxed. Hera had said not to venture into the deeper layers of dreams, which meant the surface layers were quite safe for her. So, she might as well treat it as a relaxing vacation.

Between my fingers, I touched the nail that had been struck by the light.

In an instant, vision and perception shifted dramatically. Everything before and beneath their feet transformed into a dreamlike void. And their own bodies plummeted downwards.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion.

During his descent, Wu Chen felt the Standal amulet he had acquired radiating a slight warmth from his chest.

(End of this chapter)