[A/N: A very big apology to @Angry_Bear on Patreon. I haven't checked it for 2 days and haven't seen the Donation. Thank you very much. And congratulations on becoming a Greybeard!]
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"Sir Mage! You want me to do business! I am afraid I have nothing I can offer."
Elishka quivered and looked away.
"What are thinking of? I said business, not your body!"
She looked at me as if she wasn't expecting that.
"Thank you, Sir."
"Actually you still have to hear me first. The business proposition I am about to ask you will bring a big change to the town."
"Sir Mage! I don't think I can be much of much use in any trade !"
"What if I help you rebuild the house? And give you a comfortable job!"
"That's all too good to be true sir."
"I am planning to start a bathhouse business, something like the one you used to work in."
Elishka shook her head, "I don't want anything to do with it! I have spent five years doing all this and that with men. I will do it no more."
"I don't want you to do it! I want you to run it."
"Run it? But I have no brain for money, Sir. and Winterhold has no one wealthy enough to bathe in a bathhouse."
Sigh!
"What about mages?"
"What about them?"
"We have baths but we barely touch girls."
"..."
"Look, this is business. Winterhold has no money or goods circulation process. It was all sucked by the Jarl. Now if you want to energize the economy you need to start expanding your market! The town has nothing. Completely nothing. This is a slow death state and you all will perish no matter how many iron mine or lumber mill you have. You need to build an economy based on everyone's capabilities. And you have the biggest gold trove in goddamn Skyrim ready for the taking! The College holds wealth that no one can imagine and more importantly they can't be influenced! If an establishment like a bathhouse was made then the people from the college will lose their minds over it. I also have seen many beautiful girls in the town. If they were to be put on a healthy food system and training, they will be the most dazzling girls in any Bathhouse. I will not just take care of them. I'll give them a place to stay and all they need. Now, what do you say?"
My inner ex-earthling has squeezed out every bit of idea to make it look lucrative enough.
Elishka thought for a while, she raised her white hands on her beautiful face and started thinking.
"Will the girls get everything they need?"
"A place to stay, health care, good payment, shares of the profits, two days off weakly. As well as food and drinks. What they have to do in return is follow my instructions and your guidance! I need their word of cooperation before I take the next move."
"I see! But how will we work, we can't draw water unless we are at a river and we barely have enough firewood in the inn!"
"Do you know how many times I sighed in this day alone! Please, Elishka, this is a magical world, any problems can be solved by magic."
"Ah! But Sir. The girls will be Nords who lived in Winterhold most of their lives so they won't think highly of Magic."
"Those who don't want to work won't get the job, there is only one path and it's forward. Those who keep looking backward will eventually die out. Their choices are their own. When can you gather some girls?"
"They are all at the hall outside!"
"Fine! Bring them in and talk them into it! I will make you a partner if this project worked."
Elishka's eye lit up. She nodded and ran out.
I stood up and told Jull to follow! She seemed a bit hesitant.
"What's wrong?"
"Did you sleep with that woman?" She asked.
"Something wrong with it?"
"I don't know yet." She said with a mysterious voice and went out ahead.
What's with her?
I'll find out later.
Now let's head to the inn hall and make some noise.
The hall was hectic! I looked around and saw a face I know. It's Trudvar, the guard boy who ran from the mine to here!
"Wel-met!" I greeted him and sat down.
"Sir Mage! What a pleasant surprise!" Trudvar said.
He was a tall guy like me, with black short hair and a bit of a baby face, he is a good fighter though.
"Let me get straight into business! You seem like a good guy and Elishka vouched for you. Do you want to work for me?"
"Wha! Work?"
"Yes, I am planning to get the title of a Thane from the Jarl."
"Ah! So you want me as a housecarl?"
"Yes."
"I would be honored, Sir Mage. But the Jarl won't give the title easily!"
"I'll force it out of him."
"If you do that Sir Mage. I'll swear my allegiance to you."
"Do you have any friends that are good with swinging weapons and can be trusted?"
"I know some. After the tournament, a fire broke out in Solitude and a member of our team ran away. We were between becoming guards or going to 'The Chill', so I'll be able to persuade them into it."
"It's okay! I only will ask for them when the title is gained."
"Yes, Sir Mage. I hope you have luck!"
As I finished with the guy, Jullanar came to me and whispered something!
"Oh! About bloody time!"
Finally, the party made its goal. The Jarl is asking for me.
A second later, some guards went in and one of them headed towards me.
"You are the owner of that demon horse?"
"Oh! I have two more."
"By the gods! Where do these demons come from?! Anyway, better head to the Jarl with us now. He's asking for you."
I spoke and raised my voice, "Aha! The Jarl is asking for me. Will I get a reward?"
The guards were taken aback by my statement, but the people who heard me cheered.
This is gonna be fun!
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The people followed me as planned, this was only done by some old crowd manipulation trick. If few of the crowd did some notable action, the rest shall copy one by one. So, I made a few arrangements for some 'cheerleaders'.
I stood in front of the Jarl's Longhouse with around the sixty to seventy people who followed.
A guard saw the crowd and ran inside to report, some other guards centered themselves in front of the crowd.
"What is the meaning of this?" A Dark Elf came out and was in a bad mood.
"I heard the Jarl has invited me for some reward so I came, and my friends tagged along!"
"""""Yeaaaah!!"""""
"Reward? Aren't you the owner of that so-called demon horse. I'll report to the Jarl."
The Dark Elf went in. I could hear some yelling inside but it ended quickly.
A second later, the door opened again and who came out was Korir, the Jarl.
"Why are you folk standing around here?"
"Because you called for me, Jarl." I spoke, "They are my friends and we were drinking together tonight!"
"So you're the reason behind this damn noise!"
"We are celebrating the mine rescue my Jarl"
"Sir Mage, rescued the Whistling Mine, Jarl."
"What will be the reward for him, Jarl?"
"He is the tournament champion, my Jarl."
These four were not just some normal people, they are the ones controlling the crowd as I paid them for.
The rest of the people started taking from there and made a fuss on their own easily. These four just earned themselves a bonus.
Korir looked annoyed but he couldn't retort to this number of people, he can easily pay me up and get over with it, he also recognized me as the tournament's champion and attitude changed a bit.
"Fine! About the rescue. On behalf of Winterhold and its people, I thank you."
He then looked around trying to find someone or something...
"Will I get to be a Thane?" I asked.
This is a shameless question on my part!
The 'Thane' in the game was just a game title. But in real life, this title held much duty to it.
A Thane is like a police officer. Someone with a title to command the guards around, make arrests and subjugate outlaws.
"You want to be a Thane?" Korir looked at me as if he heard something funny.
"Thank you, my Jarl. I promise I won't disappoint you."
Korir looked at me and his expressions carried a hint of anger, he felt like he was being led by the nose.
"A Thane, huh?" He said, "This title is a serious matter, you sure you want it?"
"Of course! I also know that the Thane must be a landowner so I really was planning to buy some land in the north near the College."
"Will you now?" Korir looked at me smiling but he wasn't amused at all.
"I will also need a 'Housecarl', Thanes get one from the guards' rank right? I'll be shameless just this time and ask for Trudvar over there."
Korir was baffled from my shamelessness. I am as rude as a guest who came to visit late at night and demanding a banquet.
One must know that in the game, players can't have a land or house from Winterhold. Not even a housecarl which is a personal attendant for someone with a title.
"Hmmm! I think I can give you the right to buy a land and this housecarl of yours..." Korir said but then he smiled and couldn't hide the grin on his face, he was scheming something.
"You see, because of the Collapse, Winterhold lost most of its history. What if we can retrieve one piece of it?"
He was clearly trying to get on the crowd's good side.
He cleared his throat and raised his voice, "Winterhold has lost much of its history, and with that much of its power. I aim to change that. I've heard rumors of the resting place of the 'Helm of Winterhold', the very same helm that Jarl Hanse wore in the First Era. Hanse was in line to be High King of Skyrim. Having that might get us some appearance between the other Holds, and may give our town some authority."
The people cheered as he said, but I could smell the scheme.
He wanted to do things this way, huh?
"And where can I find the Helm?" I asked.
"Hob's Fall Cave."
Oblivion! Is he planning to send me there?
The people quieted down, some finally understood what was going on.
"You can go there with that Housecarl of yours, no problem, right? If you retrieve the Helm then the title is yours!"
Hehe! That's all you could scheme?
"No problem! I'll go and retrieve the Helm."
"Oh! Will you? By all means, please."
He was thinking that if I walked to my own death, he wouldn't have to bother or receive any retribution!
The people dispersed after that and I went back to the inn.
"Sir Mage! This will be bad, that cave has so many bad rumors!" Trudvar was panicking!
"I know about the rumors!"
"Then you know what the Jarl wants, even if we somehow made it, we might not even find a helm."
He was right, we may not find anything.
"Don't worry! I knew he would do something like this. Just do what I tell you to do." I said, "Do you have a gear?"
"Not anymore! The Guard's Captain called for me and told me I was released from duties and to be your housecarl, Sir Mage!"
"Good! Here is your first payment." I took out 5 Gold Septim and gave it to him. I am sure his salary as a guard isn't even one-fifth of that.
"Wha! Sir Mage! Is it okay?"
"Yes, and from now onwards, call me 'Boss'."
"Yes, my Boss."
"Not with 'my'! Just 'Boss'."
"Yes, Boss!"
"Now, as you can't live in the barracks, you'll stay in the inn. Once I get some land and build a house and a business, you will be the Head of the Security Team! Like the title?"
"Yes, Boss! I promise I will never disappoint you!"
"We will be heading to Hob's Fall Cave so I'll bring you an armor and a weapon. Report to me the day after tomorrow morning in front of the College. You're dismissed!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Trudvar went away to find himself a place in the inn. I, on the other hand, couldn't help but grin.
"Hehe! Finally, I get to be called 'Boss'. Hahaha"