"I’m glad I brought a Potion of Cure Disease, just in case. Sorry I was a bit slow catching up to you."
Brynjolf spoke to Camilla, who had been bitten by a skeever. He had found the path she took and followed her down, but by the time he arrived, the vermin had already left their mark.
"Cough! I get it, so just hand over the medicine already...!"
Inflicted with disease, Camilla snapped at Brynjolf, her irritation flaring as she demanded the potion.
Seeing as she was already coughing mere moments after the bite, the creatures Mercer Frey had unleashed in the basement were clearly no ordinary skeevers.
In another world, this might have been a death sentence, but this was the world of the Elder Scrolls—a place where a single potion or a divine blessing could purge any ailment.
"Gulp, gulp. Phew."
Camilla drained the potion, and the effects were instantaneous.
"Anyway, looks like we finally found it."
"...Yeah."
Camilla agreed with Brynjolf’s assessment.
Having bypassed all the traps, they had reached a small office. On the desk lay the prize: Mercer's plans.
"That bastard Mercer certainly hid this deep," Brynjolf muttered, gripping the documents. He immediately began scanning the contents of the plans.
"Whoa..."
While Brynjolf focused on the paperwork, Camilla’s attention drifted to a luxurious display case standing next to the desk.
Inside was a crystal blade. It emitted a beautiful, sharp, and terrifying light that instantly captivated her.
Even through the glass, she could feel a distinct chill radiating from the weapon. Having grown increasingly fond of treasures since joining the Thieves Guild, Camilla knew at a glance: this was a legendary masterpiece.
She pulled out her lockpicks and began working on the lock.
—Click, snap.
It must have been exceptionally valuable, as Mercer had installed a devilishly difficult lock. Camilla watched in frustration as one lockpick after another snapped in her hands.
Finally, she was down to her last one. She moved with the utmost caution, holding her breath, but—snap—it broke all the same.
"Ah..."
Camilla’s face fell in utter despair.
"Camilla! I’ve figured out Mercer's plan. Let’s head back to the Guild immediately."
"Okay..." she replied, her voice trailing off despondently.
"What’s wrong? Is it because of that sword?"
Brynjolf strode over and casually smashed the glass of the display case with his elbow.
—CRASH!
"Thieving isn't just about technique, lass. It requires creativity. Don't let yourself get trapped by the rules of the box."
"Right... anyway, what is this sword?" Camilla asked, ignoring the advice as she eagerly took the weapon he handed her.
"Weapons aren't my specialty, so I couldn't say for sure."
"Speaking of which... the sword you gave me before... you called it a 'Nightingale' blade, right? Karliah mentioned that name too. What exactly is a Nightingale?"
"I suppose it’s finally time I explained that to you."
Sensing that they were nearing the end of their long investigation, Brynjolf decided it was time to answer her questions.
***
“Bingo.”
Salonia was certain the man drinking in the tavern was a Moth Priest.
Looking at his travel-worn clothes, he seemed exhausted from a long journey. It was highly likely he would be resting at this inn for the remainder of the day.
If they could just capture him and bring him to Lord Harkon, their influence within the Volkihar Clan would be solidified.
However, there was one problem: how to transport him all the way back to Castle Volkihar.
She knew that Moth Priests were often proficient in combat. With Choi Ha-neul at her side, they could probably overwhelm him with brute force if necessary.
But they were in the middle of a town, in its most crowded inn.
No matter how strong they were, taking on an entire town would be a hassle. Even if they succeeded, exposing the threat of vampires so publicly would make their situation precarious.
‘What should I do?’ Salonia pondered deeply.
"Um..."
“Yes?” Salonia looked up as Choi Ha-neul called out to her.
“What if we used my authority?”
“Your authority?”
At that moment, it clicked. Salonia grabbed Ha-neul by the shoulders.
“That's right! You received blood directly from Lord Harkon, didn’t you?”
—Nod.
Salonia immediately formulated a plan to kidnap the Moth Priest, Dexion.
“Hehe, are you here alone?” Salonia approached him warmly and sat in the seat next to Dexion.
The plan was simple. While Salonia distracted him, Ha-neul would turn the innkeeper into a thrall to find out which room Dexion was staying in.
Once Ha-neul had sneaked into the room, they would ambush him together when he prepared to sleep.
After quickly subduing him, they would use 'Vampire's Seduction'—a power of pure-blooded vampires—to turn him into a mindless slave who would follow Ha-neul’s every command.
‘Mm, a perfect plan.’
Salonia put on her most charming smile as she looked at Dexion.
“Would you mind if I joined you?”
Vampires do not age. Though she had lived for over a century, she still retained the appearance of someone in her twenties, and Salonia was quite confident in her looks.
Even if he wasn't interested, it didn't matter as long as she bought enough time.
“I appreciate the offer, but I—”
Dexion, meeting Salonia’s gaze, stopped mid-sentence and began to glare at her intensely.
“Why are you staring at me like that, sir?”
Salonia felt a prickle of unease but maintained her facade.
“You... are you undead?”
“...”
Ten seconds of silence followed, stretching out like ten hours.
“Hmph. I wanted to end this peacefully, but I guess there's no choice.”
Salonia grabbed the table and flipped it directly toward Dexion.
—CRASH!
“Kyaaaah!”
“It’s a fight...!”
In an instant, the inn turned into a scene of absolute chaos.
—Thwack!
Before Dexion could even regain his bearings, Salonia delivered a sharp kick to the back of his head. Since Dexion was exhausted and caught off guard, the strike landed perfectly.
"Gah!"
"Be a good boy and stay still, alright? Then I won't have to hurt you anymore."
Salonia locked the Moth Priest in a firm headlock, completely subduing him. Dexion was no weakling, but against the combination of fatigue and a surprise attack, he was helpless.
She shouted Choi Ha-neul’s name loudly.
"Ha-neul!"
Quickly reading the situation, Ha-neul rushed over and placed her hand over the struggling Dexion's face.
As she cast Vampire's Seduction, a sinister aura of Magicka poured from her hand, enveloping Dexion's face and slowly corrupting his mind.
"Ugh... argh..."
Dexion clutched his head, desperately trying to resist the charm, but unfortunately, it was a losing battle.
After a moment, he slowly straightened up as she pulled her hand away. The light had vanished from his eyes.
"Oh... Divines... thank you for opening my eyes. From this moment on, I am your absolute servant."
Just like that, the Moth Priest Dexion became Choi Ha-neul’s thrall.
"That went smoothly, didn't it?"
"I didn't think it would be this easy."
Ha-neul and Salonia looked at the mesmerized Dexion with satisfied expressions. They were about to make their casual exit when—
"It’s those people right there!"
"You two! Stay right where you are and cooperate with the investigation!"
Alerted by a citizen who witnessed the carnage, the Falkreath guards burst into the inn. Escaping seemed difficult; not only were the guards blocking the entrance, but they had to escort the Moth Priest out as well.
However, there were only three guards. Salonia could handle that on her own.
"Nothing's ever simple, is it?"
—Schlick!
While pretending to surrender by raising her hands, Salonia lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, driving a blade into a guard’s heart. He collapsed instantly, clutching his chest.
"No!" another guard screamed, seeing his fallen comrade.
"You bastard!"
The remaining two guards charged at Salonia, fueled by vengeance. Clad in their gear and wielding swords and shields, they moved with disciplined combat stances.
For guards, their swordsmanship was decent, but it was nowhere near enough to overcome a high-tier vampire.
Salonia effortlessly parried their attacks, playing with them like a cat with a couple of mice.
"Pant, pant... You... you're not human, are you?"
"Oh, you're quite observant, aren't you?"
—CRACK!
Salonia brought the back of her blade down on the guard's shoulder, shattering the bone.
"ARGH!"
"So you know the truth. Now, what exactly do you think you can do about it?"
Salonia took down the remaining two in the blink of an eye. However, other residents watching the spectacle scrambled toward the guard barracks.
"You have broken the law of the city! Surrender at once!"
In the end, a much larger force arrived. Roughly twenty guards flooded the area.
"Oh, for Shor's sake, this is annoying. Hey, Priest, can you fight?"
"I do not believe I am in any condition to do so, mistress."
"Fine then. Ha-neul."
"Yes. Inhale...!"
At Salonia's command, Choi Ha-neul took a massive breath. She turned toward the dense formation of guards and exhaled a mighty roar.
"FUS RO DAH!!"
—BOOM!
With a thunderous explosion that shook the foundations of the inn, the guards were sent flying.
""Waaaaaaah!""
"By the gods! Is that a Shout?!"
More than half of the guards were swept away, slammed into the walls of nearby buildings by a single Thu'um. Even those lucky enough to dodge found their morale completely shattered.
Not stopping there, Ha-neul gathered fierce, flickering flames in her palm and blasted a hole through the inn wall with a Fireball.
"We're leaving anyway. Get out of the way, or I'll wipe out your Jarl and everyone in this town with him," Salonia warned, her voice cold.
Terrified by the destruction, the guards did nothing to stop the two women as they walked through the wreckage of the inn. They knew all too well that attempting to intervene would change nothing but their own life expectancy.
"Shall we?"
"Yes."
Having neutralized the Falkreath garrison, they began to make their nonchalant departure.
At that moment, however, Choi Ha-neul came face-to-face with another party of adventurers who had rushed toward the noise. They were faces she knew all too well.
"The Moth Priest... we finally found him."
"He's not the only one here..."
"Ha... Ha-neul...!"
"..."
And so, a meeting that was both a relief and a burden began.
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