Serana realized for the first time that Simon was a very good storyteller; although all the thrilling and exciting scenes became mundane after his dry retelling, his stories were full of bold imagination and so rich in detail that it was almost overwhelming, making one almost believe they had truly happened.
Serana: "...So, that The Radiance isn't really an evil god then? Both light and feared by people, sounds like Lord Meridia..."
Simon: "No, you can't say that. The Radiance's status is even higher, like Auriel..."
"So, what was the final outcome? Did the Hollow Knight defeat Her? Did he kill Her?"
"Yes, the Hollow Knight, and that Repair Bug, but mainly the Hollow Knight's effort. Uh, The Radiance died, but not completely; She will revive."
"So, She's a Daedra creature?"
"No, She's like a tree; the Hollow Knight just cut down the part that grew above ground, but the roots underground are still there..."
They chatted as they walked towards Whiterun in the distance, crossing a stone bridge. A group of Guards, wearing armor and yellow tunics, came towards them—ten people in total: two archers, three sword-and-shield users, and five carrying two-handed weapons: greatswords, greataxes, great hammers, all made of good steel, and the craftsmanship was not bad.
The Nord man leading the group stepped out of formation and blocked Simon and Serana, "Citizens, where are you from?"
"Winterhold." Simon smiled, "I've long heard of Whiterun's prosperity, so I specifically brought my beloved to see it."
A hearty laugh came from under the Guard's bullet-shaped helmet, "Whiterun welcomes you. By your appearance, you were adventurers before, weren't you?"
Simon: "Still are."
"Ha, I used to be an adventurer just like you, until I took an arrow to the knee."
"Congratulations."
After a brief exchange of questions and answers, the Guards let them pass and turned to catch up with their own group.
Serana let out an impatient sigh, "These guys are really boring. You continue, what happened to that bat named Grimm later?"
"They were just doing their duty. That Grimm was defeated by the Repair Bug..."
"More details! I want to know exactly how he was defeated. Hurry up and make it up!"
Whiterun's main gate was hidden behind several city walls; visitors had to walk past a series of arrow towers, turn onto a gravel-paved slope, and cross a drawbridge over a moat before they could see the semi-arched wooden city gate.
The entire city was built with stone and wood, and due to the warmer climate in the south and abundant trees, materials were easily sourced. Thus, the yellowish warm tones of the wood were more prevalent than the grayish-white rocks, making it very pleasing to the eye.
There were no overly luxurious or imposing buildings in this city; the wooden houses had triangular roofs, and the slopes were paved with white flagstones, giving it a very homely feel. To the left upon entering was the barracks, a not-so-spacious stone building where several off-duty Guards had taken off their helmets and were chatting and drinking on the rooftop.
To the right was a blacksmith's forge, where an old man was hammering iron, assisted by a girl about ten years old. Simon scratched his head, and Serana also saw this somewhat comical scene, "Oh, what, does Whiterun now need undeveloped girls to do hard labor?" She was as sharp-tongued as ever.
The old blacksmith didn't respond, but the little girl turned her head and said loudly, "This is my dream! I will definitely become a good blacksmith comparable to Master Gray-Mane!" Her golden hair was covered in soot, and her face was flushed red from the furnace fire, like a ripe apple with mud splatters.
The old man grumbled in a low voice, "Concentrate!"
"Yes, sir."
Serana chuckled, then turned her head and whispered to Simon, "When I was young, my father always made me learn this and that. Back then, I just wanted to go out and play, and my dream was to drift around on a ship at sea."
"That's not bad. When I was a child, I was afraid of homework, which were the tasks assigned by my mentors. There were too many, simply endless."
"What, were you a mage apprentice back then?"
"Not quite a mage, just learning knowledge."
The hill where Whiterun is located was discovered by "Yk of the River" from the Five Hundred Companions, along with the Skyforge at the top of the mountain, which could smelt high-quality Skyforge Steel. The Companions' mead hall, Jorrvaskr, is situated next to the Skyforge.
The entire city is divided into three districts: the Cloud District, where Dragonsreach is located, which is the mountaintop; the Plains District, which is the commercial area; and the Wind District, which is the residential area. Many players' first house in the game is in Whiterun's Wind District, named Breezehome, which is a simple and straightforward name.
Simon took Serana to see the GoldenGlow Tree in the city center, which is also a famous landmark, said to be transplanted from a branch of the ancient GoldenGlow Tree. This thing was as thick as four strong men embracing it, with fine bark and many thin white veins on its surface, looking like blood vessels. Its crown was very dense, with emerald green leaves piled with pink flowers, spreading generously across the canopy. The sunlight shining down was also dyed pink, like a colorful curtain of light. Many young men and women sat on benches by the tree, chatting, and hearty laughter occasionally echoed in the gentle light.
Simon suddenly remembered a phrase: Spring has arrived, everything is reviving, and it's time for the animals...
With this association, the theme song of "Animal World" automatically played in his mind, and then the Eleven-Tone Bronze Umbrella, which he had strapped to his back, suddenly broadcasted this song aloud.
Yes, this thing could synchronize with the user's thoughts. Simon could use it to add background music for himself. The principle of this function was to capture thoughts through the internal necrosystem's mind network, and then convert mental signals into sound waves by activating the tuning system. And now, it was clear that the necromancer numbered forty-one in the umbrella had misjudged Simon's thoughts.
The sudden music startled the passersby. Simon quickly ordered Forty-One to cancel the synchronization. Serana patted the Troll's arm, "What song is that?"
"Uh, nothing."
"Don't say 'nothing,' I want to hear that song 'Fleeting Moment' now. Play it for me."
"There are so many people here, let's not disturb everyone."
Just then, a red-haired girl walked over, looking up at Simon, "Hey, tall guy, was that sound just now from you?"
"I'm really sorry, my instrument was a bit disobedient."
"Oh, so you're a bard? Where's your instrument? That music just now was so strange, so complex."
People gathered around curiously, all asking Simon to perform something.
Simon repeatedly declined and finally managed to avoid further entanglement.
That night, they stayed at the Bannered Mare. Simon stood the Eleven-Tone Bronze Umbrella against the wall, and an invisible magic barrier isolated the room, providing not only security but also excellent soundproofing.
"Quick, play a song." Serana took off her heavy robes and lay in Simon's arms, resting her bare feet on the edge of the table, her casual demeanor completely unladylike.
"You said your father made you learn this and that when you were little, didn't you learn noble etiquette?"
Serana heard Simon's subtle yet direct hint and angrily pinched the Troll's cheek, "Less nonsense, my father is dead, who can control me now? Play it quickly, I want to hear a sad song."
"Why do you want to hear a sad song? Wouldn't it be better if I played some happy tunes?"
"Because it's poetic, and not noisy. I want to listen to music while you tell me a story."
Simon scratched his bald scalp, having to recall songs and tell stories at the same time. This is too hard!
Fortunately, he had a spherical tuner that would automatically play when inserted into the bronze umbrella.
A light-style song titled "Fleeting Moment," composed by K. Kure, filled the narrow space they occupied with clear and lingering piano notes. In just two and a half minutes, it felt like an instant, as if the whole world was made of such fleeting moments.
"The Repair Bug went to Crystal Peak alone. He knew he might not return this time, so he said goodbye to Nati and Paya in advance. They all thought the Repair Bug would come back, but in the end, they only saw him turn into stars and fly into the sky, dispelling the darkness and returning a sliver of light to the world..."
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