"Finally, some fresh air!" Issei Hyoudou said with a bright grin as he took a deep breath, inhaling the cold winds of the northernmost province of the Empire. On his back was a dazed Asia Argentina, and both Harvard and Ralof followed them.

"What in Oblivion... "

"By Talos... "

The Stormcloak and the Imperials said at the same time as they watched the bloody young man in front of them, stretching his arms, legs, and back. They just have seen him brutally cut and smash through the undead, and spiders in the underground passage with frightening ease and skill.

The black dragon that destroyed Helgen roared in the sky, shaking the land as it flew away. As someone who has fought through countless amounts of Daedra, Issei stood his ground after lowering the nun as gently as possible.

"So what now?" Issei asked, looking at the soldiers from different sides following him.

"Well, it's better if we head to Riverwood now." Hadvarr offered, looking at Issei. "it's my hometown and we can plan our next move there before I head back to Solitude and report to General Tullius,"

"Go back to your hiding hole, Imperial scum! Talos is a god and you heathens dare to say he's not!" A stormcloak shouted and the soldiers all drew their weapons.

"Lower your blades!" Issei hissed getting between the two groups with ease. "we just finished surviving a dragon assault and we don't need to fillet each other's guts!"

Hearing those words, the soldiers lowered their blades as the young man held the sword and axe of both an Imperial Stormcloak. 

"Good, now what is this about Talos not being a god?" The young man asked, confused as to why one of the nine divines and founder of the empire of the 3rd era was no longer worshipped as a god.

"You don't know?" Ralof asked, looking at Issei. 

"What in Dibella's sacred tits do I not know?" The young man asked making most soldiers flinch. "I was in the Shivering Isles in Oblivion and I was supposed to meet with Chancellor Ocato a week ago," 

"Wait, Chancellor Ocato has been dead," The entire temperature around the soldiers dropped considerably as soon as those words escaped the lips of one of the Imperial soldiers. 

"What do you mean Chancellor Ocato is dead?! Who the hell is stupid enough to kill one of the pillars binding the empire together now that we lost all known Dragonborn emperors?!" 

"It's pretty common knowledge that Chancellor Ocato was killed during the 15th year of the fourth era," Hadvarr replied as he took a step back as soon as Issei's eyes looked at him. 

"What," Despite the cold aura he exuded, the soft words of the young man echoed in the woods. "What year is it? What's going on?" 

"We are currently in the 201st year of the 4th era, 200 years after the events of the Oblivion Crisis." With those words, Issei Hyoudou took a step back before sitting on the boulder behind him. Countless gears of possible events formed in his mind. He never was the best at politics but for Ocato to be killed... an assassin and both skilled and from a powerful organization... the Dark Brotherhood, the Morag Tong? Who? Ocato is the Eternal champion and one of the most trusted people by Emperor Uriel... He should be the one trying to keep the Empire together and his death would have launched the entire Empire to Chaos. Who would benefit from the chaos the most...

"What about the Mages Guild? They can help us research and find ways to," 

"They have been disbanded after the Oblivion Crisis, good riddance I say," 

"Shit... this event is surely magical but... if the Mages guild is disbanded.... FUCK!" The young man roared, shaking the entire area as magical pressure flowed from the seething back of the young man. "Shit! Shit! Shit! This is not fucking good! Think Issei, Think!" The young man said to himself as he started to pace back and forth in a circle, forgetting the Stormcloaks and the Imperials with them. 

'The loss of the Mages guild would create a power vacuum in the magical community and not only that, this would let the Worm Cult act properly and unimpeded. I only beat Mannimarco's mortal avatar with Archmage Traven's help, but now... shit.' 

"We should get out of here first," Issei offered before turning to the Nun. "Are you alright?" Gently, the young man knelt on the ground to look at the Nun at eye level. 

"I'm fine, but you're injured," 

"I'll be fine," Issei replied as he showed her a glow on his body as the scratches he had started to heal. A green glow started to flow into his body, healing his body in higher quantities compared to his spell. 

"Incredible," 

"By Talos," 

-=-=-

The journey to Riverwood was quiet with most of the soldiers having a temporary truce as they disbanded only leaving Ralof and Hadvarr behind to accompany Issei and Asia. Currently, Issei held a bottle of mead in his hand as his mind tried to make sense of some things he found out.

- High Chancellor Ocato was assassinated by a faction that hated the empire. 

Possible suspects include the Black Marsh, Morrowind, and Summerset Isles. 

- The empire was far weaker than what he knew and the ban on Talos Worship created a rift between the Empire and the storm cloaks.

- The Blades became more secluded and with their disbandment, the Empire lost one of its most important intelligence networks. 

'But still, for Titus Mede to manage to contain the damage done by the second Great war and give the empire enough time to recover,' While he initially disliked the White-gold concordant from what he heard, thinking it through, it was a logical choice. 

Fight to the death, causing more casualties, or to escape and live to fight another day? With the High elves of the Summet elves and the other Elven races allied with the Thalmor having less fertility compared to the races of man, their numbers will be far smaller than what the Empire could have. 

Feeling a sudden shift in the air, barely noticeable by any other person, a purple orb formed under his palm.

"Are you alright?" Hearing his name the young Japanese teen looked at the nun covered in a cloak several sizes bigger than she was. 

"I'm fine, Asia," The young man replied. "I haven't formally introduced myself, right? I'm Issei, Issei Hyoudou,"

"May I?" The young nun gestured to the space beside him. 

"Go ahead," Scooting a bit to the side, the young man looked up the skies and into the stars. 

"Sorry, your first day in Nirn sucks," 

The former holy maiden froze as she looked at the young man in front of her. 

"How do you know?" 

"While you look like a Nord, you're wearing the Religious effects of... Protestants? I'm not sure what Rin's religion is but he has something similar to those crosses," 

"Are you from Earth too?!"

"Yes, I'm from Japan," 

"I'm so glad!" Tears fell from the former holy maiden's eyes. 

'Not like I can blame her. I first arrived in Anvil and had to beg for a few days until Corvus took me in and trained me,' The young man remembered those days when he had to beg and eat scraps to survive. 'She's lucky someone helped her and with her affinity for restoration magic, she can make a decent living as a healer,' 

Gently, the young man pulled the crying maiden into his chest, embracing her. For the first time, he was not alone.

'What am I? Chopped liver?' the playful yet soft voice of his emperor and friend appeared in his mind. 'Seducing a nun? How shameful are you, my friend?' 

'Martin, you might be an avatar of Akatosh now and my emperor but I will kick your ass!' 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Deep in the valleys, under the moonlit sky, numerous torches lit the path into a great fort. Two figures clad in leather and cloaks walked with ease. Their hoods covered their heads yet locks of orange and blue hair peeked from the shadows as they turned around to leave while a body belonging to a human with sharp fangs and glowing orange eyes lay on the ground, with its body cut into several pieces.