Chapter 74 - Seventy-Four ... An Ogre in Human Skin

Chapter 74: Chapter Seventy-Four ... An Ogre in Human Skin

Chapter Seventy-Four ... An Ogre in Human Skin

The banquet came to a successful close.

Through a night of unrestrained drinking, Jan had secured promises of support and patronage from the powerful figures of the canton.

He couldn’t say how things would stand in the long run, but for now, the chance of the canton council taking hostile action against him had all but vanished.

For Jan, who meant to focus on the Kingdom of Hubner’s internal affairs before the Great Famine arrived, it was a real stroke of luck. It was no alliance, but at least he now had a friendly power at his back.

On top of that, he had managed to extract a hefty sum in compensation from the canton council. A few of the dwarf councillors had tried to slip out of it by offering to put up commemorative statues of him, but that wasn’t going to work.

He had already heard about that trick from Captain Lampard. Only a fool would fall for it.

Thanks to all this, Jan and his soldiers, whatever their rank, were kept busy looking after the gold that was pouring in.

"So shiny, so bright..."

The prize, of course, went to Bishop Graham, who was wearing gold rings set with gems on every finger. Where he had gotten so many dazzling rings, no one could say.

’He never changes. Sometimes I almost envy him.’

Of everyone in this world, perhaps no one was happier or more at ease than Bishop Graham. Jan would have liked to open the man’s head and see what was inside... Just then, as if he had caught the thought, Bishop Graham suddenly turned his head.

"Hm? Did you call me, my lord?"

"Ah, no. I was just admiring you. I was thinking how well the gold suits you."

"Heh heh. Just as I’d expect of my lord! You have an excellent eye for beauty!"

Watching the bishop hum happily to himself, Jan wiped away a cold sweat. Graham really did have uncanny instincts.

’By the way, it was called Blessing of the Ruler of Life, wasn’t it...?’

Suddenly he remembered the power he had gained in the heathen temple.

The trait he had received from the Ruler of Life: Blessing of the Ruler of Life. It was a trait he had never heard of, even in his past life.

’Perhaps it’s something that only came about because I came back...’

Considering how many things had already changed since his return, it was entirely possible.

[Trait: Blessing of the Ruler of Life]

[Grants boundless vigor and strength beyond the ordinary.]

’Boundless vigor must be this recovery...’

He had drunk that much last night, and yet he felt perfectly fine. No hangover, no crushing fatigue, not even the reek of alcohol that ought to have been clinging to him. All of it was simply gone.

It was a truly remarkable ability. With this, he could probably fight for days on end and still be fresh.

’And strength beyond the ordinary... raw physical might, perhaps?’

Jan tilted his head as he thought it over.

Right now, strength was welling up all through his body.

Not as a figure of speech. Literally.

He was in full kit, with a thick gambeson, chain mail, and a war coat over it all, but he felt no weight at all. It felt like wearing ordinary clothes. And that wasn’t all.

Creeeak!

He felt as though he could crumple the gauntlet on his hand at any moment.

If that were really possible, then he had truly gained strength beyond the ordinary. Strength that made it hard to call him human.

"Oh, checking the blessing you received?"

"Ah, Master Agphiel. Yes, I am."

"Heh heh. Good. Understanding the power you’ve been given is an excellent attitude. The kind of mystery you’ve gained can sometimes destroy the one who holds it."

A mystery that had been gained had to be understood clearly, its limits and its uses. Why had the peerless heroes of the old tales met such miserable ends? Every one of them had been ruined by the greed to wield a mystery beyond their own limits.

That was why Agphiel was pleased by the young noble’s wise attitude.

"So, what does the blessing seem like? Given that it came from the Ruler of Life, I’d guess it grants something like recovery or primal strength?"

"Oh!"

"Anyone could work that out, so don’t make that face. It’s embarrassing."

"Ahem. My apologies."

After being surrounded for so long by people who reasoned about nothing, even that much now drew admiration from him.

Agphiel clicked his tongue, apparently finding Jan’s embarrassed look pathetic.

"You really do swing back and forth, don’t you?"

Clunk!

"Here, take this."

Jan looked at him.

"Aren’t you curious how strong the blessing you received is? Try bending it. Your recovery seems fine, judging by how well you’re walking around."

"Ah!"

What Agphiel handed him was a blunt iron bar. It was exactly the sort of thing for testing one’s strength.

Jan took it in his hand and put some force into it.

Creeeak!

It bent without any real resistance. Seeing this, Agphiel took another iron bar from his robe and handed it over.

"Try this one too."

Creeeak!

"Oh. That one was properly refined, and it bent that easily."

His interest piqued, Agphiel kept pulling out iron bars.

"And this one?"

Creak!

"Huh. This one had been treated with a bit of magic. It shouldn’t be easy..."

Creak?

"Ahem, ahem. Impressive. This one is a special alloy with magic..."

Crrreak!

"...?"

For a moment, Agphiel was at a loss for words. What sort of blessing was this crude?

But he soon pulled himself together and, reminding himself that this would truly be the last, spoke with a grim look.

"W-well. Of course, having received the blessing of the Ruler of Life, that’s only to be expected. But this one will be different! It’s steel forged by the barbarian elves of the north, with magic laid into it. Even an ogre couldn’t..."

However...

Creeee...

Creak?

"..."

"..."

Despite his boasting, the iron bar bent just like all the others.

Watching it, Agphiel let out a sigh mixed with awe.

"Heavens above... What has that Ruler made of you? An ogre in human skin?"

After a few more tests, Agphiel’s conclusion was that Jan’s strength was about equal to a giant’s, or even greater.

In other words, he truly had superhuman strength.

That was why Agphiel sighed as he gave his advice.

"You’d do well to keep this mad strength of yours hidden from the bishops, if you can. Anyone would mistake it for power borrowed from a devil."

"I think so too. But won’t it be hard to hide? It makes no sense to hold back one’s strength in a battle where life and death are at stake, Master Agphiel."

"Well, that’s true too..."

Agphiel trailed off at Jan’s words. Even he had to admit they made sense. But then he shrugged and answered.

"Well, come to think of it, if you’re caught, you can just say you received a miracle."

"..."

"Why are you looking at me like that? You’re already famous as a worker of miracles. Who’s going to point a finger at you over one more?"

It was a very convenient answer, and it was absurd how reasonable it somehow sounded.

Then again, as Agphiel said, Jan had already paid the price of fame. What harm could one more miracle do?

If anyone kept finding fault, he could simply donate money to the Papal See and prove his devotion that way.

"Yes, yes. That’s truly excellent advice, Master Agphiel."

"Ahem. Hm."