Chapter 86 - Eighty-Six ... A Quack Worth Meeting

Chapter 86: Chapter Eighty-Six ... A Quack Worth Meeting

Chapter Eighty-Six ... A Quack Worth Meeting

It had been a hectic business, but Bishop Graham’s actions had been helpful in their own way.

If Jan had attended every house’s invitation, he would never have lived out his days. That was how overwhelming the courtship pouring in from every house had been.

Thanks to that, he was able to make one round of Rhomara’s powerful houses and strengthen his ties with them before the Papal See summoned him.

The only problem was...

"I don’t know why they drink so much here, Master Agphiel."

At every banquet, they drank like madmen. And strong, fiery spirits at that.

From wherever they had learned it, they had cleverly blended all sorts of spices and wine into the spirits, and it was fairly tasty.

"Heh heh. Rhomara is always a bit like that. Drink is never missing from the festivities here. What could be more extravagant than spirits?"

"Ugh."

They said it was the local custom, so there was nothing he could do but sigh.

Then again, spirits consumed enormous resources. Using grain and fruit, precious food, purely as drink for pleasure was nothing less than a display of great wealth.

"I couldn’t have held out without the blessing of the Ruler of Life."

Remembering last night, Jan shook his head.

An endless parade of cups being offered!

The nobles kept filling his cup, as though they couldn’t bear to see it empty.

For a moment, it had felt like a soldiers’ mess after a victory in his past life.

"Tsk, tsk. Who told you to accept them all? You should refuse some of them."

"If I refused, how embarrassing would that be for the noble who offered it?"

"Heh heh. Are you sure it isn’t just that you like drinking? Ever since last time, you’ve been drinking plenty at every banquet. Even making that strange... plunge, was it?"

"Ahem. It’s all for the sake of friendship."

He tried to make excuses, but they were terribly thin. Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Jan quietly stretched and looked around.

The banquet that had begun last night was still going on, though the sun was high in the sky. Especially in the corner of the hall where Bishop Graham was.

"The world is spinning... Come on, pour me another drink! I’m the closest confidant of our faithful lord!"

"Oh, dear, I’ve only just noticed. You there! The bishop’s cup is empty. Pour him more at once!"

"Very good! I’ll mention you to my lord."

"Ha ha. Thank you! Here, this is a small gift, nothing much. For you, bishop."

"Heh heh heh."

As people got drunker and drunker, Bishop Graham was like a fish in water, quietly squeezing "gifts" out of them.

’Truly remarkable...’

It was a shocking talent for extraction. And yet the nobles handing them over seemed so natural about it that perhaps it was simply everyday life here...

It was a hard place to understand.

This city of Rhomara.

"Well then, I’ll be going. I came along for your sake, but banquets like this really aren’t to my taste."

"Do you have somewhere else to be?"

"Hm. The sun is high, so I thought I’d visit the university. The truth is, there are very few places like Rhomara, with learned men of such high caliber to exchange knowledge with."

"Oh!"

Jan brightened at that.

A university... Come to think of it, Rhomara had always been the center of culture and learning. It was a great city that had produced a vast number of scholars through its great university, which had carried on since the days of the old empire.

’And if I remember right, there were more than a few remarkable people there, too...’

If he met them and built goodwill, it would surely be a great help later. And if he was lucky enough to recruit them, so much the better.

Having settled his thoughts, Jan got up and followed Agphiel.

"I’ll come with you, Master Agphiel."

"Hm? What about the banquet?"

"Well... I don’t think anyone will notice if I leave, do you, Master Agphiel?"

"Heh heh. That’s true enough."

More than half of the banquet’s guests were already passed out on the floor.

Those still conscious were thoroughly drunk and would soon collapse too. At this point, no one would notice if Jan slipped away.

"And what will you do if the nobles sober up and look for you?"

"Well, I’ll just tell a servant here before I go. If they miss me, they’ll send someone to get in touch, won’t they?"

"Well, if you say so, I won’t stop you..."

Agphiel spoke with a sour look.

"It won’t be as interesting as you think. It might even put you in a bad mood. As you know, scholars tend to be rather single-minded."

"It’s fine. I don’t mind that sort of thing, Master Agphiel. Besides, I think listening to scholars’ lectures would be more interesting than a banquet like this."

He’d had enough of drinking.

Besides, all one heard at banquets was everyone praising one another and themselves.

Some were delighted by such excessive praise and called it honor, but to Jan, who had seen through flattery all his past life, it almost sounded like mockery. Given that, talking with scholars would probably be more interesting. And if he became friends with them and recruited them, all the better.

"Heh heh. You really are an odd one. Very well. Let’s go together. As it happens, I have a friend at the university, so I’ll introduce you."

"Oh! Wonderful."

Whether or not he knew what Jan was secretly scheming, Agphiel smiled as he said it. A noble one could actually talk to was always rare and welcome.

The university was quite far away.

It was in a rather remote part of Rhomara. There hadn’t been enough money to build it inside the city proper, so they had converted an abandoned royal castle from the days of the old empire.

It seemed land prices were a serious problem even here.

"What sort of person are we going to see? A mage, like you?"

"Hm. No. Just a scholar who practices ordinary medicine. An ordinary human. We became friends when I once asked him about a treatment."

"Oh?"

If a mage consulted him, the scholar couldn’t possibly be an ordinary man.

A mage with a reputation knew a great deal. And Agphiel, who was called a sage, even more so. A scholar who could advise Agphiel?

He might be a man of tremendous ability.

"He must be a great physician, if even you consulted him?"

Jan asked, excited. Agphiel stroked his beard with an ambiguous look.