I woke up groggy and weak. Even turning my neck felt like a herculean task.
“He's awake!” someone shouted.
“Where am I?” I croaked.
“We're in a valley nestled within the Erz Mountains, my lord,” someone answered in a gentle tone.
Erz. It was a large mountain range, bordering the Nanon kingdom. Why did I recognize that name when I'd never been to this Nanon kingdom?
No, I've been there and I've lived there, but that wasn't me; that was the previous owner of this body. I was confused, until a certain conversation in an infinite void came to mind. I had been reincarnated. I looked at “my” hands. They were similar, but not quite mine, and rather gaunt.
So, this wasn't reincarnation in the traditional sense; not a fresh start as a child as I had expected. Instead, I had been shoved into the failing body of a man on his deathbed.
The faces surrounding me looked at me as if I had crawled out of a grave. They weren’t completely wrong. I was about to ask them more questions, when my stomach lurched. I barely managed to move my head to the side, as it emptied its contents onto the dirt floor.
As I became more lucid, bits of memory began coming to me. I inhabited the body of Viscount Jack Nobart. A young man, twenty-five years old, a little over a decade younger than me. He had a sharp mind and a compassionate heart he had to hide lest he be ridiculed, as his jackass of a father was almost a cartoon villain. Count Zock did not suffer “weaklings,” as he called them.
Sifting through his memories, I found them to be a patchwork, riddled with holes. I could clearly recall moments spent with his mother and sister, but not much with his friends and acquaintances.
Memories of my own past life were also patchy, and seemed to be fading. From what I could remember, it wasn't a great life anyway. I had been an intelligent but haughty man; a gifted child who grew arrogant with every praise. Snubbing my nose at anyone who wasn’t my intellectual peer. The revelation that the people around me only tolerated me for what I could provide came too late, when I was barred from the entire industry for an honest but very costly mistake. I had thought myself untouchable, but with every year came new smart hires, some of whom gradually became as capable as me, without the attitude problem. Without me even knowing, I was no longer irreplaceable, and was replaced the first time the opportunity arrived.
It took some time for me to accept the truth, but I finally gained some humility. I couldn’t remember what happened afterwards and how I died, so I didn’t feel too bad about losing that life. I did feel bad for my poor parents, who would grieve at the loss of their only son, but I couldn’t do anything about their situation. So I prayed to God to look over them and decided to focus on what laid ahead.
The first thing I did once I grew lucid was look for a transparent window or icon in my field of view, but found it absent.
“Status?” I asked tentatively.
Nothing.
“My status?”
A pane of light flickered into existence:
Name:
Jack Nobart
Health:
31/100
Strength:
24/100
Wealth:
0/∞
Status:
Savior of the Cha people
ex-Viscount of the Nobart County of Nanon Kingdom
Blessings:
Health: Immune to all diseases and poisons
Strength: Twice as strong as most men in their prime. Won’t weaken with age.
“No magic, then. What about appraisal? Isn't that part of the standard package?” I asked the air.
“You want the power to instantly know everything about any item you see? Do you want my position as well?” He answered in my mind, jolting me awake.
“Oh, hi God! Can I get the power to see people’s loyalty? That would be very useful.”
I got nothing but silence in response.
Cheap bastard. I failed to milk Him for more powers, but what I got wasn’t half bad, considering the time period. Thanks to this new body’s memories, I knew the history and geography of this part of the world; the ‘realms’ here were in a medieval era, where mounted knights were the pinnacle warriors, firearms not yet invented, and people believed that bad air caused all diseases. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about dying from drinking dirty water or a rotten tooth.
I couldn’t grant the people complete immunity like I had, but I could contribute a lot to this world, if I could only regain my health.
Surprisingly, I began recovering at a rapid pace, probably due to that asshole God's blessing. Within a week, I could feed myself and stand up on my own.
A man I would place in his mid-fifties came into my tent one day. “I’m glad to see you recovering so quickly, my lord.”
Thanks to my new body, I spoke the people’s language, so I understood him just fine.
“Thank you, uh.. I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”
“Erickson. We met when you gave the Cha a path to escape persecution.”
“Yes… at the border, if I recall.”
“Precisely. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
If there was some hidden reason behind his visit, I didn’t figure it out. Soon, I grew strong enough to walk by myself.
One day, the Council of Elders, who led the free Cha, invited me to a meeting. Ignoring the people’s pleas to lean on them, I gingerly walked out of my tent on my own, only to be blinded by bright, warm sunshine. As my eyes adjusted, a beautiful vista of tall mountains, rising like jagged teeth, and pristine forests unfolded before me. Looking around, I saw that we were in a valley, a few kilometers wide, stretching as far as the eye could see.
“Should you be out and about in your condition, Lothar?” Erickson asked the younger man swathed in bandages.
“Elder Erickson,” Lothar acknowledged him with a slight bow of the head. “Sorry, I cannot bow properly. I’ve been told I can walk around.”
“It’s good to see you recovering quickly.” Erickson nodded.
“Thank you, but it’s nothing compared to Lord Jack.”
“No. His recovery seems like a genuine miracle to me, not that yours was ordinary, by any measures. You almost died as well, but I was sure for a few moments he had passed away. Yet somehow he is in better health than you. How are the hunters doing?”
“Well enough, but capturing game is becoming a problem, Elder. They’re having to go farther and farther to catch prey. The farther they go, the less they can hunt and carry back.”
“I guess our trials haven’t ended yet. Let’s hope that Lord Jack’s recovery is indeed a sign of better times and we can come out of this hardship alive and well.”
“We will, Elder.” Lothar said with confidence. “What did you think of my proposal?”
“I don’t believe others will agree, Lothar. Leading the soldiers is one thing, but-”
“All I’m asking you is to put the proposal forth, if you believe it has merit.”
“I’m not going to support disbanding the Council, Lothar.” Erickson answered, with an edge to his voice.
“Of course not.” Lothar put his hands up in a placating gesture. “If he tries to become a tyrant, I will support you against him myself.”
Erickson spent some time thinking, then replied, “Fine. I will put forth the proposal.”
“Thank you, Elder.” Lothar bowed slightly, as they went to attend the meeting.
Inside the large but dimly lit Council's tent, the five Elders sat in a semicircle. I clumsily sat on the cushion that was left for me.
“My lord, words cannot express how grateful we are for your help. You risked your station and your own life for us. For that, you have the Cha people's eternal gratitude,” the eldest among them said to me grudgingly, as they slightly bowed in unison.
“Please. No need for that. Any good person would have done the same,” I replied, while trying to gauge their intentions. Now you can fuck off. Is that what you old-timers are implying?
“I seriously doubt that.” Elder Erickson interjected. “Not everyone is as brave as you, my lord. May we ask why you went to such lengths to help us?”
I tried to recall the exact reason, but got no response from my mind. All I could remember was that it was very important to Jack that the Cha be helped.
“You were a people in need of help and I was in a position to give it. There might have been a specific reason, but my memory seems to have been affected by my prolonged condition.” I replied.
“We will pray to God for your speedy recovery. Whatever the reason, we are immensely grateful for your sacrifice.”
Sacrifice? Right; Jack's father must've disowned him.
“My lord, as you know, our people were forbidden from joining the military. We were reminded of our vulnerability when we were attacked by some brigands this side of the Bog. You are the only man with any proper military training in this valley, and we would like you to train our youngsters. After you have fully recovered, of course.”
Ah. I wondered why they kept using the ‘lord’ title. It was to curry favor with me. I considered their proposal, taking my time. I had to establish a position here, as Jack's father definitely wouldn't be taking him back, but I also couldn't appear too desperate or eager.
A jittery Elder spoke up. “My lord, we were just discussing your remarkable recovery. You were at death's door for days, yet you somehow recovered in less than a week! Many people are calling it a miracle.”
Hmm. This could work in my favor.
“Would you believe me if I said I was blessed with health and knowledge?”
I let the question hang in the air. A blessing would be the best way to explain away any advanced knowledge I would reveal, if only they would believe me.
“Blessed? By whom?” He asked, with awe and confusion in his voice.
“Who knows. God, perhaps? A reward for good deeds or something. We are a small community now, we could use all the help we can get, right? My new knowledge would be very useful.” I held their gazes, one by one.
Elder Erickson came forward. “My lord, would you consider becoming our leader?” he asked, with hope in his eyes. The question left the rest of us stunned.