Chapter 361

Arran took a small sip of the glass of red liquid, and found that it was indeed wine . And cheap wine, at that, with a sour taste that made the corners of his mouth turn down in disgust .

The captain had a similar reaction . He made an ugly face as he tasted the liquid, then said, “I know the church considers frugality a virtue, but this seems excessive . “

The priest gave him a flat look, clearly unamused . “You have been granted an invaluable gift . Do not disparage it . “

Arran frowned as he looked at the glass in his hand . He could Sense nothing in the liquid it held, but the priest certainly seemed convinced of its potency .

He suppressed a sigh, then brought the glass to his lips once more and drained its contents in a single large gulp, restraining himself from gagging at the foul taste .

Although he hadn’t Sensed anything in the liquid, he felt a vague hint of power ripple through his body after he drank it — and then frowned as it promptly disappeared barely a moment later .

“Was that it?” he asked, his expression puzzled as he faced the priest .

The white-haired man, however, seemed just as confused as Arran was . He eyed the three outsiders suspiciously, his eyes narrowed as he stared at them . But then, a look of realization appeared in his eyes .

“These three,” he asked, turning to the Knight, “they’re Body Refiners?”

“Of course,” she replied . “You didn’t think Lord Rannoc would bestow his favor upon random commoners, did you?”

The priest cursed beneath his breath . “I’ll return momentarily,” he said, not bothering to wait for a reply as he hurried off once more . This time, he made no effort to conceal his annoyance .

He returned some moments later, carrying a small glass bottle . Like the previous one, it was filled with a clear liquid, but although Arran saw no difference between the two, the priest handled the new bottle with considerably more care .

Again, he filled three glasses with cheap wine, then added several drops of clear liquid to each before handing them back to Arran and the others .

“Drink,” he said, “so that you may receive the gods’ blessing . “

Arran did as he said, once more suppressing the urge to gag as he downed the sour wine .

This time, a clear tremble of power ran through his body as he imbibed the liquid . Yet again, it disappeared only a moment later, fading into nothingness as it met the sea of power his body already carried .

When he looked at the captain and Sassun, however, they had curious expressions, as if they were experiencing an unfamiliar sensation .

Yet the priest paid neither Kaleesh nor Sassun the slightest attention . Instead, he stared at Arran with astonished eyes, frustration written plain across his face .

“It didn’t take,” he said, sounding as if he could scarcely believe it . “I don’t understand…”

Muna cast a curious look at Arran, then turned to the priest . “Seems like you’re still too stingy . “

“I’m not—” the priest began, then stopped and shook his head . “It should work . Even for a Body Refiner . “

At this, Kaleesh let out a laugh . “Arran here is no common Body Refiner,” he said . “He’s freakishly strong, even compared to me . If you want your potion to have an effect, you’d better give him a strong dose of it . “

“It’s not a potion!” the priest snapped . “This… this is the blood of a god . “

Arran glanced at the small bottle before the priest . “Gods have clear blood?”

The priest shot him a frustrated glare . “It’s diluted,” he said . “But even so, a single drop should be enough for anyone . “

The Knight gave the white-haired man a flat stare . “Clearly, it isn’t,” she said . “And Lord Rannoc was clear in his orders . Give him more . “

The priest gave the small bottle a despondent look, but after a moment’s hesitation, he once more took Arran’s glass and filled it with cheap wine . Then, he opened the small bottle, and added five drops of clear liquid to the wine .

“There,” he said as he handed the glass to Arran . “That should be enough, even for you . “

Arran accepted the glass with a sigh, already dreading the taste of the sour wine inside . Yet he did not hesitate in emptying it — not if it supposedly contained a shred of divine power .

Yet again, the surge of power he felt lasted only a second . Though it was stronger than before, the strength within Arran’s body overwhelmed it with ease, snuffing out the liquid’s power as it devoured it .

The priest watched Arran with anxious eyes, and as the power was extinguished, he went pale — apparently, he could somehow see what happened .

“Impossible!” he exclaimed in a shocked voice . “This is impossible!”

Kaleesh gave him an amused look . “From your reaction, I take it it didn’t work?”

The white-haired man ignored the captain completely, shock in his eyes as he stared at Arran . “How could that not be enough?!” he said in a low voice, astonishment written across his face .

The Knight’s eyes were focused on Arran as well, and although she didn’t share the priest’s shocked expression, a growing curiosity could be seen in her eyes .

“It didn’t take?” she asked, her attention on Arran even as she spoke to the priest .

“Obviously not!” the priest snapped . “I don’t know what kind of monster you’ve brought me, but it’s clear the gods do not wish him to have their blessing!”

“Then you’ll have to convince them,” she replied . “Give him more . Or no — give him something stronger . “

By now, Arran was beginning to feel some worry . He understood that he’d need to absorb the power to become a Darian citizen, yet so far, the clear liquid’s effects had shown no sign of lasting more than a few seconds .

Worse, it was obvious that the Darians were growing suspicious . And if those suspicions grew into actions, there might be trouble ahead .

“Something stronger?” The priest looked at the Knight incredulously . “You don’t mean…”

“I do,” she replied . “Lord Rannoc wishes are clear, and if that’s what it takes, then so be it . “

The priest firmly shook his head in response . “I can’t . Not for an outsider, and not without permission from an Archon . “

Muna raised an eyebrow as she looked him in the eyes . “You wish to defy Lord Rannoc?”

This time, the white-haired man met her gaze without flinching . “Rannoc may rule this city,” he replied, “but he does not command the church . “

The Knight gave him a pleasant smile . “You’re right, of course,” she said . “Lord Rannoc does not command the church, and even he would not dare anger the clergy . ” She gave a casual shrug, then continued, “But do you think the church would seek conflict with a Lord over the fate of a single troublesome priest?”

Outrage crossed the priest’s pale face, but he did not reply immediately . Instead, his eyes flashed between Arran and the Knight, and finally, he asked, “Why does a single outsider matter so much?”

“It’s not about the outsider,” Muna replied . “It’s about your willingness to work with your city’s new ruler . ” She glanced at Arran, then added, “And if an outsider has the strength to require a proper blessing, then I imagine my Lord has use for him yet . “

The white-haired man remained silent for a moment, then gave her a short nod . “Very well,” he said . “The church values its relationship with the Lords . “

Without any further words, he stood up and left the chamber once again .

“You’re an interesting one,” the Knight said as the priest stepped outside . “An outsider, but already so strong . If your potential is any indication, you might do great things for the Imperium yet . “

Arran nodded silently, careful not to reveal his worry . Whatever the priest would give him next, he desperately hoped it would work . If it didn’t, the Knight’s curiosity might well turn to suspicion .

The priest returned some minutes later, yet another small bottle in his hands . And this bottle, he held with such care that Arran could have thought he was carrying his newborn son .

This time, the priest produced a new glass, one that featured intricate carvings and looked to be made from crystal rather than simple glass . And instead of filling it with the cheap wine that Arran had already come to dread, he took out another bottle that appeared to be far more valuable .

The man carefully filled the glass with wine, then added a single drop of liquid to it . And this liquid, Arran saw, wasn’t completely clear . Rather, it held a trace of pink, although one so faint as to be barely visible .

He took the glass in both hands, then handed it to Arran with anxious care, as if he was terrified of dropping it — which he likely was .

Arran accepted the glass with a small nod, then looked at it for several seconds . Still, he could not Sense even the slightest trace of power .

After a moment’s hesitation, he brought the glass to his lips, then slowly emptied it into his mouth .

If nothing else, the wine was far better than the one he’d had previously . Smooth and full, it filled his throat with a sense of warmth as he swallowed it .

And then, he felt it — a gentle power, spreading through his body . It was much like what he’d felt before, but many times stronger . And though it still couldn’t match the power his body already held, it wasn’t extinguished .

Instead, it seemed to merge with the other powers in his blood . And although the power faded away after some moments, this time it left behind a comfortable feeling of energy and vigor .

The priest had watched Arran with anxious eyes as he drank the liquid, but as the power faded and merged with Arran’s body, he breathed a relieved sigh .

“It is done,” he said . “You are now a Darian — all of you are . “

“Thank you,” Arran said, giving the man a forced smile .

The priest gave him a small nod . “Now then,” he said, turning to the Knight . “Since we’re done, can I return to my bed?”

The Knight smirked . “You’re not done quite yet,” she said . “These outsiders — they have some companions who are to be made citizens as well . “

The priest gave her a panicked look . “Companions? How many?”

The Knight smiled . “About two hundred . All Body Refiners . ”