Chương 36: Bhealtaine

Day 22, Dydd Lau, Mai 1st (Thursday May 1st, Bhealtaine) I woke up the next morning, around 9 a. m., according to my UI. By far the latest I'd slept in since I arrived on Talamh. I realized two things: I was about to piss myself. Second, aside from that, I seemed to feel just fine. I quickly put my boots on and made my way down the stairs. Brendan saw me from his spot at a crowded table and laughed. He started to speak, but I cut him off.

"Gonna piss myself," I said, my stride urgent as I made a beeline for the door. Once I'd taken care of nature's call, I made my way back inside.

"Sorry about that," I laughed.

"Nature called. I feel surprisingly good." Brendan shook his head.

"Oi, look at you looking spritely! — Sleepin' Beauty's back in the land o' the livin', is he? Thought you was never gonna wake up, like. Colin did say you were level twenty, mind, but I didn't rightly believe it till now. You knocked back nine or ten beers in fifteen minutes, you did. Even wi' your little kip, I didn't reckon you'd be all that sprightly when you did come 'round." I laughed.

"Yeah, I have to be honest, I figured I'd be cursing life right now. I didn't have a whole lot of levels before I took the Homestead class. I never realized that it would make such a big difference." That wasn't exactly a lie. I had zero levels, but the rest was true. Besides Brendan and the boys, Hari Morgan and Glenn Rees from the militia were also at the table, and the rest of the tables were already mostly full as well.

We exchanged greetings, and I was able to hail Janice Collins, who brought me a brown ale and a bowl of porridge with dried apples and honey. I didn't exactly love porridge, but it was certainly edible, and I was starving, so I dug in.

"What's the plan for the day? I've never been in a real town for Bhealtaine. I think my home colony did things differently." My words were a lie, but I thought I'd said them convincingly. Hari laughed at me.

"You missed the proper show last night. Didn't 'e boys." Colin and Aiden both blushed and laughed nervously. Brendan laughed and elaborated.

"The May Queen an' Green Man do was on after full dark last night, mind. Our mayor likes takin' things proper literal, he does. When the May Queen — his missus, like — slips off his grey robe an' starts coaxin' him on, he's only wearin' green body paint underneath. Last night he was well into the ceremony, if you catch my drift, see." Glenn barked out, "'er enticements 'ad him real excited for sure." Both Colin and Aiden's cheeks reddened at that. I was a little taken aback.

Everything I'd seen so far painted this culture as stuffy and reserved.

"What does Priest Lewys think about that?" Hari spoke first, "Not much 'e can do. Stories say that's 'ow it was done in Arturos' time.

'Eck, they say that originally the Queen and Green Man consummate things to make sure the System gave 'em their full bonus for the festival. There's nothing against it in the rules." Brendan added, "He's busy getting' the main fire ready too. Lights it up wi' his priest skills, then goes 'round puttin' ash on folk's foreheads t'grant 'em their System bonus. He'll be there till sundown today, so make sure you pop by an' get yours an' all." Glenn had stopped laughing and looked at me soberly.

"I didn't realize you were from the way out. It's a shame we got you so drunk then. Well, you'll get to see the festival next year, an' you can still get the stat bonus. They butchered a couple of the cows they put through the fires an' they'll be roasting them up early this afternoon." Everyone looked excited about that. We all had another beer before I excused myself to go use the outhouse again.

I told them I wanted to wander around on my own for a bit to take in the sights, and Colin told me he'd find me for the afternoon feast hosted by the mayor in the town square. There would be a much tamer ceremony thanking the System for delivering us from bondage. As I began walking through town, I noticed garlands of flowers on most of the doors. Many people were out on the streets, drinks in hand, as they chatted with neighbors.

Just like yesterday, I was introduced to a bunch of people whose names I'd have trouble remembering. All the militiamen who were in town introduced me to their wives and children. More than a few of the wives inquired about my marital status. Those who knew about Emily made comments about how this would be a great time for us to marry. A few even made lewd comments about how consummating our hypothetical marriage in the next few days would be sure to give us a healthy child.

It appeared that for this festival, the usual reserved social norms were significantly relaxed. After a couple of hours of wandering around, I was feeling overwhelmed. I saw a set of stairs leading up to the town walls and decided to make my way up. Once I got to the top, I noticed the ranged-focused town guard, Sean Hawker, making his way towards me. When he saw me looking at him, he smiled and waved.

"Well met, John Jacobson. How does your day fare? I gotta be honest, you're looking much healthier than I expected." I laughed.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine. Apparently, they didn't lie about the levels helping you out there." He looked at me with interest.

"Oh? You level 20 then?" I nodded, and he shook his head.

"That's quite the surprise. You know, I've been a level 20 Soldier for near a decade now. I had really hoped my fighting down south would be enough to get me over the hump, I was even wounded by a damned big cat from one of those human filth who fight with the goblins. Alas twas not to be." The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"I'm sorry," I said, genuinely sad for him.

"Just the way of the world," He said, shrugging.

"The people too much for you?"

"It's a lot." I swept my hand across the town.

"I've been out away from people for a long time."

"Yeah? No one seems quite sure where you're from. I keep hearing rumors you have a big backer though. But I'll not pry, everyone has their secrets. If the System says you're level 20 then you are and it's none of mine." He looked around and said, "It'll be quiet up here. I'll leave you to it and do my rounds. The feast is at 2. Don't forget to get your boost from Priest Lewys." I thanked him as he began walking away. I decided to sit on the edge of the walkway and look around.

A little over three thousand people wasn't very many compared to what I was used to back on Earth, but I'd spent the last month with just Colin and Emily as company. I decided I rather liked Weston. It had charm, and everyone I'd met so far, aside from Roberts, had been welcoming, and I seemed to be fitting in well. Small towns and insular communities like this were great places to be if you fit in well. If you didn't, then they could be an absolute nightmare.

Colin and Emily had certainly felt ostracized these last few years since they had found themselves the focus of the bishop's ire. Hopefully, that would change now. Colin had said his interactions had been positive, and Brendan seemed happy with how things had gone on that front. Even though it hadn't even been a full month, I knew I wanted to stay here. I loved farming, and I loved the lifestyle. If everyone was correct that my levels kept me healthy, then I couldn't imagine a place that would make me much happier.

You really could just take things one day at a time. Even when I was relaxing at home I wasn't always very present in the moment. With no electronics, I could really sit back and think about my tasks. I was going to get to build up my own homestead just like my great-grandfather's grandfather. Well, he had to do it with a team of mules, and I had a 600-horsepower tractor, but otherwise it was pretty similar. I laughed to myself, thinking about the difference.

Once I heard the town bell begin to toll, I pulled up my UI and saw it said 2 p. m. I decided I'd better go down and see what this bonus was that I kept hearing about. As I neared the town center, I saw a large brazier set up on a raised wooden platform that had been erected in front of the town hall. The mayor, his wife, and their daughter were seated behind a narrow table with their plates heaped full of food.

In front of them was Priest Lewys, standing next to a small bronze brazier with a small flame hovering above it. It didn't seem to have any fuel keeping it going, but Lewys's right hand was glowing as it faced the brazier. I believed I was seeing my first real magic in this world! It wasn't super flashy, but it was cool nonetheless. I could see that with his left hand Lewys was grabbing ashes from a wooden bowl.

As people were ascending the platform, Lewys was smearing ash on their foreheads, then they would say a few words to the mayor and his family before moving off to get their own plates of food. I decided I'd better do the same. I didn't see anyone I knew in the line, so I just stood at the back and waited my turn. The mayor and his wife were fully clothed today, although I could see a spot or two where the green dye was still on his skin around his hairline.

I wasn't sure if he was keeping in theme, or just liked the color green, but his fine linen shirt was a vibrant green. I could see brown trousers and knee-high calfskin boots from below the table. His wife and daughter were in matching sky-blue ankle-length dresses trimmed in gold. Their aprons were nowhere to be seen today. The mayor appeared to be middle-aged, but he was still very fit. His still very dark hair was shoulder-length and unbound.

It was hard to tell exactly how tall he was while he was sitting, but I was certain he was over six feet tall. After a fifteen-minute wait, I climbed the stairs and walked to Lewys. I didn't know what was expected of me, so I waited for him to speak. He smiled at me and beckoned me forward.

"Mr Jacobson, it is good to see you again. I am sorry we missed you last night, but I am informed that it was not of your own volition. It seems you have officially been welcomed to our community, though I wish that a better method had been employed." He put his index and middle fingers into his bowl of ash and spoke again.

"Well, let's get you your System blessing. May the System grant you good health and bless your crops." With that, he wiped the ash on my forehead, and I felt a flash of heat move through me. As soon as it came, the heat was gone, and I smiled. Then I heard the mayor speak up in a voice that very much reminded me of Robert Johnstone's haughty voice.

"Mr Jacobson. It is a pleasure to finally meet our newest citizen. Lieutenant Woolsly informs me that you performed admirably over the weekend. It is unfortunate that your first drill had to occur right before Bhealtaine, most are at the spring drill. But we welcome you to the Western Territories and hope that you may prosper." He then pointed towards the food and told me to eat and enjoy myself, so I walked off the platform. I grabbed a hunk of beef and a salad, and a big hunk of bread slathered with butter.

There was a wall of kegs manned by the Collinses, and Ben grabbed me a brown ale without my needing to ask. He was busy enough, so I just said thanks and found a spot at a table. Once I was able to sit down, I finally brought up my UI, and a message appeared. Congratulations, you were present for a Bhealtaine Festival. Bhealtaine is an ancient festival brought to Talamh by Arturos and Merlotus themselves. It has been celebrated since the very first year humans landed on the Home Isles.

Merlotus presided as high priest, and Arturos and his first wife Anwen were the first May Queen and Green Man. Merlotus decreed that anyone who partakes in a Bhealtaine Festival would receive a Major System Blessing. This Major System Blessing will remain in effect for a month and will include the following bonuses: Increased Fertility: Women are 25% more likely to conceive while the Blessing is in effect.

Increased Health: Everyone who has received a System Blessing, whether through a communal fire or a personal fire lit at sundown of Bhealtaine, will gain a 25% bonus to their constitution while the Blessing is in effect. This will make one much more likely to recover from illness or injury. Increased Strength: Men will receive a 25% boost to their strength for a month while the Blessing is in effect. Animal Husbandry: Ranchers will receive a 25% bonus to all of their skills related to animal husbandry.

Stewardship of the Land: Farmers will receive a 25% bonus to growth of any crops already planted. Any crop planted while the Blessing is in effect will get a month of the 25% growth bonus as long as they are planted within the month the blessing is in effect. Oh my… That is a heck of a blessing! The fertility jokes suddenly made sense. That strength bonus was certainly going to be helpful when I got home and built my cabin.

Thanks to the System, it is possible, though rare, to boost one's attributes. These boosts may be permanent, but are usually temporary. It is also possible for equipment to be crafted that grants increased attributes while it is being worn. Alas, it requires a crafter over level 40 to create gear with attribute boosts, so it is exceedingly uncommon for infused items to be crafted in the modern empire.

Merlotus himself crafted the Royal Regalia, a suit of full plate armor that grants a whole spate of attribute boosts that is traditionally worn by the ruler, or if it does not fit him, then his appointed Champion. There are four Major Blessings granted by the System centered around the four major festivals of: Imbolc, Bhealtaine, Lughnasadh, and finally Samhain. It is possible to obtain a variety of minor blessings for various reasons. Excerpt from The Range and Nature of System Blessings by Bishop Dowydd.

This book is available in the Albion Guild Shop.