CH-1

"..."

Osbert's gaze and neck were quick and not honest.

Very dishonest…

Being able to now heal things, a lot of things, Osbert was also naturally able to feel things considered harmful.

Harm.

In general.

Harm done to a lot of things.

He could literally heal anything, but at varying costs. It was especially costly to heal things that were not naturally healable. Things that required a large amount of power to heal.

The costs were reasonable and rational. They applied human deductive reasoning and understandable human logic. They demanded more or less power, depending on the subject, object at hand.

Osbert did not have to find out after trying his hands and prayers.

For example, healing the body and mind would naturally cost him less than repairing a broken house. Much less.

He wouldn't need to sleep to recover in order to complete the first one.

Repairing a full house right now was an impossible task anyway. Impossible in one go.

Osbert was weak for now.

Very weak.

At this point in time, he was identical to Uhtred in the story. Uhtred before he first met Leofric and started to hang out with him; which for a variety of reasons, including training and fighting, slowly, gradually turned him stronger in both body and mind.

Mindset.

'My current stamina is very pathetic.'

Osbert secretly laughed at himself.

'As expected…. Even after reincarnation with an Essence, the world does not play. If you want to achieve great success and truly unfairly and securely stand out from the crowd, it all depends on your personal abilities and determination.'

Osbert thought as he carried the water bucket into the house.

Having an Essence had not gotten to his head.

Not yet.

If anything, he was more perverted, which would make him more hardworking...

For a brief moment, his healing gaze shifted to the bored young woman behind him.

'As expected too… Looks like I can even heal ruptured hymens… Even malfunctioning ovaries…'

'There is nothing I can't heal, it seems. This should be among the easiest things to do for me for now…'

'Brida is an unadulterated, pure virgin, though. One with perfect ovaries, as she has not been cursed by Ubba's sorcerer yet.'

'It should be the same for Thyra. I don't even need to check her out, she doesn't leave the vicinity of the house.'

'Speaking of her… I guess I should formulate a plan of action so she doesn't die in this life.'

'I don't know when Kjartan will make his way here with that scum-like son of his.'

'I better be ready for that time.'

Osbert thought judiciously.

He weighed his options carefully.

Osbert was someone who had reincarnated, not a transmigrator… He had been living in this world since he was a little boy. However, this did not imply that he felt anything for Ragnar's family.

Those who were men here at least, he didn't care for any of them.

They were useless to him.

He liked young Ragnar, but the guy had already left for Ireland right now.

He was safe from the upcoming torching massacre on his family, which would most likely take place very soon.

He was thinking about saving Ragnar's wife because he liked milfs when he finally entered the house.

Ravn, the blind grandpa, was waiting for him inside.

Calm like usual.

Ravn, this old man, was actually the person that was his master. Ragnar had freely given him as a slave years ago to his father.

It was the same with Uhtred in the story. The old man was his real, actual slave owner.

Sensing Osbert arrive, with his other sharp senses, the old Skald said, 

"Osbert? Do you already have the water? Come and wash my feet."

As an old man, naturally the old man had also old memory.

The previous Uhtred, especially when he was a younger kid, didn't like to do this task of washing feet.

Old feet.

Men's feet…

He especially took his time, lazed around, when it had to do with it.

The family was kind and especially Ravn, so he didn't always act like a normal, traumatized slave would.

He could be considered a spoiled slave who was fed well and allowed to express his opinions.

Some.

Ragnar, the father of the young one, didn't always like to listen to some of the rubbish, the nonsense that came out of his still-childish mouth.

He wasn't father Beocca.

"I'm coming grandpa."

Osbert smiled and approached the old man's chair, placing the bucket next to it.

Within this juncture of the afternoon, everyone else appeared to either be resting or doing their own thing inside or outside the house.

Ravn was blind, but due to his advanced age, he struggled to maintain his balance when standing or walking for long periods of time.

(Note from the author: This is my guess after watching the series twice. Please let me know if I am incorrect. I can be lazy about reading wikis. I'm not sure if that one would have any relevant information for this guess.)

He also liked to walk with naked feet, which resulted in wet dirt, mud on them.

Northumbria, and England in general, whether during or after the Saxon period, was humid, with fertile, damp soil.

It also often rained, heavily or not, and the soil retained water.

'I won't waste my time healing this useless old man or helping him. I have no great need for him in my future.'

Osbert thought with cruelty and without emotion.

Aside from his age, which could be healed too, this elderly man was not a woman. Being born a man was an uncurable condition for Osbert. It was not a fault.

It wasn't like he was born as a woman with an eggplant between the legs.

Brida entered the house at the same time that the young man began to wash, gently tugging, rubbing, and moistening the less responsive toes.

Acting like a good slave for his master.

Technically, Ragnar had adopted him and Brida into the family, for a few years now, but they were still technically slaves.

The kind of jobs they were doing were not jobs that Thyra or young Ragnar would have to do.

Even less so for Thyra since she was a girl. One not taught to hold a sword. 

She was the family's most fragile, most precious possession. The apple of the eye of her father.

Also, the cause of his death in the story…

He had burned like a torched human wielding, swinging a weapon in complete helplessness, collapse, and disarray. It was both comical and tragic to Osbert…

"You're doing the job well."

Brida commented as she rested her shoulder against the door.

Osbert didn't respond, he smiled,

It was the old man who spoke for him with an old mature laugh, as if he had endured all the mysteries that life could throw at him with no more surprises in store,

"Osbert looks to have gone through one of his characteristic abrupt changes in recent days once again, but don't be snide, Brida; this is one of the duties that he has done for me admirably. For years now."

"If you want to get the most out of life, you must approach every angle of it objectively."

"I tend to believe that you have often been unmerciful and demanding towards Osbert."

"Should it merely be an unfair scrutiny or something else? You're generally in a position to pester and poke fun at him whenever you seem to deem fit."

The old man was only missing a smoking pipe to sound like an old wise man with poor health enjoying his last years.

But anyhow, everyone in the family, including this elderly man, could easily tell that Brida had something for Osbert.

However, he was less imprudent, clumsily enthused about it than others. He was a bundle of enthusiasm for it too, but in the story, it was his son, who had reached out to, persuaded the regular Osbert, Uhtred, to stop dreaming and marry Brida.

(Note from the author: I will no longer use Uhtred from this point on. I may use the previous owner of the body or previous Osbert.)

The old man had tact when speaking.

Even if he could ridicule and enjoyed teasing when bored too.

Osbert didn't give Brida the opportunity to deny,

As he finished massaging his master's feet, he said, 

"Grandpa, stop teasing her when we all know the obvious answer. Brida is clearly fond of me. If you could see my face, you'd understand why she can't bring herself to be open about her emotions."

"I've been acting fairly dense and evasive about it for a few years, but I think it's time I made a move and made both of us happy."

"What do you say?"

Brida was completely surprised and blurted out in a raspy, horrified voice, on the verge of losing control and strongly expressing her disagreement,

"What?? What are you rambling on about, you scoundrel Osbert??"

Ravn ignored her and chuckled, his blank, blind gaze fixed on the kneeling Osbert who was about to stand up,

"Go for it. This is how men in our household should be. You have my blessing."

"I hope to hear good news by the time Ragnar returns home tonight."

Standing, Osbert chuckled back at him and turned, holding the water bucket in his hand and looking at Brida, saying, 

"Let's go have some fun together, what do you say?"

It had been a long time since they had played like children together… Running, leaping, climbing, and huffing and puffing while doing so.

He was hoping Brida would misunderstand his words, though.

His gaze moved across her young woman's body.

It was somewhat feminine, a bit unremarkable; he felt she lacked fitness and gorgeous, sexier muscles.

Just like he also did.

Now that he could heal, he figured he could use any open window of time to turn, make himself and his best friend in this world stronger.

Through some hard sweating and pushing.

For someone who was like a gaming pop culture priest, a fighting religious leader, this seemed everything like an educated way to think and behave.

There were no churches nearby, and even if he came across some in the years to come, he did not want to spend all his life cooped up, hiding in them.

His incredible luck had run out today when he received an Essence. However, in order to obtain drops, whether normal or rare, he had to interact with women. Having a good, better relationship with them was always beneficial. Even if he had to wait until tomorrow for something new.

XX

Author Note:

I added the last paragraph at the end because I forgot to explain how his cheat works in the opening chapter.

Edit:

For future readers, fellow people of culture, help me out if you can... Below will be pics I'd like to use as the cover (maybe-ish), some more than others.

Please give me pointers.

Covers here.

I like the huge milkers too, but it's too much work to keep the nudity in check when I use tags a bit too arousing.

If you prefer normal pictures and aren't into that AI stuff, here check. Show me your vote. These will be normal pictures.