I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 333: The Fertility God

Jack’s expression didn’t change. He let the offer hang in the air for a moment, watching Zephyros’s confident smile.

Instead, Jack examined his fingernails with deliberate casualness, as if the god and his entire display were only mildly interesting.

”I heard an interesting story recently,” Jack said so coldly; he sounded bored. ”Something about you losing a bet to Draven. Over my performance, if I recall correctly.”

Several of the women paused their ministrations, hands stilling mid-motion as they sensed the shift in their god’s mood. The blonde holding the goblet pulled back slightly, her smile faltering. The brunette feeding grapes stopped with one held halfway to Zephyros’s mouth.

Step one was underway. Bait your target before you hook them.

Zephyros’s easy smile tightened at the corners, the expression remaining in place but losing its warmth. His silver eyes narrowed fractionally, and the casual sprawl of his posture became slightly more rigid.

The temperature in the room dropped perhaps two degrees, not enough to be uncomfortable, but noticeable.

The silk drapes rippled more violently, responding to the winds that fluctuated in accordance with his emotions.

”Ah,” the god said, his tone still light but carrying an undercurrent now, like distant thunder promising storms.

”Yes. A minor wager. Hardly worth mentioning, really. These things happen between gods. Draven got lucky with his assessment.”

”Lucky?” Jack lifted an eyebrow, allowing amusement to color his face. ”That’s an interesting characterization. From my perspective, Draven made an accurate prediction about my capabilities, while you apparently thought fifteen thousand armed mercenaries would pose a significant challenge.”

He paused, then added with calculated casualness, ”Though I suppose from a god’s perspective, mortal combat is difficult to judge. All those little details about strategy and skill probably blur together when you’re used to just overwhelming problems with divine power.”

Zephyros sat up slightly, his movement causing the redhead draped across his side to adjust her position with a slight sound of surprise. The other women shifted like a flock of birds responding to the approach of a predator.

”The terms were fair,” Zephyros said, his voice taking on an edge despite his apparent effort to sound unbothered. ”Draven called the wager, not me. I accepted the challenge. And I honored the agreement afterward, as gods of my stature always do.”

”Of course,” Jack said lightly, an amused glint in his eyes. ”Though I have to wonder what it says about a god’s judgment when they bet against someone who then proceeds to massacre an entire army without taking a scratch. Makes one question what other assessments might be similarly... flawed.”

Jack wanted to poke the bear. He was fishing, and sometimes the best bait is their own ego. He couldn’t care less that he was lying, as long as he answered, it made the whole thing easy.

The god’s jaw tightened visibly. His fingers drummed once against the silk sheets. A sharp, staccato pattern that made several women flinch. The pleasant winds circulating through the room became gusts that made the brazier flames gutter and the hanging silks snap like flags in a storm.

”Careful, Kaiser,” Zephyros said, his divine presence suddenly pressing against the room like atmospheric pressure before a thunderstorm. ”I may have lost a wager, but I am still a god. Your patron’s blessing won’t protect you from consequences if you push too far.”

Jack met his gaze directly, refusing to show even a hint of intimidation despite the divine power radiating from the being before him. His expression remained calm, almost bored, as if threats from gods were merely tedious rather than terrifying.

”I’m not here to insult you,” Jack said, though his tone suggested otherwise. ”I’m here because, despite that loss, you’re still a god with access to information I need. And because I think you might be interested in a chance to prove that your previous miscalculation was an aberration.”

Zephyros’s expression shifted, suspicion mixing with curiosity. ”What are you talking about?”

”You offered me a blessing once,” Jack said, his voice level and businesslike now. ”Back in the Hall of Eternals, after making inappropriate comments about my personal life and suggesting I should be more interested in recreational activities than actual responsibilities.”

The god’s lips twitched, amusement flickering across his features despite the tension. ”I remember. You turned me down rather decisively, as I recall. Something about not being interested in my philosophy of divine hedonism.”

”Accurate summary,” Jack confirmed. ”But I’m curious, does that offer still stand? Or was it just empty words meant to irritate Draven?”

The change in Zephyros’ demeanor was dramatic to say the least.

His silver eyes widened, genuine interest replacing the earlier irritation. The divine presence that had been pressing against the room like a threat suddenly shifted, retracting into his body.

And without warning, without apparent thought to the action, Zephyros picked a woman up as he stood up. He was so focused, he threw out like she was destined for the streets.

She hit the plush carpet with a yelp of surprise and pain, grapes scattering across expensive silk as she scrambled away on her hands and knees. Her carefully maintained expression of adoration cracked, revealing genuine fear as she retreated toward the room’s perimeter.

The other women scattered immediately, reading their god’s mood. The blonde dropped the crystal goblet, wine splashing across silk sheets as she dove away from the bed. The redhead who’d been draped across Zephyros’s side rolled off and landed in a crouch, backing away while keeping her eyes fixed on the god like prey watching a predator.

Within seconds, the bed was empty, and the women had retreated to the room’s edges, suddenly invisible despite their earlier prominence.

Jack watched the display with a carefully controlled expression, though internally he noted the casual cruelty and the complete disregard for the beings the god had allowed to touch him moments before. Like a child tossing aside toys the moment something more interesting appeared.

’This is who you are,’ Jack thought, filing the information away. ’Power without restraint. Pleasure without consequence. People as objects to be used and discarded.’

He moved like the wind. It looked as though he floated in the air as he walked. His full height was apparent now, perhaps six and a half feet, his divine form radiating a power that made the air itself feel thicker.

He stopped perhaps three feet away, close enough that Jack could see the silver flecks in his eyes.

”You want my blessing?” The god’s voice carried genuine interest now, the earlier irritation completely forgotten in favor of this new development. His expression was intense, focused, like a merchant who’d just heard an offer too good to immediately accept but too interesting to dismiss.

”After turning me down so dismissively before? After comparing my offer to divine hedonism, was it like an insult? What changed your mind, Kaiser?”

Jack held his ground, refusing to step back despite the divine presence pressing against him like someone dropped a car on his back. His spine remained straight, his chin leveled, his expression composed despite being this close to something that could obliterate him with a thought.

Then, slowly, Jack lifted his chin with arrogance. ”Do you want to make a bet with me?”