HTLCCBFT Chapter 37

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 37

Although there were slaves below who had to unconditionally obey his commands, Oliver was never a leader who enjoyed unnecessary talk.

His responsibilities far exceeded anyone else’s.

After delivering an unusually lengthy speech, Oliver cheerfully concluded and returned to the castle.

He planned to quickly finish lunch, then head down to the fields to harvest the entire second batch of ripe corn.

Even Oliver couldn’t explain why the monotonous, repetitive task of harvesting corn could awaken certain ancient impulses hidden within him, possessing a strange charm that fascinated him…

Leaving only the slaves standing below the steps with dazed expressions, exchanging bewildered looks.

Jonathan and Ziken, who had only temporarily moved into the castle these past few days, were also stunned by what they heard.

Their daily tasks now consisted solely of following Lucy’s assignments: promptly cleaning soiled and wet bedding for the chicks, replenishing clean food and water, and strictly following the Lord’s specific instructions to further repair the chicken coop.

In Oliver’s view, these tasks didn’t sound heavy but were quite tedious.

Over two hundred fragile chicks required extremely careful attention – with just these three people completing all the work in a day, there was actually very little time for rest in between.

But Jonathan couldn’t be more satisfied.

To him, taking care of these lively little chicks that could lift one’s spirits just by looking at them made the work itself seem effortless.

Moreover, there were no foremen nearby maliciously holding whips, watching like hawks – supervisors who sometimes would deliver vicious beatings even when he hadn’t made mistakes, simply because they were in a bad mood.

Whenever problems arose that hindered work progress, Jonathan no longer stood woodenly in place waiting for the foreman’s arrangements as he used to.

With Lucy serving as an excellent example before him, he began attempting to think independently.

If he came up with feasible solutions, he would consult Lucy for final confirmation.

Seeing Jonathan working so diligently and repeatedly earning Lucy’s praise, Ziken – who originally just wanted an easy, respectable job with hopes of eventually becoming a formal servant in the castle, even if just a lower servant – suddenly developed a sense of crisis.

Not wanting to be left far behind by Jonathan, he had no choice but to start using his brain too, helping Lucy come up with ideas.

This unintentionally formed benign competitive relationship between the two ended up being a great help to Lucy, who had been overwhelmed and under tremendous pressure.

“Celebration? Holiday?”

Jonathan repeated incredulously.

“No no no, judging by His Highness’s words, we don’t have a holiday today.” Ziken wasn’t in much better condition, looking at him dazedly: “It seems it’s scheduled for tomorrow instead? Along with the cooks?”

“No! That won’t do!” Jonathan said without hesitation: “The work we’re doing is already easy enough – how can we just lie around waiting to be fed? And if we don’t work tomorrow, what if the tasks fall to the Lord… or the steward by his side?”

Ziken licked his lower lip. Although instinctively still wanting the ‘day off,’ he nodded in agreement with these words. Although raising chickens was far easier than working in the fields, no matter how adorable the chicks were, their droppings still smelled foul.

Cleaning up that chicken waste was absolutely not a task befitting that beautiful noble Lord.

Jonathan and Ziken clearly understood that the current fieldwork was completely different from what it had been before the Lord’s arrival.

The previous labor had been burdensome and despair-inducing—even when toiling from dawn till dusk, returning so exhausted they couldn’t straighten their backs, only able to hunch over to relieve the stiffness, the barren land yielded pitifully meager harvests.

Those scant, miserable crops never reached their mouths: everything would be confiscated by the supervisors. While commoners could keep some produce from their own small plots, slaves couldn’t even dream of such a luxury.

They could only rely on a bowl of soup and hard bread crumbs before each workday, along with some non-toxic roots dug up from the soil while laboring, to barely stave off hunger.

Since the Lord arrived, everything had changed.

Blessed by the great Cat God, that beautiful and noble prince who seemed to glow with radiance, not only wielded a hoe tirelessly to personally cultivate nearly half the farmland alone, but also taught them to organize the chaotic fields into neat plots separated by vibrant climbing legumes.

Now, the field workers’ main daily tasks were watering and weeding their sown plots, followed by regular fertilization using diluted urine.

Yes, and those miraculous toilets!

Slaves were considered filth sprung from mud, worthless even compared to noble flatulence. They had long grown numb to the pervasive stench.

But when the ubiquitous waste was cleaned up, that foul sewage river completely filled in, and each household in the fields—those new rooms built with the fine lumber granted by the Lord—constructed clean, proper toilets…

His Highness personally declared that what everyone despised as filthy and foul would transform by next year into compost that would enrich the soil and make crops grow stronger.

Too incredible, Jonathan thought.

When they first tasted the delicious fish soup, they felt gratitude toward the Lord, but also trepidation.

But truly possessing such beautiful new wooden houses, relieving themselves in toilets under the astonished gazes of merchants rather than exposed like beasts in others’ sight…

Only then did they genuinely taste what happiness meant.

Before the slaves could fully digest the happiness brought by this angelic Lord, they were struck by new ‘bliss’.

Holidays?

Besides noble lords, commoners… no, even including slaves, could actually rest at home from the first bell toll, receive meals from the castle without working all day, and even luxuriously light bonfires at night, permitted to sing and dance?

The slaves stared blankly at each other, their hearts filled more with apprehension than joy.

They were slaves.

Slaves were born destined to work for the Lord, their children and grandchildren destined to labor for the Lord until they completely expended their lives. If it were said to be a blessing from the Cat God… Although they wholeheartedly believed in the benevolent Cat God and their Lord, they had nothing to offer to such noble beings!

No, forget about doing anything for the Lord or the Cat God—they couldn’t even perform the simplest tasks as well as the Lord did, nor as much as he accomplished!

At this thought, the slaves couldn’t help but look ashamed.

How could they be worthy of enjoying such things?

“Of course, you can.”

When Oliver heard Lucy’s timid question, he chuckled and said, “This is the decision of the great Cat God. Before sending down harsher trials, He is willing to reward diligent and kind believers… Are you questioning His decision?”

“No, it’s not like that, Lord!”

Lucy instantly turned pale with fright, nearly forgetting her manners as she desperately denied it.

“Hmm, I believe you.”

Oliver smiled to reassure her, then turned his gaze to the anxious cook, Xavier. “Cook, I’m going to teach you how to make a soup.”

Xavier: “….”

The Lord was going to teach him, a mere cook, how to make soup?

Seeing Xavier’s bewildered expression, Oliver naturally added, “It was taught to me in a dream by the Cat God. After I teach you, tomorrow before they come to collect their food, you must teach everyone how to make this soup.”

Upon hearing it was the wisdom of the Cat God, Xavier no longer dared to hesitate and quickly complied.

What he taught the cook to make was a simple yet delicious corn and egg drop soup.

If using dried corn kernels, they needed to be soaked in advance; if using fresh corn kernels, they could be shelled on the spot.

Place the plump golden kernels into a pot, add filtered water, and bring it to a boil.

Then take a little starch, mix it with water, stir it well, and pour it into the boiling corn broth.

Next, crack one or two eggs, beat them into a paste, and pour them clockwise into the corn soup mixed with the starch water. Finally, sprinkle in a bit of salt and a handful of chopped greens…

Watching as the orange-yellow egg mixture poured into the soup and transformed into delicate, wispy clouds of pale yellow, Xavier couldn’t help but gasp.

—This was simply too beautiful!

The aroma of the eggs and the sweetness of the corn blended together, making one’s mouth water.

The golden corn kernels, the pale yellow egg strands, and the finely chopped greens floating on top looked like a scene from a deep autumn forest.

Oliver was quite satisfied with the new cook’s displayed skill: as expected of the versatile steward, Fosse, who had specifically recruited him from elsewhere.

Fosse pressed his lips together and stepped forward, ladling a spoonful of hot soup for his young master. He waited until it had cooled to the perfect temperature before placing the bowl on a saucer and personally presenting it to Oliver.

Oliver leaned forward slightly, lowered his gaze, and took a dignified sip.

Though it lacked the seasoning of sesame oil, having grown tired of fish soup, he immediately took a liking to this dish.

Unfortunately, he had just eaten his fill.

After taking two more spoonfuls, Oliver set down his spoon. “Not bad. Distribute the rest among those working in the castle.”

At first, he had felt somewhat awkward about giving his leftover food to the servants, but he was gradually growing accustomed to it.

Not only because food was precious, but also because, in the eyes of the world, being able to receive soup that had been touched by the duke was usually a privilege reserved for the most favored—An honor only bestowed upon beloved servants.

Except for Fosse, who remained composed, everyone else couldn’t help but show flattered expressions.

Oliver thought for a moment and instructed, “Well, we can boil a few more eggs then… Remember to save the corn silk after peeling—the water it’s boiled in has a light sweetness too.”

Having eaten too much grilled fish lately, drinking corn silk water would help clear internal heat.

Xavier bowed deeply. “Yes, Lord.”

What Oliver didn’t know was that even if he hadn’t mentioned it, no one would be extravagant enough to waste the peeled corn husks. Compared to bitter roots, corn husks were already considered a delicacy worth fighting over for the former slaves of Laina City.

After bestowing the tasted soup to the servants, Oliver calmly put on his straw hat.

Then, under Fosse’s struggling yet restrained gaze, he leisurely went to harvest corn in the fields.

But before Oliver could step out of the castle gates, he heard singing from outside.

It was loud, passionate, and choked with emotion—anyone could hear the overwhelming feelings contained within.

Merchants who had been busy packing their belongings rushed over in confusion, staring in astonishment at the slaves gathered near the castle gates. These people refused to leave, their faces streaked with tears yet filled with devotion.

Nisse couldn’t help exclaiming, “Great Cat God, what’s happening here?”

Oliver was also stunned.

The lyrics he had casually made up had been secretly rewritten by believers who deemed themselves unworthy of receiving the Cat God’s boon directly. Filled with gratitude toward their Lord, they had created an entirely new prayer song:

“Fields, forests, rivers! Oh merciful God of Wealth—Cat God, we beg you to bless our beautiful angel Lord! Under the Cat God’s protection, vast fertile lands, grains growing strong, berries abundant! Great Cat God! Thank you for the bountiful crops you’ve bestowed! We offer all our faith, singing praises to the Cat God’s greatness in these days sheltered by our merciful Lord. We bathe in our Lord’s grace, grateful for everything the great Cat God has done for us!”

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