HTLCCBFT Chapter 55

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 55

The next morning, butler Fosse keenly noticed that his young master was even more silent than the day before and had drastically reduced his food intake.

The fair-haired lord only drank a bowl of corn and egg drop soup, showing no intention of touching the two freshly baked small white bread rolls beside it.

After wiping the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, he rested his elbows on the table, loosely clasped his fingers, and pressed his slightly curved thumbs against his rosy, soft lower lip as if in prayer.

His delicate long brows were slightly furrowed, and beneath the gently lowered golden lashes were blue eyes filled with a heartbreaking melancholy.

Oliver was indeed somewhat worried.

He certainly didn’t believe it was the actual Cat God manifesting, but he held an attitude of “better to believe it exists than not” toward the mysterious sixth sense.

As for threats that could endanger him… setting aside natural disasters for now, when it came to man-made calamities, aside from the army from his dear elder brother in the royal capital, he could only think of the bandits wreaking havoc in other towns for the time being.

He couldn’t possibly possess the ability to foresee the future, but the vague warning of danger in his dream could very well be interpreted as his subconscious concern over Laina City’s weak defensive capabilities.

God.

The more Oliver thought about it, the more his head ached.

Just as the famine crisis had been resolved and the planting plan for the next quarter hadn’t even been scheduled… why did he have to worry about Laina City’s insufficient military strength?

If only there really was a Cat God—he wished he could be like the others who knew nothing of the truth, simply closing his eyes and praying to be done with it.

“Fosse.”

Under the butler’s anxious gaze, Oliver sighed and asked seriously, “Aside from the people we brought with us, how many in Laina City truly possess combat capability?”

Hearing his young master’s question, Fosse couldn’t help but be taken aback.

He truly didn’t believe that his young master, who was as kind-hearted as a true angel, would whimsically decide to wage war and attack a neighboring city.

But this question…

What exactly had happened?

Though puzzled, Fosse carefully pondered for a moment before giving a cautious number: “Your Highness, if nothing unexpected occurs, there should be 521 people.”

Oliver nodded slightly.

This was a figure within his estimates.

Serfs were not registered in the population census for three reasons: first, they were considered part of the lord’s inherent property, exempt from taxes, so those in power didn’t care about their lives; second, as tools, they enjoyed no rights as “people”; and third, there was a barely beneficial aspect—they were also exempt from the duty of going to war.

Once war broke out between two cities, both nobles and commoner men were obligated to respond to their ruler’s conscription and fight the enemy.

It might sound unbelievable, but slaves could indeed remain uninvolved: ultimately, their ownership was determined by the land, not the lord.

Just as when bandits rob a house, only those recognized as the owners of the house have the right and duty to take up arms and resist.

No matter how numerous the slaves, they were merely furniture in that house.

Unless they were maniacal bandits intent on destroying everything, after driving away the previous rulers, they would seize all property—including livestock and slaves.

For the slaves, whether their lives improved seemed to have little to do with who exactly sat in power above them. Their existence remained equally miserable.

Thus, once the former lord was defeated, they would switch allegiance to the new lord without any psychological burden, repeating the same laborious tasks.

Laina City, with a civilian population of just over 1,000, could boast a combat-ready population of over half its residents largely “thanks” to years of famine. On his second day there, Oliver noticed: those who survived these extremely harsh conditions were mostly young adult men, with only a fortunate few—middle-aged or elderly people, women, and children from relatively well-off backgrounds—managing to escape the worst.

“What about their combat ability?” Oliver pondered, then simply used the prowess of Knight Captain Noel as a unit of measure: “How many of them would it take to match Noel?”

Fosse replied without hesitation, “Your Grace, I’m afraid those people wouldn’t dare.”

These gaunt civilians, who had never had the opportunity to properly learn archery, horsemanship, or swordsmanship… wouldn’t dare confront Knight Captain Noel, who had distinguished himself among the elite in the royal capital to earn the privilege of being sent by the old king to serve the Angel Duke. The mere aura of bloodlust Noel carried from battlefield experience was enough to intimidate the timid and cowardly civilians.

Oliver thought this wasn’t a good thing.

If bandits truly emerged with the audacity to assault a city, they would be no ordinary desperadoes—they would be the most vicious and ruthless kind.

He frowned slightly, lost in thought.

Over the past twenty years, Laina City had suffered floods, droughts, locust plagues, and even minor epidemics, but never bandit troubles. The reason was obvious: Laina was simply too impoverished.

With a tax-paying population of barely over 1,000 and being a destitute place where slaves starved to death every year, no one would willingly go there except for some small traveling merchants forced to take desperate risks. Otherwise, after a group traveled hard for days and nights, their plunder would likely only be enough to cover horse feed.

So why had he received such a warning in his dream?

Oliver racked his brains.

Wait.

Oliver’s eyes widened suddenly.

That’s not right!

The reason Laina City now faced a bandit crisis it had never needed to worry about before was probably because of him.

He had previously overheard subordinates chatting about how many more major merchants—especially those selling luxury goods—had come to Laina City for the Summer Market this year compared to previous years.

These merchants went through the trouble of coming to Laina precisely because of him—the duke exiled from the royal capital.

Everyone knew the principle that a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

No matter how hastily he had departed, the duke’s accompanying carriages must have carried far wealthier assets than those of ordinary nobles.

Wealth tempts hearts—that was fortune substantial enough to attract vicious bandits.

After realizing the oversights he had previously neglected, Oliver felt a sudden clarity but also genuine tension.

“Fosse,” the blond Lord said with a grave expression, “aside from the dozen or so people assigned to make compost bins, if I have Noel train them, could they develop some self-defense capabilities in a short time?”

Although he had idly thought before that if the slaves on the estate could be counted as part of the military force, they would undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with.

But that was just a passing thought.

Leaving aside how the slaves, after long-term abuse by the stewards, had lost their fighting spirit—even with the sharpest weapons, they would lack any will to fight on the battlefield.

Moreover, due to long-term malnutrition and performing the hardest, most exhausting labor, their physical condition was far worse than that of common men, making the combat strength they could provide quite limited.

Most importantly… why should they?

He had only made minor improvements to the lives of the slaves, who lived worse than livestock, out of the conscience expected of someone with a modern education.

Why should they risk their lives for him based on such a small boon, when they could otherwise stay out of harm’s way?

In the eyes of any party, living slaves who could work held continuous productive value, far better than going through the trouble of killing them.

Regardless of nobles or commoners, and regardless of the outcome of the war, the slaves would always survive.

Oliver did not consider himself shameless enough to demand that of them.

Commoners were different.

The price they paid was the obligation to pay taxes and provide periodic labor for the Lord.

But because of their status, they not only received more legal protection locally but were also under the protection of their home town even if they went elsewhere.

Even the commoners of the poor, remote Laina City held a status far superior to those freemen who, for some reason, had lost the protection of their towns and wandered outside.

According to the law, even if they committed serious crimes in other towns, the local lord had to obtain the Laina Lord’s consent before executing them.

Thus, all common men were obligated to fight and defend the place where they lived and worked.

Hearing the implication in his young master’s words, Fosse was momentarily taken aback, his expression quickly turning stern.

His mind raced, and he swiftly considered another possibility.

Leaning forward slightly from his previously upright posture, he asked in a low voice, “Your Highness, could it be… that the great Cat God has delivered a new oracle?”

Oliver could have easily gone along with that line of reasoning, but when he met the butler’s pure, deep green eyes, he suddenly changed his mind.

“If anyone else were to ask me, I would answer ‘yes,’ Fosse.”

Oliver smiled faintly.

The Lord’s figure, reflected in those emerald eyes, appeared as holy and beautiful as a true angel.

Fosse stared intently at his young master, listening as the other continued with a light laugh, “But I trust you, Fosse.”

In the ears of the loyal butler, no words could be more deserving of the praise “divine music” than these.

Oliver beamed meaningfully and said, “So you must understand, many things are simply my own wishes, Fosse. Do you see? Not just this time.”

What would Fosse do?

Even before speaking aloud, Oliver already had the answer in his heart.

After his memories and soul had completely merged, he had accepted the fact that he was Oliver.

The true, complete Oliver—not some despicable thief who had stolen another’s identity.

He was also the person Fosse had served with unwavering loyalty all these years.

Rather than only speaking to the Cat God statue in his dreams, perhaps… he could place more trust in this butler who had always been so devoted to him.

Fosse gazed deeply at his dazzling young master, then slowly knelt on one knee.

Gently lifting a corner of the plain robe, his slightly lowered eyelids held a faint moisture and a burning warmth.

He kissed the hem of the garment, as if devoutly kneeling before a merciful God.

“Everything shall be as you wish,” he murmured. “Fosse will always be your servant.”

“—And only your servant. I will not accept the dominion of any deity.”

Regardless of any changes in temperament, that pure, beautiful, and radiant soul could only be his beloved Master Oliver.

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