HTLCCBFT Chapter 58

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 58

TL PSA: this chapter contains some violence and gore.

When Fosse knelt on one knee and begged him to stay in the castle, Oliver silently apologized in his heart.

Even if this was the wish of his most loyal servant, he could not comply.

A slave who had never tasted the sweetness of power certainly had no obligation to join the battle.

But when even commoner men had to fight on the front lines without proper weapons, how could he, as the highest ruler here—a duke second only to the king in rank—possibly stand aside?

Those who wield power must defend their honor and status with all their might.

This was, in fact, the fairest rule in this brutally harsh world.

Even though he had only recently truly integrated the memories into his body and become Oliver for a short time…

As the duke and lord, he indeed occupied the finest room in Laina Castle, ate the best food, possessed the greatest wealth, and was revered as master by nearly ten thousand people who served him with unwavering loyalty.

Faced with any force that threatened the people of Laina, he had no reason not to step forward.

So, the moment Fosse and the others left, Oliver ordered the manservant Johan to bring him coarse linen clothes meant for lower servants, intending to conceal his conspicuous golden hair.

Due to the sudden enemy attack and Fosse’s absence from the castle, the servants were all in a state of panic and failed to notice the departure of a stranger with his hair wrapped in linen.

Passing by the stables, Oliver paused but ultimately decided against selecting a horse to ride.

Only nobles and knights were permitted to ride horses.

And the number of knights in Laina’s territory was so few they could be counted on one hand—it would be far too conspicuous.

Oliver easily blended into the panicked crowd of commoners and stood at the corner of the square where the Summer Market had just ended.

He carefully observed Fosse and the others ahead, as well as the steadily approaching bandit group.

When he saw Fosse suddenly turn his head and look toward the upper levels of the castle, Oliver’s heart nearly skipped a beat.

Had he been discovered?

But Fosse soon calmly turned his head back.

The butler, who was always humble, considerate, and meticulous in his presence, now seemed to revert to the sharpness he once displayed as a knight captain charging into battle.

Like an unsheathed longsword, he fearlessly and resolutely charged toward an enemy force nearly a hundred times their size!

Watching the few solitary figures swiftly swallowed by the absurdly cruel enemy wielding an assortment of weapons, and seeing the commoners around him suppressing their fear, sobbing and trembling as they raised their makeshift “weapons” to charge forward…

Oliver’s eyelashes trembled slightly, as if singed by a spark.

As someone who had once lived in a peaceful modern era, would he be crushed by guilt when wielding a lethal blade against bandits?

Even though he had never intended to shirk his responsibility, Oliver had originally thought he would need to wrestle with his conscience for a long time before hesitantly taking action.

In reality, it was nothing like that.

In the blink of an eye, Oliver equipped the [Cat God’s Ring], drew the [Cat God’s Sword]—which he never thought he would have a chance to use—from his game backpack, and swung it at the bandit leader who was loudly threatening to kill his butler. He didn’t even blink, showing not a trace of hesitation.

“Swish—”

A massive sword, half a person’s height and half a forearm’s width, so heavy that it stunned onlookers the moment it was drawn, was held effortlessly in one hand by this “strange commoner” as if it were a mere leaf.

Though nearly entirely concealed by unremarkable linen cloth, the exposed chin was delicate and petite, with skin as fine and smooth as freshly fallen snow.

Yet what was truly unbelievable and evoked instinctive fear was not the sudden appearance of the colossal sword.

He… no, perhaps It, was glowing!

It was not the blinding, scorching glare of the midday sun, nor the faint, flickering shimmer of night stars, easily swallowed by the surrounding darkness.

Instead, it was like the pure, luminous moon hanging in the night sky, illuminating the path for travelers gazing up at it.

The silvery radiance shimmering over the fair skin was gentler than sunlight, brighter than starlight—a flowing brilliance that the thin linen cloth could never hope to conceal.

Oliver, of course, had no time to notice the stunned expressions of those around him.

He had only worn the [Cat God’s Ring] for its 10% attack boost—never expecting that its mystical illumination effect would prove far more awe-inspiring than the exaggerated sword’s destructive power.

His lips pressed tightly together, he charged straight into the densest cluster of enemies and, expressionless, swung the heavy sword at the jeering bandit leader!

Having only ever used a sword in games to slay bats, crabs, skeletons, and all manner of bizarre slimes, this was his first time in the real world swinging a blade at a fellow human being with the same flowing blood.

The immense damage of the [Cat God’s Sword] was something Slang’s flimsy armor simply couldn’t withstand.

Not only did it unleash the sword’s full damage potential, but it even triggered a critical hit!

The moment the blade struck, the armor melted away as easily as wax touched by flame, allowing the sword to slice unimpeded into flesh.

Slang’s agonized scream, the sickening crunch of shattered bone and torn flesh, and the splatter of warm blood erupted simultaneously, while the sword’s powerful knockback effect sent the tall, sturdy man flying backward!

“My God.”

Rigel, who happened to turn his head and witness this scene, felt his scalp prickle as if exploding, his entire body going numb with terror.

His brother Slang, who had always prided himself on his formidable strength and bullied the weak without restraint, now appeared as fragile as a child under the assault of this sword, utterly powerless to fight back!

The bandits who saw this were all frozen in shock.

So much blood… yet not a single drop clung to the pale blue blade.

Perhaps due to the momentum of his charge before the swing, the tightly wrapped linen cloth slipped down, revealing a head of dazzling, curly golden hair and a face as beautiful as an angel’s.

Drawn by Slang’s screams, the bandits next witnessed a sight that made their scalps crawl and filled them with dread.

Meanwhile, the Laina commoners, after a brief moment of stunned silence, couldn’t help but drop to one knee and loudly sing hymns to the Cat God and their lord!

In the past, when they praised the deity and their lord in their hearts, they would often extol him as “shining like a true angel.”

But no one had ever imagined that the Divine Messenger they held in their hearts would now genuinely radiate a silvery glow visible to all!

The more delighted the people of Laina were, the more fearful the bandits became.

—Even for desperate outlaws, most would never dare imagine themselves as enemies of God.

Seeing all his enemies suddenly and inexplicably halt their movements, their bewildered gazes fixed on him, Oliver slightly furrowed his brow.

What was wrong with these people?

After a moment of hesitation, he refrained from swinging his sword at the next petrified foe. Instead, he planted the tip of his blade shallowly into the ground, gripping the hilt with his right hand, remaining vigilant.

His usually clear and gentle blue eyes, like a flowing stream, now held not a trace of emotion. He coldly scanned the surrounding crowd and said in a deep voice, “Any invaders who do not lay down their weapons will face the severe punishment of the great Cat God.”

Oliver tentatively spoke these words.

To his astonishment, most of the bandits exchanged glances and, unable to conceal their fear, dropped their weapons.

—Their leader, Slang, who lay dying on the ground, unable even to utter a groan of pain, was a bloody testament to the divine punishment meted out by the angel of God.

Meanwhile, Rudger and Bush, sensing the turn of events, had wisely fled on horseback with a small group of trusted followers earlier.

No one could have anticipated that this counterattack, which seemed destined to end in a bloody and violent battle, would conclude in such a dramatic fashion.

After capturing over a hundred bandits and confiscating a large cache of weapons, Oliver ordered his men to strip the bandits naked and lock them in the dungeon beneath the castle.

As for their leader Slang, Oliver employed an unprecedented level of ruthlessness—he ordered the barely breathing bandit chief to be hanged upside down on the gallows, which had never been used since his arrival in Laina.

The tall and burly Slang dangled like a chicken with its throat slit, powerless to struggle. His twitching body was pelted with stones by the enraged people of Laina until he finally breathed his last.

From the castle window, Oliver gazed coldly at the corpse, gradually losing all signs of life, hanging stiffly and grotesquely.

This was a bandit who had roamed from town to town, killing without blinking an eye.

A shameless villain who, without any grievance, had stormed into his home with his gang, shouting threats to kill those around him and plunder his wealth.

Oliver felt no regret for having killed him and harbored no guilt—even in a peaceful modern era, this would be considered justifiable self-defense, a stand to protect his property and right to life.

Oliver closed his eyes.

After repeatedly convincing himself, he finally felt the slight trembling in his fingertips begin to slowly subside.

The fact that this conflict ended in such an unexpected manner could only be attributed to the fortunate effect of the illumination from the Cat God’s Ring.

Not all ruthless criminals would feel awe at the divine phenomenon and collapse in morale, abandoning their weapons.

This incident served as a stark warning to him.

Even the impoverished Laina City, because of his personal wealth, held enough allure for vicious bandits—yet it lacked sufficient defensive capabilities.

Even if he were willing to charge into battle every time, his personal abilities were ultimately limited.

“Your Highness.”

Fosse’s voice pulled Oliver back to his senses.

“Fosse.”

He turned from the window, smiling out of habit: “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to you this time—Fosse?”

Oliver’s eyes widened in surprise.

He saw his butler—who had just fought a bloody battle for him, his armor still stained with dark dried blood—suddenly kneel silently at his feet.

“Your Highness.”

Fosse murmured, his lifted face still expressionless, but his emerald eyes clearly reflected the figure most important to him.

He had failed to protect his young master.

Moreover, he clearly saw… unprecedented fear and sorrow in his young master’s eyes.

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