HTLCCBFT Chapter 43

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 43

As night fell, the business banquet that the servants of Laina castle had prepared for a full day and night… the evening feast, commenced as scheduled.

The merchants, fortunate enough to receive invitations—most stepping into the castle gates for the first time—had naturally changed into their finest attire.

Their faces, dust-stained during the day, were scrubbed repeatedly until spotlessly clean; their hair and beards trimmed with impeccable neatness, and their bodies sprayed with costly perfumes.

Many arrived at the castle gates simultaneously, discreetly observing the attire of other guests while waiting with restraint for the servants to lead them into the hall.

Wynn and Bir happened to enter the castle in the same group as the brothers Nisse and Neil.

Wynn had certainly heard of Nisse and Neil—the “first two lucky ones granted an audience with His Lordship,” envied by other merchants.

Thus, as a member of several major city guilds, he proactively nodded to these two small merchants who stubbornly wore fur coats even in hot weather, smiling as he greeted them: “May the glorious Cat God bless you.”

After witnessing so many divine miracles firsthand, as profit-driven merchants—including Wynn and Bir—they had unhesitatingly changed their faith.

The only thing that somewhat bothered them was how utterly desireless this deity seemed.

Despite being the God of Wealth, He refused to accept offerings from believers!

Upon learning the oracle that “the great Cat God only favors those with wisdom, diligence, kindness, and honesty,” the merchants felt extremely regretful.

As renowned major merchants, they were actually quite willing to offer some wealth as proof of their devout worship.

Yet before this impeccably upright God of Wealth, they had no choice but to reluctantly accept… that as believers, they were destined to be treated equally by this deity.

The names of Wynn and his partner Bir were, of course, known to the Nisse brothers as well.

With the major wine merchant taking the initiative to show goodwill, the four of them—whether sincerely or not—quickly struck up a conversation.

During their exchange, Wynn soon noticed.

Apart from effusive praise for the “as pure and beautiful as an angel” Lord they were about to see again, Nisse showed the most interest in the pig merchant Piggs, who had painfully missed this banquet due to a broken leg.

“Oh, may the great Cat God bless poor Piggs,” Nisse said in a chanting tone, unable to conceal his schadenfreude toward this old rival: “He probably forgot he’s already an old man with brittle bones—careless enough to fall off his horse, breaking a leg and getting a mouthful of mud! Such a pitiful Piggs.”

Though unfamiliar with the pig merchant, out of personal refinement, Wynn didn’t voice agreement with Nisse’s remarks, merely maintaining a polite smile.

However, Nisse’s attention soon shifted to the evening feast, seemingly not expecting any response: “Ah, but thinking from another perspective, how fortunate this Piggs fellow is! To legitimately remain in Laina City! After he recovers, he’ll surely see His Lordship’s figure in the fields again.”

If Laina City weren’t so impoverished that Nisse only managed to sell one mole-skin coat throughout the entire Summer Market… he, who deeply admired that lord, would probably have been unable to resist staying in Laina.

To an uninformed ear, how bizarre and incongruous the combination of “field” and “Your Highness” would sound!

Wynn sighed inwardly.

But over the past eleven days, they had witnessed far too many astonishing things in Laina City—with today bringing the most surprises yet.

The waiting time passed in a flash, and soon a neatly dressed castle servant appeared at the main entrance, politely requesting the four guests to remove the swords at their waists and follow him to the hall where the banquet was being held.

When visiting nobles of far higher status, this was an inevitable requirement—they had to demonstrate their complete lack of malicious intent as guests.

Well-versed in such etiquette, the four merchants immediately complied without hesitation.

They obediently removed the ornate swords that served more as decoration than practical use, took off their formal hats, and held them between their fingers with the most impeccable gestures.

Had the banquet guests been nobles, they would have been greeted not by an ordinary servant but by the most trusted butler of the household.

Wynn and the others were fully aware that as mere merchants, they were far from worthy of being received by the butler, who was himself of noble birth.

Thus, they patiently tolerated the clearly nervous and somewhat clumsy servant as he collected their swords.

“Please follow me.”

After successfully completing this unfamiliar task, Johan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, reassumed a solemn expression, and led the lord’s merchant guests toward the drawing room.

However, the moment Johan turned his back to them and began walking ahead, the four shrewd merchants took advantage of his inexperience in hosting to freely survey their surroundings.

Although this was their second visit, it was the first time they could observe so boldly.

After all, gazing around and scrutinizing one’s surroundings as a guest was considered utterly rude and uncouth: in the worst-case scenario, such behavior could be noticed by a cunning servant and maliciously reported to a hot-tempered noble host, leading to their displeasure and disdain.

—What a remarkably shabby castle.

With just a few glances, all four nearly simultaneously reached the same conclusion.

Especially Wynn and Bir, who had been honored guests of many lords in large cities and could be considered quite discerning.

This castle, with moss filling its cracks, unevenly colored stones, and such a long corridor devoid of any oil paintings or carpet decorations… was truly destitute.

It completely failed to match the radiance of that illustrious lord.

Wynn thought with deep regret.

When they entered the banquet hall for the evening and caught sight of the lord they had been fortunate enough to see up close once before, they still couldn’t help but show looks of awe.

To emphasize the importance of this gathering, Oliver—on the butler’s advice—had reluctantly donned a robe that, while not the most extravagant in his wardrobe, could undoubtedly be described as ostentatiously splendid.

Unlike the attire with a ‘holy’ theme that he had worn during his first speech about the existence of the “Cat God” before the slaves, this time, to intimidate the “cunning merchants” (as Fosse put it), he adopted the most standard aristocratic demeanor.

His slightly curled golden hair was neatly held down by a pearl-adorned headband, except for a few strands suspended by golden threads. The rest of his unbound long hair cascaded like seaweed from the well-defined sides of his face, accentuating his finely sculpted jawline.

The high-waisted, form-fitting long coat, made of brightly colored brocade, was crafted by the most renowned tailor in the capital for the beloved youngest prince. The conservative king had not favored the recently popular high-collared shirts but opted for a simpler design. Thus, this houppelande[mfn]a long, full outer garment with voluminous, flaring sleeves, worn by both men and women in late medieval Europe, appearing around 1360 and remaining fashionable into the next century. It was a luxurious garment often lined with fur and made from rich fabrics like wool, silk, and velvet, and its design influenced modern academic and legal robes. The houppelande was always worn over a more fitted undergown and could be belted at the waist or under the bust to create pleats. [/mfn] might have been deemed somewhat outdated by nobles frantically chasing trends, but it was undeniably pleasing to the eye—

Especially since the brightly colored collar curled slightly, leaving the swan-like, pale, and slender neck unobstructed and not concealing the snow-white complexion, with only a faint blush on the cheeks. This subtly exuded an indescribable aura of majesty and divine beauty.

In Oliver’s eyes, the sleeves, which extended absurdly long—almost reaching the ground like “two curtains”—did not appear extravagant or shallow to others.

Instead, it seemed as if an angel resting among the clouds had casually taken a passing rosy cloud and draped it gracefully over plain garments tinged with the splendor of the sunset, creating a harmonious and naturally beautiful rhythm.

It was truly incredible.

Wynn’s heart raced and trembled uncontrollably, and he couldn’t help but marvel.

…Clearly, it was an unremarkable, dilapidated castle, yet because of this Duke, who was uniquely beloved by the great God, it had become radiant and captivating.

Oliver was completely unaware of the merchant’s awe and infatuation.

Dressed in these highly restrictive clothes, he painfully felt like a Christmas tree laden with decorations. With even the slightest movement, the pearl accessories on his head would jingle noisily.

Feeling weary, he quickly decided… to minimize his movements as much as possible until the banquet ended.

Thus, when Wynn and the others arrived, the usually gentle and amiable Lord merely gave a lifeless, slight nod.

“Sit down,” he said simply.

After he spoke, Fosse, who had been standing by, approached unhurriedly and gestured for the merchants, who had knelt on one knee to pay their respects, to rise and take their seats at the table.

The guests soon arrived.

As etiquette demanded, each guest, upon arrival, had to kneel on one knee to pay homage to the noble host and begin their praises to Oliver with, “May the great Cat God (or the god/deity the merchant worshipped) bless you.”

The wine glass.

At first, Oliver felt awkward, but he eventually grew completely numb.

Once all the guests had arrived and the servants knelt by his side to serve the dishes, Oliver picked up the impeccably clean silver wine glass that Fosse had wiped in front of him once more.

“May the great Cat God protect you all,” Oliver mustered a bit of energy and addressed the guests, who were curiously examining the dishes on the table.

He said: “The dishes on the table are all specialty creations made by the fortunate people of Laina, blessed with wisdom from the God of Wealth. Please feel free to enjoy them without reservation!”

Following etiquette, the merchants thanked the generous and hospitable lord before having servants serve them portions of the foods that caught their interest—either cutting a slice or scooping a few spoonfuls.

In the semi-transparent, pale broth floated plump golden corn kernels and what appeared like scattered white clouds, garnished with finely chopped vegetables.

Was this also considered soup?

Wynn, who had only ever seen various kinds of thick soups, was encountering such an artistic-looking broth for the first time.

With eager anticipation, he tentatively tasted a spoonful…

Then couldn’t resist immediately going for a second spoonful.

By the time he came to his senses, he had accidentally finished the entire small bowl he’d been served.

Still craving more, he lightly licked his lips and quietly instructed the waiting servant to quickly bring him another bowl of soup.

Oh great Cat God, your wisdom is truly precious—this is incredibly delicious!

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