HTLCCBFT Chapter 50

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 50

Though it might seem somewhat opportunistic, it at least proved that this slave was observant and bold enough.

As encouragement for the first student to step forward with an answer, Oliver decided to grant him the reward.

He gave a faint glance at the manservant Johan, who immediately understood and took an egg from the irresistibly attractive wooden basket.

At this point, Jack’s eyes simply didn’t know where to look!

He wanted to gaze at the Lord he had never had the chance to get so close to before, yet he could hardly resist the temptation of such a delicious food like an egg.

When everyone saw Jack swallowing nervously and ultimately choosing to stare fixedly at the egg, all the slaves who deeply understood his feelings couldn’t help but let out low, good-natured chuckles.

“Great Cat God, my husband is such a hopeless fool! So embarrassing!”

Only Marianne, though secretly delighted, felt both amused and exasperated.

“God does not make false promises to believers.”

Oliver had Johan place the egg in Jack’s palm, and he carefully cupped the reward in his hands, then retreated with a happy, foolish grin.

He turned to the other three, who looked frustrated: “Considering you are the first group chosen to undergo this test of faith, I am willing to give you another chance to answer. Is anyone willing to try?”

In truth, the other two commoners were far more disheartened than Rebel.

They were freemen who had attended school and possessed far more knowledge than these dirty slaves!

And that big oaf who looked so foolish had simply copied what the Lord had ordered planted in the fields, yet he had made them all lose.

Seeing the three regain their fighting spirit, Oliver increased the difficulty of the question: “You may choose your answers again, but this time, you are not allowed to select any crop combination that has already appeared in the fields.”

This effectively prevented any copying.

After receiving the signal to begin, Rebel, who had already missed one opportunity, reached out swiftly this time.

Ignoring the irritated clicks of disapproval from the two freemen beside him, he unhesitatingly grabbed the pumpkin and barley he had pre-selected, clutching them tightly in his hands.

“Honorable Lord!” He knelt on one knee, his voice resounding: “Please behold my choice.”

Oliver gave a noncommittal “Hmm” but didn’t rush to give him the egg. Instead, inspired by the decisiveness Rebel had just shown, he held deeper expectations: “State your reasoning.”

As soon as the Lord spoke these words, the other slaves, who had unconsciously grown anxious and invested in Rebel’s situation, couldn’t help but gasp.

God, it just got harder!

Not only did they have to choose crops, but they also had to explain why!

Marianne, watching her still-joyful husband, felt a twinge of lingering fear: he was truly lucky! He had just passed the simplest trial set by the sacred Cat God!

Rebel’s heart pounded like a drum, yet he felt no regret or fear at the sudden increase in difficulty.

Instead, he was filled with surprise and anticipation.

He knew he couldn’t possibly guess the true intentions of this unconventional noble, but he keenly sensed that this was absolutely the only Lord who would show kindness to slaves.

He must seize this opportunity.

Bathed in the Lord’s gentle gaze tinged with a hint of encouragement, he slowly raised his eyes and mustered his courage to say, “Respected Lord… Ah, may the Cat God bless you. These might just be my foolish ramblings, but I truly have seen it before… Just like how the bean vines Jack chose earlier could climb up the corn stalks, pumpkin tendrils can also cling to the barley leaves nearby, allowing the pumpkin leaves to grow denser and better.”

Oliver’s blue eyes lit up slightly, revealing a genuine smile.

“Good,” he praised leisurely. “Being able to think of this proves you have passed the two trials set by the great Cat God.”

—Ahhh, Rebel actually gets two eggs!

Understanding the implication in the Lord’s words and witnessing Johan indeed fetching two eggs to give to Rebel… all the slaves grew excited.

They had originally thought being called forward was a nerve-wracking, frightening, and inevitably humiliating ordeal.

Yet, unexpectedly, the commoners who usually acted so arrogantly toward them ended up empty-handed this time, while the usually simple-minded Jack and Rebel received rewards!

—If only they had agreed to step forward when the Lord asked if anyone was willing to accept the trial!

“Aside from the point you mentioned, there is another reason.” Oliver glanced around and explained simply, “Pumpkin yield is closely linked to the amount of moisture retained in the soil. When pumpkins are interplanted with dwarf wheat, they not only help retain soil humidity but also occupy the space where weeds could grow.”

Even with such a simple explanation, the difference in literacy levels was evident from the reactions of the others: most slaves still looked somewhat confused and bewildered, while many commoners had already begun to ponder thoughtfully.

“The Cat God is always just.”

Oliver still held high hopes for the more educated commoners and tried to balance things as much as possible. He turned to the commoners, who were blushing with shame, and said with a gentle smile, “He is willing to give the freemen an extra chance—it’s up to you whether you can seize it.”

One of the freemen visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Eggs weren’t particularly important, but as freemen with far greater knowledge than slaves, losing to two slaves in front of so many people was utterly humiliating!

Oliver then announced the content of the new trial: “You will face two tests. As long as you complete one of them, you will pass.”

Hearing the Lord relax the conditions for these two freemen who “didn’t know why they performed so poorly,” the other commoners, who had initially been embarrassed by them, felt much better, and the slaves saw no issue with it either.

Commoners and slaves, of course, could not be treated the same.

Oliver gestured toward the remaining crops on the carpet: “You don’t need to compete for the chance to answer. All of you are allowed to freely choose a new combination, but you must state the correct reason… or, for the two combinations that have already appeared, supplement another reason why the crops are suitable for companion planting.”

“I understand, respected Lord.

“The two exchanged a glance and quickly decided who would choose first—the taller, leaner man.

He was the brother-in-law of the sixth lord’s personal valet. Thanks to this connection, he had briefly secured a position in the most lucrative mill, where he often threw his weight around.

However, his good fortune didn’t last long. With the sudden death of the sixth lord, his circumstances took a sharp downturn.

The personal valet was implicated and lost his life. Although he managed to escape that fate, he could no longer stay at the mill. Resentful coworkers, who had long despised his arrogant behavior, drove him out.

Now, he could only scrape by doing odd jobs and helping his wife tend their small allocated plot of land, barely maintaining his status as a freeman.

Because he had often assisted his wife and personally cared for the crops in the field… he held strong confidence in the answer he had chosen.

“May the great Cat God bless you, wise Highness,” he said reverently, presenting the two crops in his palm with a humble demeanor, though the upward curve of his lips betrayed his self-satisfaction at having chosen correctly. “Please see, these are my choices.”

Oliver glanced at the kale and potato in his hand, his eyelid twitching slightly.

To avoid discouraging the curiosity of his students in their first lesson, he had deliberately arranged many correct pairings.

…… To accurately pick the one combination that needed to be avoided was, in its own way, a stroke of remarkable luck.

He looked somewhat helplessly at this unfortunate commoner, whom he had given several chances but who still proved inept, and said gently, “Explain your reasoning.”

The man answered with full confidence, “Respected Highness, both of these crops are short and tend to sprawl on the ground! Just like slaves and livestock, they grow in the filthy soil and manage to get the work done when they’re together—crops are the same. I once saw my dear mother plant them this way; in my small yard, they thrived side by side……”

“Is that so?”

Hearing the first part of his statement, which insulted slaves, Oliver barely managed to suppress a frown.

When he heard the latter part, any tolerance he had for this man vanished completely.

Before the other could finish, Oliver coldly interrupted, emphasizing, “Are you certain you ‘saw with your own eyes’ that they ‘thrived’ when planted together?”

Unless this man had mistaken the types of crops—confusing kale with purple lettuce—such a scenario was nearly impossible.

Although kale is known as a ‘companion crop’ for its friendliness to many vegetables and weeds, this doesn’t cover up its strong allelopathic effects[mfn]a plant that produces chemical compounds that inhibit the growth of other plants.[/mfn].

Kale and potatoes are completely unsuitable as companion plants for intercropping.

Due to the allelopathic substances secreted by kale, the growth and development of potatoes are severely inhibited, making it far from “thriving.”

“But, Your Highness.”

Though sensing that things were taking a turn for the worse, the man was unwilling to admit any exaggeration in his words and instinctively dug in his heels, trying to brush it off: “You may have planted potatoes with your own hands, but someone as noble as you might never have seen kale before. I swear to the wise Cat God, all of this is absolutely true—”

By this point, Oliver could no longer conceal the disgust in his eyes for this person.

Why was this happening?

He asked himself.

In less than a month, both the cook Annie and the slave named Slack seemed to think his eyes were blind, his kindness boundless—that he was an easy target to deceive.

Would they dare treat the previous lords this way?

Probably not.

Because those lords were cruel, cold-blooded, and capricious—they would obey, if only out of hatred and fear of harsh methods.

Even though he had suddenly found himself in an era where he could enjoy the privileges of his lineage with a clear conscience, where even the most extravagant and brutal acts seemed justified, he had always strived to uphold his own principles.

Yet it felt as though these seemingly weak and easy-to-bully people were pushing him step by step toward a cold, ruthless world.

“Are you certain, and do you stand by your statement?”

Remembering the sea of flowers he saw when he stepped out of the castle that day, and the devout faces singing hymns to the Cat God, Oliver calmed down slightly.

—This question was also the last chance he was giving the other person.

The man stammered and nodded, forcing a smile: “Your Highness, everything I said is true, please…”

Losing patience for a moment, Oliver turned to Fosse beside him: “Fosse, I need you to take some men to this person’s home. Pull up a few potato plants growing near the kale, and a few growing farther away. If you can’t find the latter, check his neighbor’s house.”

It was only then, with this movement, that he noticed the loyal butler, who had been silent all along, had already placed his right hand on the horsewhip at his waist—ready to whip at a moment’s notice.

Oliver had no doubt that if he showed even a hint more disgust toward this commoner…

This loyal butler, though already in his forties and with combat skills even surpassing Knight Captain Noel, would risk overstepping his bounds to wield the whip.

Fosse nonchalantly moved his hand away and bowed respectfully: “Understood, Your Highness.”

Oliver did not look again at the person who had instantly become fearful and uneasy. The gentle smile that usually graced his beautiful face had completely vanished.

His striking blue eyes held no emotion, no ripple of feeling, as he pronounced judgment: “I want everyone to understand one thing clearly. Those who dare deceive God and mock me will pay the price.”

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