Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 74
The commoners scrambled to jump into the “pit” they had dug themselves, and Oliver was naturally delighted to see it.
“Since they have all sincerely requested it.”
Even so, the cunning Lord of Laina did not easily agree.
Facing Knight Kane, who had returned to report, he replied with a smile, “Go back and tell them that I will seek the guidance of the great Cat God tonight. Go, Kane.”
If he agreed too easily, it would make the opportunity seem less precious.
To deceive the commoners, who had read many books and were not as easily fooled as the slaves, he had to be more cautious.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Without the slightest doubt about the young lord’s words, Kane quickly acknowledged and immediately went out to deliver the message to the anxiously waiting commoners.
Though the commoners were somewhat disappointed, they found it reasonable.
Since the wisdom was granted to the Lord by the Cat God and then passed on to Lucy… how could just anyone be qualified to learn it?
Of course, they needed to patiently wait for the divine messenger to consult the almighty Cat God before making further plans.
After all, the wisdom they possessed was something the slaves could never surpass!
With this thought, they felt much more at ease.
So, they first expressed their gratitude to Knight Kane, then bowed deeply toward the castle gate in the direction of the Lord inside.
Afterward, they dispersed in small groups, quietly discussing among themselves.
Meanwhile, Oliver, with the assistance of Butler Fosse, was already preparing to enjoy his dinner happily.
Ever since the thoughtful butler replaced the cook with one who was more skilled, more loyal—or rather, more professional—and, most importantly to him, more hygienic, he no longer had to endure muddy bean soup and bread so hard it could only be broken with the sharpest dagger.
Despite the scarcity of resources in Laina City, under Fosse’s guidance and demands, the cook did his utmost to make Oliver’s life slightly more befitting his noble status.
This also made Oliver truly feel that his happiness was rapidly and tangibly improving.
The first course of the evening was a portion of finely minced meat, cooked to perfection and mixed with just the right amount of fragrant herbs and other seasonings.
Fosse personally served a portion for his young master with a silver spoon, placing it in an equally exquisite small silver soup bowl, then quietly waited for Oliver to taste it.
After just one bite, Oliver couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
After chewing it thoroughly in a manner absolutely befitting noble etiquette, he swallowed the tender minced meat, which lacked the usual gamey taste of meat, and looked curiously at Fosse, who remained calm. “What kind of meat is this?”
It couldn’t be smoked meat.
Smoked meats had long lost their moisture and could never regain true tenderness, no matter how many times they were cooked.
“It is rabbit meat, Your Highness.”
Fosse bowed respectfully as he answered. “I hope you like it.”
“I like it very much.” Oliver blinked and asked curiously, “But where did the rabbit come from?”
He didn’t recall anyone in Laina City raising rabbits.
In fact, as far as he knew, aside from larger livestock like pigs, cattle, and sheep, even poultry like chickens and ducks were rarely raised on a large scale by merchants.
After all, apart from the nobility, only a few fortunate farmers who owned small yards could afford the luxury of keeping two or three chickens and enjoying a fresh egg every day.
“It was hunted by me in the woods yesterday, Your Grace.”
Fosse’s tone remained calm, and his reply was brief.
Clearly.
If Oliver hadn’t asked, this loyal old butler would never have brought it up to claim credit for himself.
Yet this simple answer only made Oliver more curious.
After all, in his impression, aside from when he was sleeping, this all-capable butler watched over him as meticulously as one would a young child, hardly ever leaving his side.
How could he not remember Fosse ever going hunting alone?
“Yesterday?”
He set down the elegant silver fork and began to recall.
Soon, he remembered.
Indeed, during the bandit invasion yesterday, Fosse had been ordered to leave his side for a while.
And when he returned, there were several round, gruesome bandit heads hanging from his horse.
Because the uncensored, ferocious expressions on the heads were quite frightening, Oliver had only glanced at them briefly before looking away.
So, besides the heads, there had been a rabbit as spoils of war as well?
Oliver: “……”
So, this rabbit on the plate was something the butler hunted while beheading bandits?
For some reason, a vivid image surfaced in his mind… of the expressionless butler Fosse brutally chopping off bandits’ heads while simultaneously drawing his bow and arrow to hunt a poor, unlucky rabbit that happened to pass by.
Truly worthy of his all-rounder butler.
“I like it very much.”
Oliver emphasized, smiling as he waited for Fosse to scoop another spoonful for him before slightly lifting his chin, signaling the butler to move the dish to the right side.
Sitting at the head of this spacious dining table was, of course, Oliver, the Duke and lord.
And the long bench to his right was the seat of highest honor, reserved only for his most valued and beloved subordinate.
It belonged solely to Fosse.
This had never changed since Oliver arrived in Laina City.
It was entirely normal for a noble to bestow a dish they had tasted and clearly enjoyed upon a subordinate.
As the butler who had hunted this extra game, Fosse felt immense satisfaction and honor, a faint smile unconsciously appearing at the corners of his usually stern lips.
“By the way,” the Duke’s beautiful blue eyes were full of expectation as he looked at the butler, who was calmly thinking, ‘Find an opportunity to wipe out that entire rabbit warren,’ and asked with a smile, “Next time you catch a rabbit, could you capture it alive?”
Rabbits, which reproduce relatively easily and provide a stable source of meat and fur, would be ideal if they could be bred in large numbers.
Although Oliver didn’t believe he could domesticate wild rabbits, with the Autumn Market still far off and no certainty of merchants selling rabbits, it was worth a try.
“Your servant will spare no effort to fulfill your wish,” Fosse replied without hesitation, “My respected Lord.”
What no one knew was that being able to serve his beloved young lord alone during meals…In truth, this was the moment the strict, cold, and exceptionally capable butler looked forward to most sincerely throughout the entire day.
Yet it was precisely during such a precious moment that it was disrupted by a fool.
“Your Highness, may I come in?”
Completely unaware of the sharp, murderous glare Butler Fosse shot at him in that instant, the one hastily knocking and seeking an audience with Oliver was Oakwood, the youngest and least experienced knight among the entourage.
“Hmm?”
Oliver paused stirring the candied wild berries that served as his dessert and gestured for the kneeling Oakwood to speak.
“It’s Farmur, who just received your orders, who begged me to report to you, Your Highness.”
Had it been for any other matter, Oakwood certainly would not have wished to disturb his master, Oliver.
But anyone could see that the Lord valued those barren lands second only to those fluffy little chicks.
Now, with the canal-digging work barely underway, they had already encountered an insurmountable obstacle… Not only did it make Farmur’s scalp crawl, but it also forced Oakwood to steel himself and interrupt His Highness during his meal.
—Idiot.
Fosse was utterly displeased.
That scoundrel Oakwood actually chose such an important moment—during His Highness’s meal—to bring up those demon-corrupted wastelands!
“Farmur?” Oliver was taken aback, immediately setting down the small silver spoon and pressing, “What happened?”
Fosse sighed inwardly.
He could easily guess what His Highness would do next.
Sure enough, after hearing Oakwood relay the message—”After the prisoners in the southernmost area cleared the surface white soil, they uncovered a hard rock layer, unusually thick and difficult to continue digging”—Oliver stood up at once with concern.
He paid no further attention to the dessert left on the table and said without hesitation, “Take me there.”
A rock layer?
Oliver had anticipated difficulties in reclaiming the saline-alkali land, but he never expected their luck to be so poor as to encounter such a low-probability event.
And of all places, in the southernmost land—an area that absolutely had to be breached. Otherwise, the canals and ditches between the several regions would ultimately fail to connect, and even with a water diversion route, there would be no outlet for drainage.
Unless they detoured.
But who knew how extensive that rock layer might be?
And the water source beneath the rock layer… he could only hope the mineral content wouldn’t exceed acceptable limits.
The more Oliver thought about it, the more troublesome the situation seemed.
On the way there on horseback, whether by some whimsical impulse or a last-ditch effort, he found himself praying involuntarily.
Dear Cat God.
Please bless the progress of my saline-alkali land reclamation project to proceed smoothly.
……
In the distant divine realm, the slowly coalescing golden light clearly heard the voice of its beloved believer.
……
…… Oliver’s…… wish……
……
Though it still couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of the believer’s words, It slowly opened Its eyes.
The lackluster, golden round pupils unblinkingly reflected the figure transmitted through the strand of divine sense attached to Oliver.
……
…… what is……
……
The fluffy, pointed ears twitched slightly.
He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, which felt equally familiar to both him and Oliver.
One long leg dangled loosely in the air, his lengthy tail sweeping slowly from side to side as he contemplated seriously.
As the pure power of faith continuously converged toward him, his face and form—originally blurred by dazzling golden light—gradually revealed a sharper, clearer outline.
……
…… don’t know……
……
But such a wish was still too complex for him.
After failing to comprehend it for a long while, he clearly felt deeply frustrated.
Though he continued to gaze at his beloved believer, the realization that he hadn’t been able to fulfill the other’s request caused his golden ears to droop listlessly backward.
……
…… I want to……
…… quickly become stronger……
…… that would be great……
……
Of course, Oliver had no way of knowing that within the divine realm he believed to be his dream, a pure newborn deity was so distressed by his failure to understand the wish that his ears folded back like airplane wings.
Otherwise, he would have been unable to resist pouncing—
to give them a good rub.
The sun had completely set, and under Oakwood’s guidance, Oliver arrived at the southernmost wasteland accompanied by Fosse and others.
By the lingering afterglow of the sunset, he clearly saw that beneath the excavated expanse of saline-alkali land lay entirely uneven, mottled stone surfaces.
Farmur had already ordered men to attempt breaking through the stone layer with pickaxes—after destroying three precious stone pickaxes, they had only managed to dig a shallow, insignificant pit in that small section of the stone layer.
This plunged him into despair.
“Your Highness.”
Seeing Oliver arrive, he was both nervous and ashamed: “I’m truly sorry, really sorry to disappoint you, I…”
“Hmm.”
Oliver’s attention was completely captured by the stone ground.
After responding absentmindedly, he instinctively pulled out a pickaxe from his game backpack and eagerly strode toward the exposed section of the stone layer: “Let me give it a try.”
