HTLCCBFT Chapter 79

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 79

“Your Highness!!!”

For a moment, Fosse felt as if his beating heart had stopped.

His deep green eyes widened abruptly, and without a second thought, he shouted and charged forward!

However, due to Oliver’s earlier insistence, he and the others had been forced to exit the mine shaft and wait above ground.

Even though he was undoubtedly the fastest to react among the stunned onlookers, it was impossible to instantly leap down into the pit and rush to the young lord’s side—especially when his Highness had already advanced quite some distance.

In his desperate gaze, the flock of pitch-black, shrieking monstrous birds swarmed madly toward his lord!

What Fosse didn’t know was that Oliver had actually reacted even faster than him.

The moment the pickaxe struck, Oliver clearly sensed… through the tool’s head, a distinctly different sensation of hitting nothingness, which made him hesitate slightly.

As he withdrew the pickaxe to collect the stones, he instinctively prepared for defense.

Thus, when the bats suddenly surged out and lunged toward the golden-haired lord’s face before anyone else could react—Oliver calmly retrieved from his game backpack that massive sword which never failed to leave a deep impression on all who witnessed it.

Only this time, no one’s gaze lingered on the great sword; instead, they were terrified by the sudden emergence of those bizarre birds.

With their eerie flapping wings, rat-like heads, sharp claws, and fangs, these monstrous birds resembled ugly demons that might inhabit hell itself.

Unable to identify what they were, the onlookers could only feel a chill run down their spines.

“Monsters!”

“There are monsters hiding beneath the stones!”

They cried out in alarm.

Yet this was no time to retreat due to instinctive fear—His Highness was still down there!

Butler Fosse’s swift reaction served as a stark reminder to everyone.

After lagging several steps behind, they snapped out of their daze and hurriedly followed the butler, rushing toward their Lord’s location!

No, please, Great Cat God, no!

Inevitably reminded of the ominous cloud hanging over the eight previous lords who had all died mysteriously within a year, they shuddered and ran even more desperately, cold sweat drenching them instantly.

At this moment, everyone instinctively prayed to the deity they revered most.

—Oh great Cat God, please protect our Lord!

Everyone knew that in present-day Laina City, anyone could suffer misfortune—except His Highness, who must not be harmed in the slightest!

These cave bats, having hibernated upside-down in the dark underground stone caverns, were startled by the sudden intrusion of light. They became far more frenzied and aggressive than usual.

Although Oliver only recognized what they were at a second glance, even before knowing their identity, he clearly had no intention of letting claws that might carry deadly bacteria touch him.

He swung the great sword mercilessly.

The still-running crowd then witnessed those slender arms—so pale they seemed to glow in the sunlight—effortlessly brandishing the azure sword.

A deep, translucent blue arc of light, breathtakingly beautiful, suddenly swept across their stunned vision.

Like a stream of crystal-clear water wantonly splashed into the air.

The sharp blade sliced through the prey’s throats, sending up a cruel yet magnificent spray of blood mist.

Swish— “Squeak!!!”

One moment they were flapping their wings, ferociously lunging at Oliver—the next, they were met with the swift assault of a blade infused with divine power.

The swarm of bats, thoroughly enraged by the intense light and baring their fangs to attack the enemy, were instantly severed at the throat and mercilessly flung aside like feeble mosquitoes by a heavy sword capable of sending even a full-grown man flying with a single strike.

Some, with “thinner blood,” were decapitated the moment the blade struck them.

Others suffered only fatal wounds, letting out piercing, agonized shrieks in unison before crashing to the ground—

—then abruptly falling silent.

Before even gauging his opponent’s strength, Oliver had swiftly summoned the [Cat God’s Sword].

Thankfully, wielding the sword required no energy… Otherwise, if he had collapsed on the spot, Fosse would have been scared to death.

Beyond its lethal power, his main goal was to activate its defensive property of “indiscriminately repelling opponents.”

And this sword, crowned with the name of the adorable Cat God, lived up to the oracle of the newborn deity perfectly, demonstrating its consistently excellent offensive and defensive effects.

By the time Fosse realized what was happening, Oliver had already instinctively swung the sword in a blocking motion.

Because the moment they faced off, Oliver’s eyes registered only a dense, dark mass.

Uncertain of the exact number of these aggressive enemies, he cautiously chose to wield his weapon while steadily retreating toward the group.

But as it turned out, in the face of this so-called “newbie divine artifact,” the swarming cave bats were utterly fragile and could not withstand a single blow—

—After five or six swings, he came to a halt amidst the pitiful corpses of bats scattered across the ground.

Without pausing, Oliver waved his hand again, sweeping all the corpses—well, loot—into his system backpack before even getting a clear look.

He had no time to check the system’s specific judgment of the loot before the butler rushed to his side, shielding him completely.

Fosse, usually as steady and calm as a cold, unfeeling statue—softening only for him—now stood as tense as a mother hen provoked by a predatory eagle, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

His green eyes were fixed intently on the menacing stone cave.

“It’s alright, Fosse.”

Oliver couldn’t help but gently pat his back, which was taut as a drawn bowstring, and immediately felt the distinct tremor in the body beneath his hand. His heart softened: “I’m not hurt in the slightest, so please don’t worry.”

Fosse’s chest still heaved violently.

For the first time, he didn’t immediately turn around to bow to the young lord as usual, nor did he speak.

Oliver didn’t hurry to remove his hand either.

Compared to his own past fainting spells, where he remained unaware of what followed… This time, he could keenly feel the severe shock that had shaken the usually composed and experienced butler.

“……Your Highness”

After what felt like an eternity, Fosse finally steadied his ragged breathing.

He glared fiercely at the hateful cave entrance, slowly relaxed his tightly clenched jaw, and turned to decisively kneel on one knee before Oliver.

He knelt down: “…Please return to the castle, and leave the remaining matters here to the slaves or prisoners.”

“If you are uneasy,” Fosse pleaded, “then please trust your most valued servant and allow me to handle it.”

Oliver sighed softly.

Though he felt deeply apologetic toward the butler, this time he did not move.

“You are a noble, Fosse,” he said. “You should understand better.”

Fosse silently raised his head.

His green eyes, which clearly reflected the gently smiling young master, were unusually filled with entreaty.

“Whether as a duke of royal blood or as the lord of Laina City,” Oliver softened his voice and explained earnestly, “to uphold this honor, I cannot retreat out of fear of the enemy—be it bandits that day or just a few monstrous birds today.”

Fosse, without a doubt, offered unconditional devotion and even unprincipled protection to the master he served.

But if Oliver were to comply with every wish of this fiercely protective butler, he would likely become an ‘angel’ confined to a shrine.

All things dirty and unclean would be deemed unworthy of approaching him, preserving that precious yet naive purity.

If it were the confused ‘Oliver’ from before his soul and memories awakened, he would not have had the ability to make the right decisions.

He truly would have had no choice but to remain a flawless “angel” under the butler’s life-risking protection.

But he was not that person.

Clearly sensing the young lord’s resolve, Fosse recalled the recent bandit attack and fell into a self-reproaching silence.

It was… his own incompetence.

Whether facing the bandits or the monstrous birds, he had failed to protect His Highness adequately.

He had never been devout toward the capricious, lofty gods in the temple.

In his heart, there already existed a truly kind and beautiful deity.

But now, he desperately wished… that there truly was an all-knowing, all-powerful Cat God in this world who bestowed divine favor, one who could continuously protect his young master—growing ever stronger, braver, and more radiant.

“I understand, Your Highness.”

After a long while, Fosse finally responded in a hoarse voice, his eyes lowered.

Oliver helped the butler to his feet and made an appropriate concession: “Though under the great Cat God’s blessing, you are the only one by my side whom I trust the most. I was too reckless today. From now on, when I enter the mines, I will have you and the guards accompany me at a closer distance.”

He would not, just because he possessed powerful swords and rings, consider himself invincible and act recklessly, heedlessly plunging into danger.

—What if these items from the game system were to suddenly fail one day?

The encounters with the bandits were unavoidable, and the bat swarm earlier was an accident.

Even though he reacted promptly and the ‘enemies’ were weak, causing no harm, it served as a warning against his carelessness.

From now on, guards would stay closer in any potentially dangerous place.

The tightly pressed corners of Fosse’s lips relaxed slightly, and he bowed in acknowledgment:

“…Thank you, Your Highness.”

After finally managing to calm everyone down, Oliver secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s call it a day for now.”

Oliver reluctantly glanced at the cave entrance he had uncovered with a single pickaxe strike.

Although he was quite interested in the potential resources inside the cave, he had no intention of cruelly sending prisoners in as test subjects without anyone possessing the knowledge to explore caves safely. “We’ll deal with this another day.”

Not only had he spent the entire morning digging until his stamina bar was completely depleted, but he had also given everyone around him quite a fright.

After all, the mine wasn’t going anywhere—it wouldn’t grow legs and run away. They could always find a way to continue tomorrow or some other day.

However……

Oliver turned to Farmur standing nearby and showed that special client’s smile—gentle yet tinged with a hint of pity.

Due to the presence of underground minerals and the cave, the drainage ditch plan would definitely have to be rerouted around this area—dooming Farmur and Rebel, the two workers, to work overtime once again to revise the design drawings.

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