HTLCCBFT Chapter 108

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 108

Nearly everyone in the Laina territory had completely adapted over the past month to the sight of their beautiful Lord serving as a cat tree, calmly observing their work with a composed expression.

Yet whenever they witnessed this unbelievable scene, they couldn’t help but whisper a few remarks to each other.

“Look, His Highness has brought that lucky big cat out again.”

“As expected of the divine messenger, even the cat he keeps appears more majestic than others.”

“It definitely doesn’t realize that’s our Lord! How audacious to climb all over him every single day.”

“His Highness spoils it too much. A furry four-legged creature—with two more legs than us—should walk on its own.”

“His Highness looks so slender and delicate, I’m genuinely worried he might get crushed by that big cat someday…”

“I’ve never seen a cat that large before!”

“Don’t some of the freemen in the city keep cats too? I saw Lucy taking her kitten for a walk once.”

“Their cats aren’t as big as His Highness’s, nor as obedient! Lucy treated that little blue-gray thing so well, yet it scratched her hand several times!”

“I saw that too. It nearly made Lucy furious, but she had to suppress her anger and coax that ungrateful little creature.”

“I’d never want to keep such a troublesome thing! Look how Lucy feeds it—more meticulously than I feed my own son!”

“Hey, mate, you don’t even qualify to keep one! You have to be a freeman first!”

“Ordinary freemen can’t afford to raise such troublesome little creatures either.”

“Nothing like His Highness’s cat, which seems to have grown right on him—so well-behaved.”

“I sometimes feel like it understands everything His Highness says.”

“If His Highness weren’t the divine messenger, I’d almost suspect it’s a devil in cat form.”

“Don’t be foolish! Under the protection of the great Cat God, how could a demon ever approach the divine messenger?”

“If it can’t be a devil, perhaps it’s a cat blessed with divine power by the Cat God?”

“You’re right! Otherwise, how could it be so clever and obedient?”

Some even gazed with longing, drooling: “Such a big one… how many meals could it make?”

At these words, those around them shuddered in horror.

They collectively looked up, unable to resist glancing toward the Lord, while anxiously scolding: “How dare you covet His Highness’s pet? You’ve gone mad!”

“Lunatic! Don’t drag us down with you!”

“I—I was just thinking out loud!”

The man was startled by the others’ reactions and awkwardly tried to explain.

Of course, he wouldn’t dare lay a hand on that particularly favored big cat.

Never mind that it belonged to the divine messenger under divine protection.

Even Baron Arte, whenever he tried to approach His Highness, was always stopped by the intimidating butler.

“Idiot,” someone said bluntly. “Haven’t you seen how fiercely that big cat strikes with its tail? You’d never stand a chance against it!”

He had witnessed it himself—that day, Lord Arte was sent flying with just one casual swipe of its tail!

Oliver, of course, remained unaware of the slaves’ discussions.

He first took a stroll around the pig farm to check on the condition of the sows, and while they were focused on eating, he casually gave them a few strokes.

Though not as pleasant to the touch as chickens, their warm, soft skin covered with slightly prickly short hair—and quite thick at that—was rather unique.

Oliver couldn’t resist and, after a “heart” symbol floated above the pigs’ heads, he gave them a couple more pats.

It was then that he suddenly realized something.

—This was the first time he had ever petted another animal in front of this jealous cat-shaped deity.

Though he only became aware of it belatedly, Oliver maintained a calm and natural demeanor while stroking the sows.

However, this time, having divided some of his attention to observe the fake cat in his arms, he still managed to catch its momentary stiffness.

As if sensing the subtle provocation in his actions, the large cat, which had been resting with its eyes closed as if asleep, suddenly opened them and met Oliver’s observing gaze.

Oliver blinked.

Whether it was purely psychological or reality, he couldn’t tell.

But he felt… that the cat-shaped deity’s gaze held a hint of resentment that made him feel uneasy all over.

“Ahem.”

Feeling an invisible reproach, Oliver reluctantly withdrew his hand.

However, the sows, snorting and munching on their trough feed, were of course not as appealing in appearance as the fluffy little chicks, and certainly couldn’t compare to the cuteness of the large cat he was holding.

Oliver didn’t have much interest in petting them excessively.

After watching them bury their heads in eating for a while and confirming that each one was strong and agile, he felt reassured.

As the first batch of sows acquired by Laina, they were all intended for breeding purposes in his plan, not simply to be raised as meat pigs.

The requirements for meat pigs and sows were, of course, different.

The former needed to maximize muscle growth and fat accumulation, ready for slaughter when winter arrived.

The latter, however, couldn’t be raised too plump—overdeveloped muscle and fat tissues would actually hinder the development and maturation of their reproductive organs, negatively impacting their fertility.

Fortunately, there weren’t many sows, so he had the conditions to use the most suitable small-group management method for the replacement gilts[mfn]A female pig that has not produced a litter of piglets yet or is being used to grow out and finish to butcher.[/mfn] within the limited area of the pig farm. And now, Laina is no longer short on grain either.

Otherwise, the daily feed consumption alone would have been equivalent to the rations of many slaves—how could they possibly afford it?

“Has Piggs not returned yet?”

Oliver couldn’t help but ask Fosse.

Fosse had long been forced to adapt to the sight of the young master walking around the pig farm: thankfully, under Lucy’s leadership, the caretakers were very diligent, cleaning frequently, so the place wasn’t particularly dirty or smelly.

Hearing this, he shook his head: “Not yet, Your Highness.”

Though a bit disappointed, Oliver wasn’t too surprised.

After all, according to Piggs, the other party had come with the intention of settling permanently in Laina City.

Persuading his family, bringing along years of savings, selling off immovable assets that couldn’t be taken… plus the two high-quality breeding boars Oliver had reserved from him—it was certainly enough to keep Piggs busy for a long time.

However.

Oliver glanced at the sows, who looked utterly content as if “well-fed and satisfied with everything,” and sighed with a hint of worry.

Fosse was caught off guard when he heard his angelically beautiful young master murmur with a hint of melancholy, “What if the sows go into heat again before Piggs’ boar arrives?”

Pigs are polyestrous livestock, with each estrus cycle lasting only three to five days. If missed, they must wait for the next cycle—on average, twenty-one days later.

Previously, the sows had been kept in poor living conditions with inadequate nutrition. Having just completed gestation and still nursing their young, they were driven by Piggs to Laina, leaving them either restless or listless.

Under Oliver’s guidance, they adapted to the keepers’ careful feeding and nutritionally balanced supplements, quickly regaining their health.

When Oliver visited half a month ago, the keepers reported that the sows had refused food, randomly rooted at doors, continuously vocalized, and even mounted their companions.

Upon closer inspection, their lower bodies showed obvious redness and swelling, with a small amount of mucus discharge.

These were classic signs of pre-estrus symptoms.

Unfortunately, he had no suitable boar on hand…

Oliver sighed with genuine regret.

He hoped Piggs wouldn’t be too late this time and could bring their mates before the next estrus cycle.

Fosse: “……………….”

His mind went blank for a moment, and he stared numbly at the worried young lord, who was clearly genuinely concerned about the sows’ estrus cycle, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.

Fosse completely failed to notice the large cat resting its head on Oliver’s shoulder, pretending to sleep, as it secretly cracked open one eyelid.

A sliver of dark golden round pupil peeked out, like a crescent moon hidden behind clouds, filled with anticipation for him.

But to the Cat God’s disappointment, this once-promising believer still said nothing.

Fosse quickly convinced himself.

This was a trial of the gods… and something the young lord wanted to do.

As the most loyal and trusted servant, he should help the young lord.

Fosse remained completely unaware that, like a frog slowly boiled in warm water, he was being forced step by step to adapt to the methods of this young lord—who was far more unorthodox than the madman Arte in the eyes of the world—and was thoroughly swept into his rhythm.

Seeing that Fosse had no intention of stopping Oliver from worrying about those troublesome pigs, the golden cat closed its eyes in disappointment.

Fortunately, Oliver didn’t stay long at the pig farm.

After leaving the pig farm, he didn’t rest for even a moment but went straight into the cornfield to start harvesting.

Autumn was nearing its end, and the corn harvest would only last two seasons—every harvest was precious.

Although Laina had escaped famine, both the Lord with his secret hoarding tendencies and all the people of Laina—who had experienced years of famine and been terrified of starvation—always felt that food could never be “enough.”

When it came to grain, the more, the better!

Every time the corn in the fields reached harvest season, even if it was raining outside, Oliver would not allow any delay and would personally go to pick it immediately.

This scene, which had gone from startling the people of Laina to becoming a forced normality for them, undoubtedly left the merchants visiting Laina City for the first time this year for the grand market utterly speechless with shock.

The Lord… and what’s more, the Duke himself, personally going into the fields to pick corn?!

Had they not seen it with their own eyes, no matter who told them about it, they would never have believed it!

Not to mention that even these amateurs could tell that the slender, elegant nobleman was doing it both quickly and skillfully…

After enjoying their thunderstruck expressions, some kind-hearted veteran merchants would eagerly begin recounting the remarkable deeds of Laina City’s miraculous Lord.

And on this evening, Oliver finally settled on a suitable new identity for the Cat God.

Of course, after writing the script, he would still need the Cat God’s full cooperation.

Thinking of this deity’s series of behaviors since being exposed, Oliver couldn’t help but feel a bit tempted to test the waters.

Why not try to figure out whether this deity was genuinely innocent and naive about the ways of the world, or just cunningly pretending to be naive?

Holding the cat-shaped deity, who was as soft and limp as a puddle, in his arms, Oliver skillfully massaged its chin while casually suggesting, “Dear Cat God, I think, to help Fosse better accept your new identity, why don’t you take on the identity of ‘Nefyué’?”[mfn]涅夫尤 – meant to sound like ‘nephew’ in english.[/mfn]

Immersed in the affectionate strokes of his beloved believer, the cat-shaped divine body was being petted into utter bliss. The completely guileless Cat God perked up its ears slightly at this: “Nefyué? Who is that?”

Oliver smiled fondly. “My nephew.” One of them.

He was one of the many sons left behind by his unfortunate second brother, who had been killed by brother Cameron.

That second brother had been quite the philanderer in the noble fashion, dallying with flowers and stirring emotions everywhere—even the old king hadn’t been as prolific with women.

Though only in his thirties, he had left behind the most descendants.

Apart from the seven children born to his wife, his mistresses and illegitimate children were scattered all over the place…

Of course, those mistresses who had often exploited his name to throw their weight around had, due to their high profiles, tragically lost their lives and those of their children during the turmoil.

But with so many children from his cheap second brother, including quite a few who could already be considered adults, there was no doubt that they were more suitable for the Cat God—whose human form was even taller than Oliver’s—to impersonate.

“Nephew? What is that?”

The Cat God stopped purring, its round feline eyes widening as it stared intently at Oliver.

However, the thick-skinned Oliver felt no guilt at all and calmly explained, “He is the son of my elder brother. With royal bloodline, Fosse will surely be more willing to accept your presence.”

“No.”

Whether it was unexpected or not, the Cat God’s ears twitched slightly before it firmly refused.

Just as Oliver, having failed to gain any advantage, was about to conclude, “As expected, it’s just pretending to be clueless,” the large cat transformed into its human form with a soft “poof.” Sporting a handsome, cat-eared human form that was much taller than Oliver’s, it earnestly emphasized, “I don’t want to be Oliver’s brother’s son.”

Then, with full confidence, it made its demand: “I want to be Oliver’s son!”

This increasingly shrewd Golden God had a very clear idea in mind.

He would never allow anyone to come between him and Oliver.

Oliver: “……”

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