HTLCCBFT Chapter 181

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 181

For Ticher, that day’s events felt like an unbelievable, beautiful dream.

Not only had she encountered two noble and handsome gentlemen, received new clothes and shoes, but in the end, merely for guiding them, she was rewarded with a full three silver coins!

Truthfully, if she hadn’t used the first two silver coins to buy clothes and shoes, she would have had five—though she felt a pang of regret thinking this, she didn’t regret her decision at all.

It wasn’t that she valued the new clothes and shoes so much, but… it had been a long time since she had been treated with such consideration and gentleness.

When handing her the silver coins, the gentle gentleman had smiled slightly and said something to which she nodded foolishly in agreement without truly understanding.

“Take this money and wait at home peacefully for a few days. Don’t do the kind of work you did before anymore—you’ll receive good news.”

The dream was truly wonderful.

But no matter how beautiful a dream is, it eventually ends.

Three silver coins seemed like a lot, enough for a month and a half of her mother’s medicine.

Yet, having experienced the terror of a night without shelter, she couldn’t help but want to earn a little more.

So, disregarding the gentleman’s advice, she resumed soliciting clients that very night.

Though she cherished her newly bought clothes dearly, in such a filthy environment and having to go out daily to attract customers for her flesh trade, no matter how hard she tried, two nights later, a rough client tore them.

Hearing the sound of the fragile fabric ripping, she—who had been lying motionless like a corpse, letting the man on top of her do as he pleased—suddenly sprang up like a fish scalded by boiling water.

“Bastard! I’ll kill you!!!”

Amid the man’s furious roar, she screamed hoarsely, clawing and hitting him like a madwoman.

Even as the man, recovering from his shock, struck her painfully, she continued to fight him as if she felt nothing.

“Hey! Stop it!! It’s just a piece of ragged clothing! You’re such a mood-killing bitch!”

He cursed angrily, but he was frightened by her desperate, life-risking ferocity—his life was far more valuable than hers! So, after slapping her hard across the face, he pulled up his pants, fastened his belt, and stormed off, cursing.

He even took the chance to skip paying for the night, not leaving her a single copper coin.

Ticher’s bare chest heaved violently with her rapid breaths, sparsely marked with old and new bruises.

Her eyes were wide open like those of a frightened small animal, but her gaze was hollow.

But it didn’t matter.

The gaps between the houses were so narrow, barely half the length of her forearm, that not even a sliver of bright moonlight could penetrate the room, let alone reflect in her eyes.

The cramped wooden shack, perpetually filled with the stench of rotten fish, was always pitch black.

Her mother, sleeping next door, made no sound—it wasn’t that she didn’t care about her daughter, but she was too ill, spending most of her days in a deep slumber.

Ticher remained motionless, like a wooden statue carved from rotten wood, not even blinking for a long time.

Only when her eyes grew unbearably dry did she slowly raise her arm to block the very, very blinding… light that seemed to come from her memory.

“You’re not doing it anymore?”

The landlord looked stunned.

“Mhm.”

Ticher nodded, trying hard to appear confident and composed: “I’ve already paid next month’s rent. I’ll find new work.”

“Don’t be foolish.”

Though speaking harshly, the landlord wasn’t truly malicious as he reminded her: “Do you think work is that easy to find? You’re so thin, and a woman at that – those dirty, labor-intensive jobs won’t even glance at you. The good jobs were snatched up long ago, never reaching a prostitute. Honestly, living like this with your mother, you’d be better off becoming a slave.”

In his view, if she truly sold herself into slavery, her life might actually be better than this current struggle. There were many women in the flesh trade, but none lived long – they didn’t earn much, and died in terrible pain, with ulcers spreading from their lower limbs until their entire skin rotted away.

Of course, this would require her to abandon her mother.

After all, the lord was no saint devoted to charity, and would absolutely refuse to accept an old slave who could only lie in bed, unable to work.

“I’m giving you serious advice this time.” The landlord hesitated before continuing: “In all my years, I’ve never seen anyone as soft-hearted as the Duke currently residing in the castle. It might not have been true before, but now slaves live better than most people in these alleys! Three full meals a day, less work than before, and I hear they’re recruiting those with potential for soldier training! If they pass, thousands will rise dramatically.”

Compared to the vast slave population, two or three thousand wasn’t many… but this unprecedented opportunity – the great temptation of becoming commoners, gaining respectable status with generous pay – would surely drive countless slaves to pursue it.

Just yesterday when he passed by, he saw the recruitment site packed with people, with more continuously arriving.

Ticher remained silent for a long time before forcing a smile: “I know, thank you for the suggestion, but I can’t do it.”

Her status as a free person was innate, the greatest legacy her father left her.

She couldn’t leave her seriously ill mother, nor was she willing to abandon her father’s final inheritance.

What if she could really find another way?

Seeing her insistence, the landlord sighed and stopped persuading her.

The courage Ticher had painstakingly built up through a night of mental struggle gradually drained away after spending the entire day without earning a single copper coin.

What agitated her most was that the hateful man who tore her clothes last night actually had the nerve to come find her again!

After she cursed him with the foulest language she could muster, the man who sought cheap thrills with her pretty face became enraged from shame. He left behind the most vicious curses before storming off angrily.

“Ticher?”

As she struggled to calm her breathing, her mother’s weak call came from the adjacent room.

“Mom!”

Her eyes brightened slightly as she suddenly stood up and rushed into the narrow neighboring room.

“What’s wrong, my Ticher?”

The voice of the extremely frail woman was soft, yet filled with love capable of shattering all her armor.

“Mom…”

She didn’t complain to her rarely lucid mother, merely nestled quietly against her emaciated, almost skeletal mother as she had in childhood: “I’m fine.”

She murmured softly.

Just as the woman gently stroked her hair, the heavy footsteps of the landlord came clearly through the thin door panel.

“Ticher!”

He relied on a cane and walked with great difficulty, so even though he despised the stench of the slums, he rarely went outside.

But upon receiving good news, he immediately thought of the young girl renting in his house and hurried over to inform her.

His voice carried unmistakable excitement: “Your luck has come! Go to the square quickly! The castle officials have announced many jobs! All kinds of work! Hurry and try your luck!”

When Ticher rushed out of her room wearing her newly mended clothes, skillfully navigated through the narrow alley, and ran westward along the long Havest Street, she found herself surrounded by crowds.

The slum dwellers, who shared similar circumstances, were uniformly filthy, instantly distinguishable from others who were either plainly dressed or splendidly attired.

They drew disgusted nose-covering and rejection glances.

But who cared!

Even though she knew arriving quickly didn’t guarantee getting work, Ticher ran with all her might.

She firmly believed that if there were candidates with similar qualifications, the early bird would get hired!

Driven by strong willpower, her long, thin legs moved so fast they almost blurred, leaving many taller men behind.

Gregor city’s square was large, but after the terrifying crowding during the announcement of conscripted reserve soldiers for slaves, it was now packed again, definitely more bustling than any annual grand market.

She paused for a moment before continuing forward with the flow of people.

She had no doubt that almost all free citizens had poured out, except for the very few wealthy merchants and stewards.

The square was a huge oval, with the notices placed around the outermost ring, each notice board spaced about seven or eight people apart.

Each notice was surrounded by crowds—unlike the oral announcements needed for slaves, free citizens had mostly attended school to some extent and could read, making it not difficult to understand the job notices.

Ticher was tall for a girl, but couldn’t compare to men. She could only endure others’ grumbling as she pushed forward determinedly.

When she finally squeezed to the front and read the words on the notice, her heart suddenly sank.

The notice was succinct.

“Need twenty stonemasons. Monthly pay: two gold coins. Project duration estimated at four months, experienced preferred.”

Two gold coins!!! God!!

Ticher’s eyes nearly turned green with envy.

God, how she wished she knew stonemasonry!

Not just Ticher, most people gasped in disbelief at the incredibly generous pay, then felt both envy and regret: “Damn it, why don’t I know stonework?!”

Someone exclaimed loudly.

That was two gold coins, almost equivalent to what a skilled stonemason could earn working day and night for three months!

Just as Ticher felt her hopes dashed, shouts soon rose from the crowd: “Hey, those in front who’ve finished reading should move out quickly! Each notice has different content! Don’t block the way!”

Hearing this, the crowd erupted in commotion, and the previously stagnant human tide began flowing rapidly again.

Ticher was practically pushed forward by the crowd, passing numerous notice boards recruiting carpenters, blacksmiths, knight attendants, coachmen, painters, musicians… and even alchemists!

This profession, which many regarded as either wizards or mere fantasy-peddling frauds and was generally looked down upon – for some reason, the Duke was actually offering the astronomical price of ten gold coins per month!

If not for the fact that alchemists’ work was too peculiar, and no one felt confident about bluffing their way through with complete ignorance of the field, almost everyone would have tried their luck given the maddeningly high compensation.

When she reached the third last wooden board, Ticher finally found a recruitment notice she felt somewhat confident about.

Kitchen helper, monthly wage: nine silver coins!

If she were to become a formal cook, the monthly wage would be one gold coin and five silver coins, but she had only learned for a short time from her mother who worked as a cook during her childhood, and didn’t feel confident enough for that position.

She was also somewhat interested in the weaver position on the second last board, and the animal keeper listed on the final board.

If given the opportunity, she would like to try them.

After the initial excitement faded for those who had never seen such a large-scale public recruitment event, most people immediately signed up for as many positions as possible, then began worrying about whether they would actually be selected.

Yet a few couldn’t help wondering: Suddenly spending such huge sums to hire so many craftsmen… What exactly was this new lord planning to do?

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