HTLCCBFT Chapter 187

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 187

Having endured for so long, the God of Wealth, who could no longer hold back, had indeed fulfilled everything He had personally promised.

“God’s blessing shall be bestowed upon you”—the moment these words fell, only Oliver among those present could clearly see it, yet a faint golden mist truly descended upon the stunned Loyel.

The “Blessing” condensed from divine power was like the hazy morning mist, lightly touching him before suddenly dispersing.

Unaware that he had truly been granted a blessing by the powerful God of Wealth in person, Loyel only felt a sudden lightness in his body, followed by an infusion of boundless energy as surging strength abruptly filled his limbs and being.

An invisible armor forged by generous divine power merged into his flesh and blood, covering his entire body.

For at least the next couple of weeks, Loyel would become nearly impervious to blades and spears.

At this moment, Loyel had yet to investigate the source of this sudden and incredible power. He merely frowned slightly and instinctively lowered his head.

The two could easily meet each other’s gaze at eye level, meaning their heights were nearly identical—no, Jin might be slightly taller.

Wait.

Was Jin really this tall?

Loyel’s mind felt veiled by a thin haze, unable to conjure a clear impression.

It seemed so.

He couldn’t clearly recall their first meeting: but at that time, all his attention had been focused on His Highness Oliver’s expression, so it wasn’t particularly strange.

Hesitating for a moment, Loyel instinctively avoided delving further into the matter for reasons unknown.

“May the great cat god also protect you, Lord Jin.”

After a brief silence, he bowed once more, speaking with respect and detachment.

The deity he had originally worshipped was certainly not the cat god, whose divine statue bore no resemblance to might and majesty.

But upon learning that the young lord he served with his whole heart had converted to the previously unheard-of God of Wealth, he had unhesitatingly chosen to follow suit, immediately changing his faith.

The tall, handsome blond youth remained equally expressionless, his originally indifferent golden eyes gradually sharpening, like an elegant great cat hidden behind a porcelain vase watching a wary prey.

After a long pause, he finally averted his gaze and said indifferently, “Unnecessary.”

He could not, nor did He need to, protect Himself.

Loyel frowned slightly.

—What an arrogant non-believer.

Recalling Fosse’s intentional or unintentional hints that “Jin might very well be His Majesty’s illegitimate child,” he didn’t feel offended.

Moreover, anyone could see that the young lord truly valued Jin deeply.

And Jin, in turn, clearly showed exceptional protectiveness toward the young lord.

Of course, he didn’t know that the intense jealousy that had been churning in the deity’s chest had gradually subsided.

The slightly arrogant words spoken now were nothing but the most honest response.

He thought to Himself that He didn’t dislike this annoying fellow… well, vice knight captain, who was so loyal and caring toward His beloved little believer.

Oliver sensed the stiffness in the atmosphere but found it difficult to intervene with the cat god, whose mood had suddenly soured.

Especially after witnessing the cat god personally bestow a blessing upon the other, his own slightly tense nerves relaxed completely.

He did not pull away from the cat god’s firm yet gentle grip on his hand. After observing for a moment, he skillfully chose this opportune time to enter the “battlefield” and said with a smile, “Then I leave it all to you, Loyel.”

As his gaze fell upon the most important young lord, the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. The deputy knight commander’s stern and rigid features softened slightly.

He bent forward, like a loyal hunting dog exposing the vulnerable nape of its neck to its master, and replied in a low voice, “I will not fail your expectations, Your Highness.”

Using the most elite force of the renowned Duke Knight Order to deal with mere bandit groups—such an extravagant approach akin to using a cannon to kill a mosquito—did not cause Oliver the slightest embarrassment.

Back when he had nothing to his name, ruthless bandits had shown him no mercy, determined to strike him down at his weakest.

If not for the protection of the cat god’s sword and the ring of the cat god, which allowed him to turn the tide of battle… he and Fosse would likely have perished at the hands of those villains who attacked Laina.

By swiftly deploying the knight order’s strongest combat force and having battle-hardened, well-trained knights deliver the severest punishment to the still-unsuspecting bandits, they could thoroughly intimidate such criminals and establish their reputation in this region.

Regardless of whether those bandits carried tragic pasts, from the moment they chose to make a living by plundering the innocent, Oliver had resolved not to waste his compassion on such people.

Moreover, aside from seizing merchants’ belongings, most bandit groups opted to eliminate witnesses to delay the discovery of their crimes as long as possible.

Countless small merchant caravans vanished without a trace each year, never to be heard from again—a testament to the number of lives taken by these bandits.

Merchants loathed and feared them, much like farmers viewed bloodsucking leeches.

In Oliver’s eyes, however, they were worse than leeches with limited harm and appetite—they resembled a malignant virus.

Like gangrene clinging to a poor host, they arrogantly seized the host’s resources to satisfy their own desires, then mercilessly killed the host once all value had been exhausted.

They were the most despicable, shameless, cruel, and cold-hearted beings.

“We must never indulge those hungry wolves.” Watching the knights depart through the window, Oliver leisurely propped his left cheek, as if talking to himself or to the cat god beside him: “Well-fed jackals only breed greater malice and attract more companions. The most efficient approach is to strike hard before they grow large enough to threaten the city-state.”

Just as other lords could not comprehend his “condescension” and “meddling,” he found their detached indifference utterly foolish: When small merchants vanish to preserve their lives, and large merchants grow wary due to rampant banditry, can a city truly maintain its former tax revenue and prosperity?

Since so many taxes had been collected, the most basic transaction security and fairness should be guaranteed by the lord, right?

“But…”

At this point, Oliver’s gaze slowly lowered, falling upon their hands that had been silently held together without separation since Loyel performed the hand-kissing ceremony on him.

Watching the cat god who was pursing his thin lips as if genuinely considering his words, Oliver couldn’t help but feel amused.

The next moment, however, he inexplicably said: “I’m going to take a bath now, dear cat god. Since you’re still holding on, do you want to join me?”

The golden-haired deity’s ears twitched slightly as he quickly replied: “Okay.”

“Hmm, then I—”

Oliver paused.

He blinked, hardly believing his ears, and couldn’t help but look at Him: “Sorry, what did you just say?”

“Let’s bathe together.”

The golden-haired deity said without blushing or panting, and with utmost confidence emphasized: “This was Oliver’s own suggestion.”

Though Deyth might appear rather foolish, He thought, some words might still be worth listening to.

The bath in the divine temple was the most sacred and pure place. When believers were at their most devout and cleanest state, it was also the most suitable time for divine sense to descend and bestow blessings.

If He suddenly manifested His divine body before the believer while they were bathing with utmost pure devotion… surely He would be met with a face mixed with disbelief and tears of joy.

Because human believers were such simple, easily deceived beings.

Deyth had said proudly at the time.

Even in his wildest dreams, the Cat-eared God hadn’t dared to fantasize about “his little believer showing tears of joy at His closeness.”

But just imagining being able to enter that world full of warm white mist and tiny bubbles with Oliver, and being able to touch that soft, damp golden hair…

His divine power immediately fell into the chaotic fluctuations of an intoxicated state.

The one who might shed tears of joy could be Him.

The God of Wealth secretly fantasized about such a scene, thinking quite innocently.

Oliver was genuinely surprised this time.

He stared seriously at the composed cat god for quite a while before perfectly hiding his somewhat embarrassed expression and nodding lightly: “Then come along.”

Upon hearing this, the handsome deity’s face showed little change in expression.

But the large tail behind Him, which had been pretending to be calm and slightly drooping, immediately shot upward high.

It was simply the perfect “cat god mood detector.”

Having confirmed that the other’s mood remained so direct and easy to read, Oliver chuckled inwardly, and the nervousness of bathing together for the first time washed away even more.

“Unfortunately, the bathtub isn’t big enough.” The golden-haired lord, most skilled at deception, said with feigned worry while opening his eyes to tell lies: “To allow us to bathe together smoothly… would you be willing to turn into a cat form? My dear cat god?”

Intoxicated by the joy brought by this great temptation, the deity completely forgot that He could easily use divine power to make the bathtub as large as the entire Gregor city, and agreed without hesitation: “Okay.”

So a short while later, in the spacious silver bathtub that could clearly accommodate three or four people at once, Oliver was happily soaking in perfectly warm water, comfortably holding a soft, warm golden cat in his arms.

The water being at the ideal temperature for bathing was thanks to the attentiveness of the valet Johan.

But maintaining such warmth without any servants present—that wasn’t assistance from the boiler room, but rather the “misuse” of divine power by the cat god.

Though initially somewhat uncomfortable, Oliver inexplicably felt content and happy while genuinely holding the cat god, who lay extremely still in his arms without even speaking, as if earnestly playing the role of a real cat.

Though essentially just a simple deity in cat’s fur… roughly speaking, this was still the only cat in the world willing to bathe with him.

When the cat god’s ears twitched slightly, Oliver couldn’t help but lower his head and gently kiss the furry tip of its ear.

“Thank you for your company.”

His heart softened as he silently prayed: “I hope you can stay with me forever, my most beloved God.”

Unbeknownst to him, after this thought emerged in his heart, the unusually quiet cat in his arms quickly rotated its ears.

Even He didn’t know why… though He hadn’t been eavesdropping on Oliver’s thoughts, He clearly heard this prayer.

This must be because He and Oliver were no longer in a believer-deity relationship, but had become the most intimate partners instead.

Good.

The golden cat narrowed its eyes contentedly, then nodded the next moment, silently responding in its heart.

---