HTLCCBFT Chapter 197

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 197

As soon as the words fell, Rayleigh lowered his head with sincere admiration, performing a deep bow to express his complete acceptance of this decision.

“It would be the greatest honor of our lives, Your Grace.”

He could hardly conceal his fervor.

Oliver was not surprised by his reaction.

In this context where hierarchy was strictly defined and bloodline supremacy reigned, as a Duke and lord of three cities, he had no need to explain his decisions to anyone.

—The only one deserving of his respect had already been personally sent by the cat god to the Land of Eternal Rest.

Moreover, the fact that Rayleigh had passed through so many layers of screening and stood before him as the top candidate proved his piety and intelligence.

Whichever of these two qualities prevailed in him would be enough to ensure he made the right choice, never daring to question the Duke’s decision.

It was the wisdom granted by the divine gift and the Duke’s generous benevolence that had bestowed upon him everything he possessed today—he could never deny the very foundation of his existence.

Whether out of genuine conviction or self-interest, Rayleigh had to unconditionally accept this.

Since Rayleigh had no objections, Oliver gave a slight nod, signaling for him to sit back down.

“Next is,” as he spoke, Oliver’s gaze fell upon a young woman who had blossomed into an elegant and distinguished figure, his eyes unconsciously softening with a trace of a smile, “Lucy.”

His voice lingered slightly, like the graceful trill of a nightingale’s song or fingertips brushing over soft silk.

Elegant, noble, and pleasing to the ear.

Hearing her name spoken aloud once more by her esteemed master, the former slave girl—who had undergone a remarkable transformation over the past two years—suddenly shone with brilliance in her eyes.

After moving between three cities and being separated for over four months while completing her duties in Albury’s livestock affairs, she had finally been transferred to Gregor city and could once again lay eyes upon His Grace.

In truth, her heart had been racing with joy from the moment she stepped into this conference room.

But when the time came to stand, she grew even calmer.

She believed she understood the intention of the beautiful divine messenger.

As the only woman in this conference room—especially one cultivated by His Grace himself—she must not lose composure and embarrass herself before everyone.

Her own dignity was insignificant, but she absolutely must not allow any foolish mistake of hers to tarnish His Grace’s glory.

“May the great cat god’s Blessing always be with you, Your Grace.”

The young woman smiled faintly, her expression bearing a slight resemblance to the curve of the golden-haired lord’s lips as she bowed gracefully. “Your faithful servant Lucy is ready to follow all your instructions.”

“I do have an important task for you.”

Oliver’s tone remained gentle, yet his next words filled everyone with awe: “This is also a divine oracle from the great cat god… Lucy, the cat god has directly appointed you as priestess to jointly manage all affairs of the divine temple with Rayleigh.”

He knew perfectly well that for Lucy, this was both a tremendous reward and an immense pressure.

But he truly needed Lucy.

All the previous minor policies aimed at helping women—especially female slaves—could only be described as having limited effect.

He felt both helpless and completely understanding of the situation.

After being oppressed for over a thousand years, how could one or two minor policies change what had long been established?

It could only be done step by step.

Providing equal educational opportunities for both men and women through the divine temple was a sudden major step he had taken.

To ensure this step remained firm, he needed to give women a certain degree of confidence.

Lucy’s genius might be unique and impossible to replicate, but she possessed the aura of success, the courage to change, and the strong self-confidence brought by diligent learning and rich management experience.

This was precisely what they lacked the most.

As long as she stood there radiantly, it would be an invisible encouragement to women.

As these words were spoken, everyone’s pupils suddenly dilated, and some even gasped quietly in astonishment.

A female priest… this was something that had never happened before!

Even in temples that worshipped goddesses, such as the Havest divine temple in Gregor city, the priests were only men!

Women were fragile, fickle, easily swayed, and aside from a very few noblewomen, they would marry early and become their husbands’ property.

How could they be qualified to serve the great deity?

Lucy had not anticipated such instructions either.

But compared to hesitation and fear, as long as it was Lord Oliver’s instruction, and moreover, it came from the cat god… the sudden surge of responsibility and honor overshadowed everything.

Thus, in the eyes of everyone, this girl, who was uniquely favored by the cat god and the divine messenger and lucky enough to make everyone jealous, calmly inclined her body and accepted the appointment with appropriate words.

Rayleigh was taken aback for a moment but soon showed a friendly smile and whispered to her, “Congratulations, Lucy. I am very happy to work with you and dedicate everything to the great cat god.”

Lucy smiled faintly.

She fixed her gaze on Rayleigh and reminded in a low voice, “Yes. For the great cat god… and for the most honorable lord.”

The new policy that allowed, no, compelled female slaves under the age of 16 to enter the divine temple to study for at least half a year was undoubtedly the most sensational news of the evening.

Even though many in the council hall had been following the lord for over a year, they were still deeply shocked.

However, Oliver did not give them much time to digest it and naturally moved on to the next topic, handling each matter with a very assertive attitude, swiftly and decisively.

Soon, people had no energy to focus on anything else—the roll call was in order, and as they watched those on the left stand up one by one, answering questions either fluently or stumbling, they couldn’t help but grow tense themselves.

With their turn coming soon, who had time to think about matters unrelated to themselves?

No one realized that, just before the meeting ended, the astonishing number of candles in the room were almost burnt out.

—Just made it in time.

Looking at the increasingly flickering candlelight and the nearly submerged wick, the thrifty lord folded the last remaining thin paper with the meeting agenda summary and tucked it into his sleeve, satisfied.

In the future, meetings should indeed be held during the day.

Thinking idly, he made his way to the bedroom.

Although he could use the [Ring of the Cat God] for illumination, with the cat god having fallen into a deep slumber, Oliver always felt that using the ring bearing the other’s name might delay the recovery of their divine power.

“Still not awake, as expected.”

Oliver sighed softly and murmured to himself.

Opening the bedroom door, his gaze immediately fell upon the tall figure lying quietly on the bed.

He remained in the same position as when Oliver had left, with not even a single strand of hair scattered across the bedding having shifted.

Deities don’t need to breathe, so there was no subtle rise and fall of the chest, nor could any faint sound of breathing be heard.

But Oliver knew He was “alive.”

And the fact that He deliberately stayed by his side instead of returning to the divine realm was perhaps to put Oliver’s mind at ease?

Thinking this, Oliver couldn’t help but sit down by the bed.

He gazed at the slumbering deity, unaware of how much time had passed, when he suddenly reached out and gently brushed aside the flowing golden-bright short hair from the forehead, fully revealing the handsome brows and eyes.

At the same time, he clearly heard his own slow, heavy heartbeat.

“Only one day has passed.”

The lord continued murmuring to himself, his eyes showing confusion and a soft, faint melancholy.

—And yet I already miss you this much.

Meanwhile, also racing against time to repair himself was Deyth, located in the God of Death’s divine temple.

However, the state of his divine body at this moment was clearly far more wretched compared to the fully intact God of Wealth.

For a deity immersed in the sweetness of love, nothing could enrage Him more than having his beloved partner forcibly taken away and frightened right before His eyes.

Being brutally beaten without explanation by the grim-faced opponent, Deyth was utterly shocked to discover that he was completely overpowered, with no chance to fight back, not even able to cry out!

It was only then that he deeply realized—during their previous encounters, which had left him resentful, the other party had actually been holding back.

Last night, the enraged God of Wealth was like a prehistoric tyrannosaur whose reverse scales had been provoked, completely losing all reason.

If not for the fact that battles between deities cannot completely shatter a divinity recognized by cosmic laws—at most causing severe damage to the divine body, rendering it immobile for a long time—

Deyth had no doubt that, even with all his strength, the other would have absolutely sought to shatter his divinity entirely.

“Damn it.”

Deyth muttered.

His current condition was utterly terrible!

Except for his head, protected by his divinity, every other part of his divine body had been miserably shattered by that mad God.

Such severe injuries were something he had never suffered before.

Even with abundant power of faith, without a century of recovery, he would never return to his previous state!

And after over a hundred years, the God of Wealth’s divine power would only have grown stronger, making him even less of a match.

Now, he truly regretted it… regretted giving in to his impulses and repeatedly provoking that newborn deity who was not only overwhelmingly powerful but also utterly unreasonable!

Just as Deyth lay on the ground wallowing in regret, an unbearably irritating scent of roses suddenly and rudely flooded into his divine temple.

It couldn’t be—!

Deyth furiously turned his gaze toward the entrance, and sure enough, there immediately appeared a figure he equally despised.

“Oh, my dear Deyth.”

The uninvited goddess wore a pale green robe, her deep crimson hair trailing on the ground, her figure exquisitely proportioned.

Her face was as dazzlingly beautiful as the flowers she presided over, though the glint of schadenfreude in her eyes marred what should have been a noble and aloof demeanor.

As if just noticing Deyth’s pitiful state of being reduced to only a head, she dramatically covered her lips as if startled.

“Stay out of my divine temple!” Deyth’s eyes first flashed with disbelief before he shouted in humiliated anger: “Get out!”

She obediently halted her steps, but having already crossed the temple’s threshold, Deyth’s miserable condition couldn’t escape her notice.

She subtly scanned the divine temple.

After confirming that even here she couldn’t find the familiar aura she most sought—the one that might have awakened her—mischief born from disappointment took over.

The graceful goddess casually crouched down, greeting the increasingly frantic God of Death with ill intent: “After so long apart, how come you’ve become even more delicate and pitiful than when you were first born?”

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