HTLCCBFT Chapter 216

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 216

In this festival where even slaves felt genuine happiness and joy, only the prisoners in the dungeons beneath Gregor city’s castle remained in gloom.

This was especially true for the inmates held in the better-conditioned cells—all of them were knights who had served the former lord.

Initially, they had hoped someone would pay a ransom for their release, or that the new lord, seeking to recruit them, would send someone to negotiate.

Though they resented the new lord for being overly generous and kind to the lowly while harsh and cruel to the nobility—their former master was a noble Count, after all!—he was, nonetheless, of the same exalted bloodline as the current King, the only Duke in the kingdom. To serve such a distinguished figure was the honor and dream of every knight.

Yet they waited and waited, until their patience wore thin. Each day spent in monotony and darkness felt interminable, and they grew increasingly restless, but no one sent by the Duke ever arrived.

Not long ago, one of them, unable to endure such a life any longer, humbled himself before the indifferent guards, begging them to convey his willingness to pledge loyalty to the Duke.

After the guards agreed, everyone waited with hidden expectations, and soon enough, they were visited by the Duke’s close subordinate—a high-ranking knight named Loyel, the deputy commander of the Duke Knight Order.

This imposing and intimidating deputy commander merely cast a cold glance over them, completed his assessment without a word, and left.

His demeanor was like that of a mighty lion scornfully eyeing a herd of trembling antelopes!

Humiliated, they clearly understood his unspoken message and were utterly disheartened—they weren’t even qualified to bargain, let alone earn the right to serve such a distinguished lord.

Oliver did receive the news that “they were willing to switch their allegiance to him.”

But not only was he currently not short of knights to train soldiers, after the incident with Annie the cook’s son in Laina city, he had no interest in taking on the challenge of trusting people of uncertain loyalty.

“Still, keeping them locked in the dungeons isn’t really appropriate either.”

After some thought, Oliver personally wrote a letter and had a messenger deliver it to young McKenna in Riche city.

He had no intention of tormenting these knights who were merely fulfilling their duties, nor any interest in recruiting them. With the joyous spirit of the New Year festival, he set an unbelievably low ransom price—practically a clearance sale.

Once that symbolic ransom was paid, he would promptly send the entire group of captive knights off without delay.

According to Spire, young McKenna had taken a substantial fortune with him when he fled. Unless he squandered it like his father, who was obsessed with hunting, it would be enough to sustain a comfortable life for several years.

After handling these minor matters, Oliver allowed himself to relax, spending a leisurely day like the other city residents: first planting a new batch of corn in the thawed narrow crevices, then fishing a few fish from the moat for ingredients. He shared a meal with Fosse and other trusted subordinates.

After a simple lunch, the entire afternoon was lazily spent lounging on soft couches, basking in the warm sun with the cat god, happily whiling away the time.

As night fell, the square was brightly lit, and the evening festivities officially began. Just by looking through the window at the bustling, crowded scene, Oliver felt a growing restlessness.

Though he was eager to sneak out, he restrained himself for the moment, first hosting a grand banquet in the castle. The invited guests included his trusted subordinates led by Fosse, all members of the Knight Order, and all the stewards in the city.

Though there were no extravagant decorations, there were incredibly sumptuous dishes, countless barrels of wine from Albury, and captivating performances by bards.

The plays performed for the castle’s residents were, of course, entirely different from those the other actors performed at the evening festivities for the general public: the former emphasized an elegant style, while the latter incorporated elements of legal education into more vulgar humor—one of the plays depicted the story of Gad and his son both ending up in prison.

As the banquet atmosphere, fueled by the performances and the intoxicating effects of the wine, gradually reached its climax, Oliver quickly winked at the cat god.

The golden-haired deity’s eyes lit up, instantly understanding.

The next moment, the main stars of the banquet, taking advantage of everyone being completely relaxed—either tipsily chatting with each other or engrossed in the performances—slipped away hand in hand.

“Now it’s time for our own fun!”

Oliver laughed happily, his eyes sparkling, and he urged the cat god with rare excitement: “Hurry, the evening festivities outside must be at their liveliest now!”

Seeing his little partner so exhilarated, the tall and handsome deity maintained a calm expression on his face, but his divine power surged violently, comparable to the tide at its peak.

Influenced by the excitement, in the blink of an eye, he used his divine power to alter their appearances and clothing, then naturally tightened his grip on Oliver’s hand—the one he had never let go of from the start.

In a flash, Oliver found himself in the bustling, noisy square.

Compared to the nobles who remained restrained even when enchanted, the simple folk expressed their emotions much more directly.

“Yaaaaaaah—!!!”

Oliver had just been teleported by the cat god into the square and hadn’t yet regained his bearings when he was startled by the sudden burst of excited shouts right next to his ear.

The top singers, dancers, and poets from the theater had been summoned to the castle to participate in the banquet reserved only for nobles and high-ranking stewards, but pure joy knows no class distinctions.

For the residents, who had less refined tastes but were more easily infected by joyous emotions, even a clumsy performance by a theater apprentice could earn enthusiastic applause and happy laughter.

The more they were appreciated, the more effort the singers and dancers put in—look, the musician playing the hand-cranked organ was already humming along passionately, tapping his foot to the rhythm; the boy playing the bagpipes swayed dreamily to the music; and the actresses in vibrant dresses had radiant smiles on their faces.

His cheeks were flushed, a joyful smile spread across his face, and his dancing shoes tapped heavily on the ground, producing a crisp, rhythmic “clapping” sound. Meanwhile, a slightly intoxicated accompanist proudly showed off his skills by attempting to play two recorders simultaneously!

Although Oliver hadn’t squeezed to the very front with the cat god, even with his stature being shorter than those around him, he was still taller than most in the crowd. Thus, he could easily enjoy the spectacular scenes on stage.

Compared to the performances he had seen before, this one could be considered incredibly rough, yet Oliver watched with a radiant smile, completely captivated.

Soon, the performance came to an end.

“Whoa——!!”

The audience spared no effort in their applause and cheers, with countless people whistling excitedly to bid the actors a temporary farewell, eagerly anticipating the next act.

The next performance was a song.

A female singer in bright, colorful clothes swayed her waist gracefully, her voice clear and soaring. She began with a stunning high note that sent shivers down the spine.

“That’s amazing.”

Oliver sighed in admiration, the smile on his lips never fading as he immersed himself deeply in her performance.

However, the golden-haired deity beside him pondered for a moment before finally growing a bit impatient.

Seeing Oliver so happy made him happy too.

But… Oliver had been staring at someone else… for far too long.

He gently squeezed his little companion’s hand, and when Oliver turned to him with a puzzled look, he declared solemnly, “I can sing for Oliver too.

Whether it was a singer with the highest skill or the melodious voice of a nightingale, he could cheat using divine power—well, mimic it.

It would definitely sound much better than hers!

At first, Oliver blinked in confusion, but he quickly understood.

Suppressing a laugh, he pressed his lips together and without hesitation planted a kiss on the cheek of the seriously jealous deity, saying tenderly, “Even if you couldn’t sing, you’d still be the most precious, unique existence in my heart.”

“And,” added the lord, whose beauty remained undeniable even with divine power disguising him, a flicker of shyness passing through his eyes as he spoke lightly, “I wouldn’t want you to sing for so many people.”

The two tall, handsome young men suddenly embracing intimately drew many kind and teasing glances, but amid the crowd where drunken antics were already common, their behavior wasn’t considered out of line.

It was only due to their exceptionally superior looks that people couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.

—Including Ticher, who was not far away.

After having dinner with her mother, she had put on her prettiest and newest dress and come to the evening party, which had turned into a sea of joy, with her good friend Daining.

The two girls wandered around in a daze, utterly astonished by the lord’s incredible generosity.

Not only could they watch performances by theater actors for free, but there were also countless freshly baked breads—piled into magnificent little mountains! There were even omelets, smoked meats, and cheese—and the drinks were provided free of charge! Though it was the cheapest beer, everyone could get two large cups!

Although they had already eaten before coming, they were still tempted by the aroma and couldn’t resist ordering a freshly baked custard pancake for dessert.

With just one bite, they were nearly melted by the delightfully sweet and wonderful texture.

Though they could certainly afford it with their kitchen assistant salaries, both were extremely frugal and never spent unnecessary money on themselves. This was actually their first time tasting custard pancakes!

The two happily finished their small pancakes, then couldn’t resist ordering some corn soup as well.

Between the pancakes and the sweet soup, the two girls with small appetites nearly stuffed themselves to bursting—but pretty young ladies are always welcome anywhere. Ticher and Daisy were soon enthusiastically invited by some bolder young men, shyly allowing themselves to be led by the hand into the area where everyone was dancing to the music.

Just after finishing their third dance, Ticher—who had been immersed in the joyful atmosphere—completely forgot about her dance partner because of an accidental glance.

“Great cat god!” she exclaimed involuntarily.

It was actually… it was actually the two respected adults she had been wanting to see again, to properly thank them in person!

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