Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Extra 2
The old king had been executed, and a new king had ascended the throne—this was undoubtedly a natural and rightful course of events.
Yet, when they thought of the enigmatic Duke Oliver, some ministers who had long remained neutral or opposed felt uncertain.
The new monarch they were to welcome was not merely the young son who carried the noble bloodline of the late King Kien von Augusta Alexander George Musta III, nor was he just the divine messenger once spoken of among the people.
He was a formidable and awe-inspiring God!
Although the vast majority of ministers had not been fortunate enough to witness the events of that day firsthand, the civilians, soldiers, and high-ranking officers who were present—terrified to the point of incoherence—could not have conspired to deceive them.
Moreover, the nobles who had deeply offended Duke Oliver and fled in haste that very day, fearing retribution, had met untimely deaths one after another. After receiving reports from their subordinates, the ministers dared not act rashly.
By now, they had come to understand two things clearly.
In the eyes of commoners and even slaves, the deity of unparalleled beauty was truly their gentle and compassionate savior, selflessly rescuing them from desperate circumstances.
Judging by the miraculous transformation that had taken place in the Royal City over the past few weeks, He had shown extreme compassion for the deeply suffering people, using His incredibly powerful divine power to gently disperse the dark clouds that had loomed over the Royal City.
Yet, this gentle and beautiful deity also possessed a side that abhorred evil and acted decisively in judgment.
Especially when facing ministers who acted unjustly and unfairly, He never showed mercy: among the high nobles who had met swift and clean deaths at His hands were the former Lord of Gregor, Count Gride, and King Cameron, whose actions had shaken the entire inner city of the Royal City.
It was precisely the deterrence of these two high nobles’ deaths that deterred even the greediest of ambitious individuals from expressing any desire to install Cameron’s son—a mere infant who had just learned to speak—as a puppet king.
Moreover, as mere humans, did they truly have the right to uphold a supreme deity as their new king?
At the very least, none among them could claim a spotless record.
Nor did they dare risk angering a true deity by rashly seeking out the God who had vanished after His brief appearance that day, with no trace since.
Thus, under the tacit silence of the ministers, the kingdom’s most revered throne had remained vacant since Cameron’s death, quietly awaiting the arrival of its true master.
Though Oliver paid no mind to the awkward situation within the court, He could easily imagine it.
In truth, He had no intention of leaving the position vacant for long.
So, after confirming that the deities in the Royal City were diligently making amends for their mistakes, He returned to Gregor city with the cat god in tow.
Compared to the Royal City, which had experienced dramatic ups and downs over the past months and nearly faced destruction, the territory under Duke Oliver’s rule in Gregor, despite strict entry and exit controls and a sharp decline in foreign merchants on the streets, was undoubtedly in much better condition.
This was also thanks to the complementary resources produced among the three cities, which, with convenient transportation, allowed for even distribution, minimizing the impact on people’s livelihoods.
Merchants from other regions, however, were growing increasingly anxious. While Laina’s agricultural products and by-products were one thing, the uniquely fiery yet mellow wine from the Albury territory and the countless books printed in Gregor’s central district were highly sought-after commodities in other cities.
The purchasing power of the increasingly affluent residents of the three cities was equally remarkable. Suddenly losing such significant buyers and sellers, many traveling merchants preferred to wait in quarantine zones outside the city, praying for the urban areas to reopen soon, rather than leave altogether.
When the God-King’s consciousness returned to the golden-haired, blue-eyed “Oliver”—an Avatar condensed through divine power—his clear azure eyes instantly gleamed with divine light.
It was an exceedingly subtle change, one that even Johan, Oliver’s personal valet who had served Duke Oliver all these years and was now carefully attending to his meal, failed to notice.
But Fosse, standing nearby, caught it.
“Oliver” closed his eyes briefly, quickly adapting to the sensation of integrating part of his powerful divine sense into this human body and moving as he remembered, then smiled warmly at Fosse. “Fosse.”
The silver-haired, green-eyed butler’s tense expression finally softened slightly at that moment.
He bowed gracefully as usual, though his greeting came somewhat abruptly. “Good day, Your Grace.”
Only Fosse and Johan were present in the dining room. Even “Jin,” who usually accompanied the Duke everywhere, had not left his room for many days, reportedly engrossed in prayers to the Cat God.
Though puzzled by the seemingly inexplicable exchange, Johan quickly suppressed his curiosity, lowered his gaze without daring to look around, and refrained from asking any presumptuous questions.
“Johan,” Fosse instructed before the valet could ponder his next move, giving him clear direction. “You may withdraw now. If it pleases Your Grace?”
Oliver nodded. “Of course.”
Johan breathed an inward sigh of relief. “Yes, Your Grace.”
Over the years, he had learned the importance of absolute obedience. Without hesitation, he set down the white napkin, bowed deeply to the Duke, and exited the dining room with proper decorum, closing the heavy door behind him.
The moment Johan left, Oliver relaxed into an affectionate smile. “I knew it—even an Avatar imbued with part of my consciousness couldn’t escape the notice of my most loyal and perceptive subordinate… You saw through it, dear Fosse.”
“Your Grace.”
Normally soothed by his master’s gentle words, the butler remained rigid this time.
He kept his eyes lowered, striving to keep any sharpness from his tone. “Where have you been these past days?”
To Fosse’s relief and slight surprise, his young master smiled faintly and recounted most of his recent whereabouts in detail.
He spoke of how “Jin” was the Cat God, the situation in the royal capital, Cameron’s death and resurrection, and the awakening of the gods.
The only part glossed over was the specific events in the divine realm that day—but to his most devoted and trusted subordinate, he did not conceal his true identity or the inevitability of his full return as the God-King.
Before he could even rejoice at His Highness’s return, he was bombarded with one astonishing piece of news after another…
Fosse felt his heart racing wildly in his chest from tension, his head seemingly filled with scalding blood, and the air he could breathe was gradually being squeezed away.
He listened quietly for a long time, and after another moment of silence, he finally murmured in a low voice, “Your Highness, are you leaving soon?”
Even though he already knew that the young master before him was actually the supreme God-King, to whom even the lofty divine race bowed their heads, he stubbornly continued to use the more familiar form of address.
The one that, in his eyes, belonged to him.
The butler, in an unprecedented daze, didn’t even realize how hoarse and strained his own voice had become.
But Oliver smiled.
“Fosse.”
He said gently, “What I mentioned earlier was my arrangement for others, but it did not include you.”
Fosse was slightly taken aback.
After belatedly grasping the meaning behind those words, his originally dim green eyes began to brighten bit by bit, like a spark igniting.
Before he could eagerly ask, his gentle and beautiful young master—the sacred ruler of all gods—had already extended a hand toward him with a smile, gesturing for him to approach.
He couldn’t help but take a step forward, even stumbling slightly in his eagerness.
“Your Highness.”
He murmured the address, and when he drew near, he instinctively knelt on one knee.
He closed his eyes, his voice carrying an unconscious sob as he repeated, “Your Highness.”
Please do not abandon your faithful servant.
The jealous cat-eared Divine Empress, though not present—having diligently gone to handle other matters for the God-King—had clearly approved of all this as well, being the one envied and resented by the other gods.
“You have accompanied me for a long time, Fosse.” The golden-haired, blue-eyed God-King curled his lips into a gentle smile. “As the cat god said, even if I may no longer need your meticulous care, I have long grown accustomed to your presence. He believes that, in this regard, you and Loyel are the same.”
Fosse and Loyel undoubtedly held a special place in His heart.
Unlike others, including the knight captain Noel, who, aside from serving Him with unwavering loyalty and undoubtedly being willing to sacrifice their lives for Him if necessary, also had lives of their own.
They had beloved wives, children who carried on their hopes and bloodlines, and deep connections with others.
But Fosse and Loyel had completely and utterly devoted everything they had to Him.
If He were to leave, even with all the things envied by mortals, they would fall into a state of lost despair.
“I will say the same to Loyel shortly.” He chuckled softly, gazing intently at the dazed butler. “Fosse, are you willing, after your body perishes, to sever all ties with humanity and henceforth offer your entire soul to me? And to sincerely accept the eternal mark I will place upon your soul, becoming my permanent Divine Servant? Of course, this would only take effect after your mortal life comes to an end.”
“I require you to do more for me. If you are unwilling, I shall personally send you to the dwelling place where all souls find rest when your time comes.”
Humans cannot become gods, and even among the divine race, none can leave behind that fleeting spark of life after passing away.
But the God-King is different.
Born of the World Origin alongside the laws of existence, the God-King is unique.
A soul cherished by Him, marked with source divine power before the body perishes, may become the God-King’s eternal servant after death.
For the God-King, the required expenditure is not insignificant—comparable to nurturing a deity with feeble divine power.
As for the Divine Servant themselves, though retaining their own consciousness, they can never return to the mortal realm nor enter the resting place of human souls.
Their existence or annihilation rests solely on the God-King’s whim, yet…
Gaining the ability to reside in the Main God Temple means they can remain by His Majesty’s side forever.
Even having never glimpsed the divine realm, nor knowing what future awaited him, Fosse felt heat burning behind his eyes, his answer already crystal clear in his heart.
He closed his trembling eyelids, tightly pressed lips moistened by tear tracks as droplets traced the sharp line of his jaw.
“I am willing.”
“Thank you, praise you,” he bowed deeply, devoutly kissing the God-King’s pale, slender fingers like a fervent believer who had just received everything they ever dreamed of, vowing: “I am willing, Your Highness.”