HTLCCBFT Chapter 131

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 131

Spring 31st.

The day was bright and sunny, with people diligently working in the fields until they heard the sound of orderly hoofbeats approaching from a distance.

They couldn’t help but look up, following the source of the sound.

Before long, at the gentle slope of the small hill, the silhouette of a long procession appeared.

Most of the members in the procession were on foot, with only large and small bundles of luggage placed on horse-drawn carts. Their expressions varied: some were joyful, some sorrowful, some anxious, and others bewildered.

“Huh.”

As they drew closer, Naef finally recognized a few of them: “They… seem to be the craftsmen who used to live in the city!”

His exclamation immediately jogged the memories of others.

“I knew they looked familiar—that’s the spice merchant! And the ones selling eggs and milk!”

“So they all fled to Laina?”

“Ah, if I were them, I’d just stay in Laina and not come back!”

“How lucky they are to be subjects of such a great Lord.”

“But isn’t it the same if they return? We’re now under the jurisdiction of that noble prince too!”

“Fool, what if the capital sends someone one day, maybe…”

After whispering among themselves for a while, the slaves quickly turned their attention back to their work.

After all, as slaves, they rarely had opportunities to interact with commoners before, at most recognizing some faces and roughly knowing what they did.

But as for being close acquaintances—that was completely out of the question, let alone going to greet them.

However, as people of Albury who had just survived a catastrophe, seeing familiar faces return brought them a certain degree of warmth in their hearts.

Compared to the plans of the commoners, they cared more about the crops in the fields.

And the miraculous planting methods, personally taught by the Lord and said to belong to the great Cat God’s wisdom.

The thoughts of these slaves were of no concern to the Albury commoners, who, escorted by Laina guards, had finally returned to their long-lost homeland.

To everyone’s surprise, only one-third of the refugees ultimately decided to return to their former home, Albury.

Some were unwilling to face their devastated homes; others were too poor or physically weak to rebuild everything; and still others were utterly terrified by the disaster and didn’t want to return to the place that held such deep nightmares.

Even if it meant staying in Laina City in a somewhat awkward status, striving to pass the legendary great God’s test in the future, they had no desire to set foot on Albury’s land again.

As the minority who insisted on returning home, the closer they got to Albury City, the more complex their emotions became, and that indescribable fear grew stronger.

Should they really have come back?

Moreover, while rationally they knew that the relatives left behind in the city were likely in dire straits, as long as they didn’t see the bodies with their own eyes, they could still hold onto a sliver of hope in their hearts.

Piggs, as a former resident of Gregor City and now a new freeman of Laina, held the most delicate position here.

To him, Albury City was just an ordinary stop for doing business.

Yet it was this very place that had wiped out his years of savings and likely cost the lives of his most cherished family members.

No matter how much he loathed those rebels, he had to return here to search for his loved ones’ remains.

“We’ve arrived.”

The guard captain leading this somber procession presented documents signed by Steward Kane at the city gates for inspection.

“Alright, everyone may enter.”

After examining the papers and doing a headcount, the gate guards gave a slight nod and promptly opened the gates.

Just before entering, Piggs, whose heart grew heavier, suddenly noticed scattered figures dressed as slaves in the lush grass outside the city walls. He couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Why were they outside the walls instead of inside?

He wasn’t the least bit worried about these slaves attempting to escape—Piggs considered himself a well-traveled merchant who’d visited numerous cities, and he’d never seen anyone treat slaves as kindly as the beautiful divine messenger!

He simply couldn’t believe that slaves who’d experienced the Lord’s care would ever want to run away.

This brief curiosity lingered in his mind only momentarily before fading as the procession moved forward again.

When the gates opened, everyone froze in astonishment.

They exchanged glances and simultaneously murmured, “How… how has everything changed?”

The last scenes burned into their memories were of blazing farmlands, collapsed earthen walls, trampled fences, and wounded people lying helplessly on the ground, weeping pitifully at their tormentors.

It had been a terrifying hell that haunted their nightmares and made their hearts bleed.

But now…

Stone brick houses had been restored; severely damaged wooden structures were demolished, leaving only the salvageable portions alongside stacks of quality timber they recognized from Laina; even the slaves’ thatched huts were replaced with neat wooden cabins—constructed with older wood but appearing sturdy, unlike the precarious shanties of before; the streets were newly paved with fine gravel, looking clean and spacious; wide drainage ditches lined both sides, eliminating fears of flooding during heavy rains.

Additionally, they spotted those familiar “toilets” they’d seen and used in Laina’s fields scattered throughout the farmland.

Oh, and atop the castle stood that distinctive, eye-catching, and comforting “Cat God’s Pillar.”

They clutched their belongings, turning left and right, utterly overwhelmed by the sights.

This was their homeland, yet it felt both foreign and familiar.

Foreign because it bore no resemblance to their memories; familiar because it closely mirrored what they’d seen and used in Laina.

At first glance, the thought naturally arose: “Ah, these are truly the marks left by Laina’s benevolent Lord.”

“When you’re ready, form a line and present your Albury identification documents,” the steward announced patiently after allowing this first group of returning freemen to absorb the changes. “This will determine the allocation of your new homes.”

For the reconstruction of the town this time—such as increasing the number of wells to ensure water supply for fields and residents, digging drainage ditches, repairing public facilities like mills, and restoring residential houses—Oliver planned to use public funds.

After the rebel forces occupied the Albury territory, they had no intention of long-term management. Instead, they killed the goose that laid the golden eggs by slaughtering the merchants…

This left them trapped in a predicament where they could only eat, drink, and torment women, yet had money they couldn’t spend.

Before they could flee with all the loot, the Laina army intercepted them in time—thus, most of the gold, silver, and other valuables accumulated in the Albury territory over the years were preserved relatively intact.

Now, all of it fell into the hands of Oliver, who was there to clean up the aftermath.

He confiscated everything and used it as construction funds.

It must be said that compared to the impoverished Laina City, Viscount Butor, who had managed Albury for several generations, had indeed amassed a considerable fortune.

But no matter what, these were taxes paid by the free people over the years—what comes from the people should return to the people.

Therefore, when rebuilding Albury City, Oliver did not hesitate to spend the money.

……The Lord……actually repaired their houses for them?

Unable to believe it, the crowd, with dazed and dreamlike expressions, numbly followed the steward’s directions to the indicated location.

But Piggs did not join them.

Unlike the other Albury residents who were concerned about their former homes and property, he headed straight for that strikingly large stone monument.

Even in the main Divine Temple of the most prosperous royal capital, where only the most “devout” noble believers were granted burial grounds, he had never seen such a massive tombstone.

It was like a towering tree—nearly seven or eight people tall, so wide that even with his arms spread wide, he couldn’t wrap them around it.

He had never run so fast in his life.

When he finally reached the stone monument and looked up to read the inscribed text, he froze completely.

What was carved on it was…

“What should be inscribed?”

When Fosse asked, Oliver, who had been somewhat avoiding this difficult question, finally had to think hard.

Without knowing the identities of the deceased, carving names was impractical.

Carving details of the incident, however, seemed likely to hurt the feelings of the survivors.

What would be most appropriate?

As he hesitated, his gaze unconsciously fell upon the Cat God, who was obediently watching him.

Oliver’s expression gradually softened.

Perhaps he knew the answer.

Instead of relying on vague hopes, he had a true deity right beside him.

“My dear Cat God,” the blond Lord said with a smile. “May I ask you to do something for me… no, for us?”

The cat-eared deity tilted its head slightly and nodded without hesitation.

“Their bodies rest beneath the earth,” Piggs murmured as he read the words clearly, kneeling before this memorial stele, tears streaming down his face. “The great God of Wealth… will guide their souls.”

For some reason.

Before experiencing that life-and-death catastrophe, he had always been profit-driven, believing only in “deities” that could bring him the most wealth. This time, however…He genuinely believed in the weight of those words.

Not only because the great Cat God had once saved his life through the gentle divine messenger’s use of potions imbued with divine power…

But also because he wholeheartedly believed that both the divine messenger and the deity whose true form remained unknown were beings of such gentle kindness, generous sanctity, and sacred presence.

Night fell.

The people of Albury, having returned to their homeland only to witness scenes far better than they had imagined, unanimously chose not to sleep in their new homes.

Just as they had done in Laina City, they gathered by unspoken agreement in the newly restored square, lying or sitting as they gazed at the star-filled sky.

“So beautiful,” someone murmured softly.

They spoke of both the night sky and the new Albury City.

“So bright, those stars,” others whispered.

More people watched the clear, starry expanse, unconscious smiles gracing their lips.

They had already paid their respects before the memorial stele to their departed family members—though they hadn’t been able to see their loved ones one last time, perhaps that very absence was less cruel to the living.

The deeper sorrow had long been washed away with tears during the arduous journey to Laina before their return.

Having survived catastrophe, all that remained within them now was peace and gratitude.

No one noticed that on this same night, the golden-haired youth who was always inseparable from the Duke Lord had been absent for quite some time.

Nor did anyone know that at this moment, the Lord was in his bedchamber, smiling as he rested his chin on one hand while the other lay relaxed on the windowsill, also contemplating the serene and beautiful starry sky.

“You’ve worked hard,” he said very softly.

“Look,” someone suddenly pointed at the sky and spoke in a hushed voice, “over there… doesn’t it look like a big cat?”

Stars sometimes formed shapes that sparked imagination, though what each person envisioned usually differed.

This time was different.

Prompted by that person, everyone turned to look.

“It really does,” someone soon laughed in agreement. “Especially like the one that always follows His Highness.”

“Yes, that particularly beautiful golden cat!”

“And there are so many bright little stars following behind it.”

“It looks like it’s moving.”

People on the ground discussed in quiet voices, their hearts strangely tranquil, wearing relaxed smiles.

Aside from the divine messenger, no one knew what was happening far up in the sky.

The deity, having diluted its divine body into golden mist forming its original shape, was clumsily yet earnestly performing tasks beyond its usual divine duties—all because of a request from its beloved believer.

With careful soft paw pads, it gently caught traumatized, lost, and wandering souls, nudging them along as if a cat were rolling little beads with its paws.

Until they gradually understood and willingly followed behind.

Any soul carrying dark energy that tried to sneak in was immediately scattered with a swift, unblinking swat of its paw.

Finally done.

Seeing the souls of the suffering following behind in a daze, it secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Oliver so rarely asked it to do anything.

Although it was something He had never done before and was completely unskilled at, He agreed without hesitation.

He… wanted Oliver to show a happy smile because of Him.

A golden streak of light swept across the sky, like a rare and dazzling meteor, causing exclamations of awe from the crowds below.

That was the powerful deity flying across this vast silent night sky, heading toward the place where souls could truly find rest.

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