HTLCCBFT Chapter 177

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 177

In the eyes of everyone, Duke Oliver was undoubtedly the kindest and most benevolent master under the heavens.

Especially the people of Laina, who were the luckiest and had the most contact with him, were very familiar with scenes of him walking the town streets under the escort of Mr. Fosse and others, personally tilling the fields and harvesting crops in the farmlands, or felling trees in the woods and fishing by the river.

After arriving in Gregor city, Oliver had indeed inspected the main streets of the city, but it was merely a cursory glance.

Being able to freely observe without drawing extra attention from others was undoubtedly a novel and precious experience for him.

And the things he could do had suddenly increased as well.

For example—

“Dear Cat God,” Oliver’s gaze remained fixed on the small wheeled oven cart, but he was asking the tall deity beside him, “Would you like to taste the Custard Pancake?”

Custard Pancake?

He was taken aback for a moment before withdrawing his gaze from Oliver and silently turning it to the vendor, who was dressed in simple linen clothes, wearing a tattered apron, and had deliberately covered his head with a cloth to prevent his hair from falling in.

Although the deities worshipped varied from city to city, what remained the same was that people liked to go to the Divine Temple to pray on weekends when their labor was lightest.

Since the Divine Temple was often located in the widest and cleanest part of the urban area, the streets people had to pass through were usually the liveliest at such times.

Many merchants who lacked the capital to buy a shop and failed to secure a good spot on the streets where stalls were allowed would opt for the most flexible method of mobile selling, provided their goods weren’t too heavy.

This included some who would mount their household ovens on sturdy little carts and peddle freshly baked pastries along the streets.

These fragrant baked pancakes weren’t cheap—at least, most free citizens couldn’t afford to spend money on them.

But the uniquely sweet and rich scent of custard and sugar was enough to win the affection of the children running around the streets. If they circled their busy parents a few more times, they were often lucky enough to receive money from their parents, who were eager to shoo them away, to buy a pancake.

“Would you like to try it?”

Not hearing a response from the cat-eared deity, Oliver couldn’t help but ask again, this time looking directly at him.

A flicker of confusion passed through the deity’s eyes.

He wasn’t interested.

Moreover, deities didn’t need to eat.

Even during meals at the table with Oliver, he was merely going through the motions: appearing to eat while discreetly transferring his portion of the food away through the divine realm.

Oliver clearly knew this, so why…?

The God of Wealth gazed thoughtfully at Oliver, whose eyes hadn’t left the Custard Pancake.

As if a small bolt of lightning had struck, the deity’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Hmm.”

He nodded solemnly. “I’d like to try it.”

He understood.

—It was actually Oliver who liked it and wanted to taste it.

The cunning blond lord had no idea that his little thoughts had already been seen through by this simple-minded Cat God.

After successfully “luring” Him into giving the desired answer, Oliver—who had developed a strong interest in those enticingly sweet-scented custard pancakes but felt too embarrassed to show it—could now naturally walk over and buy two portions from the street vendor.

“Sir.”

The vendor, who had just sold a portion of custard pancakes, looked up and was abruptly captivated by a pair of unbelievably beautiful blue eyes, instantly stunned.

God, how could there be such a beautiful person!

After that reflexive greeting, it took him a long moment to regain his composure. His originally booming voice unconsciously dropped an octave. His habitual slouch straightened slightly, as if influenced by the most elegant presence, and he unconsciously became more courteous: “May I ask… what would you like?”

Seeing the familiar dazed expression on the vendor’s face, Oliver felt momentarily tense, wondering if the Cat God’s divine power had suddenly failed. But after confirming that other passersby showed no unusual reactions—none stopping to stare—he relaxed and smiled, asking, “I’d like two portions of custard pancakes. How much in total?”

Since planning to sneak out last night, he had retrieved what was likely the least valuable items from his glittering treasure chests—gold and silver coins. For convenience, he had wrapped six of each in a handkerchief to serve as today’s shopping funds with the Cat God. This amount was more than sufficient for Gregor city’s prices.

“Two pancakes would be six copper coins,” the vendor murmured dreamily, adding softly, “For you, just one coin will do.”

Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle. “Thank you, but no need for a special discount. I’d also like two fried stuffed pies.”

Though slightly disappointed by the refusal, the vendor gradually regained his business instincts, shaking off the awe from encountering such breathtaking beauty. He asked as properly as he could, “Would you like sugar, honey, or rose water sprinkled on them?”

Sugar and rose water were complimentary, but honey—being more expensive—required an extra copper coin. This detail, however, he deliberately omitted for his radiant customer.

Oliver, who was curiously examining the biscuits on the vendor’s small oven cart, replied casually, “One with sugar, one with rose water.” This way, he could share and swap with the Cat God.

Despite the lovestruck vendor’s attempts to prolong the process, years of habit made the task quick. “That’ll be one silver coin in total,” he said, gazing infatuatedly as the customer took the pancakes and pies, then handed over the silver coin. The vendor didn’t immediately store it in his waist purse, instead watching the retreating figure.

“Huh?”

As the two figures walked further away, the vendor’s memory of the beautiful guest grew increasingly faint. “What was wrong with me just now?” He vaguely recalled serving an exceptionally handsome customer, but…The specific details, however, remained elusive.

After muttering in confusion for a while, the vendor quickly snapped back to attention at the next customer’s inquiry, allowing what should have been an unforgettable memory to fade away.

It was only after Oliver shared one of the freshly bought baked cakes and a Stuffed Pie with the Cat God that he understood the reason for the vendor’s dazed state.

When he spoke directly with someone, the Golden mist’s concealing effect on his appearance became ineffective.

But after the conversation ended, it would fade the related memories in the other person’s mind.

“So that’s how it is.” Oliver chuckled softly while holding the Cat God’s hand with his free one, scanning for a place to sit and eat. “I thought your divine power had failed… you gave me quite a fright.”

The tall, handsome deity seemed particularly docile and quiet today, clutching the two thin cakes tightly in his right hand while naturally interlocking his left fingers with Oliver’s, letting his little follower lead him through the crowd.

He didn’t know how to describe his current elation, only earnestly stating: “It won’t fail.”

This was something Oliver rarely asked him to do—how could he not put his whole heart into it?

“Mhm. As expected, we must personally experience local life to provide practical suggestions.”

Unaware that the Cat God’s thoughts had completely drifted to linger around him, Oliver responded absently while continuing to observe their surroundings and critique what needed improvement: “The streets must be widened, and we need to establish road cleaning departments with hired workers for regular maintenance. They should sprinkle water to settle dust several times daily. Drainage systems must be properly installed, and we must enforce hygiene standards for shops. We should set up waste collection points in residential areas so everyone can send their wastewater and sorted garbage to composting sites. Public toilets also need to be built quickly.”

Though the town’s main roads were paved with relatively smooth stone slabs that allowed carriages and carts to pass steadily, they lacked proper drainage systems.

Spring was tolerable, but with increased summer storms and people’s careless dumping of household water and garbage… one could easily imagine the scenes of sewage flowing everywhere, each step sinking into foul, muddy water.

This was actually a common ailment of densely populated market towns: more free citizens meant more shops, leading to rapidly accumulating waste. When everyone prioritized convenience, environmental hygiene plummeted dramatically.

They were currently on the main road where living conditions were best—the narrow alleys and dark streets where poorer free citizens lived would be several times worse. To long-time residents, those who bothered to carry wastewater outside town daily for proper disposal were already considered exceptionally clean.

Despite the numerous challenges, Oliver remained optimistic: almost no one in the world enjoyed living in filth. As long as the requirements weren’t too troublesome, most would willingly contribute to creating a better environment.

Expecting each household to carry buckets of wastewater nearly two miles outside town daily just to dump at composting sites was extraordinarily inconvenient—especially for business owners.

No wonder some people chose to endure the stench for convenience, dumping waste directly on the ground or into the distant moat—fortunately, the moat was far enough away to escape contamination, unlike the tributary flowing through Laina’s city, which had unfortunately become a river of filth.

However, it would be much simpler to set up collection points within fixed residential areas and hire cleaners to transport the waste daily via carts to composting sites outside the city.

After the initial rosy illusion shattered, Oliver gained a clearer understanding of the filth and stench pervading this city.

Especially as pedestrians and carriages gradually increased, the stirred-up dust, sewage, and faint odors drifting from afar became more noticeable.

With more people living in this area, addressing the issue would actually be far more challenging than it had been in Laina initially.

Oliver didn’t consider himself a cleanliness fanatic, but only when standing in front of large shops or theaters—where servants regularly cleaned the entrance grounds—did he feel he had a comfortable place to step.

Of course, this was provided the employees stationed at the doors, keeping a watchful eye on children or beggars trying to loiter, had no objections.

“After widening the streets, we should add some free resting benches for pedestrians along the roadside.”

Although Oliver didn’t mind eating while walking, it was undoubtedly a severe breach of etiquette.

It was one thing for running children to do it, but if two well-dressed minor merchants did so… it would certainly attract attention in this affluent district.

Though he had concealed his identity, the Lord, who still carried some concern for his image, hesitated for a moment before suppressing his regret. He asked the Cat God to store their flatbreads for now: “We’re not hungry anyway. Let’s wait until we find a suitable spot to eat together.”

“Alright.”

The deity agreed without blinking, taking the four flatbreads and instantly storing them in his Divine Temple within the divine realm.

Then, with an expectant look, he reached out to Oliver as if asking for his reward: “Hold hands.”

He wanted to continue holding hands.

“Really, what am I going to do with you.”

Though his words sounded like a complaint, Lord Laina’s face showed a doting smile, and without hesitation, he extended his hand as well, taking hold.

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