HTLCCBFT Chapter 188

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 188

The evening breeze was gentle, and the starlight shone brightly.

A line of knights clad in bright silver riveted breastplates seemed to blend completely into the moonlit surroundings, advancing with a speed that was both swift and eerily quiet.

Apart from the inevitable dull thuds of the horses’ iron hooves pounding the road, the faint panting, and the continuous clinking of metal, none of them made any unnecessary sounds.

Even these noises, when combined, were easily swallowed by the clamor of cicadas.

“Fresh hoofprints here.”

Someone suddenly spoke up.

Though the uneven, muddy road was littered with overlapping old and new wheel ruts and hoof marks, the battle-hardened knights could easily make accurate judgments based on the traces that had been haphazardly swept away, as well as the degree of water accumulation and dampness.

No matter how cautious one was, the signs of a group having passed through could never be completely concealed.

After the first person spoke, the knights reined in their horses in unison and began searching the area.

Hidden in the grass were deliberately concealed horse droppings.

Brushing away the surface dust revealed fragments of a carriage made from the finest poplar wood, untouched by rain or mud.

On the blades of grass were dark red stains. When one leaned in close, a faint scent of blood could be detected, not entirely masked even by the thick, pungent smell of grass.

On the low, thorny shrubs hung shreds of clothing.

“The enemy is cunning.”

The more traces they discovered, the more the knights took these enemies, who were unlike ordinary bandits, seriously. “They are deliberately hiding themselves.”

Unless driven by “necessary” plundering, most bandit groups would keep as low a profile as possible and have more than one hidden hideout.

The longer a bandit group existed, the more experienced and cunning they became in this regard.

Yet even so…

Given that they had no way of knowing that the lord of Gregor City would send high-ranking knights to suppress them, such cautious behavior seemed somewhat abnormal.

“What should we do next, Sir Loyel?”

Having traced the clues this far, the knights faced two choices: “continue forward” or “follow the trail.”

The former might allow them to complete the task entrusted by His Highness more quickly and rescue the subsequent merchant caravans departing from Riche City.

The latter, however, might uncover the reasons behind all these anomalies.

“Hmm.”

Through the thick visor, Loyel’s voice sounded deeper and more muffled than usual.

With a slight upward push of his thumb, which was almost entirely covered in thick calluses, he lifted the visor, revealing the tightly pursed, straight line of the vice-captain’s lips. “Split into two teams. Keptin[mfn]凯普提恩(Kǎi pǔ tí ēn) – I think it’s meant to sound like ‘Captain'[/mfn], you lead the team forward. The rest, follow me to investigate.”

The knights responded without hesitation. “Yes.”

Apart from Loyel himself, no one knew that before being roused by his companions’ voices, he had been lost in thought—a rare occurrence for him.

For some reason…

Loyel glanced at his sword, engraved with intricate emblems that anyone could tell belonged to someone from a wealthy family serving a noble of undoubtedly high status. Yet, his heart remained unsettled.

Even while carrying out the most important command from the young prince and leading his companions on their journey, he couldn’t help but frequently recall the brief conversation between himself and that tall, handsome noble youth, “Jin.”

It was all so strange.

Loyel frowned deeply, murmuring to himself in a low voice.

He rarely experienced intuition.

But whenever intuition did appear, he had never been wrong to trust it.

When the other party expressionlessly uttered the words “God’s blessing upon you,” his long-dormant intuition silently surfaced, warning him with an intensity that made his scalp tingle.

—This seemingly taciturn individual might actually be the most dangerous person in the territory.

Was that possible?

For the first time ever, Loyel doubted his own intuition.

“Lord Loyel?”

It was his companion discreetly urging him, reminding that it was time to lead the others toward the tracking direction.

“Mm. Let’s go.”

Loyel responded concisely.

Regardless, with Fosse around… the young lord should be safe.

These knights, demonstrating the utmost professionalism of elite warriors while meticulously tracking a group of strangely-behaving bandits, naturally had no idea…

That high above their heads, in the vast clear night sky, a transparent “mirror” formed from divine power was silently following them.

This temporary “Divine mirror” captured their figures completely, displaying them with exquisite detail to the castle lord watching from afar.

—This was, of course, the handiwork of the cat god who, having bathed with his beloved partner for the first time and still feeling wonderfully exhilarated, refused to go to bed immediately no matter what Oliver said.

It was indeed still early, and after urging him a couple of times, Oliver didn’t persist.

Alright.

A unconscious smile touched Oliver’s lips.

He thought, since no one would know anyway, he might as well admit it.

Seeing how easily satisfied the cat god was… his own mood inexplicably lifted too.

After leaving the bath, the God of Wealth eagerly resumed his complete form as a tall young man and—as if, and indeed like—a youth experiencing first love, naturally embraced Oliver as they lay on the bed.

Like foolish couples occasionally seen on city streets, the human and god lay prone on the soft bed that nearly swallowed them, intimately close and holding each other, intently watching the small coins formed from divine power dance in chaotic yet lively patterns.

When his eyes grew dizzy from the shimmering coins, Oliver felt his “indulgence quota” for the night was nearly exhausted and wanted to urge him to sleep again.

It was at this moment that the Cat-eared God had a sudden inspiration and proposed, “Would Oliver like to see what the knights are doing now?”

For Lord Gregor, who didn’t know his cat-eared secretary possessed this ability, this was undoubtedly highly appealing.

“Really? Is that possible?”

Oliver asked with interest. “Won’t it consume too much of your power?”

The Cat-eared God nodded solemnly.

Oliver rarely showed interest in his suggestions—not to mention the minimal power consumption that truly didn’t affect his currently abundant divine energy, even if it were actually difficult, he would never let Oliver know.

Unaware that the cat god had already self-taught the minor bad habit of “showing off before a loved one,” Oliver’s eyes brightened slightly, intrigued.

With interest, he asked, “Then what do you plan to do? Do you need my cooperation?”

But the Cat-eared God’s next suggestion instantly cooled the lord’s enthusiasm from just moments before.

He said seriously, “I can use the divine body form of the ‘cat’ that Oliver likes most to carry Oliver and fly through the sky, going directly there.”

The smile on Oliver’s lips stiffened slightly.

He blinked, and after confirming that the cat god was serious, he couldn’t help but ask, “Will people on the ground be able to see you?”

Without hesitation, He replied, “If Oliver doesn’t want them to see, they won’t see.”

Oliver continued, “What about me?” The God, rather slow in this regard, finally realized this point belatedly.

He could hide himself, but Oliver would be visible.

He hesitated for a moment and said, “I can wrap Oliver in the golden mist… With the Divine mist isolating him, others won’t even be able to see Oliver.

However, doing this for a long time would consume a great deal of divine power.

Although the power of faith is abundant, and He is confident that it would only take half a night to recover, if divine power is excessively depleted in a short time, He wouldn’t be able to maintain the “human” form and would have to revert to the “cat” form, which is the most energy-efficient and closest to His divinity.

This was the only point He pretended to be confused about: He clearly knew that Oliver preferred Him in the “cat” form, yet He didn’t want to remain in that state all the time.

Rather than being held so affectionately by Oliver, He wanted to use a taller divine body to embrace Oliver in return.

“Then let’s forget it.”

Completely unaware that his thoughtfulness had caused him to miss out on something, Oliver said with a smile, uttering sweet words that could make the God dizzy: “I don’t want my beloved God to work too hard.

The cat god angrily lowered His eyes.

After being with Oliver for so long, he knew very well that once his little partner made a decision, it was almost impossible to change it.

What should He do…

Never having been so resistant to sleep before, and only wanting this honey-like pleasure to last a little longer, he soon thought of another idea.

“You plan to pull my soul out of my body, place it on your back, and then fly over?”

Oliver repeated calmly.

Even though the cat god nodded affirmatively and waited with an expectant expression, he still coldly refused: “Your intentions move me deeply, but let’s skip it this time.””

—Flying around with his soul outside?

Even if humans couldn’t see it, for the poor knight on a business trip, it would be like a horror movie.

As soon as his words fell, the cat god’s ears drooped completely from the severe blow.

Oliver: “……”

Fortunately, after feeling frustrated for a short while, the cat god promptly remembered the method used by Goddess Havest back then and condensed a large mirror using divine power.

It clearly reflected every move of the knights.

This mode, similar to modern surveillance cameras, was clearly more comfortable for Oliver: far better than the cat god’s first two suggestions.

Just as the one person one god were intently watching the Divine mirror and occasionally chatting intimately, Oliver suddenly felt a cover on his back.

The cat god on top suddenly tensed up as if sensing some imminent danger.

He froze for a moment, instinctively glancing at the large tail behind Him.

Just as expected.

The furry ears were flattened against both sides, forming airplane ears.

The fluffy long tail had also puffed up completely, entering a state of alert readiness.

This was the first time he had ever seen the cat god appear so guarded.

Oliver’s heart sank slightly.

Yet he maintained a calm facade, pretending not to notice anything unusual, and quietly followed His gaze toward the windowsill.

When he clearly saw the shadow that had landed on the windowsill at some unknown time, he was immediately stunned.

That was… a black cat?

Why would there be a cat there?

For a moment, Oliver didn’t consider the possibility of it being a “god” at all.

Its physique was much more petite compared to the golden large cat, with a bright full moon behind it sharply outlining its slender and agile silhouette.

This black cat sat elegantly yet with undeniable arrogance on the windowsill, having been staring at the people in the room for who knows how long.

The moment its eyes met Oliver’s, its previously relaxed and composed posture suddenly stiffened.

“Deyth.”

The God of Wealth stared unblinkingly at the other party.

Just like a dragon deeply obsessed with its most treasured possession in the deepest part of its lair suddenly encountering an uninvited enemy.

Though clearly reluctant, He slowly rose from His beloved partner and coldly revealed the other’s identity: “Get out.”

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