Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 234
The guards patrolling the second city wall quickly detected unusual movements in the distance, thanks to their elevated vantage point.
When he first spotted the gaping hole abruptly appearing on that distant wall and the flood of outer-city residents pouring through it, the guard named Kembesh[mfn]肯拜什(Kěn bài shén) – unsure if this is supposed to sound/mean anything.[/mfn] thought his eyes were deceiving him.
He froze on the spot, staring intently for a moment before instinctively raising a hand to rub his eyes.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
His sudden halt disrupted the orderly patrol formation, inevitably drawing dissatisfied complaints from the guards behind him.
“God! Look over there!”
After confirming it wasn’t an illusion, Kembesh drew a sharp breath and exclaimed in a thundering voice: “The outer-city people… they’ve actually broken through the third wall and forced their way in!!!”
At these words, the other soldiers who were about to reprimand him all froze in place, their first reaction being disbelief.
“Idiot, do you even know what you’re—”
His superior Mien[mfn]米恩(Mǐ ēn) – ‘mean’[/mfn] furrowed his brows and scolded him, but still turned to look in the indicated direction. His words abruptly shifted with his shocked expression: “God!!! It’s actually true!!!”
Like a small breach carved into an impregnable dam, when the next raging tide came crashing through, it easily tore open the wound and violently broke through, while the roaring torrent would sweep away all remaining obstacles.
In their eyes, the dark mass of people was that devastating tidal wave, continuously pouring through the inexplicably appeared gap into the inner-city area between the second and third walls.
“That useless Modelle, what are he and his men doing?! Playing at disappearing while letting those damned rioters break into the inner city? Next they’ll probably storm the nobles’ residences!”
Mien stared incredulously at the scene before him. When he regained his composure, he viciously cursed the portly fool while grabbing Kembesh—who stood closest and had first discovered everything—by the collar, growling: “Now listen carefully. I order you to immediately return to the palace at top speed and report this terrible news: ‘Due to Modelle’s incompetence and negligence, thousands of rioters have broken into the inner city.’ Then return here with the reinforcements!”
“Yes, sir!”
Kembesh had never seen his commander in such a furious state. After staring blankly for a moment, he finally remembered to nod.
But he had only taken a few steps when he heard Mien roar in rage: “You fools, what are you still standing around for?! Even the nobles’ servants have noticed the mob’s intrusion! Quickly grab your weapons and follow me down to slaughter those filthy scum!”
Kembesh gritted his teeth, ultimately unable to resist turning back to mutter: “Commander, they’re not rioters!”
He knew very well that he was fortunate—fortunate to possess a strong physique and decent martial talent that allowed him to rise among the numerous powerful figures in the capital.
Kembesh stood out and earned the title of knight, joining the Palace guard to work alongside others whose bloodlines were undoubtedly nobler than his own.
Yet he never forgot his origins.
His irresponsible biological father was merely a Baron who couldn’t even obtain an invitation to a viscount’s banquet—constantly rebuffed while trying to curry favor with the powerful, until he completely abandoned himself to squandering and selling off what little family property remained for brothel visits.
But even this laughable Baron was someone whose name he couldn’t casually mention: he wasn’t even the Baron’s legitimate child, but merely an illegitimate son born to one of his mistresses from a poor family.
When he was still shorter than the Sword at his waist, he lived between the fourth and fifth city walls. Every day, he would run barefoot through streets and alleys with his childhood friends, competing to guide visiting merchants in exchange for small coins to buy snacks…
Though memories had blurred, he still remembered those faces—striving to live, brimming with happiness.
After suffering such tragedy, even when they breached the inner city—but before the plague outbreak, the area outside the second gate had been open to them! Why should they be called rioters outside their own homes, even facing death at the hands of the capital’s guards?!
“They would never truly rebel,” Kembesh mustered all his courage, trembling as he spoke. “Before you raise weapons against them, could you at least hear their explanations or see what they actually intend to do?”
“What did you say?!”
At this critical moment, Mien—who was worrying that failure to promptly resolve the rioters’ disturbance might ruin his career along with the incompetent Modelle—raged like a provoked lion.
His bloodshot eyes glared viciously at Kembesh spouting such absurdities, and in the next instant he drew his sword, pointing the tip directly at him: “Damn you—you’re still just a filthy bastard after all, daring to say such things—”
“My deepest apologies!” At this tense moment, Kembesh’s friend Nate[mfn]内特(Nèi tè)[/mfn] stepped forward bravely, desperately trying to mediate for his companion: “My sincere apologies, sir! He must have spoken out of fear! We must deliver this message back immediately—we can’t wait any longer!”
Even so, Mien remained furious, clearly wanting to run this outspoken low-ranking knight through on the spot.
But before he could take a step forward, the impacted section of the city wall suddenly erupted with even greater commotion than before!
“Son of a whore,” Mien cursed. “They dare to touch the granary!”
“Let’s go!” Seizing the moment when their superior’s anger and attention were drawn by the intruders’ actions, Nate desperately pushed his friend who remained stubbornly rooted in place, whispering urgently: “Your words are useless now! Don’t forget—if we refuse this duty, plenty others will take our place! Including those you’re sympathizing with!”
Truthfully, anyone with a shred of conscience left would feel uncomfortable about what they were currently doing: not just towards the suffering…The suffering outsiders stood by indifferently, even prepared to turn swords meant only for enemies toward the vulnerable commoners of the royal capital, and when necessary, follow orders to carry out brutal slaughter against them.
Nate was equally tormented.
But with sorrowful clarity, he knew he had no other choice.
“Don’t forget your mother!” Nate was so frantic he nearly burst into tears. “If you get expelled, she’ll be expelled too! And none of this will change anything—”
Yes.
Hearing these words, Kembesh, who had previously steeled his resolve, suddenly deflated.
The strength that had kept his spine straight drained away completely the moment his mother’s frail smiling face surfaced in his mind—like a water balloon punctured by a needle.
He wasn’t afraid of death.
But he couldn’t bear the thought of his mother paying with her life because of his momentary willfulness.
Moreover, just as Nate had said—he could neither persuade Commander Mien, who only cared about his image before the high nobility, nor stop those desperate, pitiful souls from heading toward their doom.
His impulsiveness would only lead to him and his mother pointlessly throwing their lives away here.
“…I understand,” Kembesh murmured. “Thank you, my good friend.”
Hearing his lifeless tone and thinking of the terrible acts he would soon have to carry out under Commander Mien’s orders, Nate’s lips twitched weakly, unable to form a smile. “Don’t mention it. Go on,” he said hurriedly.
As Nate watched Kembesh stride away, the unrest in the city quickly drew the attention of all the powerful figures residing in the luxurious mansions.
“What are those guards doing?! Are they only good for drinking and feasting?!”
Nobles forced to cancel today’s balls or their plans to visit the first inner wall to see His Majesty cursed the incompetent fools while dispatching their personal valets to investigate the situation in the inner city.
Of course, the sturdy walls and gates—only slightly inferior to the city walls in material—were promptly shut tight. Though uncertain whether they could fully block the deranged rioters, they could at least slow the invaders’ advance.
If the worst came to pass, even a brief delay might buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
“Damn it, damn it—”
Count Pride swore nervously, pacing anxiously around the hall.
He was like a pot of oil placed beside a bonfire, liable to ignite and explode at the slightest spark.
To him, everything lately had been utterly dreadful—first, that foolish, rebellious daughter of his, who even after marriage had committed such an absurd act, abandoning her noble status and all possessions to run off to the outer city and live or die alongside those filthy, lowly paupers?!
It was nothing short of an insult to him, her father!
The day after discovering her escape, furious, he had ordered the guards to kill her, only relenting because His Majesty Cameron seemed amused by her self-destructive gesture.
He certainly wouldn’t worry about the safety of a despicable woman who only brought him shame. He only resented: if she hadn’t failed to win His Majesty’s favor, he wouldn’t have ended up in such an awkward position. He might have already moved inside the second wall long ago, and wouldn’t be trembling like this worrying about his own safety!
While the nobles kept their gates tightly shut, only peeking through cracks with probing eyes, the commoners who had completely forgotten their fear had already successfully broken through the stone wall of the grand granary—which they weren’t normally even allowed to approach—using those makeshift, assorted tools.
“We see it!”
Amid the cheers of the crowd, dust and the distinctive aroma of wheat wafted through the air. Then what came into view were those bulging sacks of grain, symbolizing the hope of survival!
Oliver, who aside from using the pickaxe to create that first hole and push the first domino, hadn’t personally participated in any of what followed, quietly observed the commoners’ actions while enveloped in the golden mist surrounding him.
After thinking for a long time, he still left the freedom of decision-making to them.
Yet remarkably, when faced with the endlessly tempting grain and the increasingly close footsteps of soldiers, the commoners no longer showed expressions of fear and confusion, nor did they rush forward to loot.
Like the most devout believers, after being guided to take that first step, they halted before the great temptation, turning around one after another to cast endless trusting gazes toward that radiant, beautiful “deity,” clearly awaiting further instructions.
Oliver sighed softly and, in an almost inaudible tone as if talking to himself, said to the true God who followed him closely: “This really wasn’t part of my plan. I didn’t even bring a single soldier.”
Ollie.
The voice of the God of Wealth, which he knew so well, immediately echoed in his ear.
He said eagerly and proudly: With me here, that’s enough.
“It’s alright.”
Oliver smiled slightly, accepting His comfort.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his azure blue eyes held only determination.
“The weather is nice today,” he said lightly: “It’s quite fitting for the day of my first meeting with Cameron… my so-called brother.”
