HTLCCBFT Chapter 28

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 28

The moment inspiration sparked in Oliver’s mind, he temporarily concealed that glimmer of enlightenment.

There were still two people waiting outside.

After Fosse let the anxious Wynn and Bir in, Oliver—though already knowing the answer—gazed at the two with a faint smile and said, “Well, now it’s your turn to tell me. In your opinion, how much is each barrel of that wine worth?”

Wynn and Bir exchanged uneasy glances.

Even with their eyes lowered, not daring to look directly at the Lord whose dazzling beauty seemed to radiate light, they couldn’t bring themselves to voice the honest answer—”not even worth two silver coins per barrel”—upon hearing his gentle and kind tone.

Gritting his teeth, Wynn made the painful decision to sacrifice his savings from the past year or two and forced a smile. “Your Grace, based on recent market conditions, each barrel should fetch about five silver coins. If Your Grace is willing, we’d be happy to make the purchase.”

“Is that so?”

Oliver smiled faintly and suddenly said, “Laina City is under the protection of the wise Cat God, and what the Cat God tolerates least is laziness and deceit.”

Wynn’s heart turned cold.

A drop of cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead, and his fingers involuntarily tightened.

How could he have forgotten?

No matter how delicate and beautiful his appearance or how gentle and amiable his speech, this was still a noble of exalted status, fundamentally different from them. Born with cold blood that disregarded the lives of those beneath him, turning a blind eye to others’ suffering, and making insatiable demands without a second thought—that was the true nobility he was familiar with.

Oliver lifted his eyelids calmly and asked, “Let me ask you again: what is the real value of that wine in silver coins?”

Wynn nervously licked his lower lip and said bitterly, “Your Grace, five silver coins does seem too little… I think ten would be more appropriate?”

To Wynn and Bir’s surprise, the Lord chuckled softly at his reply.

“It seems even the omniscient and almighty great Cat God cannot intimidate those who are not His followers.” Oliver’s breathtakingly beautiful blue eyes shimmered with amusement, sweeping away the feigned “noble arrogance” from earlier. “So in others’ eyes, am I such a fearsome presence? To be scared into suggesting an outrageous price like ten silver coins?”

Vaguely grasping the meaning behind his words, Wynn and Bir dazedly raised their eyes and instinctively looked at the beautiful Lord, who was clearly holding back laughter, as his melodious voice said with a smile, “—When it’s clearly not even worth a single silver coin.”

Although Oliver only had a vague conjecture about solving Laina City’s urgent financial crisis, after completely losing hope in the remaining value of that wine, he naturally had no intention of making things difficult for the two merchants who had traveled from afar.

Wynn and Bir never expected such a turn of events. They stood there dumbfounded, mouths agape, unable to speak for a long moment. “Y-Your Grace?”

“What I said before was just a joke. I don’t plan on selling the wine anymore”

Oliver smiled warmly, then abruptly changed the subject. “How long do you plan to stay in Laina City this time?“

Wynn murmured dazedly, “Your Highness… we were supposed to stay until the Summer Market ends.”

“That’s right,” Oliver smiled warmly. “On the day you leave, remember to come to the castle first to bid farewell. I have something I plan to show you.”

Having said this, Oliver deliberately left the matter hanging and exchanged a glance with butler Fosse.

The loyal steward immediately understood his meaning and escorted the two merchants—whose emotions had been on a rollercoaster—out of the castle.

Even as Wynn and Bir stood on the empty ground outside the castle, gazing back at the faintly lit windows, they remained in a daze.

Having navigated the business world for so many years, no matter how harmless they appeared on the surface, they were shrewd at their core.

They knew perfectly well that the Lord’s initial proposal to sell wine was no jest but a serious offer.

The reason he had casually brushed it off as a joke…

Wynn felt both bittersweet and tender, inexplicably on the verge of tears.

It was clear that the pure-hearted, kind Duke—whose soul and appearance were as beautiful as a true angel—had perceived their dilemma and shown consideration for their difficulties.

The thought that he had previously used his experience dealing with corrupt and filthy nobles to speculate about this noble and virtuous Lord filled him with even greater guilt and anguish.

Yet, even if he insisted on buying now, this benevolent Angel Duke would likely not permit it.

Oliver truly hadn’t expected that simply refraining from coercive sales—an unethical practice—would earn him such genuine gratitude from those who nearly fell victim to it.

With the path of selling those nearly spoiled wines from the warehouse now blocked, he had no choice but to turn his attention to the first batch of harvested corn.

Including the 121 plants sown a day later, he would have a full set ready by tomorrow.[mfn]Unsure where the author pulled 121 from – chapter 10 mentioned 51 seeds remaining.[/mfn]

In Oliver’s original plan, the first two batches of mature corn were to be entirely reserved for seed—of course, this would require reaching level 9 in the farming profession skill to unlock the “seed maker” recipe.

But Laina City was severely lacking in livestock. To raise the first batch of fattened pigs before winter arrived, they couldn’t afford to miss the important pig merchants coming to the Summer Market.

With a grave expression, Oliver sat on his bed, lost in deep thought.

After who knows how long, his gaze shifted to the Cat God statue placed by his bedside—oblivious to the financial struggles of his poor subjects…

Well, the God of Wealth statue.

Perhaps it was because this golden, gleaming statue was just the right size for a hug, or perhaps it was his habit of holding something while deep in thought… Oliver unconsciously embraced the Cat God statue.

Through the thin fabric of his clothes, his snow-white, flawless skin continuously transferred warmth to the cold golden deity.

This angel, who didn’t even realize his own beauty, went a step further—he cheerfully lifted the Cat God statue, resting it against his delicate, beautiful chin, and earnestly “prayed”: “Oh, my dear, almighty Cat God, please allow me to amend my previous wish. Compared to copper ingots, I find gold ingots—as delightful as your color—far more appealing indeed!”

Oliver had decided to temporarily abandon gathering materials for the brewing barrel: in this destitute place, the game system couldn’t possibly work miracles by providing him with a matching mine.

Materials.

This meant he had only one source of metal ingots—the adorable paw pads of the Cat God.

When the metal ingot rewards were limited to a choice of three, and there was still a chance of gemstone drops, Oliver naturally prioritized the seed maker.

The brewing barrel, whose recipe could only be unlocked at farming level 8, was widely regarded by players as a super tool for making money through brewing. However, since its crafting materials conflicted with the output of the seed maker, it had to be postponed for the time being.

When it came to products that offered quick returns and low material requirements in the early stages, the pickle jar was undoubtedly the most suitable.

Whether it was vegetables or fruits, as long as they were placed in the pickle jar, the pickling process would be completed in just three days.

Thinking about the substantial profits that nearly a stack of corn could generate, Oliver felt a surge of excitement.

Hmm… I just wonder if the wine merchants would be willing to purchase a batch of pickled corn.

Oliver wasn’t overly worried about selling his goods.

In a situation where severe food shortages and skyrocketing grain prices plagued the land due to various natural and man-made disasters, his pickled products—which could be stored for a long time and were presumably quite tasty—were bound to find a market.

The recipe for the pickle jar could be unlocked at just farming level 4, and the required materials were exceptionally simple.

It only took 50 pieces of lumber, 40 stones, and 8 pieces of coal to craft.

Unlike the brewing barrel, its material requirements didn’t conflict with the all-important seed maker.

As for coal… he had already unlocked the recipe for the coal kiln early on through his foraging profession skill!

Even more conveniently, he had recently obtained 4 copper ingots from the Cat God—exactly what was needed for the coal kiln’s requirement of 2 copper ingots.

The more Oliver thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

Having reached this conclusion, he didn’t want to wait a moment longer. He immediately set down the cat god statue he was holding in his arms.

He carefully retrieved the materials from his game backpack, checked them one by one, and promptly crafted two “coal kilns” on the spot.

The function of the coal kiln was to convert 10 pieces of lumber into 1 piece of coal… In less than half a minute, Oliver’s game backpack gained 2 pieces of coal.

It worked!

Encouraged, Oliver pressed on, deciding to burn all the remaining spare lumber (accidentally chopped too much while building houses for his subordinates) in his backpack in one go.

Unfortunately, he had too few copper ingots, only enough to make two coal kilns. He had no choice but to wait patiently nearby—eagerly watching for the coal to finish burning before refilling the kilns with new lumber, repeating the cycle over and over.

Time passed minute by minute.

In the quiet, late-night castle, apart from the night watch servants diligently making their rounds, everyone had already gone to sleep.

Across the vast territory of Laina City, no one knew that the Duke—with his angelically dazzling beauty and gentle, kind nature—was currently crouching intently in his snow-white silk pajamas… before two flickering coal kilns that stood in stark contrast to everything else. He counted silently in his mind. Every time he reached thirty, the flames in the coal kiln before him would extinguish simultaneously, signaling that the previous batch of materials had been fully burned.

This noble who embodied the phrase “elegant and beautiful” more than anyone else would then, with a speed that would astonish even the most seasoned furnace workers, store the finished coal into his backpack and refill the kiln with new timber.

He was wholly absorbed in burning coal.

His striking blue eyes sparkled with the light of satisfied addiction and genuine delight.

He remained completely unaware of the cat god statue left forgotten on the bed, its inorganic golden pupils reflecting the flickering flames as it stared solemnly at him.

The crescent moon hung high in the sky.

Too engrossed in his work to notice anything else, the Lord entirely lost track of time.

Before he knew it, he had reached 2 a.m.—the hour when the game system forcibly compelled players to rest.

In one moment, the Lord had been vibrant and engrossed in coal burning; in the next, he collapsed to the ground without warning.

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