Chapter 282: In the Name of the Cat, A Heavy Reward

Chapter 282: In the Name of the Cat, A Heavy Reward

Due to the shortage of manpower, Hastur could only have Caius recruit a batch of people to help.

As for whether Caius would have members of the Yellow Robe Monks come to work, Hastur left it to him, as long as the job was done well.

Three days later, Hastur received a reply from Sharon, mentioning that she was currently safe and gathering members of the Temperance faction in a city not far from Beslin. She also recounted her recent experiences and mentioned that she missed Aisala.

The recruits hired by Caius had already arrived, totaling twenty people, six of whom were members of the Yellow Robe Monks. Caius did not hide this fact at all.

With the manpower in place, Hastur contacted Mayor Ron, stating that from the next quarter, his territory would be fully autonomous, and he sent the recruits to learn how to manage the internal affairs of the territory.

After temporarily resolving these trivial matters, Hastur finally had some leisure time to think about how to digest the Corrupt Baron potion.

During his time in Backlund, he tried to accelerate the digestion of the potion through a life of corruption and luxury, but the effect was mediocre.

However, at that time, he had to be mindful of his reputation in Backlund. Now, in his own territory, after dealing with some troublesome matters, it was time to speed up the absorption of the potion.

Corruption mostly refers to the moral and lifestyle decay, serving as a counterexample to positive progress.

For instance, indulging in pleasure and neglecting responsibilities.

But essentially, it is more like a class privilege. Only those with power and influence can use the term "corruption." For ordinary or poor people, it is simply called laziness and lack of ambition.

Those who hold certain social resources and status are the ones labeled with corruption.

Corrupting what already exists can also extend to aspects like order.

Eroding the existing stable order should also be a way to play the role of the Corrupt Baron.

This process of corruption does not necessarily have to happen to oneself; it can also involve leading others into habitual degeneration and complete corruption.

For example, turning a once lively and active cat into a lazy and gluttonous creature step by step.

Hastur carefully summarized the key points of playing the role, glancing intentionally at Aisala, who was already lying on the ground, hugging a small fish snack and resting.

Even though it had closed its eyes to rest, it would happily lick the small fish snack every now and then.

Aisala no longer needed his guidance; it had gradually degenerated.

Hastur sighed at this, feeling that he had been too good to it as its owner and needed to find something for it to do.

"Meow?!"

Feeling the inexplicable chill of being watched, Aisala shivered awake, looked around, and met Hastur's gaze. It meowed pitifully, then came to Hastur's feet and lay down quietly.

"Tsk, you haven't learned anything else, but you're quite good at playing pitiful."

Hastur chuckled and shook his head, then came up with a good idea.

The next day, Caius sent a group of people to post reward notices in various villages and towns within the territory.

The notice roughly read: The new lord, Earl Campbell, has a cat from Backlund that he loves dearly. Recently, due to acclimatization issues, the cat has been depressed and has lost its appetite. The Earl is worried and has posted a notice, offering a reward of 1,000 gold pounds for a solution.

At this time, Aisala had just finished eating three small fish snacks and was lying comfortably on the windowsill in the sunlight, purring contentedly.

The reward notice quickly spread throughout Hastur's territory. A thousand gold pounds was an astronomical figure that many people could not even dream of. Winning the reward would ensure a lifetime of financial security.

Many people eagerly signed up, while some lamented that a cat was worth more than a human life, wishing to be a cat in their next life to avoid the hardships of the human world.

Others scoffed at the extravagance, criticizing the new lord's wastefulness, saying that 1,000 gold pounds could feed many people but was being spent on a cat.

People from nearby territories also heard the news and came to join the fun. Within a few days, the news had spread across most of Southwell County.

In his luxurious villa, the Duke of Southwell listened to his subordinates report on the latest situation of Earl Hastur Campbell.

"Offering a reward of 1,000 gold pounds for a cat, he must be quite wealthy."

The Duke of Southwell sneered. His wealth far exceeded Hastur's, but his money was hard to come by and even harder to spend. A thousand gold pounds could buy a dozen high-quality young girls.

"Send a few people to join the fun and keep a close watch on his every move."

"Yes, I will arrange it right away."

After his men left, the Duke of Southwell's sneer turned into a serious expression.

Someone from Backlund had specifically sent a reminder, saying that the young Earl Hastur Campbell was not simple and advising him not to underestimate him, even suggesting that he should be willing to make some concessions if necessary.

At first, he didn't take it seriously until Derby Augustus returned to Backlund in disgrace after just a few days. Only then did he start to take the young earl seriously.

The Duke of Southwell thought for a while and then sent someone to deliver a pair of sisters to Hastur, instructing them to monitor his every move.

...

In the town of Moira, the arrival of spring brought a breath of revival, making the usually quiet town lively.

The Harvest Festival on February 15th was the most festive day of the year here.

On this day, the town's residents and farmers from nearby villages would gather to hold a ceremony for a bountiful harvest.

The god they worshipped was not the Earth mother Goddess but the ancient Grain God, also known as the Goddess of Spring's Breath.

It is said that this deity was originally an ordinary girl who, four or five hundred years ago, or even earlier, changed the farming methods here and ultimately blessed all the crops in the area with her life, ensuring a bountiful harvest every year.

The cause of the girl's death and the process of her deification are unknown to most.

Only the priests who have inherited the tradition might know the full history. Some say the town's history has gaps, and even the priests in charge of the Harvest Festival do not fully understand the ancient history.

But one thing they are certain of is that worshipping the Goddess of Spring's Breath truly brings a bountiful harvest.

This has been historically verified, with the most recent occurrence twenty years ago when Southwell County experienced a rare drought. Many areas suffered crop failures and famine, but the area around the town saw crops grow resiliently and produce abundant fruit, allowing them to survive the crisis.

The cause of the rare drought in the coastal area remains unknown.

The survivors became even more devoted to the Goddess of Spring's Breath, holding annual ceremonies to pray for a good harvest.

Even with the new lord's 1,000 gold pound reward, the people here prioritized the Harvest Festival.

Out of interest and curiosity, Hastur arrived in the town the night before.

He kept a low profile, and the residents did not know he was the new lord who had posted the heavy reward.

Hastur paid three times the usual price to successfully book a room at the inn.

During the day, the streets were decorated with various ornaments, mostly in the shape of crops.

For example, pumpkin lanterns, rice ears, corn stalks, and stone carvings of various vegetables.

Many people wore green clothes embroidered with crop patterns, some carried baskets of vegetables while strolling, and others performed street acts of eating raw vegetables.

The Harvest Festival was held in the town's central square, which was surrounded by red cloth, and only relevant personnel were allowed inside.

They were carving the statue of the Goddess of Spring's Breath.

Hastur found it strange that if the Goddess of Spring's Breath was so important, why was there no statue of her on ordinary days, and why was it only carved before the festival and then destroyed afterward?

These were things Hastur heard from the locals. Some residents who had participated in five or six Harvest Festivals still did not know the true appearance of the Goddess of Spring's Breath.

At night, Hastur sneaked into the central square, lifted the red cloth, and took a look.

Unfortunately, the statue, which was as tall as a building, had its limbs and body carved, but the face was still unfinished.

A faceless statue of a goddess.

In the mysterious world, it is normal not to know the exact appearance of a deity.

But Hastur found it a bit odd. He didn't make a fuss and quietly left, returning to his room.

Late at night, around two o'clock, people holding torches appeared on the streets. They surrounded the statue wrapped in red cloth and began a ritual dance.

The leading female priest was dressed flamboyantly, with three layers of rice ears on her head, a skirt made of dried straw around her waist, and a necklace of vegetables and fruits around her neck.

As she led the dance, the various crops on her body swayed with the rhythm, creating a somewhat pleasing sight.

Like Hastur, many people opened their windows to watch the excitement. They had come from nearby villages to join the fun.

After two hours of dancing, the sky began to brighten, with just over an hour until dawn.

The leading priest then led five couples dressed in wedding attire into the red cloth, and the people outside resumed dancing.

Their pace was much slower than at the beginning, and the red cloth faintly revealed the situation of the five couples.

They were performing the ancient and traditional art of reproduction in front of the statue.

(End of this chapter)