Lord of Mysteries: Return of the Stars!

Madam Germani, who couldn't take a liking to any of the men, was sulking in silence, enviously watching those noblewomen who now looked even more radiant than before.

What made her even angrier was that not long ago, Greg's butler had come to deliver a message: she was not to pester Baron Hastur Campbell again, so as not to damage his reputation.

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April 2nd, Sunday.

Hastur got up at eight, dressed, had breakfast, and took a carriage to Backlund University.

In the carriage, Hastur quietly contemplated the Beyonder gathering to be held that evening.

For the Barbarian potion formula, he had already collected all the ingredients except for one: One core horn crystal of a Land Rhinoceros.

The Beyonder gathering at the Braveheart's Bar was progressing too slowly in collecting materials, and there had been no news of the Land Rhinoceros's core horn crystal.

Moreover, there was also a lady about to be promoted to Barbarian who was collecting the same Beyonder material, making it difficult for him to obtain it in a short time.

To gather all the materials for the Barbarian potion sooner, he planned to attend the Beyonder gathering hosted by Mr. A that evening.

Although the people of the Aurora Order were a bit deranged, their gatherings were of a higher level than those at the Braveheart's Bar, so it shouldn't be too difficult to purchase the Land Rhinoceros's core horn crystal at the event.

He could prepare a few more gold pounds for it.

What troubled him at the moment was how to hide his real identity as much as possible at Mr. A's Beyonder gathering.

While it was relatively normal for a noble to embark on the Black Emperor pathway, he didn't want too many people to know which Sequence he was currently at before he truly became powerful.

Of course, he had another option, seeking Greg's help.

As the heir of Duke Negan, Greg was surrounded by Beyonder protectors; it was even possible he himself was an Beyonder on the Black Emperor pathway.

Although the Land Rhinoceros's core horn crystal was difficult to purchase, the Greg family likely had plenty in storage.

After thinking it over for a long time, Hastur decided to keep seeking Greg's help as a last resort and try his luck at Mr. A's gathering first.

The carriage traveled through the city and soon arrived at Backlund University.

Professor Wayne was already waiting in the classroom, writing today's legal material on the blackboard by hand.

"Did you finish reading and memorize the three books I recommended last time?" Professor Wayne asked casually while writing on the board.

"Yes, I've memorized them."

"Let me quiz you."

Professor Wayne began asking about the contents of the three law books to test whether Hastur had truly grasped the knowledge.

After seven or eight consecutive questions, all of which Hastur answered one by one, Professor Wayne nodded with satisfaction and put down the chalk.

"Very good, you have a pretty good memory. You really are suited to become a lawyer."

Hastur replied with a smile, "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Professor."

After the incident at the almshouse last time, he had started calling Professor Wayne "teacher" just like Lecturer Fron did. It was a more intimate form of address.

"I'll accept that praise. Emperor Roselle once said: 'The student surpasses the master.'"

Hastur's smile stiffened slightly as he silently grumbled, Why is Emperor Roselle everywhere again?

Also, Teacher, that quote is meant to praise me, not you.

"Come on then, let's begin today's lesson."

After a brief chat, Professor Wayne switched into teaching mode.

After finishing the day's lesson, Hastur didn't leave the classroom but stayed behind to copy the notes on the blackboard.

It gave him a nostalgic feeling, like returning to his high school days, after each class, the teacher would leave early and leave a blackboard full of notes for them to copy.

They justified it by saying that students from other classes would rush to the cafeteria at this time, making the hallways too crowded and dangerous. Better to leave ten minutes later and avoid the peak.

It sounded reasonable, but all the other teachers thought the same.

Hastur quietly finished copying the blackboard notes, rested for a while, and glanced at the time, 11:40 a.m. About ten minutes later, Lecturer Fron appeared.

"Mr. Hastur, please forgive me for the delay today."

"This is just the right time; I just finished my coursework too."

The two exchanged a few friendly words, then headed to the cafeteria together.

It had been a week since Greg's banquet, and during that time, Hastur often had lunch with Lecturer Fron.

Both were valued students of Professor Wayne and got along well in many ways, especially because Lecturer Fron had a talent for storytelling.

He could make even the most mundane legal story sound exciting and captivating.

He could also break down complex legal cases into the simplest terms, making them easy to understand.

He truly was well-suited to be a law lecturer.

Besides these, every afternoon, so long as Lecturer Fron had free time, he would take Hastur to the Cherwood Brorough to provide legal aid, offering free help to those who couldn't afford a lawyer.

This effort greatly helped Hastur digest the Lawyer potion. In just a few more days, he should be able to completely digest it.

Cherwood Brorough.

A large number of Loen civilians lived here. While their lives weren't exactly wealthy, they could at least meet their basic needs, not as chaotic and poor as the East District.

Lecturer Fron and Hastur arrived by steam train at around two in the afternoon.

As a lawyer with a strong sense of justice, Lecturer Fron had once helped found a legal association with other lawyers, named the "Justice Enforcement Research Association."

When Hastur first heard the name of this association, he really wanted to rename it to the Justice League.

But after thinking about it, he gave up on the idea. After all, Lecturer Fron and the others were just ordinary people. Matters of fighting evil should be left to the churches of the seven great deities.

The Justice Enforcement Research Association has a hidden base in the Cherwood Brorough that ordinary people rarely know about.

According to Lecturer Fron, this isn't just any base, but a place that gathers the hope for Loen's future legal system.

It is the soil where justice is born, the spear that upholds fairness.

Well, in truth, it's just an ordinary law firm.

The entire Justice Enforcement Research Association, including Hastur who hasn't officially joined yet, had only five members.

Lecturer Fron and Hastur arrived at the law firm. The other three were busy with their own matters, so today it was just the two of them offering legal aid to those in need.

Hastur chose to provide legal aid near the Holy Wind Cathedral. Initially, Lecturer Fron preferred to set up near the Almshouse in the Dock yard, as there were more people in need there.

But Hastur outright rejected this suggestion.

A place like the Almshouse could never be safer than the area around the Holy Wind Cathedral.

Although the Lord of Storms can be temperamental at times, they definitely won't sit by when action is needed, providing a strong sense of security.

Moreover, if they encountered an irresistible force, they could call upon His name and seek His aid.

The clergy from the nearby Holy Wind Cathedral, knowing the purpose of Hastur and Lecturer Fron's visit, specifically sent two people to offer some support.

In two temporarily rented rooms, Hastur and Lecturer Fron each chose one to use as their workspace for the day.

Hastur sat in a chair, his hands naturally resting on the desk. Beside him was a cup of Earl Grey tea and his weighty cane.

After slightly adjusting his mindset and lowering the black curtain, Hastur's eyes grew sharp, his expression serious as he looked toward the doorway and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

The first time he worked here as a legal aid provider, his smiling face, gentle demeanor, and slightly youthful appearance often made people doubt his professionalism.

Male clients were manageable, they would subtly express that they would consider his advice and then head to Lecturer Fron's door, forming a long line.

Female clients were more troublesome. Generally, those seeking legal aid were harboring painful emotions they wished to vent.

Facing Hastur, they naturally saw him as a listener and a vessel for their tears.

Some would cry their hearts out one moment, then beg Hastur for a hug the next.

Others would share their tragic stories while slowly edging closer to Hastur.

This made him very uncomfortable, but he couldn't speak harshly or drive them away, which was deeply distressing.

Later, he discussed the issue with Lecturer Fron, and they decided to hang a black curtain in front of the desk to block the clients' line of sight.

This method proved quite effective. It not only deflected distrustful stares but also reduced unnecessary entanglements and enhanced privacy, making clients more willing to open up.

After waiting for about five seconds, the first client of the day walked in.

Hastur still couldn't see the person clearly and had to guess their identity based on their speech and actions.

Today's client seemed to be a middle-aged man around forty years old, troubled by an issue of property distribution.

He had three children, two sons and a daughter. The eldest son was twenty-three, the youngest son was eleven, and the daughter was seventeen and not yet married.

Originally, the family had just enough to make ends meet. While not wealthy, their emotional bonds were good.

But after making a large sum of money last year thanks to luck and foresight, subtle changes began to affect their once-happy household.

The eldest son was already married with a child. Logically, he should be the primary heir to the estate. However, his mother was no longer alive, and the younger son's mother was the current wife.

Naturally, she wanted to fight for her own son's inheritance.

Dividing the household was her proposed solution, have the eldest son's family move out and give him a sum of money, while leaving the rest of the property to her son.

The eldest son's family refused and repeatedly threatened his stepmother, saying that if he couldn't inherit the property, he wouldn't care about brotherly ties.

The implication was that he might harm his younger brother.

In the face of major inheritance disputes, such scenarios aren't uncommon. Eliminate the other possible heirs, and the eldest son becomes the sole inheritor.

The client's greatest fear now was a tragedy where his sons harmed each other, so he didn't dare make a decision.

Hastur silently listened to the man's story and already had some thoughts in mind.

Cases like this are actually quite common, especially among nobles.

Fortunately, Loen's laws only guarantee inheritance rights for the legitimate eldest son. How much the other children receive depends on the generosity of the heir.

Even if they get nothing and are kicked out, there's no legal issue.

However, such behavior is considered disgraceful, and most nobles wouldn't go that far. Instead, they typically give their siblings a respectable portion to show generosity.

One more point: stepmothers cannot directly intervene in noble inheritance matters. No matter how favored she is, her children cannot inherit a title unless there are no other suitable heirs.

Ordinary families don't usually have much property, and in many cases, what's inherited might be debt.

Under those circumstances, property disputes rarely arise. Instead, eldercare disputes are more common.