Lord of Mysteries: Return of the Stars!

"..." Just from Hastur's description, Lecturer Fron felt his anger rising instantly.

Suddenly, he was really mad!

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After successfully angering Lecturer Fron, Hastur comforted him, "Perhaps it really is as you said, Professor Wayne didn't say goodbye simply because he ran out of time."

"..." Lecturer Fron didn't respond.

The two chatted at the door for a while, and Xio also came out, opening her door.

"I heard that Professor Wayne has been found?"

"Yes, thank you, Miss Xio, for all your help along the way." Lecturer Fron had calmed down from his angry mood.

"Mm, well, although I didn't personally rescue Professor Wayne, the necessary employment fee still can't be waived."

"Twenty pounds, that's a reasonable price." Hastur offered a quite appropriate payment.

"Fine." Xio had no objections, after all, this was ten pounds more than she had expected.

Hastur pulled out two ten-pound notes and handed them to Xio. He would have to figure out how to get Professor Wayne to reimburse him for the money.

Lecturer Fron had the same idea and gave Hastur a look of support.

Receiving her due payment, Xio didn't stay long and headed toward the basement.

To find the secret passage in the basement, the officers had decided to use explosives to blow open the lounge, and they were preparing to act shortly.

Hastur didn't intend to join in the excitement. Now that Professor Wayne's safety was confirmed, he didn't want to remain at the Almshouse any longer.

Lecturer Fron felt the same. The two freshened up briefly and then left the Almshouse.

Boom! Boom!

Thick smoke filled the air. The hidden lounge with the secret passage was blown open, revealing not only rubble but also a hidden room blocked off by a stone door.

Inside, Dean Darn was already dead. He held a wooden box in his arms, which was filled with gold coins.

...

Finally back home, the first thing Hastur did was take a comfortable bath.

The sticky feeling was truly unbearable. Fortunately, the weather wasn't too hot, or the sour stench of sweat would have definitely been noticeable.

After a bath and a carefully prepared dessert, Hastur finally felt alive again.

"My Lord Baron, Sir Greg has sent an invitation, inviting you to tonight's banquet," reported Butler Neil at just the right moment.

"Mm, I will attend on time."

"It's best that you handwrite a reply letter, to show your anticipation and regard for the event."

"Alright, I still need a nap. Wake me up at lunch."

"As you command."

Hastur returned to his bedroom. After two days away, he had sorely missed his big, soft bed.

Just minutes after his head touched the pillow, he fell fast asleep.

East District, at Professor Wayne's home.

After freshening up, Lecturer Fron immediately rushed to his teacher's house.

"Ah, Fron, my good student! I was so afraid I'd never see you again!"

Professor Wayne gave Lecturer Fron an enthusiastic hug.

"..." Lecturer Fron's expression still wasn't good.

"Fron, are you blaming your teacher?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Professor Wayne sighed. "Sigh, that night after we parted, I happened to find a key on the ground that a guard had carelessly dropped. It was such a perfect opportunity, how could I pass it up?"

"There wasn't time to explain or say goodbye. I quickly left the Almshouse under cover of night. To avoid being noticed, I headed up the mountain, took a long detour, and didn't leave the dock area until sunrise."

"To avoid ruining the plan, I stayed in the mountains for another full day and night, and only returned home the second night."

To convince Lecturer Fron of his account, Professor Wayne rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms scratched by vines and branches.

"Is that really what happened?" Lecturer Fron was moved.

"Of course! My God, Fron, has your teacher become so untrustworthy in your eyes?"

"..." Lecturer Fron's anger completely dissipated. After a moment, he frowned again. "Mr. Hastur isn't as easy to placate as I am."

"For that, I already prepared a gift last night."

"Teacher, then where's my gift?"

"Ah, Fron, have you become so greedy now too?"

"..."

Lecturer Fron gave Professor Wayne a resentful look. He was still too softhearted, otherwise, he would've gotten a share of that gift.

At around 2 PM, Hastur arrived at Professor Wayne's home. Lecturer Fron had already gone back to rest.

Professor Wayne repeated the same explanation, and Hastur listened quietly.

"Professor Wayne, I have a few questions I'd like you to clarify for me."

"I always speak honestly. It's a principle I uphold."

Professor Wayne smiled as he invited Hastur to sit and served him a cup of Earl Grey tea.

"Did you really change your plan on the spot just because you were lucky enough to find the key dropped by a guard?"

"No. After hearing your plan that night, I had already made my decision. You're a noble with great potential, you shouldn't damage your reputation over something like this."

"How did you manage to sneak out of the Almshouse undetected and hide in the mountains overnight?"

"The patrol arrangement at the Almshouse is solid, but I knew someone who helped me at a crucial moment."

"Deputy Dean Bard?"

"Mm. He's more suitable than Darn to be the next dean of the Almshouse."

"Did you really hide in the mountains for a whole day and night?"

"Of course not. I took a detour down the mountain and returned from the dock district overnight. I stayed at a friend's house during that time."

Hastur paused his questioning, glanced at Professor Wayne, and said casually, "So, what gift have you prepared to compensate my fragile heart for the harm it suffered?"

"You truly are a student I taught."

Professor Wayne chuckled, stood up, walked to a bookshelf, and took a thin contract sheet from a book.

"This is a land deed belonging to your Campbell family."

He handed the deed to Hastur and added, "Don't make that strange face. Your father was a gambler and lost a lot of property, this is just a small part of it."

Hastur took the deed and scanned it. It was a deed for a manor specifically used to grow various flowers. Though the land wasn't large, it was worth at least tens of thousands of pounds.

But its value wasn't just in money, this deed was part of the original property that helped the Campbell family rise to prominence. It bore witness to their journey from humble beginnings to glory.

Voltaire Campbell might have long forgotten this history, but under the old butler's teachings, Hastur had always kept it in mind.

"This gift is too valuable. I can't accept it."

"This was originally part of your Campbell family's assets."

"Once it was lost, it no longer belonged to the Campbell family."

Professor Wayne smiled, took a sip of black tea, and slowly said, "That's because you have a good butler."

Hastur's heart trembled. "Was this arranged by the old butler?"

"He knew your father was a compulsive gambler and would eventually lose all the family property. To leave you, the young master, some assets, he came up with many ideas."

"I had a decent relationship with him. He asked for my help and arranged for me to gamble with your father. I didn't let him down, won this deed in a single night."

"To be honest, Voltaire's gambling skills and luck were both terrible. I didn't do anything special, just flipped cards casually and won."

Professor Wayne's thoughts drifted back to that night of gambling. He shook his head and laughed.

"I've never seen someone with such bad luck. Emperor Roselle once described such people: 'terrible at the game but obsessed with playing.'"

"..." Hastur remained silent. He had always felt the same way.

After a long silence, Hastur handed the deed back to Professor Wayne.

"I think the old butler's agreement with you was likely for you to hold onto this temporarily. When I have enough money, I'll buy it back from you."

He knew Butler Robert very well. The man was wise and wouldn't rely on sentimental bonds to ensure Professor Wayne would return the deed unconditionally.

Leaving behind part of the Campbell family legacy, to be reclaimed once he had the means, this was a plan the old butler would make.

"Your bond is truly enviable."

Professor Wayne sighed. As a renowned law professor at Backlund University, he was a wealthy man and had a competent butler himself.

But he was sure his own butler wouldn't be as loyal as Robert.

Robert was someone who devoted his entire life to the Campbell family. Their glory was his mission.

Only long-established noble houses could cultivate such butlers.

"In that case, I'll give the deed back to you when you graduate from my tutelage. Consider it your graduation gift," Professor Wayne said with a smile as he put the deed away.

Hastur chuckled lightly. "Isn't that condition a bit too lenient?"

"Heh, so far, only that kid Fron has truly graduated from me."

"I think I've already grasped part of your essence."

"Oh? Let's hear it."

"Flexible bottom lines, shameless mindset."

Hastur said with delight, silently adding in his heart, "And the shadow of order."

Professor Wayne was a highly talented and ambitious law professor. He gave Hastur and Lecturer Fron two very different educations:

One was the bright side of rules; the other, the shadow of order.

Lecturer Fron was actually simple-minded and a bit naive. Without noble status to shield him, learning to use the law to serve mainstream powers would ensure a stable future.

The knowledge given to Hastur, however, delved into darker aspects, allowing him to understand the structure of society and the essence of law.

To learn how to exploit the law for personal gain, and later, to change the law itself, this, perhaps, was Professor Wayne's greatest hope for him.