Lord of Mysteries: Return of the Stars!

Missing Professor Wayne's lectures for this was not worth it. Even sitting in the courtroom observing would be more interesting than staying here.

The seventh day was a regular day off, and Hastur would receive his first weekly salary.

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10 gold pounds!

A strong scent of ink, this is the smell of money.

Hastur tapped the 10-gold-pound banknote twice with the middle finger of his right hand, producing the unique tremor of paper currency.

10 gold pounds wasn't much, but it was still the first money he had earned himself, even if it had a slight whiff of freeloading.

"Want to grab a drink after work?" Near the end of the workday, Harley approached with a smile and extended the invitation.

Hastur had told him that starting next week, he wouldn't be coming to work at the bank for a while, so Harley no longer needed to worry about finding suitable business cases for him.

The words were a bit awkward, but Harley was actually glad, better to see him off early so he wouldn't have to split his attention every day.

"That's a good decision."

Hastur nodded in agreement. After all, this was his first paycheck in this world; it was worth commemorating.

He should also invite Greg, after all, this job was arranged for him by Greg.

Hastur asked Harley to check whether Greg was free tonight, and if so, they could go out for drinks together.

"Tonight will surely go as you wish."

Harley's steps were light as he walked away, and the smile on his lips betrayed his inner joy.

That was Lord Greg, heir to Duke Negan. On normal days, he wouldn't have the chance to meet such a prominent figure. Even the order assigning him to assist Hastur came from a deputy bank manager who had a good relationship with him.

"Manager Joel should be free tonight, right?"

"Even if he's not, he wouldn't pass up a chance to get closer to Lord Greg."

"Should we also invite Manager Buden while we're at it?"

"Better not. Just me and Manager Joel will be enough tonight, too many people would actually make it harder to build rapport."

Harley kept thinking to himself, as if he, too, had become an important figure.

…

At 8 p.m., in a luxurious private room at the Crown Bar in Hillston's commercial district, six people were seated.

The gathering was arranged by Hastur, with Harley coordinating the guest list, and the main guest of honor being Greg. The other three were all senior executives from Bavat Bank.

Under Hastur's inquisitive gaze, Harley looked awkward and uneasy.

He had originally only intended to invite Manager Joel, who had always been kind to him. But unexpectedly, the other two managers caught wind of it and followed Joel over without any prior notice.

It had taken Harley by surprise, but now that they were here, there was no way to turn them away.

Hastur thought the same. Since he wouldn't be working at the bank again for the foreseeable future, he wasn't too concerned.

Greg sat beside Hastur, leaning back on the sofa with a smile in his eyes, gently swirling a glass of wine in his right hand.

He was well aware that the others had come for him, but he didn't like people who lacked a sense of propriety.

Greg remained silent, and since Hastur didn't enjoy small talk with strangers, the conversation quickly dried up.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Harley did his best to liven things up.

Soon, the room was filled with the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses.

Around 10 p.m., Greg left first, but not before inviting Hastur to attend his banquet the following Sunday.

About half an hour later, the three bank executives also departed, leaving only Hastur and Harley behind.

"Tonight's situation was due to my poor planning. Please forgive me."

With no outsiders present, Harley stood up and swept away his drunken demeanor, bowing deeply with a sincere attitude.

Hastur waved his hand and smiled, "I believe it wasn't your intention, and I won't hold it against you. Besides, it was lively, which isn't a bad thing."

Only then did Harley breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to pay the bill, but Hastur, knowing his intentions, stopped him.

The evening wasn't long, but the cost was significant. There was no way Hastur would let Harley pay.

After all, this gathering was originally his treat for Greg, and even Greg hadn't tried to pay, he had let Hastur play the role of tonight's host.

At the front desk, Hastur expressionlessly settled the bill: 30 pounds and 8 soli.

More than a week's salary, in fact, it was three weeks' worth!

No wonder, it was a luxury bar in the commercial center. The price matched the location.

Greg's smiling, silent glance earlier now made perfect sense, it was as if he had seen this scene coming.

Harley's breath also caught when he saw the bill.

Leaving the Crown Bar, Hastur hired a carriage home, staring out the window to sober up.

He hadn't drunk much, but still felt a bit dizzy, mainly because Greg kept urging him to drink, leaving him little room to decline.

In a way, he was actually grateful Harley had invited the other three guests. Otherwise, Greg would surely have kept him drinking until one or two in the morning.

Back home, Hastur took a comfortable bath, finally shaking off the lingering dizziness he had felt earlier.

By the time he finished bathing, it was already 11:50 p.m., and he no longer felt like reading, especially since he was quite sleepy.

Lying on the soft bed, he soon drifted off to sleep.

Before sleeping, he habitually gave the Son of Chaos a whip.

…

The next day, Hastur didn't wake up until 10:30. After washing up in the bathroom and soaking in another bath, he changed into a new outfit and went out.

The Metropolitan Household Servants Assistance Association was a highly professional organization, well-versed in providing suitable butlers and other staff for nobles and wealthy individuals.

Today, a light drizzle fell over Backlund as Hastur stepped down from the carriage with a black umbrella.

His purpose in coming here today was to hire a suitable butler to handle all the trivial matters of daily life.

At the reception desk, Beline saw Hastur walking toward her, putting away his umbrella, and a flash of astonishment crossed her eyes.

Dressed neatly yet elegantly in formal wear, with softly curled blond hair, a face that invited a second glance, and an overall air of youthful inexperience.

Could this be the rumored young Baron Campbell?

Beline had a guess in her heart. She adjusted her dress slightly, then walked away from the reception desk with a smile to greet him.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, miss."

"Sir, how may I assist you? Oh, and may I ask your name?"

"Hastur Campbell. I need a professional and competent butler."

Beline's eyes lit up, and she secretly sighed, so it really was the young Baron Campbell!

He was even more handsome in person than the rumors said.

Some time ago, after the young baron's butler passed away, their Metropolitan Household Servants Assistance Association received word and had been waiting to introduce a good butler to him.

Unfortunately, he never came and even dismissed his household staff.

"Baron Campbell, please have a seat over here."

Suppressing her amazement, Beline blushed slightly and led Hastur to the reception area, gesturing to a fabric-covered sofa.

"Please wait a moment while I fetch the relevant files so you can make a selection."

"Thank you."

"Would you prefer coffee or black tea?"

"Black tea."

She asked Hastur to sit for a moment, then left with a spring in her step and went inside to brew a cup of marquis-grade black tea.

Hastur took a small sip and said softly, "Excellent black tea."

"As long as you like it."

Beline smiled even brighter, this was her private tea, reserved for herself. She usually wouldn't offer it to just anyone.

Not long after, someone brought over a stack of files. Beline accepted them and said with a smile,

"There are three butlers who meet your requirements. They are…"

Beline gave a brief introduction to the three butlers. Hastur listened quietly, and only after she finished did he speak:

"They are all very competent. I can't make a decision right away. Have them come to my residence at nine tomorrow morning. I'll decide after the interviews."

Beline smiled and said, "A wise and thoughtful decision."

After a few more casual exchanges, Hastur took his leave. In the afternoon, he still had to attend a lecture at Backlund University.

"Sigh, it's a pity I'm not a butler. Taking care of a master like that would be a wonderful job."

Beline felt a little regret, being by the side of such a young baron would be much better than working as a receptionist here.

…

At 4 p.m., after finishing his lecture, Professor Wayne asked Hastur to stay a moment.

"This Friday, I'll be heading to the docklands for some business. Do you have time?"

After Hastur nodded, Professor Wayne smiled and said, "No matter how much law you study, it's no substitute for experiencing life firsthand. There's more to Backlund than just the nobility."

Hastur understood what Professor Wayne meant, he wanted to take him to the docklands for a hands-on lesson.

"Laws are meant to benefit more people. If a law only serves a small group, then it is not a good law," the professor said with a sigh.

The lives of the lower-class citizens were so unstable that even three meals a day were not guaranteed. The light of the law seemed unable to reach that dark and shadowy area.

He had a feeling that this young baron before him would go far in the future, and so he wanted him to understand just how vast the disparity in this world could be.

Perhaps, one day, he might really make a difference.