Bird Mustang

As Rawls gazed up the steep stairs leading to the hidden secret room, he could only discern the figure below the knee of the approaching person. Clad in black leather boots and dark trousers, the rest of the individual disappeared from Rawls' view.

"You can't even hear my voice?" a commanding middle-aged voice echoed through the room, overwhelming Rawls with a sense of surrender.

Rawls' pupils contracted as he recalled the distinct voice of "Horror Viscount" Bird Mustang. This was the infamous pirate with a staggering bounty of over ten thousand pounds and a formidable Sequence 5 powerhouse.

He had returned to Backlund!

"Sir, you're back," Rawls managed to utter, struggling to regain control and keep his voice steady.

The suddenness of Mustang's appearance overwhelmed him. It happened right after he had mentally dismissed the task assigned by "Horror Viscount." Was Mustang here to push him to complete the assignment? But how could he, when Rawls had no leads or clues about the mission? Would Mustang punish him for his lack of progress? The questions churned in Rawls' mind, intensifying his apprehension.

That's correct! The original book provides a description of the ironclad.

It is 101 meters long and 21 meters wide, with four main guns, and the speed can reach 16 knots…

What if he asked me where the information came from? Did I hear it from a judge at the Royal Court?

"What are you thinking? Am I scary?" Bird Mustang's voice resonated once again.

"It's nothing, sir. Are you here for that ironclad ship?" Rawls inquired, regretting his words immediately. Why did he say that? Was he a bumbling fool? He could have kept it to himself and avoided any potential consequences.

Suddenly, Rawls felt his tense nerves ease, and the air around him seemed to shift. He glanced around and realized it wasn't his imagination. Small cyclones materialized within the secret room, swirling up dust. The accumulated dust particles coalesced into fist-sized clumps, floating out of the secret room along the steep stairs.

Bird Mustang began descending the stairs. Contrary to the description in the reward order of his attire, he wasn't donning the intricate-cuffed Intis-style shirt or the dark red captain's suit. Like most gentlemen in Backlund, he wore a white shirt, a vest, and a black formal suit, complemented by a top hat. The only distinction was his bronzed skin, a testament to a life spent at sea.

Due to the limited space and steep stairs, Rawls had to bow his head and even stoop to navigate the descent smoothly. At nearly 1.8 meters tall, Bird Mustang stood about the same height, wearing a top hat as well. However, he neither bowed his head nor stooped, walking straight down the stairs as if the distance between the secret room's ceiling and the stairs had magically expanded.

It was a distortion, a manifestation of Bird Mustang's ability as a Baron of Corruption ,a Sequence 6 practitioner of the "Lawyer" pathway. He distorted the space between the stairs and the secret room's ceiling.

Lost in his thoughts, Rawls suddenly found Bird Mustang standing beside him, distorting the distance between the two of them.

Bird Mustang didn't mention anything about the ironclad; instead, he surveyed the entire secret room before speaking up. "I thought you and your father had chosen to abandon the path of the extraordinary and sealed this secret room. So why did you decide to open it again today?"

Rawls seized the opportunity presented by the "Horror Viscount" words, opting not to answer his question directly but rather inquiring about his father's knowledge. It was a fundamental principle for "lawyers" to exploit any loopholes and always maintain the initiative. However, he couldn't help but be curious about the secret behind this room, as it seemed that only he, based on his predecessor's memories, should have known about it.

Bird Mustang disregarded the question and glanced at Rawls, responding, "Your father constructed this secret room. However, he chose the path of a lawyer and sealed this Chamber of Secrets."

Curiosity still lingering, Rawls began to ask further when Bird Mustang interrupted him, patting his shoulder. "Alright, kid! Don't play at being a 'lawyer' in front of me! You have a long way to go!"

Rawls sneered, "Apologies, sir. It's just a habit."

"Don't get carried away. Remember the true essence of acting. You're merely playing the role of a 'lawyer,' so don't get too caught up in it. Your father was the same; he couldn't fully embrace the elixir for a long time."

Bird Mustang sighed, his expression tinged with sadness.

"My father..." Rawls tried to continue his questioning, his focus now diverted from the matter of the ironclad ship.

"Enough! Answer my question! Why did you reopen this secret room today?" Bird Mustang interjected firmly, demanding a response.

Rawls felt Bird Mustang's presence looming larger, while the lights in the secret room dimmed, and the air became still before flowing once again.

This was the power of the Sequence 5 "Mentor of Disorder ," emanating from the mentor's commanding aura.

Rawls decided to cease testing Bird Mustang further. The earlier suspicions he had about the extraordinary connection between Bird Mustang and his father, Mason Adrian, seemed to be confirmed.

"To become a more formidable Beyonder," Rawls responded, limited by the authority of the "Horror Viscount" Although it was an answer to the question, it only partially revealed his true intentions. After all, the pursuit of strength was one of the reasons he had come to the secret room.

"And why is that?" Bird Mustang frowned. Although he had spent only a week openly with Rawls, he had secretly observed him for a long time.

He understood Rawls well. Despite his privileged life, Rawls wasn't like those naive noble children who held a curiosity for the extraordinary world. The influence of his lawyer family had made him cautious and rational.

When Bird Mustang had chosen to imbibe the "magic potion" to become an Extraordinary, it was largely due to the "persecution" of the notorious pirate. Thus, when imparting his occult knowledge to Rawls, Bird Mustang had focused solely on teaching him the art of survival, neglecting other mysterious aspects.

Without hesitation, Rawls replied, "I'm exhausted."

Truly tired. Despite having been a lawyer for only half a month, the towering stacks of files and precedents, measuring dozens of centimeters, overwhelmed him as a novice lawyer.

In the Loen Kingdom, legal judgments are not solely based on written law, but also heavily rely on case law. Judges use previous cases as references when delivering verdicts, making it crucial for lawyers in the Loen Kingdom to gather relevant case precedents when handling their cases.

These case collections can often be tens of centimeters thick, and some even exceed one meter in height. Barristers search for the most lenient sentences within these precedent sets for their clients. This approach also allows judges to render judgments without concern for public opinion, as they have established precedents to guide them.

Bird Mustang nodded, understanding the system. After all, he himself was a young man in his early twenties. How could he expect Rawls to be completely rational? Rawls had not experienced the same poverty as Mason, yet he had managed to persevere for two years, which was a testament to Mason's efforts and the greatest source of comfort for him.

As a lawyer himself, Bird Mustang recognized the virtues of his former colleagues. He felt no need to conceal anything about Mason from Rawls.

Bird Mustang employed the Hurricane ring on his finger, possessing the attributes of being "Wind Blessed." Using its power, he conjured a whirlwind that sealed the entrance to the secret room, distorting the notion of "closing the door" and effectively isolating the secret room from the outside world.