Chapter 3: The Fallen Noble,Pocket Watch Collector

Chapter 3: The Fallen Noble, Pocket Watch Collector

In the vast Surnia Sea, reflecting the azure of the sky, a colossal ship slowly made its way toward the horizon where sea and sky merged.

Any pirate ship passing by would surely steer clear.

For this was the Dawn, the vessel of Bernadette Gustav!

Atop the ship, in the highest room, a lamp with a unique design flickered with a dim glow.

"You seem quite out of sorts today."

Bernadette's expression was grave as she spoke, continuously strengthening the seal to prevent any mishaps.

"Heh, I need not explain anything to you unless you wish to make a wish for it."

"You know that's impossible."

"Then there's nothing more to say."

As the voice of the genie faded, the Wishing Lamp returned to its usual calm.

Inside the Wishing Lamp, the genie pondered the recent events.

It sensed a mysterious presence peering through the seal, as if with its help, it could break free from the lamp's confinement and regain freedom.

Faced with the temptation of freedom, it wouldn't just wait for the decision of the other; but as it followed the gaze back to its source, it found a starry expanse blocking its path, preventing any further progress.

In that brief contact, it felt a suppression, a higher order of rules and order!

This was impossible! It was the one who controlled order and rules, not even the three pillars could suppress it in this domain!

Could someone be trying to take its place?

The genie panicked. If its guess was correct, it was a fate far worse than being sealed within the Wishing Lamp.

To be replaced, devoured, it would struggle to reclaim the paths and essence that rightfully belonged to it!

Even the part of itself beyond the stars would face a great calamity!

"Damn the mystery! If not for it, how could I have fallen to such a state where anyone could carve me up!"

"No, I must find a way to break the seal and regain my freedom quickly!"

"If necessary, I can leverage Bernadette's power, granting her a wish without any negative repercussions."

The genie fell into a grumbling contemplation.

…

Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

On the bedside table, a mechanical cuckoo clock made of various parts chimed on time.

"What a comfortable sleep that was."

Hastur was awakened by the clock's sound, turned over, and lay on his back on the bed, stretching lazily with his hands pushed upward.

From around ten in the morning to three in the afternoon, a full five hours of sleep had completely dispelled his fatigue, leaving him exceptionally clear-headed.

Thinking of the Hall of Stars in his dream, Hastur's lips curled slightly. At last, he had an ace up his sleeve, giving him more confidence to face this perilous world.

After lounging in bed for another ten minutes, Hastur rose from the covers, tidied the bed, and stepped out to the mirror to smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes and tidy up his appearance.

A white shirt, black vest, black trousers, his tall figure stood straight, looking very spirited.

As a noble, even in decline, one must maintain certain appearances.

Hastur walked to the adjacent dressing room, donned a dark coat, chose a top hat, tied a bow tie, and from among a dozen canes, selected one made of silver-plated ebony.

The handle, crafted from pure silver and adorned with intricate carvings, gave the cane a dignified and elegant appearance.

Compared to the flashy gold-plated canes or those studded with noble gems, this one suited his aesthetic better.

Understated yet luxurious, it was a style favored by many Rune nobles.

A pocket watch, essential for keeping track of time, was also a must-have for travel. Hastur opened the drawer where the pocket watches were kept, revealing a variety of them, about a dozen or so.

There were gold-plated ones, gem-studded ones, and even luxurious pure gold ones, mostly round or oval, complemented by exquisite embroidery patterns.

Each pocket watch here could be considered a small piece of art.

Hastur paused, then opened another drawer next to it, still filled with a dazzling array of pocket watches.

And there were five drawers of pocket watches in total.

He fell into deep silence.

Alright, he admitted he had greatly misunderstood the term 'fallen noble.'

No matter how destitute, the various collections could still be worth a lot of money.

It seemed the original owner was a pocket watch collector, and even without money, he had not chosen to sell his collection.

Risking being dazzled, Hastur finally chose a relatively ordinary pocket watch, primarily silver with a ring of gold thread around the edge and a matching silver chain.

Once everything was ready, Hastur hesitated to leave.

If the house lacked these collections, he wouldn't care, but now, with all the servants dismissed and no one at home.

What if a thief sneaked in? Wouldn't his loss be tremendous?

Ah, the pain of possessing valuable items.

Now was not a good time to hire a butler and servants; he could only hope the locks were sturdy enough and the neighborhood safe enough.

After locking the door and taking a set of keys, Hastur stepped out onto the street.

The overcast weather was characteristic of Beckland.

With no money on him, he had no choice but to walk to Beckland University, taking the opportunity to familiarize himself with the nearby roads.

From the West District to Beckland University was a considerable distance; taking a carriage or steam train would be a better choice.

But with limited funds, he had to walk.

Along the way, some of the nearby nobles often cast curious glances.

After all, the original owner's act of dismissing all the household servants had spread throughout the neighborhood.

But no one came forward to mock or ridicule, only looking on with a touch of pity.

Voltaire Campbell's ridiculous deeds were no secret among the Rune nobility, many of whom used it as a lesson for their descendants, strictly disciplining themselves for fear of becoming the next prodigal.

In this regard, Voltaire Campbell had made a certain contribution to the Rune nobility.

Hastur felt helpless inside, but outwardly he remained calm and composed, greeting any familiar nobles he encountered.

After walking for nearly two and a half hours, he finally arrived at Beckland University.

As a baron, Hastur received a warm reception from the university, and upon learning his intentions, they quickly arranged the appropriate courses for him.

The lawyer training class allowed daily attendance, with classes running until nine in the evening. Hastur's request for a more flexible schedule was also granted.

It was like hiring a private tutor, which meant higher tuition fees.

As for when to pay the tuition in full, Beckland University was not in a hurry. They had full confidence in a baron's financial ability to afford such a small tuition fee, even if the noble's family was currently in decline.

This pleased Hastur.

After settling this matter, the sky gradually darkened.

Hastur didn't head straight home but instead made his way to the residence of a noble with whom he had a reasonably good relationship.

Viscount Glaint.

Since the original owner began pursuing mystical knowledge, he had met Viscount Glaint, who was also seeking mystical studies. The two had exchanged ideas more than seven or eight times, and their relationship was fairly good.

Of course, it was limited to being fairly good. If not for the fact that Glaint's connection could lead to Audrey, Hugh, and Fols, Hastur would have chosen another noble friend with whom he was closer.

Glaint's eyes lit up when he saw Hastur visiting, and he warmly embraced him.

He was one of the few who knew Hastur was about to perform a resurrection ritual.

If Hastur didn't come to him, he would find a reason to visit Hastur's home in a few days.

"My friend, you look more spirited than ever."

"Yes, all thanks to the ritual's blessing and the goddess's protection."

Hastur wasn't lying; if not for that resurrection ritual, he probably wouldn't have come to this world.

Glaint's eyes burned with even more fervor as he led Hastur to a private room. Once seated, he eagerly inquired about the details of the resurrection ritual.

Hastur didn't hide anything, telling him the ritual had failed and describing the process in detail, omitting only the part about replacing the original owner.

After listening, Glaint lamented, "If only we could truly witness the miracle of resurrection."

"No, that would definitely not be a good thing," Hastur murmured to himself.

Any being capable of true resurrection was incredibly powerful. If Glaint, an ordinary person, were to witness it directly, he would surely go mad and die.

Hastur smiled and said, "Pursuing such miracles is precisely why we seek mystical studies."

"Indeed."

After some small talk, Hastur explained the purpose of his visit.

To borrow money.

He currently needed some cash to purchase a lawyer's potion formula and the necessary extraordinary materials.

Until he found a new way to make money, he also needed funds to cover his daily expenses.

Glaint was very generous. Hastur initially thought to borrow 1,000 pounds for emergencies, but Glaint waved his hand and lent him 2,000 pounds.

The only condition was that if Hastur made any new discoveries in mystical studies, he must share them with Glaint as much as possible.

Hastur naturally had no reason to refuse this request.

The two then discussed some mystical knowledge, with Hastur selectively revealing some simple mystical knowledge to him.

This delighted Glaint, who…listened intently, convinced that his generous loan was a worthwhile investment.

As the conversation continued, the night outside deepened into darkness. Glaint, caught up in the discussion, naturally invited Hastur to stay for dinner.

This was far better than Hastur returning home to nibble on oat bread alone.

After dinner, Glaint kept Hastur for a while longer to chat.

Hastur thought for a moment, then steered the conversation towards the manuscripts left by Emperor Roselle.

(End of Chapter)