Third floor of Ashford Law Firm, Lorien's office.
Lorien was lying on the long sofa with his one foot resting on the armrest, as scenes from the courtroom kept replaying in his mind.
Despite the confident front he put up against Locke Grant, Lorien knew he had barely scraped by today. If he hadn't already advanced to Sequence 9 Lawyer this case would have been lost.
His original plan was to provoke Wills Hendler into losing his composure just as he had explained to Locke.
Once someone loses control of their emotions, a skilled Lawyer can easily exploit the cracks. It was the trick he used to win every case over the past half-month.
Unfortunately, just as he was about to push Hendler over the edge with a few more words, Burton Chester interrupted him which forced him to shift his focus and question his own client, Wode Johnson.
Neither his past self nor his current self liked questioning their own clients. Some of them were complete curly haired baboons, one wrong word in court and Lorien would be put in a difficult position.
Loen Kingdom's legal system didn't help either. As a barrister, Lorien was required to maintain objectivity. He could only rely on solicitors to gather information and wasn't allowed direct contact with clients.
Even when meeting them, a solicitor needed to be present and the conversation was limited to a few minutes before the trial.
That wasn't nearly enough time for Lorien to "coach" his client. Instead, he relied on guiding the emotions of the opposing party, a strategy that had earned his predecessor much praise.
But today, he had no choice but to question his client. Thankfully, Johnson was crafty enough to play his part well.
Lorien could tell that Johnson's meek and oppressed demeanor in court was nothing more than an act.
The Lawyer potion not only granted him extraordinary eloquence and persuasion skills which allowed him to subtly influence others' thoughts and make them feel at ease, but also heightened his ability to perceive emotions.
While not as powerful as the Spectator pathway which could directly read minds, it was enough to sense emotional shifts and detect lies from facial expressions.
The jury was already a joke, a bunch of idle rich idiots with more money than brains. Coupled with Johnson's solid acting skills, he definitely found deceiving them easy. But he couldn't fool Lorien, not after he had taken the potion.
The real issue today was Burton Chester disrupting his emotional manipulation.
From what Lorien had observed, Chester seemed to be just an ordinary person. The reason he managed to interrupt at precisely the right moment was likely due to his extensive experience as a barrister.
Law is a profession where experience matters greatly, and Chester had been practicing for over twenty years, it wasn't unreasonable for him to pick up on subtle cues.
It wasn't like Lorien was overly paranoid.
This world is simply too insane. As a transmigrator, Lorien knew he had to learn, maybe less from Lumian, and more from Klein at how to avoid reckless actions at all costs.
Yes, transmigration, yet again. Or would it be considered time travel? He had thought about this before. What if he wasn't someone from outside the cosmos who had read the book, but just a person from the modern era? Having read plenty of transmigration novels, he somehow received knowledge of the future in the form of these novels so that he could comprehend it easily, without going mad. Still, he could think about this later, when he reached at least a Sequence 1.
At first, when he awakened in this world, he had hoped that perhaps this new life would offer a shot at something greater.
But after piecing together the memories of his predecessor and getting a clearer picture of this world, he immediately regretted everything.
He had landed in the world of Lord of Mysteries.
As one of the most renowned works by Cuttlefish, Lorien had, of course, read it. He had even fantasized about consuming potions and gaining supernatural abilities, as long as they weren't from the Demoness, Abyss, or any one of those terrifying pathways with Outer Deities. He understood that the stronger one became, the closer they teetered on the edge of madness.
But no matter how much he had speculated, he had never wanted to actually end up in this world.
In most transmigration stories, a transmigrator who knows the plot is incredibly lucky. It's like having access to the world's deepest secrets as if the world spread their legs for their exploitation.
Crude analogy, but that's what it felt like reading all those novels.
But in this world, knowledge is poison.
There are some things that make it easier to be 'infected' the more you know.
Lorien still shuddered at the memory of his initial days here. Just thinking about the countless conspiracies and hidden truths that had flashed through his mind could have gotten him killed or transformed into a monster.
However, after spending a few tense days without anything strange happening, he realized he must have some kind of protection shielding his inner thoughts. He suspected it was because of his connection to some Sefirot. He had tried meditating and using his spirituality to enter it, but even now, after half a month, he still hadn't figured out if that was true or not. So he simply stopped worrying about it.
In these past two weeks, though he hadn't made progress on that front, he had uncovered plenty about his predecessor's life.
Lorien Ashford, 23 years old, a graduate of Tingen Law College. His father, Mason Ashford, had died of a heart attack two years ago, leaving him a considerable inheritance.
The estate included over 7,000 pounds in savings, three properties in Backlund, one in Tingen, a vacation villa in Desi Bay, and Mason's life's work - Ashford Law Firm.
His predecessor had worked hard to graduate five years early with excellent grades which led him to quickly becoming a barrister, and winning numerous cases.
Not only had he stabilized the firm, which had been shaky after Mason's death, but he had also significantly raised its reputation.
If that were all there was to it, Lorien would have gladly taken over the inheritance, and maybe even quit practicing law and just managed the firm.
But his predecessor had left behind a pile of trouble which forced Lorien to continue working as a lawyer.
Because his predecessor wasn't just an ordinary person.
He had consumed the Lawyer potion.
That was why he had been able to graduate five years ahead of schedule.
Normally, law students had to study for seven years before graduating, followed by a year as a trainee solicitor.
His predecessor had skipped that requirement altogether, by leveraging his position as the owner of a law firm, pulling some strings through Mason's connections, and making a hefty donation to the Barristers Association.
None of that was the real problem, though.
The real problem was where the potion had come from.
This potion formula came from "Horror Viscount" Bird Mustang, who served as the second mate under Nast Solomon, the King of the Five Seas.
When Lorien learned that his predecessor had become Bird Mustang's informant in Backlund in exchange for a Sequence 9 potion, he was devastated.
His predecessor had obtained the potion because Mason, who was an informant for Mustang in Backlund, had already taken the Lawyer potion.
It was this that transformed him from a mere worker into a renowned attorney, which allowed him to establish a successful legal practice.
The day after Lorien's predecessor returned to Backlund from Tingen to handle Mason's funeral, Mustang sought him out and revealed Mason's true identity.
In order to keep Mason's painstakingly built law firm from falling apart, and possibly also due to the presence of Bird Mustang, his predecessor chose to become a Lawyer as well, officially taking on the role of Mustang's informant in Backlund.
Yet after teaching him some basics of the occult and how to pass on intelligence, Mustang left in a hurry, not even assigning him a specific task.
A year ago, Mustang finally gave him a mission: to investigate the ironclad warship that the Loen Kingdom was secretly building.
But after a year of finding nothing, Mustang never once urged him for results and acted as if he had forgotten the task altogether. Then, a month ago, his predecessor lost control, after which Lorien took over this body.
Even after piecing everything together, Lorien was left with many doubts. First, the loss of control, there had been no warning signs and no apparent reason for it. His predecessor hadn't been a rogue Beyonder; under Mustang's guidance, he had learned about the "Acting Method." Despite being preoccupied with managing the law firm, he had always adhered to its principles.
Losing control so suddenly made no sense.
Then there was Mustang himself. The so-called "Horror Viscount" didn't fit his reputation. Though serving as the second mate of Nast Solomon required him to uphold certain virtues, such as not harming prisoners, he was still a pirate, a notorious one with a bounty over ten thousand pounds!
Yet Mustang had been remarkably lenient toward his predecessor. He had provided no real assignments, instead taking great care in his education, even teaching him the secrets of the Acting Method.
Predecessor Lorien might not have been familiar with the Beyonder world before, but he knew how valuable that knowledge was. Even among the seven major churches, low-ranking Beyonders rarely learned of it, and those who did had to swear oaths to the Seven True Gods never to reveal it.
And yet Mustang had simply shared this secret with him. Moreover, as a Sequence 5 Mentor of Disorder with a bounty higher than even Qilangos, Mustang had spent an entire week in Backlund personally tutoring him in the mysticism. If his intention had been to make sure the ironclad warship mission succeeded, why had he not pushed for results at all?
Lorien could only guess that Mustang had either been a close friend of Mason's or that he had his own agenda. That was why he didn't believe Mustang was behind his predecessor's loss of control, neither theory gave him a reason to do such a thing.
Lastly, there was the biggest mystery of all despite knowing far too many secrets, Lorien had remained safe all this time. That was highly unusual. He suspected this was related to his predecessor's loss of control. There had to be a higher power in the level of a Sefirot shielding him, yet no matter how much he risked his life recalling details from the original story, nothing happened... Now, he could only speculate.
With a deep sigh, Lorien sat up from the couch. Right now, all I could do is wait for Klein to get bound to the Sefirah Castle. Today is April 26th of 1349, there are still two more months to go. No, I will need to wait a bit longer, at least until Klein became a "Seer" and had the ability to bring a third or even fourth member to the gray fog.
That gave him about two to three months, just enough time to digest the potion. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I could even advance to Sequence 8 Barbarian.
He still remembered the formula. Most Beyonder paths significantly improved memory, and the Lawyer pathway was no exception, it had to be, given that it was a Sequence 9 focused on talking rather than fighting.
The main ingredients for the Barbarian potion were a single Grass of Madness and Core horn crystal of a Land Rhinoceros. As for the supplementary ingredients, they include a Deep-Grained Walnut, a Fragrance Hornet Grass, 10 ml of the extract obtained from soaking poplar bark, and 100 ml of Liquor.
For Lorien, digesting the Lawyer potion wouldn't be difficult since his predecessor had already done most of the work. The way he had just scolded and taught his intern was part of the method his predecessor had devised to digest the potion: guiding interns while refining his own legal philosophy.
Over the past two weeks, he had been using this method to solidify his Lawyer behavioral principles. Now, he just needed a final opportunity to fully digest the potion.
To familiarize himself with his abilities while ensuring that no one's life depended on his experiments, he had only taken on minor cases so far. But today's trial had made him realize the true power of Beyonders. Now, he was ready to take on bigger cases.
However, gathering the main ingredients for the Barbarian potion wouldn't be easy. His predecessor had only known one Beyonder, Bird Mustang. The man assigned to contact him, Kane Rister, was just an ordinary person who ran a bar in the East Borough near the docks.
Lorien knew there were many Beyonder circles in Backlund, but they all required introductions, and not many were accessible to him.
One option is Mr A's circle, which Fors Wall will introduce Audrey Hall to. But that was tied to the lunatics in the Aurora Order, and I'm not even sure where Fors is. Finding her would likely mean tracking down Xio Derecha first. That wouldn't be hard since she has a reputation in the labor districts and among the gangs in East Borough.
Another option is the gathering near Iron Gate Street in the Backlund Bridge, close to Bravehearts Bar, where the detective Isengard Stanton operates. There is a woman there looking for the Barbarian formula which makes trading for the potion formula feasible. And she has ties to an Artisan, which means I can also buy some mystical items.
Besides finding a Beyonder circle, I also need to start physical training and learning combat skills. Neither I nor my predecessor had experience in that, but sooner or later, I would need it, especially if I'm going to take the Barbarian potion.
I also need to refresh my knowledge of mysticism. It never hurt to learn more. The mysticism books left behind by Mustang are still in the hidden chamber. Going through them again might even help me uncover the mystery surrounding myself. I'm convinced that the mysteries connected to me had something to do with the Black Emperor pathway.
Thinking about all this, Lorien realized the coming months would be anything but easy. With another groan, he flopped back onto the couch and lay there, staring at the ceiling.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A steady rhythm of knocking echoed through the room. Lorien rose from the couch as his previous laziness vanished. He could already tell who it was just from the sound.
"Come in."
Click.
The door opened, and an elderly man stepped inside. He was of average height, with a receding hairline that was all too common among Loen men, though his remaining hair was neatly combed. He was dressed in a crisp black tailcoat.
His brows furrowed slightly as his gray-blue eyes locked onto Lorien, who was still in his morning robe. With a soft sigh, he said, "Lorien, I've told you countless times, do not wear morning robe in your office. If a guest were to walk in and see you like this, they'd think the Law firm lacks proper etiquette."
Lorien shrugged with a smile. "Wearing a morning robe during a meeting makes my guests feel closer to me. That helps build relationships, don't you think, Uncle Robert?"
Morning robes, a fashion heavily influenced by Intis, were a form of comfortable loungewear worn at home or, in some cases, as an informal yet intimate gesture during receptions or dinners.
However, Loen's conservative style meant that only a handful of young men adopted the trend. They had grown tired of the stiff, tight three-piece suits and preferred wearing morning robes when meeting guests at home or in their offices.
This trend had, of course, earned the ire of many old Loen gentlemen, especially someone like Edmund Robert, who had once been Lorien's and his father Mason Ashford's etiquette tutor.
At fifty-nine years old, Edmund Robert was the youngest son of a baron, which meant he had not inherited a title. After his father's passing, he received little inheritance and had a strained relationship with his titled older brother. To sustain himself, he leveraged his refined etiquette education and became a tutor for newly wealthy individuals entering high society.
His career took a turn when he met Mason. By then, Mason had already made a name for himself in Backlund but had chosen not to join any law firm. Instead, he used his wealth to establish his own.
However, having worked solo for most of his career, Mason had no clue how to run a law office. During one of his etiquette lessons, he discussed the issue with Edmund, who volunteered to help him build what would eventually become Ashford Law Firm.
At the firm's inception, Mason focused on building its reputation, while Edmund handled daily operations. Their combined efforts turned Ashford Law Firm into one of Backlund's most prestigious firms.
If not for their differing faiths, Edmund a follower of the Lord of Storms, Mason a devotee of the Evernignt Goddess, the two might have made each other godfathers to their children.
Even so, their relationship remained close. Lorien had learned etiquette from Edmund since childhood, and his relationship with Mason had never been particularly warm. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left for Tingen to study.
When Mason passed away, it was Edmund who helped stabilize the firm, ensuring Lorien could take over despite his relative inexperience. The firm's senior lawyers had no shortage of options; they could have easily moved elsewhere without losing status or income.
To push Lorien to succeed, Edmund took on the role of Mason's "strict father," while frequently speaking as if they were some long-standing aristocratic house.
Edmund shut the door, took a few steps forward, then gestured toward the window. "You must remember, Lorien. This is Loen, and you are a distinguished lawyer. The people you associate with are Loen's upper class. They won't see your attire as a sign of intimacy. They'll see it as a lack of respect. And that would tarnish the Ashford family and the Law firm's reputation."
Lorien pointed at a wooden door opposite the long sofa. "That's my dressing room and lounge. Any guest worth hosting would notify me before arriving. That gives me plenty of time to prepare for my 'esteemed' visitors."
"Lorien!" Edmund's face darkened, and he tapped his walnut cane against the floor. "Your father never twisted words like this outside of illegal court dealings after learning proper etiquette."
Lorien instinctively stepped back. Mason had owned an identical cane, and his memories of it were far from pleasant.
"My apologies, Uncle Robert."
He sighed. Ever since discovering Mason's true identity, Lorien had suspected that his father's etiquette training had been more about espionage than propriety. But, of course, he couldn't exactly tell Edmund that Mason had ulterior motives.
Edmund's expression softened slightly. He settled into a single-seater armchair, resting his cane against the wall. "Are you still taking on those small cases?"
He had never been fond of Lorien handling minor cases. It wasn't about the money, the firm wasn't lacking in wealth, but rather the lack of prestige. Edmund believed that firms' resources would be better spent on charity events that could boost their social standing.
"No. Those cases were small and had too little solid evidence. Too much hassle. I'm planning to take a break for a while." Lorien waved a hand dismissively. The cases were indeed very exhausting, I even had to joke in my mind to not feel burned out.
"Hmm. That might be for the best," Edmund nodded. "Some of the senior lawyers at the firm are unhappy with your recent actions."
Lorien frowned. "Is it serious?"
'Well, When I took those cases on, I hadn't considered how it might affect the firm. I just wanted to test my abilities as a lawyer, while not caring about the fees. But now, it seems I have disrupted the "market rates."'
"Hmph! As long as I'm here, they won't be calling the shots." Edmund's tone carried confidence. After all, he co-founded the firm with Mason and had weathered enough storms to hold his ground.
"Uncle, I have an idea I'd like your opinion on."
Lorien walked to his desk and retrieved a sheet of paper from his notebook, and handed it to Edmund. This was his backup plan; if he found himself truly talentless as a lawyer, he intended to "retire" and focus solely on management. Time would help dilute the influence of his potion, as long as he didn't lose control.
Edmund retrieved a single-handle monocle from his pocket. The lens was made of finely polished crystal, while the silver frame and handle bore intricate engravings. A small emerald was embedded in the handle's ornate design. He had never liked traditional spectacles, as they left marks on his nose. But age had caught up with him, and his eyesight wasn't what it used to be.
"A law firm partner?" Edmund raised an eyebrow as he continued reading.
The concept of partnership existed across various industries in Loen. Whether it was a group of people starting a company, buying a ship to fish together, or even, in a way, the pirate kings, pirate generals, and their crews operating as partners.
The Ashford Law Firm, founded by Edmund and Mason, was also based on a partnership model, except that Edmund wasn't actually a lawyer. He merely managed day-to-day affairs.
What Lorien proposed, however, was a more structured partnership for lawyers, allocating a portion of the firm's shares to its top attorneys.
This would allow them to earn not only their fixed salaries and case commissions but also a cut from the firm's overall profits.
By the end of the year, this could mean an additional few dozen or even a hundred pounds for them. While the extra income was attractive, the real goal was to tie these lawyers more firmly to the firm.
"It's a solid idea," Edmund said, removing his monocle and rubbing his forehead. "But it's unnecessary right now."
"Unnecessary?" Lorien was surprised. He had assumed Edmund would approve, since this was the only thing he remembered about law firms from his past life. Weren't all those TV lawyers in soap operas constantly scheming for partnership status when they weren't chasing romance?
"If you'd suggested this when you first took over the firm, I would've agreed in a heartbeat. But now? There's no need." Edmund sighed. If only they had this plan back then.
Seeing Lorien's confused expression, Edmund was reminded of Mason. Though father and son had a strained relationship, they shared an undeniable talent for law and an equally relentless, almost obsessive, approach to business.
"When Mason passed, you took over the firm, but other law firms immediately started poaching our people. Many of our senior lawyers were considering leaving. To keep them, I not only raised their salaries but also promised that you wouldn't interfere with daily operations, just as it was under Mason."
Edmund tapped the document in his hand and continued, "Right now, our senior solicitors are earning four pounds a week, almost 400 pounds a year. Most of our barristers are making around 1,200 pounds annually. That's already the highest pay a law firm in Backlund can offer."
Well, I would've suggested it earlier if I had thought of it! Lorien sighed internally. He pressed on, "Isn't that a good thing? With such pay, we'll attract even more talented lawyers."
"That depends on your goals." Edmund placed the document down. "If you plan to stay a lawyer like your father, then sure, go ahead."
"My father?"
The previous Lorien had a terrible relationship with his father, especially when they argued constantly and never discussed the law firm. It was Edmund who often shared intriguing cases, which, despite the strained family ties, had influenced him to follow the legal path.
"Yes." Edmund let out a long breath and leaned back into the sofa, lost in memory.
"It was our firm's fifth year. Everything was running smoothly, and it just needed steady management. Mason had married by then, and your mother was expecting you. For your family's future, he planned to become a judge at the High Court..."
In Loen, all judges (except part-time magistrates) had to be appointed from among the graduates of the four major law academies. A district judge needed at least seven years of courtroom experience as a barrister. A High Court judge required ten years of experience or two years as a district judge. As for an appellate judge, one needed 15 years in the courtroom or two years as a High Court judge.
Mason Ashford had more than 15 years as a barrister and was one of the most renowned lawyers in Backlund. A nomination for the Appellate Court might have taken longer, but the High Court was within reach.
"He had already secured the nomination. But then your mother died in childbirth... Mason turned down the judgeship and buried himself in work, filling his life with endless cases to cope with his grief.... His health had never been great, and with the added emotional strain, he burned out quickly..."
Edmund's eyes grew misty, and his nose reddened. To him, Mason wasn't just a friend, he was the man who had saved him, pulling him away from the fate of being a mere etiquette tutor. Meanwhile, his elder brother, after inheriting the family barony had long since drunk himself into an early grave.
"I believe my father will be happy now. He and my mother must have found eternal peace in the Goddess's realm," Lorien said, though he felt detached. The previous Lorien had barely known his mother, and his relationship with his father was distant at best. Now, as someone who had taken over this body, he could only hope that the Evernignt Goddess would look after them.
Edmund pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes before turning to Lorien. "When was the last time you prayed at St. Samuel's Cathedral?"
"Uh… after last month's moon Mass, so… about a month ago?"
Lorien froze. Ever since I transmigrated, I have been too busy fearing for my life, and then too occupied experimenting with my abilities to bother with prayers. Besides, as a transmigrator, I wasn't about to step into St. Samuel's Cathedral.
And today, even at the magistrate's court, I was deliberately avoiding getting too close to the Church of the Lord of Storms. I wasn't about to risk Lord of Storms smiting me for the irreverent thoughts I couldn't always suppress.
"Hmm."
Edmund being a devout follower of the Lord of Storms didn't press the issue. Instead, he changed the subject. "Do you plan to remain a lawyer or become a judge someday?"
"Uh… I haven't really thought about it, Uncle."
Edmund nodded. "Fair enough. You've only been a lawyer for two years. But it's something to consider... it will shape the future of the firm."
Lorien lowered his head in silent contemplation, If there were no impending apocalypse and if my predecessor hadn't been dragged into the supernatural world, I would have probably just worked as a lawyer for over a decade, then secured a judgeship, and lived out a peaceful life. But with doomsday looming and the mysteries surrounding my own existence, that kind of future seems like a fool's dream.
"As for this partnership plan, let's put it on hold for now. Otherwise, the Ashford Law Firm will become a prime meat front of lions, just as Emperor Roselle once warned. That wouldn't be good for its future development. But if you plan to become a judge or if the firm undergoes any major changes, then this plan could come in handy."
Huang Tao, why the hell are you everywhere? No wonder Klein complains about you so much. You've hoarded all the tricks a transmigrator could use, what are the rest of us supposed to do now?
"Alright," Lorien could only agree. It seemed that this plan would have to wait until he fully stepped into the world of Beyonders and could no longer manage the firm. Not that I ever really managed it in the first place.
"That's all for today," Edmund said, picking up his walnut cane and heading toward the door.
"I'll see you out," Lorien quickly stood up.
"No need." At the door, Edmund turned back and said, "During your break, make sure to network with other law firms and get along with the senior lawyers at your own firm. You can't expect a sixty-year-old man like me to handle everything for you."
"Understood," Lorien replied. What else could I say?
"And attend more balls, banquets, and salons. The Ashford family still needs you to carry on its legacy!"
Seeing Lorien's forced smile, Edmund tapped his cane on the ground in frustration. "I'm leaving! Get back inside!"
Lorien could only watch as Edmund departed. If he followed him any further, who knew what else the old man would start lecturing him about?
---
Lorien hired a light two-wheeled carriage nearby and returned to his residence on Grimm Garden Street in the West Borough. The place was a two-story garden villa with over ten rooms, a stable, and servants' quarters.
Perhaps because he had spent his early years renting and sleeping in cheap lodgings, Mason had developed a deep attachment to property, he only bought, never rented. Even when Lorien rebelled and went to study in Tingen, Mason bought a small villa worth about 1,500 pounds, despite the fact that Lorien would only be studying there for seven years at most.
After Lorien returned from Tingen, that villa, along with two other Ashford family properties in Backlund, was rented out. After taxes, these three properties brought in about 800 pounds per year.
The garden villa Lorien currently lived in was worth nearly 7,000 pounds. However, since Mason's death, Lorien had been its sole occupant. He had dismissed the servants and butler, finished his studies in Tingen, and then returned to Backlund, where he buried himself in work. Most nights, he slept in the law firm's lounge, only hiring cleaners to maintain the villa periodically.
Lorien had no plans to hire servants again. He had too many secrets, being an Beyonder, he was subject to the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence, meaning that others on a similar path could be drawn to him at any time. This was Backlund's wealthy and noble district, where Arbiter pathway Beyonders were everywhere.
If he ended up like in The Return of Klein, hiring a bunch of problematic servants, he wouldn't have Klein's luck. Klein was a cat raised by the Evernight Goddess, with the safety net of Sefirah Castle. Lorien, on the other hand, could possibly die in an instant.
He suspected Mason had chosen this residence for intelligence-gathering. The West Borough housed many wealthy elites, and the noble-preferred Empress Borough was just one street over, crossing Williams Street would take you straight there. Given the high property prices, Mason's background didn't quite fit this area.
Yet Mason had lived here for nearly thirty years. That suggested his identity had been vetted by the Nighthawks of the West Borough. Lorien wasn't sure if it was Bird Mustang, the "Horror Viscount," who had helped cover for Mason, or if Mason had managed it himself.
In the original work, Rafter Pound, the descendent of the Tudor family, had managed to deceive Klein's spiritual vision and hypnosis. Even though Klein was only a Sequence 8 Clown at the time, he was still an expert in divination. If not for his final trick, having Sefirah Castle as a trump card, he would have been completely fooled.
Mason was a Lawyer. Skilled at finding loopholes in language and saying only what was technically true. Lawyers always tell the truth, but that doesn't mean they tell the truth. They weave facts into deception like no one else.
---
With a creak, Lorien opened the door to a storage room inside the villa.
Inside, there was a long-abandoned underground storage chamber. His predecessor had discovered it and repurposed it into a hidden chamber.
"Cough, cough… cough!"
Lorien choked on the dust. The chamber had been left untouched for nearly a year. With no ventilation, the air inside was thick and stale.
After waiting a few minutes, he stepped inside and lit a gas lamp. The warm yellow glow stretched down the long underground staircase, illuminating the dim chamber.
The space wasn't very large. An oak bookshelf stood against one wall, next to a dark red desk covered in disorganized books. Everything, the desk, the books, even the glass panels on the bookshelf, was coated in dust.
"Looks like I won't be able to study tonight."
Lorien sighed, though inside, he felt a rush of relief. Studying was mentally exhausting, after all.
Wait a minute. Since when did I think like this?
He frowned. This isn't like me.
In my past life, I might have procrastinated on minor things for a few days, but never for long. And if something was important, I never delayed, especially when it concerned my own survival.
Even earlier today, when I was planning the next few months, I had felt the same way. I had anticipated difficult times ahead, yet instead of preparing, I had lain on the couch for hours. If not for Uncle Robert showing up, I might still be lounging in my office.
Was this the effect of the potion? But both I and my predecessor had already digested most of it. I am only one step away from advancing to Sequence 8.
Or was it a side effect of transmigration? Yet I haven't noticed anything unusual before. Unfortunately, as a Lawyer, I don't have a strong enough spiritual vision that could see the Ether Body, I could only read emotions through body language and expressions.
Could this be related to what caused predecessor to lose control? Or the reason I transmigrated in the first place?
"You haven't been here in a while."
A man's voice suddenly echoed through the chamber!
Lorien turned sharply, staring in horror at the entrance atop the stairs.
Who is there?