Deep into the night.
Fors extinguished the last cigarette, rose quietly, and tiptoed to the door. Pretending to head for the washroom, she instead crept toward Xio's bedroom. Pressing her ear against the door, she listened carefully. Once she was sure Xio was asleep, she returned to her own room.
After securing the doors and windows, she began to pray devoutly.
"Master of Chaos and Order."
"Origin of all laws beneath the starry sky."
"The One who aligns the stars."
…
In Empress Borough, Hastur, who was sound asleep, was roused from his dreams by a spiritual tremor. He frowned slightly and muttered, "Who's disturbing my rest in the middle of the night? Did Bernadette run into some kind of trouble?"
He paused for a few seconds before entering the Hall of Stars.
The small light that belonged to Fors was rippling faintly, her voice cautious, almost secretive, as though afraid to wake the person sleeping beside her.
Hastur focused his sight. With the power of the Hall of Stars, he unfolded a patch of radiant starlight above Fors' head, the faint outline of the Hall of Stars shimmering into view.
"Sovereign of the Stars, I have something of great importance to report!"
Fors was startled for a moment by the sudden starlight but quickly regained her composure.
"What is it?"
"Mr. A is offering a bounty to find the followers of the Stars!"
Fors spoke succinctly, but then, realizing that an existence like the Ruler of the Stars might not even know who Mr. A was, she hurriedly added:
"Mr. A is a powerful Beyonder. He's currently in the capital of the Loen Kingdom, Backlund. He seems to be backed by a mysterious organization. I just learned of this at a Beyonder gathering tonight."
Mr. A's bounty... that must be the True Creator's oracle to him.
And they said he was mad, yet even just glancing at Ouroboros a little too long drew divine attention and an oracle descended.
At present, there were only two true Followers of the Stars.
Bernadette, a Sequence 2 Angel, was far away, either at sea or in the Southern Continent, and needed no protection.
It was Fors who needed to be cautious. No wonder she was so anxious to report this news.
Hastur pondered silently. Could he perhaps grant her some kind of hidden protection through the Hall of Stars?
"Do not concern yourself with it."
"But I…" Fors hesitated, her expression turning uneasy. To someone like the Stars, Mr. A was nothing, but she was only a Sequence 9. If she were discovered, she'd be as good as dead.
"The Stars will grant you blessing," Hastur said, perceiving her fear.
Perhaps Xio, always short on money, had already accepted Mr. A's commission, that would explain Fors' reaction.
"Thank you for your blessing!" Fors finally relaxed, a faint smile spreading across her face.
"Hidden Sanctuary."
Hastur murmured softly. From the starlit void, he summoned the third Chain of Order, the one with the Authority of Secrecy. It extended from the void and encircled Fors once.
A strange, indescribable feeling surged through her, both shocking and joyful.
She didn't know what had happened, only that it must be a good thing.
Within the Hall of Stars, Hastur gazed at Fors' brightened expression, pondering whether he should use this chance to encourage her to improve her strength.
After all, she was still only Sequence 9, and might never even join the Tarot Club due to him solving her problem. If she remained weak, how could he rely on her to do anything useful?
Perhaps he could find her something to do, give her some potion formulas…
But after a moment's thought, he dismissed the idea. For a being as mysterious as himself to take such care of a Sequence 9 believer, how undignified would that be?
Seeing that Fors had nothing further to say, Hastur dissolved the starlight and departed.
By habit, he cast a glance at the star representing the Overlooker.
Beneath the crimson moon, the stars flickered faintly.
The High-Dimensional Overlooker had left his stone house and was now lying lazily on a beach by the sea, hands folded behind his head, gazing leisurely at the stars and moon.
After a few glances, Hastur withdrew his sight and left the Hall of Stars.
…
By morning, when Hastur awoke, a small black bundle had appeared atop his blanket.
The little black cat was very clingy. Having played with it late into the night, Hastur had allowed it to sleep in his room.
"Meow." A soft, gentle mewl, light and delicate, paired with a nuzzling head, made it irresistibly cute.
"I suppose it's time to find you a potion formula for an Assassin, Ariella."
Hastur teased Ariella for a bit, then got up to wash.
At present, aside from the factory and the law firm, there was little else demanding his attention.
Both were competently managed, Manager Harley at the factory, Lecturer Fron at the law firm, so he had no need to waste time or energy there.
For now, the most important tasks were digesting his potion, advancing his noble title, and seeking the Beyonder ingredients for Sequence 6, Baron of Corruption.
Advancing his title couldn't be rushed. The hound trained by Glaint would need at least a month; once Earl Hall was successfully bribed, his promotion to Viscount would be secure.
As for becoming an Earl, he would need to render notable service to the Loen Kingdom to justify further elevation.
That was still far off, no need to rush.
He had already commissioned Sharon and Maric to look for the necessary Beyonder materials, as the gatherings they attended were of a higher tier.
Still, there was no guarantee of success. The most direct method would be to find a noble who was a Sequence 6 and kill him. His Beyonder characteristic would naturally become Hastur's.
But that was far riskier. Anyone who'd reached Sequence 6 and held a title was, in most cases, an earl, and hardly an easy target.
"There's always Will. After eating so much ice cream, he ought to do some work," Hastur thought.
After breakfast, instead of taking a carriage, he went out strolling with Ariella in his arms.
Two attendants in their late twenties followed at a distance behind him.
They were bodyguards arranged by Butler Neil, professionals meant to protect him from potential kidnappings or extortion.
As nothing serious was planned today, Hastur let them keep their distance.
Holding Ariella, he gently scratched her chin while glancing at the shops along the street.
The Empress Borough's streets were clean and tidy, no flowing sewage, no traces of animal droppings.
The drainage system was excellent; even after days of heavy rain, no puddles lingered.
Occasionally, he even saw sanitation workers spraying perfume onto the streets.
After a leisurely circuit, Hastur headed toward the pet district.
There were shops selling pets, as well as clothing and toys for them.
He picked out several items Ariella seemed to like, bells and other things that made pleasant sounds.
"Baron Hastur Campbell!"
He turned naturally at the call, his pupils narrowing slightly.
It was Lady Germani.
He couldn't even remember the last time they had met, perhaps briefly at a banquet hosted by Greg.
"Good morning, Lady Germani," Hastur greeted with his usual courteous smile.
But the smile soon froze.
She stood there staring directly at him, silent, her expression complicated, her peach-blossom eyes filled with emotions too mixed to name, resentment, joy, melancholy, tenderness… all at once.
She gazed at him as though they had once shared a deep, unforgettable romance.
The two noble ladies accompanying her noticed her strange mood. One, a blonde, gave Hastur a look of sudden realization. The other, with chestnut curls, couldn't hide her admiration.
"So this is Baron Campbell? No wonder you were so infatuated with him before. Meeting again like this, fate must have quite a sense of humor."
She nudged Lady Germani playfully with her shoulder.
Lady Germani's voice was soft but carried a faint bitterness. "Baron Campbell has always been a man of integrity and good repute. Nothing ever happened between us."
"…"
Before Hastur could say anything, she turned and walked away with her companions. After a few steps, she looked back, her eyes filled with melancholy and helplessness.
"…"
Hastur's mouth twitched slightly.
'What on earth was that?'
'I repeat, what on earth was that?'
Why did it look like he'd just played the part of some heartless scoundrel who'd broken a lady's heart?
Especially that last line, it sounded like she was defending her own reputation, yet somehow, it made it seem as if she had once been involved with him.
Anyone overhearing would surely assume there had been something between them, and that now, Baron Campbell was simply pretending otherwise.
"Let's go home." Hastur lost all interest in strolling further. He almost regretted leaving the house at all today.