Hastur spoke gently but did not delve deeply, only covering up to the Sequence 9 level.
As for knowledge about the acting method, Beyonder Laws, or about Sequence 5 and above, he wouldn't say a single word.
-------------------------------
The three talked for more than an hour before Audrey truly understood why Glaint held this Baron Campbell in such high esteem.
His knowledge of mysticism was simply too profound; even Miss Fors, who had already become an Beyonder, could only sit quietly like a student attending a lecture in his presence.
Moreover, she felt that Baron Campbell still had much knowledge he had not revealed, his depth of knowledge as unfathomable as the ocean itself.
"Do you think I should pursue promotion to a higher sequence?" Fors, stirred by Hastur's words, felt a long-lost spark of fighting spirit.
"Lying flat is also a very reasonable way of life, if you don't mind being powerless in the face of danger."
"If it's that dangerous, wouldn't staying home and lying flat reduce the chances of danger?"
"Of course."
Hearing this, the small flame that had just risen in Fors' heart was extinguished again. She felt that lying flat peacefully was the best choice, preferably without even stepping out the front door, safety was what mattered most.
"Which Beyonder path suits me?"
It was getting rather late when Audrey finally asked the question she most wanted to ask.
"Being an Spectator is quite good; it aligns well with your original intention of pursuing the World of Mysticism."
"Thank you." Audrey sincerely thanked Baron Campbell for his guidance.
Hastur only smiled without speaking. He knew the Spectator potion formula, but he did not wish to tell Audrey at this time, lest it affect her future path.
It was best to let her continue along her already destined trajectory, that was the path most suitable for her.
Not long after, Glaint, who had been resting for a while, returned, and after another half hour of chatting, Audrey had to leave.
She could not stay out too late; her personal maid had already come to remind her twice.
Hastur and Fors also took the opportunity to end the evening's gathering, leaving Glaint feeling slightly unsatisfied.
...
Aster Estate
Maric had arrived near the large estate two days ago.
He did not enter the estate directly but instead circled around the surrounding area.
This grand estate, with its exquisite sculptures, beautiful lakes, and vast grounds, had only two people guarding it when he arrived, an elderly man and a taciturn middle-aged man.
These two guarded the entire estate but did not live inside it, instead residing in a small house at the edge.
Every day, the elderly man either went to the garden to prune branches and perform gardening tasks or lay on the grass in front of the estate basking in the warm sun.
The middle-aged man was more industrious, carrying stones back from the mountains to carve his own works in the sculpture garden, as well as handling meals for the two of them.
They rarely spoke, except for a few words at mealtimes, usually idle chatter about whether it might rain today or be sunny tomorrow.
Before long, a butler-like figure arrived with a group of people. They opened the mansion doors, went inside to clean and repair, and brought in many daily necessities.
Maric quietly watched without disturbing them.
From their occasional conversations, he learned that they were the housekeeper and servants of the Hastur family, so he stopped observing and instead hid by a lake in the forest behind, accompanied by his zombie squad.
Perhaps because of the dense vegetation, he always felt a bit cold there, especially at night.
On the first night, he did not pay much attention, thinking it was simply because he was new to the area and unaccustomed to the environment.
After all, this was the countryside, with a surrounding forest; cooler temperatures compared to the city were normal.
But on the second night, he felt something was wrong. As a Sequence 6 Zombie, his sequence characteristics already made him largely unaffected by external temperature changes, especially cold environments.
On the third night, a cold wind blew at midnight, and even the lake formed a thin layer of frost, which made him wary.
Yet, he still did not act rashly, waiting silently until morning, when the warm sunlight spread again.
He then led his zombie squad deeper into the forest to investigate.
To prevent any accidents, he had two zombies take the lead as scouts, keeping a safe distance of about fifty meters from himself and the rest of the group.
Remaining cautious at all times, he scouted the area but found nothing except signs of human activity deeper within.
This forest did not connect only to Aster Estate; other noble families' estates were linked here as well, forming a shared forest park.
Human activity traces were normal, and he even avoided two idle noble teams hunting and adventuring in the woods.
With no findings, he returned to the lakeside and buried the zombies in pits to prevent them from being easily discovered.
On the fourth night, the sky was cloudless, the moonlight was bright, and the forest air was especially frigid.
The zombies buried deep in the pits began making scratching sounds with their nails.
Maric, who naturally had little need for sleep, noticed the abnormality in his zombie squad immediately. Looking toward the depths of the forest, he frowned, this was the first time he had ever encountered such a thing.
Vaguely, he heard the sound of a whistle coming from deep within the dense forest.
It was faint, cold, like tendrils stretching out from the depths of the soul, constantly scratching at one's heart.
He didn't dare to casually explore what secrets might lie in the forest and could only do his best to suppress his zombie squad, preventing them from being affected.
Fortunately, the distance from the source of the whistling was quite far, so the zombies were only slightly influenced, and he alone could still keep them under control.
After about two hours, the whistling from the depths of the forest finally ceased completely, and the zombies also quieted down, obediently lying in their pits.
Maric remained silent for a long time but still chose not to stir up trouble; if he got himself into something else, he would be in real trouble.
On the fifth day, Maric finally saw Hastur step down from a carriage.
Seeing there were quite a few people nearby, he did not go to greet him, instead deciding to wait until deep into the night to reunite with Hastur.
At the gate of Aster Estate, Hastur stared at the large estate, dazed for a moment.
Butler Neil had previously told him that this estate was large, but he hadn't expected it to be this big.
Just the garden area in front of the gate was twice the size of his current residence, and there was an artificial lake and a fountain spraying droplets everywhere.
To the right was the sculpture garden, which already appeared huge from where he stood, and according to Butler Neil, there was still a sculptor dedicated to working there, whose payment had already been settled.
Although he could not quite remember the glorious days of the Campbell family, he was certain that even among high nobility, such an estate was rare.
For it to be preserved to this day in the hands of Voltaire Campbell, the gambler, the old butler must have gone to great lengths.
"Nearby, there is an estate belonging to Earl Richard, and a bit farther away, there's one owned by the royal family…"
Butler Neil patiently introduced Hastur to the surrounding high nobility to prevent him from not knowing anyone later.
Hastur listened as he walked into the estate.
Passing through the garden area, Hastur met the elderly man responsible for guarding the estate.
He was the old butler's cousin and a loyal member of the Campbell family.
He was quite old and ill, so he had volunteered to stay behind to take care of the property.
Originally, there had been more than forty people in the estate, including maids, laborers, and cooks, but before the previous owner prepared for the resurrection ritual, he had dismissed them all, leaving only the sculptor, who had yet to finish his work, and the elderly caretaker.
When the elderly man saw Hastur, his deeply wrinkled face broke into a smile. "How wonderful, the Campbell family has finally welcomed its true heir."
Hastur couldn't help but feel emotional, just how disappointing had Voltaire Campbell been?
"The old butler has done me great favors. Whether the Campbell family flourishes or declines in the future, your future will always be cared for by the Campbell family." Hastur solemnly promised.
"It will! The glory of the Campbell family will once again shine over the entire Loen Kingdom!"
The elderly man was so excited that Hastur quickly supported him to prevent him from falling.
Hastur turned to Butler Neil and said, "From now on, hire a family doctor."
"Understood."
Butler Neil understood what Hastur meant, this was to hire a dedicated doctor to take good care of the elderly man so he could enjoy his later years in peace.
After a few words of small talk, Hastur let the elderly man rest and had a large room prepared for him inside the house.
At seven in the evening, Hastur finally enjoyed a belated dinner at the estate.
He had wanted the elderly man to join, but the man declined, so he did not insist, only ordering an appropriate meal to be sent to him separately.
After eating, Hastur did not go upstairs but instead went for a walk near the estate alone.
Before coming, Miss Sharon had already informed him that Maric had arrived ahead of him and was staying nearby.
Sure enough, when no one was around, Maric emerged from the bushes.
"Tsk, people say your Campbell family has already declined, but just this estate alone could fetch an astronomical price."
Maric brushed off the grass and leaves from his body and joked with a smile.
By his estimate, this estate could easily sell for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of gold pounds.
The location and environment were excellent, and all the neighboring residents were high nobility, including even members of the royal family.
It was the kind of estate that even money couldn't always buy.
Hastur smiled and replied, "The Negan ducal family is the real high nobility; they live in a castle."
Although times had changed and technology had advanced, some things remained, for example, the old-era castles, which were the true hallmark of great nobles.
Nowadays, things were different; most members of the Negan ducal family lived in the Empress's Borough, enjoying convenient city life. The castle to them was more symbolic than practical for living.
After all, such structures were usually built on one's own fief; having a castle on your territory was equivalent to being a king there.
That was the mark of true nobility, something the current Campbell family was still far from achieving.