章 43: Chapter 43: The Rules of Playing the Barbarian
Chapter 43: The Rules of Playing the Barbarian
Rule One of playing the barbarian: When faced with a situation, act first, think later. Rely heavily on brute force to solve problems.
Rule Two: Sometimes, when faced with publicly accepted rules, order, and common sense, try breaking them in a barbaric manner.
Rule Three: Barbarism is not only reflected in actions but also in mentality. It represents an unrestrained, self-centered character that follows only their own rules.
Rule Four: Don't land yourself in jail!
The fourth rule is the most important. He is playing a barbarian, not actually being one. If he were to always use brute force to solve problems, he would surely end up in jail for harming others.
After listing the four rules of playing the barbarian, Hastur felt much clearer about the path ahead.
But understanding is one thing, and actually doing it is another.
He is not an impulsive or reckless person by nature, and with a noble image to maintain, he must find the right balance.
Otherwise, once the effects of the barbarian potion wear off, his reputation as Baron Campbell will be ruined, which would not be beneficial for his future title promotion.
He has considered maintaining an elegant noble image during the day and secretly acting as a barbarian at night.
But such behavior is nothing but self-deception. It's not only detrimental to the digestion of the potion but could also lead to a split personality.
And where is there a barbarian who is timid and hides away?
Those who fit this behavior are thieves.
In his view, those best suited to play the role of a barbarian are the morally low, impulsive gang enforcers.
Their behavior is always barbaric and rude, accustomed to solving problems with violence.
Unfortunately, he is not that type of person.
It wasn't until lunchtime that Hastur came out of his study.
He walked down the stairs, looking at the busy maids and then glanced at the butler, Neil, pondering for a moment.
He unbuttoned the first button of his white shirt, his smiling expression receded, replaced by a brazen gaze. His elegant descent down the stairs became more relaxed and casual.
"…"
Butler Neil looked up, frozen in place, his eyes filled with confusion and incomprehension.
It hadn't even been half a day, had it?
Why had their lord changed so much? Had he been stimulated by something?
"Lord Baron, even in private, you need to maintain a proper attire and elegant demeanor," Neil felt it necessary to remind him.
Hastur chuckled as he descended the stairs, "Proper attire and elegant demeanor are just external appearances. A true noble dares to be true to their own heart."
"…"
Neil's eyes were even more bewildered. True to his own heart?
This attire, this tone, these actions and behaviors, unrestrained by noble status, is this your true self?
"Don't worry so much. This is just a necessary stage in life. I will still be Baron Campbell."
"Have you entered a rebellious phase?" Neil asked softly.
"…" Hastur fell silent, but soon laughed, "Neil, you truly deserve to be the butler I personally chose. You always see through the essence beneath my extravagant behavior."
Indeed, it was a rebellious phase!
Neil's confusion dissipated significantly. When his grandson reached the lord's age, he often defied his father, unwilling to be bound by various rules, shouting about freedom and resisting authority every day.
With their family and status, where did they have the right to pursue freedom and resist authority? Were they trying to rebel against their superiors?
From his experience with such symptomatic youths, it was best to ignore them. Once they hit a few walls in society, they would settle down.
As the two maids passed by Haston, they glanced at the unbuttoned part of his shirt, revealing a glimpse of pale skin, which made their faces blush slightly. They took a few more looks before hurrying away.
Haston, indifferent to such gazes, strode confidently towards the dining table.
Today's lunch was seafood fried rice with a side of pan-seared veal steak, plus two desserts.
Hastur abandoned his usual elegant eating manners for a wilder approach. If he wasn't afraid of startling Neil with too sudden a change, he would have just picked up the veal steak and eaten it directly instead of cutting it into small pieces with a knife and fork.
Neil just glanced at Hastur and remained silent.
In his view, Hastur was young and probably yearned for the unrestrained lifestyle of adult nobles.
Just like children who try to prove they've grown up by drinking and smoking.
Little do they know, such behavior only makes them appear more childish.
With this thought, Neil smiled.
It was as if he was watching his own child grow up.
After lunch, Hastur returned to his study.
He had gained quite a bit of insight into playing the barbarian, and now he needed to consider how to establish a second new rule.
The first new rule had already provided him with some long-term security, so there was no need for a similar rule at the moment.
He had considered enhancing his current combat power or establishing a rule specifically for the Hall of Stars.
With the Lamp God about to enter the Hall of Stars, he felt it necessary to strengthen the rules of the Hall first, also in preparation for the day when the Outer Gods would come to the Hall to set rules.
The rule could be something like: Within the Hall of Stars, Hastur Campbell is revered, and no attendee may offend his dignity. Any attendee who dares to provoke will face severe punishment.
He must ensure he has the dominant control over the Hall of Stars and that when the Outer Gods of old come, they cannot target him or cause him trouble.
In essence, the Hall of Stars is his divine kingdom, and all attendees must abide by the rules he sets, or they will be expelled and erased.
To sum it up, within the Hall of Stars, he, Hastur Campbell, has no equal among the Outer Gods of old!
It's a bold claim, but thinking in this direction is certainly not wrong.
He is relatively weak now, but who knows about the future.
The rules he needs should grow with him, not just be invincible within Sequence 8.
Otherwise, when he advances to Sequence 7, wouldn't that be a waste of a rule?
Considering the structure of the Hall of Stars and the hierarchy of sequences, he could establish up to ten or eleven rules.
Each new rule is precious; they are his trump card.
After much thought, Hastur finally began to write.
"Under the watchful eyes of the stars, Hastur Campbell, the traveler from another world, the last heir of the Campbell family, he is the sovereign of the Hall of Stars. Any being who offends him within the Hall shall face severe punishment! This rule is just and reasonable, unchanged by any external factors."
After writing, Hastur read it several times, feeling that the beginning and end were fine, but the rhetoric in the middle was lacking.
"Hmm, it needs more revision to ensure there are no loopholes."
The Hall of Stars is his greatest asset; nothing can go wrong.
After revising for two hours, Hastur was quite satisfied and burned the other drafts to ashes.
"The master of chaos and order!"
"The lord of order"
"The origin of all rules in the starry sky!"
"The one who brings the stars to their place"
Hastur recited in the Ancient Hermes language, and his astral body entered the Hall of Stars.
With the experience from last time, he sat on the high chair, summoned the second chain of order, and began to carve the content of the rule with his will as the blade.
"Under the watchful eyes of the stars, Hastur Campbell, the traveler from another world, the last heir of the Campbell family, the Hall of Stars is his divine kingdom, the chains of order are his weapons. Any being who harbors hostility towards him, who offends his existence, shall be pierced by the chains of order and forever subdued under the stars! This rule is just and reasonable, unchanged by any external factors."
His will moved, but the chains of order did not respond.
Hastur tried translating the sentence into the Ancient Hermes language, but still, the chains of order remained unresponsive.
Could it be that the rule he set this time exceeded the limits of the Hall of Stars?
Or could it be that he could only set one rule and not a second or third?
Hastur paused, deep in thought for a long time, and finally muttered in astonishment, "Could it be that this rule is already included in the Hall of Stars?"
"This place is my divine kingdom, the chains of order are my weapons, and I am the sovereign of this Hall of Stars!"
Hastur recalled the enlightenment that had flashed through his mind when he first came to the Hall of Stars and took his seat.
At that time, he was half-doubtful and hesitant to summon the Lamp God and the Fallen Mother Goddess for a meeting.
"Is it really as I suspected?"
Hastur closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair, silently feeling the Hall of Stars.
When he opened his eyes again, he had a definite answer. The inherent rules and order of the Hall of Stars were enough to protect the safety of its new master.
Even when he had just advanced to Sequence 9 Lawyer, there would be no danger if the Lamp God and the Fallen Mother Goddess came for a meeting.
Hastur tapped his fingers on the table, shaking his head with a smile, "It seems I've been too cautious."
Indeed, if the Hall of Stars couldn't ensure his safety, it wouldn't manifest the stars where the Lamp God and the Fallen Mother Goddess reside, nor would it grant him the authority to summon them for a meeting.
Perhaps the way
Perhaps the way the Hall of Stars summons the Outer Gods of old for meetings is different from what I imagined.
After all, with my current strength at Sequence 8, even with the high status of the Hall of Stars, I definitely couldn't suppress a being like the Fallen Mother Goddess.
No matter what, it's a relief to resolve this troubling matter.
Haston's expression lightened, a smile playing on his lips. He planned to summon the Lamp God tonight to test things out.
I wonder what kind of mood the Lamp God will be in when facing me, the mysterious being who has been drawing him for over a month.
"Before that, I need to change my image."
I definitely can't face the Lamp God with this somewhat youthful face; I would surely be seen through.
"Haston, the King in Yellow, Haston, the King in Yellow…"
Should I directly adopt the image of the King in Yellow?
Hastur pondered for a moment but decided he didn't want to have any more ties with the King in Yellow.
"I can't use a human face and identity anymore, I need a visage similar to that of the Outer Gods and the Ancients… a divine visage?"
Like the Starry Door that belongs to Mr. Door's star, or the Evil Tree that represents the Mother Tree of Desires star.
"As the sovereign of the Hall of Stars, what kind of image should I have?"
(End of Chapter)
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット