Lord of Mysteries: The New Black Emperor

Chapter 82: Fourth Epoch Ruins

"It's not that serious," the defense lawyer smiled, "This is just an ordinary workplace injury case. Let's not make things more complicated."

"Yes, you've all gotten used to treating people as less than human," Hobert said. "You think this injury case should be handled this way, and that's the saddest part."

The defense lawyer waved his hand, "Alright, let's talk about something practical.

"Even if you sue Mr. Arnold for intentional harm, your chances of winning are low. Why not settle?

"How about 200? That's far beyond Mr. Arnold's obligations."

Hobert shook his head, "1000."

The defense lawyer's face turned grim, "Your demand makes it impossible for us to continue negotiating."

"Very well, goodbye," Hobert opened the car door and helped Bob out.

Baker, who had remained silent all this time, sneered, "Mr. Arnold will use all his connections to make sure you lose! Don't expect a single penny!"

Hobert smiled, "Why do I feel like you're scared? Why do your words sound so lacking in confidence?"

Baker snorted coldly, said nothing, and slammed the car door shut. The coachman snapped the reins, and the carriage slowly pulled away.

Bob, leaning on his "cane," suddenly said, "Mr. Hobert, if you had agreed to their terms just now, I wouldn't have blamed you."

As Hobert hailed a cab, he chuckled, "Everyone needs something to aspire to."

Arriving at the Obsidian Pub in the Northern District, Hobert told Bob to wait outside. He entered, ordered a beer, and tipped the bartender to invite Miss Daly over.

The pub was near Blackthorn Security Company, so Daly arrived within ten minutes. "We're meeting far too often—are you doing this on purpose to get close to me?"

Hobert smiled, "Miss, I'm not in the mood for romance right now."

"What a pity," Daly smiled, "So, what brings you to me this time?"

Hobert got straight to the point, "I'd like you to help my client get into the Evernight Church's shelter."

Daly frowned, "That's not within my duties."

"Helping the Goddess's followers through their difficulties—isn't that within your duties?"

"Alright, alright, I can't believe I'm arguing with a lawyer!" Daly asked, "What's special about him?"

"Miss, Backlund is full of ordinary people."

"Then why do you sympathize with him?"

"It's not what you think," Hobert replied. "I'm sending him to the shelter because I need him to stay alive."

He smiled self-deprecatingly, "I have my reasons."

"Oh?" Daly tilted her head and looked at Hobert, "Really?"

After a brief chat, the two went outside the pub, and Hobert handed Bob over to Daly.

After Hobert left in a cab, Daly asked Bob, "Tell me about your experience."

"Huh? Oh, alright, Miss."

...

Back at the law firm, Hobert began preparing materials to submit to the formal court. The next step was to wait for the court to accept the case and announce a trial date.

After finishing everything, Hobert stretched and finally had some leisure time. He gazed out the window, thinking about what delicious food he could buy to reward himself after work.

Time flies when you're slacking off. After work, Hobert bought some pumpkin bread and desserts to reward himself for his performance at the magistrate's court today.

After a pleasant dinner, Christian called Hobert to the study. "I've had Dorphis make contact with Jacob Otto. Before that, Dorphis had already conducted an investigation—what they've discovered is indeed a Fourth Epoch ruin."

Hobert paused for a moment before remembering that Jacob was the one who claimed to have discovered a Fourth Epoch ruin and had twice formed teams at the mercenary club.

During his second attempt to form a team, Hobert had even helped him convey his wish for Commander Christian's assistance.

Dorphis was Christian's personal servant, infamous for his incompetence, yet Christian had kept him close.

Hobert had long suspected that Dorphis might be a Beyonder. Given that Christian had sent him to conduct the preliminary investigation and make contact with Jacob, it seemed certain that Dorphis was a loyal Beyonder.

Christian continued, "Tomorrow, Dorphis will officially join Jacob's team. You'll go along too. Make frequent appearances, and by the end, you'll be entitled to a share of the spoils from the ruin."

What a stroke of luck! Hobert nodded, "Understood."

He knew well that this wasn't due to Jacob's generosity but was the tangible benefit of a brigadier's favor.

Christian took a deep breath and added, "After Rex returned from the Southern Continent, he did explore some ancient ruins, but I only accompanied him to two. Jacob's discovery isn't one of them. Perhaps, perhaps there's something of his left in the ruin."

Hobert wasn't particularly moved by this, as he felt no real connection to this "biological father."

The brief conversation concluded, and Hobert left the study to ask Dorphis about their departure time tomorrow. Finally, he wrote a leave request for Barton, asking the coachman to deliver it to the law firm the next day.

The next morning, Hobert and Dorphis took a carriage to the northern outskirts of Backlund.

Dorphis was about the same age as Christian, with a complexion and hair color that clearly indicated his Southern Continent heritage. His demeanor was cold, and he was silent and withdrawn, more like a bodyguard than a personal servant.

Hobert attempted to start a few conversations, but when Dorphis didn't respond, he gave up and stared out the window.

After leaving the city of Backlund, the carriage drove for another hour before reaching the excavation site.

There was no trace of Backlund's characteristic smog here. The sun was much brighter, and the air lacked the pungent odor.

Jacob's team had set up camp at the foot of a mountain. It didn't look like the secretive, grave-robbing operation Hobert had imagined; it was a grand-scale excavation, with dozens of tents visible.

It was clear that Jacob had hired many ordinary workers to move earth, clean artifacts, and carry out other excavation tasks.

Jacob had been expecting them and met Hobert and Dorphis at the camp's entrance.

"Mr. Hobert, thank you for facilitating our cooperation with Commander Christian," Jacob said politely as he shook Hobert's hand.

Hobert smiled, "It was your sincerity that moved my father."

He asked, "Won't the local government interfere with your actions?"

"We have legal archaeological excavation documents," Jacob replied. "A few years ago, my team protected an archaeological crew, and we formed a deep friendship."

Jacob then gave Hobert and Dorphis a brief tour of the camp before leading them to the excavation site behind the camp.

The Fourth Epoch ruin was buried underground, and the workers had already cleared a wide entrance.

The group entered a grand-looking building. Inside, a line of text was written on the walls: Don't look the rabbit in the eye. In times of danger, more important than running is to close your eyes.

It was signed: Rex Heller.