Chapter Summaries

Hobart Jeffrey recognized his recurring dream as the Country of Disorder before waking with a surge of madness and calling on The Fool for help. He was pulled through the gray mist to the hall where Klein sat at the Bronze Long Table.

• Hobart Jeffrey dreamed of the strange world and understood the blurry figure's screams as “Country of Disorder.”
• Hobart woke, recalled his transmigration into the world of Lord of the Mysteries, and realized that his memories were missing and his Beyonder traits had no known source.
• A violent wave of madness overwhelmed Hobart, so he repeatedly recited The Fool's Honorific Name and begged for help.
• Hobart was pulled through the gray mist into the grand hall, where he saw Klein seated beyond the Bronze Long Table.

Hobart recovered memories of the Country of Disorder and nearly lost control, but Klein rescued him by pulling him Above the Gray Fog. Hobart joined the Tarot Club as Emperor and looked ahead to his first gathering that afternoon.

• Hobart recovered memories of the Country of Disorder in Source Castle and realized that his amnesia had protected him from its influence.
• Klein pulled Hobart Above the Gray Fog, stopping his growing madness, then asked how Hobart had learned The Fool's Honorific Name.
• Hobart explained that he had heard the Honorific Name after Gray Fog appeared in his mind, and Klein invited him to join the Tarot Club's regular gatherings.
• Hobart drew the Emperor card as his code name, while Klein decided to observe him and performed a divination to check that he was not dangerous.
• Hobart returned to his body exhausted and sweaty, and realized that he would attend his first Tarot Club gathering that afternoon.

Hobart attended breakfast with his adoptive family before secretly skipping class to join the Tarot Club as its new member, Emperor. The gathering ended with Justice, Hanged Man, and Mr. Fool scrutinizing him after he showed no surprise at learning about Roselle’s diary.

• Hobart ate breakfast with Donna and Tyrone, and Monlisa told him that Christine wanted him home early to discuss something important.
• Hobart went to Backlund University, skipped class, and entered the Tarot Club at three o’clock.
• Mr. Fool introduced Hobart as Emperor to Justice and Hanged Man.
• Justice explained that Roselle’s notes were diaries and suggested Hobart collect them to trade with Mr. Fool.
• Hobart realized the others had noticed his lack of surprise and chose not to explain why he already knew about the diaries.

At the Tarot Club gathering, Hobart explained what he knew about Beyonder knowledge and his birth with Extraordinary Characteristics, while searching for the cause of his madness. Mr. Fool identified a Curse as a possible cause, and Hobart shared information about the Antigonus Family in exchange.

• Klein, Audrey, and Alger reconsidered Hobart after realizing he recognized Rosell's diary and knew about acting and digestion.
• Hobart told the gathering he had been gradually going mad and offered rare Beyonder knowledge for help finding the cause.
• Hobart explained to Audrey that Half Sequence 9 referred to people born with inherited Extraordinary Characteristics, which could make them go mad if they could not control them.
• Mr. Fool told Hobart that his condition was caused by a Curse, giving Hobart a new direction for his investigation.
• Hobart offered information about the Antigonus Family, describing its origins and warning that discussing two figures connected to it could bring disaster.

At the Tarot Club, Hobart shared secret history about the Antigonus Family and suggested Hanged Man search Elven ruins for a Storm Blessed Potion Recipe. After returning home, Hobart learned from his adoptive father Christine that his biological family’s bloodline carried a curse.

• Hobart explained that Antigonus had been hunted by the gods and that rumors placed him asleep in the Palace of Hornacis.
• Hobart told Hanged Man that the Elven Race had mastered the Sailor pathway and that Elven ruins at sea might hold what he sought.
• After the gathering ended, Hobart decided that staying near Klein could bring him benefits.
• Hobart went home by rental carriage and was summoned to the Study by Christine.
• Christine asked Hobart about his absent-mindedness, insomnia, and occasional madness, then revealed that his family’s bloodline carried a curse.

Christine revealed that Hobart’s family suffered a bloodline Curse and explained the choices his father had left him. Hobart chose the Lawyer Pathway, and Christine prepared his Sequence 9 potion.

• Christine told Hobart that his father, Rex, had tried to end the family’s Curse and that Hobart’s mother sealed it until he turned twenty-two.
• Christine explained that Hobart could live as an ordinary person or become a Beyonder, but the Lawyer Pathway was his only option and advancing would worsen his madness.
• Hobart chose to become a Beyonder and said he would continue his family’s work to eliminate the Curse.
• Christine used the Lawyer potion recipe and Extraordinary Materials to prepare the Sequence 9 potion for Hobart.

Hobart drank the Dark Potion and became a Sequence 9 Beyonder on the Lawyer Pathway, then learned about his abilities and Christine’s plans for his training. That night, he returned to the Country of Disorder and discovered that he could control it to some extent.

• Hobart drank the Dark Potion, experienced a brief vision of flaws, and stabilized as a Beyonder.
• Christine explained the abilities and limits of a lawyer and said he would arrange for Hobart to work as a lawyer assistant at a Law Firm.
• Hobart asked who had cursed the Heller Family, but Christine said he would reveal what he knew after Hobart mastered the Sequence 8 Potion.
• Hobart wondered who had told Christine about his signs of losing control, then ate dinner with the family and fell asleep exhausted.
• Hobart dreamed of the mountain peak in the Country of Disorder, sat on a Stone Chair, and gained a special connection to the place.
• Hobart waved the blurry male figure into the black pool and realized he had gained some control over the Country of Disorder.

Hobart explored the Country of Disorder, discovering that it could suppress the Heller Family’s curse and let him observe events in the outside world through certain stars. He left the Country of Disorder without falling into madness, though he believed the curse had only been suppressed.

• Hobart guessed that the shadow trapped in the pool was the manifestation of the Heller Family’s bloodline curse and that the Country of Disorder could suppress it.
• Hobart tested his control over the Stone Throne, reshaped it into an Iron Throne, and found he could draw two white stars toward it.
• Hobart used one star to witness a middle-aged man in bed, then used another to observe a young man kill a brown-skinned Beyonder and collect his Extraordinary Characteristic.
• Hobart concluded that the stars let him project True Sight into the outside world but could not pull people into the Country of Disorder.
• Hobart left the Country of Disorder, confirmed that he felt no madness, and went to sleep, believing the curse had only been suppressed.

Hobart discovered how to enter the Country of Disorder voluntarily and withdrew from Backlund University to begin work as a Lawyer Assistant. At the Aslan-Barton Law Firm, Great Lawyer Barton gave him a case to argue in Magistrate Court the next day.

• Hobart declined Bishop and Ulyia’s invitation to afternoon tea, claiming he was nervous about becoming Barton’s assistant.
• Hobart entered the Country of Disorder by reciting the incantations used to access Source Castle and realized the two places shared a password.
• Hobart left the Country of Disorder, completed his withdrawal procedures with Valk, and said goodbye to his classmates and instructors.
• Valk took Hobart to the Aslan-Barton Law Firm, where Great Lawyer Barton welcomed him as his father’s former comrade-in-arms.
• Barton gave Hobart a straightforward case and told him to appear as the plaintiff’s Lawyer in Magistrate Court the next day.

Hobart handled his first court case, securing an order to sell Mr. Robin’s home to repay a debt and confronting the harshness of the world beyond his family’s protection. He reflected on a lawyer’s duty to serve clients while helping the deserving outside court, then prepared to accompany Barton on another economic dispute.

• Hobart reviewed Mr. Robin’s debt case and imagined an easy courtroom victory before his first day at court.
• Mr. Robin pleaded for time to repay Mr. Henry, but Hobart argued that Robin had to take responsibility for his failed investment and requested compulsory enforcement.
• The judge approved Hobart’s request, and Hobart left the court troubled by the order to auction Robin’s home.
• Hobart told Barton that he had realized how cold the world was, and Barton explained that lawyers pursued clients’ interests but needed a sense of justice.
• Hobart thanked his adoptive parents for protecting him, and Barton asked him to return the next morning to handle an economic dispute for Earl Hall.

Hobart accompanied Barton to Earl Hall's Residence, where he met Audrey and was recommended as a legal adviser. Audrey took Hobart aside to ask about a criminal case involving a friend who had crippled someone during a conflict.

• Barton explained Earl Hall's investments and the nobles' preference for settling disputes privately as they traveled to the residence with Hobart.
• Earl Hall welcomed Barton and Hobart, and Barton praised Hobart as an outstanding law student.
• Audrey arrived, and Hobart was stunned by her beauty before she asked Barton to speak with her privately after his business meeting.
• Barton introduced Hobart as someone who could assist Audrey with legal matters, and Audrey led him into the garden.
• Audrey asked whether Hobart had handled criminal cases, then described a friend who had accidentally crippled her opponent during a conflict.

Hobart advised Audrey on how to clear Hugh Dilcha’s name and agreed to handle the case for up to 600 pounds. The next day, he and Lisa visited Minsk Prison, where Hobart met Hugh for the first time.

• Hobart told Audrey that being a lawyer did not mean he had to act as an embodiment of Justice, then recommended getting the injured thug to withdraw his complaint rather than claiming Hugh was mentally ill.
• Hobart noticed a golden retriever watching him and suspected it was Susie, then agreed to meet Hugh and the injured man the following day.
• Audrey entrusted Hobart with the case and set a maximum budget of 600 pounds.
• Barton praised Hobart’s handling of Audrey’s request and pointed out that gaining her trust could bring him future business.
• Audrey sent Lisa to accompany Hobart, and they traveled to Minsk Prison with the necessary documents.
• A prison guard brought Hugh Dilcha into the Visiting Room, and Hobart recognized her by her small stature.

Hobart learned why Xue had been imprisoned after injuring Veil and went to the East End to find the bully. At Veil’s door, Hobart heard that Veil had lost the ability to stand, but his voice answered from inside.

• Xue told Hobart that she had injured Veil after he refused to return Bennett’s stolen pocket watch and compensate him.
• Hobart and Lisa traveled to the East End, where Hobart witnessed the poverty and hardship there.
• At the Blue Knight Bar, Hobart offered one pound to anyone who would take him to Veil, then used his revolver to deter a man who joked that Veil was dead.
• The man led Hobart to a dilapidated door, where Veil called out from inside, asking who had come to rob him.

Hobart visited the crippled Veil and persuaded him to choose treatment in exchange for withdrawing his charges against Xue after he improved. Hobart then took Veil to see Doctor White, whose son Emlyn White answered the door.

• Hobart found Veil neglected and living in squalor, then offered money or medical treatment if Veil withdrew the charges against Xue.
• Veil refused the initial offers, but Hobart’s Distortion ability helped convince him to accept treatment instead of money.
• Hobart hired Pete and four vagrants to clean up Veil, take him to a bathhouse, and help him eat lunch.
• Hobart took Veil and Lisa to Riverbend Avenue and found Doctor White’s home at 48 Riverbend Avenue.
• Emlyn White opened the door and told Hobart that he was Doctor White’s son.

Hobart took Veil to Emlyn White, who treated his broken spine with an expensive potion, then helped withdraw the lawsuit against Miss Hugh. Lisa reported the unexpected success to Audrey, leaving her surprised that Miss Hugh would be released the next day.

• Hobart brought Veil to Emlyn White, who charged 30 pounds for a potion and painfully healed Veil's broken lumbar vertebra.
• Hobart paid the vagrants who had helped carry Veil and warned Lisa not to publicize Emlyn's medical skills.
• Hobart and Veil withdrew the lawsuit shortly after four o'clock.
• Lisa told Audrey, Earl Hall, and the countess that Miss Hugh would be released the next day and credited Hobart's efficient actions and connections.

Hobart helped Xue secure her release from prison, then received a large payment and tip for his work. After briefly being swept up in the money, he reminded himself that strength and his larger goals mattered more, and reflected on the limits of the Lawyer’s abilities.

• Madam Lisa told Earl Hall, Countess Hall, and Audrey how Hobart had resolved the case, and Audrey decided he deserved a generous reward.
• Hobart accompanied Lisa to complete Xue’s release, and Xue declined his offer to take her home but asked for his contact information.
• Lisa settled the case payment, and Barton told Hobart he had earned 20 Pounds in fees and a tip of 45 Pounds 13 Sule 9 penny.
• Hobart celebrated his income before recalling how Mr. Robin’s risky investments had ruined his family, which cooled his excitement.
• Hobart resolved not to lose sight of his goals and reviewed his understanding of the Lawyer’s abilities, finding weaknesses and twisting thoughts.

Hobart prepared to protect himself and planned to test whether he could channel the Country of Disorder’s power beyond it. After forming the first line of his three-part Honorific Name, he left the remaining lines unfinished.

• Hobart decided to buy a cane and firearm, and Barton advised Bojier to help him apply for a Gun License.
• Hobart bought gifts for his family and asked Christine where he could practice shooting; Christine offered to take him to the Mercenary Club.
• Hobart entered the Country of Disorder and considered how to use its powers outside the realm.
• Hobart chose Creator in the Shadow of Order as the first line of his Honorific Name.

Hobart crafted his Honorific Name and used the Power of Order to stop Elliot from losing control. Elliot revealed that the Balk Family shared the Heller Family’s Curse and that Rex Heller had helped them resist it.

• Hobart completed his Honorific Name, describing himself as the origin and end of all order and the Master of Laws who commanded the Clock of Order.
• Hobart observed Elliot suffering from Loss of Control and sent the Power of Order through the second star to stabilize him.
• Elliot thanked the mysterious existence and explained that the Balk Family’s Curse began when its members turned twelve and caused them to become half a Sequence 9 of the Lawyer pathway.
• Hobart learned that Elliot’s family was called the Balk Family and asked about Rex Heller.
• Elliot said Rex Heller and the Heller Family had suffered the same Curse, and that Rex had taught the Balk Family ways to resist it, helping them produce a half-human, half-Demigod powerhouse.

Hobart learned more about the Balk Family’s curse and revealed himself to Elliot as a powerful Lawyer pathway being, offering help only in exchange for a future sacrifice. After recovering from his time in the Country of Disorder, Hobart joined the Mercenary Club to practice shooting.

• Elliot told Hobart that the Balk Family had hunted Prisoner pathway Beyonders for decades and relied on a High Sequence Sealed Artifact to hide their town.
• Hobart refused to lift the curse for Elliot’s loyalty alone, allowed him to call for help during future Loss of Control in exchange for a true sacrifice, and gave him his Honorific Name.
• Hobart left the Country of Disorder, recovered from the strain, and wondered about the curse of Mad Howl, the Balk Family, and the two white stars.
• The next morning, Hobart went with Christine and Colonel Bruno to the Mercenary Club, where Christine paid his membership fee and introduced him.

Hobart toured the Mercenary Club, chose a revolver, and learned about its firearms, information board, and weekly gatherings. After connecting Lafite Pound to the club’s former owners and considering the family’s possible ties to the Lawyer pathway, Hobart decided to investigate cautiously and practiced shooting with Spirit Vision.

• Anas showed Hobart the weapons display room and explained the club’s ammunition rules and restrictions on buying machine guns.
• Hobart chose a revolver and learned from Anas about the Information Wall and the weekly Sunday gathering.
• Anas told Hobart that the club had once been Pound Viscount’s residence and that only one member of the Pound Family remained.
• Hobart suspected Lafite Pound belonged to the family and considered whether it had ties to the Lawyer pathway, but decided to observe and seek information before approaching him.
• Hobart practiced shooting and found that Spirit Vision improved his accuracy, then planned to visit the Information Wall.