Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

『Each group, report your status.』

『Group One is in position, on the top-floor balcony of the manor.』

『Group Two is in position, in the chemistry laboratory within the garden.』

『Group Three is in position, on the second floor, west side.』

『Group Three is in position, in the study, right behind you, Sister Ash.』

『Group Four is not in position yet. Miss Zoe just came by and said that the room over there hasn’t been tidied up yet, so we need to wait a little longer.』

Ash nodded. She had divided the Sirens into several groups, hiding them in various spots around the manor.

The cultists of the Moths Chasing Fire were attending tonight’s banquet, so the Sirens decided to be extra cautious, deploying more personnel, who knew what kind of trouble the Extraordinary among them might stir up?

After all, this was their first encounter. Although Lord Hughes had said there was a high probability they could cooperate, Ash still felt they shouldn’t trust this group.

They dared to summon an evil god, what wouldn’t they dare to do?In the adjacent room.

Hughes was changing clothes with the help of his servants, having his hair and makeup done.

Yes, makeup. In this era, it was improper for a nobleman to attend public events without wearing makeup.

On the bright side, at least wigs were no longer in fashion.

Hughes sighed inwardly while letting Miss Zoe apply white powder to his face.

“You know, this stuff is lead. Prolonged exposure causes poisoning.”

“Then you should shut your mouth quickly to avoid swallowing it. It’s not like you attend banquets every day, I’ll apply less for you.”

Hughes sighed again. He had originally thought that informing people of these hazards would make them avoid such cosmetics, but things didn’t turn out as he had hoped.

The maids merely reduced the amount they used slightly instead of abandoning them altogether.

Thinking about it, it made sense.

On Earth, tobacco and alcohol had long been classified as Class 1 carcinogens, yet people still drank and smoked excessively at social gatherings.

It seemed that no matter the era, people had an almost desperate approach to socializing.

He had even heard that, recently, some noblewomen in the Empire had deliberately contracted tuberculosis to give themselves a frail and delicate beauty.

Although this kind of thing was rare due to its sheer madness, every time it happened, it was praised as a romantic gesture, beauty to the point of death.

—And it really was deadly. In this era, tuberculosis was a terminal illness, and once infected, one wouldn’t live for many more years.

So Hughes had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and let Miss Zoe apply the lead powder, at least lead poisoning took a long time to be fatal.

“Did the manor staff see the Sirens? What did they say?”

“They didn’t have much of a reaction. We informed them in advance, and besides, they’ve already been screened once, so their acceptance level is pretty high.”

Ever since the recent incidents of pollution descent, Hughes gradually realized that it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep the Sirens’ existence a secret for long.

Especially within the manor, the servants responsible for daily chores would inevitably notice something was off.

After the last pollution incident, Hughes made up his mind to allow the Sirens to appear openly within the manor.

He had conducted background checks on all the manor’s servants and guards.

Since most of them had been brought from the Duke’s territory, Old Connor took charge of the investigation.

Those deemed trustworthy were allowed to stay, signing confidentiality agreements after a period of observation.

Naturally, their salaries included an extra confidentiality bonus.

Those deemed unreliable, or those who voluntarily wished to leave, were given severance pay and sent away.

In fact, many servants had already wanted to leave. Initially, Hughes paid them decent wages, but once factories outside started operating, some began feeling resentful.

After all, the wages offered by Hughes’ factories were just as high.

Why should the craftsmen outside earn more? Weren’t the manor servants closer to the lord?

So, even though neither their wages nor work conditions had changed, their mindsets had.

Hughes’ strategy was met with universal approval, everyone felt like they had gained something.

But not everyone left out of discontent. Take Zoe, for example. After much hesitation, she had also chosen to leave.

She had been teaching at the school for some time now, and she gradually realized she preferred spending time with students rather than handling chores in the manor.

Hughes respected her decision and even wrote her a recommendation letter, ensuring she could secure a formal position at the school.

—Officially, the school was run by the city hall, though no one actually cared about that.

Technically, the city hall wasn’t even under Hughes’ jurisdiction.

Now, with fewer servants in the manor, upkeep had actually become easier. Many rooms had been converted into resting quarters and duty rooms for the Sirens, this place had become their home in every sense.

This was also an experiment. If the Sirens and humans could coexist normally, Hughes might gradually open up more areas of the island until, one day, they fully integrated into society.

This would no doubt bring countless troubles, obstacles, and difficult choices, but it was a step that had to be taken.

“All done. Makeup is complete.”

Zoe took a step back, carefully examining Hughes’ face.

“You look impeccable, Lord Hughes.”

“Thank you. You can rest now. Since you came to help at the manor today, I’ll let Alexei know, it’ll count as overtime for you.”

Hughes stepped out of the room.

In the adjacent room, the Sirens were whispering with Connor.

“Is there a problem?”

“Young Master.”

“Lord.”

“Are you sure it’s fine for the Sirens to appear openly in the manor? I believe Beatrice is staying in a room upstairs, isn’t she?”

“Don’t worry, Lord. We have two teams watching her. If she makes any move—”

『We will communicate it through the Mind Link.』

Hearing the voice in his mind, Hughes nodded.

“The followers of Moths Chasing Fire are nominally members of the Candlelight Church. There shouldn’t be too many of them attending, but keep an eye on the perimeter. Don’t let them use our gathering here as a distraction to cause trouble on the island.”

“Don’t worry, everything’s arranged. Honestly, I think Ash is being overly cautious, but it’s never a bad thing to be careful.”

Hughes nodded.

“Connor, have you informed Miss Beatrice?”

“She’s been informed, including the exact timing. The surveillance team just reported that she’s ready to attend the banquet. You know how ladies’ preparations always take a long time.”

“Good. Then go ahead with your tasks. When does the banquet start?”

Connor smiled slightly.

“It’s about to begin. It’s just not time for you to enter yet.”

So that’s how it was.

Hughes recalled noble social customs and nodded.

“I’ll go to the entrance to greet the guests first. You can do as you please.”

“Should I accompany you?”

“No need. None of the guests attending are of a status equal to yours. You just need to head to the banquet hall directly later.”