Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Pollution is attracted to living creatures.

Although the principle behind this is unknown, it is very convenient to utilize.  

Hughes’ current plan is to use living creatures to lure the pollution from the depths of the Abyss to the pipeline, collect it, and then transport it to the island using the steam engine.  

This way, he could obtain a continuous supply of entity pollution.

While Hughes could trigger cognitive interference to summon pollution, this method was unstable and required a vast amount of land, since the pollution summoned through cognitive interference would descend randomly over a large area.  

The most crucial aspect of industry is a stable supply and output. Constructing a tunnel to the Abyss is somewhat troublesome, but if it could provide an endless fuel source, then it would be worth it.  

Moreover, Hughes had other ideas for this tunnel. The current project was merely an experiment.

If the Sirens could complete this task, he might be able to implement more modifications for Castel.  

Buildings on Earth were influenced by many factors, such as foundations, underground water seepage, and various settlement issues.  

Although the Sirens were not completely immune to these problems, they could resolve them with ease. Digging through rock formations with ’’Fossil to Mud’’ was incredibly simple.

If collapses occurred in certain areas, reinforcing them afterward would not be difficult.  

Not only was construction easier, but even if accidents happened, the Sirens would suffer little to no casualties.  

Flesh Magic could be activated instantly. Whether facing pollution or magma, they could endure for a period of time.

If the issue was water pressure, they could simply keep the magic activated indefinitely.  

And if they got injured, the ’’Symbiotic Contract’’ would rapidly repair and heal them. Buried underground?

The ’’Mind Link’’ allowed them to call for help immediately, eliminating any risk of being stranded.  

Thus, Hughes felt completely at ease entrusting this task to Una.  

Now that he thought about it, the whole idea seemed somewhat insane, he was truly attempting to turn entity pollution into fuel.

He had no idea what Castel would look like in the future.  

After bidding farewell to Nini and Una, Hughes returned to his study in the manor.  

To his surprise, he found a visitor waiting for him.  

”Chloe? What brings you here?”  

”My Lord.”  

Chloe took a deep breath, her gaze slowly becoming resolute. She had already made up her mind before coming here.  

”My Lord, I wish to go to the Northlands on your behalf to investigate Nora’s situation.”  

After speaking, she raised her head and looked at Hughes.  

Contrary to her expectations, Hughes did not immediately agree. Instead, he seemed to be contemplating something.  

After a long moment, he finally looked up, his expression serious.  

”Chloe, to be honest, I didn’t expect you to come forward. I had originally planned to send Connor to the Northlands.”  

”Because this time, my goal isn’t just to investigate Nora’s situation, I already know what’s happening there.”  

As he spoke, Hughes turned and handed Chloe a document from his desk.  

”This information comes from the royal family. You should take a look.”  

Chloe picked up the document, flipped through a few pages, and slowly furrowed her brows.  

”Count Bazel?”  

”Yes, a Frontier Count, just like me. However, he has the backing of the three Grand Dukes of the North and has developed rapidly, something the royal family is unwilling to see.”  

Chloe looked slightly confused. She usually only dealt with local lords and knew little about the Empire’s political landscape.  

”The Frontier Counts are appointed by the royal family. They are the royal family’s sword, expanding the Empire’s territory. However, the three Grand Dukes of the North have a poor relationship with the royal family.”  

”I see. So, are you saying that Count Bazel has betrayed the royal family?”  

”More or less. He chose to align himself with the three Grand Dukes and, with their backing, expanded rapidly northward.”  

Hughes briefly explained the Frontier Count system to Chloe.  

”Wait a minute. This system sounds flawed.”  

Chloe frowned as she listened. ”The royal family sends these Frontier Counts out to expand their territory but doesn’t provide enough secret support to help them establish a foothold. Wouldn’t that make these counts prone to betrayal?”  

Hughes smiled, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation.  

”You’re absolutely right. Frontier Counts are indeed prone to aligning with other factions. You see, I’m already secretly dealing with pirates, selling them supplies, surely you didn’t think all that nitroglycerin was for fireworks?”  

Yes, Hughes was essentially an arms dealer, supplying weapons to the pirates of Gem Bay, despite the Empire’s strict embargo.  

”Then why does the Empire still implement this Frontier Count system? Wouldn’t it just create regional warlords? Does the Empress not realize this?”  

”The Empress knows, she just doesn’t care.”  

Chloe’s eyes widened.  

”Let’s talk about the three Grand Dukes of the North. Ever since the Empire was established, they have been constantly at war with each other and have always ignored royal decrees. But now, the three of them have joined forces, obediently sending their knights to fight alongside the royal army on the western front. They only dare to secretly support Count Bazel and cause trouble behind the scenes.”  

”Why have they suddenly become so interested in schemes and conspiracies? Simple, because they can’t win a direct fight anymore.”  

”Eleven years ago, the Empress ascended the throne. That same year, she reformed the military. A few years later, the royal army became famous.”  

”Guess how that happened?”  

”Three years after that, the Empire reclaimed all lost territory, reaching its largest size in history.”  

”It was during this time that the Frontier Count system was established, though it wasn’t called that at first.”  

”Everywhere, noble pioneers held royal decrees of appointment. The Empress never cared about their loyalty. Betrayal meant nothing to her, because the royal army would deliver every traitor’s head to Rhine.”  

”And those territories of the Frontier Counts? Naturally, they would return to the Empire.”

”Do you understand now?”  

Hughes smiled at Chloe, took the document from her hands, and returned it to the cabinet.  

”If you are strong enough, loyalty doesn’t matter.”

If a Frontier Count remained loyal, the royal family gained both loyalty and land.  

If a Frontier Count betrayed the Empire, the royal family would crush them and still gain their land.

If a Frontier Count died, the Empress would simply issue a new decree, tapping her sword on the shoulder of another kneeling noble, creating a new Frontier Count to expand the Empire.  

One could imagine how the surrounding nations viewed these endless waves of Frontier Counts.  

Did they hate them? No, they were grateful.  

Grateful that the Empress was still willing to play this slow territorial game instead of simply unleashing the royal army to crush their defenses.  

At this moment, the Empire was at its peak, and its army was unstoppable.  

”This is why I need a team that can gather intelligence for me within the Empire. That is my true objective.”