Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 461 Yu An's Worries

“Galahad, the Dragon Breath Cannon is the most beautiful thing in the world, nothing else can compare to it.” The prince was reclining in his armchair, his feet propped up on the desk, gazing at the catalog in front of him with a look of rapt attention.

"You said just a few days ago that the Gatling gun is the best."

"Oh, the Gatling gun is alright, but it's still a bit lacking compared to the Dragon's Breath Cannon." The prince curled his lip. "Don't you think the Gatling gun's firepower is insufficient? The Dragon's Breath Cannon is the real weapon for assault!"

As he spoke, he took the picture book over. Even though it was just a picture, the dark, gaping cannon muzzle on it conveyed a sense of ferocious power.

"Look, this is the kind of weapon a man should use. What kind of water pipe is a Gatling gun? Isn't the Dragon Breath Cannon much more powerful?"

Galahad looked at the brochure that was almost shoved into his face and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The catalog was provided by Castells.

Hughes didn’t mind showing off his cutting-edge weaponry at all, and even hinted to the prince that he could consider providing a batch of weapons support should war break out with the Empire.

Only real combat can reveal the weaknesses of a weapon. With cognitive interference, Hughes has no worries about technology leaks.

Just kidding, if you want to steal technology, you also have to steal the entire production line and related researchers. Who can do that?
This understanding that can affect the real world has indeed brought Hughes a lot of trouble, but at least it has an advantage in preventing technology leaks.

On the prince's desk sits a bolt-action rifle that's half-disassembled, next to blueprints and notes written by the prince himself.

On the other side of the room, the original books on the bookshelf had been thrown away and replaced with literacy class textbooks, the Holy Scriptures of the Apostolic Guard, and even a few advanced class books.

Below the cabinet, there was a neat stack of newspapers—all official reports from Castells, detailing many of Castells' important matters.

Of course, there was also a locked cabinet next to it, containing some less official newspapers.

This is not convenient to show, since many of the unofficial histories that Nini wrote feature himself as the protagonist.

Hughes did not take strict precautions against Bloodharbor. On the contrary, he did not mind that the prince sent people to infiltrate the literacy class and learn Castells' knowledge. After the prince realized this, he simply asked Hughes for some textbooks.

This is extremely valuable knowledge for this era, but as valuable as it is, even if these books were packaged and given to other forces, probably no one would dare to read them.

After all, knowledge and pollution are not fundamentally different, and in many cases knowledge is even less so than pollution—after all, pollution can be put into a furnace and burned.

In return for Hughes's generosity, the prince gave him almost everything he wanted at Blood Harbor.

However, not everyone can agree with this approach.

In a corner of the room, the old butler, You An, had a complicated expression on his face.

Looking at the room full of industrial creations, he always had the feeling that his young master was neglecting his duties.

Previously, Isabella, in cooperation with the prince's soul, gained Euan's trust and released the old butler from the dungeon, allowing him to continue working diligently for Bloodharbor.

But the prince was quite different from before, and Yu'an was still a little unaccustomed to it.

“Young Master William, the Secret Order is now patrolling the streets armed with weapons, effectively taking over the security of the port area. Should we continue to let this go unchecked?”

Euan was growing increasingly anxious. Castells' influence over Bloodharbor was growing, but the prince seemed completely oblivious, his mind solely focused on the novelties Hughes had given him. Could the young master have been fooled by Hughes?

Yu An was filled with anxiety.

The prince glanced at him and suddenly said, "Yuan, if you have any concerns, feel free to say them."

After hesitating for a moment, Yuan finally spoke up: "Young Master William, I believe that if things continue like this, Bloodharbor will eventually fall into the hands of that Earl Hughes."

"really."

"Huh?" Yu'an was taken aback, and said urgently, "Then, then we should control this, we can't let it continue like this!"

"So what do you think should be done?"

"Let the port guards take charge of the security of Blood Harbor and drive the Castel people out of key positions, especially the Secret Order! They've already started patrolling the lower city and really think they're the masters of this city."

“Well said, Mr. Euan. But before the Castel people arrived, the port guards didn’t patrol the lower city either, did they?”

Yu An was stunned. He seemed to vaguely understand something, but his thoughts were still too superficial.

"Euan, what do you think is the essence of power?"

“Family, bloodline, surname, your noble lineage,” Yu An replied without hesitation.

The prince chuckled and shook his head: "I don't think it's that complicated—the essence of power is that others acknowledge your power."

"The Secret Order has influence in the lower city, and the people at the bottom recognize its existence, so it has this power. Who is the master of this city is not for me to decide, but for the people to decide who they believe to be."

"But...but this has always been your fiefdom, even the Queen acknowledges it."

"The Empress? What's an Empress? She died quietly without a sound." The prince laughed.

"The Secret Order can extend its influence to the Lower City, so they have power there. My decrees only affect the Upper City, so I have power there. As for the question you just asked—why is Castells able to share my power in Bloodharbor?"

"That's because they have enough military strength. As long as they are in Blood Harbor, no one thinks the Port Guard can stand up to them. You think they are stealing my power? On the contrary, Blood Harbor has long been theirs. I'm just helping them manage it."

"That's why I gave up Blood Harbor during the negotiations. I lost the war and had effectively lost influence over the city."

Yu'an hesitated before speaking, "But...but this has always been your territory."

"I've only made a claim, that power is might, Yu'an. You think I'm neglecting my duties, but I'm precisely seeking power—"

The prince stood up and reached out his hands to look around, as if he wanted to embrace everything in the room.

"With knowledge and power, what kind of land can't we get, what kind of city can't we conquer? Old Yuan, don't worry about jurisdiction. What if we give them the entire Blood Harbor, let alone the dock area? It's just a city. Go open the map and see which city you like. I'll conquer it and give it to you."

Yuan opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't know how to start. The prince's tone was overflowing with confidence, as if he really was conquering this continent at will.

(End of this chapter)