Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 564 I want to stay

"What's the use of money? He just ruined my fishing. That huge lump of meat fell down and scared all the fish away, so I didn't catch a single one. He should be thrown in to feed the filefish!"

Nini pouted and pretended to throw him back into the sea, which startled Hunter so much that he jumped up.

"No! No! He's also really good at making fried fish!"

Nini was taken aback, then her eyes gradually brightened.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true, my uncle is the best fish-fry expert in the North," Hunter boasted.

As the two were talking, Alvarez's eyes gradually cleared. After soaking in the seawater, he seemed to have figured out many things.

"I...I want to stay here," he murmured softly.

Hunter and Nini paused for a moment, then turned to look at him.

"I want to be here, I really, really want to. I'm willing to donate all my money and my land. I'll do anything, even sell fried fish, just let me stay."

Feeling the surprised looks from Hunter and Nini, a trace of sadness appeared in his eyes: "In the North, I can't even install a gas lamp in my home. Every day when I open my eyes, I see famine, war, and lords fighting each other. All I'm good at is surrendering."

Hunter leaned closer to Nini and whispered, "What kind of indescribable monster did he see in the sea? Was he scared out of his wits?"

Nini whispered back, "There are no monsters in the sea, Blood Harbor is much scarier, isn't it?"

"Huh? What's so scary about that?"

"Ha. You weren't like this when you first came. Besides, what's wrong with him thinking this way?"

Hunter's eyes widened immediately: "You have no idea how rich he is! Archbishop Alexei gave me a huge amount of things, food and supplies, I was so happy, but it's nothing compared to his wealth!"

"Oh, so if he gives you all the money, and you can never set foot on Castells or Bloodharbor again, would you be willing?"

Hunter paused, thinking of Yami, of the endless knowledge he could learn, and of calculus.
His eyes immediately hardened: "I have many familiar nobles in the North. Let me make a list of them and have the expeditionary force quickly develop the North."

Nini's lips twitched.

“Okay, I really don’t want to leave Castel. As long as I can eat my fill, even without pay, whether it’s detention or overtime, I’m willing to stay in Castel.” Hunter smiled sheepishly, then whispered, “Actually, I can take jobs even if I’m not well-fed.”

"Stop, stop, stop! If the lord hears you, you're doomed!" Nini tapped his head with her finger, exasperated. "You like Castel, but he can't like him too? You're just a scholar, while he's been a duke for decades. Does he not know which one is better?"

After saying that, she turned to Alvarez and asked, "Why do you want to stay here? Is it just to escape your responsibilities as the Duke?"

“Not entirely.” Alvarez seemed to have recovered quite well and was no longer so hysterical.

“I’m experiencing something here that I don’t have in the North. No, not those gaslights!” He glared at Hunter.

"When I arrived here, I felt that the people here were very different. I couldn't figure out what the difference was, but I just realized it. It must be hope."

"Neither the poor nor the nobles in the North have ever had this hope."

"We're struggling in the mud, some climbing higher, some lower, all tangled together, and nobody knows what's outside the mud." "There is no hope in the North."

After saying that, he turned to look at Blood Harbor behind him.

Steel behemoths docked at the wharf, gantry cranes transferred boxes of goods to the railway, trains roared towards the factory, and people walked out with smiles on their faces.

Civilians dressed in coarse cloth entered the school, carefully turning the pages of their textbooks with calloused hands, while young soldiers walked and discussed the sacred texts as they went.

Chimneys spew smoke from one another, and buildings form this steel forest.

Alvarez's eyes were filled with undisguised affection.

“If I weren’t a duke, a lord, I would only yearn for the wealth here. But I’ve managed too many lands in the North, I’ve seen too many cities. The whole North is in decline. Damn it, you have no idea how much I love this hopeful place!” His voice was deep.

"Speaking of which, the prince seems to be here too. He must like this place very much, right?"

Nini nodded gently.

Since the construction of Bloodharbor began, the prince has practically given Castell whatever he wants.

I initially thought this was just his way of showing goodwill, but now I think... perhaps he truly loves this rapidly changing land.

“You don’t understand how attractive this city is to a lord.” Alvarez’s eyes even held a hint of fanaticism and piety.

Nini's eyes darted around for a moment, then she leaned closer to Hunter: "He hasn't gone to Castells yet, has he?"

"Yes, he hasn't been tried yet, but it's most likely a minor offense, so he probably won't be forcibly sent to Castells."

"How about this, after his trial is over, you persuade him to go for a stroll in Castel, and the 50,000 lio debt will be wiped clean, how about that?"

"make a deal!"

After whispering for a while, Hunter left with Alvarez, and Nini waved her three right hands at them reluctantly.

A small head emerged from the sea, and Monica asked, somewhat puzzled, "Nini, why did you send Alvarez to Castel?"

"Don't you think it's hilarious? He's already seen Blood Harbor like this. When he gets to Castel, won't he cling to Poseidon and refuse to leave?"

Nini licked her lips: "And I have a feeling that writing a report about his experience would be great. I definitely want to follow him throughout the whole interview!"

Three days passed in a flash. Hunter took Alvarez on a tour of Blood Harbor. He himself didn't know much about Blood Harbor, and had only heard of many places. Seeing it with his own eyes this time broadened his horizons considerably.

Alvarez also managed to steal a moment to meet with the prince. The two locked themselves in a room and talked for a long time, and it's unclear what they discussed, but Hunter noticed that they both came out with smiles on their faces.

Besides shopping, Alvarez also visited many stores, and now his suitcase is filled with a dozen bars of soap.

After spending several days exploring Blood Harbor, Alvarez finally stood nervously at the entrance of the courtroom, took a deep breath, and went inside.

(End of this chapter)