Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 566 See you in Castel
Upon hearing this, the entire courtroom fell silent.

I've seen people disagree with the verdict, but this is the first time I've complained that the sentence is too lenient.

"What did you say?" Hughes could hardly believe it, wondering if he had misheard.

“Sentence me, I want to go to Castel, I don’t care if it takes a long time!” Alvarez said with a determined look.

The judges in the courtroom exchanged glances and then looked toward the presiding judge's seat, where Chloe's diary lay.

Why? Explain your reasons.

“I’ve inquired about it. You can’t go to Castel without a legitimate reason, let alone stay there for long. I want to go to Castel, I want to go no matter what. I heard from Hunter that you can go to Castel if you’re sentenced!”

〖.〗

"Ahem!" Hughes couldn't stand it any longer, so he coughed lightly and raised his hand.

The judge beside him quickly struck his gavel: "Count Hughes, please speak."

“Mr. Alvarez, actually Castel is not strictly closed off from the island. As long as you go through the approval process, pay the hospital fees, and reserve a bed, you can go. The reason why you can’t go there casually is simply because Castel syndrome is really troublesome. If one person goes crazy, it may take several people to control him. Castel’s manpower is not very abundant.”

The implication is that if you want to go, just apply.

In fact, the reason why Castel does not allow people to go there at will is not just that. There are too many secrets on this island, such as the Fire-Chasing Moth and the Stellar Furnace and its fuel, which are not convenient to disclose.

The Candlelight Society can tolerate the existence of the Candlelight Moths on Hughes' side, but if it becomes public, the two sides will basically have to go to war.

The same goes for the sea god; stuffing an evil god into the furnace is quite horrifying.

Not to mention that this information might be contaminated; since it concerns the extraordinary, it's best to be cautious.

As for the testing grounds and various cutting-edge research, Hughes actually had no intention of blocking them. After all, given the extent of cognitive interference in this world, if one wanted to utilize his research results, one would basically have to build a system similar to Castel's.

Therefore, it's just some protection from a safety perspective.

“Besides that, Castells does have some openings. If you’re not just going there for tourism, I can help you write a letter of introduction,” Hughes nodded to Alvarez.

This is a very reserved way of putting it; after all, Hughes is the lord of this place, and these matters are basically decided by his word.

Alvarez was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately sat down: "No problem, no problem, then I have no problem at all, please make the judgment quickly!"

After saying that, he turned to Hughes with a grin and said, "Count Hughes, thank you for your hospitality. I hope we will meet again in Castel soon!"

Hughes nodded meaningfully.

"So... you weren't sentenced?!" Hunter stared at his uncle in disbelief.

"Hehe, yes, I'm lucky, and I even got an invitation from Count Hughes, so I can go to Castells too!"

Alvarez was filling out the application form with a smug look on his face, while also sharing his life experience with Hunter.

"Indeed, surrendering is the right path for a family to develop. Look at the others. The Grand Duke of Dragonfang is now scattered all over the Northern Territory, impossible to shovel up. Octavia ran off to the Empire and is probably holed up somewhere now. Forget about land, she'll probably have to donate her property to the Candlelight Society. And me—"

Alvarez proudly raised his head.

"I'm even about to land in Castells!"

Hunter shook his head helplessly. "Don't joke around, Uncle. You should go to Castel first. Many people go crazy there. It's hard to say whether you can handle it."

"Don't worry, I looked into this beforehand. It's mainly because you're a scholar, knowledgeable and erudite, that you're prone to going crazy. I have a significant advantage in that regard."

Hunter hesitated for a moment before remaining silent. He had intended to share his method for using the Thorn Tongue, but...
"Let them decide for themselves," he thought to himself.

The thorny tongue and the man dressed as a doctor never appeared again after that. Hunter sometimes wondered if the other had forgotten him, and sometimes wondered if this was some kind of test.

If it is for my sake, Master Seuss, I am willing to accept the test.
Hunter thought to himself.

"By the way, Uncle, I might not be able to go to the island with you."

"Hmm? Is there some trouble?" Alvarez, who was usually quite unserious, became unusually serious. "Do you need your uncle's help?"

"No, you misunderstand. I just received a notice from the court that the Watts family is going to trial, and I will be there to watch. I want to see those guys sentenced with my own eyes!"

Hunter said through gritted teeth.

"Those guys are as stubborn as rocks in a cesspool. Well, let's send them to Castel to broaden their horizons!"

“That would be very interesting.” Alvarez curled his lip. He didn’t have a good impression of Hunter’s family either. That group was almost the largest conservative in the North, controlling the cultivation of scholars and even the education of knowledge in the entire North. Now, there are hardly any literate people in the entire North, and they deserve a lot of credit for that.

If Hunter hadn't also been named Watts, no matter how much he yearned for knowledge, he would never have become a scholar.

These most conservative and closed-minded scholars were exiled to Castells, a place known for its openness and sharing.
"When will they arrive? I will certainly give them a proper welcome from Castel."

"You'd be lucky if you didn't have to be greeted by someone from a hospital bed," Hunter said with a smile. "I heard that in a few days, the people at the court told me that an important criminal will be brought in for trial."

"How important? How could it be more important than me?"

"Yes."

Alvarez, who had seemed indifferent, paused for a moment after hearing Hunter's reply.

"More important than me? Could it be Bazel?"

"Ash, thank you for your hard work. Same as always, don't let anyone in. In case of an emergency, you can use the authorization letter I gave you."

Hughes greeted Ash via telepathy, then went into the house, locked the door, and lay down on the chair.

He never told anyone the secret between the thrones, and each time he returned, he would basically have Ash help protect them.

Ash's loyalty was beyond question, and Hughes was equally generous in his trust.

As for the other banshees, they must have some suspicions. After all, the mind link could no longer be used after their return, and given the frequency of their conversations, someone must have spoken to them after their return.

But the succubi tacitly refrained from asking, keeping it as his secret.

The jumbled thoughts were left behind as he returned, and soon, another body, some distance away, slowly opened its eyes.

"How is it, Gwen?"

(End of this chapter)