Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 582 The Fried Fish Stall and the Little Boss Lady

A small gas lamp, its flame as flickering as a candle that might go out at any moment.

As the lamplighter turned the valve, the light stabilized, and the bright, white light illuminated the entire dark street.

Gwen suddenly realized something and turned around. The entire street was lit up, and in the distant buildings and factories, the scattered lights resembled a silver river spread across the earth.

"What a beauty"

She had looked up at the starry sky countless times, but this was the first time she had stood in this spot of light, in the Blood Harbor at night, surrounded by light.

People strolled along the street chatting, while factory workers, exhausted but happy, wore tired but happy smiles as they finished their shifts. Young people carrying books playfully walked towards night school, and night watchmen in long overcoats stood quietly at the edge of light and shadow.

Gwen looked around at everything and felt a lump in her throat.

She never doubted the significance of leading the refugees in their resistance, but seeing such a tranquil and beautiful blood harbor still left her deeply moved.

"Lady Nora, can we really live in such a wonderful place? No cold winds, no white plagues, no endless wars?"

Nora snuggled against Gwen without saying a word.

The two of them stood there, nestled together, on the streets of Blood Harbor, for a very long time.

“Castel is such a nice place,” Gwen exclaimed.

"This is Blood Harbor, not Castells."

"Lady Nora, even in my most beautiful fantasies back in the North, I never imagined I could live in a city like this. To be honest, I still find it hard to believe that I have actually arrived in Castel, the second home of the White Ravens."

"Blood Harbor, not Castells."

"I don't know if I can stay in Castel. I'm quite good at fighting, but it seems like I can survive here without fighting. As for studying, well, I seem to lack some talent. I get a headache just looking at those words. Nora, what do you think I'm suited for?"

“Bloodharbor. Hmm?” Nora paused, looked up at Gwen, and narrowed her eyes in thought.

"It seems there really is something suitable for you to do."

the next day.

Gwent sat up abruptly as he woke up, ran his hand over the metal frame under the mattress, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Iron-framed beds—only Castel would have such an odd combination. These simple beds, made purely for convenience, appear to outsiders as a display of wealth and extravagance.

To be honest, a bed made of steel is not more comfortable than one made of wood, but it is easier to transport and manufacture. It can be easily made on an assembly line with a little processing, without the need for a factory; a small workshop can do it.

Although wood is cheaper, it needs to be dried and made by specialized carpenters, which requires much more labor.

Blood Harbor is currently in dire need of manpower.

Having experienced the unique features of Bloodharbor up close, Gwen pulled back the covers and lifted Nora, who was wrapped in a ball under the blanket.

"Lady Nora? Lady Nora!"

Gwen grabbed Nora and shook her several times, then shook her vigorously before Nora managed to open her eyelids a crack, glance at Gwen, mumbled a few words, and then closed them again.

"Wake up, Lady Nora! We're going to Castel today!"

Seeing that Nora had no intention of getting up, Gwen didn't hesitate to turn on the windmill.

After a while, Nora, who had been knocked unconscious, slowly woke up and found herself walking with Gwen on the streets of Bloodharbor.

"We'll board the ship right away. The lord just sent a message. We'll take this morning's ship. Once we get there, we can go to the hospital to see the people of the Silent Sanctuary. If Lady Nora goes mad, she can be admitted to the nearest hospital."

Nora nodded dazedly, then suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Wait, why am I the one who's going crazy? You're the new guy, I'm not going to get Castells syndrome!"

Gwen jogged through the streets and alleys, carrying two suitcases in one hand and Nora in the other, attracting a lot of attention. "Stop here, wait a minute!"

Gwen slammed on the brakes, her body swaying with the two huge boxes in torment. Her shoes made a strange sound. Gwen carefully checked the soles of her shoes first, and only breathed a sigh of relief after finding nothing seriously wrong. She then looked at Nora.

"What's wrong, Lady Nora?"

"Hmm, let's buy some fried fish at this shop. I promised to bring some for Gaia."

Who is Gaia?

"She's a very gentle girl. She never grabs me and swings me around, nor does she stick me out the window!"

"Oh."

Gwen arrived at the store entrance somewhat embarrassed. Only after walking in did she realize that the walls of the store were also made of concrete. Taking a step back, she discovered that this was the ground floor of a building.

A square sign hangs at the entrance of the shop: "Yami Fish & Fries"

"Two pounds, please? Where is everyone?"

Gwen glanced at the counter with some confusion, but didn't see anyone. After a moment, a small head popped out from behind the counter.

"Welcome! What would you like to eat?"

Betty stepped onto the box she was using as a footrest and looked at Gwen outside the counter. The next second, both of them froze.

"you"

Have we met before?

"Uh, I don't think so, right?" Gwen scratched her head. She also felt a little strange. The girl in front of her looked unfamiliar, but a sense of familiarity kept surging in her heart.

Did the two meet before?

I searched through my memories, but I couldn't recall anything.

The two remained silent for a while before Bettis broke the silence first.

"Would you like some fried fish, sir?"

“Yes, yes,” Gwen looked up at the sign. “Fries, and some fries too.”

Betty nodded and got busy, but this time she seemed to be distracted, and before she knew it, she had poured half a pot of fries into the pan without noticing.

"Oh! This, this!" she said anxiously, looking at the fryer.

"It's okay, just fry it. Nora can eat a lot, I'll buy it all!"

"I don't... mmm!" Gwen forced a smile as she covered Nora's mouth.

Soon, the pot started sizzling, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Gwen couldn't help but swallow, and Nora in her arms stopped struggling.

The love for fried food is largely ingrained in people's genes, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries; very few people dislike fried food.

"What flavor of fries do you want? We have chili, tomato, and Castel flavor."

"A little of everything!" Gwen said generously. The fries she bought were a huge portion, enough to fit even if she wanted every kind of sauce.

"Okay, here you go."

Gwen held the fries and fish in her hands, glanced at Nora beside her, hesitated for a moment, and whispered:
"How about we wait a bit before getting on the boat and have a bite to eat first?"

(End of this chapter)