Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

『Alright, I’m at the Eastern Laboratory right now.』

『Arguing with the steam engine?』

『No! They’re all very friendly. How could we argue!』

『And it has its own name. It’s called Anou, not ”steam engine”!』

Hughes couldn’t help but smile wryly: 『As long as you’re happy.』

He walked through the busy manor, passing by the servants who were preparing for the evening banquet. The reception hall was already newly decorated.

Hughes arrived at the stables, greeted the gatekeeper, and soon, he was riding toward the laboratory.

This was where the Type-II machine was first ignited. After the last accident, Hughes had the area converted into a full-fledged laboratory.

This way, even if there were pollution issues, the apprentices at least had a place to stay instead of cramming together in a small hut.

The buildings here were constructed with the help of the Sirens, many of them would also come to attend classes, as long as they hid well enough not to be seen by other apprentices.The structures built by the Sirens were not only tall but also incredibly sturdy. With their ”Fossil to Mud” ability, their construction skills rivaled the concrete-and-steel buildings of Blue Star.

This was something Hughes had specifically requested. After all, the experiments conducted here weren’t necessarily safe. Sturdy buildings might just save lives.

With housing in place, a dedicated kitchen was soon built, followed by a rest area for the security patrols. Now, Hughes was considering whether to build a perimeter wall.

Previously, he thought it was unnecessary, there were no large beasts on the island.

But now things were different. While there were still no large beasts, there were large machines. If a steam engine ever threw a tantrum and ran wild, who knew what might happen?

Setting the joke aside, Hughes rode along a newly built path and arrived at the laboratory.

The apprentices had the day off, so they weren’t in class. The Sirens roamed the laboratory grounds openly.

“Lord Hughes!”

“Lord Hughes is here?”

“Lord Hughes is here! Monica is doomed!”

“Hurry, hurry, I want to see Lord Hughes and the steam engine scold Monica together!”

The Sirens chattered excitedly and squeezed around Hughes as he reached the lab entrance.

Monica was whispering to the Type-II machine. When she saw Hughes enter, she quickly stepped aside, her tail stiffening.

“L-Lord Hughes, this is Anou.”

Hughes glanced at the Type-II machine.

Hmm. Nothing special to look at.

This machine had been assembled by him and the apprentices.

But the soul inside was another matter.

Hughes pondered for a moment, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and greeted the steam engine: “Hello.”

The steam engine remained motionless.

Hughes turned to look at Monica.

Monica’s eyes widened. “It doesn’t have a mouth, so it can’t speak. And ever since Anou entered the steam engine, it has become much quieter.”

“It doesn’t like it here?”

“No, it likes it very much. It’s just…”

Monica waved her six hands, her little face flushed red, struggling to put her feelings into words.

Hughes stared at the silent steel colossus, and suddenly, a realization struck him.

“It’s becoming more like the machine itself?”

“Yes!”

Monica nodded quickly. “The feeling it gives me… it’s like this iron machine. It doesn’t seem like just a simple soul, but more like—”

“Like the machine has come to life.”

Hughes gazed at the cold, rough steel beast in front of him and stepped forward to gently touch it.

He didn’t know what a living machine should be like, but this steam engine carried so much of his emotions.

Its design, the coordination of every bearing and piston, the placement of every bolt on the boiler, every part held his painstaking effort.

‘I know you well. I don’t understand souls, but I understand steel and machinery.’

A heavy yet reassuring sensation flowed through his fingertips, and Hughes suddenly felt at ease.

It was well. It was happy.

At that moment, Hughes understood why the summoned souls refused to leave.

Perhaps it wasn’t that souls had been injected into the machines, but rather that the machines had developed souls of their own.

They had always been here.

They may have never been alive before, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist.

“Add water, load fuel, and light the boiler.”

“Ah, no! It doesn’t like the wood here. It needs imported—”

“It’s not that it doesn’t like wood. It doesn’t like you.”

Monica’s eyes widened in disbelief as she turned toward the steam engine.

“Anou, how could you—”

“Its least favorite thing is that name.”

“That’s impossible, A-Anou, you don’t like your name?”

The steam engine’s piston clicked once.

Monica’s lips trembled, and she ran off covering her face.

The Sirens at the door immediately started pointing and whispering.

“Wow, so mean!”

“See? I was right! Lord Hughes and the steam engine teamed up to scold Monica!”

Hughes sighed and patted the steam engine’s boiler. “I said it for you. Happy now? She meant well. Don’t be too annoyed with her.”

As he patted the machine, Hughes suddenly stopped. His eyes slowly widened.

Just now, he hadn’t heard the steam engine speak, nor had his Mind Link activated.

The steam engine hadn’t communicated in any way.

Yet somehow, he had understood its meaning perfectly and had even mediated the situation for it.

What… what was this?

How exactly was he communicating with this machine?

Wood was brought over, water was added to the steam chamber, and as fire flickered, the boiler ignited.

The water gradually boiled, and the pistons began to move.

Hughes could feel that the steam engine was happy.

All its parts were brand new, properly lubricated with oil. It was like a young man full of boundless energy, its enthusiasm surging with the sound of the whistle.

Hughes couldn’t help but smile.

He was an engineer. He loved his work. He cherished these cold, burning machines.

And now, these silent giants could respond to him in their own way.

Honestly, this feeling was…

Wonderful.

“Hey, buddy, can you spin your flywheel faster? Give it more power?”

Hughes tapped the steam engine’s boiler lid with a shovel.

A loud whistle answered him.

The pistons roared, moving so fast they left afterimages, while a white plume of steam surged from the exhaust.

The engine’s power had clearly increased dramatically!

The intense heat reflected on Hughes’ face.

He grinned, a childlike, delighted smile.

“Damn… this world has its wonders too, doesn’t it?”

(End of Chapter)