Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

”Monica, actually, you and the soul within the machine... Forget it, let’s just call it a machine soul.”

”The way you interact with these machine souls is wrong.”

Monica glared fiercely at Hughes, feeling a bit upset, she was the one who summoned these machine souls, so why did they all seem to have a better relationship with Hughes?

In the end, Hughes still found her.

Though leaving in tears was embarrassing, she couldn’t stop worrying about the souls she had summoned, so she didn’t go far and waited eagerly for Hughes to come looking for her.

Hughes softened his voice.

”You have a great relationship with sea serpents. You know how to please them, but what I want to say is that machine souls are completely different.”

”How are they different?!”

”This is just my speculation, but I believe the core of this spell is not ’the souls you summon’ but rather ’this kind of thing has developed a soul.’”

”Is there really a difference?””Of course, there is. You use magic to summon a sea serpent, and what appears is a sea serpent’s soul. But when you summon a soul in a steam engine, is that also a sea serpent’s soul?”

”Think about it differently, the steam engine responds to your summoning, and a soul emerges within it. That’s why I call it a machine soul, it truly is the soul of a machine.”

”Steel, machinery, these things are not living beings. You shouldn’t use the same methods you use with creatures to try and please them.”

Monica’s emerald-green eyes widened. ”Then how should I please them?”

”It’s simple. Just treat them as real machines. Repair their damages, replace their parts, lubricate them with oil. Maybe even talk to them about your dreams and life.”

”That’s all?”

”Yes. They don’t need caresses, they don’t need you to play games with them. They don’t feel loneliness; they only quietly fulfill their responsibilities.”

Monica fell silent, looking at the table in deep thought.

On the table lay a messy assortment of items, from a dining spoon to an exquisite musket, a gun she had specifically asked Connor for.

Each of these objects had different functions, but the one thing they had in common was that they all contained souls.

Hughes hadn’t expected Monica to summon so many souls, and from such a wide variety of hosts.

It was clear that she was genuinely interested in this spell and had spent a lot of time studying it.

”Give it a try.”

Hughes suddenly spoke.

Monica looked at Hughes in surprise. After hesitating for a moment, she stepped toward the table.

Her gaze wandered over the objects before settling on a rusty spoon. She picked it up and carefully examined the fine cracks on its handle.

Suddenly, she realized that she had never truly cared about the ”bodies” of these machine souls, she had only summoned them and treated them like living creatures, but she had never given them the maintenance they deserved.

”I understand now...” Monica whispered, a hint of realization flashing in her eyes.

She stood up, walked to the corner of the room, and pulled out a small file and a bottle of lubricant from a toolbox.

Hughes watched her, the corners of his lips curling slightly. ”What are you going to do?”

”Since they are the souls of machines, I will treat them as machines.” Monica’s voice carried a newfound determination.

She returned to the table and began carefully cleaning the rust off the spoon. She used the file to gently smooth out the cracks before polishing it to restore its shine.

As the rust gradually disappeared, the metallic sheen re-emerged. Monica suddenly felt the spoon tremble slightly in her hand, as if responding to her efforts.

She paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.

”It... seems happy.” Monica murmured.

Hughes nodded. ”That’s how they communicate. They don’t use words, but they respond through actions.”

Feeling the solid touch of the metal in her hand, Monica experienced an indescribable sensation.

The reliability of metal and steel was entirely different from the existence of living beings.

They were cold, hard, and silent, yet they contained a unique sense of order and power.

This sense of reliability did not come from emotions or instincts but from their precise structures, stable performance, and silent loyalty.

The soul of a machine lay in precision and order.

Every gear’s engagement, every lever’s movement, every screw’s fastening, all were carefully calculated and designed.

Machines operated based on strict rules; they did not stray due to emotions, nor did they lose their way because of external influences.

This precision brought a sense of security.

”Do you like it?”

Monica instinctively nodded.

”You can fully trust a well-maintained machine. It will never betray you, never make mistakes.

Every action is predictable, every outcome is controllable. This sense of order is something that living beings can never provide, living beings may betray due to emotions, desires, or instincts, but machines will not.”

”Do you understand that feeling?”

”Machines are forever loyal. Machines can always be relied on.”

”Of course, that is, if you truly maintain them well. How you treat them is how they will treat you.”

”Then... then what about Anou?”

”Next time, remember to check and repair it, do proper maintenance. That’s more useful than companionship and hugs, it will like you.”

Monica nodded firmly and left.

She was eager to see her big friend.

”Don’t forget to bring someone with you. Never operate alone!”

”Don’t worry, with Anou, I’m not alone.”

”Uh...”

Wait, do machine souls count as people?

Then, would a single person maintaining equipment with a machine soul still count as solo operation?

Hughes suddenly felt that the operation manual he wrote might need some updates.

”Forget it. There’s no such thing as an eternal, absolute truth. I’ll update it later.”

Glancing at the cluttered table, Hughes sighed and stood up.

It seemed that the machine souls weren’t a big problem.

For now, he had to focus on the upcoming banquet.

Tonight’s banquet was his first contact with cultists, so he couldn’t be too cautious.

He also had to pitch his products to Beatrice and take the opportunity to showcase Castel’s strength.

『Ash, the banquet is about to start. How’s everything on your end?』

『Everything is sorted into teams. Once the preparations inside the manor are complete, we can move into position. No matter what those Moths Chasing Fire cultists try, I can quickly take over the manor’s defense.』

『Good. The manor’s security is in your hands. They may have extraordinary individuals among them, so stay alert.』

『Understood.』

Hughes had a feeling that ever since the failed ambush that night, Ash had developed a deep hatred for Moths Chasing Fire.

Hopefully, everything would go smoothly.

(End of Chapter)