Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord
Chapter 206: "Prince"

"They used to have intelligence, as well as their own language and script."

Ash suddenly spoke from the side.

"When they enslaved us before, though they were somewhat deranged, they could still communicate normally. Now, I have no idea."

"Hmm, I’ll continue studying this. What I mean is, we could try using murloc skin as the outer covering for the airship."

Hughes frowned, recalling the slimy and slippery texture of murloc skin.

Thinking about it carefully, it did seem quite suitable.

Their skin was very tough, naturally waterproof from living in the sea.

Moreover, murloc skin was smooth, and while they were large, their limbs were pitifully small in proportion.

He hadn’t paid much attention before, but now it seemed like the perfect source for leather.

Murlocs were already more like beasts, and now they had lost even the last bit of their original intelligence.

People in this era wouldn’t have any moral burden about skinning them.

And conveniently, there were plenty of them.

It seemed like a good idea.

Wait a minute—Hughes suddenly froze.

"Don’t murlocs turn into contamination after they die? How do we use their skin for the airship?"

"Just don’t let them die," Chloe said matter-of-factly.

Don’t let them die? Make a living airship?

Hughes and Alexei both took a step back in unison.

Only now did Hughes remember that the person in front of him was the number one cult leader on the continent.

And just moments ago, he had actually been thinking about morality on her behalf.

"W-Well, that’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?"

Hughes was starting to hesitate—maybe it was better to stick with fixed-wing aircraft.

But developing internal combustion engine technology was proving to be quite difficult.

Yet seeing Chloe’s eyes practically glowing with excitement, Hughes knew that no matter how he tried to persuade her, it would be useless.

"You’re the captain of this ship? What’s the name of your ship?"

"Black Pea—Black Raven."

"Your name?"

"Kenn."

The salty sea breeze squeezed through the gaps in the rotting wooden walls.

This was a dimly lit wooden cabin.

Kenn sat at the table, trying his best to remain calm and not reveal any flaws.

Across the table sat the port tax officer, who was absentmindedly registering information.

This was at the docks of Blood Harbor.

The Black Pearl had finally docked here.

Jeremiah, unwilling to accept the supernatural, had taken a detour around Castel.

But he still found nothing but seawater.

They had fished up a sizable wooden chest from the ocean, but aside from that, there was no other discovery.

The ship’s fresh water supply had run out.

Jeremiah had no choice but to dock.

As a pirate, he had no worries at sea in the Storm Ocean.

But on land, he had to be more restrained.

So he dumped all the paperwork onto Kenn and disappeared as soon as he got off the ship.

Poor Kenn had no choice but to go through the entire registration process with the tax officer.

He also had to pay taxes to the local lord—who, as he had heard, was the son of the former Grand Duke of Tis.

The locals called him "Prince."

If the Principality of Tis still existed, the title "Prince" wouldn’t be an issue.

But the principality had long since fallen, so the title was now nothing more than open mockery.

"Tisian?"

The tax officer casually asked after finishing the registration.

"Yes, I fled from here to Castel in the past."

Kenn hesitated before continuing, "My old man, Ivan, used to live in a village near Blood Harbor."

The tax officer’s gaze softened slightly.

"Alright, the registration is complete.

The lord has issued a new rule—

All foreign maritime merchants must visit the lord’s manor.

Find some time in the next few days to go.

Take this and go straight there."

The tax officer handed him a freshly written slip.

It contained basic information about Kenn, based on the questions he had just asked.

"The lord wants to see me?"

Kenn was surprised.

"What for?"

"Who knows?

That so-called Prince probably has another one of his wild ideas."

The tax officer sneered, making no effort to hide the ridicule in his tone.

"Since you’re also a Tisian, you don’t need to worry.

The Prince won’t be too harsh on you.

But don’t expect anything useful from him either—

He always manages to ruin everything."

With a dismissive wave of his hand, the tax officer left the cabin.

Kenn watched his departing figure, feeling puzzled.

After his family fled Tis, they had never returned.

He knew nothing about the current situation here.

"Well, I have no idea what this Prince has done.

Better find Captain Jeremiah first."

Kenn scratched his head, looking troubled.

There were still some refugees on the ship.

Not too many, but they needed proper resettlement.

If they couldn’t reach Castel quickly, they might have to negotiate with the local lord.

But the reputation of this "Prince" didn’t seem very good.

Kenn sighed helplessly and headed back to the ship.

He had only planned to be a shipboard mechanic—

How had he ended up in all this trouble?

"Hey, Kenn!"

A voice suddenly called from behind.

Just as Kenn turned around, someone rushed forward and gave him a hug.

"…Josh?"

It was his old friend, Josh.

The two had boarded the ship together.

But Josh had brought goods and disembarked at Blood Harbor—

Their first stop.

Kenn had followed Jeremiah north, heading toward the Empire’s northern frontier in search of Nora.

"Yeah, Kenn, it’s me!

I’ve been waiting here for ages.

I even had people watching the docks.

As soon as I saw the Black Pearl arrive, I rushed over!

What took you so long?"

What took so long?

Of course, it was because they found Nora in huge trouble up north.

They had wanted to rescue her but lacked manpower, so they brought refugees back to get reinforcements.

They had planned to drop the refugees off at Castel before coming to Blood Harbor—

But Castel had mysteriously vanished.

Then they went to Gem Bay, only to find the entire archipelago and its pirates missing.

Finally, they ended up here.

Looking at his concerned friend and recalling the hardships and bizarre events along the way, Kenn almost teared up.

He sniffed hard, trying to hold it in.

"It’s a long story.

How’s the soap business going?"

Josh’s eyes lit up instantly.

"Oh, it’s been amazing!

This stuff sells like crazy—

You wouldn’t believe how much people are willing to pay for it!

I even used this batch of goods to build connections with the local lord!"

"The Prince?"

"Uh… so you’ve heard that title too?"

Josh looked a little awkward.

"Well, I forgot you’re a Tisian.

He does deserve criticism—

But at least he tried, didn’t he?"

Kenn looked confused.

What exactly had this lord done?

Did it have something to do with the Tisians?

"Actually, I don’t know much.

The Black Pearl just docked, and Captain Jeremiah disappeared.

I only just heard this title.

Can you tell me about it?"

"Oh, then it’s a long story.

Let’s find a tavern and talk."