Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Chapter 27: The Siren and Flesh Magic  

Leaving the chemistry laboratory, Hughes went to find his chief Scribe.  

“My Lord, the factory’s construction is progressing smoothly. As you know, we even have some finished olive oil already.”  

“But regarding the school, do you plan to build new houses, or…”  

“Just find some vacant buildings for now.”  

The key to the school was the teachers. Hughes initially considered having Alexei’s clerks teach, but after some thought, he abandoned the idea.  

He did not have enough influence over those clerks, and these imperial-trained bureaucrats might not be willing to teach commoners.  

Most of them were illegitimate children of lower nobles who could not inherit family wealth, or children of merchants, the upper class closest to the commoners.  

From Hughes’ experience, this class harbored the greatest hostility toward commoners.  

One careless misstep could cause them to fall in status, and in many cases, the only thing separating them from commoners was a title.

Therefore, they tried even harder than the upper nobility to distinguish themselves from commoners.  

Just like the original owner of this body before Hughes descended, Hughes, the illegitimate son.

He had desperately clung to so-called “noble etiquette,” practicing intricate daily rituals, insisting on afternoon tea and reading, even after arriving on this small island.  

The less one had, the more they cared about it.  

Thus, having these low-level bureaucrats teach commoners would likely yield disastrous results.  

Hughes currently planned to select teachers from among his servants.  

Most of his servants were of commoner origin. Only great nobles could afford to have noble-born servants, and Hughes, after all, was just a bastard.  

A significant portion of his servants were literate, thanks to following him.

And being literate was the only basic requirement he had for teachers—  

Yes, Hughes’ fundamental requirement for the school was simply literacy.  

If one could read, they could understand basic signs and possess the most basic worker discipline.  

Further education, whether training engineers or scholars, would be categorized as advanced courses.  

He planned to personally teach the advanced courses himself.  

Yes, the entire school would have only one teacher that would be him.  

There was no other choice. Although he intended to teach only the most fundamental physics knowledge, he might be the only person in this world with a complete knowledge system.  

Well, unless there were other transmigrators.  

He planned to teach basic science and engineering knowledge progressively.

As for advanced subjects, he would only provide books and let the students study on their own.

Unexpected, right? Self-learning advanced mathematics is harder than advanced mathematics itself.  

But that was a concern for the distant future. For now, the priority was general education.  

“Just find a suitable building, then inform the islanders about the free schooling policy.”  

“Yes, all workers and their families can attend literacy classes for free. Advanced courses will require only a minimal fee. Non-workers on the island will also be charged just a symbolic amount.”  

“This must be announced door-to-door to ensure every single person on the island knows about it!”  

After dismissing the chief scribe, Hughes thought for a moment and decided to check on the Sirens’ current condition.  

“I’m heading to the study. From today on, I will work there. Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter.” Hughes instructed the butler at the door.  

For now, he did not intend to make the Sirens’ existence public.  

Connor nodded in acknowledgment.  

Hughes ascended the stairs and entered the study. He put on a show, directing the servants to place various island documents and financial records from past years on the desk.

After ordering everyone else to stay out, he personally shut the door and gently bolted it.  

The study was not large. Hughes walked around it, making sure to pull all the curtains tightly closed.

Then, he lit a lantern and walked toward the fireplace.  

Inside the fireplace, there was a secret passage leading directly to the sea.

Last time, he had used it to meet Ash during his night excursion.  

Back then, she was still a bloated monster.  

Hughes chuckled and shook his head. He used the long-handled axe hanging on the wall to push open the hidden door and slipped inside quietly.  

Descending all the way to the bottom, he stood before the open sea, closed his eyes, and gently activated the symbiotic contract in his mind.  

The response was almost immediate. A shadow gradually emerged from the sea, and then, with a splash, it broke through the waves.  

Ash lowered her head and looked at Hughes standing on the reef. “My Lord, you have called for me.”  

Seawater dripped from her silver-white hair and slid down her finely scaled serpent tail, returning to the ocean.  

Her body seemed as if it had been cast from silver and meticulously polished, radiating an indescribable harmony and beauty.  

The faint metallic sheen of her scales and skin reminded Hughes of polished plate armor.

Under the dim lantern light, a halo of light surrounded her, making her appear both cold and sacred.  

Hughes was momentarily stunned.  

This was his first time seeing Ash in her true form on land.

Her towering stature was akin to that of a divine statue, yet the graceful curves of her streamlined body softened her inhumanity.  

Only by standing before her could one truly feel her oppressive presence.  

If she wielded a weapon in each of her six hands and charged through enemy lines…  

The name was indeed fitting. Their presence was like a tolling death knell, announcing the enemy’s impending doom, before their massive bodies crushed the ants in their path.  

The Sirens, the angels of death, such warriors fighting for him… Just imagining it made Hughes’ blood boil for a moment.  

But he quickly calmed down. Lowering his head in thought for a moment, he then asked, “Ash, are you unable to leave here now?”  

Ash’s eyes flickered. She bowed her head slightly. “My… Lord, signing the symbiotic contract prevents me from straying too far. Through our contract, I have gained the ability to survive on land. Unless you accompany me, I can no longer return to the Abyssal Trench.”  

She hesitated, wanting to say something to express her determination, but Hughes waved his hand to cut her off.  

“What happens if you go too far? I remember that when I was unconscious, you tried to enter the Abyssal Trench.”  

“I would continuously lose vitality. The farther I go and the longer I stay away, the greater the loss.”  

So that’s how it was. Hughes nodded in understanding. No wonder she hadn’t gone directly to the Abyss’s depths to remove that bloated state… Wait, something was off.  

“Then why aren’t you—” Hughes gestured a bloated shape—“like that this time? You’ve looked like this the whole time.”  

“That is flesh magic, my Lord,” Ash said softly, her tone heavy.  

“Flesh magic is also one of our innate abilities. It allows us to maintain vitality even in dire conditions or when gravely wounded. We use it to resist water pressure, making survival barely possible. But we cannot stop for even a moment, without a contract holder, the instant flesh magic ceases, death arrives.”