Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 17 Alexey
"Connor, don't worry, I'm fine, don't worry."

While changing his clothes, Hughes comforted the anxious old butler.

Although the journey to the Abyss with the Banshees was very tortuous, the return process was extremely smooth. Those fish people disappeared inexplicably, perhaps they were frightened by the huge explosion before.

He had to change his clothes quickly.

The symbiotic contract made him immune to the oppression of the deep sea, but it could not prevent his clothes from being soaked by sea water.

Although Zeus didn't care much about the dignity of the nobility, it was indeed a bit too impolite to have water plants and small fish hanging all over his body.

After all, he still has to meet those pirates later.

After accepting the Banshee's loyalty in the Abyss, he wasted no time and immediately set out back to his territory in order to catch up with the negotiations with these pirates.

When I first crossed over, these pirates were powerful enemies that were difficult to resist, but now I don’t have to worry so much.

With the help of the Banshee in the sea, the threat posed by these pirates to him was greatly reduced. Even if a war really broke out, he might not be unable to fight back. At least self-preservation would not be a big problem.

Not to mention the Banshees' overwhelming combat power over mortals, their reconnaissance capabilities at sea alone would allow him to launch a dimensionality reduction attack on these pirates. He even suspected that Ash alone could sink an entire pirate ship.

However, he had no intention of involving the Banshees in the war. They had just been freed from slavery and it was time for them to recuperate.

He had other ideas about pirates.

With the support of the Banshee, everything is fine.

Not only pirates, he also plans to re-plan the development of the territory.

"Let's talk about the negotiations first."

"Master Hughes, two sea merchants have arrived this time."

"pirate."

Connor paused for a moment. He looked at Xius and felt that the master he served seemed a little different.

In the past, Master Xius would never have spoken in such a calm yet firm tone. He was like every illegitimate child: sensitive, suspicious, and timid.

Under Hughes's gaze, Connor lowered his head. "Two pirates have arrived. Since you're away, our steward Alexi has gone to negotiate."

"Didn't you say you would wait for me to negotiate?"

"I did tell him so, but he rejected my proposal this morning as the chief clerk, declaring that he would only accept your personal orders if there were no official documents."

Xius raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Did I hear correctly?"

Isn’t he the lord of a feudal empire? Shouldn’t these people under him be his retainers?

What is this for? Are you going to rebel?

Connor hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, "Master Xius, your steward, Alexi, is a seventh-rank civil servant, sent by the royal family to assist you in managing your territory."

In the third year after the empress ascended the throne, she dissolved the cabinet and promulgated the thirteen-level civil service system. From then on, the officials of the empire were only responsible to the empress and were no longer bound by local lords.

After a quick review of his memory, Xius discovered that the identity of this clerical manager was not simple.

His name was Alexi. He was born in an orphanage run by the royal family in the north. Because of his outstanding performance, he got the opportunity to study. Finally, he graduated from the Royal Military Academy and was assigned to his side as the chief clerk.

What does it mean to work your way up from an orphan to a seventh-level civil servant?
Hughes' title of Border Earl was obtained through the efforts of Duke Cohen. Theoretically, his official position was only one level higher than Alexei's.

Although the border earls were feudal nobles and not in the same system as the civil officials, the difficulty of this was evident.

And recalling the origin of this clerk, the Royal Military Academy
The Empire's navy was a joke, but no one dared to laugh at its army. When the Empress first ascended the throne, the royal family was in decline, and several archdukes were arrogant. Now, eleven years after her accession, only one voice remains in the Empire, and the entire Empire moves forward under the Empress's will.

The lords stayed quietly in their own territories, watching the royal army expand the territory every now and then, and watching the border earl's enthronement books fill up the Queen's cabinet.

The Royal Military Academy is the foundation of all this, and Alexi is the chief of this class. If he goes to the army, he will start as a middle-level officer.

But how could he become his chief clerk and dare to contradict him like this?

It's very simple. The secretarial officers of the border earls appointed by the royal family are all graduates of the Military Academy.

On the one hand, it is for surveillance and infiltration, as these graduates are basically loyal to the royal family; on the other hand, it is because there is indeed such a need.

The border earl's fiefdom has always been in constant war, and every inch of land has to be fought for with swords and guns. His general manager has connections in the Army Academy and can easily pull together a team.

Of course, this also means that the border earl is completely tied to the royal chariot.

As for why he contradicted himself
Hughes smiled self-deprecatingly.

"I don't blame him. I've been giving money to pirates. He has no wars to fight anymore, so I think he must be very anxious."

"That's right, sir. If you send him back, you'll grant his wish. He'll probably have wanted to join the army in the western battlefield for a long time. You'd better go there as soon as possible."

"It seems he won't be honest in his negotiations with the pirates. Let's leave quickly to prevent him from having any tricks up his sleeve."

Hughes stood up and walked towards the door, followed closely by Connor.

Hughes was right. Alexei was thinking about how to do something at the moment.

He came to assist the Border Earl in conquering the Storm Ocean, not to be a clerk and take care of those files.

The last time Hughes asked him to deliver money to these pirates, he was very dissatisfied. But now he disappeared at the last minute? He was planning to ask him to deliver money again?

Although the old butler said that the lord was missing, Alexei did not take it seriously.

Are you kidding me? A comatose lord disappeared at night under the heavy protection of his own manor?

Why didn't he say he fell into the sea?
Alexei snorted coldly.

When he first came here, he just wanted to assist the lord in expanding the territory and making some achievements.

But he really couldn't accept Xiu Si's weak behavior.

He paid pirates for peace and recruited people to build his manor, which has only just been completed.

He ignored everything in the territory and just threw it to him and the old butler, and spent every day reading books and drinking tea in the manor.

Oh, the Border Earl?

Alexei's eyes gradually turned cold.

On his way to this position, he had seen countless people who worked hard but had to waste their lives because they had no opportunities. However, Hughes had such a good opportunity, as well as the connections of Duke Cohen and the secret help of the royal family, but he only gave money to the pirates.

He had no intention of complaining about the unfairness of fate, but bowing to these corrupt nobles would be a betrayal of all his efforts.

He can't.

So Alexi's heart gradually changed. He had always had illusions about Hughes and expected him to fulfill the obligations of a lord.

But his lord has not shown up until now, which has become the last straw that breaks the camel's back. Perhaps he should consider his future path.

Alexi pushed open the door of the meeting room with a stern expression.

(End of this chapter)