Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 640 Visitors from White Stone Fortress

Gaia and Zoe exchanged a surprised glance, but Hughes ignored them and turned to Erwin: "Erwin, you're actually in the most danger on this trip. Zoe and Gaia are both superhumans, so it'll be easier for them to escape, but you're just a mortal."

"I have no problem, my lord."

Erwin answered without hesitation.

“I have already been to the Rhine once and have made some contact with the local forces. Moreover, the Ash Alliance will provide assistance, so we are not alone there.”

"And if this really is a trap, then even superhumans are in the same danger."

Indeed, neither the Candlelight Church nor the Mechanical Sanctuary lacks experience in dealing with superhumans.

Gaia and Zoe, who ventured alone into the perilous place, would find it no easier to escape than he, a mere mortal.

"This operation is extremely dangerous. You should be cautious. Completing the mission is secondary. The main thing is to ensure your own safety. Given the way the Candlelight Society and the Mechanical Sanctuary operate, you should have no problem returning, at least not before."

The Candlelight Church has always had a good reputation, and while the Mechanical Church is indeed arrogant and conservative, its reputation is not bad either.

But all of this happened before the Queen's assassination attempt. Now that the other side's attitude is unclear, it's best to be cautious.

“I will write a formal document for you to send over. You have complete discretion over the deal with the Mechanical Sanctuary. Take a few of those steam rifles with you. If they want them, give them all to them. As long as you can get the technology in exchange, none of that matters.”

The three nodded in unison. Although this mission was somewhat risky, it was generally under control, since they were only visiting and the two sides were not truly hostile to each other.

"I've already made arrangements with Imperial Truth. There's a train to Bloodharbor tomorrow morning, so you can set off then."

The North, Grand Duchy of Octavia, Whitestone Castle.

This is the border between the Empire and the North, the westernmost part of the North.

Although it is a border area, it has not experienced much war, simply because although the two sides are close together, the difference in altitude is huge.

The west side of Whitestone Fortress is a sheer cliff thousands of meters high, almost vertical, covered with solid ice, which no one can climb over. The Empire calls it the Wall of Despair.

From White Rock Fortress, one can overlook the territory of the Empire, but from the Empire, one can only see the snow-capped peaks of the cliffs. Back then, Octavia crossed the Wall of Despair by taking a secret passage passed down through generations of her family, and left behind a large amount of gunpowder to destroy it.

That path was practically the only passageway between the two sides; without it, no one could climb the Wall of Despair.

Frey is a native of White Rock Castle. He has never seen his parents since birth. He was adopted by the Mafia boss and taught some ways to make a living.

The mafia boss adopted many orphans, and he controlled most of the neighborhood through these orphans. They would do anything for money, from guiding and delivering goods to doing odd jobs and stealing.

The Black Hand Boss has an unparalleled skill in theft. Anyone who crosses paths with him is bound to lose something. In addition, he is quite skilled in martial arts and is said to have some unclear connections with the supernatural. He has never been caught by the city guards and is also a prominent figure in White Stone Fortress.

Frey's dream is to become a mafia boss, to have his own territory, and to have dozens of men under his command, to be very powerful.

Unfortunately, this dream was shattered after the expeditionary force arrived.

When the expeditionary force arrived, the lord of this city refused to surrender. In the morning, he even sent people into the city to preach, saying he would resist to the end. By noon, his castle was riddled with bullets. In the afternoon, the expeditionary force had already begun hiring people to clear the ruins. It was said that his body was so heavy that even a shovel couldn't lift it. In the end, he was hastily buried in two bags of reddish gravel. As for Frey's dream mafia boss, he was sent to his death with a bullet after a public trial. He still remembered the mafia boss's last appearance. He was not majestic at all. After the verdict was handed down, he cried like a lump of mud. When the expeditionary force soldiers went to pull him away, the ground was covered with traces of excrement and urine.

Frey was also sent to trial and sentenced to forty months of detention, which he has not yet completed.

However, this was not many. The trials of the expeditionary force were very detailed, and most people were found guilty to varying degrees and had to serve in detention to atone for their sins. As a result, everyone had to work for the expeditionary force.

But speaking of this job...
Frey licked his lips.

These expeditionary forces are like magicians, always able to conjure up all sorts of amazing things. Frey, who had never had a proper meal while following the Black Hand boss, was now being held captive by the expeditionary forces and was able to have a hearty meal every few days.

"My lords, I am Frey. I know Whitestone City like the back of my hand. You can tell me where you want to go," Frey said respectfully.

The expeditionary force, seeing that he was young, assigned him the job of guiding people and carrying their luggage.

He used to do this kind of work, but he used to be able to sneak some extra money out of customers, but he can't do that anymore.

He subconsciously sized up his guests: a burly man who acted methodically and looked like a soldier, but was led by two young girls.

Frey subconsciously glanced at the two women. They probably didn't go out much, as their waist pouches were bulging inside their clothes, as if they were afraid people wouldn't know where their money was.

Rich girl, easy prey.

Of course, times have changed now, and it's impossible to make some extra money anymore. The mafia boss's grave is still in the wasteland outside the city, dug by his own hands.

His gaze swept over the girl and then immediately looked away, but the girl's eyes were fixed on him the next moment.

Frey was somewhat surprised, not expecting the other party to be so perceptive. It seemed that the other party was, well, a wary fat sheep.

"Keep your head up."

Frey had a bad feeling and subconsciously glanced around, trying to figure out how to escape. Then he remembered that this was already the territory of the expeditionary force. Not to mention him, even the Black Hand boss hadn't been able to escape from the city.

He could only manage a pitiful expression, shrinking back slightly as he slowly raised his head to look at the two of them.

The girl who had spoken glanced at him and asked with some curiosity, "Your hair doesn't look like that of someone from the North. Are you from the Empire?"

“My lord, I have lived here since I was a child and have never been to the Empire.” He noticed the girl’s slight frown and immediately changed the subject: “...But they all say I have Imperial blood. Perhaps I am actually a descendant of the Empire.”

"Looks like an imperialist, and so cunning and deceitful, what can you possibly do?"

Frey's eyes darted around, and he was just about to find an excuse to get away with it when he saw the girl reach into her fanny pack and pull out a few Leo coins.

He swallowed hard.

(End of this chapter)