Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 682 The Three Heading to the North

Yami and Alvarez bid farewell to Betty and met up with Hunter, who was waiting for them at the station, to board the train north.

Yami's trip was to escort Alvarez to the North and to help out there for a while, while Hunter and Alvarez would be stationed permanently in the North.

Both of them received a pardon from Hughes, allowing them to leave Castells and head to the North.

Of course, this trip was not for a vacation, but to help Alexei with construction in the north.

Needless to say, Yami's academic level was enough to assemble an entire team in the North, so Hughes planned to send him to assist in the construction of the academy.

Alvarez, while not particularly gifted in academics, possessed a remarkable capacity for embracing new ideas. As one of the three Grand Dukes of the North, he wielded immense influence throughout the region.

With his help, Alexei will surely be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Hunter, on the other hand, is a scholar, and the scholars of the North have long been disliked by Hughes. Hunter and his group also have a mission: to bring them to Castel.

These scholars were naturally no match for Castel in mechanical technology, but many of them studied secret history and forbidden knowledge, which filled the gap in the Silent Sanctuary.

—The group of people in the Silent Sanctuary who study history are basically all from the Temple of the Forgotten, and they're still stuck in the white mist.

In the past year or so, Blood Harbor has been developing rapidly, and the construction in the North has not lagged behind after the railway was connected.

The basic infrastructure planned for the North has been completed, and trains have connected most of the cities. Now, all that remains is to renovate and develop the cities.

This is where the shortage of manpower becomes apparent.

Neither popularizing education nor cultivating talent can be accomplished overnight. Alexei had already written several personal letters to Hughes requesting more people.

The first batch of graduates from Bloodharbor School have now entered various positions, and some outstanding ones have become the backbone of the school. It is a good time for them to go out and make their mark. Hughes has offered generous benefits, and a large number of graduates have eagerly applied.

Hughes had already sent several batches of engineers and civil servants over, while Alvarez and his two companions filled the last gap.

The few people who were just following the flow of people through the station were not yet clear about their place in the development of the North. They were just happy that they finally had the opportunity to go home.

Oh, Yami is a Bloodharbor native, but he's still happy to go and see it—it's his first time leaving Bloodharbor and Castells.

Their luggage had already been checked in, but even though they were traveling light, they still found it difficult to walk through the crowd.

"Damn it, why are there so many people at Blood Harbor's station?" Alvarez was sweating profusely from being squeezed, and the group finally managed to find a less crowded corner.

Today, Blood Harbor has become a major transportation hub, connecting Castells and Gem Bay by sea and land to the North. Countless goods are handled here daily, and the industrial area's production capacity extends to most of the coastline, including Tees.

The three of them waited for their train on the platform and were somewhat surprised to find that there seemed to be quite a few unfamiliar faces there.

"Red, red-haired people?" Yami said in a low voice, somewhat surprised.

“Those are itinerant merchants from the southern islands. They usually only do business in the southern continent, but now they’ve come to Bloodharbor,” Alvarez remarked. Ami nodded blankly; after all, he came from the slums, and his knowledge was naturally inferior to that of the duke beside him.

Alvarez, in particular, had traveled extensively in his youth, and was now in high spirits, quietly introducing himself to the two people beside him.

“Look at those people, they always have scarves around their necks. They are maritime merchants from further north. Hunter, you didn’t go to the beach much when you were a child, so you probably didn’t see them. As long as the ports in the North are not frozen, you can always see them.”

"But isn't the area beyond the Stormy Ocean the territory of the Pirate King?" Hunter asked, somewhat surprised.

The Storm Ocean lies to the east of the Empire, encompassing the entire coastline of the Empire, including parts of the North.

“They don’t go into the deep sea; they just trade along the coastline. Of course, the Empire and the nobles are also involved,” Alvarez explained casually, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

These merchants had not been seen for a long time since the changes in the Storm Ocean. Alvarez thought they had disappeared from the Storm Ocean, but he never expected to see them here.

It's important to know that Blood Harbor is already in the south, and these merchants usually operate near the ice-free ports in the north.

Merchants are profit-driven, meaning that the goods here are worth the risks they take to come here.

Alvarez narrowed his eyes. Castells didn't seem to intend to monopolize shipping like the Pirate King, but rather to open his doors to trade with merchants from all over.

It's important to understand that the North has always been synonymous with desolation and barrenness, largely because trade routes were restricted.

The tundra in the North appears flat, but it is often frequented by packs of wild animals and bandits, and caravans are prone to getting stuck in the wetlands, so few merchants have ever ventured there.

Sea transport should have been a better option, but due to the White Disaster, there are few stable ice-free ports in the North. In addition, the Pirate King controls almost the entire Storm Ocean, and ships would have to be subject to another layer of maritime taxation if they wanted to sail there, so it has never been able to develop.

The Pirate King has now joined Castel in a different way, and the White Plague, which has threatened the North for thousands of years, is said to be gradually receding. Furthermore, the train between Bloodharbor and the North is now running.
Alvarez took a deep breath, his eyes filled with excitement. The North has never lacked minerals and resources, and its land is vast. It may very well become the next Bloodport in the future.

And now he is going to build this great project!

It's important to know that Alvarez and Hunter are both from the North, and they are genuinely building their own homeland.

"Hey, Hunter, what are your plans for the future?" Alvarez gestured towards the businessman in the distance, speaking with a pointed remark.

Hunter's family is nearly extinct, but their influence remains. With his help, setting up a caravan shouldn't be a problem.

At that time, it will only require a little operation.
It's important to know that Castells did not prohibit caravans from traveling; in fact, he encouraged them and simplified many customs procedures for importing and exporting goods. Alvarez had already investigated all of this beforehand.

The Alvarez family's rise to power today is not only due to their quick surrender, but also to their ability to rise rapidly after each period of decline.

Don't be fooled by his current lack of possessions. As long as he retains his vision, his future status will be no less than that of the Grand Duke of the North!

And Hunter, right in front of us, might be the best help!

(End of this chapter)