Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord-Chapter 61: Production Accident

『Impossible, the dead cannot be revived, this is an ironclad rule.』

『After a person dies, their soul dissipates, this is irreversible. No amount of life force can change that.』

『Lord, are you trying to resurrect the dead?』

Ash’s expression grew serious.

Due to the innate abilities granted by the Symbiotic Contract, the Sirens had a much clearer perception of souls than other races.

『If it’s simply physical death, such as the fishmen who were drained of life force due to signing the contract, that can still be saved.』

『For example, by infusing a large amount of life force, recovery can be achieved quickly and without side effects. Before signing the contract with the other Sirens in the cave, you were almost completely drained of life force, yet you recovered quickly.』

『In contrast, when a soul dies...』

『Once a soul perishes, no means can save it.』

『Even if resurrected, it would no longer be the same soul.』

『.』

The Mind Link fell silent again.

『What if...』

『I mean, hypothetically...』

『If a soul was transferred to another place, would the body still have a chance of being revived?』

『Impossible, Lord. A soul cannot exist independently of the body. For mortals, the soul and flesh are inseparable.』

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『What about the Extraordinary?』

『I don’t know.』

『.』

『But I have a theory.』

『What is it?』

『The only beings whose souls can exist independently in the world... are gods.』

Ash seemed to hear a sigh.

After a while, another message came through the Mind Link:

『Ash, I have a request for you.』

『Go to the deep sea, into the Abyssal Trench, and collect some contamination for me.』

『I have a feeling that the contamination in the deep sea is different from other forms of contamination.』

『Now that our Life Pool is large enough, you don’t have to worry too much about losing life force by staying too far from the contractors.』

Contamination? She frowned.

That substance was no longer a threat to the Sirens. After signing the contract with Hughes, all life force flowing through him was mysteriously purified.

But what was so special about it to warrant research?

She didn’t understand, but she was willing to comply.

Ash nodded. She was about to leave but hesitated, then reopened the Mind Link and replied:

『Understood.』

『.』

Hughes closed the Mind Link with a complicated expression and looked up at the Chief Scribe in front of him.

"Ahem, please continue."

Alexei gave him a strange look. His Lord had been getting increasingly distracted lately.

He pulled out his notebook and flipped through it:

"Soap production has been very successful. When we modified the workshop earlier, we had already started pressing olive oil. Now, using olive oil directly to make soap, we have our first batch of finished products. I delivered two crates earlier."

"The olive oil supply isn’t keeping up, is it?"

"That’s right. I’ve already assigned more people to level the roads. The situation should improve soon."

"The school has officially started classes. So far, most enrollees are attending night school. Daytime attendance is low since adults on the island generally have to work. As for children, parents are still hesitant to let them go to school alone, but the situation is gradually improving."

"That’s the good news. However, there are some problems as well."

"First, there are those confidential workshops. You know, the ones for producing nitroglycerin."

Hughes nodded. Although they hadn’t officially started producing nitroglycerin yet, he had still set up a workshop for experimental runs.

The craftsmen were following the process to identify potential issues.

"We didn’t actually introduce materials yet; we just had the craftsmen simulate the standard process. But the problems we encountered were numerous."

"First, the craftsmen refuse to follow your safety protocols. For example, they don’t believe that the finished product cannot withstand heavy impact. They stubbornly insist on handling it the same way they handle brewing alcohol."

"Did you explain the dangers to them?"

"Yes, and we assigned supervisors. They follow the rules while being watched, but the moment they’re unsupervised, they do whatever is most convenient. Some even deliberately break the rules in front of others to appear brave."

"This problem also exists in the soap workshop. Some craftsmen, for convenience, don’t follow procedures, and several have already suffered burns. Fortunately, none were severe."

Hughes sighed.

This was precisely why he insisted on establishing a school first.

Without basic education and a fundamental understanding of industry, these kinds of accidents were bound to happen.

A lack of knowledge led to a lack of fear. Ignorance meant they didn’t even value their own lives.

Industrial advancement could not occur without education, it was always the most important factor.

People were already getting burned from something as obvious as a boiling pot. How could they be trusted with the invisible dangers of nitroglycerin?

Even Nobel himself had experienced multiple accidents.

When Hughes last descended to Rhine’s factories, he saw how factory owners simply used human lives to make up for mistakes.

Once enough people died, fear and caution naturally developed.

Setting aside the ethical implications, Hughes was running a dynamite workshop, one mistake and everyone would be blown sky-high.

Given the current situation, he could not trust these craftsmen to handle even slightly complex production processes.

"Seal off that workshop for now. Also, in the soap workshop, publicize the injuries sustained by workers to serve as a warning. Ensure the injured receive treatment, and this time, we will cover the medical costs."

"Implement a new reward and punishment system. Workers who fail to follow regulations will have their wages docked, but there should also be incentives. Organize training sessions; this recklessness must stop."

"Since there aren’t many students attending daytime classes, we can slow down the curriculum. I’ll speak to Zoe about it."

Zoe was currently teaching literacy at the school. She was patient and effective, receiving universal praise. Most daytime classes were led by her.

"What about the nitroglycerin project?"

"Put it on hold for now. Our focus should remain on soap production. We’ll set that aside for the time being."

Alexei nodded and left. He wasn’t eager to let the craftsmen continue handling nitroglycerin anyway. He had seen its power firsthand.

With the study now empty, Hughes sat in his chair, deep in thought.

"For now, it seems the nitroglycerin workshop should be handed over to the Sirens."

"They lack the stubbornness and arrogance of the craftsmen and still approach the production process with caution."

"Moreover, with the Symbiotic Contract in place, even if they get injured, their lives won’t be at risk."

"The problem is finding a new location for the workshop..."

Hughes sighed.

The underground cavern where the Sirens resided had good confidentiality, but it was entirely unsuitable for manufacturing explosives.

An underground explosion would almost certainly cause a collapse. If buried alive, even the Symbiotic Contract might not be able to save them.

Not to mention that his manor was directly above this underground cavern.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and his eyes lit up.

"I remember Chloe mentioning that the Candlelight Church is planning to exile a group of skilled workers here?"