Inside the wooden box, delicate pouches held small portions of black powder, likely the gunpowder of this era.
Hughes took one pouch and poured it into the gun barrel, then stuffed the lead bullet into the muzzle, using a wooden rod to compact it.
Afterward, he took some white wax from the box to seal the barrel, preventing the bullet from falling out.
This gun seemed to have a history, but Hughes had no interest in investigating it.
Right now, he just wanted to take a look at his domain.
Transmigrating into a lord, though only of a small island—was not entirely a bad thing.
The Empress was far away, and the sky was vast; he did not have to restrain himself too much here.
Oh, right, he still needed to ask about the Church.
Hughes was quite wary of the Church now, especially after the mechanical-clad priest had left such a deep impression on him.
The maid had packed his meal into a food box, but the butler had not yet brought his horse.
Hughes’ gaze passed beyond the estate’s outer wall and landed on the hurried figures of the townspeople moving along the road outside.
They seemed to be in a rush, as if something had happened outside.
Many of them wore expressions of mixed fear and curiosity, all heading in the same direction.
"...Like a monster..."
"Yes, its whole body... disgusting..."
"Hurry, let’s go see..."
Fragments of their conversation were carried to his ears by the wind.
Hughes frowned, what did they mean? Had they discovered a monster?
Did he hear that right? Were these people talking about a monster?
Could it be... a supernatural creature?
After so many Descent events, he had never encountered the supernatural world, and now it had just landed right in front of him?
Excitement and fear surged simultaneously, slowly blending into anticipation.
Whether good or bad, he had to go see for himself.
He would have plenty of chances to start over, but this was his first opportunity to interact with the supernatural.
He instinctively pressed his waist.
The cold, hard metal of the pistol provided him with a slight sense of security.
Which was stronger, monsters or bullets?
He was curious to find out.
Noticing the two maids beside him exchanging glances, Hughes turned and asked, "You two must know something. What happened?"
The two froze, quickly lowering their heads.
After a hesitant glance at each other, one of them carefully spoke:
"Master, I heard that a monster was fished up from the sea... It’s at the port."
"They say it’s terrifying, its body is like..."
A loud cough interrupted the two maids.
The old butler arrived, leading a horse, and shot them a glare before stepping up to Hughes.
"There is no monster, only a strange fish. These people are just ignorant and easily frightened. Deep-sea fishing often brings up odd creatures. When I was younger and sailed with the fleet, such things were common in the Lightless Sea."
Hughes looked at the butler with interest. "So, you’ve seen this ’strange fish’ already?"
"Not yet, but based on their descriptions, it should be a species I am familiar with."
"Then let’s go take a look."
Hughes sized up the horse before him, searched his memories, then stepped onto the footstool set down by a maid and mounted the horse.
The horse’s back was steadier than he had expected, and the saddle had a soft inner lining.
Taking the whip from the butler’s hand, he awkwardly tugged at the reins.
The brown horse flicked its tail obediently and trotted forward lightly.
The butler gave Hughes a deep look, issued a few instructions to the maids, and then mounted his own horse, leaving the estate alongside him.
The island had no well-maintained roads.
Near the estate, there were a few stone-paved paths, but soon, the ground turned muddy.
Fortunately, riding a horse was not too affected, though their pace still slowed.
Hughes hooked the whip into a clasp on the saddle, letting the horse walk on its own.
He turned slightly and asked the butler, "Connor, how are we doing recently?"
The butler hesitated before answering, "Not too well, Master Hughes. Our funds are running low. Ever since you took over the territory, contact with the Duke has become increasingly sparse."
Hughes naturally knew who he meant.
The Duke, Duke Cohen, was his biological father.
Though Hughes was a bastard, Duke Cohen had treated him fairly well.
Since birth, Hughes had been raised in an estate outside the city.
The servants and the butler, Watson, had accompanied him for years.
Duke Cohen even provided a private tutor for him and helped secure him the title of Frontier Count.
Of course, this was nothing compared to the Duke’s legitimate heirs, but for a bastard, it was already more than generous.
It seemed he could not rely on his father for now.
Hughes coughed lightly. "Connor, I thought about it a lot last night. We have many problems. Our old way of living might need to change."
Honestly, he could not get used to living as young master Hughes did.
It seemed like a leisurely existence, but in reality, everything, from afternoon tea etiquette to dining manners, was rigidly dictated.
Even recalling it felt suffocating.
With so many rules, if he followed them all, he would surely expose himself eventually.
The butler’s expression flickered, as if deep in thought.
"You are the Count now, Master. Everything is up to you."
After a pause, he spoke in a lower voice, "Master, the eastern sea merchants want to meet with us. Your secretary used to handle such matters."
Hughes searched his memories and twitched slightly.
Sea merchants? What sea merchants?
The Storm Ocean only had pirates!
By "meet and talk," they really meant pirates coming to collect money.
So that was why the pirates had been so quiet lately.
"The day after tomorrow, at noon."
"Got it. I’ll meet them."
He had to find a way to deal with the pirates.
If he kept paying them, his territory would be ruined.
As for how to deal with them, he had not decided yet.
First, he needed to assess his territory’s development.
If nothing else, he could stall for time.
With him here, industrializing the island was only a matter of time.
The island was not large.
Even from the estate, one could smell the sea breeze.
Soon, Hughes heard the waves crashing.
"Master, the port is just ahead."
Hughes pulled on the reins, making the horse pause as he looked forward.