Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 331 The Unexpected Guest

The port guards gripped their guns tightly until the last Mother Goddess believer disappeared from the street corner, at which point they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In just a few minutes of standoff, many people's clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

They were not inexperienced recruits who had never seen blood; the prince's territory in Blood Harbor was won by these port guards. But these Mother Goddess followers were enemies they had never faced before.

These cult members were dressed in rags, like starving people on the street who might starve to death at any moment, but the gleam in their eyes was something those starving corpses never possessed.

They were all thin and short, but when they stood silently together, they seemed like a high wall.

The moment people see into their eyes, they understand—they are not lambs, not the poor and needy who can be manipulated at will.

Erwin took a deep breath.

He thought more deeply than others; he had seen the behavior of that group of Mother Goddess believers.

At this moment, their stomachs were empty and their hands were unarmed, so they could only use their flesh and blood to exchange for bullets from their muskets.

But what if they had these?
Mira, the prince, the cult, Blood Harbor—the waters here are getting deeper and deeper.

"Everyone, the dock is not far ahead. Let's continue." The prince suddenly spoke, and when everyone looked at him, he had a warm smile on his face again, as if what had just happened was just an ordinary interlude.

This time, however, Castel's men looked at him with apprehension.

If storming into the military camp and taking control of the situation could be attributed to good luck, then forcing back the followers of the Mother Goddess was a clear demonstration of his skill.

Everyone had seen Mira's actions. The prince only had a bolt-action rifle and a few bullets, yet he successfully made the other party mistakenly believe that he had many.

If he had given the order directly, the Guardians would not have obeyed, but he cleverly diverted the attention of the Mother Goddess priests to the bolt-action rifles.

The bolt-action rifle's accurate shooting instilled fear in the enemy, and Mira naturally associated the Guardians of the Church with the prince's forces.

Throughout the entire process, he only provided guidance; everything was Mira's own judgment, and the prince did not even use lies to deceive her.

Castel's men looked at the prince. This man was truly terrifying. He could use a mere rifle given as a gift to such an extent. Despite having the fewest trump cards, he had won the most victories in his battles against various forces.

The prince returned the smiles to the crowd with a sincere expression.

The group set off again, and this time there were no more cultists harassing them on the streets. They made their way to the dock.

At the dock, Castells' steamship was moored in the sea, with a bulging airship fixed on its deck—there were no facilities to repair it here, so it would have to be transported back to the island.

The prince dismounted and shook hands with Castells and his men one by one. Erwin, Zoe, and Connor discussed the matter briefly and then decided to split up and act in two separate groups.

Connor returned to Castells with a portion of the Guardians, while Erwin, his mother, and Zoe remained at Bloodport.

They originally intended to all leave, but since the situation at Blood Harbor had temporarily stabilized, the group decided it was necessary to leave some people behind.

Connor had already agreed that he would give Hughes a full account of what had happened here and bring reinforcements—the group unanimously agreed that Bloodharbor was very valuable and that Castell needed to expand his influence there.

These were all things they had planned long ago. After making their decision, the group prepared to leave and went to say goodbye to the prince.

To their surprise, the prince seemed to have some plans as well.

"Galahad, you should go to Castel with them." When the prince said this, the group, who had been exchanging pleasantries and saying goodbye, suddenly fell silent.

What does this mean? The situation in Blood Harbor is clear to all. Mira will never let this go. The conflict between the upper class and the starving people has not been resolved. They have only temporarily ceased hostilities, not shaken hands and made peace.

Should we send Galahad, this extraordinary being, to Castel at this point?

Galahad was also visibly surprised. He said anxiously, "Your Highness, would you please reconsider? The situation is still unstable. I can protect your safety; I have several capable subordinates. Why not send them?"

"Galahad."

The prince's expression turned serious.

The tall knight lowered his head, straightened his body, and bowed. Although there was still some reluctance on his face, he accepted the order: "I am willing to serve you."

But the prince did not show any satisfaction. He looked directly into his knight's eyes and asked in an unprecedentedly serious tone, "Galahad, what do you think is the point of your staying here?"

“The Mother Goddess’ followers will make a comeback, but I can quell the rebellion for you.”

The prince shook his head, a complex expression suddenly appearing in his eyes: "This is why I sent you to Castel—the Mother Goddess's followers will make a comeback."

He turned to look at Blood Harbor, at this vast, chaotic, decaying yet bustling city.

"The Mother Goddess's followers stole the food, so the starving people can finally eat. But what happens next?"

"The boy named Tommy died, but there will be another Tommy who cuts off the head of his loved one and puts it on his own body. The followers of the Mother Goddess massacred the Upper City and took the grain back, but the grain in the warehouses of the Upper City will still be piled up and rotted again."

"Galahad."

"I can kill all the cultists, but there will always be someone who will stand in front of the gun with their own flesh and blood."

“You have come here with me, so you should know what I am thinking—we need to tear everything down and start over.”

The prince smiled at his knight, his gaze falling on the bolt-action rifle on his back.

“Let’s go to Castel. It’s the closest place to where we need to go. There’s no Papacy there, and perhaps we can find what we’re looking for.”

Galahad opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word. In the end, he just nodded silently.

The prince turned to the stunned Castel and his men: "Count Hughes, do you welcome our visit?"

Connor's expression turned serious, and he nodded in response, "Of course, Your Highness William. You are a friend of the Earl, and Castells will always keep his doors open to you."

The nobles of the empire never refused guests, even those who were fallen nobles who might bring trouble; the lords would still hold their noses and receive them.

At most, they'll use some petty tricks to get rid of people.

Castells's case is more unique.

What Castel lacks most right now is an opportunity to demonstrate its strength. This world has cognitive interference and natural technological barriers, so that it only brings benefits and no harm to outsiders coming to the island.

In fact, even if the prince hadn't asked, Hughes would have invited them to visit. Although sending Galahad was somewhat unexpected, there was no reason for him to refuse.

(End of this chapter)