Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 351 Blood Harbor Sinks Again

The ship that brought Galahad to Blood Harbor was not empty; it carried an entire squad of religious guards, engineers, and various supplies and weapons.

Although the overall number was not large due to the prince's influence, it was a very clear statement that Castells had opened his doors to these refugees from the North and offered them asylum directly.

Thinking of this, Josh felt a warmth in his heart. Although he was still in Blood Harbor, his heart had already crossed the ocean and flown to that familiar island.

Well, hopefully he won't be frightened by the changes when he returns to the island.

“Castel will certainly accept the Secret Order, but it’s not enough. The population is far from sufficient. Right now, most of the Storm Ocean is the Earl’s territory. This number is just the beginning,” Josh said softly.

There were only a little over a hundred refugees who went south with the Black Pearl. It wasn't that Nora didn't want to send more people; the ship simply couldn't fit them all.

The Black Pearl is not a pure cargo ship after all; its carrying capacity is limited. Moreover, these hundred-plus people are not cargo; they need to eat and drink, and they also need a place to sleep. This number is already the limit.

The Secret Order started with these people, and later took in many more refugees from the North. When Bloodharbor descended into chaos, many starving people from the lower classes who could not survive also joined in.

The Secret Order now has over five hundred members, which may not sound like much, but it is already a significant force in this port city.

After all, these people are just official members, and many of them have families. If we consider their influence, the number of peripheral members combined is already over a thousand.

Although it is not as good as the Church of the Mother Goddess, such a sudden increase in population must be a heavy burden on the territory.

Can Castells really afford it?
Mira looked at him with a hint of suspicion.

She was a follower of the evil god and had seen all sorts of things during the chaos in Bloodharbor. This practice of bringing in a large number of people instantly made her think of many bad things.

Mira glanced at her mother-in-law. She recognized her as a member of the Fire Moth Cult, a notorious cult. Although its followers were known to be quite insane, she had never heard of them using human sacrifices.

Zoe noticed her concerns and quickly explained, “Castel is currently in a period of development, and the more people the better. The food supply is also more than enough. We are not too far from here. You might as well send someone to the island to take a look. The prince sent Galahad there a few days ago, and the ship on its return journey has not been in port for long.”

Mira nodded slowly. She knew about this. The Church of the Mother Goddess now controlled almost all the lower classes in Bloodharbor. She knew many things even earlier than the prince.

"Who do you recruit, and what will they be doing?"

Zoe and Josh exchanged a glance, both of them looking pleased.

Sure enough, based on Mira's previous performance, she was willing to find a way out for her subordinates.

Castel's recruitment was a good thing for these starving people, but not necessarily for Mira herself.

As a priestess of the Church of the Mother Goddess, the more believers she had, the stronger her influence became.

From her own perspective, accepting Castells's proposal would actually weaken her own power.

She should have objected.

But judging from her behavior, she might not be that kind of person. Looking at her gaunt face, Zoe couldn't help but recall the confrontation that day, her anger, and the sorrowful look in her eyes when she looked at Tommy, all of which Zoe could not forget.

That's why Zoe came here; she wanted to fight for a way out for the refugees of Bloodharbor and for Mira.

Zoe clenched her fists under the table, secretly thrilled. She hadn't misjudged Mira; she truly cared about these impoverished believers!
And Castel will not let them down. Once they arrive on the island, these people will have jobs, will no longer go hungry, will be able to read, go to school, and live like human beings.

In the future, Castel will continue to receive refugees. Bloodharbor is still too small for the entire Storm Ocean, and the refugees from the North will have a place to go. This was only the first contact between the two sides. Although Zoe was excited, she knew she couldn't rush things. Mira personally escorted them out.

"Looking forward to seeing you again." Zoe tried to appear mature and reliable, calmly waving goodbye to Mira. The high priestess of the Mother of Life laughed like a child, sunlight filtering through the murky fog unique to the lower city and casting a halo of light on her.

Like a tenacious weed.

She laughed so hard that she choked a little and coughed violently. Each cough made her slender body tremble. Zoe took a step forward with some concern, then hesitated and stopped.

Mira stopped coughing after a while, her face looking even more haggard. She smiled and waved her hand, "It's nothing, just an old ailment. Don't worry about me, I'll get better. Go back now."

The group then bid farewell and left.

After walking a distance, Zoe finally smiled – she had actually succeeded. Everything had gone so smoothly; she had successfully connected with Mira and reached a preliminary agreement.

She had many worries, such as whether Mira would be difficult to talk to, whether the Mother Goddess followers would be very extreme, and whether she would encounter many problems in her faith. But none of these concerns came true; everything was fine, far exceeding her expectations.

Zoe smiled foolishly; she was genuinely happy.

"I didn't expect them to be so easy to talk to."

“After all, we can provide food. Although they are cultists, they just want to survive. If they can eat, who would be willing to risk their life for some strength?” Josh said with a sigh, truly feeling the sentiment.

Although he created the secret order to frighten people under the guise of a cult, this did not deter the starving people who wanted to join.

These impoverished people had no idea that the cult was fake and that the evil god would kill them; they had always believed that.

But as long as they could get food in return, they didn't care.

The evil god wants them dead, and not just now. If they don't have food, they won't even see the sun rise tomorrow.

Not to mention that many people grit their teeth and join, just to give their families something to eat.

Every time Josh thought about these things, it felt as if a cold razor had pierced his heart.

Thankfully, everything is alright now.

The prince is implementing reforms, order is being restored, Castells is receiving refugees, and their negotiations with Mira today were also successful. Everything is getting better.

Zoe went to bed with a smile on her face today.

Unfortunately, her happiness didn't last long.

The next day, urgent news arrived at the desks of several people—

The Church of the Mother Goddess has launched another rebellion.

Blood Harbor, ravaged by war, has once again sunk into the abyss.

(End of this chapter)