Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 352 The Empress's Sword

Galahad sat in the chair, his legs awkwardly pressed together.

He kept his head down and recounted everything he had seen on Castel in a low voice, not even daring to look up at his lord.

What did he see on that island?
The steel-cast ships were nothing more than experimental prototypes to be used and discarded. The densely packed factories could produce enough steel to build a mountain in Blood Harbor, fill a lake with explosives, and then send the entire city into the sky with a single, metallic bullet.

Needless to say, there were the spiderweb-like underground alleyways, the mountain-like fortresses on the ground, the colossal celestial beasts that blocked out the sunlight, and the bombs that rained down like rain.

As for the limbs of evil gods scattered throughout the island, and the pollution churning in the stellar furnace, just describing these things is enough to drive one mad.

Galahad was well-prepared; he wore the most magnificent armor and carried a longsword meticulously forged by a blacksmith.

At that moment, he felt as if he had entered the palace as a monkey, holding a carefully selected wooden stick in his hand.

Ah, later the longsword broke in his duel with the train—the stopped train.

Galahad did not hide anything; he even revealed these embarrassing parts to the prince in detail.

The prince listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Occasionally he would ask about details, such as the food the soldiers on the island had, the width of the concrete roads, and the topics the banshees talked about.

The prince made no comment, but Galahad became increasingly desperate as he spoke.

Castells Galahad was certain that he had not seen the entire island; there must be many more hidden and deeper creations. But what he had seen was far beyond what Bloodharbor could contend with.

No, not just Bloodharbor, but even if the entire Duchy of Tess were combined, would they really have a chance against Castel?
The technological gap in firearms is not a major concern. Your Highness's soldiers are brave and fearless. If they can charge into the range of muskets regardless of casualties, it is still possible to take on one soldier for every twenty.

But how many bombings can an army and a city withstand?
Even if it's just an ordinary airship, what can the Sky-Behemoth do if it launches an attack from the air?
Galahad is a superhuman who can shoot down airships, but he's the only superhuman here. How many airships does Castel have?
The Mechanical Sanctuary might have a solution, but His Highness has already broken with all the churches.
Galahad had tried to find a solution; he had been thinking about it every day for the past few days. But no matter how hard he tried, His Highness had no chance of winning against Castel.

Castel was an indescribable behemoth of steel, and even the mere sight of it could drive one mad. But at this moment, its gaze was fixed on Blood Harbor.

Galahad closed his eyes in despair.

Suddenly, a series of noisy footsteps came from outside the door.

A servant stumbled into the room, and upon seeing the prince, he cried out breathlessly as if he had seen a savior, "Your Highness, the Church of the Mother Goddess has rebelled again!"

"What did you say!?"

The prince jumped up from his chair and stared intently at the servant who had delivered the message.

The servant was startled and before he could even stammer a word, the prince snatched the paper from his hand.

The prince's gaze fell on the letter, and almost instantly his face darkened.

That was a message from the Port Guard. The situation was urgent. The description was very brief, only stating that the Church of the Mother Goddess had launched a rebellion, and the lower city was in chaos with heavy casualties. The Port Guard was currently mobilizing urgently.

"How dare they!? Do they really think they could have succeeded in the Blood Harbor rebellion without my help?"

Galahad's eyes widened in surprise, and he opened his mouth, but said nothing. He had a subconscious feeling that something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The Church of the Mother of Life has launched another rebellion, which seems normal; cultists can never be viewed through the eyes of ordinary people.
Galahad recalled the look Mira gave them as she retreated; her gaunt face was filled with anger and hatred.

Is she here for revenge?
In the brief moment he was stunned, the prince had already rang the bell to summon his men and issued several orders in an orderly manner. His forces began to operate in a coordinated manner, like perfectly meshed gears.

After the death of its commander, the Hong Kong Guard was taken over by the prince, who quickly replaced a large number of personnel. Now it is completely transformed and only loyal to the prince.

Soon, a commotion arose outside as the soldiers began to assemble.

Galahad's heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, Castel has sent a large batch of weapons and a troop of protectors. We..."

The prince waved his hand: "No need. In the days you were away, I have already reorganized all the troops. Let the port guards fight them fair and square. Perhaps Castells' weapons are stronger, but this is Blood Harbor—my Blood Harbor!"

He glanced at Galahad and sneered, "A piece of trash who can't even defend his own territory doesn't deserve to sit at the negotiating table. You've just witnessed Castel's advanced bombing; now you'll see my outdated muskets."

Galahad paused for a moment, then lowered his head, his heart churning with emotions.

His trip to Castel these past few days had almost shattered his confidence. Castel's power was overwhelming, and he couldn't imagine how to defeat him.

However, when the Empress ascended the throne, her situation was far worse than it is now.

Her decrees couldn't even leave the palace, the five dukes were eyeing the Rhine with hostility, the royal family was in grave danger, and she was just a thirteen-year-old girl.

Eleven years later, with no rivals left in the four borders of the empire, she turned her attention to the behemoth that was the Church, abandoning everything without hesitation to start over.

Galahad still remembers that day, when the prince, who had just returned from the Rhine, arrived back at Blood Harbor.

She brought only one knight with her, and the two of them, on horseback, stood before Blood Harbor, gazing at this decaying behemoth.

She only had a nominal title; all her power had long been divided up by the nobles.

She didn't seem to care at all, pointing ahead with her riding crop, her face full of excitement: "Look, Galahad, what a beautiful city, it's about to welcome its new master."

The gleam in his eyes made Galahad unable to meet his gaze, even though he was already a superhuman.

Isabella, her Majesty, arrogant, fearless, and utterly unconcerned with what she held, repeatedly wagered all her resources before rising to receive the adoration and cheers of the world.

Galahad raised her head, and the confidence and arrogance on the prince's face were no different from those of the thirteen-year-old girl.

That was the lord he served.

The knight's heart gradually calmed down.

Fear, confusion, and despair gradually faded away.

He is His Majesty's sword, cutting through thorns and obstacles, moving forward without looking back.

(End of this chapter)