Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 479 Hang his head on the top of the church!

Erwin solemnly opened the package, inside which was a handful of soil.

He had dug it out himself from the North that morning, and although it was still daylight, he had already arrived at Bloodharbor.

In the past, it took half a month to travel from Bloodharbor to the North, and even the mysterious superhumans would find it difficult to arrive in less than a week.

But now, that time has been shortened to a few hours.

While natives like Erwin were relatively calm, the prince, who was watching the ceremony from a distance, was already quite agitated.

"It only takes a day to get to the North from here, but how long would it take if a railway were built from here to the Rhine?"

He muttered to himself, then suddenly turned his head slightly, as if listening to the sounds coming from the air.

After a while, he smiled.

Galahad stood to the side, looking at everything before him with a face full of emotion.

To be honest, he didn't quite agree with the prince's approach at first.

Allying with Castells would not only mean losing control of Bloodharbor, but also offending allies in the north—Castells may have greater potential, but their population is still small, not on the same scale as the North or the Empire.

The threat from the Empire is real, and the Duchy of Tis is also facing many internal troubles. It can be said that the prince's alliance with Castel is a huge risk.

However, the developments over the past six months have shattered his ideas.

Castells may not have a large population, but their efficiency is terrifying. The amount of steel that Bloodharbor requires tens of thousands of people to smelt can be achieved with half the capacity of Castells' steel mill.

The process was complex and difficult to produce. The firearms were so expensive that only alchemists could afford to use them. They piled up like mountains on the assembly line in just half a day.

It takes decades or even centuries to accumulate experience to build a navy that even the Empress couldn't manage. Castells sank one ship and built two, managing to find a usable ship type.

Galahad realized he was wrong, terribly wrong. Castel was never a power, a country, or a countdom; it was an existence that could not be described in words.

They paved roads with steel, poured forests with concrete and steel bars, used evil gods as energy, and negotiated with machine guns and gunpowder.

Galahad looked down at his waist, where a longsword hung.

He casually drew his sword and skillfully twirled it a few times. Even before he became a superhuman, he was the most powerful knight under the Queen. After reaching the superhuman level, he felt that his swordsmanship was now unmatched.

fencing
Galahad smiled, his fingers lightly tracing the spine of the sword. The steel was of excellent quality, a treasure even within the imperial palace.

The sword was engraved with a line of small characters: Made by Castel.

Hughes had given the prince some gifts to show his friendship, and this sword was one of them.

The steel mill specially opened a furnace to smelt a batch of steel, and now there are still hundreds of these precious swords in Galahad's house.

Hughes was sent out so casually; this was just the output of one production line in the steel mill for one morning. Galahad could cut one up a day and use it for several years.

Hughes promised to replace them for life—by the time he'd finished them all, the next batch of several hundred would be ready.

Looking at the longsword in his hand, Galahad felt an indescribable feeling in his chest. He was a remnant of the old era and should have been crushed by the wheels of time.

Galahad touched the bolt-action rifle slung across his back. He had never told anyone that he no longer loved using longswords as much; an ordinary rifle was more to his liking than a precious sword. But he would still carry a sword with him at all times; it was his vow, and also a form of remembrance.

"Stop daydreaming, Galahad, come with me to Hughes's side!" The prince glared at him and whispered.

Galahad quickly gripped the hilt of his sword and followed the prince with a serious expression, heading towards Hughes.

Hughes shook hands with the prince and then embraced him. Castel and the Duchy of Tis were now in a comprehensive alliance and cooperation.

The prince maintained order in Blood Harbor and resolved internal problems, but shared management authority, allowing Castells to control the entire Blood Harbor without incurring significant management costs.

It also provided a large population, merging nearby villages and towns into the city without hindering their free movement, ensuring that Castells never lacked fresh blood.

Castells provided Blood Harbor with waves of industrial workers and assisted in its basic industrialization. He even signed some arms export agreements, and now the Prince's port guards are almost entirely equipped with rifled rifles.

The prince was now firmly on Castel's side, and for a time the two sides were closely connected, forming an unbreakable alliance.

The prince also contributed a great deal to the expeditionary force.

They put in a lot of effort, from providing maps and helping with on-site surveys to assisting in the suppression of bandits and maintaining order near the railway.

Of course, he also had his own selfish motives. He built stations in important cities near the railway, ostensibly to provide supplies for the expeditionary force, and in the future, he planned to use these stations as a base to drive development along the railway.

This is a real change. For thousands of years, countless princes have conquered the continent countless times, but for the first time, the pace of industrialization has slowed down.

Because of his unwavering support, Hughes invited him to the expeditionary ceremony.

Hughes looked at the smiling and applauding prince not far away, at the expeditionary force members standing proudly in front of him, and at the sea of ​​Bloodharbor workers and civilians around him, and his heart was filled with emotion.

Six months ago, this place experienced the rebellion of the Church of the Mother Goddess. The once prosperous city is now just ruins and empty walls. It is completely unrecognizable from what it used to be.

The poor people who were once numb and in pain now surround him, staring at him intently with hope in their eyes.

They gained knowledge, they gained hope, they gained a future.

No bribery was needed; people were willing to join Castells. No mobilization was needed; people would fight for Castells on their own.

The will of the people.

The expeditionary force soldiers, carrying weapons and with their clothes still covered in mud and dust, stood upright.

This is Castel's first war against foreign powers, and the enemy has chosen the North as the battlefield, where Hughes will build their tombs.

After six months of long preparation, Castells was finally about to take his first step in this distant land.

Hughes solemnly accepted the soil and then handed Nora's head to her. What should have been a comical scene inexplicably took on a sacred quality.

Nora will witness Castell's revenge, as Hughes promised, and now a place has been reserved for her on the armored train.

"Nora, from now on, the expeditionary force will be your body. They will take you to the North to kill your enemies and avenge you."

“Go, bring back Count Bazel, take him to the island, and hang his head on the roof of the Papacy.”

(End of this chapter)