Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 618 Helena

Nini wagged her tail happily, exchanged a few words with the station staff, and the switchman moved a train with passenger carriages to the station.

"Let's go. This train is carrying copper ore and only passengers are being transported on a side trip, so the ride might not be very comfortable."

The priests of the Silent Church naturally had no objections. When they evacuated from the White Crow, they had ridden in a carriage, the kind without suspension or rubber tires. No matter how much soft padding was added, it wouldn't make a difference. Besides, the church never added any soft furnishings, given its usual style.

This kind of carriage can shake so much that even stones in your bladder can come out after just half an hour of riding.

Compared to that, the jolts and bumps of the train running on the tracks are almost negligible.

Moreover, the train seats are different from those on the subway; they are padded, which makes you feel much more relaxed when you sit on them.

"I heard that the new seats can adjust the backrest angle, but that's not an option right now." Nini skillfully folded down a row of seats. The carriage here didn't have a sunroof, and its height was already quite generous, so even the Banshee could sit comfortably.

However, Nini thoughtfully opened the car window and gestured "please" to Nora, who was holding Gwen.

Gwen was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening. Just as she was about to look down at Nora, Nora had already taken a bite.

"Aaaaaah, Lady Nora, I haven't done anything yet!!!"

The experienced Nora wouldn't be fooled again. If she didn't bite now, she'd only be able to bite air if Gwen lifted her up later.

Nini gave a satisfied smile, stretched her tail, and climbed onto the overhead luggage rack, settling down comfortably.

The carriages are only limited in height, but there is definitely enough space to lie down.

While they were still fooling around, the priests in the sanctuary were now looking at the upholstered chairs with the utmost seriousness.

"These soft seats are too luxurious."

"Wake up, it's just an ordinary upholstered chair. There are better ones in the sanctuary."

"But this is a journey. Can you travel with an armchair? Or do you prefer riding in that damn carriage?"

"Castel is truly depraved."

While the priests whispered their criticisms of Castells' extravagance, they happily shifted around in their chairs, adjusting their posture.

Meanwhile, in his office, Hughes was both amused and exasperated, not expecting the priests to rate the chair so highly.

Indeed, these seats are specially designed to fit the body better and provide support, making long journeys less uncomfortable.

But I didn't expect the priests to react so strongly.

The main reason is that Hughes doesn't have much travel experience in this world.

Without modern transportation, long-distance travel is an extreme ordeal, and even if the priests of these silent sanctuaries are extraordinary individuals with strong physical abilities, they cannot withstand the jolting of the carriage.

"It seems that the appeal of trains to people around the world has been underestimated."

Hughes narrowed his eyes.

The priests of the Silent Church did not enjoy the comfortable train ride for long before arriving at their destination.

The island of Castel is not very large. The train started to slow down after about ten minutes and stopped again not long after.

After their initial surprise, the priests' attention quickly shifted from the carriage to the buildings outside. "Your Excellency, these buildings..."

Ignati nodded slowly and looked at Nini: "If I'm not mistaken, they're all made of concrete, right?"

"Of course, but the grade here is higher. You can understand it as the concrete strength here being better."

Even stronger!?
The priests in the Silent Church were silent for a moment, staring in disbelief at the rows of fortresses outside.

Their solid stone sanctuary was known for its sturdiness, and they assumed the concrete one would be just as good, but now they're being told this one is even stronger.

"The hospitals on the outskirts are actually civilian buildings, but this area is already military fortification. The Castel Cathedral has its own hospital, which will be moved here during wartime."

Nini chuckled and delivered the final blow.

The White Raven Principality is a theocracy, and the Holy Temple naturally also serves a military function, since these burialers are destined for the battlefield.

After comparing for a long time, it turned out that the concrete in the hospital was for civilian use?
What are "civilian buildings" in the North?
Houses built of stone and wood, covered with a layer of straw? Most houses were actually just mud, since they would all rot after the White Disaster anyway, so it was better to build something easy to assemble. When the houses couldn't withstand the heavy snow, people could just move into the church.

Helena pushed up her glasses, looked at the rows of concrete construction sites outside, and couldn't help but show a longing expression.

Unlike Nora, she was a seasoned Burialer who had spent many years in the North and seen too much hardship.

During blizzards, the church is always packed with people. If people had these concrete houses back then, they might not have been in such a predicament.

The doors of the sanctuary all open inwards. After a snowstorm, opening the doors reveals a vast expanse of snow, piled high above the entrance. You have to use a shovel to clear away the snow before you can step out of the sanctuary.

As for the believers' houses, they collapsed in some snowstorm, no one knows which time.

They dug out their collapsed houses, collected as many usable items as possible, and then built a new home from the ruins.

The people of the White Crows had long been accustomed to these hardships; they simply toiled silently.

倘若
Helena shook her head with a wry smile. Castells had sturdy houses, but no northern winds or frost. The harbors here never froze, so there were no such hardships to begin with.

As you get older, you tend to overthink things, and you have too many heavy memories.

Helena heard a gasp from her companion and quickly adjusted her glasses, looking out the window.

She then lost in thought.

What a magnificent fortress!

Helena had fought many battles, and she could tell at a glance the design of this fortress. The slopes and tangents were clearly designed to deal with sieges. As long as ballistae and catapults were set up on it, even the most powerful enemies could only sigh in despair.

Wait, what are all these things arranged up there?
Helena squinted. She only recognized a clock tower on top of the fortress. She didn't recognize any of the other thick black pipes. And why was there a monument on top of it?

Fortunately, today wasn't a celebration or anything like that, otherwise she would have seen Chloe on that monument.

"Everyone, we've arrived. Castel Cathedral is just ahead," Nini's voice came from the luggage rack.

Helena stood up to get off the bus, but suddenly felt something was wrong.

Isn't there a fortress outside? Where's the church?

(One more chapter)
(End of this chapter)