Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 645 First Arrival in Rhine
The airship was not flying at a very high altitude, and the entire city of Rhine was clearly visible.

They had all heard about the Rhine, and knew that it was famous for its industry on the continent and was a symbol of the empire's strength.

In their imagination, even if the Rhine wasn't as prosperous as Castel, it should still be a small blood port.

But when they looked down over the Rhine, the scene was completely different.

Throughout the city of Rhine, sharp spires are everywhere—a characteristic of the Candlelight Church. Unlike the domed ceilings of the Silent Church, the Candlelight Church favors pointed roofs, which, when viewed from above, resemble sharp knives stuck into the earth.

These churches are built extremely high, straight up and down, like slender giants.

There are also countless suspended corridors, which at first glance appear intricate and overlapping.

If the city of the Silent Sanctuary is vast yet thin, then the Rhine is a dimension higher, no longer just on the ground, but like a building, with the entire city layered upon layered.

"Is this why Rhine's account differs from the records?"

Judging from the city's foundation, it does indeed have a somewhat industrial feel. The entire city is extremely clean and tidy, just like in the legends, where priests in robes walk along the corridors in the air.

Countless statues and landmarks stand tall in the city, all in a slender and elegant style. The tallest are two hooded figures facing each other, as if bowing their heads in prayer, their hands together supporting a long, winding corridor that runs through the entire city.

The two statues are extremely tall, their bodies descending through layer after layer of the city until they disappear completely below.

"I remember the records saying that the Rhine was never this tall? Or rather, it didn't have so many layers."

Rhine has always been an industrial city, with factories scattered throughout the city. They can accept thick smoke, flowing sewage, and roaring steam engines.

But the Rhine before my eyes is quiet, peaceful, and clean. It is indeed a beautiful city, but I can't see any factories at all.
Instead of towering chimneys, you can only see the spires of churches.

Gaia tugged at her hair, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.

"No wonder the map sent by the Ash Alliance was divided into Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine. So that's what it's all about." Erwin frowned as he looked down.

The priests in Rhine City had discovered the airship, and some of them gathered around.

The airship was already adorned with Hughes' family crest and the holy emblem of Imperial Truth, as well as the flame emblem representing Castel—which was actually more like a trademark, and was engraved on Castel's industrial products.

Imperial Truth, as a legitimately established church, had long since reported to the Empire. There are at least eight hundred or a thousand such churches established by lords themselves, mostly to avoid the church's tithe. This is the first time a church has officially visited the Rhine.

The priests were in a state of confusion for a while before quieting down. Soon, several fully armed teams arrived at the city wall, waving flags to signal the airships to descend.

"What should we do? Should we land?" the airship's helmsman asked, turning to the group.

"Slow it down, follow their instructions. Stoker, turn up the steam engine speed. If anything happens later, just quickly increase it," Erwin said in a deep voice.

"understand!"

The airship, piloted by the Holy See, began to gradually descend, with soldiers on the walls waving flags as they led them toward the center of Rhine City. At the very heart of the city, where countless open corridors converged, stood a circular central platform.

The platform was quite large, enough for airships to dock. Erwin gestured to indicate its size and suspected it could even accommodate the Skybound Beast.

Building such a massive platform plaza in the city is truly extravagant. Not only does it occupy a large area of ​​land, but it also blocks the sunlight from reaching the lower levels. Moreover, looking at the huge candlelight emblem pieced together from stone in the plaza, the construction and maintenance costs must be incredibly high.

"After the airship stops, our delegation will disembark first. Once disembarked, the airship will ascend immediately and hover in the air. Do not allow the Candlelight Society members to board the airship, understand?"

"But sir, if we encounter danger, how will you get up?"

“Gaia and Zoe are both extraordinary beings, what are you afraid of? Besides, this is Rhine City, the Candlelight Order's headquarters. If a conflict really breaks out, you'll be lucky to escape, don't even think about saving us.” Erwin waved his hand. “Lower down, open the hatch!”

The steam engine turned the propeller, and the entire airship slowly descended. Just before it touched the ground, the sailors on the airship threw down the cable.

Soldiers caught it and tied it to the fixed cable.

“Their platform seems to function as an airport. Judging from their appearance, they don’t seem to have never seen an airship before,” Gaia said, squinting.

"Do you remember the information on the Moth of Fire? The Mechanical Society does have steam-powered airships that can fly, but they are more like hot air balloons. In terms of size, load capacity, and reliability, they are far inferior to our airships. At least with that pitiful load, they are basically impossible to use for bombing."

"I see. But now it's the era of the Mechanical Temple. There may not be many steam-powered airships left, and the Mechanical Temple may have even lost the technology."

The cable was slowly pulled down by the winch, and the airship came to a steady stop on the ground. Erwin nodded to the mechanic beside the door, and as he pulled the lever, the airship's hatch slowly opened.

“Let’s talk about that later. First, let’s meet with our colleagues—don’t forget, we are also a church, the Imperial Truth Church.”

Gaia and Zoe swallowed hard, suppressing their trepidation, and stepped out of the hatch.

A bright spot appeared in my field of vision.

Sunlight shone on the square, making it glitter like gold. Only then did the group notice that the platform's floor tiles were inlaid with gold edges.

Two rows of soldiers with long swords hanging from their waists stood neatly on both sides of the airship, holding halberds in their hands, their armor gleaming, creating a path.

Further back were the low-ranking members of the Candlelight Society, dressed in long robes. Their faces were hidden under their hoods, their expressions unseen, silent and still, like eternally burning candlelight.

Several believers were kneeling on the ground, crawling along as they spread a soft, bright red carpet on the ground. By the time Castells' delegation stepped off the cabin door, the carpet had just reached their feet.

The believers stooped and backed away, and before they could react, the soldiers slammed their halberds on the ground.

boom!
The entire platform seemed to tremble, and the sunlight falling on the gold-edged floor tiles created a dazzling display of golden light that dazzled the eyes of several people.

After they got used to it, they suddenly found that there was another person in front of them.

(End of this chapter)