Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 783 Unifying Thoughts, a Will Forming as One
The people in the hall gradually dispersed, but the discussion about the war had only just begun.

As they returned to their posts and brought the news back, things began to unfold.

Workers, Christian guards, civilians, researchers, students—people from all walks of life are beginning to think about how wars will be fought in the future.

Hughes always manages to come up with some advanced tactical plans, mainly because he stands on the shoulders of giants and has the entire history of military development on Earth as a reference. Even if Castel cannot manufacture many of the weapons, this vision is enough to influence the entire war situation.

But there are no superhumans on Earth, and Castel's future methods of warfare will inevitably take a completely different path.

What Hughes could do was brainstorm ideas—after all, he was only one person, and he certainly couldn't come up with as many ideas as everyone else combined.

Especially with legendary idea generators like Monica.
Besides sparking a heated discussion, Castells's mobilization has also officially begun.

News of the defeat in battle with Pope Jules quickly spread throughout Bloodharbor and Castells, and Hughes did not impose any restrictions on it.

People didn't seem to blame the banshee.

In fact, both the Christian defenders and the civilians were largely united in their hatred of the enemy.

It's important to understand that this trend of thought arose spontaneously before Castells' propaganda tools were even launched.

Therefore, Hughes felt confident enough to initiate a full-scale mobilization.

Now, under Hughes's rule, there is no longer only Castel; Blood Harbor is also a very important part, and its population is much larger than that of Castel itself.

The Castel people have experienced many wars since the Deep Sea War and have witnessed the rise of industry, so they are naturally loyal to Hughes.

Blood Harbor is a different story.

Bloodharbor's population is extremely diverse, including locals, refugees from the North, young people from other parts of Tees who came here to try their luck, and prisoners of war who were brought back.

There were even family members of workers like Rebecca who were recruited from other places.

Most of these people were free citizens, and Hughes was not their lord. Logically speaking, their loyalty should be the lowest.

Therefore, if Hughes wanted to launch a general mobilization, he needed to find out the attitude of his people.

It seems to be going very smoothly.

Since the banshees are a different race, and they can gain support, then Xiu Si's policies will proceed smoothly.

Castells' centripetal force was much stronger than Hughes' most optimistic predictions.

This was actually a blind spot in Hughes's own understanding.

He tried to meet the standards of a modern regime, as required by Earth, and when he built Castells's administrative system, he only felt that there were many shortcomings and that there was still much he could do.

But he overlooked one thing.

This is a continent ravaged by war, a world where the walls of reality are crumbling, a world that has only recently emerged from the Middle Ages and where industry is just beginning to take shape.

The order created by Castells was like a lone lamp in the long night, bringing the last ray of light to the world.

Those who do not know Castel fear it, those who come to Castel praise it, and those who built this miraculous city with their own hands are willing to sacrifice everything for it.

This is the country they built with their own hands, carrying so many expectations and dreams.

The flaming emblem hanging high above Castel Cathedral has long been a symbol of faith for countless people.

Castel, fire and light in the storm, its name is the best mobilization.

Hughes, without even knowing it, had already been quietly talked about by people.

Everything was quietly changing. Alexei left Bloodharbor, relieved to know that things were stable back home. The North was thriving, and he had plenty of work to do.

Accompanying him was a group of priests from the Silent Church, led by Helena.

Hughes promised them they could settle in Castells, but the stubborn Northerners still longed for their homeland.

The white fog is receding rapidly, Gwen's control over the White Disaster is growing stronger, and the people of the Bone Raven will soon be able to see their homeland again.

Although there is probably only ruins left there.

Everything was destroyed by the White Catastrophe, and civilization was rebuilt on the ruins. The White Raven Principality has been going through this cycle for a long time.

The White Crow people have always been like this; the believers of the Silent Sanctuary are like the rocks that support the sanctuary—rough, silent, hard, yet reliable.

The rise and fall of civilizations, and the cycle within them, is the life of a person.

Nora also went north.

She had once raised her voice to Ignatius to accuse the temple of being unchanged for thousands of years, but this time, she said little about the reconstruction of the temple and simply followed in silence.

She seemed to realize something too; mere words were meaningless, and everything still had to be changed by her own hands.

Although she doesn't have hands now.

Nora brought many books with her, and she herself grew a lot during this time, even passing the exam on mechanical principles.

Although I only passed the theoretical exam, it's still difficult to do practical work if I only have the knowledge.

Hughes generously gifted a complete set of basic technical books and promised to provide some support for the reconstruction of White Raven.

This was an extremely valuable gift, and even the Silent Sanctuary was somewhat surprised.

No one understands the weight of knowledge better than the Church.

"Knowledge should be precious, not expensive," Hughes replied when Patriarch Ignatius brought it up.

The patriarch, who was usually taciturn, did not say much, but solemnly wrote the sentence in the book he carried with him.

He filled many such booklets in Castel.

Everything seemed unchanged, yet subtly different.

Bloodharbor, Castells, and even the North, the Duchy of Tiss, and the entire Castells Alliance, all began to build their homes with even greater enthusiasm.

War—everyone on this land has experienced countless wars, large and small; the continent has never known a moment of peace.

This time, however, people faced war with more than just pain and numbness; for the first time, they began to empathize, and a certain concept entered everyone's heart for the first time.

A sense of belonging.

Castel no longer seemed to be an island, and Blood Harbor no longer seemed to be a city. People began to spontaneously identify with a certain concept, regardless of race or identity.

When everyone spontaneously strives for an ideal, the combined power becomes unstoppable.

Hughes himself did not realize that this war would unite the entire Castel Alliance.

More and more people have come to regard this place as their home, and Castells has never abandoned anyone.

Now, some people want to destroy the homes they've worked so hard to build.

(End of this chapter)