Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

The morning in Castel began with faint golden light drifting across the bluestone walls.

The sun had just risen, and the morning mist had yet to dissipate.

The damp cobblestone streets glistened under the early sunlight.

It was said that the newest type of road was already under construction, a surface so smooth it would not even have gaps between the cobblestones.

People opened their doors and, calling out to each other, gathered in groups as they headed toward the industrial zone or various construction sites.

The southern school was a place everyone passed by on their way to the worksites.

Most people chose to attend night school after finishing their day’s labor, making the school particularly quiet in the mornings.

But today, a large crowd had gathered at the school entrance.

Newcomers, unaware of the situation, could only vaguely make out a tall figure standing at the school gate through the crowd.

Some impatient onlookers tugged on others nearby to ask.”What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered here?”

”Not sure, I heard it’s some kind of construction?”

”Construction? Are they expanding the school too?”

”It’s not a building. Look over there.” A man pointed ahead. The group squinted hard but could only make out something sharp protruding.

”A sculpture?”

”Yeah, it’s a stone statue.”

In the middle of the crowd, right on the small plaza in front of the school, a towering statue now stood where the entrance had once been bare.

This was a rare sight.

Castel was a remote place, and before Hughes arrived, the Empire had not even included it on their maps, treating it as a desolate island.

The islanders had never seen anything like this before.

Even the rundown Church of Candlelight was considered an impressive structure by the locals, and when Hughes had first started building factories, it had drawn quite a crowd.

So, it was no surprise that people were astonished now.

They surrounded the statue, cautiously touching the base before raising their heads to gaze at the tall figure looming above.

The statue was crafted entirely from pure white stone.

No, calling it a sculpture wasn’t entirely accurate.

It had first been constructed with a steel framework, then cast using the Fossil to Mud spell.

At the technological level of this era, such a massive stone statue was nothing short of astonishing.

Even gathering all the craftsmen from across the Rhine might not have been enough to complete it.

But the Siren had finished this entire piece alone using only the Fossil to Mud spell.

Extraordinary Power, when used in the right way, could significantly enhance industrial efficiency.

The sculpture was composed of two main parts.

One was a Siren with a determined expression, reaching forward with an outstretched hand, her gaze locked fiercely on the sea urchin opposite her.

Between the Siren and the sea urchin were a series of round objects, forming a line flying from the Siren toward the creature.

The sphere closest to the sea urchin had split open, as if it was just about to explode.

On the pedestal beneath the Siren’s feet, a line was engraved: ”The Siren in Battle.”

Beside it, in smaller text, was an introduction to the Siren’s achievements.

[Siren Nini, inventor of the Fish Herding Spell, improved the Fossil to Mud technique, contributed to the manufacturing of the Type II Engine, fought against the sea urchin monster during the Month of the Awakening Wood, and used bombs to simultaneously kill multiple creatures.]

Nini’s statue was identical in size to her real form, and both the sea urchin monster and the bombs were recreated on a 1:1 scale.

The entire sculpture was designed to let the islanders witness firsthand both their future enemies and allies.

As they looked up at the towering statue, people couldn’t help but sigh in awe.

Previously, they had only vaguely heard descriptions of the Sirens’ appearance.

Now, seeing the statue in person, they finally understood how tall and imposing a Siren could be.

Most of those gathered around were literate, and as they read the inscription on the base, they couldn’t help but marvel aloud.

”So the Sirens actually exist!”

”One, two, three, four, five, six... Six hands! My God, six hands, does that mean she could do three jobs at once?”

”Why are you still thinking about work? Look at that towering body, it’s clear she’d earn even more on a construction site!”

”Wouldn’t they slip without feet? And how do they go to the bathroom?”

”Ahem, don’t let kids ask nonsense. But seriously, I wonder, does that snake-like tail move like an arching worm?”

”Damn it, that’s an insect! Have you never seen a snake?”

The Sirens looked quite different from humans, but since this was just a statue and not the real thing, the islanders didn’t find it too hard to accept.

Instead, they were filled with curiosity, openly commenting and speculating.

Of course, the Sirens’ beautiful faces played a considerable role in this acceptance.

Humans naturally favored attractive things, and even beings of a different race could garner goodwill because of it.

Some people were more intrigued by the sea urchin and the bomb.

”That’s the sea monster? It really does look like a sea urchin.”

Everyone nodded.

This was an island, after all, everyone had eaten sea urchin before, so seeing the sculpture instantly reminded them of the familiar creature.

”Are these sea urchin monsters strong? Aren’t sea urchins supposed to be slow?”

”They must be powerful, right? Even a Siren had to use bombs to kill them.”

”What’s a bomb?”

The crowd exchanged confused looks, no one knew.

”It’s something that causes a violent explosion. You’ve seen an explosion before, right? No? Imagine the lightning from a thunderstorm, it can blast a hole in the ground!”

Zoe emerged from the school, having waited there for some time.

Seeing the moment was right, she stepped forward, walking among the crowd and telling the Siren’s story, including tales of the bombs and Nini’s heroic deeds.

This was part of Hughes’ strategy, to gradually let people learn about the Sirens.

Fear and hostility often stemmed from ignorance, but Castel’s people naturally had an advantage since they regularly attended school.

And it wasn’t just about the Sirens; the sea urchins and bombs were also key parts of his campaign.

”These explosions... it’s like trapping thunder’s fire inside a sphere... too unbelievable.”

”Stop right there!” Zoe immediately shouted, cutting off the dangerous speculation.

She couldn’t allow such rumors to spread, if they triggered cognitive interference, it would be a serious problem.

”The explosion isn’t from thunderfire,  it’s from nitroglycerin. This is Castel’s unique industrial product. You’ve heard of the nitroglycerin production line, right?”

The crowd nodded vigorously.

That was the highest-paying production line on the island, and only those who passed the advanced chemistry exams could apply for it.

Many people attended advanced classes just for the chance to earn that lucrative salary.

”Nitroglycerin is the primary raw material for explosives. Though Miss Nini possessed Extraordinary Power, that alone wasn’t enough to defeat the sea urchin. She killed the monster using explosives, products made by the workers in our factories!”

The crowd fell silent for a moment before breaking into excited commotion.

What had they just heard?

A monster so powerful that even a tall, strong Siren couldn’t defeat it had been slain by something made by ordinary mortals like them?