Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Early the next morning, Hughes got up to deal with documents.

There had been plenty to handle lately, and on top of that, he had to use Worker Hughes’ shell to establish the Mind Link and organize a group meeting today.

He had no idea how Zoe’s preparations were going.

Just after reading through a few papers, Hughes saw Zoe walk in carrying a huge stack of documents. Her heavy eye circles betrayed a lack of sleep, and Hughes’ heart stirred at the sight.

”Zoe, don’t work today. Take the day off to rest. Since we’re setting out tomorrow, you can use the time to prepare in advance.”

Zoe looked a bit surprised, but after a brief hesitation, she nodded. Rest, though? Not likely. They were departing tomorrow, and she still hadn’t finished cramming the knowledge about the Empire’s Eastern Territories.

It was the perfect time to ask around for more information—though she still didn’t understand why the Lord trusted her so much.

After watching Zoe walk back to her room, Hughes hung a wooden sign on the door reading, ”Resting. Do not disturb. Please deliver documents to the next room. In case of emergency, notify Alexei.” He then quickly returned to the armchair and chose to ”Return.”

Not long after, Worker Hughes came online and tugged the threads to pull the group into a chat session.

In a room inside the Castel Cathedral, Zoe sensed the sudden appearance of a Mind Link and silently gave a sigh of relief.Good thing the Lord had spontaneously granted her a break, or this really would have been a hassle.

Were these links always this frequent? Were they happening every day?

Fries: 『Huh?』

Fries: 『Why are we linking up again so soon?』

Scepter: 『Seriously. Before, there were always long intervals between links. Now it’s two days in a row. It’d be great if we could know the link times in advance.』

Hughes’ heart stirred.

Announce the link times?

That could be a bit tricky. He couldn’t speak within the link or he’d scare them. But if he used another method…

Maybe a fixed schedule—like once every few weeks? That could work.

And it would give them time to prepare and bring more valuable intel.

Fries: 『Miss Scepter, are you in trouble?』

Scepter: 『Why do you ask?』

Fries: 『I’m not sure… maybe it’s just… a feeling? You seem a bit down.』

This time, Scepter was silent for a long while before speaking again: 『I am facing some trouble, yes. But it’s nothing serious—I can handle it.』

Zoe looked mildly surprised. Even someone like Miss Scepter could run into problems? Wasn’t she an extraordinary?

Extraordinary… Zoe didn’t have much of a concept of what that meant. She had once secretly asked Chloe if she was one, but the orange-haired girl just smiled and didn’t answer.

Aside from Chloe, the only extraordinary Zoe knew of were the Banshees.

And to her, the Banshees were the embodiment of strength—formidable in combat and fast learners. Zoe was the first maid to teach the Banshees to read, yet in no time, they were discussing things she couldn’t even understand.

For such powerful people to have worries too…

Zoe’s puzzlement didn’t last long—she quickly remembered her task.

Writer: 『Do you know what’s going on in Blood Harbor lately?』

Fries: 『Huh?』

Fries: 『Miss Writer, are you planning to go to Blood Harbor?』

Zoe hesitated. Should she admit it?

As a mortal who had only just gained access to the Mind Link, she remained cautious and alert. She was too weak to casually reveal her movements.

But then again, this didn’t really count as revealing anything. She was going with the Holy Guard, and she could always say she was going somewhere else.

If she admitted it, it would be easier to get information… Maybe she should try?

Giving herself a mental pep talk, Zoe replied in a calm voice: 『That’s right. Do you have any advice?』

Fries: 『My advice is: don’t go.』

Fries: 『We just stopped at—uh, a port—and heard some things. It sounds like Blood Harbor isn’t exactly peaceful.』

Fries: 『Actually, it’s not just Blood Harbor. The entire Principality of Tis is dangerous.』

Fries: 『Because over there…』

Scepter: 『They’re going to war with the Empire, right?』

Fries: 『！！！』

Fries: 『Miss Scepter, you know something?』

Scepter: 『It won’t come to war. Don’t worry. The fighting between the Empire and Tis is just for show. If the major churches joined forces, they could settle the western battlefield in twenty days. Crushing Tis would be even faster. After all, mere flesh and blood can’t stop bullets.』

Tis and the Empire just pretending to fight?

That was a major piece of intel. Pulling Zoe into the chat had already paid off. Hughes was inwardly a bit excited.

Fries: 『But I heard things are in chaos over there?』

Scepter: 『I said the Empire and Tis won’t really fight, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be chaotic. Frankly, it’d be strange if it weren’t.』

Fries: 『Did something happen in Blood Harbor?』

Scepter: 『Blood Harbor is the most important city in Tis. The whole principality depends on the sea. If something happened at sea, you all should know—it couldn’t possibly not be affected.』

Something happened at sea?

Anyone near the coast who looked out into the sea would’ve seen it.

The sea dried up. That had never happened before—not in any recorded history. A few months later, the water returned. One could imagine how much of a shock this caused for ordinary folks.

And the Principality of Tis was a maritime nation. Ocean culture was deeply embedded there. Kenn and Gaia’s family had tried to flee to an island the moment war broke out, which showed just how close they felt to the sea.

But now, the sea that had been beside them for hundreds, maybe thousands of years… dried up.

Hughes suddenly realized he might’ve underestimated the impact of this incident. Castel had no contact with the outside world and had no idea what had happened. Thinking about it now, for ordinary people, this probably felt like the end of the world.

In 2012, an unfounded prophecy had already stirred plenty of unrest—this was the real deal: the sea had disappeared.

Scepter: 『I heard many cultists took advantage of the chaos and started acting up. Since the churches have pulled back their forces, there’s no one to hunt them down. These cultists have already caused quite a few incidents—it just hasn’t spread yet.』

The link fell silent for a moment before a hoarse voice spoke up.

Captain: 『Why would the churches abandon their believers and land?』

Scepter: 『I don’t know the details, but I heard the Keepers’ Council sensed some kind of omen in the sea a while ago. They’ve been pulling back ever since. The standoff with the Principality of Tis wasn’t just about that prince. I have a feeling… they’re guarding against something.』

Guarding against something?

What in the sea could be so threatening that they’d abandon all of Tis and build defensive lines inland?

Could it be… the Murlocs and the Sea Urchin Monsters?

Had the churches foreseen the Sea God’s awakening?