Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

It was a strange feeling.

No one spoke again; they merely raised their heads and stared at the sea urchin monster.

It stood two stories tall, towering far above the Sirens, its grotesque spikes striking fear into anyone who dared approach.

No one would think of it as something humans could handle.

Such monsters were meant for the Sirens to deal with, mortals were merely their backdrop, silent spectators in a grand theater.

And yet, this terrifying creature had been killed by a creation of mere mortals?

An indescribable feeling surged in their chests, surprise, fear, pride, all mixed together so thoroughly that no one could tell them apart.

Eventually, the crowd dispersed.

Knowing they could make bombs powerful enough to kill the sea urchin monster seemed to shift something in their hearts.

The towering Siren statues no longer felt so distant.Before, the Sirens had seemed like myths, legends, beings beyond the mundane world.

But now, they felt much closer, much more real.

Even the Sirens were using explosives made by mortals.

These bombs had become a bridge, making people realize that the Sirens were real, and they could actually help them.

Someone with sharp eyes noticed another inscription at the base of the statue: ”Invented Fish Shepherding Spell.”

After asking Miss Zoe about it, they received an answer that left everyone stunned.

It turned out that Nini had been using the Fish Shepherding Spell to provide food for Castel all along.

Castel was an island with rich forest and fishing resources.

People here rarely went hungry, but that didn’t mean hunger was unknown, especially during storms, when survival became a struggle.

Most of the people here had migrated from the mainland as refugees and had endured countless hardships.

Because of that, food was something they cherished deeply.

When they learned that a large portion of the island’s food supply had been provided through Nini’s Fish Shepherding Spell, their gazes toward the statue changed.

Who among the islanders of Castel hadn’t eaten delicious, affordable fried fish?

Only today did they realize that those fried fish were the result of Nini’s improved spell.

Zoe was somewhat surprised to find that people were showing increasing respect toward Nini’s statue.

Some even began secretly praying to her, hoping for favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

When she reported this to Hughes, she found that her lord wasn’t surprised at all.

”You already knew about this?”

”I had a rough idea,” Hughes replied, holding a roll of blueprints in his left hand and sketching idly with a pen in his right.

”Eating is the most basic need. If she ensures people are well-fed, she deserves praise. That’s one of the reasons I chose to erect her statue.”

Zoe opened her mouth but didn’t say anything.

She hadn’t thought the Fish Shepherding Spell was particularly important.

Catching fish with magic didn’t seem revolutionary, Monica’s improvements to the Machine Soul seemed far more impactful.

But lately, after spending more time with the common folk, she had learned an important lesson: never judge suffering you’ve never experienced.

You couldn’t imagine true hardship.

She had never gone hungry, so naturally, she didn’t understand this kind of reverence.

Zoe quietly took note of this.

She planned to visit the lower districts and see for herself one day.

Shortly after Zoe left, Alexei arrived at Hughes’ study.

Seeing the serious expression on his face, Hughes couldn’t help but frown. ”Still no news?”

”None. Both groups have lost contact, and there have been no other ships passing through.”

Hughes set his blueprints aside, tapping the desk slowly as he sank into thought.

The two groups Alexei mentioned were both sent out to search for the pirates.

The sudden loss of contact with Gem Bay had genuinely shocked Hughes.

Previously, when Jeremiah had stationed himself there, Castel and Gem Bay had established a stable connection.

The nitroglycerin Hughes supplied was urgently needed by them, there was no reason for them to cut ties so abruptly.

Although Jeremiah had left with his ship, he had stationed many crew members behind.

For example, the ship’s first mate had remained in Castel.

When the next group of pirates failed to arrive to exchange goods, Hughes sent the first mate with some men to sail to Gem Bay and investigate.

Though it was only a small fishing boat, Gem Bay wasn’t far,  just a few days’ journey.

There was no reason they should have lost contact.

Yet, things had taken a strange turn.

The first mate and his crew had vanished without a trace.

Hughes, left with no choice, sent out another group of sailors.

But even now, there was still no news.

”Could something have happened at sea? Like a storm?”

”The weather’s been clear these past few days. This is the calmest season for the Storm Ocean, no storms reported,” Alexei shook his head.

That was odd. Could they have been attacked by a sea urchin monster?

But weren’t those creatures supposed to dwell in the deep sea?

Both the sea urchins and the Polluted Serpents moved slowly along the ocean floor.

The surface and the depths were far apart; theoretically, they shouldn’t have disturbed them.

The patrols led by the Sirens had also confirmed this.

If it were the old days, Hughes could have sent the Sirens to follow the sea route and investigate.

But now, with the sea-floor creatures expanding their territory so aggressively, such an operation was far too risky.

”Come to think of it, the pirates’ behavior has been odd, too. We provided such an important resource, yet they only sent Jeremiah to negotiate. It didn’t seem strange at the time, but thinking back on it now, it doesn’t add up.”

Alexei nodded silently. Castel’s ability to produce nitroglycerin was unique.

If he were the Pirate King, even without stationing troops in Castel, he would have sent more men to secure such a valuable resource.

Hughes had prepared many plans, but in the end, none had been needed.

”Something significant must have happened in Gem Bay, leaving the pirates completely occupied, and possibly detaining our people to prevent any leaks.”

Hughes spoke slowly. This seemed the most likely reason.

But who could threaten pirates in the Storm Ocean?

The Pirate King’s Court might have been showing signs of decline, but their overall strength was still formidable.

The infamous Dark Sails fleet ruled the Storm Ocean with an iron grip.

What could possibly threaten them?

Suddenly, Hughes thought of the Polluted Serpents beneath the sea.

Their source seemed to be from the south.

South of Castel, beyond the Eye of the Storm, was the Pirate King.

Could those serpents and the sea urchins have silently wiped out the pirates?

No—that was impossible.

Gem Bay wasn’t just home to a single fleet.

Though it was a pirate stronghold, it housed nearly a hundred thousand permanent residents, far beyond Castel’s scale.

Even if the pirates couldn’t defeat the sea urchins, wouldn’t they at least be able to flee?

Their ships far outnumbered those of Castel.

How could they have disappeared without a sound?