Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

“This is the latest school of painting, called ’photography.’ It can accurately capture your image, far more precise than any painting technique.”

“I see.”

After a long silence in the link, Fries’ voice sounded again. Beatrice heard the calling in her heart and subconsciously raised an eyebrow.

This slight change in expression did not escape Hela’s glass-like pupils beneath her black veil. She immediately inquired with concern:

“What is it, Lady Joanne?”

Beatrice took a deep breath, quickly calming herself. A deliberate trace of irritation appeared on her face. “Sigh, I’m still a bit worried about matters at sea. You investigated Castel, right?”

“Of course, Lady Joanne, we have already sent people to check Castel.”

“How is the situation? Was my letter delivered to Earl Hughes?”

“The letter has been sent. I have no further updates at the moment. Please be patient.”

“Alright. Remember to send my regards to Earl Hughes.”Hela bowed, then turned and left.

Beatrice’s expression remained unchanged, but her heart grew colder.

She was like a caged golden canary, completely deprived of any freedom to communicate with the outside world. Even inquiring about external affairs only yielded perfunctory responses.

It seemed that the sudden link was probably her only hope.

She immersed her mind into the link.

Fries: 『Sigh, it seems Gwen hasn’t woken up yet. Time zone differences are really frustrating. I wonder how much longer we will drift at sea.』

Scepter: 『Soon, there will be no time zone differences. This White Calamity is about to end. By then, the entire White Raven Principality will be doomed.』 She spoke with some irritation, venting her frustration.

Fries: 『Ah, Lady Scepter, you’re back?』

Beatrice instinctively nodded before realizing the other party could not see her. She then responded through the link.

Scepter: 『I had a little trouble just now. Are you all still at sea and haven’t landed yet?』

Fries: 『Yes, the captain is stubbornly trying to find Castel. This is also my wish. Our ship carries ample supplies, so we don’t need to dock for a while.’

Scepter: 『That’s not too bad. At least you’re avoiding the warfare on land.’

Fries: 『Warfare?’

Scepter: 『The Empire and the Principality of Tis are at war.’

On the Black Pearl, inside the captain’s cabin.

Ken suddenly stood up, his face full of shock: 『How is that possible!? Wasn’t the Principality of Tis already destroyed? The ”Prince” had even been officially enfeoffed by the Queen!’

Scepter: 『You all... oh, you’ve been at sea this whole time. That explains it. A lot has happened recently. At the Queen’s enfeoffment ceremony, the Prince grabbed the Queen’s sword and assassinated her. He then fled back to the Principality of Tis.’

Ken was too shocked to speak. Even Hughes, deep under the sea, was stunned. Not only was Castel in trouble, but such a dramatic upheaval had occurred outside as well?

That formidable Queen... just like that... died?

Ken’s voice trembled: 『He... he assassinated the Queen!? How is that possible? Wait, does this mean that all his past...’

Scepter: 『It was all an act. He endured in silence all this time just to assassinate the Queen.’

Ken’s mouth hung open as he stood frozen. He suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He quickly turned away, discreetly wiping the corners of his eyes.

He had little memory of Tis. He was very young when he lived there. But today, he found it hard to contain his emotions. When he heard that someone had endured so much for Tis’s revenge, he suddenly remembered that he was, after all, a Tisian.

Scepter’s voice carried a complex tone: 『After he returned, he gained immense prestige. Riding on that wave, he successfully restored the Principality of Tis. He even garnered substantial support, making Tis stronger than before. More importantly, many rebel forces within the Empire view him as a banner and have joined him. Now, the Principality of Tis is capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Empire.’

She had read all this from the newspapers. Though she could not access intelligence from the Church of Candlelight, she could still see public reports.

Thus, she had watched in amazement as the ”Prince” miraculously restored his nation... No, he was now the new Grand Duke of Tis.

None of this was expected by anyone.

Meanwhile, deep under the sea, Hughes felt a storm of emotions. Tis was the Empire’s eastern maritime gateway. If what Beatrice said was true... then the Empire no longer had access to the sea.

Which meant that even if Connor successfully landed in Blood Harbor, he wouldn’t be able to contact the Empire!?

Hughes felt a headache coming on. The situation was shifting far too quickly.

Fries: 『So, the Empire and the Principality of Tis are at war now?’

Scepter: 『Well... it’s a bit strange.’

Scepter: 『It’s said that the Empire and the Church’s coalition forces have constructed a defensive line along the Tis border, but they have not chosen to attack. That’s all I know, and I can’t confirm its accuracy.’

To be honest, Beatrice was also doubtful. Given the Empire’s long-standing strategy, they rarely suffered setbacks on the battlefield. They had always opted for preemptive strikes.

Why had they suddenly chosen a defensive stance this time?

And frankly speaking, although the ”Prince” had absorbed many rebels from the Empire’s four borders, the Empire still held military superiority. Even setting aside the disparity in combat effectiveness, the sheer number of troops outmatched the enemy.

Jeremiah suddenly interjected.

Captain: 『What about the Empire’s navy?’

Hughes’ eyes lit up. Jeremiah had indeed pinpointed the key issue. If Tis had rallied the entire rebellion, then the Empire’s navy would have no home port. The entire Imperial coastline fell within the Principality of Tis’s domain.

Scepter: 『The entire Imperial Navy defected. They chose to swear allegiance to the ”Prince.”’

Fries: 『Huh?’

This... was utterly baffling.

Though the Empire’s navy had questionable combat power, it was still a legitimate military branch, on equal footing with the army. And yet, they just defected?

Did the ”Prince” possess such overwhelming personal charisma? That they would surrender at the first sign of trouble?

One might think the Empire was on the verge of collapse. But the Empire had been continuously expanding, still in an absolute period of ascendancy.

Before long, Gwen also woke up. The three of them taught her a lot about wilderness survival and helped her formulate a plan. Once her strength recovered a bit more, she would go out to forage for wild vegetables. Hughes listened for a while longer before finally disconnecting when he reached his limit.

At Castel, Hughes lifted his head from his desk.

This conversation hadn’t provided much useful information. Although the news of the political upheaval was shocking, none of it helped Castel’s current predicament.

On the contrary, Monica’s investigation had reached a complete deadlock.