Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Zoe gradually regained her composure. She had just been stunned by the scene before her. Only now did she understand why Granny had sighed earlier—these cultists were actually the poor people she had seen in the lower district.

Cultists. She had only ever known them as lunatics, synonymous with danger and madness. She had never thought about where they came from, as if they simply sprouted from the ground like weeds.

She bit her lip and trembled.

She was the team leader, yet it had always been Connor and Erwin making decisions for her. Perhaps that had been part of the Lord’s considerations all along, but now that she bore the title of leader, she needed to shoulder that responsibility.

Zoe forcibly suppressed her emotions and looked around.

Most of the people from Castel had stayed in the mansion the whole time. Only Zoe had ever been to the lower district.

They all knew the general direction was correct, but none could say exactly where they were.

“This is near the barracks. It’s the only area in the lower district where order is still relatively intact. The nearby roads can lead to most parts of the lower district,” Zoe said.

Erwin nodded. “Is it far from the docks?”

“Not far. It’s more or less along the way. But there are musketeers in the barracks up ahead,” Granny picked up the thread of the conversation, her voice tinged with worry.If there was anything in Blood Harbor that posed a real threat to them, it was the musket squads in the barracks.

No matter how many cultists there were, they were still mere mortals. Their weak Extraordinary powers were enough to deal with commoners, but in front of Granny, they were of no consequence.

But muskets were different. Being hit by a musket bullet meant death.

Whether bolt-action rifles or rifled muskets, they were essentially more efficient bullet launchers. No matter how well-equipped the Holy Guard was, they couldn’t withstand a volley of bullets.

The Harbor Guard’s muskets were not very accurate, but if there were enough of them, accuracy didn’t matter as much.

Even Granny couldn’t withstand a musket volley to her true form.

To the people of Castel, the most dangerous threat in Blood Harbor wasn’t the cultists—it was the Harbor Guard ahead.

Erwin gestured a few signals to the nearby Holy Guard soldiers, and the group’s pace gradually slowed.

“Prince William, I believe we’ve taken the wrong path! This isn’t the way to the docks!” Erwin shouted loudly.

The prince glanced back but didn’t slow down. He urged his horse forward toward the barracks and called out, “Then wait for me at the entrance. These are my men. I’ll call more guards to come out.”

Erwin and Connor exchanged a glance, frowning.

The prince’s explanation didn’t seem suspicious.

The barracks didn’t have city walls, just a wooden fence—or perhaps more accurately, a tall picket fence.

It was definitely not suitable for standing on, and the effective range of muskets was short. If they waited just outside the gate, there shouldn’t be any danger. Even if the prince had gone mad and intended to attack them, it would still take time to gather the musketeers, giving them enough time to retreat.

And there were very few cultists in this area. The followers of the Mother of Life likely also knew that this place was tough to crack, so they hadn’t attempted to surround it.

Erwin whispered a few words to Granny. She nodded, then suddenly went stiff, sitting motionless atop her horse.

The Holy Guard subtly spread out, securing key intersections.

Erwin frowned and watched as the prince and his group charged toward the barracks. Wait a minute—why did it feel like... they were *charging*?

The barracks’ gates remained closed for some time. The soldiers on the watchtowers shouted something, but the prince’s group paid them no heed.

The horses kept accelerating, and moments later, they reached the gates. At the forefront, Galahad stepped on his stirrups, leapt into the air with sword in hand, and hurled the massive blade at the gates!

The greatsword spun through the air and cleaved through the gate’s crossbar. Clad in heavy armor, Galahad landed from the air and smashed directly into the gate.

A cloud of dust rose as the gate blasted inward, and an iron boot landed atop it.

Connor and Erwin stared at each other in shock. That sequence of moves—no ordinary human could perform them. Galahad... was an Extraordinary!?

The barracks gate wasn’t meant for defense. After Galahad broke it down, the knights rushed inside. A military officer with several soldiers stood just past the entrance.

The knights didn’t hesitate. They cut down the soldiers in front of them, then drew their muskets and shot the officer at close range.

At that distance, even a smoothbore musket wouldn’t miss. Several bloody holes burst from the officer’s chest as he collapsed.

The group moved swiftly, without pause. The soldiers in the barracks hadn’t even had time to react before the attackers reached the interior.

Members of the Harbor Guard, hearing the gunfire, were just now stepping out of their barracks in confusion.

Prince William tore off his helmet and flung it aside. His thick golden curls fluttered in the wind.

“Soldiers! I am William, Grand Duke of Tis! Your commander, Rad, has betrayed us!”

The soldiers looked around, still bewildered. They had only received orders to hold their position today—Rad had commanded a lockdown of the barracks, forbidding anyone from leaving.

The soldiers hadn’t yet processed what was happening, but the officer who had just stepped out wore a twisted expression. The soldiers stationed at the gate—his men—now lay in pools of blood, unable to stop the prince’s charge.

Rad’s plan had been flawless. He didn’t need to do much—just delay his appearance during the Mother of Life’s uprising. With only the meager forces in the upper district, it wouldn’t take long before they fell.

As for how the cultists managed to breach the upper district’s walls? Well, the Harbor Guard had conveniently ”lost” a shipment of equipment.

To prevent unexpected variables, he had directly forbidden his troops from going outside. The cultists from the Mother of Life Church would cooperate. No heretics would show up here, and even if the soldiers were puzzled, nothing serious would happen for a while. Just half a day—that’s all the time the Church’s priests and followers needed to breach the upper district!

Who could have imagined that the prince would rush over at the very start of the rebellion!? Shouldn’t he have waited for reinforcements? Or at the very least assessed the situation first?

And how had he even broken through the Church’s encirclement!? Were those cultists just eating air!?

But now wasn’t the time to think.

“Grab your guns! Quick—he, he’s an imposter! Kill him!” Rad screamed, pointing at the prince.

The Harbor Guard instinctively raised their weapons.

The prince sat astride his horse, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers.

He had come here many times. The soldiers still remembered his sharply chiseled features. Now, he bellowed at them:

“Fire?! Go on then! Fire upon your lord!!”

The soldiers flinched in fright, their minds suddenly clearer. They looked at the prince towering high on his steed, then at Rad, whose face was pale and body trembling.

Doubt began to rise across their faces.