Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

“Interview? Report?”

Josh listened to these two words in confusion. He rummaged through his memories for quite a while before finally finding a vague match among the rumors related to Rhine.

It seemed to be some kind of biographical thing? Allegedly, Rhine had something called a “newspaper,” a fashionable novelty—did Castel have one as well?

This should be some sort of serious record. With that thought, Josh stood up straight, nodded, and said, “It’s an honor.”

“No, no, no, it’s my honor instead! I’ve long wanted to meet you in person!” Nini grew obviously excited. One of her hands picked up a notebook, while the other five gripped pens, poised to record at any moment. She looked at Josh eagerly and licked her lips.

Josh shivered inexplicably, feeling as if some terrifying existence had set its eyes on him. But recalling her identity, he could only nod in understanding—this must be the so-called killing intent. Such a powerful warrior… it was said she might petrify someone just by glaring at them.

“Alright then, Mr. Josh, may I ask where you just came from?”

“Uh, just over there, from Zoe’s place.”

“Zoe?” Nini’s eyes lit up, and her five hands scribbled frantically on the notebook.

Josh’s gaze grew increasingly puzzled. How could a single name make her write down so much?

“Oh, don’t mind me, Mr. Josh. Please continue.”

“Alright, well… our Cult of the Hidden actually didn’t do much. When the rebellion first broke out, our barricades almost got overrun. Thankfully, the Prince arrived with the Harbor Guard.”

“The Prince led the Harbor Guard through the siege and saved you in the nick of time.” Nini kept writing.

“Uh, not just me. If the Cult of the Hidden’s barricade had been breached, there would have been casualties. I was truly grateful to him—and oh, also to Galahad.”

“Galahad!?” Nini’s eyes widened. “He even brought Galahad along? You people really play it big!”

Josh showed a confused expression, but still nodded. “Yes, Galahad was there too, but I soon left, following Zoe to the bell tower.”

“The Prince fought desperately to reach your side, only to see the back of High Priest Josh. His knights were battered and bloodied, yet he begrudged even a glance.” Nini’s five writing hands left afterimages on the paper. “Wait, what did you just say? You climbed the bell tower with Zoe?”

“Y-yes.” A growing sense of dread welled up in Josh’s chest.

“Alright, then which of you jumped down?”

“???”

“No one jumped?” Nini looked disappointed.

“O-of course no one jumped!” Josh was drenched in sweat. He had originally been indifferent toward life and death, but now, he suddenly felt that some things were far more frightening than dying.

So this was the world of the strong… Even without using force, they could inspire such terror. Truly worthy of being extraordinary beings!

“The rest you basically already know. The Prince laid a trap, the Compassionate Mother was resurrected, and Mira perished together with the Compassionate Mother in the final bombardment.” At this point, Josh suddenly felt his throat grow dry.

“Mira.”

Nini put away her pens and notebook, her gaze growing more complex. “She seemed to have her difficulties, but the disasters she caused were undeniably real. No matter what, she killed many people. And she died for it too—so I suppose that’s fair.”

The Banshee’s eyes passed over Josh, gazing at Blood Harbor. This decayed yet once-prosperous city, which had buried countless schemes and cries, was now reduced to ruins.

People on the ship bustled about in an orderly manner, weaving through the wreckage, bringing a bit of life to this scarred land.

“Lady Nini?” Josh called out tentatively. The tall Banshee sighed and turned back toward him.

“It’s alright. Castel’s greatest strength is standing up again after every disaster. How did the Lord put it again—‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’” Nini shrugged. “We’re like the Compassionate Mother too, constantly growing stronger.”

Josh nodded in agreement. He was a Castelite, born and raised. He had seen with his own eyes how the island grew ever stronger.

Back then, he had bought a shipload of soap on credit to try his hand at sea trading, betting on Castel’s growth. Who would have thought he would end up, through the soap trade, as the head of a cult?

Josh stiffened. He suddenly remembered—he still owed a shipload of soap!

And he had no money at hand.

Forget it. He didn’t care if the noose around his neck was doubled or tripled.

Josh looked around him—flying airships, ironclad warships, Banshee heavy machine guns. In just a few months, the island had changed more than in the decades before.

“Truly… unbelievable creations. Back when that Celestial Behemoth tore open the skies, I honestly thought a god had descended.”

“You’ll get used to it. Castel has plenty of things like that. You haven’t even seen the Stellar Furnace yet—that thing actually has a heretical god stuffed inside.”

Josh froze.

“The less you care about gods, the closer you get to them. This world really is absurd. Maybe that’s why Hughes always insists he’s not a god.”

Nini let out a sigh.

“Indeed. For example, this coffin-like ironclad warship… It’s hard to imagine, but isn’t this three times the size of an ordinary ship? And the design is so unique, with so many little boats hanging along the sides. Are they meant to be released during battle, to charge forward?”

Nini’s expression turned strange.

The ironclad warship did look imposing, but Nini was a Banshee, constantly roaming the seas around Castel.

The shipyard’s wrecks had nearly filled up that stretch of ocean.

  Some had unbalanced centers of gravity, capsizing the moment they moved; some had faulty watertight compartments, so once water leaked in, the waves inside were bigger than those outside; some were too narrow, flipping upside down at the touch of a wave.

  In the end, Castel’s shipwrights finally gave up, designing a massive, square ship. With insufficient design skill, they piled on extra-thick steel plating everywhere, and thus this monstrosity was born.

Hughes, with no experience in shipbuilding, was shocked to discover that this thing looked very much like the Blue Star’s container freighters.

  Such a ship emphasized stability above all—it was at least nearly impossible to capsize at sea.

Indeed, all designs eventually converged on some optimal solution. Castel had gone in a circle only to return here.

Other than looking a bit silly—like a coffin box—it actually had no major drawbacks as a transport vessel.

And it did look intimidating. After all, it was massive, a ship entirely forged of steel.

The Blood Harbor rebellion had broken out too suddenly, leaving Hughes unprepared. He could only bring out this “for now, looks like it won’t sink” ship to make do. As for all those small boats hanging on the sides—they were actually lifeboats, in case it really sank.

Nini never expected Josh to imagine such a mess of things, leaving her momentarily embarrassed.

Fortunately, the awkwardness didn’t last long—Hughes and the Prince’s negotiations seemed to have ended, and the two of them walked out together.