Chapter 628 : Strike into Rhine
Chapter 628: Strike into Rhine
Although Blood Harbor was, in theory, the Prince’s territory, the Cult of the Hidden had extremely strong infiltration capabilities here, and many of its members were drawn from the lower strata of the populace.
In places where the Prince’s decrees could not reach, a casual word from Hughes was law. It could be said that nothing the Prince did in Blood Harbor escaped Hughes’ eyes.
The Prince naturally knew this. He did not mind. It was merely a single city. Even the entire Principality of Tis was of no concern to him if it could be exchanged for Castel’s support.
He was no fool. The continent was vast, and cooperating with Castel brought far greater returns than any other option.
The Prince did not answer immediately. Instead, he stood, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains.
Night had long since fallen over Blood Harbor, yet outside the window it was brilliantly illuminated.
Streetlamps lined both sides of the roads, stretching through the entire city. In the distance, factory workshops blazed with light. Night-shift workers were feeding fuel into the Steam Engines, while chimneys belched black smoke. Production lines ran day and night at full capacity, supplying this city that never slept.
The scale of the entire urban area had expanded at least threefold. The newly built factory district alone occupied more than half of the old Blood Harbor. The High Wall that had once divided the Upper District from the Lower District had long been torn down and replaced with streets. Beneath the streetlamps, residents strolled leisurely along the roads.
Beyond that lay even more temporary dwellings. Shantytowns spread densely around the city’s outskirts, multiplying by the day. Blood Harbor had already become the center of Tis, siphoning in the population of the entire Principality.
Specks of light shimmered everywhere. Machines roared thunderously. Chimneys exhaled thick smoke. Workers moved constantly in and out.
Blood Harbor had truly become an industrial city.
“Truly beautiful.”
“In merely half a year, we built such a miracle. Sometimes I wonder what people had been doing for the past several hundred years—why everything seemed to have been spinning in place.”
The Prince gazed at the nightscape outside and could not help but smile.
He had every right to say that. Castel had indeed provided substantial technical support in Blood Harbor’s construction, but the Prince had genuinely resolved many difficulties on his side as well.
For instance, the Banshees could openly appear in Blood Harbor, recruiting students to attend school and even travel to Castel for advanced studies. He had suppressed many opposing voices, both openly and covertly.
Not to mention the management of the refugees flooding in. In the Northlands, the refugees from the White Raven had struck with such force that several great lords personally took to the battlefield. Yet in Blood Harbor, they did not even stir a ripple. Though the newly built shantytowns on the outskirts were crude, they ensured basic necessities were met.
The Prince had guaranteed Blood Harbor’s openness and safeguarded Castel’s legitimate interests here, clearing away every obstacle for Hughes’ construction efforts.
He had even trained a new army in his spare time, maintaining low-intensity warfare with the Empire.
To be honest, Hughes felt that when it came to internal governance, the Prince was far more adept than himself.
Reluctantly, the Prince withdrew his gaze from the window and turned around.
“But Castel is only an island, and the Principality of Tis is but this small. Now that the Northlands have been swept clear of obstacles, ahead lies the Empire.”
“The Church of Candlelight—oh, and the Mechanical Sanctum as well—have now usurped the Holy Mill Empire. Such magnificent land has been handed to unworthy masters.”
“Truly… infuriating.”
Hughes looked at Duke Tis with interest. The anger on his face was entirely genuine.
“You are truly angry over this? Forgive my bluntness, but in your current position, you do not seem to possess a legitimate claim to the Empire.”
The Principality of Tis had originally been conquered by the Empire. His war against the Empire was justified. Yet occupying Imperial territory would not necessarily stand on firm legal ground.
Unfortunately, neither of the two men in this office cared about “legitimacy.”
“Anything that stands in a position it does not deserve fills me with anger. These Churches occupy the highest seats—look at what they have done. They have been on this continent for a thousand years. Is it any better now than a thousand years ago?”
“I do not care about faith or doctrine. If they truly could lead the Empire forward, then conversion to the Church would be acceptable. But they only wish to remain as mountains pressing upon the Empire’s head, leaving not the slightest path of survival for mortals.”
Hughes remained silent. He knew little about the Empire’s past. His only direct encounter with it had ended in his death.
Had he not descended upon Castel, he might have already joined the Moths Chasing Fire, hiding in the shadows while rebelling against the Church of Candlelight.
But the Prince had lived in this world for many years. His feelings must have run far deeper.
The anger in the Prince’s eyes receded, replaced by a streak of brutality.
“So I will strike into Rhine and let those Churches, who cling only to the old ways, witness the power of change.”
“They had best be strong enough. I was born to crush the weak beneath my feet.”
Hughes glanced at him. He had always been this arrogant and self-assured, spouting grandiose words without shame.
Yet he always delivered.
“So what do you want? Assistance from the Expeditionary Army?”
“No need. I can handle them myself. Besides, your Expeditionary Army has just finished fighting in the Northlands. Let them rest.”
Hughes wanted to say that the Expeditionary Army did not truly need rest—they had fought rather easily.
But the entire Northlands indeed required time for Castel to digest. Hughes was not uninterested in conquest, but matters were not calculated so simply.
The primary reason Blood Harbor had developed so well was that Castel was sufficiently powerful.
If Hughes had not flattened all opposing voices with airships, if Castel had not possessed such an overwhelming weapons gap, and if the Banshees had merely advanced with long blades and barely seized Blood Harbor, what would the situation have looked like?
He would have been forced to commit vast numbers of troops for stabilization. The Prince might not have been fully convinced either. And to address external threats, they would have needed to establish an even more bloated standing army.
All of those people were precious industrial manpower.
Thus, Hughes chose to focus on development. As long as technology remained far ahead and Castel remained powerful enough, he would have no enemies—only friends.
The Expeditionary Army had seized most of the Northlands with almost no bloodshed. Grand Duke Alvare had not only surrendered but had proactively come to learn and integrate.
Therefore, Hughes chose to invest his energy primarily in development rather than war.
When the Prince conquered the Empire—if he succeeded—and turned back, what he would see was a steel giant centered on Blood Harbor, radiating across most of Tis and the entirety of the Northlands. By then, if Castel casually unveiled any piece of new technology, the Prince’s army might not withstand it.
The scaling effect of industry was extraordinarily evident. One step ahead meant every step ahead thereafter. Castel could expand eastward into Gem Bay. The Prince, however, could not. If he wished to focus solely on development, he would first have to see whether the Empire permitted it.
He had no choice.
“Very well. I support your war against the Empire,” Hughes paused. “But it would be best to wait a little. I intend to speak with the Mechanical Sanctum first.”