Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord-Chapter 120: The Evil God Summoned Earlier Hasn’t Left

Chloe put her hands on her hips and widened her eyes.

"What, do you also think we shouldn’t steal it? Just let them lock knowledge away like that?"

No, I just feel like you all are a little too good at secretly stirring up trouble. You even secretly summoned an evil god last time.

Hughes thought carefully and then spoke seriously, "I don’t think stealing knowledge is a real solution to the problem."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Reasoning with them."

"They won’t listen."

"Then we’ll reason with physics."

"Physics? What physics? The physics lessons you’ve been teaching?" Chloe looked confused.

"That’s right. They still live in this world and follow this world’s physical laws. We might not be able to convince them ideologically, but at the very least, we can eliminate them physically."

"But... How is that even possible? That’s the Empire, the Candlelight Church! You haven’t seen their power!"

"And you haven’t seen the power of industry, do you think the knowledge in your hands is just a hobby? Just some fun stuff?"

Hughes shook his head and pointed at the steam engine not far away.

"That steel machine took me three days to build. You should have some idea of its output power, right? You’re an Extraordinary; can you withstand that machine?"

"When my factory is built, machines like this will fill the warehouses one by one. When my steel mill is up and running, its production will only be limited by the number of skilled workers, how many Extraordinary individuals does your Church have?"

"You’ve seen firearms before, haven’t you? They’re not much of a threat to the Extraordinary. But what if I triple the gunpowder charge? Increase the bullet size as well? Even the sturdiest armor won’t withstand its power. And what if I increase it thirtyfold?"

"It takes three days to build a steam engine, how long will it take to manufacture a firearm in the future? How long does it take to train an Extraordinary?"

Chloe was stunned. Their Church had always pursued knowledge for the sake of knowledge; they had never thought about using knowledge to change the world.

They couldn’t even find a stable environment to settle in, let alone think of anything else.

Hughes wasn’t exaggerating. Chloe had some understanding of these technologies, and she knew he was telling the truth.

This was the first time she had looked at knowledge from this perspective.

Knowledge, science, truth, these vague concepts had always been a kind of spiritual force to her.

But now, Hughes had cast them in cold steel, allowing her to glimpse a fragment of the future.

Scientific research, technological progress, a future where truth revealed itself in the world.

That—that would be truly...

Chloe bit her lip, unable to suppress the tremble in her heart. Just thinking about such a future made her indescribably excited.

If it could really be achieved, she felt it would be worth dying for.

But would such a world truly exist? A world where one could freely learn knowledge, freely conduct research... It was just a fantasy.

A fantasy?

The steam engine before her wasn’t a fantasy. The newly built factory wasn’t a fantasy. The changes on Castel Island weren’t a fantasy.

"Sister Chloe, you should understand what I’m thinking right now, I want to change this world."

Hughes looked at the steam engine as well, his eyes full of affection and anticipation.

"I know this won’t be easy. I have many enemies. Even the world itself is blocking our way. No one is willing to walk this thorn-covered path, so I must walk it alone. But since you call yourselves Moths Chasing Fire, you must long for that light and heat, too."

"If possible—"

"You explore knowledge, I will bring it into reality, and together, our will shall stand above this world."

"The knowledge you cannot steal, I will take for you. The lands that drove you away, I will reclaim for you."

"The decayed, the stubborn, the ignorant and greedy, I will set them ablaze."

Hughes stroked the steam engine and smiled lightly.

"Sister Chloe."

"Are you willing to add fuel to the fire?"

Chloe swallowed hard.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her rapid breathing, but she couldn’t.

So she knew she didn’t need to make a choice. She was a Moth Chasing Fire.

The fire she had long yearned for was right in front of her. There was no second option.

"Our research is very dangerous, and it burns through money, far more than the few coins you toss into a donation box. You’ll be constantly worrying about how to fund us. Damn it, what I mean is—"

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"I’m willing."

She let out a long breath, as if she had just set down a heavy burden.

Her face carried both exhaustion and relief.

How long had it been? The Moths Chasing Fire had finally found a companion.

A land willing to take in these wanderers.

She just hoped the conditions wouldn’t be too harsh.

Chloe forced herself to focus and spoke again, "I didn’t misunderstand, did I? You... you mean to offer us shelter? What do we need to do? Help you improve your machines? Let me be clear, our Extraordinary abilities aren’t suited for direct combat, so don’t expect us to fight on the battlefield."

Hughes had already thought this through. He planned to form a relatively loose alliance with the Moths Chasing Fire at first.

Once they were bound to his war chariot, they would naturally find ways to prove their worth.

So, Hughes answered seriously:

"Yes, I will offer you protection. You will receive long-term employment contracts and be free to live on the island. I am also willing to fund your research. Of course, you will need to share your research results."

"I promise not to force you onto external battlefields, though if the island is in danger, I may call upon you to defend it. In extreme situations, I might mobilize everyone on Castel Island."

"One more thing, you must conceal the name ’Moths Chasing Fire.’ You know the trouble it would bring."

Chloe listened quietly, then froze for a few seconds after Hughes finished speaking.

That’s it?

It’s that simple?

Honestly, Hughes’ offer exceeded her best expectations. Other lords had considered taking them in, but most just wanted to use their Extraordinary members.

The Church’s Extraordinary forces rarely interfered in the secular world, only appearing to handle secret incidents.

If a noble or lord wanted to interact with the Extraordinary, they usually had to turn to cultists like them.

So her bottom line had been to offer half of their Extraordinary members in exchange for shelter.

But Hughes only asked for shared research results.

Damn it, their doctrine already required them to share knowledge, this didn’t even count as a condition.

And he was willing to fund their research.

He was actually willing to fund their research!?

No one knew better than Chloe how much money research and experiments burned through. As the leader, she was constantly worrying about funding.

Chloe’s eyes gradually widened. She began to feel that she might have misjudged this lord, he genuinely seemed to love knowledge and research.

Damn it, why did she feel a little guilty?

But guilt was one thing—she wasn’t going to let a good deal slip away. She coughed lightly.

"Ahem, we accept your offer. We’re allies now."

Hughes and Chloe shook hands solemnly, sealing the alliance.

"I’ll have the formal alliance document sent to you later. It will contain everything we just discussed. I’ll also build you a research facility nearby. Of course, dangerous experiments must be reported in advance."

"That’s great! Though, speaking of dangerous experiments..." Chloe’s eyes flickered as she said, "I do have something I need to report."

"You’re planning a dangerous experiment?"

Hughes’ eye twitched. Do these people have an endless supply of dangerous things? Are they really that impatient?

"Ahem, well, not exactly an experiment. It’s more of a problem..."

"Speak."

"You remember how we summoned an evil god before? Well... it hasn’t left yet."