Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

The stained glass on the church dome cast mottled patches of light that fell upon Beatrice’s knees.

Her fingers absentmindedly twisted the lace at her collar.

It was a spacious room. A priest sat motionless on the stone platform in the center of the chamber.

On his head was a metallic device composed entirely of mechanical structures, covering his eyes and obscuring his face.

A candle burned quietly in the corner of the room. The Church of Candlelight’s cathedral always kept flames burning, never extinguished, day or night.

The young woman bit her lip lightly, staring silently at the candle.

When she counted the thirty-seventh drop of wax falling from the top, the flame on the bronze candlestick suddenly shrank by half an inch.

The priest on the stone platform suddenly lifted his head, clutching his collar and gasping for air.

Beatrice swiftly clutched the silver Church’s Sacred Emblem at her chest and stood up expectantly.

“Apologies, Lady Joanne, we still haven’t found Castel’s anchor point. Their beacon seems to have vanished directly into the Sea of Unawareness.”The young priest removed the divination apparatus from his face, his complexion slightly pale.

Diving into the Sea of Unawareness placed a great burden on the body.

Even with specialized devices from the Church of Candlelight for assistance, it was still physically exhausting.

Beatrice’s eyes dimmed slightly. She nodded gently. “You may call me Beatrice. Please, what does it mean for the beacon to disappear? I’ve never dived into the Sea of Unawareness before and don’t quite understand the communication methods between churches. Could you explain it to me in detail?”

“Of course, my lady.” The priest nodded and skillfully forced a kind smile. Although Beatrice was merely a noble lady without a title, he did not dare to show the slightest disrespect.

Rhine was far from stable these days.

Her Majesty the Empress had become increasingly assertive, and the big figures of the Keeper Council had been shutting themselves away.

The atmosphere within the church was already filled with unease.

Yet, this Lady Joanne had become a rising star in Rhine’s upper circles despite having only recently joined the Church of Candlelight.

Rumor had it that she had introduced a mysterious soap at a recent salon.

It matched the effects of Holy Water No. 9 in cleansing the body but without the pungent odor of holy water.

Most importantly, its origin was enigmatic, and only Lady Joanne possessed a small stock, making it highly sought after by noblewomen.

However, compared to that mysterious soap, Beatrice’s identity held even greater weight.

The Joanne family had always been deeply trusted by the Empress.

Even though tensions between the royal family and the Church of Candlelight were escalating, this young lady from the Joanne family remained untouched, a rare advantage in the current situation.

Especially for the Church of Candlelight.

Perhaps...

The young priest’s thoughts stirred. His expression became even more enthusiastic as he pulled out a silver candle from his robes, giving it a gentle shake until it ignited.

“Lady Beatrice, this batch of moon candles works exceptionally well. They were made by the most devout believers. As long as you stay within the candle’s glow, you won’t suffer contamination from secret knowledge.”

Secret knowledge, also known as esoteric lore, mere contact brought contamination, comprehension led to assimilation, and contemplation would imprint it.

The pollution was exceedingly difficult to eliminate and required a tremendous price to reduce or alleviate.

However, every church had methods to mitigate the effects of contamination.

The Church of Candlelight was particularly skilled in this area, as their Extraordinary pathways almost inevitably involved exposure to pollution.

The Investigators could listen to the whispers of the Corridor of Truth, while the Secret Keepers couldn’t even enter the Sea of Unawareness, they carried too much secret knowledge and would be instantly swallowed by the deep.

Beatrice lowered her gaze. “Thank you.”

“You’re too kind.” The priest guided Beatrice to a seat and fetched a pot of tea, pouring her a cup.

“Where should I begin explaining? Since you’re already an Investigator, you must have some understanding of the Sea of Unawareness, yes?”

“Only a superficial understanding. It’s an ocean composed of pollution, yet also an endless sea of knowledge and truth.”

“Indeed. Knowledge is pollution, and contact with pollution brings knowledge, they are one and the same.”

“This is why doctrine demands that we strictly guard our secrets, imprisoning contamination within our hearts.”

“It’s both our shackle and our redemption. One day, the Church of Candlelight will collect all polluted knowledge and cast it into the Sea of Unawareness. From then on, candlelight will shine upon the world, and there will be no more pollution.”

“I look forward to that day.”

Beatrice set down her teacup absentmindedly, her hands coming together in the shape of a flame.

The priest’s eyes shifted thoughtfully before he spoke with a smile. “I heard there’s only one nun left in Castel. Are you trying to contact her because she’s your friend? Please don’t misunderstand.”

“I don’t mean to pry into your personal connections. It’s just that in the Sea of Unawareness, there is neither direction nor distance. Without enough anchors, one can easily become lost.”

“You mean I can explore the Sea of Unawareness too?” Beatrice lifted her head in surprise, her emerald eyes widening.

“My friend once told me that Keepers can only explore the Corridor of Truth.”

“Did your friend not tell you that the Corridor of Truth and the Sea of Unawareness are the same thing?” The priest chuckled lightly as he picked up a jar and dipped a honey stick into it, dripping a few drops into the tea.

“The same thing?!”

“Yes. We call it the Corridor of Truth. The Silent Sanctum refers to it as the Land of Eternal Slumber. The Children of Sleepless Nights call it the Kingdom of Night. They are all the Sea of Unawareness, only explored in different ways.”

Beatrice blinked, her face clouded with confusion. “I’m sorry, I still don’t quite understand.”

“No need to understand. Any perception of the Sea of Unawareness is both correct and wrong. It exists in multiple forms simultaneously. What we see are just its different silhouettes. No one can step into the same river twice.” The priest swirled his teacup.

“You might think I’m speaking in obscure metaphors, but this is actually a direct description of it, you will see it in whatever form you wish to see.”

“Sounds like cognitive interference?”

“You’re sharper than I expected, Lady Beatrice. Cognitive interference is the act of piercing through the walls of reality with willpower. But what lies beyond those walls?”

“!”

Beatrice’s hand slipped, and her teacup nearly fell. Fortunately, as an extraordinary individual, she caught it without a trace of movement.

“I heard that cognitive interference brings pollution into the world. Could this be the puncture between reality and the Sea of Unawareness, allowing contamination to flow back in?”

“Not necessarily. The cause of cognitive interference is classified as forbidden knowledge by the Church. No one truly knows.”

“All right, then please continue explaining the Sea of Unawareness.”

“As you wish. Now that you understand the Sea of Unawareness has no fixed form, you should also understand why anchors are necessary for navigating it.”