Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Earl Bazel expressionlessly put down the letter in his hand.

He had deep brown hair, slightly thinning, carefully combed back, and in his hand he held a monocle rimmed with gold.

At first glance, people would think he looked more like a scholar than a lord who held real power over one of the Four Northern Territories.

“‘What did their letter say?’”

Bazel’s eyes shifted, glancing toward one side of the room.

A thin man leaned against the bookshelf. Judging by his attire, he should have been a staff member, but his words carried no courtesy at all.

Bazel, however, did not grow angry. He smiled faintly and said: “‘Those Grand Dukes are accusing me of provoking the Prince too much, to the point that he has turned against us.’”

“‘That reaction was to be expected. And then? Did they choose us, or the Prince?’”

“‘Of course they chose us,’” Bazel replied leisurely. “‘They’ve long disliked the Prince. They just never wanted to be the first bird to stick its head out. Besides, they’ve always thought of themselves as the strongest. In their minds, the alliance should naturally be led by them.’”

“‘Which one of them thinks he’s the strongest?’”

“‘All three of them,’” Earl Bazel spread out his hands. “‘They are foolish, conservative, and dismissive of new things. Only when my Winter Wolves Guard pressed guns against their skulls did they grudgingly give me their place. And now, they are eager again to provoke the Prince.’”

“‘It seems Her Majesty’s judgment was right. There is no need to station troops in the North at all. These nobles are like crabs in a barrel—constantly pulling each other down, until none can escape in the end.’”

Earl Bazel casually set the letter aside, interlocked his fingers under his chin, and tilted his head slightly. “‘In fact, I am more curious as to why you don’t just strike directly at them—the alliance in the North is nothing but a pile of sand. A little effort and it would collapse.’”

“‘The Church has its own arrangements,’” the man’s voice carried no emotion.

“‘Then I shall continue, as agreed, to hunt down the Resistance Army. I’ll send a few heads over from time to time. Come to think of it, it is amusing—the Prince actually tore up the alliance simply because of Nora. Could it truly be related to that island called Castel?’”

“‘Do not concern yourself with that. The 【Compassionate Mother】’s failure must have other reasons. Perhaps it was the Pirate King’s contingency. You only need to do your part. When the Church establishes a new Eden, there will be a place for you in it.’”

Bazel nodded. “‘It would be my honor.’”

The man’s figure quickly vanished from the room, while Earl Bazel continued leafing through his documents. He did not know how much time had passed before he finally picked up a war report and revealed a mocking sneer.

He shook a small bell, and soon a young girl in a maid’s butler uniform walked in. “‘My Lord Earl.’”

“‘My wolf cubs report a great victory, and quite a few heads taken.’”

“‘Congratulations, My Lord.’”

“‘Go to the frontlines. Check the true extent of our losses, how many men and equipment need replenishing, and if there’s no combat effectiveness left—change the Head Wolf while you’re at it.’”

“‘Understood.’” The girl turned to leave, but Bazel called her back.

“‘Wait.’”

Bazel crumpled the war report into a ball and tossed it into the fireplace. His eyes fixed on the girl who had turned back. “‘Lina, who do you think is on the other side? Could it be you Moths Chasing Fire?’”

“‘It seems somewhat like them.’”

Earl Bazel propped his chin and sank into thought, his fingers tapping slowly against the tabletop, one after another.

The girl stood motionless, quiet as a doll.

After a long time, Earl Bazel finally spoke slowly: “‘The Winter Wolves are unimportant, the Church’s mission is unimportant, even whether Nora lives or dies is unimportant. This time, your priority is still to gather news about the Bone-White Raven. And those Moths Chasing Fire as well.’”

Lina’s gaze flickered for an instant before she turned and left the room.

“‘Understood.’”

She walked forward a few steps, but her figure suddenly froze. In the next moment, it flattened like a painting, folding, twisting, and scattering into threads that melted into the floor.

Dragon Fang Grand Duchy, Frostwood Town.

An old woman walked quietly along the street. Her clothes were somewhat worn, and her expression carried the dullness of old age.

She leaned on a wooden cane and returned to a small house. She pushed open the familiar door and half-sat on the bed.

When she closed the door, her once-kind expression instantly turned grim. The dullness and stoop disappeared.

Even her features changed somewhat. A trace of sharpness appeared in her eyes, and no sign of old age could be seen.

She was Granny, a Transcendent from Castel, entrusted by Hughes to investigate the North this time.

Even though Nora herself thought the Resistance Army’s chances of survival were slim, that was only speculation. Hughes still intended to send someone first to confirm the situation.

The Transcendent path of the Moths Chasing Fire specialized in concealment and investigation. Thus, Granny was ultimately chosen.

Granny was a highly experienced Transcendent. Richard himself admitted she was the strongest among the Moths Chasing Fire. Going to the North should not have been a problem.

Yet, trouble had appeared.

If the 【Chrysalis】 excelled in concealment and escape, with almost no natural enemies, then the Candlelight Emblem’s 【Investigator】 was their most troublesome opponent.

The 【Investigator】’s abilities were extremely comprehensive, but as the name implied, their greatest specialty was investigation and tracking.

Granny felt that she had been targeted by one such 【Investigator】.

Had it been a Transcendent of another path, she would not have feared as long as she left no traces. If it were Nora against her, Granny had the confidence to keep her endlessly spinning in circles.

But against an 【Investigator】, it was different.

The 【Investigator】’s investigation was itself a supernatural ability. They could directly retrieve fragments of clues from the Sea of Unawareness. If the Investigator wished it, they would eventually catch the 【Chrysalis】.

It was only a matter of time.

Normally, Granny would either flee at once, betting on the other’s delayed reaction, or drag it out, waiting for the 【Investigator】 to slip up.

——The 【Investigator】’s powers were strong and versatile, but they had one small flaw: their luck was sometimes poor.

They might inexplicably commit extremely foolish mistakes. And this could not be avoided, for it stemmed from the Sea of Unawareness itself, embedded deep in their soul.

Thus, the first sentence in the Candlelight Emblem’s Investigator Handbook was: “‘Do not rely too much on your ability.’”

The Moths Chasing Fire and the Candlelight Emblem had been fighting for countless years. Both sides knew each other well, familiar with each other’s abilities inside and out. Yet, the outcome was never certain.

In the past, Granny would have chosen between these two options. They were strategies distilled from the experience of countless predecessors.

But this time, Granny intended to fight head-on.

The 【Chrysalis】 had little direct combat strength, but not none. At the very least, their power exceeded ordinary people’s by far, and their physical constitution was not bad either.

Granny drew out a Dragon’s Breath Cannon from under the bed, stroked the steel barrel, and grinned.