Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Hughes held his forehead, looking at Isaac with a complicated expression.

“Go on—what happened after that?”

Isaac looked embarrassed. “After that... Chief Chloe told me the current situation, and I came back…”

The diary on the table suddenly leapt more than three feet high:

〖It wasn’t that simple! It wasn’t that simple! I told you several times, but you didn’t believe me, insisting that I was contaminated!〗

〖Then you suspected it was some ancient god’s conspiracy, and wouldn’t listen no matter what!〗

〖And finally, you fought with Monica before being sent back!〗

“Wait a second!” Hughes raised an eyebrow. “You lost to Monica?”

Monica’s tricks were indeed destructive, but as for her actual combat strength…

Ash could take both of them down with one hand.

Isaac’s face immediately flushed red. He seemed to want to argue but only stammered, unable to get a word out.

He really lost?

Wasn’t he a dual-path Extraordinary? By reason, there shouldn’t be many he couldn’t beat in real combat, right?

Hughes’s gaze toward Isaac changed.

“Monica got a bit anxious about failing her course. She came over with a Dragon’s Breath Cannon and a machine gun.” The Banshee standing beside them raised her hand, shaking the dangling Monica in her grip.

“Ahhhhh—stop shaking me! I know I was wrong—ahhhh!”

Don’t be fooled by how unreliable Monica seemed most of the time. She was, after all, a member of the Banshee Inspection Squad. Her escort mission for Ekesa this time was part of her official duties, and she was indeed issued weaponry for it.

Ekesa’s state was clearly unstable, showing signs of aggression—but whether the warning shot was compliant or considered excessive force…

“Let the Tribunal handle it,” Hughes waved his hand. “Since she’s joined the Banshee Patrol, she has the right to carry weapons—and must therefore be bound by the law.”

He did, in fact, like the short-statured Banshee, but rules were rules. If only some people followed the law, that meant others were being exploited.

Fairness was the cornerstone of law.

Hughes’s eyes turned as he pulled Isaac into the matter as well.

“You too, Isaac. You may need to pay some compensation.”

“That’s fair.” Isaac nodded, saying no more.

“Alright, let’s leave it at that for now. Isaac—now tell us about the Northlands. What exactly happened with the Resistance?”

Everyone in the room perked up, even Monica quieted down.

A stack of papers lay under Hughes’s hand—that was the material Feniel had delivered to him, with Nini and the others’ assessments of the Northlands.

Their conclusion was rather pessimistic—to be precise, they believed the Resistance had likely been completely wiped out.

Isaac’s arrival rekindled a glimmer of hope in everyone’s hearts.

“It’s a long story. Things were going well for us in the Northlands at first…” Isaac paused briefly, then began slowly.

He started from his solo contact with the Resistance: fabricating White Mist, crippling the Winter Wolves cavalry, employing feints, stealing provisions, and finally seizing Grizzly Town…

The series of strategies and battles had everyone’s eyes shining with excitement—they nearly wanted to join the Resistance on the spot and fiercely battle Bazel’s men.

“Unfortunately, in the end, we made a wrong decision,” Isaac sighed deeply. “We chose to attack Sleddinburg. That must have been Bazel’s trap.”

“I was among the first wave into the city. The moment I used my scouting ability, Lina discovered me. I was captured not long after. She was too strong—I couldn’t even escape.”

“The instant I activated my power, I saw the scene inside the castle. Bazel and a group of elite soldiers were waiting at the front gate. The Resistance couldn’t break through.”

“There was absolutely no hope?”

Isaac shook his head. “Not even a little. The Resistance force charging in numbered just over a dozen, and they faced heavily armored soldiers with tower shields. Holding the gate posed no challenge at all. I couldn’t see any way to win.”

“Plus, with Lina lying in wait... It was a trap, and we stepped right into it.”

Hughes fell silent for a while before speaking. “It was Nini who rescued you. She found the Resistance camp—Bazel’s soldiers were already all over it. If Gwen and the others abandoned the city and fled, would they survive?”

Isaac’s gaze dimmed, and he slowly shook his head.

“The Northlands are mostly plains. The Resistance won’t find another easily-defended town like that. If they’re lucky enough to discover a new forest to establish a camp, maybe they could hold out a little longer and allow the Banshees to scout the surroundings.”

“I understand. We’ll have the Banshees look for traces in the forest.” Hughes shoved the papers into the wastebasket and sighed:

“Tell me more about Lina. How could she possibly be that strong?”

“She was too dangerous. Lina—she almost wiped us all out.”

Bazel panted heavily, all composure lost from his face. His carefully styled curls had been singed by the Dragon’s Breath Cannon and now looked like a half-cooked bird’s nest.

Lina didn’t look much better. Her face was pale, her entire body swaying, her eyes filled with terror.

“Bazel, what was that?!”

“I think we walked right into the Resistance’s trap!” Bazel growled. “This was all their scheme—abandoning the camp ahead of time, pretending to flee in a hurry to lure us into searching that area.”

“And then that monster charged at us the moment we grouped together.”

Bazel suddenly turned his head. “Lina, do you recognize the weapon that monster was holding? Could it be related to the Moths Chasing Fire?”

He still vividly remembered when Nini had pointed that weapon at him. That cold, rough steel device and the crimson torrent it spewed had left an impression far too deep—like a nightmare lingering in his mind.

Just this morning, he had still been the mighty Frontier Count of the Northlands. But with that terrifying weapon’s single blast, two squads of Winter Wolves and the Frostsoil Guard had been turned to ash. Those were his most elite soldiers. That one battle had left him seriously wounded. He’d be lucky to hold his territory now, licking his wounds slowly.

The Three Grand Dukes nearby were certainly not going to let this opportunity slide—they were bound to tear some flesh off him this time.

Lina shook her head without hesitation. “Impossible. The Moths Chasing Fire don’t have weapons like that. It looks more like something from the Mechanical Sanctum.”

“Mechanical Sanctum, huh…” Bazel’s expression darkened. “So it really is the Church’s conspiracy. I knew Gwen wasn’t just some ordinary girl!”

“Sorry, Isaac. I couldn’t save you. I’m just a mortal—I couldn’t do anything…”

Gwen silently laid a bouquet of flowers before the grave.

The battle had ended days ago. The Winter Wolves had harassed them a few times since, but they’d all been repelled.

The Resistance waited for Bazel’s main force to arrive, but after a long time, there was still no sign.

Had he given up on this region?

Gwen didn’t know.

She only knew that she might never see that somber friend again.

Isaac had gone missing for this long—he was likely beyond saving.

By sheer misunderstanding, the various powers had somehow reached a delicate balance.

Time passed swiftly. The Northlands churned beneath the surface—

But no great war broke out again.