Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Chapter 29:

Ash was even deliberately avoiding any actions that might cause injury, fearing that if she were seriously hurt, she would drain Hughes' life force completely through the contract.

Seeing Ash’s expression, Hughes guessed the answer. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "You said the contract is absolutely equal. Does that mean if I get injured, you can also provide me with life force?"

Ash nodded. In fact, the symbiotic contract was more suited for situations where two warriors fought side by side on the battlefield.

No matter who got hurt, the other could instantly provide a large amount of life force.

This meant that each person essentially had two lives, greatly increasing their margin for error.

Sirens were born warriors, and it was precisely this ability that allowed them to conquer the depths of the Seven Seas.

Unfortunately, the Abyssal Trench had already been destroyed. The few remaining entrances were now polluted, and the races that once shared symbiosis with the Sirens had vanished without a trace.

All that remained of their past glory were the old songs passed down in legend.

Ash was momentarily lost in thought.

"Ash, go to the bottom of the Abyssal Trench and check on your clansmen. If the situation is dire, bring them up first. I remember that they can leave the deep sea for short periods, right?"

Ash nodded. Although the symbiotic contract prevented her from straying too far from Hughes, the rift leading to the seabed of the Abyssal Trench was not far from Castel Island. She was confident she could return before her life force drained too quickly.

After watching Ash slowly submerge into the sea, Hughes also walked back to the manor through the cave tunnels.

He had an idea, but he needed to verify something first.

As he returned to his study, Hughes carefully inspected the room’s arrangement, ensuring nothing had been disturbed before approaching the door.

When he pulled the door open, he instinctively felt something was off.

The sensory ability he gained from the symbiotic contract vaguely told him that there was something on the other side of the door.

It was a body made of flesh and blood, and it was about to collapse toward him—dodge!

However, he had already opened the door. His mind reacted, but his body couldn't keep up, leaving him to watch as the figure pressed against the door fell toward him.

"Zoe?"

Hughes' gaze turned cold as he looked at the maid who had fallen to the ground. At the last moment, he had successfully stepped aside.

Taking a few steps back, Hughes examined her from head to toe, ensuring she had no weapons before questioning, "Why are you here?"

Zoe was dizzy from the fall, covered her reddened nose. When she looked up, her eyes were full of tears. "I... I was bringing you afternoon tea."

Only then did Hughes notice that she was still holding a tray. Despite her fall, the porcelain teacup and refreshments on the tray had remained intact.

She managed to keep the tray stable while falling? That was dedication.

"I knocked on the door for a long time but got no response, so I got worried and tried to listen for any movement inside. I'm sorry!"

Hughes recalled that Zoe had always been responsible for delivering his afternoon tea.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Ever since he arrived, he had been dealing with all sorts of affairs and had long forgotten about tea and snacks.

So he softened his tone. "There’s no need to bring me tea anymore. When I'm working in the study, I tend to focus deeply and won’t hear sounds from outside. Tell Connor not to disturb me while I’m working."

Zoe looked up in surprise, then quickly realized her posture was inappropriate.

She hurriedly stood up, tidied her long skirt slightly, placed the tea tray on the table, and then left the room.

"This isn’t a good long-term situation either," Hughes thought to himself. If he stayed in the study without appearing for long periods, it would be too easy to arouse suspicion.

But for now, he didn’t have a better solution. He wasn’t sure which of the servants he could trust.

Moreover, Sirens, whether in name or appearance, would inevitably make people uneasy. Coming from Earth, Hughes had no superstitions, but the people of this world might not be as accepting.

Speaking of humanity's attitude toward other races, this was precisely why Hughes was going out today.

He planned to test the Church's stance. Generally speaking, if the Church could accept non-humans, then persuading the common folk would just be a matter of time.

However, he wasn’t optimistic about the Church’s attitude. After all, the last time he descended, he had been killed by the Church’s people.

Thinking about it still made him grit his teeth in anger. The Candlelight Order, was it? He would have his revenge.

Sighing, Hughes couldn’t help but feel frustrated. The Candlelight Order was the state religion of the Empire.

There were no other churches within the Empire, so even if he wanted to turn to a more lenient faith, he had no alternative.

However, he had heard that the Empress and the Church were growing increasingly divided. Who knew what the future held?

For now, it was best to gather information first.

"Zoe!" The maid, who had just stepped out, peeked her head back in upon hearing Hughes call her name.

"Tell Connor to prepare a horse. I'm going to the church."

"Understood." Her expression was somewhat complex as she turned and swiftly left down the hallway.

Hughes turned his gaze back to the bookshelf. He intended to browse some Church literature, this body’s original owner had little understanding of the Church.

After flipping through a few books, Hughes rode toward the church with the Butler, Connor.

Connor wasn’t well-versed in Church doctrine either, but he did know how the Church handled worldly matters.

"Generally, the Church does not involve itself in any territorial affairs." He recalled and then asked, "Master Hughes, why are you suddenly interested in them?"

"Since Castel has a Candlelight Order church, it’s better to understand them sooner rather than later,"

Typically, the Church was the most radical about non-human matters, so he needed to be prepared.

"I heard that the Church no longer has a seat in the Empire’s judicial decisions," Connor said cautiously. He felt it was his duty to remind his lord about the Empress’s stance toward the Church.

After all, his lord was, nominally, a vassal of the Empress, and this was something he needed to be aware of.

Judicial decisions? Hughes knew that was akin to a court, where the Empire’s tribunal decided on criminals' sentences based on the Empire’s Holy Charter. A seat there meant considerable influence.

Before the Empress ascended to the throne, judicial decisions were jointly controlled by the nobility and the Church.

Now the Church had been expelled, and the nobility’s power was also waning.

Centralization, this was a sign of an empire on the rise. Hughes nodded to himself.

"And how did the Church react?"

"That’s the strange part." Connor paused. "The Church only issued some nominal protests but took almost no actual action."

Hughes frowned.