Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 128: Can the extraordinary paths be superimposed?

"From the North, to the White Crow Duchy, and then to the coast of the Empire, I need to form a team that can explore information and gather intelligence for me."

Chloe swallowed hard.

She didn't expect that this was Zeus's plan, and helping Nora and transporting refugees was just a side job.

It's normal to think about it. With Zeus's layout in Castel, he will definitely not be limited to this small island in the future. At this moment, he is trying to extend his tentacles to the empire.

"Ms. Chloe, I know you want to demonstrate the value of the Fire Moth, but there is no need to do it in this way."

"I know you yearn for knowledge and technology, so just continue to work hard in this field. There's no need to waste your life on this. I can find someone else to build an intelligence network for me."

Chloe was silent. Hughes' meaning was very clear. What he needed was someone who could be responsible for intelligence for a long time, not a temporary emergency transition.

As the leader of the Fire Moth, she was willing to sacrifice for the organization, and a trip to the North was no big deal. But if she had to deal with intelligence affairs all the time, she would never be able to pursue knowledge.
Even just thinking about it made her feel painful.

"Well, I really can't seem to accept such a life," she said with difficulty.

"It's okay, Miss Chloe. Research is also a contribution to Castel, and a particularly great one."

Chloe felt a little ashamed. She stood up and was about to say goodbye and leave when she suddenly had an idea.

".But I have a good candidate."

Hughes blinked and motioned for her to continue.

"Isaac, he's in charge of logistics for the Fire Moth. He's not that keen on research, but he'll definitely be very interested in opposing the Candlelight Society."

"Appreciate further details."

"He and his brother were orphans and were originally members of the Candlelight Society. However, during a disaster caused by an evil god over a decade ago, they were abandoned by the Candlelight Society. His brother died a tragic death, and the Candlelight Society's subsequent actions were heartbreaking. In the end, he chose revenge."

"Revenge? That's why he joined the Fire Moth?"

"Yes, although our main purpose is to pursue knowledge, we don't mind causing some trouble for the Candlelight Society. Isaac is especially enthusiastic."

Zeus nodded. He understood. After all, the Candlelight Society and the Fire Moths regarded each other as heretics, and these sects were much more cruel to heretics than to pagans.

"Isaac has access to many of the Fire Moth's followers. These are our hidden lines, so it shouldn't be a problem for them to pass on a message. Besides, Isaac is a transcendent, a very special transcendent."

"special?"

"Yes, our Fire Moth's extraordinary path is [Nymph], which excels in concealment, camouflage, and perception. Isaac, on the other hand, has two paths: [Nymph] and [Investigator]."

"Huh? There's a dual path?"

"Theoretically, it's impossible, but the circumstances surrounding the Evil God's arrival were very special. It's said that there was a being who could play with souls and combined the souls of many people together. In the end, only three people survived, and they all became dual-paths."

"He was..." "Isaac wasn't a transcendent at the time. His brother's soul was trapped in his body. To prevent contamination, the Candlelight Society refused to treat him. His brother's soul died within him, and the body was desecrated by the Candlelight Society. The [Investigator] is the relic his brother left him."

Chloe paused, recalling the past, and said, "Then he found our cult, took the Fire-Chasing Vow, and became one of us. He eventually advanced to become a Nymph, becoming a dual-path cultist."

Hughes fell silent. Listening to Chloe's description, this Isaac seemed to be very suitable indeed.

The [Nymph] method is suitable for obtaining intelligence, and the [Investigator] is an all-round enhancement. When combined together, the effect is more than 1+1=2.

He also hates the Candlelight Society and doesn't mind doing some dirty work for Hughes.

He just may not be reliable. He has little contact with Isaac, and the other party does not report directly to him, so he needs to slowly build trust.

Chloe naturally knew this, and she quickly continued to explain, "Actually, you don't have to worry too much. He swore the Fire-Chasing Oath, and we were worried about his betrayal at the time. After all, he came from the Candlelight Society."

Indeed, the Fire Moth should be more worried, because he is from the opposing organization. It seems that this oath has a strong binding force?
"Only the most steadfast members can swear the Fire-Chasing Oath. All those who break the oath will be tainted by the Moth Lord and become his descended body."

"If he had the opportunity to go to the Empire and fight against the Candlelight Society, I believe he wouldn't mind adding two more oaths."

It sounds good, but there is a problem: the Moth Lord seems to have been purified by Zeus.

However, the body of the worker Zeus can hear the prayers of believers. Does this mean that he actually possesses some of the power of the Moth Lord?

If he were to descend into that body, would he be able to establish some connection with the Fire-Chasing Oath?

Hiss, it feels very likely!
"Then go ask Isaac for his opinion. If possible, bring him here for a talk."

"Okay, I think Isaac will be very happy. He actually doesn't like staying on this island. He even asked me before if there is a chance for revenge."

Chloe was a little happy. This solved two problems at once.

Hughes was also very satisfied. Establishing an intelligence network was a necessary step for him. Castel was isolated overseas and had no information source of his own. It would be difficult for him to gain influence in the empire in the future.

That's why he deliberately developed his connections with Beatrice in order to have another information channel. Of course, it would not prevent him from selling some soaps to make money.

Speaking of which, he had to find a way to help Beatrice find a ship back to the empire. This noble lady seemed to be staying here and not leaving, which gave Zeus a headache. It seemed that he had tried too hard to please her before. Now, whenever she had free time, she would stick to Zeus, making it difficult for him to go to many places.

We have to send her away quickly!

He had some ideas about the boat. Josh had wanted to borrow a boat from him before, but Hughes hadn't responded yet.

Jeremiah should be back with the trade authorization in the next few days, so that Hughes can fund Josh to form a caravan, sail out to sea, and send Beatrice back to the empire. Then the caravan's soap can be sold all the way to the north coast, and Isaac can be left there when they reach the northern border, and the refugees can be brought back on the way back.

Kill five birds with one stone!

As for where to find it on the ship?

Wasn’t Jeremiah coming here to deliver the authorization letter? He couldn’t have swum here, could he?
(End of this chapter)