Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 131 Evil God, I’ll Lend You My Power

Not long after Chloe returned, she received a reply letter. Isaac agreed to Hughes' proposal and was willing to swear the Fire-Chasing Oath under his witness.

After thinking about it, Zeus decided to let him do it in the underground cave, and let Ash witness it on his behalf - he needed to go to the Golden Throne and descend into the body of the worker Zeus in order to listen to the prayers of the believers.

Before that, he talked to Isaac, a taciturn man who looked bitter and resentful.

Hughes needed to know what Isaac's conditions and needs were. After all, once he took over this kind of work, it might take him several years to lay the foundation. Building an intelligence network from scratch was quite hard work.

The results were somewhat unexpected.

The condition Isaac proposed was simple, as long as Hughes did not turn to the Candlelight Society.

This made Hughes feel a little strange. Just because he didn't side with the Candlelight Society didn't mean he would help Isaac with his revenge. So why were his demands so broad?

The two had no contact before, and the part he was asked to take over was quite important, so this kind of question naturally had to be clarified.

And the reason given by Isaac is——

The man with a cloth wrapped around his eyes was silent for a while, then raised his head. Although he couldn't see his eyes, Xius still felt that he was being stared at.

"My Lord, I've come into contact with many organizations, both official and hidden. None of them are as efficient and flexible as Castel."

"At the same time, I've noticed that there are quite a few rules and regulations, and they're enforced quite thoroughly."

“You’re building a whole system from scratch, not just modifying an existing one.”

"This system can support not just a small earldom, but an empire."

Hughes raised an eyebrow.

"It's a very interesting approach, but Castel can't even reach the Earldom, let alone the Empire."

In terms of size, Castel is not that big. In the Queen's investiture document, a large area of sea area was included to barely call it an earldom.

Quite a lot of moisture.

"That has nothing to do with it, and it has nothing to do with your will. As long as Castel continues to develop, it will inevitably become a monster of that size."

"An empire becomes an empire because it is powerful, not because it has the title. Your Castel has this potential."

This perspective was very novel, and Hughes even wanted to discuss it with him. Isaac actually judged the potential of his territory based on administrative efficiency. This view was actually correct to a large extent.

For any organization, administrative efficiency determines its upper limit. A giant that cannot control its hands and feet, no matter how powerful it is, is ultimately just a slowly dying corpse.

But there is a flaw in this view: Isaac ignores the impact of country size.

Castel is just a small island, and Hughes's will can be implemented most thoroughly. If it were a vast country, he would need more sources of information and a more complex administrative system.

Wait, he said this at this time, right?
Isaac smiled faintly. "I will build an intelligence network for you. It will extend beyond your vision, serving as an extension of your will. When your territory expands, when your troops cross the Storm Ocean, I will be your eyes."

"The further your Castel goes, the less space is left for the Candlelight Society. I believe this is the most effective form of revenge. The power of an individual is too small. I prefer to trust your Castel."

Hughes took a deep breath, and his gaze towards Isaac changed. He had spoken with Chloe before, and while she might be a qualified leader, she didn't have such a precise grasp of the situation.

Isaac's words were not only an explanation of his loyalty, but also a display of skill.

He had only come into contact with a few of Hughes's staff members, but he was able to deduced Hughes's plan - he was setting up an intelligence network in preparation for outward expansion, and the same was true for re-establishing an efficient and strict administrative system.

Careful observation, precise logical reasoning, and incisive judgment are the most important things for intelligence gathering.

This taciturn man successfully proved his value with just a few words. Now, even though he is not a transcendent, Xiusi has no doubt about his ability.

Hughes immediately stood up and extended his hand. "Mr. Isaac, Miss Chloe is right. You are indeed the most suitable candidate. You can take up your position after swearing the Fire-Chasing Oath. I'm sorry—it's not that I don't want to trust you, but I have a responsibility to the people of Castel."

"Of course, I understand. If you really exempted me from the oath, I would have doubts. People's hearts can change, but oaths cannot. I feel reassured that you chose the oath and the system to restrain me."

The two held hands tightly together.

Later that day, Isaac performed the Fire Oath Ceremony accompanied by Chloe, Connor, Ash and others. Hughes happened to be delayed and was not present.

Xius is currently hiding in the eastern testing ground, which is far away from other densely populated areas, so even if something happens, it will be easy to recover.

"Let me see what this Fire-Chasing Oath is all about."

After confirming the surrounding situation, Zeus dispatched two banshee teams to patrol the island through the mental link.

The current time was also specially chosen. It was already dark and the students of the night school had all gone home. There were not many people on the island, so even if there was a problem, the banshees could handle it directly.

Xius locked the door and then lay down on the bed in the room - this was a temporary accommodation for researchers, but the test site had only been established not long ago, so the personnel and equipment were not yet in place.

"Ash, when do they start?"

"It should be soon. The Fire Moths have finished setting up the ritual, and it will probably begin soon after they get ready."

"Okay, you'll take over from now on. The two patrols are already on standby, and I have other things to do."

"yes."

Ash never asked Hughes any questions. Whenever Hughes gave her a task, she would just do it.

Perhaps this is why Zeus always subconsciously relies on Ash.

Zeus lay down on the bed, and his mind moved. His consciousness seemed to be gradually pulled away, and he lost all perception.

The next moment, he opened his eyes on the golden throne.

"Well, everything looks normal."

Glancing around, the place was still the same as when he returned last time. Xiu Si turned to look at the worker Xiu Si.

The body smiled shyly, and he descended again. This time, as soon as he opened his eyes, he found something wrong.

(End of this chapter)