Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 427 On Cults: They're Like Moths Chasing Flames

Isaac sneered: "The four northern lords have always been three grand dukes, unchanged for decades. The only reason Count Bazel can be compared to them is because his cavalry defeated the armies of all three grand dukes."

"I see. That's why he was able to establish himself here." Gwen finally had a general understanding of the situation in the North.

"So running away is useless; we have to defeat them head-on."

“But as you said, I’m afraid we can’t win, can we?” Gwen’s voice was somewhat bitter. The more she understood the enemy, the more she understood their current predicament. Did they, the resistance fighters, really have a chance of winning?

Isaac laughed instead, his tone somewhat strange: "Miss Gwen, you don't know my background, do you?"

"You're a member of the Ash Alliance, aren't you?"

"That's my current identity. Before that, I served another organization—"

"The Cult of the Moths, people who are willing to risk everything in pursuit of knowledge."

The term "moths chasing the flame" is enough to invite censure from the Church, which considers them a more terrifying threat than the plague.

Even in the White Raven Duchy, Gwen had heard of their great name.

This is not because they always cause trouble or summon evil gods—all cultists cause trouble, and the Church of the Mother Goddess summons far more "Mothers" than they do, but in terms of harm, they have always ranked behind the Moths of Fire.

This is mainly because
“What we’re best at is rebelling,” Isaac said proudly, raising his head.

In the Rhine, the Fire Moths rebelled against the Empire; in the North, they rebelled against the Sanctuary; in the South, they rebelled against the Sleepless; and in Castel...
Oh, that doesn't count; the moth that chases the flame is forever loyal.

The Church of the Mother Goddess is also rebelling, and it has the power to rally the entire lower city.

But the moths that chase fire are different; they can even win over the nobles in the upper class. The nobles have no shortage of food, but they are often obsessed with pursuing knowledge.

For example, Richard had a title and was also a doctor. If he hadn't secretly dissected corpses, he probably wouldn't have been discovered yet.

Take Tata for example. He also had a prestigious status in the Southern Continent, but he ended up sending half a city into the sky while conducting research, forcing him to flee.

The pursuit of knowledge can easily lead people to disregard everything else. The longer one thinks, the more one thirsts for knowledge. The more one knows, the more one enjoys thinking. The sea of ​​ignorance will never trap the inquiring soul. However, humans have limits, and under this influence, it is easy to become like a moth drawn to a flame.

“I have people in the nearby towns. Once these winter wolves leave, it’s hard to say who will own the town.”

Gwen's eyes lit up: "So...you mean, lure them out?"

Isaac smiled and nodded.

He couldn't help but look south, in the direction of Castel.

Since arriving in Castells, they have indulged in the pursuit of knowledge and embraced industrialization, almost forgetting their old craft of rebellion.

Fortunately, he hadn't forgotten his skills. He and his Ash Alliance had caused some minor trouble in the Empire, and now he had arrived in the North.

The lord sent him to the North to gather intelligence, which is what he excels at. As long as he can get the entire city's inhabitants to become followers of the Fire Moth, he can get as much intelligence as he wants.

Missionary work is always the fastest way to gather intelligence.

After the explanation was clear, the two quickly began to discuss it.

Lai, feeling somewhat bored, rode his horse along with his companions on the muddy road.

The horse's hooves kicked up mud that stained his freshly cleaned boots, much to Lai De's annoyance.

"Captain, are we really going to go into the woods to investigate those beggars?"

"We don't need to enter the forest. We just need to check for any traces of them coming and going. As long as we confirm that these people are still here, that's enough," the captain in front said lazily.

"But they have superhumans."

"Shut up, that man is dead. The Earl himself confirmed it!" The captain glared at Lai De.

I haven't said who it is yet.

"I personally participated in the encirclement and kill, how could I not know who it was?" the captain roared. "If you dare to mention this again, I'll shove your tongue up your ass!"

Lai De curled his lip; the captain didn't look like this when he ran back in terror.

"So we're going to fight those refugees to the bitter end, huh? I don't know why Lord Bazel is keeping such a close eye on them."

They're just a bunch of refugees. If left unattended, they'll at most cause a disturbance in the town—when does this kind of thing ever require the military to get involved?
"Who knows? Maybe they brought some treasure." As soon as the captain said this, everyone's eyes lit up.

"treasure?"

"What could it be? Treasure?"

"Fool, how could that be? If they had treasure, they would have already sold the road!"

"The White Crow Kingdom has fallen; surely it must have some good stuff left?"

Snapped!
The captain suddenly cracked his whip, startling everyone.

"Shut up! Look over there!!"

Lai De followed his gaze and immediately widened his eyes.

"They're coyotes. What are they digging in the ground for?"

They were still quite far away, and could only vaguely see the silhouettes of coyotes, which seemed to be digging something in the snow.

"Coyotes are common, so why are they digging in the snow? Dogs have the best noses, could it be..."

Several people looked at each other.

"Shall we go take a look?"

Coyotes are small and slow, and can only hunt small animals, posing almost no threat to cavalry.

The cavalrymen went around to find a pit in the ground, which vaguely resembled a box.

Now everyone's eyes were filled with suspicion. They rushed off their horses, shouted to drive away the wolves, and surrounded them.

No one noticed that the nearby snowdrifts seemed to have moved.

The box was quite large, and the surrounding ground was muddy. The soldiers trudged closer, only to hear a loud shout:
"Fire!"

boom!
Lai De's vision went black.

Gwen came out carrying a musket that was still smoking, looking somewhat bewildered.

"It's that simple?"

"Just a few soldiers. These reconnaissance squads are essentially risking their lives to exchange for information."

"Okay, let's move on."

"Now it's my turn to shine. The bait has been laid; let's see how the Winter Wolves act."

The resistance fighters rose from the snow; they had just laid an ambush there. There were several more such traps around the woods, and surely one of them would lure the Winter Wolf Guard into a trap.

These men took the armor and weapons, led their horses away, and dragged the bullet-riddled corpses to the roadside, leaving them there.

Isaac came on foot, but returned on horseback. As for Gwen, she had hardly ever seen a horse, let alone ridden one; she simply led it around.

"By the way, Ms. Gwen, may I serve as a missionary in the Resistance?"

Gwen took a step back warily, looking Isaac up and down: "No, absolutely not! We, the people of the White Raven, would never betray the Bone White Raven!"

"But the Silent Sanctuary has betrayed you." The Silent Sanctuary's symbol is the White Raven, and the White Raven Principality is a theocratic state, where the Sanctuary has the authority to enforce the law.

“That won’t do either!” Gwen put her hands on her hips. “You fire-chasing moths sound dangerous. We are people of faith, and we have been under the protection of the White Ravens from birth to death.”

Isaac shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "Fine, that's your prerogative. By the way, what's the principle behind firearms?"

Isaac not only trained the soldiers on how to use the firearms, but also explained their principles and structure.

"Please tell me more! I'm really interested in this!"

The girl crossed her fingers in front of her chest, her eyes practically gleaming.

(End of this chapter)