Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Chapter 38: Nora

The only regret was that there was no information about extraordinary powers in all the details, though that was not surprising.

Besides these images, he also gained a considerable amount of knowledge related to the Silent Sanctum, which was somewhat rigidly imprinted in the depths of his mind. However, as long as he recalled it, he could think of it.

What was this? Knowledge infusion?

Hughes looked at the censer with interest.

This censer was truly a good item. Once the incense was lit, it would allow a person to see various images.

It felt as if knowledge was entering his mind in a strange way.

He just didn’t know if it could be used for learning. If simply lighting the censer naturally allowed knowledge and images to flow into the mind, this bizarre ability would be perfect for education.

One of the obstacles to technological development was the frailty of the human body.

In modern society, for an ordinary person to learn from scratch and reach the cutting edge of knowledge in order to begin research, it would take decades.

A PhD graduate was nearly thirty years old, and that was under ideal conditions. How long could a person live?

The speed at which the human brain learned had its limits. If there were a way to bypass the tedious learning process, then humanity’s research efficiency would increase dramatically.

"Silent Sanctum." Hughes fell into deep thought.

Nora, holding the chain and censer, nodded in satisfaction. She casually swung the censer a few times before deftly securing it at her waist.

Hughes' eyelid twitched. Why did she seem so skilled at that? It was as if she often used the censer as a meteor hammer to smash people.

That shouldn’t be the case…

Hughes glanced at Nora. She had already put away the censer and was now sitting obediently on the chair.

Her long white hair draped over her shoulders, like a quiet layer of snow.

Just being near her brought a sense of calm. Was this the effect of the Burier?

Hughes closed his eyes and recalled the knowledge he had just received.

A Burier was exactly what the name implied,  a clergy member responsible for burying corpses in the diocese.

The Silent Sanctum and the Candlelight Church had very different attitudes toward the secular world. The Candlelight Church actively preached but rarely engaged in worldly affairs, whereas the Silent Sanctum was the opposite.

They had little interest in spreading their faith, yet their clergy willingly took on many additional responsibilities.

For example, they presided over funerals, baptized newborns, and even organized firewood stockpiling in winter, patrolled villages, and drove away wild animals.

It could be said that from birth to death, the people of the White Raven Principality were constantly interacting with the Silent Sanctum.

In return, they did not require the residents to convert. If a blizzard struck, people of any faith could take refuge in their churches.

They were like the thick stone walls of the church, silent, cold, but shielding people from the wind and snow.

Hughes suddenly understood something.

The Silent Sanctum did not need to preach aloud. As long as they braved the wind and snow, followers would naturally gather.

One by one, churches supported settlements and villages.

When the settlements connected, they formed marketplaces and towns.

When the thousands of cities in the North stood together, they became the Silent Sanctum, standing tall amidst the wind and snow.

It was like a Great Wall built upon the mountains, standing day after day, shielding the northern border of the Empire from the storms.

But now, with the White Disaster descending and the principality gradually heading toward destruction, these silent people could only come here to seek a way to survive.

Nora sat motionless on the chair, as quiet as a statue covered in snow.

Sharp words were like a sharp sword, while heavy silence was like a towering mountain.

Hughes couldn’t discern joy or sorrow in her eyes.

After thinking for a moment, he took the initiative to speak.

"Miss Nora, do you know that in this world, there exist other races, non-human races?"

Hughes asked very directly. He had no intention of probing back and forth, he didn’t have time for that.

Whether or not she could accept the existence of non-human races was the foundation for further conversation and was the most critical point.

If Nora and the Silent Sanctum behind her could not accept the existence of non-human races, then Hughes' territory would not accept them either.

The Sirens were too important to Hughes. He had to protect them.

They were almost his only trump card.

If he wanted to secure a chance of survival among the major factions, relying solely on the knowledge in his mind would not be enough.

The Church had extraordinary abilities. Did the pirates not?

Nora’s white eyes turned slightly as she looked at Hughes.

After a moment, she gently nodded.

Hughes breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that ever since the censer had infused him with knowledge, his five senses had become more acute.

He could now read even Nora’s subtle body language more clearly.

For example, at this moment, he could tell that Nora’s response meant:

She knew about non-human races but did not believe in them.

Was this some kind of extraordinary ability of the Silent Sanctum?

Even without words, they could communicate simply, it certainly suited the name of their church.

It was as if they were old friends who had known each other for years, understanding each other with just a glance.

Nora hopped off the chair with a soft thud.

She looked up at Hughes with a slightly serious expression, waiting for his explanation.

"Please don’t worry. I have indeed come into contact with some non-human races."

"Their attitudes are very friendly. Though their appearance is different from humans, their values are not too different, and we can coexist peacefully."

Actually, Hughes was quite fortunate.

The Sirens he had encountered had values relatively close to those of humans.

Even years of enslavement and torment had not driven them to madness or paranoia.

Nora nodded.

"But they recently encountered trouble, some kind of contamination from the depths of the sea, which has injured some of their members."

Hughes spoke slowly while keeping a close eye on Nora’s reaction.

At the word "contamination," Nora's eyes widened instantly.

She took a step forward, scrutinizing Hughes from head to toe before decisively pulling out the censer.

"It’s fine. I haven’t been affected, nor have I come into contact with the contamination,"

Nora raised a hand, signaling him to remain silent.

She then took out a block of balm from her waist pouch, rubbed it evenly between her hands, and applied it to the censer.

This time, she pressed a latch on the censer, and with a snap, it popped open.

Nora retrieved a component from inside, then pulled out another from her pocket and replaced it.

She gently twisted the censer, and this time, a much denser smoke billowed out, quickly enveloping them both.

Hughes swallowed and hesitated for a moment.

Instead of resisting, he tried to relax his body and took a deep breath of the smoke.

The concern and worry in the girl's eyes had not seemed fake.

And looking into her white eyes, Hughes inexplicably felt… at ease.

Shaking his head, Hughes quietly activated the Symbiotic Contract and began using the senses granted by the Sirens.

He had a vague feeling that these senses were less susceptible to deception than his human ones.

Although the chances of Nora attempting anything harmful were small, he decided to be cautious.