After attending the Tarot session, Odis returned to the real world and, as usual, stared blankly at the rooftop for a while, considering her recent plans.
First, we need to hold another intelligence exchange meeting. Ideally, we should use the relevant intelligence to eliminate a pirate crew as practice.
Secondly, the research and development tasks this week are very heavy, and we must set aside enough time for them.
Finally, there was the joint exploration with the "Magician".
Thinking of all this, Odis sighed deeply and lamented to himself: Since setting sail, he had not had a single day of rest.
However, he also knew that these were things that needed to be done in the near future. He just sighed for a moment and then encouraged himself to complete them seriously.
Yesterday, Odis wrote a letter to the servants on Blue Street in Bayamkent, enclosing a five-pound note, instructing them to publish GG in the Rhodes Daily and use code words to inform the participants of the intelligence exchange meeting that the meeting would be held again tomorrow morning.
Odis estimated that he would be able to obtain some information about pirate groups at the gathering, from which he could choose targets to strike.
After a while, Odis received the "Fool's" message and set up the altar to perform the "gifting ceremony".
Soon, he acquired 2,800 pounds and seven extraordinary materials of Sequence 9.
After thanking the "Fool," Odis realized that her financial situation had improved and she could now repay Bernadette's debts.
After tidying up the cash and materials from Sequence 7, Odis wrote another letter to Hugh, instructing her to also prepare for the next occult exchange and telling her in the letter how to summon the messenger, and to contact her by messenger at any time if anything happened.
Afterwards, Odis entered the "Wilderness of Knowledge" and began to use the "Wilderness of Knowledge" to enhance time, studying the "dust of vengeful spirits" swept from the ghost ship.
They were once part of the "vengeful spirits," and studying them can help us better understand the internal structure of undead creatures.
After five days of research inside the "wilderness of knowledge," Odis made significant progress and used these findings to invent three types of scrolls.
Upon returning to the real world, he immediately took the parchment and, using "dust of vengeful spirits" as material, wrote the first scroll.
This scroll can attract undead creatures, drawing them to its vicinity and diverting their attention.
This scroll was designed by Odis using the latest research and inspired by Mr. Azik's bronze whistle.
By gathering the undead creatures together, they can launch a unified attack.
The moment the scroll was finished writing, Odis immediately felt the potion being "digested"!
He paused for a moment, then immediately realized: based on my research, I created a new scroll, and this process was the opportunity to play the role of "Professor" and to digest the potion.
After all, the job of a "professor" is to conduct research and use the results to create something new.
Odis's actions just now perfectly aligned with this process.
Then, Odis quickly went to write the remaining two scrolls, and also felt the sensation of "digestion" in both.
He smiled. If he could invent four or five more batches of scrolls as a result, he should be able to completely digest his magic potion.
However, the scroll must be the result of recent research and invention, not a scroll invented from some previous research.
Over the next ten minutes or so, Odis experienced the sensations of digesting the potion, and it was already evening.
He counted out £3,000 in cash and used the "travel ring" to get to the Emerald Palace.
It was Bernadette's mealtime, and Odis, as usual, asked her personal maid Bertha to prepare a dinner for her as well.
Bernadette, who was drinking her aperitif, smiled and asked, "How was the sea voyage?"
"It was quite good. I felt the vastness and thrill of the sea," Odis remarked, adjusting her napkin.
Bernadette was slightly taken aback: "You encountered pirates?"
"No, we encountered a ghost ship." Odis recounted his experience from the previous night.
Bernadette frowned slightly: "I haven't heard of any dangerous ghost ships in that area."
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been released into that area of the sea.
Odis smiled helplessly: "We're just unlucky."
Such a dangerous thing happened on the second day of our voyage.
Odis did not continue the topic, but said, "I have obtained some new information and roughly know who took away Kavituwa's characteristics."
Bernadette was taken aback, not expecting Odis to bring back such information.
"You should remember the adventurer who was with me in Bansi Port, right?" Odis said. "It was through some conversations with him that I deduced that the characteristics of Kavituwa must have been picked up by the 'Fool'."
"I learned by chance that he was a follower of the 'Fool,' and not long after Kavituwa's death, he frequently appeared at the Church of the Sea God. Recently, Danitz, who was with him, has also been frequently in contact with high-ranking members of the resistance…"
He briefly recounted the lie he had prepared beforehand, and looking at Bernadette's increasingly serious expression, he asked, "You've probably heard of 'The Fool,' haven't you?"
Bernadette nodded: "Yes, I've heard about it from others."
A recently emerged, secretive figure, and she's also heard that the "Aurora Society" is looking for this "Fool."
Odis ate the appetizer he had prepared for himself: "I don't know the specifics, I only have this guess, but I think this guess is quite accurate."
Bernadette pondered for a moment before asking, "What kind of being is 'The Fool'?"
"I'm not entirely sure either. I've only heard that He is a being whose power is awakening." Odis said this, but in his heart he thought: Actually, I am the person in this world who understands "The Fool" the most, besides "The Fool" himself.
Bernadette nodded slowly and then said, "Although this information is very advanced, it is somewhat vague. Therefore, the merit of this information is only enough for you to repay the potion formula and help you prepare part of the ritual."
Odis smiled and nodded: "Okay."
This result is already quite good, after all, for him, collecting this intelligence is like answering a question while looking at the answer key.
Bernadette added, "When you're holding your intelligence exchange meeting, keep an eye out for the new 'Pirate Conference'."
Odis thought for a moment: "I remember there was a pirate convention not long ago, right?"
On the high seas, the "Pirate Conference" is an important gathering because one of the key agendas is for the "pirate generals" to discuss their approximate spheres of influence, that is, the areas they can plunder.
However, only three or four "pirate generals" would attend each "pirate convention," and "pirate generals" with a terrible reputation like "Blood Admiral" would never attend such gatherings.
The "pirate generals" attending the gathering will likely act as a host and prevent the "great pirates" from starting a fight during the meeting.
The main participants in the "Pirate Conference" are still the "great pirates".
Of course, there were also conflicts among the "pirate generals," and on several occasions, the "pirate conference" turned into a battlefield.
But most of the time, the "pirate convention" would successfully complete its agenda, and most of the participants would be able to leave the island where the convention was held alive.
The "Pirate Conference" is usually held once every one or two years. According to information Odis received while in Bayam, the last "Pirate Conference" was held two or three months ago. He didn't expect it to be held again.
Bernadette smiled and said, "I heard that the last 'Pirate Conference' did not complete the required agenda."
"Some major pirates are discussing forming a 'pirate alliance' to counter the increasing number of ironclad warships in various countries of the Northern Continent, and exploring joint actions to strike at the ironclad warships and demonstrate their power to other countries."
"Forming a 'pirate alliance' doesn't seem too difficult, but the pirates have serious disagreements on how to fight ironclad ships."
Odis nodded. This was not hard to understand. After all, attacking ironclad ships required a unified command, and the "pirates" would certainly not trust other "pirates" to hand over command of their pirate crew.
Moreover, this process will inevitably come at a heavy price, but it is difficult to decide who will take the lead in the attack through a meeting.
After taking a sip of seafood soup, Odis asked, "If it's so difficult to reach a consensus, why hold a new 'Pirate Conference'?"
"Because the ironclads are putting increasing pressure on the pirates," Bernadette said. "On the one hand, they are unwilling to relinquish command, and on the other hand, they desperately hope that someone can organize them to fight against the ironclads."
"However, this 'Pirate Conference' is still in the planning stages and it should be some time before it takes place."
Odis smiled and said, "I understand. I'll keep that in mind for you."
Repeatedly jumping around was a specialty of the pirates.
Then Odis brought up the matter of repaying the money and handed the 3,000 pounds in cash to Bernadette's personal maid, Bertha.
However, Odis noticed that Bernadette didn't seem very happy to receive the debt.
After finishing their business, the two chatted casually. After having dinner, Odis returned to the "Argo" and asked First Officer Bazel to prepare to accompany him to the intelligence exchange meeting the next day.
That evening, Odis had the two navigator trainees keep watch. He was about to return to his workshop to continue his research when he discovered four large wooden crates containing parts for the "Extraordinary Puppet" as soon as he entered.
This is the second batch of parts that Kaina has sculpted; as agreed, this batch consists of 20 sets.
So Odis had to put his research aside and go to the "craftsman" Dif on Lasha Island to get the remaining "Wisdom Cube" and "Signal Processing Crystal" and settle the final payment.
After a brief chat with Dave, Odis returned to the Argo and asked the first and second officers for help in assembling the new "Extraordinary Puppet".
If a battle ensues, at least ten "Extraordinary Puppets" are needed to keep the ship's weapons functioning properly, and at least twenty "Extraordinary Puppets" are required to attack enemy ships.
It takes at least ten "extraordinary puppets" to complete the attack mission.
The three of them worked until late at night and assembled seven more "extraordinary puppets".
Because we have an intelligence exchange meeting tomorrow, I can only stop here for now and deal with the rest tomorrow.
The next morning, Odis and Bazel got up early and used their "travel" ability to arrive in Bayam. After having breakfast together, the two went their separate ways.
Barzel arrived at the meeting venue first to make preparations for the meeting.
Odis went to her apartment on Hamburg Road and changed into the "captain's" outfit.
Since there was no need to create a huge shock for the attendees like last time, he arrived at the venue about ten minutes early via the "teleportation array".
This entrance still drew gasps from many people, most of whom were members who had come specifically to attend the gathering for the first time.
Of course, the members who had attended the gathering before were still observing carefully, trying to figure out how the "captain" had gotten to the venue.
Most of the attendees wore masks and hoods to effectively conceal their identities.
Only a small fraction of them, possessing sufficient knowledge of the mystical, realized that they had arrived here through a special magic array.
As soon as Odis sat down, Bazel, who was handing out masks and hoods and collecting "entrance fees" at the door, called out, "Captain!"
Odis looked toward the door, and Bazel waved to the outside. A local boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old peeked in from outside and looked at Odis with admiration.
This boy was the one selling local specialties, cigarettes, and alcohol on the train traveling within Blue Mountain Island.
I had met Odis and Bazel when they accompanied Rupert to rescue his teacher.
Odis looked at Bazel, then at the boy, and immediately understood what was going on.
It must be that boy who found this place, wanting to join the party, but he couldn't afford the £5 "entrance fee".
Because the boy had left a good impression on Bazel, Bazel felt a pang of pity and wanted to ask if the boy could also be allowed to enter.
Odis pondered for a moment, then beckoned to the boy.
The boy ran in excitedly and bowed to Osdy: "'Captain'!"
Odis nodded, smiled, and asked, "How did you come to be here?"
"After hearing your teachings on the train that day, I thought a lot and realized I couldn't spend my whole life selling local products on trains," the boy said. "So I came to Bayam, hoping to find you and hear more of your teachings."
Odis hummed in agreement and then asked, "How did you find your way here?"
"Finding this place isn't difficult," the boy replied. "You can find out by asking around at a bar."
"The difficulty was that I didn't know when I would be able to see you, so I waited here for two days and two nights before I finally met Mr. Bazel."
Odis smiled and said, "You do know how to persevere."
He watched as people arrived at the party, and watched them sit there quietly observing him, with few taking the initiative to talk to him.
After four or five seconds, Odis finally said, "So you want to stay here?"
"Yes, sir!" the boy replied immediately.
"May I have your name?"
"Allen."
"Okay, Allen," Odis said. "You can work here, but your first job will be as a waiter."
"However, I will allow you to stay at the venue where the party is being held, and I will also pay you the normal salary of a waiter."
"As for what you can learn, that's up to you."
Young Allen quickly said, "Thank you, 'Captain'!"
Odis waved his hand, and Allen immediately got into character, standing with the other two waiters, quietly waiting for the party to begin.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
At eight o'clock sharp, Odis said, "Alright, let's begin."
Bazel then closed the door, and Odis activated the anti-eavesdropping magic circle again, which once again caused some people to gasp.
The party officially started, and not only were all 60 chairs filled, but seven or eight people were also willing to stand at the back to join the party.
Odis pondered that he should add some more seats, but after reaching 80 seats, he could not add any more, nor could he allow more people to attend the meeting; he needed to artificially create a sense of scarcity.
Almost all the information regarding the transactions at this gathering will be reviewed by Odis so that he can distinguish between true and false information.
This process is more cost-effective for buyers, as they only need to have the "captain" inspect it to have basic protection.
Moreover, even if the "captain" makes a mistake and trades for false information, when they come to the "captain" for help again, the "captain" will certainly not refuse.
What they paid for was the intelligence they bought with their own money, which the "captain" also saw.
After reviewing several intelligence reports, Odis realized that the information being traded this time was of much higher quality than that at the last gathering, indicating that everyone had come prepared.
Halfway through the meeting, Odis had already learned the movements of more than a dozen "great pirates" and the recent actions of two "pirate generals".
This made Odis remark that Bayam's "intelligence industry" was generally quite easy to get on the right track.
Amidst their reflections, two more members reached a deal and asked Odis to review it.
It was an intelligence deal concerning the "Sea Wolf" pirate crew. Odis didn't know the specific strength of this pirate crew, but through logical analysis and rational deduction, he could basically determine the authenticity of the intelligence.
After receiving the intelligence report, Odis's eyes narrowed. The report mainly stated that the "Sea Wolf" pirate crew, which was resting on the island of Dilinius, needed more than a dozen advanced cannons.
Many adventurers appreciate this kind of information, because even on the open sea where there are few rules and laws, cannons are not so easy to trade.
Adventurers with the right connections would first reach a trade agreement with the "Sea Wolf" pirate crew, then use their channels to acquire cannons, and resell them to the pirate crew to earn the price difference.
What caught Odis's attention was a seemingly insignificant description: after the "Sea Wolf" pirate crew clashed with the "Red Lion" pirate crew in southern Delineus, they arrived at Delineus to rest...
Odis had been keeping an eye on the movements of the "Red Lion" pirate crew, and finally he found a clue.
The nautical charts he had recently studied immediately came to mind: after a naval battle, both sides would definitely need to approach the port to rest, repair their ships, and replenish their ammunition.
Since the Seawolf pirate crew went to Tirineus Island to rest, the Red Lion pirate crew only has two options for resting there.
These are Chacker Island, located southwest of Tirenius, and Nicard Island, located northwest of Tirenius.
The naval battle between the two sides had been raging for several days. The "Red Lion" pirate crew should have just finished repairing their ships and replenishing their ammunition, and most likely had just left one of the two islands.
Then Odis recalled the current location of the Argo. If they sailed at full speed, they could reach one of the islands in about 12 hours.
Given the speed of ordinary pirate ships, even if the Red Lions pirate crew set off a day or two earlier, the Argo could catch up with them in a very short time.
These thoughts came to mind in an instant. Odis took a deep breath, smiled, and said in a steady tone, "The information is accurate, but whether the other party actually needs that many goods is something you need to determine for yourself."
It's not surprising to add a few cannons after a naval battle, but whether it's necessary to add 12 cannons is another matter.
Based on the assumption that large pirate ships typically have around 20 cannons and medium-sized pirate ships generally have 12 to 16 cannons, a pirate crew of such "large pirates" would generally not have more than four ships and would not have more than 58 cannons.
Twelve cannons are far too many, unless the "Sea Wolf" pirate crew has suffered a major blow.
However, intelligence also indicated that the "Sea Wolf" pirate crew went to the nearby island of Tilyneus to rest and recuperate, suggesting that they had gained a certain advantage in the naval battle. Otherwise, the "Red Lion" pirate crew might have rested and recuperated on the nearby island of Tilyneus.
Therefore, Odis concluded that the Seawolf pirate crew needed cannons, but not necessarily as many as 12.
The buyer of the intelligence took the opportunity to bargain based on the "captain's" assessment, and the deal was quickly reached. However, the original intelligence fee of 15 pounds was eventually reduced to 10 pounds.
Because the seller did exaggerate the quantity to some extent, it would have been easier to negotiate a higher price when selling information on such a large deal. However, the "captain" exposed the lie so easily.
The transaction continued, and in the latter half of the gathering, Odis heard another description of the location of an ancient ruin. This kind of information is usually difficult to trade, because the ruins that are brought here for trade are usually those that have been looted countless times.
However, out of curiosity, even though he didn't find any ancient writing there this time, Odis still spent 15 to buy the information again, and he would go and take a look whenever he had time.
Odis also received some news about the "Rose School." Recently, the "Night Watchers" and "Punishers" in Bayam suddenly joined forces to strike several strongholds of the "Rose School," causing the cult's activities in Bayam to suddenly decline.
However, Odis keenly sensed that this was a prelude to a larger move by the "Rose School." He remembered that the "Rose School" would soon be in Bayam to compete for and transfer the "Orange Light" Hilaryon, who had transformed into a great scientist.
Therefore, the "Rose School" will only send people to Bayam now, and will not leave.
However, to avoid alerting them, they may not retaliate in the near future, ignoring the losses caused to Odis and Rupert.
But their lack of retaliation does not mean that Odis will not launch a preemptive attack.
The best way to deal with such cult organizations is to take the initiative and keep them busy dealing with them.
After the intelligence transaction concluded, Odis, as before, sold extraordinary materials at Sequence 9 level.
He currently has 14 portions of 5 different extraordinary materials.
The party sold six sets, earning £900, plus £300-400 in "entrance fees" and "bundled sales" of masks and cloaks.
The income from this gathering was also quite good. Of course, the biggest gain from such gatherings is the acquisition of intelligence, such as five pieces of intelligence to be reported to the Church of the Goddess of Night today.
Some of this intelligence concerned the movements of sinister and extraordinary organizations like the "Aurora Society," while others concerned a suspicious operation by the Church of War on the island of Sonia.
Of course, this information is not the information that the members are trading openly. It is all the result of Odis's judgment based on his own experience based on the information that the members asked him to verify. It is still considered "first-hand" information.
In addition, Odis gained a relatively systematic understanding of the pirates of the entire Raging Sea.
Besides the "Pirate General," who is known to almost everyone on the sea, there are also many "Great Pirates" who are frequently active on the sea. Odis estimated that there are at least thirty, or even more! They are all Sequence 7 or Sequence 6!
As for pirates and wanted criminals with bounties below £3,000, their numbers are even greater and difficult to quantify.
This made Odis sigh: the major powers are really willing to invest in the sea.
The final part of the gathering was that Odis nominated five attendees as candidates to become full members, and the full members voted on the spot to decide which two candidates would become full members.
After admitting two new members and determining their "codenames," the gathering came to an end.
Watching the members leave one by one, Odis rested for a while and then instructed the three waiters, including Allen, to pay attention to the guests who usually came here to sell information.
Odis then took Bazel back to the Argo and immediately said to Bazel, "Gather the entire crew for a meeting."
Bazel paused for a moment before replying, "Yes."
Odis arrived at the conference room first. The conference room on the ship was not large. Besides being a conference room, it also served as the ship's library, with several bookshelves. However, no books had been purchased yet; only a few books about navigators provided by Ilje were available.
If there is a ship's doctor on board in the future, he will still hold consultations here regularly.
Two or three minutes later, the crew members arrived one after another. It was the first meeting for the navigator trainees. They had come in chatting and laughing, but when they saw the captain's serious face, they immediately stopped smiling and sat down obediently.
After everyone was seated, they all looked somewhat puzzled. Even Bazel didn't understand why a meeting was being held.
"The meeting begins," Odis said.
The other crew members immediately sat up straight and looked at the captain.
"I just received intelligence about the 'Red Lion' pirate crew!" Odis said. "They've been active on Chacker Island or Nicard Island recently!"
Bazel's mouth gaped open in surprise; the news was too sudden for him! He had witnessed the entire intelligence exchange meeting today and hadn't heard anything about the "Red Lion" pirate crew!
He was so excited that he trembled all over. He never expected that he would have the opportunity to take revenge so soon after setting sail.
Rupert and Ilse had both heard of Bazel and the "Finger-Severed" and immediately understood that the captain was planning to raid the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
Based on what they had learned during this period, they now knew the maximum speed of the "Argo". Although they were still four or five hundred nautical miles away from the two islands, they were sure they would be able to reach them before midnight.
Then they would patrol around the two islands, searching for the Red Lion pirates, and if they hadn't gone far, they could find them within a day or two.
Such a rapid advance would be almost impossible for an ordinary seagoing vessel.
Because most pirate ships only have a speed of around sixteen or seventeen knots at most, and if they encounter calm seas, they may only be able to travel at six or seven knots.
By the time they reached the two islands, the people had already vanished.
The five navigator trainees were unaware of Bazel's story and were somewhat confused by the captain's description.
"Now I command!" Odis said, "Sail immediately toward those two islands!"
"Bazel will stay on the 'Argo', Rupert will come with me to gather intelligence and further pinpoint the location of the 'Red Lion' pirate crew!"
The three main crew members, including Bazel, immediately replied in unison, "Yes!"
Odis stood up and said, "Meeting adjourned, let's take action immediately!"
Barzel didn't even have time to thank the captain before he and Ilya immediately went to the cockpit to adjust the course.
After Odis and Rupert did some simple makeup, they used the "travel ring" to arrive at Chacker Island.
With a clear objective, they headed straight for the harbor's shipyard. After observing from a distance, they did not spot any of the "Red Lion" pirate crew's ships.
So Odis went to the shipyard, pretending that he wanted to repair his ship, and was taken to the manager's office by the shipyard workers.
After closing the office door, Odis pulled out a 10-pound note: "Have any members of the 'Red Lion' pirate crew come here to repair their ship?"
The manager took a slight breath as he looked at the £10 note. His salary was less than £2 a week, so this was a considerable sum for him.
He glanced at the closed door again before whispering, "They didn't repair the ship here; they went to Nicate Island in the south."
"This is what I just heard from the ship repairman this morning."
Although the manager coveted the wealth, he knew that if he provoked the pirates, he would surely die, which is why he was being so cautious.
Odis placed the banknotes on the table, pretending that the negotiations had not reached an agreement, and left the dock.
Arriving at a secluded corner, Odis led Rupert to Nicard Island, where, in the same way, they learned at the shipyard that the Red Lion pirate fleet had just left that morning.
Odis asked them about their approximate course of travel and learned that the pirate crew had three fast ships: one large and two medium-sized, with the large fast ship as their flagship.
Back on the Argo, Odis explained the information he had learned to Irezz.
Iraiz quickly determined their destination and slightly adjusted his course, intending to intercept them at sea.
"Advance four!" Odis commanded. "Target: the 'Red Lion' pirate crew!"