Odis once again approached the "craftsman" Diff and placed a bulk order with him for 40 sets of key parts for the "extraordinary puppets".
Once his ship is built, he will need more than twenty "extraordinary puppets" as crew members, and he will also need to reserve more than a dozen "puppets" as spares. In addition, he will need to prepare more spare parts for future repairs.
Odis was suddenly being so generous because his recent financial situation was quite good. Even if the total cost of making 40 "extraordinary puppets" was around 4,000 pounds, he could afford it.
After resolving the issue of the "Extraordinary Puppet" cost, these are basically the major expenses for going overseas.
Odis didn't think about how to recoup his costs, after all, this was something he aspired to, and he was willing to spend some money on it.
In this respect, he has indeed let himself go a bit!
After being monitored for more than three years, I was suddenly free and wanted to quickly realize some of my ideas.
Odis was very busy that day. In the morning, in addition to placing new orders, he went to the foundry and the machine shop to modify the shape design of some parts.
Although only one "extraordinary puppet" has been installed, some flaws in the original design can already be discovered. Modifying these parts is to try to cover up those flaws.
On the way back, Odis also bought a large bag of parchment.
Back at the Emerald Palace, Odis began making scrolls.
With his extraordinary knowledge, a scroll he innovated could achieve the desired effect simply by being written down, without even needing a draft.
The process of making a scroll involves using spiritually imbued materials to write individual "Garbana" runes in a specific order and format.
The method of writing is different from that of drawing a magic circle. Drawing a magic circle requires many geometric shapes as an aid, while writing a scroll is like writing a short but extraordinary paper, which is much simpler than drawing a magic circle.
Of course, it wasn't just about writing; Odis also needed to use his extraordinary abilities to successfully create a scroll during the writing process.
In this process, extraordinary traits essentially serve as an "enchantment".
Without the aid of extraordinary abilities, it would just be a series of "Garr runes".
With the help of extraordinary abilities, the symbols written on parchment will emit a faint glow, and when rolled up, they will also emit a faint, weak glow, which indicates that the scroll is a success.
This makes the process of making scrolls much simpler than writing magic circles, and the key point is that scrolls can be carried on your person and used wherever you want.
It was also because of the use of the extraordinary power that Odis discovered that no matter how he tried, the scroll's power had a limit.
Because Odis possessed the complete set of "Garr runes," his scrolls were more powerful than those of a normal "Scroll Professor."
However, since the "enchanting" process only reaches Sequence 6, even if it is powerful, it cannot be compared with a Sequence 5 scroll.
There were no requirements for the writing materials used in the scrolls made by Odis; before lunch, he had already made more than forty scrolls.
While parchment was convenient, it presented Oedipus with a new problem: how to carry these scrolls?
When he was a "wizard," he sewed pockets on both the inside and outside of his clothes.
However, the powder used for "witchcraft" has virtually no carrying requirements; it doesn't matter if it's pressed, bumped, or knocked around in your pocket.
Scrolls written on parchment are not suitable; they dent easily when pressed, causing the spiritual material used to write the "runes" to fall off and the positions of the symbols to change, thus rendering the scroll ineffective.
After thinking it over, Odis went to a leather goods store and ordered a special leather bag. It was rectangular in shape and had many cloth compartments inside.
He planned to put the scroll in the empty space.
Because Odis needed it urgently and had paid in full, the leather goods shop owner promised that it could be completed first thing tomorrow morning.
In the afternoon, his busy schedule continued. He first went to the shipyard to check on the progress of the large ship, as well as his own small boat.
The small boat was being built faster than he had imagined; he estimated that the array could be deployed in a few more days.
The exterior of the large ship is basically completed, and it is estimated that starting next week, a large number of arrays will be installed.
After returning from the dock, he went to teach the scholars extraordinary knowledge. In the evening, he assembled another "extraordinary puppet." When this "extraordinary puppet" was also able to function normally, it once again proved that Odis's design was very successful.
On Wednesday morning, Odis picked up the handbag from the leather goods store. It looked quite nice, but dressed in a suit and carrying such a handbag, she looked a bit like a salesperson.
Fortunately, the leather shop owner added a belt to one side. By fastening the belt, Odis wouldn't need to be carried by hand, and riding a horse or running wouldn't affect his movements.
From an appearance standpoint, such a handbag is not common, but it looks quite nice when paired with Odis's formal attire.
That morning, Odis was going to the shipyard to resolve some design issues when his companion, Aria, noticed his briefcase: "This is..."
Odis didn't hide anything: "It's for storing scrolls."
"You...how many scrolls have you made?" Then Arya realized, "You're already the 'Scroll Professor'?"
She remembered that four months ago, when she first met Odis, he was only a Sequence 9.
Odis nodded: "Yes, I was just promoted."
Arya forced a smile: "How...how are you feeling?"
"not bad."
"Not bad?" This puzzled Aria. Even if she knew about the "acting method," she wouldn't have to worry about potion recipes and extraordinary materials. It would take at least a year to maintain a normal state after advancing from Sequence 9 to Sequence 6.
But Odis has only been using it for four months, how can he still be in good condition?
Of course, Odis couldn't tell her that he had digested his potion in advance. As a "fighting scholar," he could basically digest the potion completely by summarizing the rules of the role.
The role of the "wizard" did not go so smoothly, but the "demon king" helped him a lot (Odis did not know that "0-08" had once admitted that he was a "wizard").
That's why Odis "ran all the way" and arrived at Sequence 6 in a very short time.
What's even more infuriating is that he's already digested most of the Sequence 6 potion, which is why he's been in such good condition.
Then, the two returned to the topic of scrolls, and Arya asked, "How did you find so many materials to write on the scrolls?"
But in her heart she was thinking: Was it given to me by the Queen?
Odis smiled mysteriously: "It's a secret. I'll tell you when I have the chance."
The knowledge of using parchment instead of other writing materials may not seem very important, but it brought great convenience to the "scroll professors." It was a major improvement to their writing habits and one of Odis's trump cards.
Arya nodded knowingly: It must have been given by the Queen!
Although she knew very well that Odis was not the "Queen's" male favorite, she also noticed that the Queen's attitude towards Odis was very special, and it seemed that it was not just about appreciating Odis's talent.
However, this is something you absolutely must never say out loud.
At this point, Odis asked, "Where do you usually keep your scrolls?"
Arya showed the inner lining of her coat, which was made up of small cloth bags, enough to hold at least twenty scrolls, though she had only put in about thirteen or fourteen at this point.
For a typical "scroll professor," they basically only possess the scrolls that come with the twelve potions.
For a "senior professor" like Arya, being able to master twenty scrolls with different effects is already quite impressive.
Therefore, generally speaking, the "Scroll Professor" will only make about ten scrolls that are used frequently, and bring some spiritual materials with him. If there are not enough scrolls, he will directly perform witchcraft.
Most of the time this is enough, because extraordinary individuals through this path generally try to avoid getting involved in battles. If a battle is unavoidable, they will mainly resort to sneak attacks.
In short, if you can't severely damage an enemy with four or five scrolls during a sneak attack, then don't hesitate, run away as fast as you can.
If it's an encounter battle and you still can't escape after using five or six scrolls, then you basically have no chance of running away.
Therefore, for an ordinary "scroll professor," a sufficient number of scrolls are enough.
After talking with Aria, Odis realized that she had indeed made a lot of scrolls, since the "expiration time" of the scrolls was only about three to six months.
Immediately afterwards, Odis conceived the idea of selling the scrolls.
The scrolls that Odis is currently creating, such as the "explosive scroll," already have a power comparable to that of a "fire bomb."
However, it's not that the "explosive scroll" should have such power, but rather that only Odis's improved version of the "explosive scroll" possesses such power.
After all, he had previously made "fire bombs" the most, accumulating considerable experience.
Even a "senior professor" like Arya could only create "explosive scrolls" with about one-third the power of Odis's "explosive scrolls".
The "flame bomb" costs a little over 23 pounds, but the "explosive scroll" only costs about 4 pounds 16 sulphurs.
This was the cost that Odis had roughly calculated that morning; to be precise, all the scrolls he wrote cost roughly this much.
Although high-quality parchment is not cheap, it only costs about 3 sols to make just a scroll-sized piece of parchment.
The expensive part is the writing material. It must be written with spiritually rich and corresponding materials. It can be said that most of the cost is in the writing material.
The "Flame Bomb" that cost 23 pounds sold for 50 pounds, but the "Explosive Scroll" that cost around 5 pounds couldn't be sold for only 10 pounds, because this thing was so powerful that it was abnormal to sell it for such a small amount of money.
Moreover, Odis believed that his scroll should also incur a certain "technical cost" or "knowledge cost," since only he could produce such a scroll.
Although no patent has been applied for, it is unique because this scroll explodes once opened, so even if someone wanted to study it, there would be no sample available.
Therefore, Odis believed that the price should be between £46 and £50.
It must be mentioned here that Odis's advancement also helped him in writing magic arrays. The "Explosion Scroll" is now at its limit, but the power of the "Flame Bomb" has room for improvement.
However, Odis only intends to upgrade the "Thunderstorm Bomb" and "Ice Bomb," which currently have an effective diameter of only about five meters.
Because if the power of the "fire bomb" were increased further, the user would likely be injured as well.
Lost in thought, Odis and Aria arrived at the shipyard. They spent the entire morning walking among the large ships under construction, carrying blueprints, to ensure that every design detail was accurate.
In the afternoon, he taught the scholars again. In the evening, Odis finally had some time. After dinner, he used the "Travel Ring" to go to Bayam, the wizarding office on Kentland Street.
Odis originally intended to rent the place to digest the "wizard's" potion, but now that his potion has been completely digested, many of the decorations used to create an air of mystery have been prepared in vain.
Fortunately, the space here is spacious enough. Odis plans to place rows of chairs in the reserved open space, where future intelligence exchange meetings will be held.
Just as Odis was making new plans, Bazel arrived at the wizarding agency.
He came over every night for the past few days, but only tonight did he encounter Captain Gal.
"You've come at the right time," Odis said with a smile. "This place will be a public space in the future, so it's not suitable for us to meet here."
"There needs to be a hidden stronghold in Bayam to make people feel safe."
Then he asked, "If I want to rent a place, where should I go?"
In his early twenties, Bazel, who was about the same age as Odis, did not answer immediately, but instead asked, "What level of housing do you want?"
"Bayam has detached villas, townhouses, apartments, and houses built by locals."
"An apartment, please," Odis said after thinking for a moment. "We don't need to live there. Renting a villa would be a waste."
"Then let's go to the North District, also known as the Bix District. There are a lot of apartments there, as well as all sorts of workshops and shops. Most of the residents are Runes," Bazel explained. "The security there is also quite good."
Odis nodded: "Let's go there and take a look."
So the two of them got into a horse-drawn carriage and headed to the North District together.
On the way there, Odis handed Bazel 100 pounds: "This is for your campaign expenses, as well as payment for spreading the word over the past week."
"Okay, let's set the intelligence exchange meeting for Sunday morning at eight o'clock."
Although Odis was very frugal most of the time, he also knew very well that money should be spent where it was necessary.
Even if he didn't pay Bazell, this "newly promoted first mate" would still work diligently.
However, although this process did not cost money, it consumed Captain Gal's credibility and prestige, since no one wants to work for someone else for free.
At first, Bazel didn't take it seriously, simply because Captain Gar's credibility and prestige hadn't been fully exhausted, and he considered himself an investment.
In response, Odis believed that if a reward could be paid with money, one should not use one's credit and prestige to pay for it, because money can be earned back, but credit and prestige are hard to regain once lost.
Moreover, this job is somewhat dangerous and requires skill.
If this job is viewed as a task, the reward of 100 pounds is quite generous, so Odis won't have to waste his goodwill on such a trivial matter.
Bazel declined several times, but Odis insisted, so Bazel accepted it.
Then Odis inquired further, "Have you heard of 'Silver Coin Viper' Odel?"
Bazel replied, "I've heard of him. He's supposedly working for the 'Mysterious Queen'."
Odis nodded: "Where can we find him?"
"It is said that he frequents the Seaweed Bar."
Odis seemed unconcerned and simply said "Oh," before moving on to other topics.
Upon arriving in the North District, Barzel showed Odis several apartments. Odis thought one of them was quite nice, and Barzel then used his connections to find the landlord and rented it for six months at £6.20.
The rented room is on the third floor. It has two bedrooms, one large and one small, as well as a bathroom. The largest room is the living room, which is connected to the kitchen and balcony.
There wasn't much furniture, but since she wasn't staying there, Odis was quite satisfied with the room.
Odis gave Bazel a key to the room as a sign of his trust in his first mate.
After Bazel left, Odis went to the larger bedroom and began writing the magic circle using the spiritual materials she had prepared beforehand.
Although she already had the "travel ring," Odis only felt safe with several protective magic circles around her.
In addition, Odis also planned to use a magic circle to give the first-time attendees of the gathering a small shock, so as to take the initiative as quickly as possible.
This might expose Odis's special status, which would then reach the ears of the Church of the God of Steam and Machines, but Odis did not intend to continue hosting this exchange.
Once the exchange meeting becomes more formal, Odis will support an agent like Hugh.
Odis even planned to train several people to gather intelligence so that he would no longer directly appear at such gatherings in the future.
Even if the Steam Church came looking for him, they wouldn't be able to find him.
On the high seas, the Steam Church has no foothold, making all investigations extremely difficult.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
After tidying up the newly rented apartment and then the wizard's office, Odis took out her pocket watch and checked the time; it was already past ten o'clock at night.
But Odis wasn't tired yet, so he took a taxi to the Seaweed Bar.
The bar was still very lively at this time, and the noise could be heard from far away. Many people were already slurring their words, and the sounds of their conversations were chaotic.
Having disguised himself to some extent, Odis walked through the crowd and arrived at the bar: "A glass of Zarha."
This is a local malt beer that costs only 3 pence.
The bartender handed the beer to Odis, who picked up the glass, took a sip, and then gave the two patrons by the window a cold look.
Those must have been two drunken thieves, because they had been eyeing the purse around Odis's waist ever since she entered.
The two thieves immediately turned their heads away. The cold look in his eyes made them realize that the guy with the bag around his waist was not someone to mess with.
As Odis drank, he observed the people around him and listened to their conversations.
However, he was unlucky and did not hear any conversation about "Silver Coin Viper" Odel.
Just as he was about to leave, the bar suddenly fell silent. It turned out that a man wearing a dark trench coat and with a scar on his face had pushed open the door.
Odis glanced at him, but he didn't know who this person was.
The scarred man gave all the patrons a cold look, then went up the stairs to the second floor.
The second floor of the bar also has a considerable space, with a card room and many streetwalkers protected by the owner of the Seaweed Bar.
Odis finished his cup of Zarha and then had another cup.
Just as he expected, after the scarred man went up to the second floor, everyone started talking about him.
One of the drinkers said, "This is 'Scarface' Creek! The new adventurer?"
"That's him!" another patron said. "He just killed 'One-Eyed' Carta last week."
A nearby patron exclaimed, "That's a pirate with a bounty of 1200 pounds!"
"1200 pounds!" Another middle-aged patron looked toward the stairs with his cloudy eyes, as if he was already imagining how he would spend such a huge sum of money if he received it.
Odis took a sip of beer and thought to himself: Adventurers at this level are already idol-like figures? Hmm... How about Gehrman Sparrow?
Just then, he saw a familiar face enter the room. It was Rupert Shawn, the man Odis had previously treated him to "Bloody Blue Mountain Island."
Although the other party had also made some disguises, his short, dark brown hair provided Odis with a crucial reference.
"Ah, my friend." Rupert recognized Odis as well, and he spread his arms wide in an exaggerated manner: "I didn't expect to meet you here."
Odis smiled and said, "Long time no see."
Then he generously added, "What would you like to drink? It's on me... um, just beer."
Because the most expensive beer only costs 8 pence.
Rupert swallowed the "Bloody Blue Mountain Island" and smiled at the bartender, saying, "I'll have a Zarha too."
This beer has a rich malty aroma and is a local brew, not having undergone long-distance transportation, which is why it is so popular.
The two had just exchanged a few words when suddenly an argument came from the direction of the stairs, followed by what appeared to be someone tumbling down the stairs.
From Odis's vantage point, he could clearly see the direction of the stairs, and he saw "Scarface" Creek, who had just come up the stairs, tumble down the stairs.
On the second floor stood a middle-aged man wearing a tailcoat, with his hair neatly combed back and a light mustache around his mouth.
He held the cigar between his fingers, pointed at Creek, and said, "Don't let me see you at the Seaweed Bar again!"
The patrons on the first floor looked surprised, and many, fearing they would be affected, had already moved far away.
Rupert, standing beside Odis, looked up at the building and smiled, saying, "'Silver Coin Viper' Odel."
Odis nodded slowly. He had seen Odell's portrait at Bernadette's place and recognized him.
Scarface Creek, who had tumbled down from the second floor, got up in a panic and hurried away in a disheveled manner.
He had long lost the arrogance he had when he first arrived, and he didn't say a word until he left the bar.
When Odell returned to the card room to continue playing cards, the patrons began to whisper amongst themselves. They hadn't expected "Scarface" Creek to be so easily defeated and to leave in such a sorry state.
Next, everyone began to discuss the strength of "Silver Coin Viper" again.
Odis and Rupert also looked away, and Rupert asked, "What did you see?"
"Odell is not very strong," Oddis said.
"Hmm." Rupert smiled. "Anything can happen in Bayam, in the Raging Sea."
"Many people are willing to be stepping stones for others because of their own interests or other reasons."
"I can say with certainty that pirates with bounties under 1,000 pounds, or adventurers of that caliber, will no longer be interested in Odell."
He could also see that Odel was indeed stronger than Scarface Creek, but not strong enough to have an overwhelming advantage.
Odis continued on this topic, "I've heard that 'Silver Coin Viper' is currently working for 'Mysterious Queen'?"
His question wasn't abrupt at all, because everyone around him was talking about Odell.
"It might just be that he provided some intelligence or something similar to the 'mysterious queen,'" Rupert guessed. "Because he once vaguely admitted to it, which is very unusual."
Even if the 'mysterious queen' is powerful enough to provide some protection.
"But those who work for the 'King of the Sea' won't expose themselves so easily."
The talkative Rupert took a sip of beer and added, "And I've heard that 'Silver Coin Viper' worked with old Quinn in Damir Harbor."
He smiled and said, "You may not know, but old Quinn is the intelligence officer for 'Blood Admiral'."
Upon hearing this, Odis paused slightly: "This should be very valuable intelligence, right?"
Especially intelligence like that of an intelligence officer for a "pirate general"—if traded, it could easily fetch tens of pounds.
If you encounter an enemy of the "Bloody General," it's normal for them to ask for a hundred or two pounds.
"We're friends," Rupert smiled. "I'm always very generous to my friends."
Odis smiled slightly and asked bluntly, "Do you have a portrait of old Quinn? Where can I find him?"
Rupert was indeed a good friend. He immediately took out a pen and started drawing a portrait of old Quinn while saying, "You can try your luck at the back of Lily Avenue. Some people have seen old Quinn there a few times. There should be one of his strongholds there."
"Thank you." Odis took the portrait handed to him, opened his purse, took out a scroll and handed it to Rupert: "This is a return gift. I never let my friends suffer losses."
As he spoke, he put away the portrait, finished his beer, and mimicked Rupert's tone, saying, "Farewell, my friend!"
"Oh, right, the incantation to open the scroll is: Art!"
Rupert examined the scroll in his hand carefully, because it was very different from the scrolls he remembered.
He was about to ask what kind of power the scroll possessed, but Odis had already walked away.
Because the scroll emitted a faint glow, it was clearly a special item, so Rupert quickly put it into the inner pocket of his coat.
He glanced coldly at the few patrons who were looking at him with greedy eyes, and intentionally or unintentionally revealed the revolver at his waist.
As he drank, he pondered whether there was anything that could resolve the crisis that night.
Tonight, as Rupert was about to rest, his spirit suddenly sensed that he would be in great danger tonight.
He took a potion from the "monster" pathway and is currently a Sequence 7 "Lucky One".
If he is in great danger in a short period of time, he can sense it spiritually, but he does not know where the danger comes from.
The best way to save yourself at this time is to wander around aimlessly.
"Lucky people" cannot accumulate luck, but they are much luckier than ordinary people, especially when they encounter a major crisis, they will be luckier than usual.
But this is a passive skill; Rupert can only find his luck in resolving the crisis by constantly interacting with others.
When he entered the bar and saw Odis, he guessed that this might be the hope for resolving the crisis.
Besides being "lucky," the "lucky ones" also have a certain degree of awareness of their own destiny.
This perception was very faint, but it was enough for Rupert to notice something unusual about himself when he last met Odis.
With his experience, Rupert quickly realized that it was a feeling that his fate was about to change dramatically.
That's why he took the initiative to make friends with them, wanting to see if it would bring good or bad changes to his fate.
Based on his observations, things should be changing for the better.
However, he wasn't sure, so he only took the initiative to make friends with them, but didn't actively get closer to them.
*Snap*
Just as Rupert was thinking this, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
He turned around abruptly and saw a very beautiful woman. She had fair skin, an elegant demeanor, and was wearing an elaborate long dress popular in Backlund. She also had a very graceful figure.
The patrons in the bar were stunned; they had rarely seen such a beautiful woman.
But Rupert gave a wry smile, finally realizing where his crisis tonight came from: "Beverly, I've heard there are some traitors within the 'School'?"
Rupert is a member of the secret organization "School of Life," and he and Beverly in front of him belong to different paths, following different "senators."
He realized that Beverly was one of the traitors.
"Yes," Beverly smiled charmingly, "I am now tracking down and eliminating the traitor."
"I understand." Rupert picked up his glass. "Looks like there's nothing more to say."
He smiled and said, "Let me finish this glass of wine."
Beverly is Sequence 6 "Potions Professor". This sequence doesn't sound like it has much offensive power, but the previous sequence was called "Vampire", which has strong combat power. Rupert is no match for her at all.
Beverly smiled and gestured for them to proceed.
Rupert gulped down his beer, but because he drank too fast, he suddenly choked.
"Pfft...cough cough cough..."
Rupert suddenly coughed, spraying beer out of his mouth, and Beverly quickly moved away because she was a germaphobe.
"Lucky" Rupert realized this was an opportunity to escape, so he scrambled out of the bar.
Beverly checked carefully to make sure she hadn't been splashed by Rupert's beer before quickly chasing after him.
Then, the patrons buzzed again and began talking about the beautiful lady.
Rupert ran as fast as he could, but Beverly was too fast and quickly caught up. He quickly turned into the morning market by the roadside, hoping to use the complicated environment there to shake off his pursuers.
But Beverly was getting closer and closer. Just as Rupert was starting to despair, a thought struck him. As he threw out the scroll Odis had given him, he shouted in ancient Hermes, "Art!"
Boom!
Rupert, who was fleeing for his life, was knocked down by a huge blast of air and rolled several times on the ground before stopping: What did I just throw? A scroll?