The moment Odis's messenger, Elbera Steiano, appeared, the sense of threat behind them vanished without a trace.
Before Odis could ask for help, the messenger lady raised her hand, and a ball of light flew out from her palm.
"Squeak squeak squeak~"
Oddess immediately heard a sharp squeaking sound from behind. He and Cattleya turned around and saw a huge rat dressed in human robes, its body the size of a human, fleeing quickly.
Unlike ordinary mice that crawl, it walks upright, but with shorter limbs and a slower pace.
This book is first published online by 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞.
At that moment, it was struck by the light emitted by the messenger. The light pierced its body and emerged from within, causing it to scream in agony.
The giant rat was then completely engulfed by the intense light. When the light dissipated, the rat turned into dust, leaving only its extraordinary properties rapidly coalescing.
Odis turned his head, about to ask the messenger Elbera a few questions, but the messenger first raised her hand: "Wait a moment before we talk."
As she spoke, she strode towards the glowing room, and the light immediately became even more dazzling.
This light still held great appeal for Odis and Cattleya.
The two took a deep breath and hid in the corridor next door, whereupon the immense attraction weakened.
Odis rubbed his temples: "I never expected that monster to be just a rat in this space."
The "mental shock" just now left Odis feeling dizzy and a little nauseous. It would take several days for her to recover from such an impact.
Fortunately, the impact just now helped him and Cattleya break free from that strange state.
"It seems that rat absorbed a portion of demigod-level characteristics and survived by sheer luck." At this point, Gadriya pointed to the glowing room: "What's that?"
"My messenger," Odis replied.
The two people, who had extensive knowledge of occultism, immediately understood what had happened with the rat. It had absorbed a portion of the "occultist's" characteristics and miraculously survived its loss of control.
However, it must have taken a long time for it to regain its rationality. The scratches in the corridor were probably left by it during its frenzied phase shortly after it acquired its Devouring ability.
After the most difficult period, it remained no different from a wild beast, going out to hunt or bringing back its prey to enjoy in that narrow corridor.
Whether it was through reproduction or not, the mouse's condition improved afterward. It even started wearing clothes and walking upright, indicating that it had at least the intelligence of a normal human.
Today, the appearance of Bernadette and Bonova disrupted the rat's peaceful life. In order to drive away these two powerful enemies, it activated the magic circle in the space outside and hid here quietly waiting for the people outside to leave.
Odis suddenly realized that the reason he was here was because he was attracted by something in the room, rather than being pulled in by the power of some magic circle.
After all, he has a certain connection with the "Knowledge Wilderness". Normally, this wouldn't cause any trouble, but when he encounters a relic that is related to the "General Knowledge" path, this connection might react with some things within the relic.
That pulling sensation is very likely the pulling caused by this reaction.
Because Odis was using the abilities related to the "Travel Ring" at the time, Cattleya was also affected and dragged into the situation.
The mouse was unsure about Odis and Cattleya's background, especially since no one had been allowed in for a very long time. The sudden arrival of two people made it uneasy.
Therefore, it did not take immediate action after discovering Odis and Cattleya.
However, it knew these lights were dangerous, so it drove Odis and Cattleya over, intending to use them to deal with the two.
Just as Odis understood this, the light from the other side suddenly became extremely bright, but in the next instant, the light disappeared, and the two of them immediately felt that the attraction they had just experienced had also vanished.
Odis now understood why this light had such a mysterious attraction; those lights must represent the characteristics of an adjacent path, at least at the demigod level.
He also believed that it should be something like a messenger's body, possessing certain abstract meanings and the ability to attract those on the same or adjacent pathways.
The attraction they felt came from their extraordinary qualities.
Another ten seconds or so passed before Odis's messenger, Elbera, came over, stretching her arms as she did so.
Odis was slightly taken aback. Although the messenger lady was still dressed in hunting attire, she now had flesh and blood.
Her appearance was exactly like that of the female angel from the Steiano family that Odis had just seen.
Ellebella wasn't particularly beautiful, but she had a wonderful presence. This presence reminded Odis of a young female professor in college who was exceptionally talented in her field and whose textbooks were written by her.
That female teacher had a similar temperament—neither arrogant nor humble, neither hurried nor slow, giving the impression that "knowledge makes one's character strong."
"You must have a lot of questions right now, right?" Ellebella's voice finally returned to normal.
"Yes," Odis said. "Are you really the mother of Adam and Amun?"
What?
Cattleya thought she had misheard: the messenger of the "Hermit" was the mother of Adam and Amon?
"I guess so," Ellebella replied.
Before Odis could ask, she continued, "I know what your question is: the 'Ancient Sun God' can indeed give birth to life on its own."
"But when it comes to uniqueness, it must borrow another male or female individual to expel relatively smoothly and produce a corresponding life with a certain degree of humanity, rather than uniqueness itself generating wisdom."
Odis nodded slowly, finally resolving his earlier doubts: In other words, if it were only about eliminating extraordinary characteristics, there was indeed no need for such a complicated process. However, when eliminating uniqueness, even at the level of the "Ancient Sun God," if it didn't rely on the most basic laws governing the generation of life in nature, it was very likely that uniqueness would develop its own intelligence.
Odis knew very well that, for the "ancient sun god," there was a fundamental difference between the wisdom of life controlling uniqueness and the wisdom of uniqueness manipulating that life.
Adam, in particular, was a backup plan reserved by the "ancient sun god," and there could be no mishaps.
The partner who has children with the "Ancient Sun God" can be either male or female. However, this ancient being is also concerned about his reputation and is unlikely to find a man to have children with, because it would be difficult to explain who is the top and who is the bottom.
Ellebella continued, "Some characteristics of the 'Perfect One' pathway allow me to accept the uniqueness within the ancient sun god relatively easily."
"And after I gave birth, I wasn't greatly affected."
"After all, in some ways, I was a ray of light back then."
Odis felt that he had gained more useful knowledge, and he was surprised that the "perfect person" approach had such advantages.
Meanwhile, Cattleya realized: Really... the person in front of her really is the mother of the two "Angel Kings". How... how did the "Hermit" find such a powerful messenger?
"I say 'I guess' because there are some special reasons that make my identity a bit awkward," Ellebella continued. "However, I am indeed Amon's mother."
Cattleya was taken aback; she immediately realized that there must be some secret hidden here.
Oddi immediately realized: How should I put it? I can only say, "The world of gods is truly chaotic!" A perfectly good son has become a husband! Most importantly, this is the most truthful description, without a trace of falsehood or unethical expression.
But then he had a new question: "After you lost your extraordinary abilities, why didn't you seek Amon's help? Or shouldn't Adam have helped you too?"
Elle Bella said seriously, "I don't trust them. Well... although I just said I am their mother, please don't apply the human concept of the bond between mother and child."
"They are born as gods and grow into adults in a month, without any concept of mother."
"And to be honest, I didn't have the concept of becoming a mother at the time; I just felt that this was a task assigned by the 'ancient sun god'."
Odis roughly understood what the other party meant. To him, there was a strong bond between mother and son, while to the gods, this was just a mutually beneficial collaboration.
After that topic ended, Odis asked again, "Where is this?"
"This used to be the headquarters of the Stiano family," Ellebella explained. "And this space is a very special place. After I was driven out of here, I couldn't enter it until I found my whole body."
"The only way to get in here is if someone inside summons me."
Odis understood: "Because there is a demigod-level monster inside, you plan to help me after I become a demigod?"
Ellebella looked around before answering, "The main reason is that once we appear here, the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery will definitely send angels to stop us."
"Although I can hold off the opponent, the aftershocks of the battle are not something that an extraordinary being below demigod can withstand."
Odis nodded again, and at the same time he was basically certain that the orbs of light in the other room were another part of Elbera's body.
I can roughly guess why that part of the body is here.
But just to be sure, he asked, "I heard that everyone who came here before is dead?"
"They should all be dead." Ellebella said with almost no change in expression, "After all, Yugos did something dishonorable here, and it's impossible for anyone here to live."
She smiled slightly: "You probably guessed it, right? That's right, he found the 'uniqueness' of the 'Perfect Person' pathway in advance, so he needs the extraordinary characteristics within me."
At this point, Ellebella's expression changed somewhat: "I originally thought he would talk to me about this properly, because I was already looking for a way to expel the Sequence 1 characteristics from my body."
"In this world, I am the one who most supports him becoming a god."
Odis thought to himself: As expected.
Caldelia did not know the true name of the "God of Steam and Machinery," but after hearing the description, she guessed some of the truth.
Then, she was shocked by her own guess!
"Later I realized it," Ellebella continued, "He needed my death to show that he was severing ties with the 'true creator' and Adam and Amon."
"And it had to be him who killed me so that he could join the 'Six Gods' camp at that time."
Cattleya took a step back. Although she did not believe in the "God of Steam and Machinery," she still felt that this truth was extremely blasphemous!
She thought to herself: Could this be the reason why the 'Hermit' knows so much hidden history? After all, not everyone can have a messenger from the Third Age who was once an angel!
Odis said, "I understand. Thank you for telling me so much."
He took a deep breath and asked again, "So, have I finished helping you ahead of schedule?"
"No, this is just regaining my body. For now, I can only occasionally reach the level of an angel by utilizing the authority contained in this body," Ellebella said. "I still need an angel-level characteristic to stabilize my state."
Odis twitched his lips: "Then I'll have to wait until I become an angel before I can help?"
"It's possible when you're still at the demigod level," Elbera said. "Because I know the whereabouts of an angel-level characteristic, a characteristic that the Steam Church hasn't mastered."
Odis nodded: "I understand."
He took a deep breath and asked, "Can we leave from here now?"
Ellebella nodded and waved to the "Mystic Scholar" trait over there, which immediately flew into his hand.
Cattleya opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Odis could only say, "That characteristic..."
"As we agreed before, all the spoils here are yours," Ellebella said. "But we'll divide them up after we get out of here."
Odis nodded, and suddenly his and Cattleya's vision was covered by a bright light. When the light disappeared, they found themselves in a large hall.
Odis wasn't sure which floor this was, nor did he need to care, because he saw the magic circle at the exit.
Unfortunately, many important parts of that magic circle were built underground, making it impossible to see the whole picture. Moreover, Odis is not in a good position to study the magic circle now.
He didn't see where Ellebella infused her with spirituality, but the magic circle was activated just like that, and in the blink of an eye, Odis had arrived in another space.
This was also a large hall, almost exactly the same as the one before, but Odis's spirituality sensed that she had returned to the real world.
Just as Ellebella was about to speak, a beam of light flew in from a distance and stopped not far from them. The light stretched and widened, and Bonova walked out from within it.
At this moment, His face finally showed an expression, and He asked with a look of surprise, "Lord Elbera?"
Elle Bella was taken aback: "The angels of the Steam Church actually know me?"
Bonova immediately lowered his head: "I have seen you in the murals inside the church."
Odis was surprised to find that the Steam Church even had murals about Elbela!
At this moment, a pair of illusory wings appeared not far from Odis and the others, and Bernadette also rushed over.
She first glanced at Odis and Cattleya, and seeing that they were unharmed, she then looked at Elbera.
At that moment, Ellebella said to Bonova, "It seems that Yggs still remembers that he has a sister."
Bernadette's eyes narrowed; she remembered that the "God of Steam and Machinery" was named Yggs!
Elbera added, "Go back and tell Yugos that in the future, giving up his divine position is his only way out."
Bonova paused for a moment, glanced at Ellebella, then bowed and vanished in a flash of light.
After the members of the Steam Church left, Odis introduced Bernadette to her: "This is my messenger, Lady Stiano."
"Messenger lady, this is my leader, the 'Mysterious Queen'."
The two nodded to each other. Bernadette remembered that Odis's messenger seemed to be a spirit creature in poor condition, but judging from this messenger's appearance, he seemed to be in pretty good condition.
Elle Bella was in a good mood today and joked with Bernadette, "You have a good eye for choosing subordinates."
Bernadette paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "You have a good eye for choosing contractors."
"You probably didn't quite understand what I meant," Ellebella said, offering no further explanation.
As she spoke, she opened her right palm, and three items appeared from the faint light. She then handed them to Odis: "As we agreed beforehand, all the spoils of war from this operation are yours."
"In addition to the extraordinary properties of the 'Mystic Scholar,' there is also the property of the 'Astrologer,' and a magical item."
Odis accepted it without ceremony: "Thank you."
"You've got the special ability now, so keep striving to advance," Ellebella said with a smile. "When you advance to 'Master of Prophecy,' I might be able to offer some assistance."
After saying this, she disappeared into the void without taking her leave.
After Ellebella disappeared, Bernadette asked, "Who helped you find this messenger?"
"I summoned her myself." Odis smiled helplessly. "At the time, I also thought her condition was quite strange, but I really didn't expect that she was actually an angel in a strange condition."
Moreover, this angel has recovered to a level stronger than Sequence 3, but has not yet reached the level of an angel!
However, now was not the time for idle chatter. Bernadette summoned the pumpkin-shaped carriage again, and the three of them boarded and entered the spirit world.
Inside the carriage, Odis looked at the three spoils of war he was holding. He took out the "Mystic Scholar" trait and handed it to Cattleya: "As agreed before, this trait belongs to you."
In fact, Odis struggled internally for a moment. After all, this was the "Mystic Scholar" trait, and if he shattered it, he would most likely get the "Astrologer" trait.
But he ultimately decided to give away the trait, after all, Bernadette had been a great help to him, and it had been agreed beforehand that the trait would belong to Cattleya, who provided the location of that island, so he felt that he could not break his promise because of greed.
The moment she gave it away, Odis felt a sense of relief: one must have principles, at least this way she wouldn't feel guilty.
"Thank you," said Cattleya. "The actual situation has changed somewhat from our original plan, and I owe you a favor."
Bernadette then said, "Keep the remaining two spoils of war; after all, they were given to you by the messenger."
She paused and then said, "Just as Cattleya said, things have changed somewhat from our previous plan, and we can no longer divide the spoils as agreed before."
According to the previous agreement, all loot except for the "Trickster Pegasus" and "Mystic Scholar" traits should belong to the "Mystic Queen".
This time, Odis didn't stand on ceremony and put away the two spoils of war, because his spiritual senses told him that these two spoils were things he could use.
At this moment, the pumpkin carriage returned to the real world, and the three people appeared at their starting point, on the giant rock outside Wilcha Harbor.
Bernadette then said to Cattleya, "I'll help you repay the favor."
Then she said to Odis, "I will convert this favor into merit for you. The merits you have accumulated are enough for me to help you prepare for the ceremony to advance to the 'astrologer' level."
"You have two other options. First, I will give you the 'Astrologer' trait and a Sequence 4 potion recipe."
"Secondly, I have just obtained information on the location of a 'Shining Star Tree'. I can provide you with that location, as well as the location of an extraordinary creature with the Sequence 4 'Mystic' master material."
Although Odis provided a demigod-level attribute, the coordinates of the island were provided by Cattleya, and it was agreed beforehand that the attribute belonged to her.
Therefore, Bernadette's repayment was just right.
Odis made his decision almost immediately: "I choose the 'Shimmering Star Tree'."
Having the "astrologer" trait does make advancement easier, but he still doesn't have the "fruit of the Shining Star Tree," an auxiliary material that's not easy to trade.
It's possible to buy it from Bernadette, but Odis still hopes to obtain the entire "Shimmering Star Tree" and a clue to a Sequence 4 extraordinary material, because that would mean another batch of spiritual materials.
These spiritual materials related to the "Secret Seeker" path are excellent ingredients for making scrolls, but for Odis, obtaining the main ingredients for potions is more cost-effective.
Because at Sequence 5, there is a great need for scrolls, and more powerful scrolls can be crafted, so the demand for these extraordinary materials will only increase.
"Alright." Bernadette nodded. "I will have my messenger deliver the location of the 'Shining Star Tree' to the workshop on the 'Argo' in a moment."
Cattleya was suddenly surprised: "'Argo'?"
Then, she resisted the urge to slap her forehead; she was wearing the banner of "Elemental Dawn"; she had strange weapons; she had just set sail;
Now every clue matches up with the "Hermit," but she hadn't thought of it at the moment, which is why she exclaimed involuntarily.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
When Cattleya saw the gazes of the "Queen" and the "Hermit," she smiled somewhat embarrassedly.
Having divided the spoils, Odis was the first to take his leave.
After he entered the spirit world, Cattleya asked, "Your Majesty, he..."
Bernadette raised her hand, interrupting Cattleya: "He is a man who can change the world order."
Caldelia was somewhat shocked; she hadn't expected the "Queen" to have such a high opinion of the "Hermit"!
...
In the workshop of the Argo, a phantom door suddenly appeared, and Odis pushed it open from the inside.
He poured himself a glass of water, took a couple of sips, and then sat down to review what had just happened.
Although this exploration was somewhat thrilling, there was no intense fighting, making it a rather unique experience for Odis.
Then he smiled to himself and thought: Just as the "mysterious queen" "prophesied," I will encounter high-level enemies, but overall the danger is not great.
After waiting a short while, a letter appeared on the workbench in front of Odis.
Odis said to the air, "Thank you."
In fact, he didn't know if Bernadette's messenger had already left quietly. He had tried to observe with the "Eye of Secrets" before, but still couldn't see the messenger.
The letter contained a hand-drawn sketch with the names of two islands as reference.
The map of the raging sea immediately appeared in Odis's mind, and he finally understood why he had chosen the "Shining Star Tree" without hesitation.
Because the coordinates of this island are exactly the same island that the "Argo" is about to explore!
Odis was also able to perceive when he was advancing to Sequence 6 that when his decision-making process went smoothly, there was always a spirit "secretly supporting him".
That was a spiritual feeling that this choice was in Odis's favor.
However, at this point, Odis's level was far from being able to have a clear feeling; he only became aware of it after making a decision.
He took a deep breath and thought to himself: So, the process of collecting "Shining Star Trees" should go relatively smoothly.
The "Scroll Professor" will be able to fully digest the potion in the next few days and will also need to consider his promotion.
After resting for a while, Odis returned to the "Wilderness of Knowledge".
First, he planned to take a look at the spoils, and second, he planned to continue writing "The Scroll: From Beginner to Expert".
Odis still planned to finish writing the book by the time he reached Sequence 6.
He first went to the spoils, where the corpse of the "Deceptive Pegasus" lay.
This horse is smaller than a donkey and only slightly larger than a dog. It has a pair of pure white wings on its back, but no horn, so it doesn't have the feel of a unicorn.
Odis placed the corpse of the "Pegasi" on the workbench and secured it, then used tools to remove its pituitary gland.
At this moment, all its extraordinary characteristics had converged on the pituitary gland, causing the small pituitary gland to shimmer with starlight, looking like a crystal with star fragments.
Odis put away the main material used for the promotion, and then collected the extraordinary materials little by little.
Then he looked at the extraordinary property the messenger had given him, which was indeed the property of an "astronomer," and if crushed, it could also be pulverized into many lower-sequence properties.
Third mate Bivis's promotion has given him the "craftsman" quality.
Finally, Odis looked at the magical object.
The mysterious object was shaped like a pair of classic glasses; it was a pair of binocular glasses, not a monocle.
When Odis received it, he realized that it was a Level 1 sealed artifact, or rather, a demigod-level sealed artifact! It was comparable to the Sequence 4 "Alchemist" of the "Generalist" pathway.
Odis felt that this must be the "unexpected gain" mentioned in the "mysterious queen's" words!
Odis, carrying the sealed artifact, arrived at the "Central Simulator" and, using the "Wilderness of Knowledge" status, learned of its abilities: it could use extraordinary properties to create magical items; it could imbue materials with life, causing them to undergo magical changes; and it could make all inanimate objects within a three-kilometer radius obey the holder.
Odis excitedly spun around on the spot. The last ability was of little use, but the first two abilities were practically divine assistance to him right now!
His spirituality could sense that the negative effects of magical items created using this sealed artifact were acceptable as long as the level was below demigod.
Odis glanced at the characteristics of the "Witch" and "Prisoner" pathways and thought he saw a "magical item wholesaler"!
The characteristics of these two methods mean they don't fetch a high price on the market, but they become completely different when transformed into magical items!
The second ability will also greatly help Odis, making the extraordinary weapons he creates more powerful and allowing him to think more broadly about their uses.
Odis simply held the glasses in his hand, and some of the previous problems regarding the "Land-based Spirit Wave Cannon" were already solved!
At the same time, he can also create more advanced and extraordinary parts, which will greatly help his further research and practice.
After being happy for a while, he checked the negative effects: after using it for a total of 1 hour, he must rest for 6 hours, otherwise his brain will suffer permanent damage; there are two consequences after using the sealing object: loss of all vision for 1 hour, or seeing a harmful spirit creature. Only one of the two consequences will occur.
Odis was taken aback. It was still within an acceptable range. The loss of vision could be adjusted to occur during a time when danger was unlikely.
However, there is a second consequence to be aware of: Odis believed that sealing his eyes could prevent him from seeing things he shouldn't see.
However, before advancing to Sequence 5, Odis thought it could be used in the "Wilderness of Knowledge" to ignore its negative effects.
Finally, Odis named this magical item "Alchemist's Glasses" and placed it on the shelf in a separate space.
After calming himself down, Odis continued writing, though a smile remained on his face as he put pen to paper.
...
Cruz Island, tavern.
Rupert Sean, the second mate of "Dawnbreaker," pushed open the tavern door and entered: "I heard someone's looking for me?"
Hunter quickly replied, "Yes, Mr. Sean, this is the gentleman who is looking for you."
As Hunter introduced him, Rupert was already sizing him up. He noticed that the man who was looking for him was wearing a uniform of the Kingdom of Fenneport's navy, glasses, and was smiling as he held a wine glass and looked at him.
During a previous meeting, the captain mentioned that the Navy might send someone to Fenneport, so Rupert was neither surprised nor flustered. He stepped forward and asked, "May I ask who you are?"
"Abel." The other man was in his early thirties, with a long face and a very easygoing appearance. "You don't seem surprised or flustered to see the Navy?"
Rupert sat down at the bar: "Hunter, a beer, please."
While waiting for the beer, he said, "Why should I panic?"
"Because you're a pirate."
Rupert took his beer and smiled. "You've got it wrong. I'm the acting mayor of this island."
This answer made Abel pause for a moment before saying, "You... certainly don't seem like pirates."
He originally wanted to say, "You guys are much more professional than Egbert and his team," but it wouldn't be appropriate to say that now, so he changed his words.
Then Abel added, "I hope to speak with your captain… oh no, I mean the mayor."
Rupert was somewhat wary: "This island is not under the jurisdiction of the Fenneport Navy."
Odis also instructed that they should pretend not to know that the "Deep Blue" pirate crew was backed by the Fenneport Navy.
"It's not about asking you to pay taxes, it's something else," Abel smiled. "Well, something that's good for everyone."
Rupert thought for a moment before saying, "Okay, you can wait here for a moment."
"no problem."
Seeing Rupert leave, Abel's smile vanished: According to intelligence we just received this afternoon, the captain of the "Argo" appeared on Norhaus Island yesterday, and even though it only set sail this morning, it won't be able to return.
He guessed that the captain must have a sealed artifact that could allow him to travel to the spirit world.
A pirate captain who can slip away at any time is a real headache.
...
When Odis received Rupert's signal, he was already in Bayam.
After he grew tired of writing in the "wilderness of knowledge," he decided to go for a walk. His first thought was of Bayam, so he asked Bazel to book a hotel and prepare to settle Mandy and the others in.
As Odis walked down the streets of Bayam, eating the snacks she had bought, she received a signal from Rupert.
He immediately used the "travel ring" to travel to Cruise Island and handed Rupert a skewer of grilled seafood: "Eat this before you go."
Rupert was a little confused when he received the seafood. After taking a bite, he exclaimed, "'Travel' is so convenient!"
Odis smiled and said, "It will be very convenient for everyone soon."
Rupert didn't quite understand what the captain meant. He ate his seafood and spat out a shrimp shell before saying, "The Navy of Feneport has sent someone named Abel. He seems to be an officer."
Odis hummed in agreement and looked at the "Ghost" in the harbor: "What do you think of this ship?"
"Fantastic," Rupert said. "It doesn't require many people to get started, and it also has the ability to create fog and release the undead from the underworld."
Odis then asked, "Do you think it's appropriate to sell it for 20,000 pounds?"
Since the other party sent people to negotiate instead of directly deploying warships, it means they knew that the "Argo" was flying the "Elements of Dawn" flag.
For the Fenneport Navy, whose naval power is the weakest among the "Big Four," it is best not to offend such a powerful and secretive organization.
"We should sell it." Rupert opened his mouth, but ultimately took another bite of seafood before saying, "The price is irresistible."
It was just a ship after all, and the "Dawn Sword" pirate crew was a small but elite crew, more than capable of operating the "Argo." Now that they had occupied Cruz Island, they could send out personnel to stay behind.
Now that the "Ghost" has arrived, there's clearly not enough manpower, so the ghost ship can only be temporarily docked in the harbor.
It would indeed be better to exchange it for gold pounds, but Rupert was somewhat reluctant, after all, ghost ships are rare... well, they are very difficult to capture.
After finishing their seafood, the two leisurely made their way to the tavern.
Abel stood up and said, "Hello, Captain Garr. I didn't think I'd see you today."
After all, he was still hundreds of nautical miles away yesterday; he's only here today to schedule a formal conversation.
"Please sit down." Odis also sat down. "Hunter, have a glass of your own brewed beer."
Hunter immediately replied, "Yes, Mayor."
Instead of speaking to Abel immediately, Odis asked Hunter, "How's business lately?"
"Much better, sir," Hunter laughed. "The board members and officers all paid for their drinks."
They'll just deliberately give less; there's nothing they can do about it, there's just too little cash on Cruise Island.
The officers are only starting to give money now because Odis has started paying them salaries. Now that they have money, they're naturally more generous when it comes to giving it away.
Odis took a sip of the beer and said to Abel, "The beer brewed by the tavern owner is quite unique."
Abel paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "I'll try it in a bit."
Odis then asked, "Have you been to the beach? There's a pretty stretch of coastline on the southern part of the island."
Abel clearly sensed that this captain was more difficult to deal with than the previous Mr. Sean, and showed no intention of bringing up serious matters.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Abel finally said, "Mr. Garr, I've come here today to discuss something very important with you."
Odis took a sip of beer and said nonchalantly, "Then tell me."
"I heard you just acquired a ghost ship."
Odis glanced at the other person: "That ship didn't dock at Midway Port."
Rupert, standing to the side, smiled and said, "Mr. Abel, that ship wasn't stolen from your navy, so this kind of thing doesn't seem to be your responsibility, does it?"
Abel's smile froze, feeling stung by Rupert's words, but he quickly regained his composure: "Well, we happen to need a ghost ship and hope to purchase it."
Odis feigned surprise: "The navy is also going to equip itself with ghost ships?"
Abel smiled and said, "We have other uses."
Odis pondered for a moment and said, "Selling it isn't out of the question, for 40,000 pounds."
Clang!
Hunter dropped the wine glass he was wiping on the floor and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
£40,000!
Hunter felt completely disoriented by the amount of money involved.
"Your asking price is too high." This little incident did not affect their conversation, and Abel countered, "I think 10,000 pounds would be a more reasonable price."
He smiled and said, "You may not know this, but 40,000 pounds is enough for four main fleets to sail at sea for a month."
Odis, however, seemed not to have caught the threat in the other party's words, and simply said, "I have heard that the cost of several first-class sailing battleships of the Fenneport Navy is over 80,000 pounds."
"Even a regular cruiser would cost twenty or thirty thousand pounds, right?"
Abel took a sip and smiled with a hint of pride, "More or less."
In his view, such strength was unmatched by pirates.
"If you send your navy to seize the 'Ghost'," Odis said with a warm smile, "I will retaliate by sinking at least three of your cruisers, causing you losses far exceeding 40,000 pounds."