On Cruz Island, the dreamlike scene before her eyes stunned Cattleya.
As the sun was just setting and the light began to dim, bright spots of light appeared on the streets, making them as bright as day.
Caldelia knew perfectly well that it was not a gas streetlight, because a gas light wouldn't be this bright!
Odis, who was standing nearby, said, "Then let's start our tour with the streetlights."
He once again used the excuse he had prepared long ago: "This is a material that I found by chance that can continuously emit light."
"I knew it couldn't be 'lighting crystal'," Cattleya said, snapping out of her reverie. "You're just so comfortable using this kind of material in streetlights?"
"There have indeed been a lot of people stealing streetlights lately," Odis said frankly. "But I caught all those thieves and gave them two options: either pay a £200 fine or buy this ball of light for £300."
By this time, crew member Noe had been promoted to Sequence 7 "Magician". These past few days, she had either been catching thieves stealing streetlights or on her way to catch thieves.
Unless the thief's sequence is above sequence 7, they can be caught quickly using divination.
However, if it is truly a level above Sequence 7, they generally wouldn't do such underhanded things.
Or rather, he would instruct his subordinates to do so instead of stealing it himself.
Cattleya paused for a moment, about to exclaim, "That's so cheap!" but then smiled and said, "You must be crazy for money!"
Odis smiled but said nothing.
When he quoted a price to "Lieutenant General Iceberg" before, he had calculated the cost. At that time, the "Spirit Storage Crystal" in each street lamp was worth 1 Sule.
Of course, this does not include the cost of "help from a demigod," because Odis can complete a key step in the production process on his own using a level 1 seal.
As production increases, costs continue to decrease, and current costs have been reduced to around 10 pence.
Once the thief who stole the "energy storage crystal" is caught, he will definitely buy it back if he has enough money.
Because if you resell such items on other islands, you can easily make several hundred pounds.
The Extraordinary Realm is currently unaware of "Spirit Storage Crystals," so after Odis catches the thieves, he sends someone to explain to them that these crystals can store spiritual energy.
Therefore, many thieves are willing to pawn all their valuables to buy it.
Since they were truly broke, Odis ordered the thieves to be taken to an iron mine and made to mine for a month before being released.
In just the past few days, he has earned more than £20,000 just by "catching thieves" or selling "spirit storage crystals". There are also many "big pirates" who hope to buy a batch of "spirit storage crystals" from the town government.
But Odis did not agree. He planned to let the "thieves" test the waters first. If the market was right, Odis would openly cooperate with the Church of the Goddess of Night and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom to officially launch the "Spirit Storage Crystal".
This kind of thing definitely needs the endorsement of the Church of the True God, and Odis also has to give the church a portion of the profits, otherwise the church and secret organizations will come looking for him, and in that case Odis will have to sell it secretly.
Only when a community of shared interests is formed can Odis be sold openly and legitimately.
After observing the streetlights for a moment, Gadriya said, "The streetlights alone are enough for the pirates to talk about for a long time."
As long as pirates talk about Crusade, the island's popularity will never wane.
The two continued their tour, and Odis introduced the food area to Cattleya. Cattleya listened quietly and soon discovered that it brought together cuisines from various countries and regions across the north and south continents!
This was somewhat unbelievable. Cattleya even suspected that the "hermit" had used "travel" to go around the world, kidnapped local celebrity chefs, and sent them to Cruise Island.
Then she realized that even the pirates, who weren't particularly interested in food, would definitely remember this town.
And if time and currency allow, I will come back here to spend money again.
Because the pirates came from all over the world, and the food on the high seas was only "island food," many pirates may not have tasted their hometown cuisine for many years.
Since we're going to eat anyway, why not go to Cruise Island and eat what we want?
After visiting the dining area, Odis took Cattleya to the trading area and explained the general process of selling stolen goods.
Jia Deli felt very comfortable and that the process was very standardized, just like a VIP customer going to a bank to conduct business.
As long as we maintain good credit, pirates will definitely come here to sell their stolen goods in the future.
Because the risk of selling stolen goods here is very small, especially with the standardized procedures, the pirates will feel that this is a very normal thing, thus reducing their tension.
This can further increase mutual trust.
At that moment, a dispute broke out at a weapons shop not far away. Crew member Boris was leading his men to maintain order, but after verbal persuasion failed, he had no choice but to beat up the troublemaking pirates.
These past few days, all the crew members of "Dawnbreaker" have been working overtime, and even Tim, the officer sent by the navy, has been assigned by Odis to maintain order.
However, none of the crew members complained, because the captain gave them bonuses every day and they could also accumulate merits.
After a pirate gathering, they will basically have one of the potion recipes or extraordinary properties needed for their next sequence.
The only regret is that they have all recently advanced in rank, and the potion hasn't been fully digested yet, so they need to wait a while before they can advance again.
Once the dispute was resolved, Odis waved to Boris: "Why was that pirate causing trouble?"
Boris, a crew member with some stubble, replied, "He wanted to order 20 submachine guns, but the clerk told him that there was a limit of two per customer, and that he would only be able to get them when they left shore."
Odis frowned: "Didn't the clerk tell him he could make a reservation?"
This wasn't Odis's "hunger marketing" tactic; the gun manufacturing factory on Cruz Island wasn't finished yet. The current batch of guns was produced by "extraordinary puppets" in Odis's secret base.
The problem is that the "extraordinary puppets" are now facing a shortage of manpower and cannot contribute more production capacity.
Odis originally planned to build factories for semi-automatic rifles and submachine guns on Cruz Island and Vote State respectively. The production capacity on Cruz Island was mainly sold to pirates, while the guns produced in the Vote State factory were sold to international customers.
Although no orders have been received yet, Odis is certain that orders will come in soon after the "Governor's Guard" displays these weapons.
As for handing over the weapons purchased by the pirates when they left the shore, this was entirely for security reasons.
However, when purchasing, they can go to a specialized shooting range to test the gun.
After that, personnel who boarded the pier were also prohibited from carrying submachine guns or semi-automatic rifles.
These two types of firearms are too lethal and must be regulated.
"I did," Boris replied, "but when the other party heard that it would take another three months, they thought he was being played, and that's how the argument started."
Odis glanced at the pirates who had just been beaten by Boris. Now, upon seeing the "Mysterious Admiral" and the "Star Admiral," a hint of fear flickered in their eyes, perhaps out of fear of being beaten again.
Odis then said, "Have the shop assistant explain to them that we are indeed short of the goods we have prepared, and ask for their understanding."
"And promised that he would be provided with enough firearms within three months."
Boris paused for a moment: "Is it necessary...?"
After saying that, he quickly covered his mouth, took a deep breath, and said, "I'll go right now."
Boris never managed to shake his habitual provocation; he would usually tap his mouth shut when he saw the captain.
But today, he really didn't have time to stick his tongue out.
In Odis's view, this was certainly necessary, as these were the target customers!
After Boris left, Cattleya asked, "What new weapon have you developed this time?"
Odis thought for a moment before saying, "Come on, I'll take you to the shooting range."
As he spoke, Odis grabbed Cattleya's shoulder, and in the next instant, the two of them vanished from the spot.
Two seconds later, they appeared on the hillside of a valley. In the middle of the valley, several large "spirit storage crystals" floated in mid-air, illuminating the entire valley as brightly as daytime.
Cattleya saw that there were two shooting ranges with different shooting distances in the valley.
The sound of "da da da" could be heard incessantly.
At one of the shooting ranges, the target was about 100 meters away. Two pirates were testing their guns. The guns they were carrying were ones that Gadalia had never seen before. After the safety was released, dozens of bullets in the magazine were fired in just a few seconds.
Several targets were hit by a burst of bullets. The two pirates seemed very happy. After testing the guns, they talked to the staff next to them, probably planning to order a batch.
At the other shooting range, the targets were over 200 meters long. It was a semi-automatic rifle range. With each shot, some bullets hit the targets, piercing through the wooden targets.
After watching for a while, Gadriya took a deep breath.
She keenly realized that if an ordinary person used these two guns, they would essentially have the ability to kill a "low-sequence" extraordinary individual.
In a head-on battle, even a Sequence 7 couldn't withstand such barrage.
After a long pause, Gadriya said, "I would also like to order a batch of such firearms."
Odis smiled and said, "Of course, but we'll have to wait a bit. These guns have only recently started mass production, and the quantity is still a bit tight."
Caldelia hummed in agreement: "I can wait."
She paused for a moment and then said, "Once you have a certain amount of stock, you can contact me by writing."
At this moment, Cattleya looked into the distance and saw "lights" in the distance as well, and then asked, "What is that place?"
"That's an iron mine," Odis said with a smile. "There's a very good iron mine on this island."
Moreover, this iron mine is now the property of the town government.
When Odis first became mayor, he had no intention of taking over the iron mine; it was still the common property of the self-governing council.
Even if the self-governing association is later dissolved, the assets still belong to the members of the self-governing association.
Later, when Odis negotiated with the natives in the mountains, he declared that the iron ore mining was a personal matter and had nothing to do with the town government.
Odis then explicitly stipulated that all forms of slavery and employment would be abolished on the island of Crus, and that any labor relationship would require payment.
Meanwhile, after completely losing control of the island, the members of the self-governing council turned to establishing an iron ore company. At first, they did not take the town government's regulations seriously and continued to arrest people in Plains Town, hoping to use the locals to mine iron ore.
Odis punished them severely, and they dared not continue to capture slaves in the mayor's territory. So they decided to capture the natives in the mountains.
The first capture was relatively successful, but after that, the iron mine was attacked by local natives every day.
The natives also attacked their supply convoys, causing considerable damage.
Later, when the natives acquired rifles, the iron ore company lost all its advantage. They even asked the mayor for help, but Odis had no intention of getting involved.
Ultimately, the iron ore company lost many people and went bankrupt due to a lack of follow-up funding before it had extracted much ore.
At this time, the town government purchased the iron ore at a low price and began to organize production.
First, they released all the mountain inhabitants and gave some compensation to the inhabitants around the iron mine.
Afterwards, they recruited workers from Pingyuan Town, where they already trusted the mayor, and offered very good wages, attracting quite a few miners.
After reaching an agreement with the indigenous people in the mountains, the iron ore mine officially began production.
Odis also funded the construction of a smelter nearby, so the iron transported out of the mountains were mostly iron ingots.
Now, not only does Cruz Island have a large demand for steel, but after the railway construction begins, a large number of rails are also needed, and the ore from one iron ore mine is not enough.
Fortunately, the state of Vote does have iron ore deposits, and with some coordinated production in Odis, it should be able to become self-sufficient.
Seeing all this, Cattleya realized that the "Hermit" had transformed Cruz Island into an island with abundant industries.
Such islands are rare at sea. Most islands only have one or two pillar industries, and if that industry fluctuates, many people engaged in it will go bankrupt.
This will severely impact the islands' main sources of income, preventing them from accumulating wealth sustainably.
It was already dark when Odis glanced in the direction of the mountains and exclaimed, "Huh?"
Gadriya was taken aback: "What's wrong?"
Odis smiled and said, "I have a surprise for you."
He paused for a moment and said, "It's getting late, let's go have dinner."
As he spoke, he pointed in the direction of the mountains: "I built a small wooden cabin there. How about we eat there?"
Caldelia didn't seem to care much: "Okay."
Odis once again used "travel" to take "General of the Stars" to a high mountain peak, where there was a small wooden cabin with lights on inside.
From here, Cattleya could see the calm sea under the moonlight and faintly hear the sound of the waves.
The dazzling lights at the foot of the mountain are also in full view: the bustling port town, the tranquil lighthouse town, and the plain town that feels like a paradise. Each town gives people a different feeling.
"Come in." Odis was already standing at the door, and he pushed the door open and went in.
Cattleya followed her inside, only to be stunned at the doorway. There was a tall, imposing figure sitting on the sofa inside, legs crossed, reading a book.
After a pause of about a second or two, Gadriya quickly said, "Your Majesty."
The person sitting on the sofa was none other than the "Mysterious Queen." Because the food in Vote State was rather mediocre, Odis and Bernadette had been coming to this cabin for dinner quite often recently.
Although this island is not large, it has an abundance of seafood and fruit, making it more abundant in ingredients than Vientiane.
Bernadette glanced at Cattleya, then put down her book and said, "Come in and sit down."
Then she said to Odis, "I just caught two fish."
The cabin had a fully equipped kitchen. Odis took off his coat and tossed it onto the sofa, rolling up his sleeves as he said, "The fish here are much fresher than the ones at the fish market."
As Odis skillfully gutted the fish, he said, "I just took Cattleya to see semi-automatic rifles and submachine guns."
Bernadette placed the book on the coffee table, leaned back in her chair, and asked with a smile, "What are your thoughts?"
Cattleya was stunned again, because she hadn't seen such a kind and gentle queen in a long time.
After pausing for a second or two, she said, "It can give ordinary people extremely strong firepower."
She took a deep breath: "I even think these weapons could completely change the way pirates fight."
The latest novels are first published on 69shuba!
Bernadette nodded with satisfaction: "In my opinion, there are even deeper implications."
"If pirates have such powerful firepower, shouldn't the navy also have equivalent firepower?"
Caldelia had recovered from her initial surprise and immediately understood what the "Queen" meant: "The navy will purchase such weapons in large quantities?"
Then she looked at Odis, who was washing fish, and at that moment she roughly understood why the Queen had said that he was someone who could change the world order.
After thinking for a moment, Cattleya asked again, "Is this a new business for 'Elements Dawn'?"
"No." Bernadette smiled and glanced at Odis: "The 'Elemental Dawn' will also be ordered from him."
While busy, Odis said, "Once we have a certain amount of stock, I will send a batch to 'Element Dawn'."
Gadriya looked at the "Queen's" smile and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
With the help of extraordinary powers, Odis quickly prepared dinner.
One fish was used to make soup, another was made into grilled fish, and three pineapple rice dishes were also made.
It was the first time that Cattleya had ever eaten pineapple fried rice. It had the aroma of rice and the sweet and sour taste of pineapple. She ate six or seven bites in a row. She was about to praise Odis's cooking skills, but she didn't say it.
She noticed that the "Queen" and Odis were chatting and eating, and the atmosphere was like that of a family having a meal.
At first, Cattleya felt very warm, after all, she hadn't felt this way in a long time.
But then she was horrified by her own feelings, because one of the protagonists of this heartwarming scene was the "mysterious queen," and she never expected that the "queen" would have such a side.
It made her feel both unfamiliar and somewhat frightened.
The reason for her fear was that a terrifying thought had entered her mind, leaving her momentarily unsure how to face the "hermit" in the future.
But soon, Cattleya came to terms with it, after all, choosing a partner was the "Queen's" prerogative.
She stopped overthinking and, while enjoying the food, listened to the conversation between the "Queen" and the "Hermit".
It sounds like the "Queen" is discussing with the "Hermit" how to manage the state of Vote.
In recent tarot readings, "The Hermit" hasn't shared his current situation, but Cattleya learned through her own channels that "The Mysterious General" seems to have gone to Remburg.
But she didn't expect that the "hermit" was now the governor of Remnburg.
Cattleya had no idea how the "Hermit" became governor, or what his purpose was.
All I could do was listen quietly.
Finally, Cattleya simply enjoyed the food. Not only was the pineapple rice delicious, but the fish soup made by the "Hermit" was also very flavorful, and the grilled fish was perfect to accompany drinks.
After dinner, the three of them went to the wooden chairs by the door, enjoying the sea breeze and the view outside, chatting idly.
At this moment, Bernadette's "invisible servants" are clearing the tables and washing the dishes in the dining room and kitchen.
It wasn't until after 9 p.m. that Bernadette got up and headed from the spirit world to Wotai City.
After shutting down the "Spirit Storage Crystal" in the cabin, Odis led Cattleya to the room that had been arranged for her.
It was a wooden house with a small yard, located high up in the port town.
There are only a few of these houses, which were specially prepared for the "pirate general".
After Odis took his leave, Cattleya sat by the window, gazing at the scenery outside in silence for a long time.
...
The following morning, Odis arrived as promised in the northern part of the Fusak Empire, not far from the "Giant Town".
As soon as Odis appeared in the real world, he saw Grosser sitting on a boulder not far away.
Odis was taken aback: "You arrived early?"
Grosser grunted in response, unable to hide his disappointment.
Odis asked, "It seems like things aren't going too well?"
"I've talked to them a lot," Grosser said. "I've made two friends, and the town's chief is willing to take me in."
"But...but you have to believe in the 'God of War' to join them...I...I don't even know what kind of god the 'God of War' is? But it certainly isn't the great 'King of Giants'."
Odis thought to himself: Actually, he is the child of the "King of Giants," so the relationship is not that distant.
Grosser let out a long sigh of relief: "I refused their baptism."
Odis then said, "Then come back to Cruz Island with me. I'll hire you to protect that island."
"And you have a home there now, and you have acquaintances like the ascetic Snowman."
"Satas and Mobert may leave the island soon, but Snowman will definitely not leave."
Grosser rose from the boulder and said sincerely, "Thank you."
After he refused the giant leader's baptism, he sensed a subtle change in the other giants' attitudes toward him, and he knew very well that this was not home.
The place that still gives him a sense of belonging is his hometown village on Cruise Island.
Odis used "travel" to take Grosser back to Crus Island.
They reappeared in the open space in the center of the old village, where the large whetstone where Grosser had sharpened his sword was still there, as if it had long ago foreshadowed the return of the giant warrior.
Odis said, "As a reward for protecting this island, in addition to providing you with enough food, your salary will be the same as Longzel's. After you get paid, you can try to trade with the locals."
"In addition, if there are any other missions, it is very likely that we will have to fight in the Northern Continent."
Grosser nodded: "I will follow your instructions."
He now has a job and his own house, so his life is pretty good.
"I've prepared a weapon for you." Odis took out a modified machine gun from the "Wilderness of Knowledge," which also had a strap attached to it.
The improved "Extraordinary Machine Gun," which felt heavy and difficult to use in Odis, was as easy to wield as a revolver in the hands of the tall Grosser.
Grosser tested the feel of it: "Very good."
"You can try it where there's no one around," Odis said. "No need to reload, but you need to rest for three minutes after every minute of firing."
"Tomorrow, I will have someone send you three 'magazines' and I have already designed a 'chargeable armor' for you. Each 'magazine' can be used for 1 minute."
"Moreover, when using a magazine, as long as it is not used continuously, the usage time can be much longer than one minute."
Those so-called "magazines" contain large "spiritual storage crystals" that store "spiritual energy" in advance to support the continuous firing of the "extraordinary machine gun".
Let's try it out first. In Odis's plan, if there are enough "magazines", this "extraordinary machine gun" can be on standby around the clock.
After learning about the current situation of "Giant Town", Odis probably guessed that this would be the outcome, which is why he modified an "Extraordinary Machine Gun" in advance.
After chatting with Grosser for a while, Odis returned to his office to deal with matters concerning the "Pirate Conference".
...
The day before the "Pirate Conference" opened, all the "great pirates" had arrived.
They were received by the crew of "Dawnbreaker Sword," after all, the crew members already possessed the strength of "great pirates."
Many of the "great pirates" had attended the "pirate convention" more than once, but this was the first time they had been received in such a formal manner. They were even provided with accommodations that were more exquisite than those in normal hotels, which greatly satisfied their vanity.
To maintain order in the port town, Odis sent Grosser, who had just started working on the "Sword of Dawn," to the port town carrying a giant sword and an "Extraordinary Machine Gun."
The pirates behaved themselves when the giant appeared in the town square.
Odis assigned Longzel to keep an eye on the "great pirates".
These "great pirates" probably never imagined that arranging for them to live together was primarily for better surveillance.
Odis's only requirement for these "great pirates" was that they didn't fight.
The "pirate generals" were personally received by Odis.
"Admiral Iceberg" and "Admiral Deep Sea" had both visited before, but I only gave them a brief tour.
To Odis's surprise, "Admiral of Disease" and "Admiral of Twilight" also attended the pirate convention.
"The Disease General" was a woman with long, straight eyebrows and a graceful, slender figure. Odis always had the illusion that every glance and movement of hers could stir up the desires in his heart.
However, as long as you hold your ground, there shouldn't be any major problems.
The pirates watching the spectacle on the street all revealed expressions of admiration, as if many of them had already fallen in love with this newly promoted "pirate admiral".
If it weren't for a last shred of reason stopping them, many pirates would probably have rushed over to express their love.
While displaying a cool and aloof demeanor, "Lieutenant General of Disease" Tracy also approachably inquired of Odis about the giant's origins, the local delicacies of Cruz Island, and any recommended streetwalkers.
After chatting for a while, Odis inwardly marveled at how all-pervasive the "witch's" power was, and he even felt a sense of falling in love.
However, this feeling can be addressed rationally and spiritually, preventing one from doing anything inappropriate.
"Twilight Admiral" Ivan Blatov is a middle-aged man with a somewhat gloomy expression. He wears a hat that is a size too big for a normal captain's hat, and there is an old scar under his left eye. Combined with his gloomy expression, he is definitely the kind of person who could scare a child to tears.
This "Twilight Admiral" was the "Pirate General" that Odis saw most like a pirate captain. He was dressed in linen clothes, with a compass hanging from his waist and an old-fashioned flintlock pistol at his side.
In comparison, "Admiral Star" and "Lieutenant General Iceberg" are more like scholars, "Lieutenant General Disease" is more like a socialite with a domineering temperament, and "Lieutenant General Deep Sea" is more like a senior executive of a large company.
"The Twilight General" didn't have many questions; he was simply listening to Odis's explanation.
When Odis finally escorted him to his lodgings, he said, "After this conference, I hope to speak with you alone."
Odis smiled and said, "No problem."
He knew very well that "Twilight Admiral" and "Disease Admiral" must have received orders from their respective organizations to attend this "Pirate Conference".
So they must each have their own purpose in coming to Cruise Island.
That evening, the entire port town was bustling with activity, yet a sense of tension permeated the air.
The party was lively because with so many pirates attending, there was bound to be drinking, bragging, and hiring prostitutes.
The tension stemmed from the fact that the "great pirates" were wary of each other.
Furthermore, even a glance at the residences of the "pirate generals" seems to convey the standoff between them.
That night, Odis slept with the "Staff of Gus" in his hand, fearing that the "Pirate Generals" might suddenly start fighting.
The next morning, amidst a light drizzle, the "Pirate Conference" officially commenced.
After everyone took their seats according to their strength and status, the convener of the conference, "Black Hand" Alva, spoke first: "This is the most complete gathering of 'Pirate Generals' we've ever had. Our agenda is sure to make a breakthrough."
After the "Blood General" was killed, all the pirate generals arrived except for the infamous "Hell General".