The extraordinary individuals of the Stiano family, including Afra, considered themselves well-informed. They found new inventions such as "miracle potions" and "spirit-storing crystals" novel but did not perceive them as exceeding their understanding.
However, the "extraordinary puppets'" fighting style left them speechless with astonishment on the hill.
After hearing Odis's words, Afra realized: "Those weapons...those weapons are also a new application of mysticism?"
"Yes," Odis smiled. "This is not the first time they have been tested in actual combat, but it is the first time they have been used against a regular army."
Unfortunately, the battle could have been much more exciting, and perhaps even resulted in the capture of most of the enemy troops.
However, judging from the current situation, at most it can only cause the enemy to collapse.
Although Odis was very dissatisfied, the Steiano family was quite shocked by the battle just now.
It only took about half an hour to defeat an enemy ten times its size!
Afra lamented, "The way war is waged will be rewritten."
Odis replied, "Not in the short term."
Normally, this battle was indeed surprising, but those in high positions who did not witness it firsthand would assume that the radicals had won by sheer luck.
Or rather, because this battle was beyond their comprehension, they couldn't immediately believe that a new way of fighting had emerged.
This is good news for Odis, because when everyone realizes this, they will definitely try to develop the "Extraordinary Puppet".
With enough manpower and resources, it won't be long before we can break through Odis's technological blockade.
Because the "Gar Rune" has already begun to be released on a small scale, this is the foundation of everything. After studying the "Gar Rune" for a few years and experimenting for a few more years, other countries will also be able to create "Extraordinary Puppets".
With significant and exceptional investment, this timeframe can be shortened.
These periods of time represent the window of opportunity left for Gar.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Gal would lose his technological advantage a few years later, because his biggest advantage back then wasn't actually technology, but rather that Gal had seen what those weapons, once called the pinnacle of human technology, looked like.
Although you don't understand the principles behind those weapons, you don't need to, because everything must be reconstructed using spirituality and "Garr runes".
This is his greatest advantage: he knows the future development direction of these weapons in the current steam age.
After a brief discussion with Afra and the others, Odis "reappeared" as the Kunpeng and led them back to Wotai State to rest.
Odis sat alone in the governor's office awaiting news. First, he received a letter from Selt.
He led his extraordinary puppets and chased after them for dozens of kilometers in one go.
The Remnburg army was completely routed; they couldn't even take their artillery. The heavy infantry following behind also retreated.
Weapons, food, and military supplies were all left on the roadside.
After the battle, Celt captured more than two hundred people, and it would take one or two thousand men to bring back all the spoils of war.
In the letter, Selt could not hide his joy, saying it was a huge victory.
Odis immediately replied to Celt, instructing him to collect the spoils of war and clean up the battlefield as soon as possible.
He was told to remain calm, hold firm, and wait for the situation to change.
In his letter, Odis analyzed that with the current tense international situation, it was impossible for Remenberg to transfer a large number of border troops to fight in the western provinces, and Conrad I would not allow Remenberg to be in the midst of a civil war crisis.
So now all we need to do is stay calm and we'll be able to wait for the king's special envoy.
At the end of the letter, Odis reclaimed command of the 300 "extraordinary puppets".
Afterwards, Odis returned to the governor's bedroom to rest.
At this time, although the state of Wotai had a governor sent by the king, his residence and office were...
These are all the dilapidated buildings that Odis had built when he first came to Wotai State.
The governor's office and bedroom that Odis is currently using are properties he seized from the self-governing council.
The following morning, Odis received another letter from Bazel. It was said that Conrad I had received news of the defeat in Solothurn the previous night, but both the royal family and the Remnantburg government remained silent.
It seemed like they didn't react for a moment.
Odis smiled. In fact, this was still a matter of information asymmetry. Conrad I realized that Odis was the one who supported the radicals. He thought that Odis's side had two demigods and a certain amount of military power.
In fact, Odis's current strength is enough to take over the Remnantburg Palace. The reason he hasn't done so is that there is still a basic international order, and it is not the best time to seize power.
Once the war begins, that will be Odis's time to "reap the rewards."
In the morning, Odis had breakfast with the members of the Steiano family, and in the morning he took them to visit the railway construction site.
Because of the extraordinary efficiency of this "extraordinary tool," the railway is ready to open.
Odis's plan was to build a railway from Votee to Solothu before the start of the World War, and then use it as a basis to build a triangular transportation network connecting Votee, Solothu, and Chattar.
He planned to move the center of Remnburg westward, not because his base was in the west, but because Remnburg's current capital, Azshara, was actually built on a plain with no natural defenses.
This is also a helpless move for small countries. The mountainous areas of Rembrandt have poor transportation and economy, while the plains have convenient transportation and are easy to build cities.
However, the Kingdom of Feneport put enormous military pressure on Remburg, forcing Remburg to build a long defensive fortification along its southern border.
Once they break through this defensive fortification, Feneport's army can reach Azshara in two days.
Long-standing "war inertia" had made Remenberg and Feneport accustomed to this, and Azshara was built to the specifications of a military fortress, specifically for defensive warfare.
Once Odis had the train and the "teleportation array," there was no need to take this risk. He could simply shift the nation's center of gravity to the west, to a more easily defensible area.
After visiting the railway construction site, Odis instructed Mandy to send someone to receive the group and let them explore the Vorta region further. He would return in a few days to talk to them again.
After settling the members of the Stiano family, Odis returned to Backlund and resumed his slacking off.
Meanwhile, he awaited his transfer order.
Two days later, he received a telegram from Conrad I.
He thought it was an order to dismiss him from his post, but it turned out to be a commendation order.
This left Odis somewhat bewildered, but she quickly realized that Conrad I had backed down.
Or, to put it another way, the other side intends to resolve the issue politically. In short, they feel that war cannot solve the problem in the short term and may even cause greater losses, so they intend to cut their losses in time.
Since Odis was a supporter of the radicals, they should act as if they were about to promote him at this time.
This was beyond Odis's expectations, because if he were the King of Remburg, he would have dismissed the Remburg ambassador to Loen from all his posts as a warning.
This will serve as the tone for the negotiations.
However, Odis soon realized that the main reason Conrad I gave in so quickly was that the Remnantburg royal family did not have angels.
It's not that an angel is needed to fight against Elbera, since the Remnburg royal family doesn't know that Odis has Elbera as a trump card.
However, if the opponent also has a demigod, then an angel is needed to control the situation.
Although the Rehnborg royal family also had a few demigods, at the level of demigods, quantity often cannot solve problems.
For example, the royal family has five demigods, while Odis only has two.
Under normal circumstances, even if all five demigods were to mobilize, it would be difficult to find the two demigods on Odis's side, let alone kill them in one fell swoop.
If an ambush or trap is set up, there is still some hope, but demigods have very high intuition and can easily detect unknown dangers, so most ambushes are likely to be ineffective.
The best way to defeat a demigod is actually through skirmishes or battles with a significant information gap.
For example, during the previous attack on Crus Island by the "Morse Penitentiary Order," according to the intelligence they obtained, two demigods were more than capable of defeating several Sequence 5s, but who knew that a "Lord of Mysteries" would suddenly appear!
The first thought of those two demigods was to run. If their opponent had been a normal angel, the "prophet" would have had a good chance of escaping.
It wasn't the angel they encountered, but rather an abnormal one, incredibly powerful in certain areas, which is why they were kept behind.
However, it would be very difficult for the "Lord of Mysteries" to find the demigods of the "Morse Ascetic Order".
For the Reimsburg royal family at present, if they were to easily take action against the other side without being certain of their success, there would be no room for reconciliation.
For example, all the demigods of Remnburg were concentrated in the province of Solothu, but if they failed to kill Bernadette and Odis, then the feud would be considered settled.
Even if the demigods of Remnburg captured all the radicals and regained control of the three western states, including Wotai, Odis and Bernadette's sneak attack on Remnburg would give them a major headache.
Therefore, the demigods of various countries in the past were strategic talents. Their power when they did not take action was far greater than their power after they took action.
Having figured this out, Odis had his secretary draft a telegram to the king, saying that his advisor Adonis had performed exceptionally well and he hoped to recommend him as deputy envoy to the embassy in Loen.
The telegram sent in the morning received a reply in the afternoon, and it was approved.
The Remnburg Foreign Ministry will recall Deputy Envoy Karen Sidli, whose position will be taken over by Adonis.
Oddiston immediately understood the situation and waited for Conrad I to send a special envoy to Solothu.
Three days later, Odis first had a good talk with the members of the Stiano family, asking them to go back and communicate with their family members.
If there are no problems, Afra will bring back a dozen extraordinary individuals to follow Odis's arrangements, according to the plan they had previously agreed upon.
Odis has already arranged positions for them, and Bernadette will remain in Solotour for the time being.
Then Afra would have to go to the Chattoral region to confront the Intis.
As for the other extraordinary individuals, they will first undergo a period of training before reporting to their extraordinary posts in the Vauté and Chatér states.
Rune, a manor house in Southwellshire.
The important members of the Stiano family gathered together to listen to Afra and others describe what they had seen and heard.
The family patriarch, the "Master of Prophecy" Dick, said with emotion, "Thanks to our ancestors for securing this opportunity for us."
Most people felt that this was a huge opportunity.
Dick said, "Then for the next period of time, we will first send a group of people to Wotai State, under the command of 'General Mystery,' and at the same time make final observations."
"Once we've observed that there are no problems, our entire family will move to Wotai State to demonstrate our sincerity in this cooperation."
Afra asked, "What about the 'Crimson Crown'? Must we hand it over too?"
1
Everyone looked at the clan leader. Level 0 sealed artifacts were extremely important and rare, and of course they couldn't be given away easily.
Dick pondered for a moment before saying, "If the 'General of Mysteries' asks me for it, I will consult my ancestors. If the 'Lord of Mysteries' requires it, we will offer a sacrifice to him."
The crowd began to whisper among themselves, clearly disagreeing with the decision and seemingly having no better solution.
Everyone understands that if you want to join forces with "General of Mystery", you have to give something in return. However, giving up a level 0 sealed item seems like a big price to pay.
Dick took a deep breath and said, "We'll ask for instructions after we see our ancestors."
The ancestors never gave them a way to contact them, and they believed that the ancestors probably didn't want them to disturb them.
Actually, Elle Bella had forgotten about it.
At this point, a family member asked, "What kind of deity is the 'Lord of Mysteries'?"
Then everyone looked at Afra.
"The Alchemist" Afra said, "Before leaving Wotai, I asked the 'Mysterious General' again, but he did not say that we had to believe in this god."
"It is said to be a true deity who spreads the light of knowledge."
She paused for a moment and then said, "However, he did tell me the name of the 'Lord of Mysteries' and that after members of the Stiano family began to participate in the work in Wotai, our entire family would be under the protection of this deity."
"And you can also pray for power when performing ritual magic."
This touched everyone again. For a long time, the members of this family had been troubled by the lack of a deity to whom they could safely pray for power.
Praying for power from the seven righteous gods risks attracting the attention of official extraordinary individuals. Praying for power from evil gods is even more dangerous.
Fortunately, the family still has a level 0 sealed artifact. Although it is somewhat dangerous to pray for power from it, the probability of success is not very high.
But over the years, they have figured out ways to avoid most of the dangers, which are barely usable.
If there were a god who could always respond to their prayers and was safe and reliable, that alone would be enough reason for everyone to follow the "Lord of Mysteries".
The reason is quite simple: the Stiano family possesses the "Secret Seeker" and "General Knowledge" pathways.
There is a wide demand for ritual magic in the lower sequences.
When you reach the "middle sequence," you need to use some advanced witchcraft, create some advanced scrolls, and maintain the spirituality of extraordinary weapons for a longer period of time. All of these operations require praying for higher-level power.
However, if there were a stable and safe place to pray for power, each of them could see a significant increase in strength.
"Give it a try," said an older family member. "I'll give it a try."
Dick glanced at the other family members before saying, "Okay."
So everyone set up an altar on one side of the room for the elder of the family, and everyone retreated to the other side of the room. The elder stood alone in front of the altar, built a "spiritual wall", took out a dagger and placed it in the center of the altar.
Then he recited the name that Afra had asked: "The essence of knowledge, the field of mystery;
You are the radiance of all civilization;
"It is a beacon of truth that dispels the unknown."
"Great Lord of Mysteries," your faithful servant beseeches your gaze, and prays that the spirit of this dagger may endure for as long as possible.
As soon as the prayer was finished, the spirituality of the room changed instantly. The radiance of knowledge illuminated the entire room, and the ceiling became ethereal, revealing a figure imbued with a sense of holiness.
The imposing figure wore a hood adorned with occult symbols that seemed to dance around him. He carried a lantern in one hand, as if dispelling all confusion and ignorance, and held a long cane in the other, as if ready to fight against all ignorance and irrationality.
Shocked, Dick, Afra, and the others felt a tremendous impact on their spirit and mental bodies. They instinctively lowered their heads, showing their submission to this great being.
The elderly people performing the ceremony trembled all over, and only when they knelt on one knee in front of the altar did they feel less pressure.
The "Lord of Mysteries" glanced at them, then slightly raised the lamp in his hand. A wisp of illusory light shone into the dagger, and the ordinary weapon suddenly emitted a faint glow.
Immediately, that towering figure vanished, and the brilliance of knowledge also quickly disappeared.
A few seconds later, everyone came to their senses from the shock. They then realized that the old man who was performing the ceremony was still kneeling on the ground and had not gotten up.
Everyone rushed over to check on him and found the old man crying. Dick quickly asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"He knows everything." The old man, his cheeks still wet with tears, laughed again and said, "This great being actually knew about my problems and guided me like a kind teacher instructing a student."
The old man wasn't old; rather, he had encountered danger while praying for power from the "Crimson Crown," and his prayer was severely distorted.
He himself was also "distorted," turning from a young man into an old man.
It wasn't that his lifespan was stolen or disappeared, but rather that the seal "distorted" the concepts of "young man" and "old man," so a young man in his late twenties became an old man with a full head of white hair.
With his "real vision," Odis immediately noticed the inconsistency in the other person's appearance, and he had plenty of ways to resolve the issue.
So Odis instilled in him a simple and easy solution, because the amount of information was minimal.
Moreover, it is highly targeted and fundamentally different from the "hidden sage" or "forced" indoctrination. Such indoctrination will not cause any negative effects.
On the contrary, the "old man" suddenly gained new knowledge that could solve his own problems, and he had a feeling similar to "enlightenment".
After the "old man" explained, everyone was amazed by the "Lord of Mysteries'" love and mercy. At the same time, they recalled that he was a god in good condition, without any distortion.
Smiles appeared on everyone's faces one after another. This was definitely a huge surprise. They had originally thought that the god worshipped by this secret organization was most likely an evil god.
Everyone was even prepared to have a faith, as long as it didn't significantly affect their own well-being.
But the reality was much better than they had expected.
Then, everyone turned their attention to the dagger on the altar. Their spirituality made them realize that the dagger had undergone a qualitative change.
The old man picked up the dagger, gently stroked it, and then said with some surprise, "This—the spirituality within this dagger is almost 'fixed,' it can actually be used for ten years!"
"Moreover, when dealing with targets below the level of demigod, there is a one-in-five chance that it can ignore any defense, deliver a critical hit, and cause fatal damage."
Everyone gaped, and after a long while, Afra exclaimed, "This is an extraordinary weapon?"
This is almost as powerful as a level 2 sealed artifact!
Odis, in the "wilderness of knowledge," looked at them with surprise and smiled knowingly.
For the modification of that dagger, Odis used the level 1 sealed artifact "Iron Blood Gauntlets" to provide power support for the modification process.
Things modified in this way are certainly extraordinary.
As for the probabilistic nature of "extraordinary weapons," even the "God of Steam and Machinery" cannot change that.
The so-called "one-in-five probability" does not mean that after four thrusts, the fifth thrust will definitely be a critical hit.
Instead, each stab has a one-in-five chance of triggering a "critical hit" ability. It's possible to trigger two consecutive "critical hits," or it's possible to trigger seven or eight times without triggering a single "critical hit."
But overall, there is a one in five probability.
Because it was the first time someone had asked her for power, Odis responded with great care.
But over the next two days, the members of the Stiano family kept praying to the "Lord of Mysteries" for power.
The key point is that people also pray for power at night, which gave Odis a sense of "revenge spending." After more than a thousand years, they finally encountered a stable object of their prayers for power.
Odis simply arranged a "smart response" mode in advance, granting the three "smart puppets" certain permissions to respond to their requests.
If there's something that the "intelligent response" mode can't handle, then report it to Odis.
However, because the three "intelligent puppets" have limited power, they cannot manifest the form of the "Lord of Mysteries" and can only display a phantom symbol with an eyeless eye and light.
Odis felt that this image was just right; if the "Lord of Mysteries" answered every time they prayed for power, it would make the god seem too idle.
In the following days, Odis had some free time, so he went to chat with Klein again and realized that Klein was going to deal with Amon's clone. So he made a "prophecy" that "the clone of the Son of God will be severely injured in Backlund".
Actually, this wasn't a prophecy for Odis; it was just a description. However, after Amon's clone was attacked, the potion in Odis's body was indeed digested again.
It was Monday.
Inside the Remnburg Embassy, Odis sat in his office, looking at the newspaper his secretary had brought him.
Recently, several authoritative newspapers in Loen have been reporting on the civil war in Loenburg.
Just as Odis had predicted more than half a month ago, the "counter-insurgency" in Lenburg had no follow-up, prompting many journalists to rush to Azshara to learn about the latest situation.
The gentlemen of Backlund only then realized that this was a struggle between the radicals and conservatives in Remnburg. After the initial armed conflict and the defeat of the Remnburg army, the two sides had now entered into a negotiation phase.
Odis, however, knew more details. The agreed-upon part was that the Duke of Bowen, as the representative of the conservatives, would resign as a result, and Conrad I would recognize the political status of the radicals.
At this point, the negotiations had reached a critical stage. Conrad I was still unwilling to reorganize the government, so Odis asked Celt to back down and give the radicals more say.
The Remenberg government currently holds five key positions of real power: Minister of the Interior, Minister of Defense, Minister of Finance, Minister of Personnel, and Minister of Education and Religious Affairs.
Other positions, such as Foreign Minister and Industry Minister, are not as important as these five.
Odis instructed Celt to win over two of the "Five Ministers," as well as two other ministers who were not particularly important.
In short, let's first give the radicals a certain voice.
When Conrad I saw that the radicals were no longer insisting on a reorganization of the government, he also backed down, or rather, he was willing to compromise as long as he wasn't stripped of his powers as king.
At this moment, the two sides are negotiating the specific positions to be obtained by the radicals, and it is estimated that there will be a result in one or two weeks. Putting down the newspaper, Odis made a simple plan for the next trip. The most important thing at present is to digest the magic potion and obtain the extraordinary characteristics of the general.
He plans to digest the potion soon, and his trip to the "Ruins of the Gods" should also be put on the agenda.
Odis then ordered Third Officer Bevis and Boatswain Salina to sail the Argo to the Sea of Sunia ahead of him. He planned to board the Argo once it reached the vicinity of the Ruins of the War of the Gods, just as he had done before.
Time quickly passed and it was afternoon. Odis returned to the lounge and lay down on a recliner.
At exactly three o'clock, his vision was covered by gray fog, and in the blink of an eye he arrived in the magnificent hall, to one side of the mottled bronze table.
As usual, Audrey, the "Justice," rose and bowed, saying, "Good afternoon, Mr. 'Fool'."
"The Fool" Klein nodded slightly in response.
Then the other members greeted "The Fool," and the tarot session officially began.
Klein glanced at the "priestess" without showing any emotion, and found that she still had no intention of providing Roselle's diary.
The "mysterious queen" hadn't provided any diary entries for quite some time, which Klein found strange. Had she run out of questions to ask him?
Actually, Bernadette has been very busy lately and is also preparing for a general promotion.
After falling in love with Oedis, Bernadette's condition improved considerably, and her longing, confusion, and guilt towards her father subsided.
Gradually, nourished by her lover's affection, she has largely shed her previous psychological burden.
Their previous actions in preventing the resurrection of Death were entirely in accordance with the requirements of the ritual, so Bernadette is currently making final preparations.
The plan is to raise prices across the board within the next week or two.
As Klein pondered this, Alger, the "Hanged Man," turned his head to look at the "stars": "I'm sorry,"
There is no news yet about any magical items that meet your needs.
Leonard, the "star", nodded understandingly and said, "That's normal. Magical items corresponding to Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 are naturally rare."
He was sitting upright at first, but after noticing that members like "The Moon" and "The Magician" weren't too reserved, he quietly relaxed as well.
At this moment, Klein manipulated the "world" Gehrman Sparrow and said, "I have a magical item that perfectly matches your requirements in every aspect."
He was referring to the magical items that he had previously commissioned Odis to create, which didn't have very strong negative effects.
Unfortunately, shortly after obtaining this magical item, he was promoted to demigod and rarely used it anymore, so he simply sold it.
Leonard looked at "the world": "Tell me about it."
"The World" said unhurriedly: "It can unleash lightning on targets; it has the ability to fly; it can use hurricanes mixed with wind blades; in water, it can create giant waves several meters high; and it can dive freely for 40 minutes."
Alger and the others guessed that this must be a magical item commissioned from the "Hermit". Although its main attack methods are only "lightning" and "hurricane" and it does not have the other important ability of the "Ocean Singer", "singing", it is still quite good because it has the ability to dive and fly.
Klein, manipulating the "world," continued, "The negative effects aren't very strong. He'll occasionally sing on his own, and the timing of the singing is completely random. Wearing it will make him more impulsive or more prone to anger, but if he tries to control himself, it won't affect his judgment or actions."
"Well, for the first negative effect, the Hermit provides a silencing spell. As long as you sense that it is about to make a sound and the environment is not allowed to make any noise, you can immediately activate the extraordinary item corresponding to that spell."
Everyone else was stunned. Such a negative effect is called a negative effect?
Alger seriously suspected that the "Hermit" and the "World" might have some misunderstanding about the concept of negative effects. The so-called negative effects were things that could kill the wearer if they weren't careful or if they weren't careful!
Then, the other members looked at the "Hermit" and thought to themselves: This is the power of a demigod-level "craftsman".
Leonard didn't understand why everyone was looking at the "Hermit" when it was Klein who was trying to sell him the magical item.
However, he was very satisfied with this amazing item and immediately asked, "How many gold pounds are you planning to sell it for?"
Klein manipulated the "world" and said, "12,000 pounds."
Alger tried to hide his smile. This was exactly the bottom price that "Star" had mentioned earlier. If he had the corresponding magical item, he would sell it for that price as well.
To be honest, considering the abilities and negative effects of this sealed artifact, the price is quite reasonable.