At the Earl of Brandon's ball, Odis and Audrey danced gracefully on the ballroom.
However, just as Audrey was still chatting happily, the music ended, and she and Odice could only exchange slight bows and leave the stage together.
Afterwards, Odis invited two other ladies to dance. The charming and witty Odis left a deep impression on them.
After dancing a few dances, Odis returned to her corner, sipping her drink and waiting for Count Brandon to come find her.
But until after nine o'clock in the evening, when the ball ended, no one came to find Odis.
Odis didn't mind, and after bidding farewell to Count Brandon, he went to the stables in the backyard.
Count Brandon's butler was already waiting in front of Odis's carriage.
This surprised Odis slightly: it seems that Brandon contacted me not for business cooperation.
Otherwise, I would have talked to him about the purpose of my visit at the dance earlier.
The fact that he's being kept here suddenly means that there are some things that aren't suitable to be discussed publicly, and we need his help with.
The butler politely led Odis to a drawing room to wait, where servants soon brought tea and refreshments.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, the Earl of Brandon, dressed in a noble manner, came in with a well-maintained man in his fifties with a mustache.
Odis thought to himself: It really was this guy observing me.
He rose and greeted the two noblemen with a smile. Earl Brandon introduced him, saying, "This is Earl Vincent, a good friend of mine."
"Hello," Odis greeted the other person, but did not extend her hand to shake hands.
After the three sat down again, they exchanged pleasantries and inquired about Odis's recent work situation and whether he was used to the food in Backlund.
After chatting for a few minutes, Earl Brandon smiled and said to Vincent, "As you can see, he is a very composed gentleman. I have also told you about my experiences."
At this point, he leaned back in his chair, as if waiting for his friend to decide whether to move on to the main topic of the conversation.
Vincent took a deep breath before smiling at Odis and asking, "Should I call you Mr. Wizard, or Mr. Ambassador?"
Odis thought to himself: What? Your vineyard has also been cursed by the devil?
He smiled and said, "Just call me Mr. Garr."
"Yes, Mr. Gar," Vincent said. "I hope you can keep the following conversation confidential."
This reminded Odis of some of the bizarre requests he received when he was playing the role of a "wizard": You don't suspect that your son isn't your biological child, do you?
His outward demeanor, however, suggested a completely different person. He said earnestly, "No problem."
"My children have been acting strangely lately," Vincent began. "I mean my eldest son, Alexis. Three days ago, I discovered that he was frequently meeting with a blind girl. Yesterday, the two of them even went into the sewers together and stayed there for two or three hours before coming out."
Odis was taken aback: "The nobles play such elaborate games?"
He smiled and said, "You should investigate the girl's situation."
"You may have misunderstood," Earl Vincent said with a smile. "No, rather, I have misspoken."
"Neither of them did anything improper, I just felt their behavior was very strange."
The count touched his temples, which already had a few gray hairs, and smiled, saying, "Everyone was young once. When I was young, I also liked some young ladies."
"But who would choose a sewer as a date spot?"
Odis thought to herself: Perhaps it's a new way to play that you don't know about?
Joking aside, after recalling how fascinating the Backlund sewers were, Odis still asked, "Did they go to the sewers of Berklund Street?"
He remembered there was a Jacob family treasure there, and although the Jacob family demigod was scared away by Klein, it seemed that an avatar of Amon was hidden in that treasure.
In addition, a dog-like demon has appeared in the sewers before, and someone even killed a "con artist" and an "apostle of desire" in the sewers...
Odis suddenly smiled slightly: Oh, right... the "Apostle of Desire" didn't die in the sewers.
However, one thing is certain: what evil things are lurking in the sewers of Backlund.
Upon hearing Odis's question, Count Vincent initially replied, "No."
Then he asked, "Why the sewers on Berklund Street?"
Odis smiled and said, "I've heard that some danger is brewing in the sewers there."
Both earls were taken aback for a moment, then decided to tell their families and stewards that they would not be going to Berklund Street for the time being.
Count Brandon had witnessed Odis solving extraordinary problems, and therefore trusted him greatly.
Vincent had only reached this conversation because he had heard about the "wizard's" abilities and had developed a basic level of trust in him. Therefore, they both valued this seemingly unintentional message.
Odis then asked, "Count, have you looked into the information about that blind girl?"
"I've checked," Count Vincent said. "She was a woman who worked as a telegraph receiver… Well, Alexis has a hobby of studying new machines, and her favorite is the telegraph machine."
"It is said that the two met through telegrams. Miss Nicola... oh, that's the blind girl. She also worships the 'Goddess of Night.' Some time ago, she came to help Alexis adjust his telegraph machine, and that's how their relationship became closer."
Odis asked, "What are Mr. Alexis's beliefs?"
Count Vincent replied, "'Goddess of the Night,' our whole family are believers in the goddess."
Odis said "Oh," he had thought it might be a follower of the "God of Steam and Machinery," and if so, he would have to be careful.
He pondered for a moment and then said, "Could it be that you find it strange because Alexis and Nicola are doing some kind of experiment?"
Count Vincent said firmly, "No, I've clearly sensed something's wrong with Alexis these past few days. After they came back from the sewers yesterday, I could clearly realize that he's hiding something from me."
"I asked Alexis's personal valet, and he said that Alexis and Nicola have been talking alone together a lot lately, and Alexis always looks very serious after they finish talking."
"Sometimes I would also study some strange questions, such as going to the extraordinary bodyguards to ask them questions about spirits and ghosts."
Odis then asked, "Does he know of the extraordinary?"
"I know a little," Vincent replied. "I haven't told him much about the extraordinary yet."
Odis immediately made some connections, and finally asked, "Have you ever thought about asking the Church of the Goddess of Night for help?"
"I've thought about it," Vincent said, "but I'd still like you to do some research first."
He said meaningfully, "Since it involves Miss Nicola, I don't want this matter to be made public."
Odis understood that this was because they were afraid of uncovering Alexis's scandals, so they thought of asking him to conduct the investigation first.
In most noble families, the eldest son is groomed to be the successor, which is why Count Vincent has so many concerns.
If any scandal is uncovered, all that's needed is to pay Odis to keep quiet.
However, Odis still found it a bit absurd that an ambassador like himself would investigate something that only private detectives would investigate.
Thinking of this, he smiled before asking, "Why did you think of having me investigate?"
"Because you possess extraordinary abilities," Earl Brandon said at this moment. "We all trust you."
"That's right," Vincent said. "After I learned about Alexis, I talked to Brandon about it, and he said that a wizard was coming to visit."
"After hearing about your story, I also found it amazing, so at my request, I invited you to this ball."
Odis paused for a moment: "You mean, after you learned about Mr. Alexis, you happened to get news about me?"
Count Vincent thought for a moment: "It seems so."
Odis had a fleeting urge to get up and leave, and Count Brandon, noticing Odis's expression, asked, "Is something wrong?"
"No," Odis smiled. "I was just thinking about something else."
He realized that "0-08" was no longer in Backlund, and if this was a story arranged by Adam, he wouldn't realize that he had entered the story.
Or this is not a "coincidence" created by a high-sequence extraordinary being from the "audience" pathway.
Of course, such a coincidence was definitely suspicious, and Odis immediately thought of the "warning letter" he had received from the "Hidden Sage".
He guessed that this matter was either related to the "Hidden Sage" or the "God of Steam and Machinery".
With this in mind, Odis decided to conduct some investigation. Perhaps by taking the initiative to investigate, he could prepare in advance.
So he said, "I will conduct some investigations, and I will contact you again if I have the results."
Count Vincent breathed a slight sigh of relief, then smiled and said, "If you can help me resolve this matter, I can also help you resolve the two cases currently troubling the Remnburg Embassy."
"I am currently working on a steel deal with Rembrandt, and I can offer a significant discount."
"Or if you have any other requests, feel free to make them."
Odis smiled and said, "Just help me resolve those two cases at the embassy. I only handle diplomacy; commercial matters between the two countries only fall under my jurisdiction when disputes arise."
On his second day in office, he inquired about the two cases: one was an economic dispute between the two countries, and the other was a serious criminal case.
Although it was said that the Remnburg embassy was to coordinate, it was actually just a one-sided wait for the court's ruling in Backlund. In this kind of matter, Remnburg could not get a result that was favorable to itself.
Count Vincent's promise was clearly that he would step in and make a ruling in favor of Remburg.
Vincent then smiled and said, "I'll remember; I still owe you a favor."
Of course, all of this is predicated on the premise that Odis's investigation yields results.
After finishing their business, the three chatted for a few more minutes before Odis got up to take his leave.
Back at the embassy, many officials didn't rest; they all crowded around, asking what they had learned from the ball.
Odis smiled and replied, "I didn't gain much, except that I met Count Vincent."
These diplomats seemed even happier than Odis, for this was yet another powerful nobleman.
Looking at everyone's expressions, Odis couldn't help but think of her conversation with Bernadette about Remnantburg having three official languages, and Bernadette's assessment of Remnantburg: "This is the tragedy of a small country."
Although Lenburg and Rune are nominally allies, Lenburg's territory and strength are roughly the same as those of the former dukes of Rune, so the two sides have never had an equal diplomatic relationship.
Officials like those at the Remnburg embassy also lacked access to the real elites in Ruhnn.
Or rather, the Count of Lenburg and the Count of Loen were not on the same level of nobility at all.
Odis returned to his room, rested for a while, changed his clothes, and once again used "Earth Escape" to arrive at St. Samuel's Church on Pesfield Street.
Although it was already past 11 p.m., many believers were still praying quietly.
Odis found a corner to sit down and whispered to the "Dark Emblem" about Count Vincent's request.
After repeating it several times, Odis, in a daze, heard a gentle voice in his ear say, "This matter has only just begun; you can handle it yourself."
Odis was suddenly awakened. He looked up and around and saw that the believers were still praying silently. An indescribable sense of tranquility filled the church.
Then Odis took a deep breath, made a praying gesture again, and pondered the words she had just heard.
He realized: Clearly, the "Goddess of the Night" knew what I was about to investigate... No...
Odis suddenly realized that he had planned to report this matter to the "goddess" today and ask her if it was related to the "god of steam" or the "hidden sage".
Based on the "goddess's" previous habits, she would at most say "I know".
But this time His instructions were so clear, which was obviously very strange!
Then, Odis recalled Count Vincent saying that his family were believers in the "Goddess of Night," and how Alexis's unusual behavior had to be noticed at this particular moment...
Odis seemed to suddenly realize another important point: that I was discovered the day after I prayed to the "goddess"!
He suddenly smiled, and the whole story began to unfold in his mind.
After Odis arrived in Backlund and reported the warning letter from the "Hidden Sage" to the "Goddess," He should have immediately found the arrangements of the "God of Steam" or the "Hidden Sage."
Then He inflicted enough misfortune on a certain deity's plan to discover it while it was still in the planning stage.
It was obviously discovered by Alexei and Nicola. In fact, they had found relevant clues a long time ago, but they probably hadn't paid much attention to it before.
Driven by the "goddess," the two's unusual behavior was noticed the next day.
Thinking about this, Odis couldn't help but exclaim, "The goddess is really efficient!"
Everything became clear after that: Count Vincent, in order to cover up his eldest son's misdeeds, did not want the official extraordinary individuals to conduct an investigation.
When Odis was discussing this matter with his good friend Earl Brandon, Odis happened to be going to visit. Brandon immediately remembered this "wizard" and recommended him to his good friend.
Having figured this out, Odis sincerely thanked the "Goddess of Night" and then got up to leave.
In the future, if Odis obtains any spoils of war after resolving this matter, he believes he should also offer some as a sacrifice to the "Goddess of Night".
Even if the other party may not need it, the proper attitude should still be shown.
Back in his room, Odis made a quick plan. He intended to conduct a preliminary investigation the next day, and he could finally get a good night's sleep.
However, to Odis's surprise, things didn't go as planned. The next day, while Odis was having breakfast in the restaurant, he suddenly had a spiritual experience. He saw the stunningly beautiful Bernadette openly and honestly enter the real world from the illusion and sit next to Odis.
Odis shared a small dining room with several important officials, but the other diplomats seemed completely unaware that there was another person in the room.
With a wave of his hand, Odis advanced to Sequence 4. He could use "witchcraft" without summoning "star sand". At this moment, he used the witchcraft he invented that could briefly create a space for conversation.
Then he asked Bernadette, "Have you had breakfast?"
"I've already eaten," Bernadette said, crossing her legs. "You don't seem surprised at all."
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She arrived a day earlier than the agreed time.
Odis smiled and said, "I should be surprised if you arrive later than the agreed time."
Bernadette hummed in agreement; that was a satisfactory response.
She said, "The reason I came early is because Cattleya wrote to say that she had completed her promotion and wanted to ask me some questions about 'mysterious reappearance' and other related issues."
Odis was taken aback, then immediately understood: "You plan to have me present as well?"
"right."
"She's asking you for advice," Odis confirmed.
Bernadette suddenly looked at Odis and said, "Among all my subordinates, Cattleya is quite special."
"When I first met Cattleya, I foresaw that she would become an angel in the future."
"So I took Cattleya, who had become an orphan, with me, raised her with great care, and poured a lot of affection into her."
Whether she later became an angel or not is no longer important.
Odis nodded slowly: It means that he raised Cattleya as his daughter.
But he still didn't quite understand: "I don't have much experience with the ability of 'mysterious reappearance'."
Bernadette continued to look at Odis: "Think about it again."
Odis cleared his throat, feeling the other person's gaze gradually becoming more oppressive. He then realized that Bernadette was obviously going to introduce to Cattleya: I've found you a stepfather!
So Odis quickly said, "I will definitely prepare a gift for her that she needs most!"
He finished speaking with a hint of helplessness, as Cattleya was actually a few years older than him.
But now, Odis's generation has suddenly increased by one generation.
Odis quickly finished his breakfast and took Bernadette to his office.
After chatting for a while, Odis said, "Do you remember that 'fool's follower,' Gehrman Sparrow?"
Bernadette thought for a moment and then said, "I remember."
"He contacted me recently, saying he wanted to meet you," Odis said. "I asked him what it was about, and he said it was something very simple for you."
Bernadette nodded slowly, then asked, "Where is he now?"
Odis replied, "According to my intelligence, he is currently in Backlund."
"Okay, have him wait for me near Backlund Bridge tomorrow night at eight o'clock."
"Okay." Odis added, "I heard there's a nice food alley in the Bridge District that's open until the early hours of the morning. Shall we go check it out?"
Bernadette paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "Okay."
Odis stretched and began talking to Bernadette about his recent experiences.
To avoid worrying Bernadette, he didn't say that the "God of Steam" and the "Hidden Sage" had taken direct action against him, but only that the Steam Church and the Morse Penitentiary had taken action against him, and that he needed to conduct some investigation.
Bernadette said, "I don't have anything to do either, I'll go with you."
Odis paused, then said, "This kind of investigation is quite tedious."
"It's more boring for me to stay in your office by myself, isn't it?"
"That's true," Odis said. "Let me briefly explain the situation to you…"
He mentioned the nobleman's commission and learned from another source that the commission was actually related to the issue he was investigating.
Odis then explained the general investigation method. First, he planned to use "invisibility" to track them and eavesdrop on Alexis and Nicola's conversation at close range.
If he needed to intervene, he planned to pretend to be a mysterious wizard, casually display his power to intimidate them, and then, in the manner of an elder, help them solve their problems and investigate the truth of the matter.
After explaining his plan, Odis noticed Bernadette's serious expression and asked, "Is there something wrong with it?"
Bernadette glanced at him: "It just occurred to me, how come you're so adept at this process?"
Odis was taken aback: "Really?"
"have."
Odis chuckled and said, "I rarely use such tricks to deceive people."
Bernadette: "Heh."
After having a rough plan, Odis returned to her room, took out the "wilderness of knowledge" and put on the "wilderness of knowledge" outfit that she had found long ago.
Then the two used "invisibility" and each used their own methods to sneak into Count Vincent's house.
A demigod-level "invisibility technique" can last for several hours unless one actively uses extraordinary abilities.
Furthermore, they can use witchcraft to eliminate their own sound and avoid making any noise.
As one of the nobles of Backlund, Count Vincent was protected by the Church of the Night, which sent a Sequence 6 and several lower-sequence Beyonders.
The Vincent family also has some extraordinary members, and they have hired some extraordinary bodyguards.
However, they were only at the Sequence 5 level at most, so they couldn't detect that two demigods had already infiltrated.
Soon, Odis and Bernadette found Alexis and followed the nobleman silently, observing his every move.
In appearance, Alexis looks a bit like Count Vincent, but seems to be more wiry than the old count.
After observing for a while, Odis commented that he was "efficient and decisive," suggesting he was a rather intelligent nobleman.
They observed until the afternoon but found nothing unusual. Moreover, from Alexis's conversation with those around him, they learned that he was busy with work today and did not have time to study the telegraph machine.
So, around 3 p.m., Odis and Bernadette left Count Vincent's house and returned to the embassy.
As Odis took off his wizard's robe, he said, "I'll observe that girl named Nicola again tomorrow."
Bernadette hummed in agreement, clearly intending to go along as well.
After quickly changing his clothes, Odis said, "I thought at noon that I could record my observations of Alexis and Nicola as supplementary material."
It was at that time that he realized that these two young people, having encountered such an extraordinary event, would surely experience significant changes in their fate in the near future, which aligned with his observation criteria.
Bernadette didn't say anything, clearly thinking there was nothing wrong with what Odis did.
So Odis went to the office again, and just as he was about to finish making some simple notes, he found a letter on his desk.
Upon opening it, I found it was from Boatswain Salina. Salina had been on duty at Cruz Island recently, and the reason she suddenly wrote was that "Admiral Disease" had come this morning and hoped to meet with "Admiral Mystery".
Previously, "General of Disease" Tracy had proposed a collaboration to Odis, but when Odis learned that the terms they offered were not attractive to either her or Bernadette, she deliberately ignored "General of Disease" and never contacted her again.
After glancing at the letter briefly, Odis handed it to Bernadette, who was standing nearby, and then calmly took out his notebook to record what he had observed that day.
After he finished writing, Bernadette handed the letter back to him: "What are your plans?"
"It mainly depends on their sincerity," Odis said with a smile. "If they're not sincere, there's no need to continue the discussion."
Bernadette had no objections.
Odis glanced at the clock; it was already past four. He then got up and told his secretary, Erica, that he had to go out that evening and that the kitchen didn't need to prepare his dinner.
He was using this method to tell the embassy officials that he wouldn't be at the embassy that evening.
Afterwards, Odis returned to her room and rode in the "pumpkin carriage" that Bernadette had "recreated" to reach the island of Crus.
In his spacious office on Cruz Island, Odis had his secretary summon Bella, who was now in charge of the office's operations. Bella had previously been Mandy's assistant and was now capable of handling things on her own, while Mandy spent most of her time in Vote State.
Bella reported on the recent situation on Cruz Island. First, the gun factory was completed, and because the pirates' demand was so great, the orders were already booked until next month.
She asked if the gun factory should be expanded further.
Odis said, "No need. We'll consider expansion after the orders are booked for two months."
This is tantamount to actively creating scarcity.
In addition, given the number of pirates, the market will be saturated in a year at most. At that time, although bullets can still be sold, the demand for production will not be as great as it is now, so there is no need to blindly expand production capacity.
After receiving clear instructions, Bella continued to report downwards, and other construction work was also progressing steadily. By next month at the latest, all of Cruz Island's production capacity would be several times greater than before the Pirate Conference.
After Bella left, Odis had his secretary summon Salina to inquire about the situation in the port town.
After the pirate convention ended, the pirates all heard about the paradise-like Cruz Island, and even now, many pirates still come here to sell stolen goods or spend money.
Although the number of visitors is only about one-third of that during the Pirate Convention, it is enough to become the economic pillar of Crusade Island.
Especially after small and medium-sized pirate groups came to the port town to sell their stolen goods, Odis had a steady supply of various goods in his possession.
This saved Votee a great deal of money and costs. If it weren't for the concern about commercial prosperity, Odis would have planned to dump all these goods into Votee, in which case prices would have been at most a third of what they are now.
However, such prices are definitely somewhat distorted; things that can be looted from the sea are very cheap, while things that cannot be looted are still very expensive.
The scrolls, "energy storage crystals," and magical medicines are selling very well. Odis roughly calculated that the current income of Cruz Island is basically equivalent to half of the fiscal income of Remburg.
However, Cruz Island is not even as large as the entire canton of Rembrandt, making it a true economic miracle.
Odis planned to save up a little more before spending as much money as possible.
After finishing his daily affairs, Odis inquired about the "General of Disease".
It was already dusk, and Tracy had been waiting all day, showing no sign of leaving.
Odis then had Salina call Tracy over. Sitting on the sofa, feeling bored, Bernadette, who was invisibility, straightened up and immediately perked up.
Upon meeting, Tracy, who possessed a somewhat aloof demeanor, immediately used her "charming" abilities: "I thought I wouldn't be able to wait for you today."
Having become a demigod, Odis was no longer affected by the other party's "charm": "Please sit."
The two sat on the sofa, while Bernadette sat quietly not far away. She slowly turned her head and looked at the full-length mirror at the entrance of the spacious office.
A beautiful figure flashed by.
Tracy was completely unaware of the "mysterious queen's" presence. She was somewhat surprised to see Odis's indifferent expression, but still said in a seductive tone and gesture, "I've been waiting for your news ever since our last conversation."
Odis shook his head and said, "I don't feel any sincerity in your cooperation."
Tracy paused for a moment, as if she suddenly understood what Odis meant. She quickly put on a charming smile and began to unbutton her clothes, saying, "I'm here to show our sincerity. Don't move, leave everything to me."
Odis glanced furtively in Bernadette's direction and gestured toward Tracy: "Believe it or not, if you take off your clothes now, you'll die a horrible death."