Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

"Let's invite our great guardians of the deep sea to dance."

Goredia's eyes met Lotin's without her noticing, but his gaze was cold and uninteresting. This made Goredia's emotions even more chaotic, as if her pride and arrogance had been struck hard by Nautilus's anchor.

“Miss Consul, I already have an appointment. I’m attending this ball for my Laurentina.”

Lotin immediately noticed that Gladys seemed to have dressed up meticulously for some purpose. She wore a deep blue, full-length dress with strangely patterned trim. Her beautiful silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her smooth, jade-like skin was exposed under the light. The dress hugged her slender yet strong waist, clearly outlining the lines of her muscles—a mark of her hunter's life.

The ghostly indigo shadow—Gredia was indeed beautiful, but Lotin still had no other interest in this consul.

How could Lotin not have guessed that Heratia would use his daughter as a bargaining chip and a gift?

He didn't believe that Gladys wouldn't rebel against her mother. He could see that Gladys used alcohol to escape her inner torment, but that didn't mean that Lotin would abandon his lover for no reason to comfort someone who was merely a partner and ally.

"Swordfish, what happened?"

Laurentina also immediately noticed that Gladys was extremely depressed; helplessness and despair had left this extremely resilient and ruthless hunter at a loss.

"Shark, could you lend me Lord Nautilus? Even just for the time it takes to dance."

After a moment of silence, Goredia forced herself to say those words.

Even at the urging of her closest friends and blood relatives, Laurentina was still unwilling to easily give up Lotin, and she said with difficulty:

"I'm actually not really willing, but it depends on what you think, darling."

Lotin spoke, and this was the first time Goredia had seen this man's expression; his eyes were deep and full of vigilance.

“Our relationship isn’t that close, is it, Governor Goredia?”

What do you want from me?

Lotin toyed with Laurentina's hair, not even glancing at Gretia.

"Do you want to tie me to Agor, or is it that you can use this to make up for the affirmation you lacked from your mother?"

"You'd go to the trouble of interrupting your friends' happy time just to invite me to dance..."

"I want to rebel against that woman, I want to leave that suffocating home."

"But I failed."

Despite becoming a deep-sea hunter, Gladys did not have everything firmly under her control as she had thought.

"If your only goal is to rebel against your mother, why not simply pay a tithe to make your wish?"

Lotin chuckled softly, still showing no strong interest in Gretia.

"The freedom you desire, I cannot give it to you. What meaning does it hold for you to go from one suffocating place to another?"

Lotin gently took Laurentina's hand; the nun who belonged only to her was still so radiant.

"Excuse me, I need to go and finish a dance with my Laurentina."

Goredia was rejected. She sat down awkwardly next to Skadi.

What Heratia gave her could not be called a home.

So she needed to find a place she could call "home," and someone she could call "family"—Agor. She made up her mind; she would search; and she did.

However, her blood relatives all found new homes, and they all indulged in Nautilus's pampering and protection.

Grandia envied and longed for that sense of security and acceptance. She craved recognition and love, which was exactly what she had lacked since childhood.

She watched Lotin and Laurentina dance, and she admitted that they were such a perfect match. Even someone as strong as Lotin could so readily give his body to Laurentina.

"Swordfish, swordfish?"

Skadi waved her hand in front of Gladys. She had never seen Gladys looking so aggrieved and lost in thought, but this had indeed happened.

Laurentina caught a glimpse of Gretia's expression out of the corner of her eye, and whispered to Lotin:

"The swordfish's eyes seem to be getting interesting. Aren't you interested at all?"

"Let's wait until she figures out what she really wants first."

“I think she will try to go further. I don’t really want Swordfish to become like this. Her helplessness also breaks my heart.”

"Won't you be jealous, my Laurentina?"

"Of course I'm jealous, but when it comes to blood relatives, I can still make a little concession."

Laurentina had the same attitude towards Skadi. She would help Lotin get what he wanted and wouldn't mind sharing it with her blood relatives. Grandia had the qualities to pique Lotin's interest, but she needed a catalyst to ignite it.

“She’s just as dishonest as Skadi was back then. How about we finish this dance and then see what our Lady of the Regent really thinks.”

With Lotin's power, fulfilling Goddess's small wish would have been a piece of cake, but Goddess did not choose to make a deal with a tithe; instead, she invited him to dance.

Lotin was examining Gretia, trying to determine the extent of her desire and despair, and whether it was enough for him to offer her extra care and protection.

However, for now, Lottin prefers to focus his attention on his dance partner, enjoying the touch and breath of Laurentina, a perfect dance partner and teacher who captivates him.

Chapter 270: The Hunter Deeply Trapped

Swordfish, are you drunk?

Because all the food in the vicinity had been eaten up, Skadi had to temporarily stop enjoying her hometown's cuisine and wait for her cooking assistant to prepare new food.

Agor people's meals at work can be extremely pragmatic, filled with plenty of nutritional pastes and extracts, but when they are in their leisure and public life, their meals go to another sophisticated extreme.

Therefore, even small, self-regulating machines require a lot of time to prepare.

"You shouldn't get drunk unless you're specifically trying to escape something from it."

Skadi, who had already ascended to become the ruler of the great group, knew very well the extent to which the gift she had given to the Deepsea Hunters had accelerated their physical development. The only reason why Goreia was intoxicated could be because of this.

“That’s true, now it’s even less likely to hide it from you, Orca.”

Goredia's emotions had become slightly more stable than before, so her drunkenness gradually subsided as her will to drink diminished.

"Why did you suddenly have this idea? And why Nautilus?"

Skadi didn't find anything special about Lotin and Graceia's interactions these past few days that could have captivated Graceia, which was completely different from her long-term relationship with Laurentina and Lotin.

Skadi felt that this was the result of Gladys's emotional outburst, which was completely different from the extremely rational Gladys she usually was.

“If you want to rebel against your mother, you can pay a gold coin and you will gain true freedom. If you want to find a partner, you have no reason to choose Nautilus—and I don’t believe you, Swordfish, would be so hasty in choosing your other half.”

Compared to Laurentina, Skadi's words were more straightforward, and she pointed out the confusion and contradictions in Grandia's heart more openly.

Grandia's impulse is actually quite complex. Her Deepsea Hunter blood relatives are the only family she currently acknowledges, and she doesn't want to lose this bond. On the other hand, she is somewhat envious of the happiness that Skadi and Laurentina have found.

Feeling empty and lonely, Goredia didn't know what she wanted, and she desperately wanted to find new support when she realized that her long-standing rebellion against her mother had been in vain, which led her to impulsively take this step.

When people don't have to face life-or-death situations, they will more or less show their softer side.

"Nautilus was a hedgehog for a long time."

“The old Nautilus would never have shed his outer shell like this. Back then, he seemed to be wary of the whole world until we rescued Laurentina.”

"Lauren Tina's fervent dependence and love under the influence of her female personality led him to open his heart to someone for the first time."

"After that, he developed a particular fondness for girls like Laurentina. During that time, he spent every day with sharks, even more so than he does now."

Greta listened with great interest as Skadi recounted their stories with Lotin, while Skadi watched Lotin and Laurentina dance together. Ah, she'd find a way to get more out of her own time alone with Lotin.

“Gradually, I became dissatisfied with simply enjoying Nautilus’s protection as an ally. I envied how happy the shark always seemed and hoped to enjoy more like her. Hunters who are far from home and all alone all share the same desire—a safe haven. Nautilus is the lighthouse that appears at such times, indicating that there is indeed a warm and safe haven in the waters.”

“Nautilus accepted me, and I can sit on his shoulders like a shark and talk with him all night long.”

"Swordfish, you are lucky. He gradually grew stronger and became more satisfied with us. After personally ending the Fool's, he was no longer a curled-up hedgehog."

Skadi survived her most dangerous and difficult period during her travels with Lotin. If Lotin hadn't found her on the beach, she might have been brainwashed by Isamara long ago, instead of turning the tables and devouring Isamara as she is now.

"Orca, are you trying to persuade me to give up or are you trying to drag me onto a sinking ship?"

Grandia seemed to have returned to her former self, completely at ease with everything. Originally, she had only approached Loting based on a vague impulse, but now she was genuinely interested in him. She was curious about what kind of sense of security would turn her hunters into his hunters.

Moreover, Lotin's merciless rejection ignited Gretia's pride and arrogance, and the competitive spirit that followed.

"It's up to you, Swordfish."

Skadi pursed her lips and then buried her head in enjoying the new food that her helper had brought her.

At that moment, Lotin and Laurentina were holding hands and chatting happily as they returned to Skadi's side.

Lotin noticed that Gladys had reverted to the more familiar consul lady he knew—strong and composed—so he asked:

Have you made up your mind yet?

"please?"

Grandia stood up. She was quite tall, about the same height as Lotin, who was amplified by the [Heart Steel], and her words carried the same playful tone as when they first met.

Lotin was certain that Goredia had regained consciousness, and now the governor was driven by a competitive spirit and curiosity, launching an attack with arrogance and dominance as his weapons.

"I can't dance, but luckily Laurentina and I have good chemistry, and she's an excellent dance teacher."

Luo Ting deliberately waved his hand.

"The shark dance was learned from me."

Grétia's smugness was palpable; she cast aside her pain and struggles, letting her inner curiosity and impulses drive her body.

"Then let's dance."

Loting placed his hand in hers; her hand was cold and damp to the touch, just like the hand Loting had inside this body.

"Skadi told me you were a rather strong person, but I never expected you to just give yourself to me like this."

Greta gazed at Lotin with her ruby-like eyes, and Lotin replied:

"I never try to be a hero in areas where I'm not good at it."

True hunters often appear as prey, and Lotin is no exception.

“You’re a terrible dance partner. Laurentina spoils you too much. You almost stepped on my foot just now.”

"The Consul's standards for dance partners don't seem to be very strict."

Lotin smiled dismissively, observing Greta's reaction; she gave him the feeling of a larger version of Skadi.

Biskati is more rational and more stubborn.

"You should thank Laurentina. I don't get to see myself like this all the time."

"This might be the last time you see it in your life."

Lotin admired Goredia's dancing skills and was willing to temporarily become Goredia's puppet.

Passionate dance and cold person—two contradictory things coexisted in Greta. Her generous, fervent, and unrestrained rhythm led Lotin to admit that she was indeed Laurentina's dance teacher.

"Yes, I've always been curious about what kind of sailor our team's little mermaid encountered."

Grandia had a strange feeling. Even though she was in control of everything, it all seemed to be going too smoothly.

“You know that your mother’s actions will harm Agor, and personal feelings cannot safeguard the interests of a country.”

Lotin knew, of course, that Heratia had no other options at the time and resorted to this tactic, but it was still unreliable and would definitely arouse Lotin's disgust and aversion.

"But you still believe that not doing so would be a betrayal of your responsibility to Agor."

“But you have already done enough for Agor, and Agor doesn’t need your pointless sacrifices now.”

Lotin was telling the truth. The threat of Agor had been eliminated, and Heratia's methods were doomed to fail. Rather than dedicating oneself to such a meaningless sacrifice, it would be better to think about how to enrich one's life after the hero's triumphant return.

Perhaps this is what Gretia was waiting for—to hear those words from someone who truly understands her. She had already sacrificed herself for Agor once, and besides, Heratia's actions were playing with fire. If she truly wanted to take responsibility for Agor, she should have resolutely opposed her mother's plan.

Loting's behavior was enough to prove that he understood her feelings; she needed a way to reconcile with herself, and Loting gave her that way.

Even more coincidentally, Lotin's status as the one who threatens to end the Seachilds, and Agor's savior and guide, gives him the right to say this.

Lotin had already shown his willingness to help her rebel against her mother, whether in the form of a tithe or something else, and the desperate and helpless Goredia grasped at a straw.

“A very enchanting dance, Gretia.”

After the music and dance ended, Loting highly praised the beautiful hunter and her dance.

Grandia noticed that Lotin's address had changed from "Miss Consul" to "Grandia," which made her feel that she had successfully made the man fall for her—perhaps this was just a bit of a strong woman's competitive spirit.

But besides Loting, who else on the scene could so arouse her interest and ignite her competitive spirit?

This is certainly not just because of so-called competitiveness.

"Ah, I mean, don't misunderstand, Miss Consul."

Lotin put on the brass diving suit, which subtly changed his demeanor, making him more mysterious and cold, yet also giving him a more honest and gentle feel. He carried Skadi and Laurentina on his shoulders, and held the Doctor in his hands, as they headed to the theater for the opera performance.