Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

Just as Lotin had predicted, after personally confirming it, the two empresses, who had initially appeared indifferent, now looked troubled. The unprecedented collapse and contamination had plunged them into a subtle anxiety.

In an effort to avoid civil war, the Twin Queens have taken the toughest measures possible against the remnants of the Witch King's forces, but they have still not been completely eradicated. The Witch King's magic and political legacy still cast a thick shadow over the country.

They all knew that resurrecting the Witch King at this time would have devastating consequences, but they still hesitated and wavered. They knew that if Letania wanted to avoid both civil war and annihilation at the same time, it had to rely on the power of Lothin.

"Please do not hesitate to ask for any assistance you require, Lord Nautilus. We will do our best to help you."

Herlinmat seemed more stern and ruthless, but in some ways she was better at reading people than Ivignad. She vaguely realized that Letania, like Iberia at that time, was on the verge of collapse, and that natural disasters and man-made calamities could tear this loose confederation apart at any moment.

Chapter 279: Neither Dust Shadow nor Echo

"The remnants of the Witch King's faction couldn't have left themselves no backup plan, could they?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have the extra energy to pay attention to these resets. I need to enter the wasteland immediately to check on the Witch King's situation."

Since Helinmat had offered assistance with a fairly sincere attitude, Lotin decided not to beat around the bush. The destructive power of these remnants of the Witch King was not as great as the demons that could breach the Eternal Palace at any time, but he couldn't just leave them alone. So, he felt it was time to have his hunters deal with some prey that he couldn't attend to.

"However, after Syracuse gained independence, safely opening a passage to the wasteland was itself a huge risk."

Ivignad responded to Lotin's request with a troubled expression. To safely open the passage to the Wasteland, it was necessary to activate a massive spell array that was cast over the entirety of Letania—the Golden Melody. It was a set of laws that laid the foundation for Letania, a long melody, and a complex Originium Arts spell.

After Syracuse gained independence, its spellcasting framework became incomplete, and the White Queen feared that forcibly driving the incomplete Golden Melody to open the passage to the wasteland would have devastating consequences.

"Ha, is it because Letania's proud Golden Melody has become incomplete? Indeed, playing the distorted Golden Melody and using it to open the connection to the wasteland will cause the wasteland to overflow, but we don't have time to conquer Syracuse first."

Lotin clearly remembered that in the original storyline, a Sarkaz person with a more flexible moral compass opened a passage connecting reality and the Wasteland by playing a distorted version of the Golden Melody. Ultimately, Helinmat sacrificed herself to stop the Wasteland from overflowing.

"Don't be afraid, Queens of Letania. I will stop the potential spillover of the wasteland. Compared to that, the demons that could wipe out the entire Letania are far more dangerous."

If the Eternal Palace falls, Letania will have to worry about more than just the leakage of the Wasteland. The demons that are trying to open new rifts are a greater threat than the potential leakage of the Wasteland.

“I know of some ancient behemoths that have the ability to prevent any potential risks in the process.”

Theoretically speaking, both Ji's needlework and Xi's painting have the ability to shut down the interface connecting to the desolate region.

"In that case, we will play the Golden Melody at the festival celebration to pave the way for you, but we must warn you beforehand, Lord Nautilus, that the former tyrant of Letania is not as easy to communicate with as we are. Even if you wish to join him in fighting against the evil, his arrogance and madness will make him difficult to cooperate with."

It seems that the White Queen Ivignad and the Black Queen Helimat are not entirely united. Lotin can see subtle differences in their attitudes. Clearly, Helimat's attitude is more pragmatic, while Ivignad is very reluctant for Lotin to learn about these sensitive political topics in Letania, adopting an attitude of not airing dirty laundry in public.

"Not everyone has the foresight to recognize the threat of evil. The Witch King went to one extreme, while being short-sighted and eager for quick success is another extreme."

Luo Ting retorted with a cold laugh and a sarcastic retort, although the heavy voice beneath the surface was so powerful that it was impossible to tell that it was laughter.

Honestly, Lotte felt that, compared to Margaret, Margaret was actually a sensible and good child, at least she could distinguish between what was truly important and what was urgent.

"Oh, right, remember to pay special attention to a Sakota named Arturo; she's not exactly a peaceful person."

Loting detested these kinds of pure-blooded fun-seekers who couldn't distinguish between situations. Such people would act recklessly without considering the consequences. Therefore, Loting was both reminding the Twin Queens and pointing out the prey to his hunters.

In 1099, a year in which great events occurred in Letania, he remembered that the bloodline of the Witch King still flowed in Sheviheim.

"Lauren Tina, could you please go to a city called Shevheim and keep an eye on two people for me?"

"If Greta is willing, let her go help too; she hasn't paid her taxes yet."

Given Laurentina and Gretina's current strength after being upgraded by Skadi, there is no way that anything in Sheviheim could threaten them.

The system chat interface ensured that the information exchanged between Loting and the hunters was absolutely secret, while Skadi needed to enter the wasteland with Loting, and Loting needed a large group of them as a safety net.

"As you wish, my dear."

In the system chat interface, Laurentina can use sweet nicknames without any restraint. After all, besides Lotin, there are only three people in this channel: herself, Skadi, and the Doctor. Lotin can even use his consciousness to condense some specific images in this channel—such as the two Caprini boys, Black Key and White Chalk.

"As long as these two are alive and do not fall into the hands of the Witch King's remnants, immediately."

Loting's implication was simply to have Laurentina and Gretia keep a close watch on the two without contacting them, in case the Queen's voice had any oversights. Keeping a close eye on these two was mainly to prevent the Witch King from being suddenly pulled back to reality from the wasteland, which could lead to the sudden collapse of the Eternal Palace.

If nothing unexpected happens, the people of Rhodes Island will also come to their aid. The hunters of Rhodes Island only need to stay in the shadows as a precaution, and avoiding contact will allow them to remain more concealed.

Meanwhile, in Seviheim, another music capital of Letania, a renowned musician was asked to temporarily change the piece he had composed.

This year was supposed to be a farewell concert for musician Czerny, but the authorities asked him to change it to a celebration of his victory over the sea monster.

"It truly shames me. The mysterious Agor has shielded civilization from a century of calamity. The Iberian Punishment Army and the soldiers of Yan are both swearing to defend their homeland to the death. The Emperor's blade is prepared for mutual destruction. The knights of Kazimir, led by the young king, have performed acts of chivalry. Even the tyrannical army of Sarkaz has performed acts of righteousness at this time!"

"But what about Letania? Our proud music has fallen silent amidst the crashing waves! King Law Guard has not even left the palace, not even stepping outside the border!"

"If you have your reasons, then shut up and enjoy the peace brought by the sacrifices. How shameless it is to celebrate and flaunt it like this!"

The one who uttered such a shameful roar was none other than Czerny. This rugged Caprini man with a monocle and fiery red hair simply could not pour his emotions into this far-fetched musical theme. Such a forced acceptance of honors that did not belong to him completely extinguished his creative passion.

"I refuse to act! I refuse!"

This unique artistic tenacity and pride made Czerny unwilling to lower himself to conform to the authorities' intentions.

"Unless I continue with my original farewell performance, at worst, there will be no Czerny in the Sunset District."

The agent looked troubled, unsure how to explain this to the lord—who was a fervent fan of Czerny.

Thus, when Gretia, who was originally very interested in land music, arrived here, she only witnessed a riot that could only be described as a disaster.

Chapter 280: Lady Gargamel

"So, why is this Sarkaz man following us?"

Unlike Laurentina, Goredia wasn't very familiar with W, so she naturally didn't know what use this Sarkaz person, who seemed quite weak to her, was.

"She herself suggested coming to Shevheim with us. She seems to have become quite motivated since Agor left."

Laurentina had been keeping an eye on this Sarkaz who mostly waved flags; she'd been a little too obedient lately.

Admittedly, Laurentina did not doubt her current loyalty, but this person's fiery and impatient personality was not so easy to change. She guessed that this Sarkaz wanted to show off in front of Lotin and also planned to take this opportunity to vent some of the pressure he was under.

"Let me make this clear beforehand, Sarkaz: if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need our protection, you know what the consequences will be."

Having W accompany them wasn't originally part of Loting's plan; it was something she volunteered for. Although Loting's agreement meant he judged W wouldn't at least cause trouble, Laurentina still felt it necessary to give this energetic Sarkaz a heads-up.

"Of course, of course, I can take care of myself, and I am more familiar with the habits of land dwellers."

W's eyebrows twitched stiffly. These Agorians were undoubtedly true monsters, and no matter how arrogant she was, she wouldn't be foolish enough to compare herself to these superhuman beings. But she was still confident that she could take care of herself in Letania.

As for her boasting about being a land expert in front of the two Agorians, that was just putting on a brave face. As a former Sarkaz mercenary wandering the wilderness, she didn't know enough about Letania to be a guide for Laurentina and the others. Therefore, Laurentina's suspicious look made her break out in a cold sweat.

"Lord Nautilus reminded us that Lady Gertrude, the lord here, is quite interested in the descendants of the Witch King and is conducting some kind of research. In order to ensure that the Witch King continues to stay in his fortified palace, we need to keep a close watch on their every move."

“Those two Caprini, one black and one white, are too fragile, and to make matters worse, they are descendants of the Witch King. This is a real problem.”

"Fortunately, we don't need to deal with them directly, which makes things less troublesome."

Laurentina coldly observed the restless, chaotic crowd. An arrogant composer had disrupted the authorities' celebration schedule, causing chaos throughout the Sunset District square, which made her sigh, "Land people are truly inefficient and barbaric."

"Shark, aren't you curious how Nautilus found out about this?"

Regarding the solution to the Haisi problem, Goredia could tell herself that it was because Lotin and the Great Group had a 60-year-old feud, so he had been monitoring and planning all along. But how could he possess such intelligence about a non-capital city of such an ordinary land country?

This made Grandia very curious about Lotin's repeated prophetic abilities, but the next second, Laurentina's expression turned serious and terrifying, and Grandia sensed a kind of fanatical blind faith in it.

“I am not curious, Swordfish. Lord Nautilus’s judgment has led us to victory after victory, and I trust his judgment.”

"Perhaps it's because Lord Nautilus has walked this land long enough."

"Just like that seemingly omniscient Dr. Kal'tsit."

Laurentina's implication was that Gladys should not try to uncover the secrets Nautilus had not shared with them, as that would only complicate matters and make things more difficult to understand. What they needed to do was trust Nautilus's judgment.

Laurentina, who had once been forced to peek into Loting's memories protected by the system, vaguely sensed that Loting was keeping a secret, and she chose to keep this secret with Loting.

“I won’t ask that question again, shark.”

Grandia broke out in a cold sweat at the sudden, maniacal smile on Laurentina's face. In that moment, she realized that Laurentina was different from her. She only had a good impression of Lotin and shared interests, while Laurentina's feelings for Lotin were a passionate and unwavering devotion—which probably went beyond a normal romantic relationship.

"Speaking of which, is that the local lord?"

Grandia turned her attention to the purple-haired Rupert woman on the platform, who looked irritable. Rupert had very dark circles under her eyes, clearly a severe insomniac. She looked around and complained to her subordinates.

"That should be it."

Because Laurentina was in the system chat channel, she was able to share a simulated portrait of Lord Gertrude Strolo of Shayheim from Lotin.

“Killing her directly might be the easier way, but that would just cause all the small scaled beasts to run away.”

Although Laurentina is no longer insane, the destructive urges deep within her still coexist with her. Any enemy designated by Loting will be relentlessly pursued by this dangerous shark.

"It would be best to get her to reveal more information before killing her. Anyway, the Gemini Queen was going to send the Queen God to deal with this fool who seems to have conducted forbidden research. It would be even more perfect if the Queen's people did it in the end."

Hearing this, W was somewhat disappointed. She had originally thought that this time she could carry out some exciting activities such as assassinating the lord, but in the end she still had to use someone else to do the dirty work. The thought that the other party might die without knowing why made W feel that she had lost a lot of the fun of making the enemy impotently furious.

Unfortunately, at this time, Ms. Gertrude was still unaware of the misfortune that was about to befall her. As Czerny's biggest sponsor and number one fan, she was extremely annoyed that Czerny refused to cooperate with the authorities in performing. Under normal circumstances, she would have used her power to help Czerny solve such a small problem, but this time was different.

"Damn it, why are they so strict about this far-fetched victory commemoration-themed music festival?"

She was clearly aware of her ongoing research into the Witch King's legacy, a research that, if discovered, would be a capital offense. Insisting on disobeying orders and yielding to Czerny would only expose her to unnecessary attention, thus putting her in a dilemma.

She always fantasized that if she could help Czerny solve some of his political troubles, she could gain his approval, but unfortunately, she and Czerny were simply not on the same page.

She tried her best to control her composure, because there was a "distinguished guest" she had invited with her. In public, she referred to the dark-haired young Caprini as "Count Utica," who was already in a bad mood because of Czerny's refusal to perform.

“Count Utica, things have become a bit complicated. Please bear with me a little longer.”

Count Utica, a down-on-his-luck count nicknamed "the drunkard," is someone that no one else can understand why Lady Gertrude would specifically invite. Only she and the remnants of the Witch King know that this person is a descendant of the Witch King and possesses the Witch King's magical gift, "The Voice of the Mortal World," which is precisely the subject of her research.

"If I had known, I would have gone to find Clyde (Calmite) first."

The boy, known as Count Utica, follows his heart's impulses amidst his confusion. People like him, with their complicated backgrounds, have few friends, and Clyde is his only close confidant. This poor companion is probably currently taking his infected grandfather to Rhodes Island for treatment.

To be honest, he didn't trust Rhodes Island. While their services to the infected weren't exactly unprofitable, they were still too generous, and unprovoked generosity always aroused suspicion in those with a discerning mind.

He was terrified that the poor boy would be taken advantage of by Rhodes Island under the guise of kindness and gentleness.

"If the performance doesn't begin soon, I think I may have to excuse myself, Your Lordship."

"Count Utica," the boy whose real name was Franz, was about to leave. Gertrude wanted to persuade him to stay, but ultimately gave up.

Because she would also like to see this imprisoned nobleman play with his best friend. The two descendants of the witch king, who possess the "earthly voice," would resonate with each other, which was exactly the result she wanted to see. This would provide her with an unprecedented case study for her research.

In the end, Franz went to find his best friend, and Czerny's concert was canceled. The sleepless and exhausted Gertrude returned to the manor under the protection of her guards. The hunters and W concealed their presence well, and no one discovered their whereabouts. If all went well, they would be able to capture the lord alive.

"It seems you all are plotting something extraordinary."

Under the moonlight, a fallen angel with tattered wings looked down at the two hunters, holding an exaggeratedly shaped, openwork violin in her arms, desperately maintaining an air of ease.

The Sarkaz was alright, but the two Agorians exuded an extremely dangerous aura—the aura of behemoths, the blood of hunters, and the patina of brass. They were beings she couldn't confront head-on.

Poor W was momentarily panicked by this, but she quickly recovered. She just remembered one of the few movies she had ever seen—a movie that depicted how the Sarkaz female killer hunted down the Sarkaz and took their horns as wind chimes. The dangerous aura of this woman sent chills down W's spine.

Chapter 281: Mischievous Tutu

"Sarkata XX, I never expected to run into him in a place like this, what bad luck."

W seemed oblivious to her own over-excitement, excitedly spewing out Sarkaz profanities that would make Theresa's expression change drastically—words that W used to use but hadn't uttered for a long time thanks to Theresa's corrections.

The Sakota woman simply leaped lightly off the wall, observing the three suspicious individuals, like herself, who were stealthily roaming the streets late at night.

To be honest, I originally just came to visit my students.

This depraved Sakorta woman did not believe she had come here to get involved in some shady conspiracy; she was simply curious about the hardships and misfortunes her ill-fated, impoverished student would face.

'Originally, I just wanted to see what kind of research this ambitious lord was conducting. I didn't expect to meet someone else who shared my interest in her. Putting aside the Sarkaz, those two Agorians were so powerful I didn't even consider them human.'

How intriguing! What kind of symphony would the emotions of such a person evoke?

After her thoughts were stirred, she tried to play a piece, as if she could use music to peer into a person's memory and heart instead of words, in order to figure out the intentions of Laurentina and the others.

"Latland's wanted criminal Arturo."

W, who wasn't in the system chat channel, naturally didn't know that the person in front of her was Arturo, a wanted criminal from Laterano, the dangerous individual that Lotin mentioned might affect the performance of the Golden Melody. However, Laurentina knew everything about him.

The tides surged deep into the land, far from the ocean, and the monstrous sharks that served Nautilus wielded their circular saws, rushing towards the Sakotas known as Arturo in the blink of an eye. Before the creatures' harmful instincts could react, the gleaming circular saws had already touched the violin in Arturo's hands.

Before the music even started, Laurentina, the wildly energetic dancer, had already brought the dance to a close.

Before Arturo could even touch the strings and produce the first note, her usual tool for committing crimes had already split into two separate parts in an instant.

"Can you play the sound of the surging sea, Sakota? You've never even heard the sound of the sea with your own ears."

The dangers of Arturo and how to deal with them were all things that Lotin had instructed her about in advance in the system chat interface. This dangerous Sarkazan could amplify someone's emotional impulses through her Originium Arts, causing that person or those people to fall into a state of frenzy.

“When will the Vatican hire Agor bounty hunters again, and even venture deep into Letania to capture me?”

Laurentina's understanding of Arturo led her to a misunderstanding—she believed these people were after her.

“That’s right, the Vatican would never send a Sarkaz mercenary to arrest me.”