Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

However, the current focus of Dr. and Precyth's research is still on limiting the biological infectivity of Originium. Fortunately, this work is not difficult and does not take too much time.

For the Terrans, both carrots and sticks are necessary; this is a favor promised to the Terrans, and also a small help to make Terran civilization more effective.

“I plan to go back to Granfalo and build a house by the sea there.”

"In that case, it can be considered a proper ending."

In fact, Lotin had many places to stay. The temple in Yan Kingdom had been repaired, and the Demon King's Palace in Kazdel was not drafty. There was also a private room on Rhodes Island that he and the Doctor had designed together.

With the help of teleportation and the Mountain and Sea Scroll, Lotin could easily travel between the two ends of Terra. Therefore, there was no particular consideration in choosing a permanent residence. Choosing Granfalo, where the Fool set sail, was simply the result of Lotin following his strongest intuition.

The bronze giant carried his hunters across Iberia, which had been rebuilt from ruins. As they entered the city, Lotin shed his outer shell. This was not only because his physical strength was now comparable to that of a typical deep-sea hunter, but also because the Inquisition would secretly dispatch teams of judges to protect him in Iberia.

Nautilus, the Titan of the Deep Sea, is the living saint of Iberia, a fact clearly stated in black and white in the new doctrines and laws of the Inquisition and the newly reorganized Iberian state religion.

However, this also led to some religious gatherings that could disrupt the daily lives of locals when Lotin appeared in Iberia with the default Nautilus skin, so Lotin chose to remove the skin and walk the streets of Iberia.

After all, he helped Iberia resolve the threat of the sea that had plagued Iberia for over thirty years since the Great Tranquility, and would continue to protect Iberia, while the reward he asked for was merely one gold coin per person per year, and even a "Notiles tax" with a starting point based on income, as well as offerings from the Tribunal and the New Iberian State.

The land was reused, and the catch was once again transported from the ports to the interior. Iberia had never lived with such hope as it did today, so their worship and reverence for the deep-sea Titan Nautilus was only natural.

In the border city where he had hired the convoy, he met old Juan, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Juan now had a proper job and ran a musical instrument shop on the city street.

Old Juan had never seen Lotin inside the diving suit, but he recognized Laurentina and Skadi.

"Oh my, is it really you?"

Old Juan leaned close to Lottin's ear and whispered something. Lottin could tell he was very excited.

"I didn't expect you to still remember this slovenly old man."

Although Juan said this with self-deprecation, his current attire and demeanor have changed considerably with the improvement of his life and work.

"It's good that you know."

In the original work, this harp was a prop Skadi used to disguise herself while smuggling herself out, but at this point it is just a normal item for sale.

Skadi, who was standing next to him, also took an interest in the harp, so it became a gift from Lotin to Skadi.

"Please pack that harp for me, Mr. Juan."

Lotin took out several Iberian gold coins from the Mountain and Sea Scroll. This time, Juan no longer had to worry about not being able to find the change.

"Nautilus, there's no need to give it to me specifically..."

Although she said that, Skadi was secretly thrilled. She had received a gift from Lotin, and she was being treated like an ordinary girl by the person she loved, which was exactly what she had always longed for from Lotin.

Her life as a deep-sea hunter forced her to give up many things, and the failure of the deep-sea hunter project caused her to lose many things. However, Lotin gradually fulfilled her regrets and desires.

Skadi rushed forward and hugged Lotin tightly. Due to various interruptions, she could never have time alone with Lotin, which forced her to suppress her inner desires. This time, she would not let another woman get ahead of her, even if that person was her own blood relative.

"I'm glad you like it, Skadi."

Skadi clearly didn't intentionally restrain her strength; if it were Lotin's former frail form, she would probably have been crushed long ago.

Lotin is still able to withstand Skadi's enthusiastic embrace.

The fact that Luo Ting was not tied up with important matters also meant that the girls around him could compete for him more ruthlessly without worrying about interfering with his business. During this time, their long-suppressed possessiveness had accumulated to a certain point.

Grandia did feel a little annoyed by the cheesy scene, but when she looked at Laurentina, she realized that she was actually quite broad-minded and easygoing.

Laurentina exuded intense resentment. Like Laurentina during her nun days, she was praying and muttering to herself. Clearly, the friendship among the deep-sea hunters existed only as an unspoken bottom line at this moment, and above this line, Laurentina would not hesitate to confront them head-on.

“My arrogant blood relative, I was the one who gave everything to Lord Nautilus, I was the one Loting loved the most…”

Lotin simply reached out and stroked Laurentina's head.

“You have already received so much, my Laurentina.”

Luo Ting affectionately pinched the little face of this girl, who was perhaps the most special to him.

“This is unfair to Skadi.”

"Ah, since this is your will..."

Goredia felt a little sorry for Skadi back then. She wondered how Skadi had managed to put up with this crazy couple.

However, judging from the result, it seems that he couldn't stand it anymore and took matters into his own hands.

Fortunately, the doctor from Rhodes Island is currently staying at Rhodes Island and will not come over until Lotin has finished settling in Granfalo. Otherwise, Gladys could not imagine what a hellish scene that would be.

"and many more."

Grandia seemed to have discovered a blind spot. Even without the Doctor, her chances of winning were slim. If those dragon girls from Yan Kingdom continued to stick to Luo Ting's side, wouldn't her chances of winning against him become even slimmer?

Goredia recalled her bold statement at the ball that she would make Lotin fall in love with her, and now she felt a lot of pressure.

She felt she had to seize this window of opportunity, I guess...

Chapter 311: Wishes Fulfilled

Lotin could see road signs, eroded beyond recognition by the sea wind, being repaired. Caravans of trucks occasionally traversed the wilderness between settlements. The landscape of Granfalo came into view, including the Eye of Iberia, that magnificent tower.

After resolving the threat from the Sea Siblings, Lotin, at the request of the Tribunal, restored a portion of the elevated continental shelf, as they were no longer capable of constructing large-scale ports. In order to continue utilizing marine resources, they had to repair and put back into use the existing ports and shipyards.

However, this terrain modification was something that Luo Ting, under the [Mountain and Sea Scroll] skin, could accomplish with a simple gesture, so he did not demand any additional compensation from the court.

"Your Excellency Nautilus, it is Iberia's good fortune that you have chosen to settle here."

At the entrance to the town, Lotin's old friend Dario and his student Eleanor had been waiting for a long time. The court had entrusted him with full authority to make contact with Lotin.

"This is exactly where it all started for me."

What Lotin meant by this was that the court shouldn't overthink things; he chose to settle here simply because it was where everything began for him.

"Of course, I understand what you mean."

"The court will cover the costs of construction and renovation for you."

Upon hearing Dario's words, Lotin waved his hand, refusing the court's offer to cover the costs of building and renovating his residence.

“Grand Inquisitor Dario, I will not make demands on a country in dire need of rebuilding. I will bear all the costs myself. Those Iberian gold coins are no different from scrap metal to me. I will use them to pay.”

"If Iberia urgently needs other supplies, I can provide them to cover the costs of construction and procurement. Alternatively, a charitable fund can be established in the name of the living saint Nautilus."

In the Scroll of Mountains and Seas, Ya was looking after all the gold coins Luo Ting had earned by killing enemies, ranging from Victorian to Iberian. Luo Ting didn't need to let a country that had suffered thirty years of marine disasters and was almost on the verge of collapse spend money on his reconstruction. He really wasn't short of money.

He once vehemently denounced the greed of the old Iberia ruled by royalty, but he never took his anger out on ordinary Iberians. When the Great Quiet arrived, the nobles were terrified, and the state religion became a mere formality as Lateran stood by.

It was the Tribunal, which evolved from the separatists within the state religion, that turned the tide, tried those nobles who had betrayed their duty to protect the people, and organized a relatively effective resistance.

Those Iberians who, like him, suffered the calamity of the Great Tranquility yet still struggled to survive, were never the objects of his hatred. What he hated was the indifferent ship, and the greedy old Iberia that sent it out. He personally sank the former, and the latter was destroyed by the Inquisition and the Sea Kings.

"Thank you for your understanding and generosity, Your Excellency Nautilus."

Dario had already used his connections as Grand Inquisitor to connect Lotin with the best architects and construction contractors in Iberia. All Lotin needed to do was provide a sufficient budget, and they could provide any building for Lotin at the highest level achievable in Iberia.

Beside the pristine white sand beach, a white-walled manor is under construction. Because the budget provided by Loting is very generous, both the performance of the engineering equipment and the wages of the construction workers are high, so the construction is progressing quite quickly.

To alleviate the construction pressure, Luo Ting even personally participated in the construction using the [Shan Hai Hui Juan] skin. During this time, Nian even came to visit him, seemingly wanting to add some impromptu mechanisms to his residence, but Luo Ting sternly refused.

Thanks to the magical power of the [Mountain and Sea Scroll] skin in civil engineering, the construction of the manor itself was completed quickly. As for the interior, Loting only had one requirement: that it be beautiful and durable. He rejected any overly complicated and luxurious designs.

This typical Iberian-style manor includes three main buildings and a small beach, which Lotin specially prepared for his hunters. Lotin also reserved enough rooms for Laurentina, Skadi, and the Doctor to decorate according to their own preferences.

When the manor was completed, Saint Carmen also appeared in Granfalo and attended Lottin's private dinner in the small garden he had prepared.

"This is quite a low-key choice for you, Lord Nautilus."

"If I could enjoy a leisurely retirement like you, that would be a lucky ending."

Carmen, representing Iberia, came to congratulate Lotin on moving to his new home. He knew that Lotin did not intend to appear before the Terrans as Nautilus as often anymore, but he understood that this did not mean that Lotin would give up on the Terrans.

Under the symbol of Nautilus, he will continue to exert his influence on the Terran civilization as always.

"The storm that ravaged Iberia has subsided, so there is no need for you, Lady Carmen, to be so pessimistic."

“A good home is what you deserve, Lady Carmen.”

The only thing Lotin had under his default skin, besides the sailor uniform, was the banquet outfit that Laurentina had designed for him on Agor's self-service sewing machine.

This was the first time Carmen had seen Lotin in his diving suit. He had only seen Lotin during his sailor days in the archives of Old Iberia before the Great Quiet. He didn't seem nearly as melancholic as he did during his sailor days, but rather seemed even more unfathomable and unreachable.

Carmen felt as if she were facing not a "human", but a beast lord or a giant beast.

At this time, Nian, Ling, Xi, and Shu, who lived in the Twelve Towers and Five Cities, which were also built with the power of the [Scroll of Mountains and Seas Nautilus], arrived at Luo Ting's new residence through a landscape painting by Xi that hung in the main hall. Chong Yue was busy educating the incompetent chess player, while Ji insisted on guarding the case of Cha Jie in the Yan Kingdom.

They came not only as allies of Luoting, representing the Sui family, but also as representatives of the Yan Kingdom court, offering ceremonial congratulations.

"Your face is still the greatest. The imperial court is currently investigating the matter of Jie from back then. I have never seen those people so proactive before!"

Nian was naturally excited that her sister's wrongful conviction could be overturned. If there was anything she was unhappy about, it was that her sister Shu had come along. Speaking of which, Shu seemed to be worshipped as the goddess of harvest in the new state religion of Iberia, but the court respected Shu's wishes and tried to prevent their religious activities from disturbing her.

But for Nian, this meant that her plan to change the main course to hot pot at Loting's housewarming party would never succeed.

"You seem a little unhappy."

How could Luo Ting possibly hide Nian's little scheme from him? His Sichuan dialect was far more standard than his Iberian language, and he immediately realized that the girl wanted to eat hot pot at his housewarming party.

For Lotin now, eating is purely a form of entertainment and leisure. He has a very open attitude towards food, and he only follows the principle that "there is no fixed taste for food, no fixed method of cooking, and that which suits one's palate is precious" regardless of the country or type of food.

However, there were always some similar foods that could evoke some memories from his time travel. Habits from the first half of his life could not be changed. Before he traveled, he also enjoyed this kind of food.

"Oh, I just wanted to recommend some festive colors for the banquet."

In front of Luo Ting, Nian acted like a mischievous and spoiled junior, giving off a rather cheeky vibe, yet revealing a touch of playful cuteness.

Ah, isn't that a little devil?

"You're lucky to have me today. We'll be having hot pot for your housewarming party."

"really?"

Years later, he stared at Luo Ting with shining eyes. After living for so many years, this girl was still so childish in these aspects.

"Really?"

"Little New Year, don't cause trouble for Lord Gonggong."

Shu pulled Nian over, feeling that Nian's behavior was still too disrespectful and reckless.

"We are guests, so we should follow the host's lead. Besides, we also have guests from Rhodes Island, Kazdel, Agor, and Iberia coming. How can we only cater to your tastes?"

Margaret was too busy, so she only sent her congratulations. Lottin understood, since he was the one who had dumped all the daily affairs of Kazimierz on her.

"It's okay, Shu, I already said it's because of me."

When Luo Ting got to this point, Shu finally showed an expression of "I really can't do anything with this kid" and let Nian and Luo Ting go together to prepare the hot pot for the housewarming party. Anyway, it was Luo Ting's own banquet, so he could eat whatever he wanted. He hadn't invited anyone else, but he had also chosen to entertain the allies who had sent people.

"Should I also learn to act cute like Xiao Nian?"

Ling watched as Nian, beaming with joy, followed Luo Ting to prepare for the dinner party. He took a sip of his wine and said...

Chapter 312: I'm sorry, I already have plans.

Although Lotin did not actively invite these Terran nations, he did invite allies or comrades with whom he had a good relationship, and also received representatives from Terran nations who came with the intention of congratulating him. These representatives were familiar faces to Lotin.

Representing Agor was Consul Clementa, who brought with her some standard civilian-use self-regulating assistant machines. These assistants were perfect for serving as errand servants at the Lottin estate, which was their most common purpose in Agorian society.

Miss Devil was clearly attending a gathering on land for the first time, but her unfounded confidence, typical of the Agorians, made her feel neither embarrassed nor anxious.

Representing Kazdel was none other than Queen Quessina, a member of the Royal Council. As Margaret's close friend, she brought her congratulations. However, her motives might not be entirely pure. To her, Lotin was not only the Demon Lord she served, but also the benefactor who saved her from the cycle of sins of the Exorcist.

The Doctor also brought Precys and Amiya to Rhodes Island, while Kal'tsit stayed behind to guard Rhodes Island this time.

W, who was gathering key personnel to receive intelligence from Hedley, who had been transferred to the Ministry of Education, also put down her work and came to Lotin's manor in her personal capacity as the Demon King's standard-bearer. The first thing she saw was an Agorian stirring some kind of spicy oil on an open-air stove, while her advanced Originium explosives teacher, Ms. Nian, and the semi-materialized Theresa were helping out.

"Although he has no tail or horns, this must be Prince Nautilus."

The aroma of oils and various spices from Yan immediately attracted W, who had lived a life of hardship for most of her life. So much so that W didn't think much about why Lotin inside the shell could exhibit different racial characteristics. Instead, she directly adopted a "I'll sit at the children's table" attitude and sat down next to Amiya.

The preparation of ingredients went smoothly, as the largest seafood market in Iberia was just two blocks away, and the meat of the pack animals and the tusk animals could be easily found in Granfalo.

Loting hadn't eaten in a long time. Since eating was no longer a necessity for him, he had completely regarded eating as a pastime. He used his Originium Arts to light the stove, and the red butter hot pot broth was boiling in the casserole. Loting had at least considered the guests a little and prepared a half-and-half hot pot with a clear broth.

Because she had been spending a lot of time with Shu recently, she had been forced to eat a bland diet for a long time. Now she could finally eat spicy food to her heart's content. The same was true for Luo Ting. This was the most memorable taste of his hometown after he transmigrated – spicy, numbing, and fragrant.

It may not be the food that Loting eats most often, but it is a hometown food that Loting remembers most fondly.

Poor Xi, while eating seafood in the clear broth hot pot, didn't realize that Nian had secretly changed her dipping sauce to extra spicy.

Okay, Loting admits there's a reason why Nian was able to continue teaching W advanced Originium explosives; the two are indeed birds of a feather when it comes to pranks and tricks.

“I’m telling you, Xi is still your sister.”