Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

"Agor's ball? It's been a long time since I've attended one."

Dance occupies an extremely important part of Agor culture. It is not only one of the most common social activities among Agor, but also a dance among deep-sea hunters to improve their hunting and combat skills. Laurentina used to frequently participate in these training-oriented dance gatherings held among deep-sea hunters.

The playful little shark sat on the brass giant's shoulder and smiled knowingly:

"Honey, you don't seem to be very good at dancing, do you?"

Lotin chose to use the default skin because the Agorians are indeed more comfortable in the big city, which helps to relax their senses and is a kind of enjoyment and leisure.

"Haha, before, when I was on the boat, I would kick my legs a few times and wave my hands, and that was considered dancing."

"My limbs are really not very flexible."

Lotin didn't try to hide anything from Laurentina. Before transmigrating, he was someone with poor motor skills. After transmigrating, he was even more limited by Nautilus's thick body size, except for the [Knight of Light], making him move slowly and clumsily.

Lotin compensated for Nautilus's weakness with his unique fighting style, but that doesn't mean he can do the same in everyday situations, especially given Lotin's extreme reluctance to remove his shell for extended periods.

However, given Lotin's current strength, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to temporarily shed his outer shell while spending leisure time with his partner.

"Then leave everything to me without worry."

Laurentina maintained her vibrant smile, and the further treatment of her physical ailments made her mental state even more positive.

“Sister, Lord Nautilus is going with me to investigate the materials of the previous civilization, so I’m afraid he can’t accompany you.”

Although the doctor seemed like a rather gentle person, she always maintained a dignified and humble demeanor that was just right.

"Have you forgotten something?"

"Honey, darling, you should spend time with me first this time."

Skadi didn't even want to return to Agor; she preferred to spend time with Lotin in the Sealing Nest, which she had shaped into a garden.

"How much longer do we have to endure this...?"

Theresa had been forced to witness these saccharine scenes more than once, and she knew that she couldn't endure this kind of life forever.

She could originally rely on W to distract herself, but she found that W's attachment and adoration for her were not as strong as before. She seemed quite satisfied with her identity as the Demon King's standard-bearer, which was reasonable, since Theresa herself could be said to admire Noctuus, the Demon King.

This is probably what the helplessness and loneliness of being abandoned by everyone is like.

"Is this your punishment for me, Nautilus?"

Theresa closed her eyes slightly; the time Nautilus spent with his girls seemed to exist in a completely different world from hers.

Meanwhile, the nobles of Argoll prepared opera performances and grand dance parties. Art was the other half of Argoll's life, a crutch that supported their self-identity after their humanistic foundations were eroded by the technology of prehistoric civilizations.

Goredia, as consul, was recalled by the Agor authorities and was forced to confront her mother, whom she found tiresome, once again.

She felt bored, annoyed, and disgusted, but not exactly hated. Goredia didn't think her relationship with her birth mother was that bad.

Her mother, Heratia, was a scientific magistrate, and in Agor, where scientists ruled, being a technical magistrate often meant that the person also enjoyed considerable administrative power.

Her mother never made any demands on her or gave any feedback, as if this birth was an accident and that the family should never have existed.

Her biological mother, from the time she could remember, was devoted to Agor's affairs and the Academy's decisions, and home was merely a residence outside the Academy's lounge.

As a child, Grétia naively believed that this was because she was not good enough. Therefore, she demanded of herself the standards of an adult and forced herself to deliver the best possible performance. She was a champion in various youth competitions and a role model for the children of Agor's circle of officials.

However, the blonde carbon-based robot in front of her, driven solely by Agor's interests and ambitions, had never given her any feedback for it—her birth mother, Heratia.

The mother still has a scar below her ear, a blemish left by her daughter, which almost extends from her ear to her eyelid.

“I am so proud of you, my little Gretia.”

Heratia was not a mother who harbored malice towards her daughter; rather, she was burdened with the responsibility of making decisions for Agor, a responsibility that fueled her ambition while also making her cold and numb, and the maternal aspect of her humanity was worn away too much.

She became a true power machine, which was also reflected in her attitude towards her daughter.

"A power-hungry, hedonistic, and short-sighted person"—that was Grétia's entire assessment of her.

"Although you did not take my advice to work at the Institute of Social Planning and the Institute of Scientific Development Planning, you still did your best in the Legion. You were born for Agor."

The recognition and greetings that came decades late not only failed to give Goredia any sense of accomplishment, but instead filled her with confusion, anger, and even fear.

Even though he chose to become a Deepsea Hunter to escape Heratia's control, this woman still smiled and praised him for not letting him down.

A desperate thought flashed through Goredia's mind—had she really broken free from Heratia's control?

Isn't she the way Heratia expected her to be now?

Ah, it's not because I'm her daughter that I'm showing off, but because I've become a tool that pleases her and can bring greater benefits to Agor.

“You just can’t accept that Consul Goredia’s sacrifice didn’t bring Agor anything in return, but I’ve now ascertained Nautilus’s attitude, which makes it difficult for Agor to maintain a good relationship with him. So you, as the Consul of the Institute for Scientific Development, acknowledge my work.”

Goredia subconsciously imitated her mother, trying to hide her dread, but in the end, her life was still in her mother's hands.

Her mother was the most terrifying mother. Gloria thought to herself, feeling like Hera, the goddess of pre-civilization mythology, always carrying the horrifying feeling that her mother would devour her child whole.

If Nautilus's desire for control contained a kind of distorted "love," including sacrifices for the other person, then Heratia's desire for control was purer, completely extreme self-centeredness; she craved power and domination.

“Agor is proud of you, Goredia.”

“There is one more thing that only you can do for Agor, my little Gretia.”

Despite Heratia's extremely affectionate nickname for Goredia, Goredia still couldn't feel even the slightest bit of warmth between family members.

This is a naked, top-down assessment of a subordinate; it's Agor examining whether his citizens are fulfilling their duties.

“Skadi no longer belongs to Agor, and Laurentina has refused to return as an Agorian citizen. Only you have the opportunity to take the relationship between Agor and this guide a step further.”

"An ancient guardian who was almost devoid of desires and whose interest was almost solely in the 'tithing' was extremely fond of his companion."

No sooner had Heratia finished speaking than a sharp spear was pressed against her mature and beautiful face.

The violence could not mask Goredia's helplessness. All she wanted was to escape and leave this terrifying mother who filled her with dread forever. Even though the war had been won, she still wanted to use a "political marriage" to ensure that her daughter could continue to maximize her value to Agor.

“This scar is beautiful, otherwise I would have had my medical assistant remove it long ago.”

“My little Greta was able to do that at the planning meeting when she was 5 years old.”

Heratia held a golden astrolabe in her right hand, while her left hand gently brushed aside her hair, revealing the scar left by Goredia.

"Clang".

The crisp metallic sound became so dull at this moment, and Goredia lowered her head.

“I am proud of you, my Gretia.”

Goredia dared not look up at her mother's smile, even though she had longed for her mother to smile and praise her like that during her childhood.

She didn't dislike Loting; on the contrary, she knew that approaching Loting with such impure motives would only lead to her death.

She has only one thought in mind: to escape.

The person in front of me is a monster, a monster bred by power.

Chapter 269: Goredia's Rejection

Lotin agreed to Laurentina's small request, agreeing to temporarily shed his sailor suit during the ball to spend time with her. However, Laurentina felt that the rather plain sailor suit lacked charm, so she decided to buy Lotin a special outfit for the ball.

The self-service terminals can be used freely by simply taking a number. They not only offer pre-made clothing styles, but also allow users to design their own clothing. However, there are time limits for the design and selection process.

Once selected, the machine will automatically produce the chosen garment, a consumer goods supply model that Lotin acknowledges is quite reminiscent of Argonaut's style.

"Lauren Tina, you even remember my body shape inside my shell so clearly?"

Lotin had originally wanted to ask if he needed to temporarily reveal his true form for something like scanning and data entry, but Laurentina had already begun to immerse herself in clothing design and daydreaming.

"I concede defeat..."

Although the doctor admired Laurentina for being able to do this, she was also unconvinced, believing it was because Laurentina had spent more time with Lotin than she had.

Laurentina ultimately completed a menswear outfit similar to the "Cambrian" series from the original Arknights game, with an overall simple and elegant style.

"How's it going? Do you like it?"

Laurentina took the clothes out of the machine, while Loting put them into the system storage space. Now Loting only puts the most important things in the system storage space, and he just piles up the general consumables in the Mountain and Sea Scroll.

For example, Loting would have Ya take care of the gold he earned from defeating enemies.

"Of course I love her, my Laurentina."

Lotin took Laurentina back into his hands and gently placed her on his shoulder. When Lotin was not yet strong enough, it was this somewhat eccentric nun who chose to support the person who fed her cookies. Although she had been with Lotin for a slightly shorter time than Skadi, in Lotin's eyes, she was the most devoted and profound.

"That Heratian woman really went to great lengths to win over Lord Nautilus."

However, the doctor also knew that Lotin mainly chose to attend the meeting to accompany Laurentina.

The doctor noticed the extravagance of the ball, which was extremely luxurious even by Agor's standards, who was extremely well-off in terms of material possessions.

The Doctor is adept at perceiving these intentions hidden in the details. In order to expand Rhodes Island's business, she and Amiya have engaged in endless wrangling with countless treacherous politicians.

But now she no longer needs to; Nautilus's reputation is enough to solve most problems.

Agor thoughtfully considered Lotin's enormous size in his armored state, preparing a sufficiently spacious passageway and extra-large tableware and drinking utensils. However, in order to fulfill Laurentina's wish, Lotin chose to remove the outer shell and store it in the system's storage space.

In this way, Lotin can instantly don armor when needed, not to mention that his physical strength is now comparable to that of a relatively mediocre Deepsea Hunter.

Despite their advanced technology, the Agors have not simplified etiquette in social situations. On the contrary, the etiquette of the Agors in formal social occasions is the most complex in the entire Terra.

"It's okay, just give your body to me, darling."

Laurentina took Lotin's hand, basking in the envious glances from Skadi and the Doctor—an experience only she could offer Lotin.

On the other hand, these Agorians did not dare to show any unfriendly attitude because Lotin was "uncouth".

The lights shimmered and the glasses sparkled, the seaweed wine inside clear and bright. Next to the glasses, plates were laden with meticulously prepared Agorian delicacies, surrounded by white porcelain vases adorned with fresh flowers. The Agorian dignitaries attending the party chatted and laughed, dancing gracefully in the center of the dance floor.

Lotin, briefly exposed from its shell, became less conspicuous, but this "deep-sea titan," which transcends the existence of ordinary creatures, still exuded a terrifying and awe-inspiring aura.

Lotin found a spot close to the food so he could easily feed Skadi her favorite foods.

After eating Rhodes Island canned food for so long on land, Skadi was finally able to enjoy the taste of home, especially since it was being fed to her by her beloved.

Lotin always enjoyed watching Skadi eat. His hunter seemed more endearing and lovable when she ate, making people want to feed her, which was a stark contrast to Skadi's usual aloofness and coldness.

Such behavior might be inappropriate in Agor's formal diplomatic settings, but given that one of these men was Nautilus who had repelled a large group, and the other was the leader of a large group, even Agor's most pedantic scholar could only comment that it was "casual" and then avoid mentioning the topic.

A silent Agorian sat in the corner, listening to jazz, difficult to talk to, and no one dared to speak to the sharp-looking swordfish.

She was Goredia, the most prized daughter of the Heratian ruler.

She could escape Agor; last time she only tried to escape her terrible mother, but this time, the thought of escaping Agor took hold.

But she had already developed a sense of responsibility—a responsibility to Agor who raised her, a responsibility to give everything for Agor, even at the cost of her own life.

She had already sacrificed herself once, from the moment she became a Deepsea Hunter, and from the moment Agor declared himself "dead" after that decapitation operation.

Is it really beneficial for Agor to establish a more stable and closer relationship with Nautilus through such means?

Gladys was terrified of Lotin. She knew the three girls' pure love for Nautilus. Only such purity could open Nautilus's heart, while any approach with other motives would only arouse Nautilus's disgust, or even hostility.

She envied Laurentina and Skadi for being so loved by their beloved, but she knew that if she approached Nautilus for Agor's sake, it would only lead to a tragic end—for both her and Agor.

As the clear, sparkling wine went down her throat, Grétia wished she could get drunk so she wouldn't have to suffer any longer.

Her responsibilities, her desires, her rebellion—if only she could forget everything, Goredia allowed these decadent and depraved thoughts to grow within her.

She, who had never given up even after the failed beheading attempt, had become so cowardly and weak. She couldn't believe it was her, yet she desperately wanted to escape Agor—because without escaping Agor, she couldn't escape her terrible mother.

Extreme contradictions kept her here.

Grandia felt a little dizzy. She couldn't remember how many times she had had a refill, but why did she feel drunk?

In fact, after Skadi transformed Haizi's blood from poison to blessing, Grandia was able to regulate many of her bodily functions on her own. When her consciousness was filled with jealousy and longing to escape through "drunkenness," alcohol could numb her senses.

In her hazy eyes, she saw her blood relatives enjoying time with their lovers—strange, why was Nautilus so small?

Goredia stood up and walked toward her blood relatives.

Laurentina wrapped her arms around Lotin's neck from behind and smiled at Skadi, saying:

"Shark, isn't it about time my darling came to dance with me?"

Loting heard footsteps coming from a graceful woman, and he instinctively turned his gaze in that direction.

"Orca, you've regressed. How come you can't even feed yourself anymore?"

With long silver hair and a cold expression, Goredia appeared before Lotin. Everyone around her was watching her; no one didn't know she was Heratia's daughter.

The crowd instinctively made way for her. She stood in Luoting like a reef standing firm in the ocean tide, while Luoting was the fierce and terrifying wave in everyone's eyes.

"Swordfish? What are you doing here?"

Skadi instinctively went into food-guarding mode, but instead of protecting the food on her plate, she was protecting Lotin.