"Ocean King!"
"A-A miracle! It's a miracle!"
"Thank you, Ocean King!"
"Hurry and record the Ocean King's great deeds and spread them! I want all of Amphoreus to know that it was the Ocean King who saved Styxia!"
As the elders spoke in excitement one after another, continuously praising the miracle brought by Lucian, their aged voices were filled with unconcealed shock and joy.
However, unlike them, the Queen of Styxia didn't remain standing there to celebrate and instead quickly strode toward where Lucian and Hysilens were standing.
Seeing this, all the elders immediately stopped what they were doing and hurriedly followed behind her, prompting everyone else—from civilians to soldiers—to also move after them in a massive wave of people.
As soon as the queen arrived and stood before Lucian, she immediately knelt on one knee without the slightest hesitation, lowering her head deeply in the most respectful gesture possible!
"Great Ocean King! Styxia is truly grateful for your mercy! Grateful for saving us from destruction!"
Her voice, carrying absolute devotion and reverence, echoed loudly throughout the surroundings, filled with emotions that could no longer be concealed.
In response, the elders, soldiers, and civilians also quickly knelt one after another, forming a dense, dark mass of kneeling people that stretched across the area.
""Thank you for saving us!""
Everyone—whether the queen, elders, soldiers, or civilians—shouted in complete unison, the overwhelming sound wave produced by their voices causing the surrounding air itself to tremble slightly.
Hysilens silently stood beside Lucian the entire time, calmly watching this scene with a tranquil and composed expression, mainly because she was already somewhat accustomed to witnessing such scenes unfold around him.
Nevertheless, she still couldn't help but feel proud of him deep inside, as shown by how her chest unconsciously lifted slightly and by the intense aura of pride and satisfaction she unconsciously emitted from her body.
Seeing the countless people kneeling before him, Lucian slightly raised his hand and calmly spoke.
"Rise."
As if he had merely done something trivial and insignificant, Lucian's voice remained calm and indifferent as he spoke, without the slightest trace of arrogance or excitement within it. Even his expression mirrored the same calmness and composure as his voice, as though the gratitude and worship directed toward him were nothing worth paying attention to.
In response, the queen, still maintaining an extremely respectful expression, slowly stood back up along with the others.
"Ocean King… Actually, we now believe in Death..."
Looking visibly tense, the queen spoke carefully and cautiously, afraid that Lucian might take offense at her words.
"But it is not blasphemy—"
"It doesn't matter. I don't care," Lucian said flatly, interrupting her before she could finish speaking. "Whether you believe in Ocean or believe in Death, you simply happened to choose the correct faith."
Indeed, whether it was Ocean or Death did not matter in the slightest.
It truly was fate.
Believing in Death also happened to fall within the range of his affection by association, since two Death Titans were actually his wives. Besides, it was nothing more than extending his protection to one more city, which was merely a trivial matter for him.
"Besides, this place can also be said to be her homeland..."
As he spoke, Lucian casually glanced toward Hysilens beside him, making it obvious that those words had been meant specifically for her.
Hysilens stared blankly at him for several seconds, her beautiful eyes faintly trembling as she silently savored the meaning behind what he had just said.
'Did he do this for me? Because this is my homeland?'
Even though Styxia was not exactly her homeland in the strictest sense, the Sea Siren Kingdom was still located within the waters of Styxia, so calling it her homeland was not wrong either.
After turning the thought over and over again in her mind, Hysilens suddenly revealed a dazzling smile, causing the queen and the others who happened to catch sight of her expression to feel their hearts tremble violently.
They truly could not help it.
In their eyes, the woman standing beside the Ocean King was genuinely blessed beyond measure, which naturally made them feel somewhat jealous and envious, but fortunately, she apparently belonged to Styxia as well, and that instantly filled them with relief.
In an instant, an enormous wave of gratitude and relief surged through their hearts as they realized that not only was the Ocean King incomparably powerful, but he was also unexpectedly broad-minded and tolerant.
He respected their new faith!
He had not abandoned humanity merely because of differences in belief!
"Thank you for your tolerance, Ocean King!"
With a relieved smile and faint tears glistening in her eyes, the queen bowed deeply toward Lucian once more, her posture filled with genuine gratitude and reverence, and the others immediately followed her gesture without the slightest hesitation.
Just like that, the respect in everyone's hearts grew even stronger than before, and the name Ocean King, at this very moment, became deeply branded into the hearts of every single person in Styxia, impossible to forget for the rest of their lives.
"Ocean King, what instructions do you have next?"
Right after straightening up and gently wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes, the queen asked respectfully, her attitude and tone now looking even more reverent than before.
Lucian blinked lightly, then turned his gaze toward Hysilens beside him before speaking in a calm, casual tone.
"Hysilens and I will be staying here for a while, living ordinary days. Just find me a quiet place to stay, and don't disturb us unless there's something truly important."
Hearing this, the queen froze briefly in place before an uncontrollable look of joy appeared across her face.
How could she possibly not be overjoyed?
Knowing that the omnipotent Ocean King was actually going to stay in Styxia was not only an unparalleled honor for the entire city-state, but also meant they had now obtained an absolute safeguard capable of suppressing everything.
Especially now, when wars and conflicts were erupting everywhere across Amphoreus, with him remaining here, they no longer needed to fear for the safety and future of their city-state.
"Yes!" the queen exclaimed with a bright, excited smile, her voice trembling slightly from both excitement and disbelief. "We will immediately prepare the best residence! Inside the inner city, in the quietest location, with the most comfortable environment, but... servants and guards... excuse me, how many do you require?"
"No need for them—the residence alone is enough."
Lucian declined casually, waving his hand as though the matter wasn't even worth mentioning.
"Yes! Understood!"
With a relieved expression, the queen responded repeatedly without the slightest hesitation, not daring to question his decision in any way, then quickly shifted her respectful gaze toward Hysilens and bowed once more.
"If Miss Hysilens has any needs at all, please feel free to give your orders at any time."
"N-No need to be so polite…"
Being suddenly treated with such overwhelming respect, Hysilens hurriedly waved both of her hands in embarrassment, her expression turning visibly awkward and flustered.
Seeing her reaction, the queen simply smiled warmly without showing the slightest displeasure, then immediately turned around and began issuing orders to the elders standing beside her, her tone becoming swift and decisive once again.
"Quickly! Make arrangements at once!"
"Prepare the place!"
"Everything! Use the best!"
"Hurry!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Looking as though they were shouldering the greatest responsibility in existence, the elders accepted the order with solemn, almost nervous expressions before quickly hurrying off in different directions.
Lucian silently watched the rapidly dispersing crowd for a brief moment, then slowly looked toward the shimmering sea in the distance, where the waves reflected the dazzling light of the sky, before finally turning his gaze toward Hysilens beside him, who was quietly staring at him with bright, shining eyes filled with unconcealed happiness.
"Let's go take a look at our home on land."
He naturally took Hysilens's slightly cool, delicate hand into his own and slowly walked together with her toward the city gate, hand-in-hand.
Hysilens silently followed closely beside him without saying a word, her long hair swaying gently behind her as a sweet, joyful smile unconsciously formed across her beautiful face.
===
Just like the market in Okhema, the market in Styxia was also very large and extremely lively.
It was still early morning, but the shouts of vendors rose and fell one after another alongside the endless sounds of bargaining, filling the entire market with constant noise and restless energy, while the air itself was thick with the rich scents of spices, freshly baked bread, grilled meat, and fish.
Crowds continuously passed through the wide streets of the market, making the entire place feel bustling and full of life.
After settling into the residence prepared by the queen yesterday, Hysilens now followed closely beside Lucian as they explored the market together, but because it was her first time standing among so many humans, she still felt somewhat nervous and uneasy, her gaze constantly wandering across the surroundings as she quietly observed the countless humans moving back and forth along the streets.
Feeling her small hand quietly clutching his palm a little more tightly than before, Lucian said nothing, but he deliberately slowed his pace, allowing her enough time to gradually adapt to the unfamiliar situation around her.
"Hm? What's that?"
Hysilens suddenly stopped and asked curiously while pointing at a stall nearby, where colorful fabrics hanging from the wooden racks swayed lightly in the breeze, looking especially eye-catching beneath the sunlight.
"Fabric."
Lucian glanced at the stall and answered briefly.
"And that?"
Hysilens asked again, this time pointing at the sugar figures displayed on the stall beside them, which came in all kinds of shapes and colors, with some shaped like birds, while others resembled flowers or small animals.
"Sugar figures. You can eat them."
"Sugar figures?" Hysilens muttered softly as she looked at the sugar figures with curiosity filling her eyes. "Hmm, they're so pretty..."
Having grown up until now, this was her first time coming to a human city, so everything around her felt novel and unfamiliar. Whether it was the lively atmosphere, the noisy crowds, or the countless strange items displayed throughout the market, everything easily attracted her attention.
Knowing this, Lucian was not stingy at all and bought things freely for her—whenever there was something she liked, he simply waved his hand and bought it all for her, practically acting like a sugar daddy.
Before long, she was already carrying all kinds of small snacks and trinkets in her arms while happily following beside him.
In the end, when she said that she wanted to raise fish and wanted the fish from every fish vendor's stall, he decisively bought all the fish in the entire market without even blinking and brought them all home for her to raise.
For a while afterward, nearly every fish vendor in the market looked at him with shocked expressions, as if they had just encountered some terrifyingly wealthy noble young master.
Thankfully, the residence prepared by the queen was not only extremely quiet but also exceptionally spacious, essentially a luxurious mansion large enough to rival a noble estate.
It had a beautiful courtyard filled with fresh greenery, a large swimming pool, neatly maintained vegetable plots, and now it even had a newly constructed oversized fish pond specially built to accommodate all of the purchased fish.
===
Several days later, on a bright and peaceful morning, the sunlight pouring through the sky felt especially warm and comfortable.
Inside the vast living room of their mansion, Hysilens walked barefoot back and forth across the soft carpet, occasionally curling her toes slightly as she felt the fresh and ticklish sensation brushing against the soles of her feet.
Her black hair swayed lightly behind her as she moved around the room with unconcealed curiosity, while Lucian sat leisurely on a reclining chair nearby, quietly smiling as he watched her cute and somewhat childish behavior.
"Lucian! Look!"
Hysilens suddenly ran toward the window and pointed outside, obvious excitement filling her eyes.
"When they moved, they created beautiful sounds!"
*Clink~* *Clink~*
What she was pointing at were none other than the wind chimes hanging from the trees in the courtyard, gently swaying under the morning breeze while emitting very pleasant and calming sounds that echoed softly through the quiet surroundings.
"Compared to those wind chimes, I like your singing more."
Lucian spoke casually with a teasing smile as he looked at her.
"I can sing for you every day if you want..."
Hysilens, not embarrassed at all by his words, answered bluntly with a bright smile, as though such a thing was only natural to her.
"Well..."
Lucian, feeling helpless and slightly amused by her complete guilelessness, suddenly found himself unable to think of any proper comeback.
Unlike in the original story, ever since he had appeared in her life, she had never experienced the cruel fate of exchanging her singing voice for her divine-like power.
As a result, even though her combat power was not as overwhelming as the Hysilens in the original story, she could still sing freely and could still drink without getting drunk, since she was not bound by the scales of 'Law.'
With him here, she no longer needed to stir waves, command tides, or shoulder the cold responsibilities she once carried alone and only needed to enjoy the happiest life she had lost in the original story, living freely and unrestrainedly while singing and dancing as much as she wished beneath the peaceful sunlight.
===
In the afternoon, warm sunlight poured down across the courtyard as Lucian lay lazily on a lounge chair, basking in the sun and slacking off as always with a relaxed and carefree expression on his face.
In that moment, Hysilens walked over from inside the mansion while carrying a delicate plate filled with freshly sliced honey fruits.
"Lucian, eat some fruit. It's sweet."
Her steps were light and graceful, and the hem of her skirt fluttered gently in the breeze as she slowly walked to the side of Lucian's lounge chair.
When she arrived before the small wooden table beside him, she bent down to place the fruit plate onto it, but because she leaned a little too far forward, her slightly loose neckline opened just a bit, inadvertently revealing a beautiful and alluring scene within.
Lucian, who had casually lifted his eyes to look at her, happened to catch sight of that delicate patch of fair skin, along with the faint and captivating cleavage hidden beneath her collar.
In an instant, his gaze paused there and did not move away for quite some time, causing the atmosphere to suddenly become a little subtle.
Soon enough, after Hysilens finished placing the fruit plate down and looked back up, she finally noticed that Lucian was staring at her with a gaze that appeared a little... deep and meaningful.
Confused, she subconsciously followed his line of sight and lowered her head slightly, only to see her somewhat open neckline.
"Ah!"
Hysilens immediately let out a soft cry and quickly straightened her body, her beautiful cheeks flushing red as she hurriedly covered her chest with both hands.
"Y-You—where are you looking?!"
Her voice sounded shy and flustered, carrying a faint trace of embarrassment and reproach.
"Well, nice view... though now you're getting shy? When we first met, and you still had those bubbles on you, I could see way more than just now, but you didn't even care back then."
Lucian spoke bluntly with a faint smile on his face and even casually gave a thumbs-up afterward, his expression remaining completely calm and utterly unembarrassed from beginning to end, as though he truly did not think there was anything strange about what he had just said.
Hysilens's already flushed face instantly became even redder, and even the tips of her ears were visibly dyed crimson.
"Naughty Ocean King! Back then and now are different! Just eat the fruit already! Don't tease me!"
Right after saying this, Hysilens quickly grabbed a piece of honey fruit and stuffed it into Lucian's mouth before hurriedly turning around, clearly trying to escape from the situation.
However, just as she turned away, her slender wrist was gently caught by him.
In that instant, a warm sensation spread across her wrist from his touch, causing her entire body to stiffen slightly as she no longer dared to move carelessly.
"Why are you running?"
Lucian asked calmly, his voice carrying a faint trace of teasing amusement.
"I… I'm going to pour tea! I'm not running!"
Hysilens hurriedly made up a random excuse, turning her flushed face slightly away and refusing to let him see her burning cheeks.
"Hmm, really? No rush."
Lucian chuckled softly and slowly rubbed his thumb against the inside of her delicate wrist, his movements gentle and unhurried as he still refused to let go of her hand.
"Little fish, keep me company in the sun for a while, okay? It's quite lonely here."
Hearing this, Hysilens's heart immediately began pounding wildly like a drum, and the place where her wrist was being held felt as though it was gradually catching fire, becoming hotter and hotter with every passing second.
In the end, after struggling inwardly for quite a while, she finally relented, but even so, she still did not dare look directly at him and could only lower her head in embarrassment.
"Okay..."
Hysilens slowly moved back to the small stool beside the lounge chair where Lucian was sitting and quietly sat down once more. Her wrist was still being gently held by him, yet she did not try to pull it back either, simply allowing him to continue holding it as though she had silently accepted it.
Her slender fingers curled slightly.
Her fingertips trembled ever so faintly.
In the open courtyard, with only the two of them present, warm sunlight spilled gently over both of them, draping the quiet space in a soft golden glow and making the entire atmosphere feel warm, peaceful, and exceptionally quiet.
Within this quiet atmosphere, only the crisp clinking of the wind chimes swaying in the breeze and the faint, drumbeat-like sound of her heartbeat softly echoing within her chest could be heard.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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