I! Cleaner!-Chapter 1173 - 1076: A Giant Leap for the Sea Race

"Got it..."

Watching the clam shell boat emerge from the water after the Carriage sank completely, Leon said speechlessly:

"So, my ship couldn't avoid the cargo ship that came in later not just because the sailors ate something bad and there weren't enough crew, but also because your giant clam was pushing up from below?"

"Well... that might have something to do with it..."

After secretly adjusting the decisive shell on her chest, Miss Salt Fish said awkwardly:

"Our Sea Race can breathe underwater, so the boats we sit on don't need to float up, and your sailors can't see us above the water surface, so..."

"So when my ship was backing up, it was being pushed by your ship from below and hit by another ship from above, getting stuck in between, and that's why it sank completely?"

"Um..."

"..."

No wonder... Speaking of which, although the emblem was the real culprit, you were forced to sign a bunch of unequal treaties during the day. Now you should hate me enough that you'd rather never see me in this lifetime, so why are you still coming to the harbor tonight?

Glancing at the mermaids hiding inside the giant clam shell boat, peeking through the shell's crevices, Leon couldn't help but ask suspiciously:

"You came to hit my ship at night... you're not here to take revenge on purpose, are you?"

"No... no..."

I would like to take some revenge, but I also have to be able to beat you!

Busy shaking her head repeatedly, Miss Salt Fish explained:

"This was just an accident. My mother... was worried about my safety, so she came to check on me. Coincidentally, your ship moved too..."

"..."

A lie... or perhaps only partially true.

Seeing the soul of Miss Salt Fish darken with the color of deception, Leon raised his eyebrows slightly and pointedly asked:

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, this really was just an accident..."

"What about the parts that weren't accidental?"

"?!!!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"The reason you appeared at the harbor, and the purpose of your mother's sudden arrival."

Highlighting the two doubts about Miss Salt Fish, Leon, who always remembered the Sea Race behind her, warned with narrowed eyes:

"Friendship reminder, your insistence on participating in The Twelve Kingdoms assembly as a human has always been suspicious to me. Before I confirm that you and the Sea Race behind you are harmless, you'd better not lie to me... why did you come over here at night?"

"I..."

Understanding that her intentional concealment might have triggered some lie-detecting ability of the Food God, Miss Salt Fish had to explain softly:

"I came to fetch something..."

"What exactly?"

"Just... just something useful."

"What?"

"Just... this one..."

"Which one?"

"This one!"

Forced by Leon, Miss Salt Fish stomped her foot in frustration, holding up the shell on her chest, then lifted her head and chest to display Charm Hill... and gritted her teeth as she said:

"These two! I just came to fetch these two things! Do you even need to check these?"

"..."

That's actually the truth? So you're saying that you risked running back to the harbor, potentially colliding with me again and getting extorted, just to swap out a set of, uh... chest armor?

"Alright then..."

Confirming that this was indeed the truth, Leon couldn't help but open his mouth speechlessly, then slightly softened his demeanor, nodding in apology:

"I overreacted a bit. Since it's just your personal matter, it has nothing to do with me, so I won't disturb you... just remember to compensate for the ship and cargo!"

"Got it... I understand..."

After Leon turned and left, Miss Salt Fish, who had taken on another huge debt, jumped into the water dejectedly and swam towards the clam shell boat her mother had brought.

But what surprised Miss Salt Fish was that she was met not with blame and panic, but with the respectful gaze of the mermaids and Clam Women in the clam shell boat.

"As expected of my daughter!"

Floating over on a large pearl, the Mermaid Matron hugged her tightly, eyes full of excitement as she praised:

"Wendy! You actually dared to argue with that Food God, forcing him to make concessions and even apologize to you. You even managed to retreat unscathed... you truly are the future of the Sea Race!"

"???"

What on earth? I just stood up and showed him my chest, how did that become a source of pride for the Sea Race?

Baffled by the jubilant atmosphere surrounding her, Miss Salt Fish said, dumbfounded:

"Mother? What are you talking about? I just explained the ship collision accident. Why are you making it sound like I did something great?"

"That's already very impressive!"

After patting Miss Salt Fish's back vigorously, the Mermaid Matron took a deep breath, with a hint of fear in her eyes, saying:

"You think you just went to explain, but when has the Food God ever reasoned with others?

Once, the Three-Headed Canine Deity guarding the Realm of the Dead tried to block him from entering and was directly eaten alive! Those Earth Spawn who just escaped from the core were repeatedly slaughtered by him! Dream Realm... Crolock Kingdom... Northern Kingdom... Realm of the Dead...

For adversaries he's had conflicts with, his choice has only ever been to fight to the end! When has he ever reasoned?"

"Is it really that exaggerated..."

"It's even worse than that!"

Recalling the information she had collected, the Mermaid Matron sighed and said:

"As the toughest and most unyielding member of the Purge Bureau, the Food God accepts no negotiation. Since taking power, it's been a path of constant slaughter! He's never bowed his head to any other race besides humans, you are the only exception so far... He even apologized to you!

"He apologized, yes... but he also asked me to compensate him..."

"Is compensation even a big deal?"

The Mermaid Matron said exasperatedly:

"Up till now, those who provoked the Food God were at the very least put under restriction, with entire races serving as lackeys to the Purge Bureau! Realm of the Dead's death rulers perished completely, with no chance for compensation!"

"But... I feel like you might have a deep misunderstanding about him..."

Although initially startled by the Mermaid Matron's words, Miss Salt Fish, recalling the past two days spent with Leon's family, felt the Food God didn't seem as extreme and insane as rumored. She couldn't help but shake her head and say:

"I feel the Food God's attitude is very firm, but he's not the kind of person who completely refuses reasoning. During communication, his demeanor is quite gentle... he's really a tolerant person. As long as you don't truly cross his bottom line, many things are negotiable."

"Could it be possible, as you say, that he's simply willing to negotiate only with you?"

"Huh?"

Watching her daughter, who insisted on seeing the Food God as a "normal person" with a gentle temperament, the Mermaid Matron couldn't help but sigh, then cautiously probed, full of worry:

"Wendy, be honest with me... does he really have some sort of interest in you?"