The underground cavern had become strangely quiet.
Moments earlier it had been a battlefield.
Steel had flashed.
Snakes had died.
The giant serpent had descended from the darkness.
And everyone had prepared themselves for a life-or-death struggle.
Yet now...
The battle had transformed into an argument.
A very strange argument.
The serpent woman stood in the center of the crystal cavern.
Long dark hair flowed down her back.
Golden eyes glowed beneath the radiance of countless mana crystals.
Several wounds remained visible from her fight against Kel.
Though her injuries were healing slowly.
Her pride, however...
Was healing considerably slower.
Meanwhile.
Kel appeared unusually interested.
Not in the battle.
Not in the mine.
Not even in the mana crystals.
In her explanation.
The young Count rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then suddenly spoke.
"I apologize if I offended you."
The serpent narrowed her eyes.
"Then stop talking about offspring."
Kel nodded.
"That's fair."
A pause.
Then—
"But honestly, I was genuinely curious whether those thousands of snakes were your offspring."
The cavern exploded.
"THEY ARE NOT!"
The roar shook crystal formations.
Several snakes immediately hid behind rocks.
Kel raised both hands peacefully.
"Understood."
Then he snapped his fingers.
A pulse of mana spread through the cavern.
Stone rose from the ground.
Earth shifted.
Crystals moved aside.
Several knights stepped backward.
Watching.
The stone rapidly transformed.
A table appeared.
Then chairs.
Elegant.
Simple.
Practical.
The knights stared.
The serpent stared.
Kel calmly sat down.
"Let's discuss this peacefully."
The serpent's eye twitched.
The young Count continued.
"I came into your mine."
The woman immediately pointed.
"MY MINE."
Kel nodded.
"Your mine."
The serpent looked satisfied.
For approximately two seconds.
Then Kel continued.
"And I killed your snakes."
The woman slammed her hands against the table.
"THEY ARE NOT MY SNAKES!"
The sound echoed throughout the cavern.
Kel sighed.
"Alright."
A pause.
"The snakes living in your house."
The serpent looked ready to commit murder.
"As your children."
"THEY ARE NOT MY CHILDREN!"
The roar echoed even louder than before.
Behind them.
Several knights began whispering among themselves.
One knight scratched his helmet.
"Does Lord Kel enjoy provoking people?"
Another knight nodded.
"I think he's confirming something."
"What?"
"That she's definitely not their mother."
The first knight looked confused.
"...Why?"
A third knight leaned closer.
Lowering his voice.
"Maybe Lord Kel is just making absolutely sure."
Everyone looked at him.
The knight shrugged.
"What?"
Silence.
Then the knight gestured toward the serpent woman.
"Look at her."
Several knights looked.
Then immediately looked away.
Then looked again.
Then away once more.
The knight folded his arms confidently.
"Don't tell me none of you noticed."
Several knights coughed awkwardly.
One veteran suddenly became fascinated by a nearby crystal wall.
Another found his sword extremely interesting.
The third knight nodded triumphantly.
"See?"
Nobody answered.
Which was answer enough.
Meanwhile.
The serpent woman had grabbed Kel's collar.
The young Count remained surprisingly calm.
The woman leaned forward.
Golden eyes burning with fury.
"If you say children one more time..."
A dangerous hiss escaped her lips.
"I will order every snake in this cavern to attack."
The surrounding snakes immediately raised their heads.
Thousands of yellow eyes focused upon Kel.
The atmosphere became terrifying.
The serpent continued.
"Perhaps you can kill them."
Another hiss.
"Perhaps your knights can survive."
Another.
"But eventually..."
She pointed toward him.
"One will bite you."
The cavern became silent.
"One."
A pause.
"And one is enough."
Kel looked down at her hand gripping his collar.
Then back at her face.
"...Why are you angry?"
The serpent stared.
The knights stared.
Even Seiren became silent.
Then the woman nearly exploded.
"WHY AM I ANGRY?!"
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren laughed so hard ancient currents shifted.
"You deserve whatever happens next."
Kel ignored her.
Eventually.
After several deep breaths.
The serpent released his collar.
Kel adjusted his coat.
Then pointed toward the chair opposite him.
"Please sit."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"We negotiate."
A pause.
"As intelligent beings."
The serpent hesitated.
For several moments.
Then slowly sat down.
Not because she trusted him.
But because she genuinely wanted to hear what this absurd human planned to say next.
The knights remained standing nearby.
Watching.
Listening.
Ready.
Kel sat opposite her.
The crystal light reflected across the stone table.
Creating an almost surreal atmosphere.
A battlefield transformed into a meeting room.
Then something unexpected happened.
Kel bowed his head slightly.
The serpent blinked.
The knights blinked.
Even Seiren stopped laughing.
The young Count spoke calmly.
"First."
The cavern became quiet.
"I owe you an apology."
The serpent stared.
"...What?"
Kel continued.
"I entered your home."
The woman remained silent.
"I killed the snakes under your protection."
A pause.
"I invaded your territory."
Another pause.
"And I attacked you."
The wounds on her body suddenly felt more noticeable.
Kel's voice remained calm.
Steady.
Sincere.
"I injured you."
The serpent's anger faltered slightly.
Not much.
Just enough to create confusion.
Because she had prepared herself for threats.
Prepared herself for demands.
Prepared herself for human arrogance.
Not this.
The young Count looked directly into her eyes.
"For that."
A pause.
"I am genuinely sorry."
Silence.
The cavern became so quiet that distant water droplets could be heard falling from the ceiling.
The serpent woman stared.
Unable to respond immediately.
Because after centuries of life.
After countless encounters with humans.
After endless conflicts.
Nobody had ever apologized.
Not once.
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren quietly observed.
Then smiled.
Because she finally understood what Kel was doing.
He wasn't trying to win the negotiation.
He was trying to change its foundation.
No longer ruler versus monster.
No longer invader versus defender.
But two intelligent beings.
Sitting across a table.
Trying to solve a problem.
The serpent remained silent for several moments.
Then finally spoke.
"...You are strange."
Kel smiled faintly.
"I've heard that before."
Far beneath the lake.
Seiren immediately rolled her eyes.
"Frequently."
For the first time since the battle began...
A small laugh escaped the serpent woman's lips.
A genuine laugh.
Brief.
Unexpected.
And somewhere within the crystal cavern.
Without either side realizing it.
The negotiation had already begun.