The crystal cavern had become peaceful.
Far too peaceful.
Suspiciously peaceful.
Thousands upon thousands of snakes stood frozen in place.
Some were mid-hiss.
Some were mid-slither.
Some were still looking toward their ancient guardian.
A few unfortunate serpents appeared frozen while arguing with another snake.
One particularly unlucky snake remained frozen with its mouth open.
Forever trapped in whatever complaint it had been making.
The entire cavern had transformed into a bizarre ice sculpture gallery.
The serpent woman stared.
Then stared harder.
Then slowly turned toward Kel.
The temperature around her dropped.
Not because of magic.
Because of anger.
"You froze them."
Kel calmly nodded.
"Yes."
"You froze all of them."
Another nod.
"Correct."
The woman's eye twitched.
"THOUSANDS OF THEM."
The roar echoed throughout the cavern.
Several knights instinctively stepped backward.
Kel remained seated.
Calm.
Composed.
Almost annoyingly composed.
The young Count gestured toward the frozen sea of serpents.
"Please calm down."
The woman pointed dramatically.
"They can't move!"
"Correct."
"They can't speak!"
"Correct."
"They can't breathe properly!"
Kel blinked.
"They're reptiles."
Silence.
The serpent woman suddenly wanted to throw the table at him.
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren laughed.
"One day someone will actually throw something at you."
"Possibly."
"And you sound completely unconcerned."
"Because they usually miss."
The Guardian laughed harder.
Meanwhile.
The serpent woman inhaled deeply.
Then exhaled.
Then inhaled again.
Finally—
"Release them."
Kel shook his head.
"After our conversation."
"What?"
The young Count pointed toward the frozen snakes.
"Now nobody will interrupt us."
The woman opened her mouth.
Then paused.
Then looked at the frozen serpents.
Then remembered the previous hour.
The constant interruptions.
The endless hissing.
The arguments.
The complaints.
The courtship disputes.
The requests to eat knights.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Her shoulders relaxed.
Just a little.
"...Fine."
Kel smiled.
Victory.
A small victory.
But still victory.
The serpent immediately pointed.
"Only for now."
"Of course."
The young Count leaned slightly forward.
"Now."
His golden eyes carried genuine curiosity.
"A question."
The serpent groaned.
"Another one."
"Several."
The woman immediately regretted agreeing.
Kel rested one hand against the stone table.
"You said curiosity started everything."
The serpent nodded.
"The little girl."
Another nod.
"The one who helped you."
Silence.
A faint warmth appeared in the woman's expression.
Brief.
Very brief.
Then disappeared.
Kel continued.
"But something still confuses me."
The serpent sighed.
"What?"
The young Count tilted his head slightly.
"Instinct."
The word echoed softly.
"You were originally an ordinary serpent."
The woman nodded.
"Yes."
"Then how did you resist?"
The serpent frowned.
Kel continued.
"Mating instincts."
A pause.
"Survival instincts."
Another.
"Reproductive instincts."
The woman's expression gradually became more complicated.
Because that question...
Actually had no simple answer.
The young Count remained silent.
Waiting.
Listening.
Eventually.
The serpent woman spoke.
"At first."
Her gaze drifted toward the glowing mana crystals surrounding them.
"It wasn't self-awareness."
A pause.
"It was curiosity."
The crystal light reflected within her golden eyes.
"The little girl created a question."
Another pause.
"And I couldn't stop thinking about it."
Silence filled the cavern.
The serpent leaned back.
"I wandered."
Her voice became distant.
"Forests."
"Mountains."
"Rivers."
"Valleys."
"I observed."
The memories returned.
Ancient.
Dust-covered.
Yet still alive.
Then she pointed toward the cavern.
"Eventually I found this place."
Kel quietly listened.
The woman looked around.
"The mana density here was extraordinary."
The knights nodded.
That much was obvious.
Even now the entire cavern pulsed with magical energy.
The serpent continued.
"Initially."
A faint smile appeared.
"My instincts brought me here during mating season."
Several knights immediately looked awkward.
The serpent noticed.
Then rolled her eyes.
"Oh stop acting embarrassed."
The knights instantly straightened.
"Yes, Lady Serpent."
"Of course, Lady Serpent."
The woman looked deeply unimpressed.
Kel quietly hid a smile.
The serpent continued.
"This place attracted countless serpents."
A pause.
"Male serpents."
Another.
"Female serpents."
Another.
"Everyone came here."
Her expression darkened.
"The mana density increased reproductive instincts."
The young Count nodded thoughtfully.
"That makes sense."
The woman continued.
"My instincts told me to mate."
Silence.
"Every season."
Another.
"Every year."
Another.
"The urge never disappeared."
The knights listened carefully.
Because now...
They were hearing the story of centuries.
Not decades.
Not generations.
Centuries.
The serpent looked down at her hands.
"But every time."
A pause.
"I remembered that little girl."
The cavern became silent.
"Every time."
Another pause.
"I asked myself a question."
Kel's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What question?"
The woman smiled faintly.
"If I follow every instinct."
A pause.
"Then what makes me different from every other snake?"
Silence.
The words lingered.
Heavy.
Meaningful.
The serpent continued.
"So I endured."
A pause.
"One season."
Another.
"Then another."
Another.
"Then another."
Her gaze drifted toward the frozen snakes.
"Eventually mana began accumulating."
The young Count listened carefully.
"More mana than ordinary serpents."
The woman nodded.
"Much more."
Then she laughed.
A bitter laugh.
"And naturally."
A pause.
"That attracted attention."
Kel immediately understood.
"Male serpents."
The woman pointed at him.
"Exactly."
Several knights coughed.
The serpent groaned.
"Some followed me."
A pause.
"Some fought over me."
Another.
"Some attempted to force themselves upon me."
The atmosphere darkened.
The playful mood vanished.
The woman's expression became cold.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
"So I ran."
Silence.
"I hid."
Another.
"I isolated myself."
Another.
"And eventually."
The crystal light brightened around her.
"I discovered meditation."
The cavern became quiet.
"At first."
A faint smile appeared.
"I merely wanted peace."
Another.
"But then I noticed something."
Kel leaned forward slightly.
The woman looked toward her own hands.
"I could feel mana."
A pause.
"Not instinct."
Another.
"Mana."
The difference was important.
Very important.
"I gathered it."
A pause.
"One day."
Another.
"One month."
Another.
"One year."
Another.
"One decade."
The knights stared.
The scale felt impossible.
Yet she continued.
"Eventually."
The woman's golden eyes shone softly.
"My thoughts became clearer."
Another pause.
"My emotions became clearer."
Another.
"My mind became clearer."
Kel remained silent.
Because he understood.
Self-awareness.
The moment instinct stopped being absolute.
The moment choice appeared.
The serpent smiled faintly.
"It wasn't sudden."
Another.
"It happened slowly."
Another.
"Like waking from a dream."
Silence.
Then her expression changed.
A darker expression.
One carrying disappointment.
"I thought humans would be better."
The words echoed softly.
The knights froze.
Kel listened.
The serpent looked toward the distant cavern wall.
"At first."
A pause.
"I admired them."
Another.
"They protected family."
Another.
"They cared for children."
Another.
"They stayed together."
The woman laughed quietly.
"I thought they were superior."
Silence.
Then the laughter disappeared.
"But I was wrong."
The cavern became cold.
"I watched humans sell humans."
A pause.
"I watched betrayal."
Another.
"Greed."
Another.
"Corruption."
Another.
"Cruelty."
The serpent shook her head.
"They weren't better."
Silence.
"They were simply different."
Another.
"Capable of great kindness."
Another.
"And great evil."
The young Count quietly nodded.
A truthful answer.
The serpent sighed.
"So eventually."
A pause.
"I stopped seeking people."
Another.
"I stopped seeking answers from others."
Another.
"I sought wisdom instead."
Her golden eyes reflected the crystal light.
"Once every century."
A faint smile appeared.
"I would leave."
Another.
"Visit cities."
Another.
"Steal books."
The knights blinked.
"What?"
The serpent looked offended.
"I returned them."
Silence.
"...Eventually."
Nobody knew whether to believe her.
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren laughed softly.
"You two really are similar."
Kel frowned.
"How?"
"You both collect knowledge like dragons collect treasure."
The young Count looked toward the ancient serpent.
Who was currently defending century-old book theft.
And for perhaps the first time since entering the mine...
He couldn't completely disagree.