The ocean remained silent.
Not because there were no sounds.
The waves still rolled gently.
The wind still moved across the sea.
The academy vessel still creaked softly.
Yet everyone had become strangely quiet.
The reason stood atop the water.
Kel.
In one hand rested the Scarder Stone of Wisdom.
An ancient artifact that had shaped centuries of history.
A sacred treasure.
A tribal legacy.
A symbol of identity.
In the other hand rested nothing.
Because despite possessing a treasure capable of changing the future of an entire race—
Kel looked completely uninterested in keeping it.
The elder mermaid stared at him.
Still trying to understand him.
Truthfully.
Everyone was.
The students.
The sailors.
The mermaids.
Even the captain.
Nobody could understand what kind of person Aedon Flinth actually was.
One moment he risked his life to save strangers.
The next he demanded compensation.
One moment he looked completely reasonable.
The next he called beautiful mermaids uncategorized species.
Nothing about him made sense.
Inside his mind—
Seiren laughed softly.
"They're trying to understand you."
"They shouldn't."
"Good advice."
The Guardian sounded amused.
Far away within Scarder Lake.
Ancient waters rippled gently.
Meanwhile—
The elder mermaid slowly composed herself.
Her gaze remained fixed upon the crystal.
Hope.
Fear.
Anxiety.
All mixed together.
Then Kel spoke.
His voice carried calmly across the ocean.
"Let's simplify this."
The elder blinked.
The surrounding mermaids immediately listened carefully.
Kel raised the crystal slightly.
Sunlight reflected through the golden surface.
Ancient runes glowed faintly.
A treasure.
A genuine treasure.
Then Kel continued.
"You want this stone."
The elder nodded immediately.
"Yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
Without doubt.
Without negotiation.
The Scarder Stone represented too much.
Too many generations.
Too much history.
Too much suffering.
Kel nodded.
Reasonable.
Then he continued.
"I want compensation."
The elder looked slightly nervous.
Also reasonable.
Then Kel finally said:
"Just give me gold."
Silence.
The elder blinked.
The students blinked.
The sailors blinked.
Even the silver-haired mermaid blinked.
The atmosphere became strange.
Very strange.
The elder looked confused.
"...Gold?"
"Yes."
The answer came instantly.
Simple.
Direct.
Practical.
The elder stared.
Then stared harder.
Because after everything—
After the battle.
After the negotiations.
After exposing tribal politics.
After emotionally devastating multiple mermaids—
His demand was gold?
Plain gold?
The elder almost couldn't believe it.
Meanwhile—
Several students aboard the ship looked horrified.
One noble immediately whispered:
"That's it?"
Another looked confused.
"Just gold?"
A third looked disappointed.
"I thought he would demand ancient treasures."
Someone else nodded.
"Or secret techniques."
"Or political favors."
"Or a mermaid bride."
The silver-haired mermaid's eye twitched again.
The emotional damage resumed.
Meanwhile—
Kel continued.
"If you know the value of the stone."
The elder immediately focused.
"Pay accordingly."
Reasonable.
Very reasonable.
Then Kel added:
"If you don't know its value."
The elder froze.
Because honestly—
How did one calculate the value of centuries of history?
How did one place a number on identity?
On heritage?
On legacy?
Kel calmly answered the problem for her.
"Then give me the reward normally granted to your greatest warrior."
Silence followed.
The simplicity of the proposal stunned everyone.
The elder stared.
Several mermaids exchanged glances.
The sailors looked surprised.
The students looked confused.
Because the answer was unexpectedly fair.
Not generous.
Not cruel.
Fair.
The kind of answer an explorer would give.
The kind of answer someone practical would give.
Inside his mind—
Seiren nodded.
"Reasonable."
"Yes."
"You don't actually care about the stone."
"No."
The Guardian laughed.
Because she knew exactly what Kel was doing.
The stone possessed value.
Enormous value.
Yet not to him.
Not personally.
He had already identified its purpose.
Already solved its mystery.
Already extracted the useful information.
Keeping it served little purpose.
Meanwhile—
The elder slowly lowered her head.
Thinking.
Calculating.
The surrounding mermaids began discussing rapidly.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
Some argued.
Some suggested alternatives.
Some looked relieved.
Others looked worried.
Eventually—
One elder approached the first.
The two exchanged several quiet words.
Then another joined.
Then another.
The discussion continued.
Meanwhile—
The students aboard the ship began their own discussion.
One noble youth frowned.
"That's surprisingly cheap."
A merchant's son immediately shook his head.
"No."
The noble looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
The merchant's son crossed his arms.
"He's forcing them to decide the value themselves."
Silence.
Several students paused.
Then realization appeared.
The merchant's son continued.
"If they pay too little."
"They insult their own history."
More silence.
"If they pay too much."
"They bankrupt themselves."
Several students immediately understood.
The merchant's son nodded.
"He gave them a fair deal."
The students looked toward Kel differently now.
Because suddenly—
The negotiation appeared much more sophisticated.
Meanwhile—
The captain stood nearby.
Listening.
Observing.
The older man slowly shook his head.
A sailor noticed.
"What?"
The captain sighed.
"Aedon is dangerous."
The sailor blinked.
"Because he killed the monster?"
"No."
The captain pointed toward the negotiation.
"Because he understands value."
The sailor immediately looked confused.
The captain laughed softly.
"You'll understand later."
Inside his mind—
Seiren chuckled.
"The old sailor is smarter than most."
Kel silently agreed.
Meanwhile—
The elder mermaids finally reached a conclusion.
The oldest among them slowly approached.
This time.
Her expression carried respect.
Genuine respect.
Not gratitude.
Not fear.
Respect.
The kind offered to equals.
She stopped several meters away.
Then bowed.
Deeply.
More deeply than before.
The entire mermaid tribe followed.
Hundreds of mermaids lowering their heads simultaneously.
The sight stunned the students.
The sailors.
Everyone.
Then the elder finally spoke.
"Human."
Kel looked toward her.
The elder raised her head.
Her ancient eyes remained steady.
"We accept."
Silence.
Then relief spread across the tribe.
The elder continued.
"We cannot accurately value the Scarder Stone."
Reasonable.
"It is beyond wealth."
Also reasonable.
"But."
Her voice became firmer.
"We can honor your contribution."
The surrounding mermaids nodded.
Then the elder named a number.
The moment the amount left her mouth—
Several sailors nearly swallowed their tongues.
The merchant students froze.
The noble students stared.
Even the captain raised an eyebrow.
Because the reward was enormous.
Absolutely enormous.
Not enough to purchase a kingdom.
Not enough to purchase a duchy.
Yet enough to make most adventurers retire permanently.
The elder continued.
"It is the highest reward our tribe has ever granted."
Silence.
The ocean itself seemed impressed.
Then she added:
"Additionally."
Several treasure chests emerged from beneath the water.
Pearls.
Corals.
Rare underwater materials.
Ancient gemstones.
The students aboard the vessel nearly lost consciousness.
The reward continued growing.
Meanwhile—
Kel simply looked at the treasure.
Then at the elder.
Then nodded.
Reasonable.
The reaction stunned everyone.
No excitement.
No greed.
No celebration.
Just a calm nod.
As though discussing tomorrow's weather.
Inside his mind—
Seiren laughed.
"You just became rich."
"I was already rich."
Silence.
Then the Guardian remembered.
Mercenary Alliance.
Spector Network.
Unwritten Horizon Guild.
Frostbound Coast.
Several other sources.
"...Right."
The Guardian suddenly felt sorry for the mermaids.
Because they had spent their entire treasury negotiating with someone who genuinely didn't need the money.
Meanwhile—
The silver-haired mermaid watched silently.
Her eyes fixed upon the young man standing atop the sea.
For the first time.
She began realizing something.
The reason he had rejected her wasn't because she lacked value.
Nor because he hated mermaids.
Nor because he was blind.
It was because—
Compared to everyone else around him.
He viewed things differently.
Dangerously differently.
And somehow.
That realization felt far more disturbing than being called an uncategorized species.
The ocean breeze swept across the waves.
The negotiations had ended.
The treasure had been valued.
And somewhere beyond the horizon—
Aetherial Institute waited.
Completely unaware that one of its future students had just accidentally become a legendary figure among the merfolk before even arriving.