The ocean breeze moved gently across the waves.
Sunlight reflected upon the sea like countless fragments of shattered gold.
The battle had ended.
The negotiations had ended.
The ancient Scarder Stone of Wisdom had finally returned to its rightful owners.
Everything should have been resolved.
Yet strangely—
Nobody was leaving.
Hundreds of eyes remained fixed upon a single person.
Aedon Flinth.
The mysterious explorer who had appeared from nowhere.
Killed a centuries-old sea predator.
Recovered a sacred artifact.
Rejected one of the most beautiful mermaids in existence.
And somehow managed to confuse everyone involved.
The treasure reward floated atop the water between both sides.
Large enchanted chests.
Rare gemstones.
Pearls.
Ancient corals.
Precious metals.
Enough wealth to make ordinary people spend generations dreaming.
The elder mermaids watched respectfully.
The students aboard the academy vessel watched greedily.
The sailors watched curiously.
Meanwhile—
Kel simply walked toward the treasure.
His bare feet stepped across the ocean surface.
Water magic supporting every movement.
The atmosphere remained quiet.
Everyone waited.
Then Kel stopped before the largest chest.
A massive reinforced treasure box.
The lid opened.
Golden light reflected outward.
Inside rested stacks upon stacks of gold coins.
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
Perhaps more.
The sight alone made several students aboard the ship swallow nervously.
One noble youth whispered:
"By the heavens..."
Another nodded.
"That's enough to buy a mansion."
A merchant's son immediately corrected him.
"Several mansions."
The students became even more jealous.
Meanwhile—
Kel raised his hand.
The storage ring upon his finger glimmered.
A spatial ripple appeared.
Then—
Exactly one chest vanished.
Gone.
Stored.
The action looked effortless.
Simple.
Ordinary.
Then Kel stepped back.
Everyone blinked.
The remaining treasure still floated there.
Ninety-nine percent of it.
Untouched.
The elder mermaid stared.
Then stared harder.
Then looked at the remaining treasure.
Then at Kel.
Then back again.
Finally—
She asked.
"Human..."
Kel looked toward her.
The elder corrected herself immediately.
"Aedon Flinth."
Kel nodded.
The elder pointed toward the treasure.
"You did not take everything."
The surrounding mermaids became confused.
The students became confused.
The sailors became confused.
Because honestly—
If someone offered them that treasure—
They would take everything.
Without hesitation.
Without shame.
Without leaving even a single coin.
Meanwhile—
Kel looked toward the remaining wealth.
Then calmly answered.
"I never intended to."
Silence followed.
The elder frowned slightly.
Kel continued.
"The chest I took contains approximately fifty thousand gold coins."
Several students aboard the ship nearly fell over.
Fifty thousand.
Gold.
Coins.
The number struck like lightning.
One student immediately began calculating.
Another stopped calculating because the amount physically hurt his soul.
Meanwhile—
Kel remained calm.
"That amount is enough."
The elder looked confused.
"Enough?"
"Yes."
Kel pointed toward the distant corpse of the giant predator.
"If someone had officially placed a bounty on that creature."
The ocean breeze swept across his silver hair.
"The reward would likely be around fifty thousand gold."
The sailors exchanged glances.
Then slowly nodded.
Actually.
That sounded correct.
Very correct.
Perhaps even generous.
The elder remained silent.
Then Kel continued.
"I am a man of my word."
The statement carried no arrogance.
Only certainty.
"I asked for appropriate compensation."
His silver eyes met hers.
"I received it."
The elder stared.
Then lowered her gaze.
For the first time.
She truly understood.
The young man wasn't negotiating for wealth.
He was negotiating for fairness.
The difference mattered.
A lot.
Inside his mind—
Seiren sounded amused.
"They're realizing it."
"Slowly."
"Very slowly."
The Guardian laughed.
Meanwhile—
The students aboard the ship looked devastated.
One noble youth pointed dramatically.
"He left the rest."
Another grabbed his chest.
"My heart hurts."
A third looked ready to cry.
"He left enough treasure to buy a city district."
The merchant's son sighed.
"That's why he'll probably become richer than all of us."
Nobody liked hearing that.
Especially because it sounded true.
Meanwhile—
Kel began walking back toward the academy vessel.
The matter had ended.
The treasure had been accepted.
The artifact had been returned.
Nothing else remained.
Or so he thought.
Then—
The elder mermaid spoke again.
"Aedon Flinth."
Kel stopped.
Slowly turning back.
The elder hesitated.
Then finally pointed behind herself.
Toward the silver-haired mermaid.
The beautiful one.
The dangerous one.
The emotionally damaged one.
The same mermaid who currently looked exhausted by existence.
The elder forced a smile.
"Please."
Silence.
Then—
"Take her."
The ocean froze.
The silver-haired mermaid froze.
The students froze.
The sailors froze.
Even Seiren froze.
Inside Kel's mind—
The Guardian whispered.
"They're trying again."
"Yes."
The elder gestured desperately.
"Please."
The silver-haired mermaid slowly closed her eyes.
Clearly.
She wished to sink into the ocean and never return.
Unfortunately.
Reality remained cruel.
The elder continued.
"She is talented."
Kel remained silent.
"Beautiful."
Still silent.
"Intelligent."
No reaction.
The elder became increasingly desperate.
"Kind."
Nothing.
"Powerful."
Nothing.
The elder finally gave up listing qualities.
Meanwhile—
The silver-haired mermaid stepped forward.
Not because she wanted to.
Because tribal pressure demanded it.
Her expression remained calm.
Yet beneath the calmness.
Embarrassment existed.
Frustration existed.
And strangely—
Curiosity existed.
She looked toward Kel.
Waiting.
The students aboard the ship leaned forward.
Every male student prayed.
Every sailor hoped.
Several mermaids crossed their fingers.
Then Kel sighed.
A very long sigh.
The sigh of a man facing unnecessary complications.
Then he looked directly at the silver-haired mermaid.
Silence spread.
Everyone listened carefully.
Finally—
Kel spoke.
"I don't wish to insult her further."
The silver-haired mermaid blinked.
Unexpected answer.
The elder looked hopeful.
Perhaps—
Perhaps he had changed his mind.
Then Kel continued.
"I also dislike burdens."
The hope immediately weakened.
Then he finished.
"She is a liability."
The emotional damage returned.
Full force.
The silver-haired mermaid physically twitched.
Several nearby mermaids almost fainted.
Inside his mind—
Seiren laughed so hard she nearly lost coherence.
"LIABILITY!"
Kel ignored her.
Again.
The elder stared.
Then asked:
"Don't you find her beautiful?"
The question echoed across the sea.
The students leaned forward.
The sailors leaned forward.
The mermaids leaned forward.
Even the silver-haired mermaid unconsciously listened.
Kel looked toward her.
Actually looked.
For several seconds.
Then nodded.
"She is beautiful."
The ocean became silent.
The students nodded vigorously.
Finally.
A normal answer.
The elder smiled.
The silver-haired mermaid relaxed slightly.
Then Kel continued.
"But."
The smile vanished.
Immediately.
Kel pointed toward her.
"She is neither fish nor woman."
The emotional damage returned.
Again.
The silver-haired mermaid nearly stopped breathing.
The students aboard the ship looked horrified.
The sailors looked horrified.
The elder looked personally attacked.
Meanwhile—
Kel continued calmly.
"More importantly."
His voice remained practical.
"She attracts attention."
The students blinked.
The elder blinked.
The mermaids blinked.
Kel pointed toward the academy vessel.
"Every male student is staring."
Everyone immediately looked away.
Too late.
The evidence had already been observed.
Kel continued.
"Every sailor is staring."
The sailors immediately looked at the sky.
Also too late.
Then he pointed toward the merfolk.
"Every male mermaid is staring."
Several male mermaids suddenly found the ocean floor very interesting.
Kel nodded.
Satisfied.
Then calmly delivered the conclusion.
"Why would I voluntarily carry such a problem?"
Silence.
Perfect silence.
The logic felt impossible to argue against.
Then Kel continued.
"If I accepted her."
His gaze swept across everyone present.
"Half the people here would envy me."
Several students immediately looked guilty.
"Half would become jealous."
More guilt.
"And the remaining half would challenge me."
The captain nodded.
Actually.
That sounded accurate.
Very accurate.
Kel pointed toward the beautiful mermaid once more.
Then concluded.
"I would rather take nothing."
The silver-haired mermaid's soul left her body again.
Inside his mind—
Seiren was no longer laughing.
She was wheezing.
Then Kel finished.
With absolute sincerity.
"Than carry this uncategorized."
A pause.
"Or perhaps mixed-category thing."
The ocean died.
The students died.
The sailors died.
The mermaids died.
The silver-haired mermaid especially died.
Emotionally.
Spiritually.
Mentally.
Only her body remained standing.
And as Kel calmly turned around and resumed walking toward the academy vessel—
Every person present realized something.
Aedon Flinth feared many things.
Danger.
Monsters.
Mysteries.
Political schemes.
Perhaps.
But beautiful women?
Apparently not.
Because he viewed them exactly the same way he viewed dangerous monsters.
As potential complications.
And somehow—
That realization was more unbelievable than everything else that had happened today.