The ocean was silent.
Not because there were no sounds.
The currents still flowed.
Ancient creatures still moved through the darkness.
Distant Leviathans still roared across the abyss.
Yet after hearing the truth from the King Leviathan, an unusual stillness settled between Kel and the giant guardian.
A silence filled with thought.
A silence filled with calculation.
A silence before decisions that could affect both land and sea.
The gigantic Leviathan continued swimming through the depths.
Its enormous body cut through ocean currents like a moving mountain.
Ancient scars covered its scales.
Each scar told a story.
Each mark represented a battle survived.
A century endured.
A predator defeated.
Yet despite all those battles...
The creature currently feared the silver-haired human sitting on its head more than any monster it had encountered.
Kel remained seated calmly.
One leg folded.
One hand resting upon his knee.
His expression remained thoughtful.
The darkness of the ocean reflected within his golden eyes.
Inside his mind—
Seiren spoke.
"You're planning something."
Kel nodded.
"Of course."
"Should I feel concerned?"
"Depends."
"That answer concerns me."
The Guardian sighed.
Meanwhile.
The King Leviathan finally gathered enough courage to speak.
"So."
Its voice echoed through currents.
"What now?"
Kel looked down.
Then spoke calmly.
"Simple."
The King Leviathan immediately became nervous.
Because whenever this human said something was simple—
Nothing was ever simple.
Kel continued.
"You order your Leviathans to stop attacking humans."
The ocean seemed to freeze.
The King Leviathan's massive eye widened.
Several nearby sea creatures who had secretly followed from a distance nearly choked.
The giant guardian remained silent.
Then finally asked.
"What?"
Kel repeated himself.
"Order your army."
A pause.
"Stop attacking humans."
The Leviathan stopped swimming.
Completely stopped.
Several fish accidentally crashed into its tail because they weren't expecting such a sudden halt.
The King slowly turned its head.
"Do you know what you're asking?"
Kel nodded.
"Yes."
The giant creature growled.
"Humans are responsible."
"Maybe."
"Our young disappeared."
"Maybe."
"The scent leads toward humans."
"Maybe."
The Leviathan became increasingly irritated.
"What do you mean maybe?"
Kel looked toward the darkness ahead.
His voice remained calm.
"Everything you've said is circumstantial."
The King blinked.
Kel continued.
"You suspect humans."
"Yes."
"You don't know humans are responsible."
"..."
"You followed clues."
"..."
"You reached a conclusion."
"..."
"You started a war."
The final words struck deeply.
The Leviathan fell silent.
Because when simplified—
That was exactly what happened.
The giant guardian didn't like hearing it.
But it couldn't deny it.
Inside his mind—
Seiren nodded approvingly.
"Good point."
Kel continued.
"If the culprit truly exists."
A pause.
"If someone is stealing your young."
Another pause.
"Then every attack against human ships helps the culprit."
The King froze.
Its enormous eye slowly widened.
For the first time.
It considered another possibility.
What if...
Someone wanted humans and Leviathans to fight?
The thought alone was disturbing.
Very disturbing.
The giant guardian remained silent.
Thinking.
Analyzing.
Reconsidering.
Finally.
It spoke.
"If I order them to stop."
A pause.
"What do I gain?"
Kel immediately answered.
"The truth."
The King narrowed its eyes.
Kel continued.
"If your Leviathans continue attacking."
His tone remained casual.
"I will personally kill every Leviathan involved."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The surrounding ocean became still.
Nearby sea creatures nearly suffered heart attacks.
One giant crab immediately began moving away.
Very quickly.
A sea serpent whispered.
"Did he just threaten the entire Leviathan race?"
Another sea serpent nodded.
"I think he did."
The first serpent stared.
"...can he do that?"
The second serpent remembered the King Leviathan currently functioning as transportation.
Then answered honestly.
"Maybe."
Meanwhile.
The King Leviathan stared at Kel.
Its enormous body radiated pressure.
Ancient power surged through the surrounding waters.
The ocean itself seemed to respond.
Then—
Kel stared back.
Nothing happened.
Several seconds passed.
Then the Leviathan looked away first.
Inside his mind—
Seiren burst into laughter.
"You won a staring contest against a Leviathan King."
"Important diplomatic victory."
"Absolutely."
The King sighed.
A deep.
Ancient.
Exhausted sigh.
Then finally spoke.
"I will order them."
Kel nodded.
A wise decision.
The giant guardian continued.
"But what will you do?"
A pause.
"What do I gain in return?"
The question lingered between them.
Kel thought briefly.
Then answered.
"Either I will present the culprit."
The King listened carefully.
Kel's golden eyes reflected the darkness of the abyss.
"Dead."
A pause.
"Or alive."
The ocean fell silent again.
The simplicity of the promise made it terrifying.
Not "I'll try."
Not "I'll investigate."
Not "I'll see what I can find."
No.
Kel spoke as though the matter had already been decided.
As though finding the culprit was merely a matter of time.
The King Leviathan noticed it too.
"You're confident."
Kel shrugged.
"I'm curious."
The Leviathan blinked.
"That's your reason?"
"Mostly."
The giant guardian suddenly understood why everyone considered humans insane.
Especially this human.
Meanwhile.
Inside his mind—
Seiren laughed softly.
"You're doing it again."
"What?"
"That thing."
"What thing?"
"Finding trouble."
Kel looked around the ancient ocean.
Somewhere.
Hidden beneath the sea.
Something had stolen Leviathan young.
Something had manipulated events.
Something had provoked conflict between land and ocean.
And now.
That thing had accidentally attracted his attention.
A mistake.
A very unfortunate mistake.
Because Kel had never been good at ignoring mysteries.
The King Leviathan suddenly released a powerful roar.
The sound spread across the ocean.
Currents shifted.
Creatures paused.
Leviathans throughout the region heard the command.
An order from their king.
Stop attacking human vessels.
Return to territorial waters.
Await further instructions.
One by one.
The roaming Leviathans obeyed.
The ocean slowly began calming.
Above the surface.
Far away.
Guilds would soon notice.
The attacks were stopping.
The monsters were retreating.
The battle was ending.
And nobody would understand why.
Nobody except a silver-haired academy student currently riding the King Leviathan through the abyss.
As the command echoed throughout the sea.
Kel looked toward the endless darkness ahead.
Somewhere.
Something was hiding.
And judging from the trail it left behind—
He was getting closer.
Very close.
Inside his mind—
Seiren suddenly spoke.
"Kel."
"Hm?"
The Guardian's tone became serious.
"I think something is watching us."
For the first time since entering the abyss—
Kel's smile disappeared.
Because Seiren was rarely wrong.
And if something could remain hidden from both a Guardian and a Leviathan King until now—
Then whatever lurked within the darkness ahead...
Was far more dangerous than anyone realized.