While they were healing, I didn't idle either. I quickly replenished my mana with a magical potion, then swapped out some high-defense gear for the clothes inside my coat.

Meanwhile, on Aliyah's side, we continued to hear notifications of monsters being killed, indicating that they were still facing quite a few weak foes.

The sea dragon was conversing with the clam mermaid, occasionally casting wary glances in my direction. I could only sigh inwardly, thinking, can't you see that I'm discreetly watching your lovey-dovey interaction from the sidelines? Can't you guys hurry up?

After observing that the clam mermaid's HP had recovered more than half, I spoke up.

"Hey, I say, you don't really need to heal here, right? I'm waiting here anyway, so you might as well hurry up and leave."

"Huh?"

Both Aquatic Tribe members wore puzzled expressions.

"Are you willing to let us go?"

"Look at you talking as if I'm the bad guy here. Honestly, it's you who invaded our human territory with your aggression, right?"

Though the two of you seem experienced, I wasn't keen on killing humanoid-looking creatures. Plus, they could speak human language, which further deterred me from attacking them.

It just felt odd.

The two of them exchanged glances, murmured something quietly, then nodded towards me.

"Thank you for sparing us."

"Let's not talk about gratitude for now. I do have a question I would like to ask."

Seeing their names change from red to yellow, I knew they no longer intended harm, probably at most wanting to give me a punch.

And coincidentally, I became interested in the Aquatic Tribe's actions this time.

"Please go ahead."

The sea dragon politely responded.

"I just wanted to ask why the Aquatic Tribe is attacking humans. Haven't humans and the Aquatic Tribe coexisted peacefully for thousands of years? Why suddenly launch an attack overnight?"

"Huh?"

The sea dragon's face twisted into a strange expression.

"Well… I heard that humans were planning to break free from this continent and invade the Aquatic Tribe's territory, which prompted our preemptive attack..."

"Huh?"

This time it was my turn to feel baffled.

"How did it become humans attacking the Aquatic Tribe? We merely wanted to explore other continents; why would we go over and attack the Aquatic Tribe? At most, we would just pass through from above. Think about it, you, the Aquatic Tribe, can survive underwater because of your corresponding breathing organs. Why would humans want to live in your Aquatic Tribe's domain?"

"..."

Both Aquatic Tribe members looked at each other and fell silent.

"It does seem like that's the case, huh?"

"Well, what about the Sea King…"

"Sea King? You mean Poseidon?"

I chuckled.

"Huh? You know about that?"

Goodness, they actually named him Poseidon? Can't you pick a different name? Why use the same name for everything? Do you also have a nine-headed snake as a mount? Are you wielding a trident?

Well, with their temperament, it was only a matter of time before encountering the Aquatic Tribe and such. At times like this, it's best not to dwell on it.

"Okay, it seems like your Sea King has indeed caused quite a misunderstanding, but how did she know that humans were planning to attack?"

"I have no idea about that, I'm just a squad leader."

The clam mermaid shook her head.

"Say, what's your relationship with the dragon clan?"

I turned to look at the sea dragon.

"No relationship! Those arrogant bastards, let them go to hell!"

As I mentioned about the dragons, this guy looked really angry, which is good, very good. The revolutionary leader once told us that the enemy of our enemy is our friend, so it's time to build some relationships and gather intelligence.

"Yeah, a few days ago, the dragon clan also wanted to attack us over some minor issue, but now they are facing off against the elves. It seems like this time the situation on this continent is quite turbulent."

"This..."

The two Aquatic Tribe members looked at each other with a bitter expression.

"Alright, I'm done talking. Whether you leave or not is up to you. After all, if my companions were here, they might not let you go. And your Aquatic Tribe friends... well, they're probably almost wiped out."

I judged this based on the system's report on the kill frequency. Now that the frequency has slowed down, there probably aren't many of them left.

"Well, regardless of the outcome of this operation, we have to leave our homes. It's a good time to leave directly now. Excuse us."

After saying that, the two bowed to me and then swished back into the water.

Well, the two escaped with the experience rewards, but at least I got some valuable information.

It seems that besides the superficial aspects, there are many interesting parts to that ancient treaty. Looks like it's going to be quite troublesome to resolve this matter.

No choice, it seems that to solve the problem, we'll have to go into the sea again.

Thinking this, I connected to everyone's communication channel and asked, "Do you all want to go with me to the Dragon Palace for treasure hunting?"