Although they have a lot of questions appearing on their head, they still remained silent and didn't dare question him.

They only looked at him with silent gazes.

"Hm~ this place really never changes. That serpent king, renovating this cave should be just fine isn't it?"

That's right! This place is the Dungeon [ Serpent King's Lair ] where Marie and her guild mates were trapped and fought a life and death battles.

When Hein first came here, all he wanted was to save Marie and the others which he succeeded.

He killed numerous monsters and even fought the S-class monster, the Serpent King. However this time, he didn't come to fight but ask for the monster's help.

Hein wanted to keep the slaves in the serpent king's place until he can find a new safe place for them.

Although the Serpent King is a monster, Hein believe that he was an exceptionally reasonable man.

Hein entered the dungeon and proceeded forward. Although the place is kinda dark and gloomy, the place Hein believe where the Serpent King is staying doesn't really that hard to find.

Thanks to his [ Search ] skill, looking for someone inside this place is a piece of cake.

The moment he entered the cave, he suddenly heard some eerie hiss.

A short distance away, Hein came upon a lizard man blocking his path. When the 'former' slaves saw the monster, they started shrieking in fear. The girls even immediately hide behind Hein.

The men immediately readied their self to fight; it seems they somehow know how to fight.

They thought that the monster would begin to attack them but contrary to their expectations, the moment the lizard man saw Hein's figure wearing a mask, it began to tremble in fear.

It seems this lizard man knew who Hein was, or maybe he already saw him when Hein was fighting the other day.

"Y, you.... w, why are you here? D, did you come again to kill my people!" The lizard man fearfully asked, though his voice carried a hint of anger.

"Well, wait~ I didn't come here for something as boring as that. I want to talk to your king, there's something I want from him."

"W, what do you mean?! I, if you think you can still win against our king then you better think again! The poison in our king has already healed this time... this time he can kill you easily!"

"Eeh~ Don't be so like that old man~ I really didn't come here to cause trouble, I came here talk... you hear T-A-L-K~ so can you lead me to him~"

"I'm not that old!"

The lizard man was unable to hide his confusion after hearing Hein's words. If it was the usual him, he will surely say that it was 'nonsense' and attack him.

However, at that time, a few days back. Hein was capable to annihilate and kill them didn't do so. He spared the life of his king and princess and brought back the other humans who tried to invade their place.

There is even a rumor that this strange man was the reason as to why the king managed to survive from the poison.... in other words, rather than meaninglessly throwing his life and incurring the wrath of this monster, it would be better for the king himself to meet this monster.

Besides the king have already recovered his original power and was now even stronger than before, him beating this unknown monster is as easy as pinching a woman's cheek.

The lizard man started to regain its strength as it cautiously said,

"... if you're not planning to harm my people, then I don't care if you meet our king. However, you better not try any suspicious actions or else..."

While saying so, he turned around and began walking.

Hein wearing a wry smile scratch the back of his head and began to follow the lizard man.

The 'former' slaves who could only watch quietly the development looked at Hein's back with their eyes filled with deep worship. Especially the three beastman girls as they follow him.

Following the lizardman, they sometimes caught themselves stumbling over the glassy black terrain, jumping crevices and tripped on some rocky roads.

Yep. The Serpent King definitely knew how to pick a new, comfy and beautiful place to live.

Time was impossible to judge.

They trudge along, silently following the lizardman as he cut the harsh landscape.

Fortunately the lizardman wasn't exactly a speed walker, or maybe he was just being considerate towards them; the humans.

This lizardman seemed like a good guy despite its appearance~

The landscape change again.

They were still going downhill which should have made traveling easier but the ground sloped at just the wrong angles.

It's as if the ground was teasing you and cursing you to trip and stumbles. It was too steep to jog and sometimes the surface was loose gravel and sometimes just patches of slime.

If you thought it was a leveled ground then you'll find yourself stumbling because of a sudden protruding rock. It was really too treacherous to let your guard down even for a moment.

The lizardman off to the left.

They followed without complaints -no they decided not to. They were afraid that they might get scolded or left alone.

After a few minutes of walking, the air suddenly got colder.

Although Hein couldn't tell if it was actually darker because he can just see as fine, however he can feel that the air definitely did seemed colder and thicker as if they'd stepped into a different microclimate.

It reminded him of the orphanage in winter, it was so cold that the children like him would sip some hot soup while listening to Mother Superior talking about some fantasy stories --- this made him feel nostalgic.

Hein wondered if the Serpent King chooses this cave because of this cold temperature. Was it already their cooling down period?

What a depressing thought. Having absolutely no control over their own body temperature. They couldn’t help but become slaves to the temperature of their environments.

Hein stepped around random bristles sharp enough to impale a human's foot, and clusters of... well, not rocks exactly.

They were more like quartz the size of a basketball.

If Hein had to guess (Though it's more unlikely) he supposed that the lizardman was leading them unto some kind of trap or pitfall but ignored such idea.

The air got thicker and stank of sewage. It even made Hein frowned because of the sudden smell. Do amphibians like such depressing places?

They'd only traveled a few meters when Hein and the others heard voices.

Hissing and growling as if they were having some sort of argument making the people behind Hein instantly alert.

Hein on the other hand was as if he was just having some kind of stroll as he kept her elegance and poise while

walking (though he was giving his hard to endure the smell).

After a few while, the lizardman stopped in front of a huge gate.

It was made by thick wooden planks that were made together looking like a fence. It gave off a feeling suitable for a demi-human country.

The lizardman gave the signal to the lizard and serpent looking humans who seems to be the gatekeepers.

At first, they seemed reluctant and readied their bow against Hein and the others but when the lizardman told them it's okay, they reluctantly opened the gates.

--- The lizardman's name who led Hein seemed to be Amad as that's what the gatekeepers called him.

When Hein and the others entered the gate, they were showered by piercing glances filled with hostility and hate, making the people following Hein cowered in fear while hanging their heads.

It seemed that they can't hide their agitation for the fact that humans were coming in their place.

If not for Amad the lizardman calming them down, they would have already attack them.

However, these actions seemed to be useless in regards to Hein for he only ignore it and proceeded forward.

Amad the lizardman stopped and turned around to face Hein.

"I'm going to inform the king of your visit so please wait here for a little while..." While saying so, Amad frantically run leaving Hein and the others.

... ...

EXOTIC.

Hein never thought he would in his lifetime; describe a king's magnificent and awe-inspiring residence [ Exotic ].

Well, no one can really blamed him because although the Serpent King's house was as wide as an 3LDK house, its unique composition that looks as if it was constructed from animals and monster's bones, skins and mud, it would really emit some kind of exotic feeling.

After the lizardman returned, he signaled them to follow him once again.

Walking towards an exotic looking house that looks like a hut.

Apparently, this exotic looking hut was the king's comfortable (pitiful) residence.

In the center blazed a bonfire made of pitch and bone; yet the smoke was white and odorless.

What's more is that this fire wasn't that hot or anything, only mild and giving out some light.

The floor was covered with brown animal or monster hides and dry marsh grass. At one end lay a massive bed of sheepskins and monster leather.

At the other end, free standing racks made from branches of trees were hung with drying plants, cured leathers and what looked like strips of meat jerky.

The whole place was cold and smelled of dirt and blood yet it was also quite cozy.

--- A place unbefitting of a king.

If Hein didn't know, he would never imagine that the Serpent King whose pride was as huge as the Mt. Everest was living in this kind of place.

In front of Hein were three people, or more specifically three amphibians.

Hein recognized two of them, one is the Serpent King which his alternate personality fought before and the other was the Serpent King most beloved daughter.

The other one he couldn't recognize.

He have scales all over his body and instead of a lizard his head looks like a serpent, continuously hissing while emitting killing intent towards Hein.

But Hein had no memory of him so he wondered why he is so angry at him?

Lugas

Level 48 Serpent Warrior

Unlike the one called Lugas, the Serpent King only looked at him with a calm expression as he plodded to the strange bonfire.

He tossed one of the meat jerky into a hanging pot that seemed to be made from clay, then picked up a ladle and began to stir.

He never said anything nor welcomed Hein. He was only acting as if it was natural for Hein to be there.

On his side was his beloved daughter who's named seemed to be Lamia.

She was giving Hein suspicious looks ever since she saw him but unlike the one called Lugas there's no hate or anger in her eyes. Although Hein remembered her hating him to the core before.

"Well, what can I say... what a nice house?" Hein couldn't help but said.

His voice so innocent like angels humming.

"Insolent!"

Lugas seemed to be angered from his words because he suddenly brandished his spear.

However before he could attack, he was stopped by the Serpent King who seemed to take Hein's words as a joke.

"I'll take that as a compliment" The Serpent King mused while he continued stirring the hanging pot.

"So why did you come here, human freak?"

The Serpent King's voice which he heard before when he fought with the other Hein was a low and deep voice yet filled with prideful demeanor.

"Just to ask some favor~" Hein answered back.

Unlike the snake and lizard faced monsters, the Serpent King together with his daughter was a humanoid type. Black lines could be seen on his aged face and his hair had whitened.

However, even if his appearance looked old, the presence that emanated from that body, Hein thought that not even a particle of it had become weak especially now that he was cured from his poisoned state.

"Favor? Pfft, Ahahahahaha I didn't think that you will come here to just ask some favor, human freak." The Serpent King laughed, small tears coming

"You shouldn't be laughing at that!"

While saying that he was not joking, Hein pouted as if he was wronged and the Serpent King laughed heartily.

As for the snake faced Lugas, Lamia and the slaves behind Hein, they were in shocked state.

They couldn't believe that the two were talking as if they were just some old friends from way back, especially Lugas whose eyes was wide as it could be.

"Fine, fine I apologize. So what can I do?" The Serpent King looked at him, seemingly trying to assess the young man in front of him.

"Well, that is ..."

When Hein began explaining, a 'Ding' sound reaches his ears. It was the sound when notified by using [ Telepathy ].

Because the operation was like just in a game, he accepted by thinking about it.

[Hello, this is the sh*t restaurant. How may I help you?]

[Master!]