Hermione hovered in midair.
Tivan looked grim, but he forced himself to remain composed as he looked up at Hermione.
"Kale Witch! You got here fast! Don't you know the unwritten rules among the universe's most powerful beings? You already have two Infinity Stones, yet you still want the Power Stone. Are you trying to provoke everyone into joining forces against you?"
Hermione tilted her head, her clear eyes full of confusion.
"Rules? What rules? How come I've never heard of them?"
"You..."
Tivan was momentarily speechless. Seeing that Hermione's expression seemed genuine, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Could she really not know? That makes sense. She's so young, after all, and she's always stayed tucked away on a backwater like Earth. It's only natural that she'd be out of the loop.
He steadied himself and tried to reason with her.
"Take my advice, Madam Witch. Stop here. Having more Infinity Stones isn't necessarily better. Excessive greed will only bring destruction. Leave now, and I can pretend none of this happened. Otherwise, once word gets out, you'll become everyone's target!"
At his words, Hermione raised a finger to her chin with an air of solemn consideration, as though she were genuinely thinking it over.
Tivan relaxed a little, feeling that there might still be room to negotiate.
After a while, a brilliant smile spread across Hermione's face, and she spoke lightly.
"Hmm... I've finished thinking."
Tivan brightened. "You've come to your senses?"
Hermione nodded.
"I have! Since I'm already here, it'd be a shame to go home empty-handed."
Then her tone shifted, taking on a teasing edge. "As for all that trouble you mentioned... they're welcome to come looking for me. Honestly, I've been short a few obedient puppets lately. The more, the better. It'll save me having to