Precisely because he'd seen this clearly, Kamado instead became all the more certain about what he should do now.
Continuing to probe Ash and Cynthia would only make things even more tense between them.
It would be better to lay the terms out openly and push this business of quelling the Kings forward in a way both sides could accept.
"Anyway, we really don't know the secrets behind the Stone Tablets." Kamado suppressed the thoughts in his heart and turned back to Ash and Cynthia. "So to us, the Stone Tablets are basically items we can't put to use for the time being."
"I also have one Stone Tablet in my possession."
"As long as you agree to help the Pearl Clan and Diamond Clan quell the Kings of the five great regions, I can give you this Stone Tablet first."
Hearing this, Ash and Cynthia's gazes both flickered slightly.
Kamado went on, "In addition, it's said that each region's King, as well as the place it dwells, also has Stone Tablets present."
"If you can quell the Kings, then with the favor of helping them regain their calm, getting Stone Tablets from them shouldn't be too difficult."
"So, will you take this job?"
Kamado directly laid out his conditions and demands.
The reward was also very clear: the Secret Slab that Ash and Cynthia needed.
He might only have one Stone Tablet in hand, but as long as the quelling-the-Kings job succeeded, Ash and Cynthia would most likely be able to get more Stone Tablets from the Kings.
If they really needed the Stone Tablets, then this Quell Noble mission was something they would accept no matter what.
The Stone Tablet he had was at most just a reward paid out in advance.
Upon hearing this, Ash and Cynthia instinctively looked at each other.
The people of Hisui Region didn't know how many scattered Stone Tablets there were, but they did!!
According to the Arceus Phone's prompts, Arceus had a total of eighteen Stone Tablets.
If things were really as Kamado said, with a Stone Tablet on every King and in each of their territories, then as long as they quelled all five Kings, they'd be able to obtain ten Stone Tablets.
If each of the five Mount Pokemon also had a Stone Tablet, then altogether that would already be fifteen Stone Tablets.
Plus the one Stone Tablet in Kamado's hand, that would make sixteen in total.
That would mean there were only two Stone Tablets left for them to track down.
Who would've thought it—originally they'd been running around like headless flies looking for clues, and now they'd suddenly gotten the rough whereabouts of sixteen Stone Tablets handed to them.
As for the last two Stone Tablets, they believed that in the process of hunting down these sixteen, they would definitely uncover new leads.
"No problem." Cynthia quickly made her decision. "We'll take this job."
But Kamado once again shook his head. "No, no, no. It's still not time for you to accept this mission."
Cynthia: ???
Seriously, the reward's already settled, and now you're saying it's not time to take the job?
Bro, what the hell are you doing?
Looking at the two of them, Kamado spoke in a serious tone. "You've only just become members of Team Galactic, and your Star Level is only at Zero Star."
"With your current Star Level, it's not appropriate for you to accept this commission. Wait until you've raised your Star Level to Three Stars, then come find me."
Cynthia's smile froze a bit, and Ash stared at Kamado somewhat dumbfounded, as if he couldn't even process what he'd just heard.
Is someone who can say something like that still human?
Ignoring their strange expressions, Kamado continued, "Granted, your strength does far surpass what any so‑called Star Level can measure."
"But in Team Galactic, the rules still can't be broken. I can't just raise your Star Level directly because you're exceptionally strong."
"Accept commissions, complete commissions, raise Star Level—this has always been Team Galactic's rules."
"Since you've joined Team Galactic, naturally you must abide by Team Galactic's rules."
"The King of the Obsidian Fieldlands is currently the weakest among all the frenzied Kings."
"But even so, the mission to quell it is ranked at Three Stars, so before you become Three Stars Members, you can't take this mission."
"Rules are rules; they can't be broken."
Cynthia: "..."
Ash: "..."
Honestly, are you sure your brain's okay?
Do you have any idea what time it is, and you're still here lecturing about rules?
Do you seriously think the rules are more important than the safety of the entire Hisui Region?
And Adaman and Irida, say something, will you!!
This concerns the Kings your clans worship, you know. They're in a frenzied state right now, suffering like hell! Are you really just going to stand there and listen to Kamado talk?
To Ash and Cynthia's disappointment, Adaman and Irida didn't refute Kamado's words from beginning to end.
Which meant they agreed with Kamado's stance as well.
"Without rules, nothing can be properly formed," as the saying goes.
Even if this matter was already brushing up against the safety of the entire Hisui Region, and concerned the state of all the Kings themselves, it was only brushing up against it—it hadn't yet reached an irreparable crisis.
In that situation, rules that ought to be followed still had to be followed!
This was probably the stubbornness of people from ancient times.
Since they'd all said so, Ash and Cynthia couldn't very well just forcibly object.
After all, no matter what, they still needed Team Galactic, the Diamond Clan, and the Pearl Clan to provide routes and intelligence.
Sure, they could forcibly go and quell the Kings on their own, but then what? Where would they find the Mount Pokemon? How would they investigate the remaining Stone Tablet clues?
They needed the local factions' help for all of that.