17 Don’t use it for anything strange!

All evil shall eventually be brought to justice—except for me!

Having confirmed that there was something wrong with the Prison of No Light, Herbert decided to report it to the higher-ups at the monastery. He had no intention of solving the problem himself. Why would he risk his life for a meager monthly salary? Besides, it wasn't that he wasn't trying hard enough; it was simply that he couldn't win. Whether this anomaly was caused by the Dark Elf, the Vampire Prince, or both of them working together, he lacked the capacity to resist. It was way beyond his capabilities. He just couldn't beat them. If you’re a noob, you need to train more. I can't afford to play this game. Let’s all quit! Smash that report button!

However, before seeking help from the Archbishop, Herbert had one very important thing to do: he had yet to collect the monster materials. He looked at the Siren, who was staring at her iridescent fish tail with a conflicted expression, and asked kindly, "Miss Freme, I’ve returned. Are you not ready yet?"

A short while ago, he had asked Freme for a small gift—one of her iridescent scales. It was meant to be a symbolic compensation to signify that they had buried the hatchet and put the incident where she tried to take his life behind them. Freme, though hesitant, eventually agreed. From her perspective, Herbert’s request was quite modest. It really was just a symbolic gift; it was merely a scale from her tail, with no special significance, and she could grow it back whenever she liked. The only thing that felt faintly off was his beaming, smiling expression. It just felt strange somehow... But for some reason, she didn't want him to see the details of how the scale was removed, so she had shooed him off to the third zone.

"I’m ready, I suppose," Freme said, her lips twitching as she felt uncertain if she was doing the right thing. No, wait, why did it still feel like something was wrong? "You..." She hesitated, unable to hold back, and asked, "You really aren't going to use it for anything weird, are you?"

"Truly, I just want to keep it as a memento," Herbert nodded candidly, patting his chest in assurance, showing no signs of guilt. Of course I won't do anything weird. How could using monster materials to increase my strength be considered weird? After saying this, he asked with genuine curiosity, "By the way, what do you mean by 'weird things'? I don't quite understand. Could you explain it to me in detail?"

Freme looked into the boy’s "pure" eyes, which were filled with a thirst for knowledge. For a moment, she didn't know how to explain, stammering, "Uh, well, you know, using it to do some..."

"Do some what?"

The Mermaid Princess looked at the boy, speechless. She really wanted to ask, "You're a grown man, don't you understand? Do you really have to make me explain?" But then she remembered the oath of purity he had sworn, and the words got stuck in her throat. *Tsk, this kid might actually not understand! Do I really have to give him a sex-ed lesson?* Sigh.

"...Forget it, just take it." She shook her head in silence and flicked the palm-sized scale through the air. It traced a graceful arc and landed in Herbert's hand. "I’ve given you the item, so you are not allowed to bring that matter up ever again!"

"Of course. I will cherish it as a symbol of our friendship," Herbert said with a slight smile, bowing to the Mermaid Princess. Got it! *Ding, ding, ding*—Acquired material: [Legendary Siren’s Iridescent Scale]!

He suppressed the excitement in his heart, maintained his outward restraint, and continued to make small talk with her for a while longer. It wasn't until Freme grew annoyed and chased him away that he exited the Deepwater Prison. Standing at the boundary of the first zone, Herbert’s lips curled upward, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Heh heh, ha ha, ke-ke-ke!" I really am something! I actually managed to get a monster girl's material!

"...What are you cackling about?" Valentina looked at Herbert, who was laughing to himself, with an expression of disgust. She began to regret agreeing to be his friend. Had she misjudged him?

Realizing there was an audience, Herbert coughed twice and brushed it off. "Oh, you're still here? Why haven't you gone home yet?"

"Hmph!?" Valentina rolled her eyes and gave a cold snort, too lazy to bother with him. *I’d like to leave, but do you bastards let me? No, you don't!* However, she still remembered her agreement with Herbert and didn't speak her mind. In the end, she only gave a snide, cynical remark: "Looking at how happy you are, you must have had a great chat with someone, huh?"

Herbert blinked, looking at her in surprise. "Oh? Are you jealous?"

???

"I'm jealous of you, you—" Valentina’s face turned bright red, and just before she was about to explode, Herbert quickly cooled the situation down. "Haha, just a little joke. Don't get so worked up. I was just testing my control over the sealing array. Although it’s still a bit of a burden for me, it’s at least functional." Well, mostly—it only worked in the second zone and failed when he reached the third.

"Oh." Valentina gave him a suspicious look, but seeing his frank expression, she didn't dwell on it further. But what was this sealing array he was talking about? As a dragon who had grown up on the wild side, Miss Valentina’s brain didn't contain any knowledge in that area.

"Speaking of which, what are the rules of this prison?"

"Hm? What rules?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

Herbert blinked, and Valentina blinked back. The two stared at each other for quite a while. Facing that gaze, as clear and foolish as a college student's, Herbert really didn't know what to say. *I thought you were just playing the fool, but it turns out you really are a fool.*

"...Never mind. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

"Hm? Oh." Although Valentina was a bit curious about why he stopped talking, she wasn't all that bothered. After finally getting some food, although she wasn't full, she felt lazy and just wanted to sleep. Watching her yawn like a cat and curl up, Herbert shook his head helplessly and prepared to leave.

Just as he was about to exit, he remembered something and said to the drowsy dragon, "I’ll cut your hair for you tomorrow."

Hm? The dragon opened her eyes slightly, asking curiously, "Why?"

"It’s so messy; it must be very uncomfortable, right?"

"No, I think it's fine..."

"No, you are uncomfortable! As a friend, I cannot let you continue to suffer!"

Valentina: ?

"Alright, it's settled. Go to sleep; I’ll trim your hair tomorrow." Herbert left no room for refusal, made the decision firmly, and walked out of the prison.

"You say you don't want it cut, but how can that be?" Herbert muttered to himself outside the prison. "I still need to collect your hair as material..."

Hmm. Although it sounds a bit weird... but I absolutely won't use it for anything strange!

.
.
That night.

["Eat it."]

"Huh? No, wait, how am I supposed to eat this!?"