37 This is my line of attack! (Please follow for updates!)

"......What did you say?"

Valentina, who had been tensed up while chanting a high-speed incantation, froze mid-sentence. She blinked, staring blankly at the "suitor" standing right before her.

Hmm?

Something felt off, didn't it?

The boy let go of one hand, scratched his head with a shy expression, and gave a light cough. "Ahem! Well, I was asking, could you let me touch your tail?"

In an instant, all the romantic tension and ambiguity vanished. Valentina’s mind became crystal clear.

With steady eyes, she looked fixedly at Herbert and repeated slowly, "...Your tail?"

"Yes! Exactly, your tail! I've always been so curious about what a dragon's tail looks like!" Herbert tugged on her hand, shaking it slightly as he added with excitement, "You must have a half-human, half-dragon form, right? Could you transform for me?"

Valentina’s expression gradually contorted, yet Herbert continued, bubbling with enthusiasm, "I know it's a bit offensive, but I'm truly just so curious!"

Tail...

Tail.

Tail!!?

"..."

Valentina slowly lowered her head, remembering what Herbert had said not long ago—about offensive requests, crossing lines, and things he had wanted to do since they first met.

"Heh."

Right. He had never actually specified what "it" was.

It was clearly my own overactive imagination.

Is this all... my fault!!?

*Snap.*

With a faint click echoing in her mind, the previously suppressed fury of the "Berserker" erupted all at once.

"HER! BERT!"

The hungry dragon lady revealed her true colors, glaring with wide, furious eyes at the boy who was covering his ears and laughing at her.

"How dare you play me for a fool!!!"

Damn it all, you played me!?

Herbert, having prepared for the consequences of his death-defying antics, had already retreated before she exploded, but even so, he looked quite disheveled. The two had been standing so close that the sonic boom had left him feeling dazed.

This was the price of being cheeky.

But if given the chance again, he thought he would probably court death just the same.

Because being cheeky was just so much fun.

A little risk brings a little joy; constant risk brings constant joy!

"Oh my, if you don't want me to touch it, then don't! Why are you getting so worked up?" Herbert winked at her with a mischievous grin and asked playfully, "So, was your heart racing? I think my acting skills are pretty good."

"...You!!?"

Valentina: !!?

This guy really did it on purpose!

***

"You wretched man! Aren't you a Paladin!!! Has your conscience been eaten by a dog!?"

Valentina had completely lost her composure. She shook the bars violently, wishing she could tear the door down and rush over to bite him to death. She gnashed her teeth against the iron bars, her eyes burning like fire as she glared at Herbert.

Damn him!

You really are detestable!

To this, Herbert showed no fear; in fact, he doubled down.

He stood with one hand on his hip, pointed a finger at the furious dragon in the cage, and shouted:

"Transform!"

"Hand over that tail!"

.

.

The Deepwater Prison.

"Sigh, this guy really doesn't understand a man's heart!"

Herbert, having retreated in a somewhat disheveled state to the second zone, rubbed his ears and shook his head with a sigh. "It's just a tail! It wouldn't kill her to let me touch it!"

"So stingy!"

After he uttered such shameless remarks, the God of Comedy, who had been watching the show for a long time, finally spoke up: ["Tell me, why on earth did you provoke her?"]

Nenasha had been observing for quite a while, and for a moment, she didn't know how to evaluate the situation. Herbert had collected two monster materials so easily before that it led Nenasha to a preconceived conclusion.

She had assumed her ally had chosen to be a kept man, selling his body to acquire those materials, and that he simply wouldn't admit it out of pride...

But looking at it now, she realized she was completely wrong—he really hadn't done anything!

Nenasha had never expected Herbert to take this kind of path.

It wasn't a "sweet-talker" style, nor was it a "highly skilled" style... it was the "provocateur" style!

What kind of school of thought is this!!?

Even an Evil God was shocked!

However, regarding the distrust of his ally, Herbert hummed dismissively and replied with disdain:

"You really don't understand, do you? How did I provoke her? I call this active interaction, get it?"

Fighting is a sign of affection, and scolding is a form of love.

She lost her composure that badly; she must love me very much now.

["Aren't you worried she'll hold a grudge?"]

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Herbert blinked, smiling without a hint of panic.

"Didn't you notice? Although Valentina was emotional this time, she didn't say a single dirty word!"

["Hm? What does that mean?"]

"It means that while she's angry, she's not *that* angry, and she's still keeping her promise to me."

"The way she acted just now seemed violent, but it was more about being shy than being angry—it was just a way to mask her feelings."

Herbert recalled the blush he had seen on Valentina’s cheeks earlier, let out a soft chuckle, and shook his head:

"What she needs right now isn't to scold me, but time to cool off. If I stayed in front of her, I'd just be asking for trouble."

"That's why I chose to leave."

Nenasha remained silent, thinking, then suddenly realized.

["Oh... I get it. After all that, you just wanted to prove that running away was the right move?"]

"Exactly!"

Herbert shrugged and continued walking forward.

"Besides, I have ways to make her cool off, so you don't need to worry about it."

A hungry dragon, after all.

Either she goes hungry for a few meals, or you feed her a few more.

There’s always a way to get her to calm down~

A little hungry dragon—isn't that easy to handle?

As Herbert wandered toward the central area of the Deepwater Prison, his expression suddenly shifted.

He heard a faint, soft singing voice.

"La la la~"

Freme did not notice that someone had intruded. She sat on a sphere of water with her eyes closed, her colorful fish tail swaying gently. She was singing an ancient ballad in a peculiar language.

"La la la~"

["Do you need me to translate that for you?"]

"No."

Herbert shook his head, gazing with fascination at the beautiful back that looked as if it had stepped out of a legend.

"I understand this song."

The song Freme was singing was the story of the Siren Queen and the human prince.

He listened quietly, savoring the dream he had "personally" experienced once more.

After a long while, the ballad reached its conclusion. Freme didn't sing the entire song; she stopped abruptly just before the final line.

"May you..."

Freme opened her eyes, shook her head with a sense of lingering emotion, and whispered to herself: "What a pity..."

*Clap, clap, clap!*

!!?

"Bravo! That was truly beautiful!"

"Hm!!?"

Freme turned around sharply, looking at the approaching Herbert as if she had seen a ghost, and gasped:

"How are you here!?"