This is my attack route! (Please keep reading!)

"...What did you say?"

Valentina, who had been nervously using Rapid Divine Speech, froze halfway through, blinked, and stared blankly at the "suitor" right in front of her.

Hmm?

Something seemed... off?

The boy let go with one hand, scratched his head a little shyly, and cleared his throat. "Ahem! Um, I was asking, could you let me touch your tail?"

In an instant, all the romance and flirtation vanished, and Valentina's mind became perfectly clear.

Her eyes were lucid as she stared steadily at Herbert and slowly repeated, "...My tail?"

"Yes! Your tail! I've always wondered what a Dragon's tail was like!"

Herbert shook her hand excitedly. "You must have a half-human, half-Dragon form, right? Could you transform for me?"

Valentina's expression gradually twisted, but Herbert kept going excitedly. "I know it's a little rude, but I'm really curious!"

My tail...

My tail.

My tail!!?

"..."

Valentina slowly lowered her head, recalling what Herbert had said not long ago-a somewhat rude, overstepping request, something he had wanted to do ever since their first meeting.

"Heh heh."

Right, he really never said exactly what it was.

I was the one who read too much into it.

Was this all... my fault!!?

Snap.

With a faint snap inside her mind, the [Rager]'s previously suppressed fury erupted.

"HER! BERT!"

Miss Hungry Dragon revealed her true, vicious colors, glaring wide-eyed at the boy who covered his ears and grinned at her.

"How dare you mess with me!!!"

Damn it, you were playing me!?

Herbert, who had been fully prepared for the consequences of tempting fate, had already retreated before she erupted, but even so, he was rather worse for wear.

They had still been too close, and that blast of sound had left him dazed.

This was the price of being a little cheeky.

But if he got another chance, he figured he would tempt fate all over again.

Because being cheeky really was fun.

Tempt fate once, enjoy it once. Keep tempting fate, keep enjoying it!

"Oh, come on, if you won't let me touch it, just say so! Why get so worked up?"

Herbert grinned and winked at her, asking cheerfully, "Well? Did I make your heart flutter? I thought my acting was pretty good."

"...You!!?"

Valentina: !!?

This bastard really did it on purpose!

"You damned bastard! Aren't you a Holy Knight!!! Did a dog eat your conscience!?"

Valentina completely lost her composure. She shook the bars fiercely, wishing she could tear the door off, charge over, and bite the bastard to death.

Still unsatisfied, she bit the bars, glaring at Herbert with what looked like flames burning in her eyes.

Damn it!

You really deserve to die!

Herbert showed no fear whatsoever. In fact, he only doubled down.

With one hand on his hip and the other pointing at the furious Hungry Dragon in her cage, he shouted:

"Transform for me!"

"Hand over that tail!"

The Deepwater Prison.

"Ah, she really doesn't understand a man's heart!"

Having fled in disarray to the second area, Herbert rubbed his ears and shook his head ruefully. "It's just a tail! Letting me touch it won't cost her a chunk of flesh!"

"So stingy!"

After this shameless remark that would have earned him some sideways looks, the Harmonic God, who had been watching the show for quite some time, finally spoke. ["Why did you go out of your way to provoke her?"]

Nenasya had watched for ages, and for a moment, she had no idea how to judge him.

Herbert had seemingly collected two Magical Beast materials with ease earlier, which had given Nenasya a preconceived notion.

She had thought her ally had long since decided to become a pretty boy and sell his body in exchange for those materials, only refusing to admit it out of pride...

But now, it seemed she had been completely wrong-he really hadn't done it!

Nenasya had never imagined Herbert would take this particular approach.

It wasn't sweet talk, nor was it masterful technique... it was provocation!

What kind of approach was that!!?

Even an Evil God was shocked by it!

But faced with his ally's distrust, Herbert gave a soft snort and replied disdainfully:

"You don't understand a thing. How was I provoking her? This is called active engagement, understand?"

Hitting meant affection, scolding meant love.

She'd lost her composure so badly. She must really love me now.

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

"What is there to be afraid of?"

Herbert blinked and smiled, showing not the slightest trace of panic.

"Didn't you notice? Valentina got worked up this time, but she didn't use a single swear word!"

["Hmm? What does that mean?"]

"It means that while she was angry, she wasn't that angry. She was still keeping her promise to me."

"She might have looked furious just now, but she was actually more embarrassed than angry. That was just her way of hiding it."

Recalling the blush he had seen on Valentina's cheeks, Herbert couldn't help chuckling and shaking his head.

"What she needs most right now isn't to curse me out, but time to cool down. Staying in front of her would have been asking for trouble."

"So I chose to leave on my own."

Nenasya fell silent, thought it over, then understood.

["Oh... I get it. After all that talk, you're just trying to prove you were right to run away?"]

"Exactly!"

Herbert shrugged and kept walking.

"Anyway, I have ways to calm her down, so you don't need to worry about it."

A Hungry Dragon, after all.

Either skip a few meals or give her a few extra.

She'd cool down sooner or later~

Handling one little Hungry Dragon was a piece of cake.

As Herbert ambled toward the central area of the Deepwater Prison, his expression suddenly changed.

He heard a faint, beautiful singing voice.

"La la la~"

Freime hadn't noticed anyone entering. She sat on a sphere of water with her eyes closed, her rainbow-colored fishtail swaying gently.

In a strange language, she softly sang an ancient ballad.

"La la la~"

["Would you like me to translate it for you?"]

"No."

Herbert shook his head, gazing with a hint of fascination at her beautiful figure from behind, as though she had stepped out of a legend.

"I understand this song."

The song Freime was singing was none other than the story of the Sea Monster Queen and the human prince.

He listened quietly, savoring once again the dream he had experienced "in person."

After a long while, the ballad neared its end. Freime didn't finish the whole song, abruptly stopping with only the last line remaining.

"May you..."

Freime opened her eyes and shook her head wistfully, murmuring, "What a shame..."

Clap, clap, clap!

!!?

"Wonderful! That was such beautiful singing!"

"Huh!!?"

Freime whipped her head around and stared at the approaching Herbert as though she had seen a ghost, blurting out:

"Why are you here!?"