Don't... stop! (Please keep reading!)

The Misty Monastery's Third Disciplinary Ward, also known as the Foreign Races' Prison, was a special prison that held dangerous sealed beings of other races.

The entire ward was divided into nine major areas, each governed by its own special sealing laws.

The Second Area was the Deepwater Prison, the Third Area was the Lightless Prison, the Fourth Area was Lava Hell, and so on...

The First Area, where Valentina was imprisoned, seemed unremarkable, like an ordinary prison. But that was only its outward appearance.

Its true name was actually the [Endless Maze].

This demiplane was the largest of all the areas, as large as the last several areas combined.

It constantly changed the routes through the prison, eliminating any chance of prisoners escaping.

It was fair to say that once prisoners entered the Endless Maze, they could all but abandon any hope of leaving.

Herbert was unaffected and could move through it unhindered solely because he was the warden.

All he had to do was keep walking. Even a dead end was no problem; the path would automatically extend before him, creating a straight road to his destination.

So there was one, and only one, trick to leaving this place.

Don't stop!

Of course, this trick did not work for everyone.

For intruders who accidentally wandered inside, the constantly changing, nearly identical terrain followed no discernible pattern.

Either they had the ability to destroy every obstacle and force their way through.

Or they could obediently work their way through the maze, perhaps getting lucky and finding the right route.

Or... they could come truly prepared.

The Fallen, his face hidden beneath a black hood, walked up to a wall and pressed his slick, slimy palm against his face.

Squelch.

With an eerie sound that set the teeth on edge, his body instantly softened. He collapsed onto the ground, turning into a puddle of pitch-black liquid that reeked of fish within a few breaths.

The slime-like liquid showed no trace of his original flesh, yet a strange, vigorous vitality could faintly be sensed within it.

It wriggled up against the wall, slowly seeping into its cracks before emerging on the other side and gathering back together.

The wall remained undamaged. Only a long, bloodlike streak remained on the ground on either side where it had touched.

Although the sequence of movements looked slow, the process was actually astonishingly fast. It passed through a wall in less than ten seconds.

Then, after confirming that its initial attempt had succeeded, the liquid began wriggling faster. Almost as though it were running, it lunged toward the next wall.

Squelch.

Squelch.

It bounced along, passing through wall after wall as it sped forward.

Straight toward the barrier leading to the next area.

["Oh, so that's what happened~"]

After finding out why Herbert was so shocked, Nenasya sighed with feeling. ["You won't even leave fish alone. You humans really aren't picky eaters!"]

"Hold it. Don't lump us all together!"

Herbert took exception to her sweeping attack and protested, "He's the one who isn't picky, not everyone!"

Not everyone eats XX.JPG

Not every XX person does XX.JPG

No tarring everyone with the same brush.

["Heh."]

Nenasya snickered, ignoring his objections as she countered, ["Aren't you pretty unpicky yourself? Considering how you feel about all those girls... mm-hmm~"]

"How is that the same? Do I like them because of their races? Am I chasing that forbidden, immoral thrill?"

"No!"

Herbert snorted. Seeing nothing remotely hypocritical about his statement, he declared openly, "I like them for their looks!"

No more pretending. I'm laying my cards on the table.

I just like pretty girls!

So what?

I'm a barbarian!

"I don't like just any Magical Beast or member of another race. If an ugly one showed up, I definitely wouldn't fall for her. I wouldn't even give her a second glance!"

["Really?"]

"Absolutely!"

["Then tell me, if there were a Magical Beast with a soft, fluffy tail, would you like her?"]

"...That's a bonus. Ahem, that's a separate matter."

["Heh. You truly are worthy of being the ally I chose. Your shamelessness delights me."]

Herbert paid no mind to Nenasya's sardonic jab.

That was simply how things were. Each case had to be judged on its own merits.

What universal formula could possibly cover every situation?

"But coming back to the point, if you didn't bewitch him, did he really fall of his own accord?"

Having personally experienced Nenasya's influence, he had instinctively attributed every act of blasphemy in the Misty Monastery to her.

Naturally, he had taken that blasphemer for a poor wretch who had been beguiled by an Evil God and fallen so far that he had laid hands on a grass carp.

Part of the reason he had let the man off so many times before was a sense of shared misfortune. He hadn't wanted to make things difficult for a fellow traveler on the same path.

But looking back now... hey!

You're not on my side at all, buddy!

Then does he... actually like fish?

"Mm. I respect it. I don't understand it, but you have my blessing."

Anyway, I wish you and your next fish wife a happy, healthy life.

Just don't show up in front of me again.

Herbert felt increasingly certain that hiding in the Foreign Races' Prison in the middle of the night had been the right move. It was nothing short of a stroke of genius!

Feeling the darkness around him, he had the sense that he had come home, and let out a long sigh of relief.

With these prison cells protecting him, no one could hurt him!

Nor could he hope to hurt anyone else.

Never mind hurting them-he couldn't even see them.

"...Forget it. Since you still don't want to see me, I'll come back another time." Herbert shook his head, once again declaring his exploration of the darkness a failure.

Herbert had been walking for quite some time, circling around the vampire the whole while, unable to find a path to the next area.

Yes, although Svanney hadn't altered the ground, she had successfully hidden herself away from the paths.

Even if he could never get lost, he still needed a path beneath his feet.

"Nenasya, can you find her?"

["No can do~ I'm still too weak right now!"]

"Ah, fine."

Forget it. I'll check whether our vampire lady has started behaving herself, then go back and chat with Miss Hungry Dragon.

Herbert was just about to head back when the Evil God, who had been playing cute and acting clueless a moment earlier, suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise.

["Oh?"]

Herbert huffed irritably. "What is it now?"

["Say... that Fallen you mentioned, is he covered in slime and reeking of fish?"]

"Probably. That's what he was like... hmm?"

Herbert's eyes flew wide open, and he turned to look at the seemingly undisturbed darkness behind him.

Could it be!?

["Yes~ He's charging straight toward you~"]

"Holy shit!!?"

You're seriously coming after me!

You chased me all the way here!?

Stay away from me-!