CHAPTER 77: 77 I’M LISTENING (2/4)

"Whew..."

After returning to the Endless Maze, Herbert didn’t immediately go to see Valentina; instead, he pushed open another door and entered the Deep Water Prison again.

Truth be told, he was a bit flustered, not quite ready to meet Valentina yet.

The situation was indeed somewhat awkward.

Herbert initially just acted impulsively, wanting to pretend to be dead, but he wasn’t really intending to die—he had some backing and wasn’t taking too great a risk.

In fact, he hadn’t sustained much injury; it just looked a bit dire on the surface. However, Miss Hungry Dragon apparently misunderstood, and her emotions became agitated under stimulation.

Making others worry like that made Herbert, thick-skinned as he was, feel a bit embarrassed as the person involved.

"Let’s wait a bit, wait until she calms down a little more."

Valentina’s emotions were intense at the moment, so better to avoid her sharpness for now.

Escaping may be shameful, but it really works.

"Herbert, you seem a bit troubled."

The gentle voice of the Sea Siren rose like waves, drawing Herbert’s gaze.

"Fremay, you can tell?"

"Haha, of course, since you made no attempt to hide it."

Fremay didn’t ask Herbert the childish and overly sentimental question, "Why haven’t you come to see me these days?"

First of all, Herbert wasn’t obligated to visit her every day.

Secondly, for a Legendary Sea Siren with a lifespan of over a thousand years, her sense of time was different from humans.

The difference in lifespan is so large that a few days would not make her feel lonely.

Moreover, even among Sea Sirens, she was extremely solitary.

Thanks to that cursed talent, she had long since passively become accustomed to loneliness.

"You look like you’ve been hurt."

Fremay examined Herbert, her gaze falling on the burnt and torn part of his shirt; she casually glanced at the skin beneath.

Twice, thrice... four, cough!

Before Herbert noticed, she gave a light cough and then pretended nothing had happened, asking, "Cough, cough, is it related to the commotion earlier?"

The clumsy, simplistic act of ring-fencing one’s attention was crude, but effective in diverting Herbert’s focus.

"Hmm, you can feel it here?"

Herbert blinked, surprised at the poor soundproofing between areas.

Can you feel it here?

Is this place like a motel near a university town?

"I just vaguely heard a rumble."

Fremay raised her hand, forming a small ball of water from the watery sphere, gently tapping its surface to create ripples.

Sea Sirens are innately sensitive to sound, with a keen perception of vibrations unmatched by others.

"So, what exactly happened?"

"To put it simply... a fight broke out in the prison? Uh, brawl?"

How should I explain to you that as a Prison Warden, I led inmates from one area to get into a scuffle with those in another area?

No matter how it’s phrased, it sounds like I’m abusing power for personal gain...

Herbert was still pondering how to explain the situation, but Fremay wasn’t focused on the story; her interest lay elsewhere.

She leaned out of the water, curiously asking, "Eh? Are other areas where multiple people are confined together?"

"Yes, some are confined together. Are you envious of them?" Herbert blinked, somewhat puzzled.

You’re so odd; having a single room isn’t satisfying, but you prefer multiple occupants.

This isn’t a college dorm where you need to bond with roommates.

"Aren’t you worried others might not be compatible with your personality?"

Fremay shrugged, indicating it didn’t matter at all: "Regardless, having someone in the same situation could alleviate some solitude and dullness, right?"

Relieve loneliness, huh?

Herbert recalled the scenes he saw in the Prison of Darkness and Molten Hell, shaking his head.

That’s fake; don’t trust it.

It’s just a thought, but once experienced, one realizes what cruel reality is.

The Vampire and Dark Elf were fine, having no connection, practically like single rooms.

But the Demon and Demon were different; indeed, they weren’t lonely anymore, just left to torment each other all day...

One using Magic Attack, the other Physical Damage—the interaction levels were maxed out.

He shook his head, reflecting: "Being alone isn’t bad."

Like Valentina, apart from feeling a little hungry, she had no worries.

"Really... perhaps."

Fremay blinked, seeming to sense something from his wistful demeanor, and silently nodded.

"By the way, did you encounter a Fallen a few days ago?"

"Uh, are you talking about... the guy who looks like he was half-eaten by a Giant Bone Whale, resembling a demonic slug?"

Herbert: ?

Fremay: ?

"Right, is that it?"

"I suppose so?"

The two exchanged wide-eyed glances, unsure if they were discussing the same matter.

We should be talking about the same person, right?

Probably...

Herbert saw the creature when it had already restored its human form and hadn’t seen that Slime-like shape.

"Anyway, since he was the only one who got in, it must be the same one; that’s not important! Did you take action against him?"

Splash.

Upon hearing this, the mermaid immediately shrank back into her water sphere, leaving just her head exposed.

Herbert: ?

"Did he die?"

Fremay saw Herbert’s silence and guessed the fate of that person, protesting with a hint of grievance:

"But I really didn’t intend to cause harm! He came in himself when I was singing, then hurriedly slipped away. I truly didn’t mean to hurt him!"

Fremay felt rather wronged.

"This time, it’s obviously your problem!"

Why doesn’t your prison have someone guarding the gate?

Letting the Prison Warden come and go is one thing, but how come outsiders do too!

"No, my lady, please calm down. It’s not what you’re thinking; I don’t mean to blame you."

"I don’t care; you guys are the real murderers... hmm?"

Herbert hesitated before explaining: "In fact, you didn’t do anything wrong this time; you’ve actually accomplished something..."

He quickly recounted the story he’d once told Valentina, but before he got to the part about the monastery’s reward for them...

Splash!

The initially sheepish mermaid suddenly leaped out of her watery sphere, soared high, then gently landed, sitting firmly atop the water sphere.

Fremay cheerfully sat atop the water sphere, tilting her head up proudly and humming softly in delight, waving her vibrant fish tail.

She looked at the astounded Herbert, waving her hand arrogantly, and said, "Keep going, don’t stop."

"I’m listening."