"Hello there!"
"Oh dear, we haven't seen each other in a long time, have you missed me?"
Herbert walked over to the water sphere with great familiarity and sent a chat request to the Sea Siren hiding inside.
Come!
Chat with me!
"Hmm? Why aren't you talking? Are you feeling shy?"
"Didn't we have a great conversation yesterday? Have you already forgotten those beautiful moments?"
"Are you claiming to be asleep?"
"Oh my, what time is it already? It's time to get up!"
How can someone your age sleep soundly?
Three to four hundred years old is the prime of life.
Get up and party with me!
???
Fremay in the water was furious.
"I've clearly ignored you, can't you take a hint?"
This princess has made her stance clear, why can't you understand!
Glug glug.
A few bubbles emerged from the water sphere protesting, then she turned her back and changed the water sphere's shape. It took on a frosted texture only showing her shadow vaguely.
Herbert chattered away to himself while constantly observing the water sphere hiding Fremay.
Hiding?
Do you think you can keep hiding?
He drew the sword from his waist, not unsheathing it, and directly poked the water sphere with the scabbard.
The water sphere seemed fluid, but there was a thin membrane on the surface that could not be broken no matter how he poked it, and it bounced back a force that neutralized his strength.
Receive, deflect, no strike.
Herbert's purpose wasn't to forcibly drag her out; he lacked the strength.
But now, strength wasn't necessary.
In this situation, being annoying could get the job done.
For example, is the power differential between mosquitoes and humans big?
Very big.
They're not even in the same league, inherently incomparable.
Yet for humans, these tiny mosquitoes, easily crushed with a finger, possess a maddening annoyance.
Rendering humans mentally broken at night, howling in agony, defenseless tears.
I, Herbert, am now a giant mosquito.
Adept at poking people with needles.
He tirelessly poked the water sphere's surface with the scabbard.
Poke.
Poke poke!
Poke poke poke poke...
As he poked away, he kept muttering, continuously inviting the mermaid princess to chat.
Finally, under Herbert's persistent harassment, Fremay admitted defeat after ten minutes.
"Enough!"
Whoosh.
With a face full of annoyance, Fremay emerged from the water sphere, glaring at him with her demonic eyes, baring her teeth regardless of her image: "Will you ever get enough!"
"Talk talk talk! Talking endlessly, huh!"
"Poke poke poke! Poking endlessly, huh!"
"Is it fun!!?"
She watched Herbert unabashedly nodding with a smile, feeling the tightly stretched cord in her brain snap completely.
Bang!
"Ahhhhh——"
She could no longer restrain herself, clutching her head as she let out a sharp shriek that reverberated through the water sphere's surface.
But as the sound waves neared a critical point, all sharp screeches vanished, plunging the entire space into absolute silence for a moment.
Whoosh——
The floating water sphere fell to the ground, crashing like a water-filled balloon falling from a height, bursting upon impact and flooding the surroundings.
And the Sea Siren hiding inside was no exception, falling heavily to the ground like a dead fish.
Plop!
"..."
Fremay glared at Herbert, her mouth opening and closing, unable to make a sound.
Attempting to rise, she collapsed weakly, her majestic tail visibly drying up.
The prison was absorbing magic at an astonishing rate.
Judging by the current situation, it wouldn't be long before she was harmed!
!!!
Fremay realized this, gritting her teeth and gazing at the bowed young man not far away.
Legendary Sea Sirens shouldn't be so vulnerable; even without water, she could control airborne water elements and magic to float in mid-air.
Yet this was a prison tailor-made for each alien race.
When it detects magic fluctuations beyond the limit, it activates sealing arrays buried within the prison.
Indeed.
In a sense, prisoners held in alien race prisons are also akin to sealing objects.
They are powerful and dangerous; individually, each is enough to trouble other monasteries, but only Mist Monastery dares to keep them together indifferently.
They have the Archbishop to maintain order, believing they won't stir trouble, and these sealing arrays to rely upon.
With the prison warden position vacant, the array operates with minimal interference, offering little alteration to prisoners.
When a new warden assumes office, the array's control naturally falls into his hands.
"..."
In the silent space, time slowly passed, and Fremay's situation deteriorated further, her luxurious hair beginning to dry.
Yet she didn't attempt to plead, just lay pitifully on the ground, emotionless, staring at Herbert.
She had her pride, wouldn't lower her proud head over this torture.
Herbert, too, showed no reaction, silently watching, his smile unchanged.
After a few days of brief interaction, Herbert gained some understanding of these prisoners.
Valentina, despite her poor attitude, full of verbal art, is actually cold outside but warm inside, constantly scolding and advising him.
She showed friendliness, so Herbert chose to treat her kindly.
Using feeding to enhance goodwill, employing warmth to befriend her.
But Fremay was different.
Though initially friendly and looking like a big sister easy to talk to, it was all a disguise.
Behind the fake sweet smile lay killing intent, her enchanting voice full of malice; without much persuasion, she tried to drown him outright.
She showed hostility, so Herbert chose to respond with hostility.
This time was a minor punishment.
In anticipation of the array continuing longer, ready to expend her essence to resist, Herbert raised his right hand, and the Holy Mark on the back glowed brilliantly.
Bam——
With the sound of a crystal shattering, sound returned to the space, magic power rushing in, filling the dry void.
Feeling the magic instantly, Fremay shook off her dying look, waving her hand to condense a mass of water elements, forming a floating water sphere within several breaths.
She placed her lower half in the water sphere, upper half exposed, squinting at the warden still smiling.
"...Hah."
Moments later, Fremay laughed, nodding toward Herbert.
"You're quite something."
She took a deep breath, gritting her teeth, squeezing out sound from her throat:
"Really... quite something!"
Herbert slightly bowed in response to her sarcasm, smiling and saying:
"Thank you for the compliment, I think I'm quite something too."