Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Bagst had a particular fondness for large portions of meat sticks, which he devoured with gusto.

Freya, on the other hand, preferred grilled mushrooms, grilled bamboo shoots, and succulent chicken legs. Despite her small stature, she ate more than her weight.

The dishes and food preparation techniques that did not belong to the fairy system made Freya yearn for human civilization even more, and her eyes couldn't help but shine with excitement.

After enjoying some time with the two little ones, Samael couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him.

"If you're so easily bullied, why did you come all the way to the outskirts of Gloucester?"

"I live outside the city..."

Freya glanced at Samael, lowered her head, and answered somewhat shyly.

Seeing that her human friend was quite puzzled, the little fairy then explained some of Gloucester's rules in detail.

Even in the fairy world, there are social classes.

The criteria for evaluating them are closer to the law of the jungle; the level of their internal ether and their own strength are often the means of measuring their status.

The magic that accumulates within them and sustains their existence is their currency.

Apart from the leaders of the six major clans of Fengtuyajingyuchi, who are close to the level of [Grandfather] and [Grandmother], the rest are basically divided into three levels: upper, middle and lower.

Limited by productivity and development level, the number of fairy cities is small, making it impossible to meet the needs of all fairies.

To live within the city of Gloucester and receive the protection of its walls and barriers, one must regularly pay rent using magic and equivalent tribute.

Unfortunately, Freya was not very talented and had weak magic power, making her a naturally low-level fairy.

In addition, she doesn't have any particularly useful talents or special skills, so she has no capital to live in the city. Recently, due to the turmoil caused by the insect and beast plagues, the Nameless Forest has been affected, and she can't even afford to pay the taxes to enter the city.

Therefore, Freya's true residence was actually in a village outside the city, which was where the lower-level fairies gathered.

No wonder I haven't seen Freya much since we entered Gloucester yesterday.

Thinking back on his doubts from yesterday, Samael suddenly realized the truth.

But then, recalling what he had just seen and heard, the ancient serpent couldn't help but frown slightly.

The so-called village is probably not a good place.

Given the fairies' typically unscrupulous nature, a fairy like Freya, who is too weak, timid, and gentle, and has no special skills or advantages, is at the very bottom of the social hierarchy and is probably the most vulnerable to being teased and bullied by her own kind.

Previously, the bullying in the flower field was Chi's stark reality.

When Samael slightly lifted Freya's sleeve, he indeed found that her two forearms were covered with bruises that had not yet faded.

The ancient serpent felt a pang of pity. With its left hand, it grasped the little fairy's wrist, which instinctively recoiled, while its right hand applied a magical potion to the girl to improve blood circulation and remove bruises.

After a brief silence, the ancient serpent's eyes flickered as it looked at Gloucester with a low, menacing tone.

"I remember you and Murlian were quite close. Does she know about these things...?"

"It's my own fault for being too weak and useless. It's not Lady Murian's fault..."

Freya shook her head to defend Murian, her small face full of sincerity, her expression devoid of resentment, only revealing a deep sense of loss and self-pity.

"However, Lady Murlian always complains that I'm too clumsy whenever she goes out. Now that I have human companions and Habey is going on a trip, they probably won't come to play with me much more often..."

Immediately, the little girl raised her pretty face, opened her timid yet hopeful amber eyes, and mustered her courage to ask Samael a hesitant question.

“Samael, I…”

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Can you come and play with me often from now on? I won't take up much of your time! I promise! I can even give you all the honeydew and flowers I collect! Really! I..."

"What nonsense!"

Samael tapped Freya's little head with his bent finger, his face full of reproach and displeasure.

"If you like, we can definitely go out for a picnic like we did today, or chat and have tea! We're friends, after all! We even pinky swore in the car!"

Hearing these reprimanding words, Freya was overjoyed, excitedly hugging Samael's arm and holding him tightly in her arms, her face beaming with happiness.

Even equal friendship has become so humble. What kind of life does this child usually lead?

Samael pressed his lips together, cutting off his thoughts, unwilling to think about it.

Murlian, Murlian...

The ancient snake's lips moved silently as it chewed on the name for a moment, a faint hint of mockery appearing in its eyes.

As the current patriarch of the Winged Clan, if she truly wanted to help Freya out of her predicament or change the status quo, it would only take a single word.

Clearly, Freya, one of the countless lower-ranking fairies in Gloucester, was merely a passing pastime and was not taken seriously by Murian.

Whether it's people, fellow human beings, or precious things, we can use them when we need them, and we seem to cherish them; but when we get tired of them, we will forget about them and be too lazy to invest too much emotion and energy.

This is the true nature of most fairies, and Murlian is clearly not much stronger.

He treated his playmate Freya this way, let alone asking her to go to the trouble of finding the chief of the Earth Clan.

As expected, we can't place our hopes on such a despicable demon.

Tsk, in this environment, it's actually the fairies like Freya and Habertrot who haven't gone astray who are considered outcasts and are easily targeted and ridiculed.

Having seen through the true nature of this creature, Samael immediately extinguished that illusory hope, and instead gently patted Freya's little head, smiling as he spoke.

"I happen to have some free time today, let's go. You lead the way to your house, and I'll familiarize myself with the route so it'll be easier next time I come."

"Uh-huh!"

When Freya heard that her good friend was coming to visit, she nodded with delight and hurriedly tidied up the trinkets, leading the way.

Samael seemed to see a blue-gray butterfly, saturated with nectar, washing away the accumulated decadence and repression, and dancing joyfully in the wind.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

In the nameless forest, on the path leading to the deserted village.

Samael and Freya walked and chatted along the way, the atmosphere was harmonious and cheerful. Even the scenery they had seen a thousand times seemed to be full of color and incredibly vivid in the little one's eyes.

However, just as the two approached the village, Freya was shocked to see a thick plume of smoke rising into the sky and cried out in alarm.

"Oh no! The village is on fire! Everyone is in danger!"

Samael noticed the abnormality before him, immediately picked up the anxious and helpless Freya, and rushed forward. The surrounding air exploded with a series of bursts as the etheric light stream cut through it.

As the two approached the village entrance, the ancient snake concealed its sharpness and walked alongside Freya, preparing to search for the disaster-stricken area.

One by one, the lower-level fairies stood by the roadside or poked their heads out from the haphazardly arranged wooden houses around them. Most of them had a smile on their lips as they looked at the anxious two with great interest, a strange look appearing in their eyes.

Samael was quite familiar with that feeling; it was pleasure…

Similarly, the very sensitive Freya also sensed something from the gazes around her. Her face immediately paled, and an ominous premonition arose in her heart. She hurriedly ran forward.

A moment later, Freya, who had run to the desolate edge of the village, stood blankly in front of the ruins of a burned-out wooden house, her amber eyes dull and lifeless, filled with glistening tears.

That's...that's too much...

"This is...your home?"

The ancient serpent crouched down, placing its fingers and palm on Freya's trembling shoulder, and asked cautiously.

The little girl nodded stiffly, her heart overflowing with endless grievances. Unable to bear the sorrow any longer, the poor thing threw herself into Samael's arms and burst into tears.

"Samael, our home is gone..."

Before Samael could even offer a word of comfort, Freya gripped the ancient snake's arm tightly, her amber eyes, which had just regained their luster, now filled with a heavy aura of death.

“We’ve lost our home, we can’t entertain our friends, and you’re leaving too, right? I’m so stupid, I…”

"Snapped!"

Just as the little girl was wallowing in self-pity, a familiar, sharp rap on the forehead struck her, causing Freya to clutch her head and hiss in pain.

"What are you thinking! Who said you were leaving! If the house is gone, I'll build you another one! Any size you want!"

Samael ruthlessly interrupted the girl's self-deprecation and the impending lament.

"Really? You still want to hang out with me?!"

"Of course! We're friends, we've pinky sworn."

Having received an affirmative answer, the little girl's pent-up grievances and sorrow vanished, and she excitedly hugged her "good friend's" arm as if she had found a treasure.

Although he managed to calm Freya down, Samael looked around and noticed the gloating gazes watching his misfortune unfold. His drooping fingers unconsciously clenched into fists.

"Who did it?"

The ancient serpent slowly turned around, its voice low and clear.

At this moment, many of the village fairies gathered around, watching the spectacle with glee, but none of them spoke, as if they were spectators enjoying the performance, using the suffering of others for their own amusement.

A barrage of mocking gazes focused on Freya, their gloating malice palpable.

Freya's face paled slightly, and she instinctively gripped Samael's arm tightly, shaking her head with worry.

"Don't worry, leave it to me..."

Samael gently patted Freya's head, gave her a reassuring look, then turned to her with a warm and radiant smile.

"I'll count to three. If you come out and admit it, I promise I won't pursue the matter. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences..."

"We didn't see anything!"

"Yes, I didn't see anything!"

A few mischievous imps responded with giggles, their laughter full of teasing intent.

"1..."

Samael smiled without answering, slowly raising his index finger. Seeing the victim's helplessness, a chorus of whispers and laughter erupted from among the fairies.

"Boom boom boom!"

However, the moment the voice disappeared, dark golden light patterns plummeted from the sky, causing the earth to shake violently. Houses within 30 steps of Freya's hut collapsed and burst into flames.

"Home! My home!"

"Fire! Fire! Put it out!"

"No! My things are inside, my nectar is still there!"

The fairies who had been watching the show were shocked to find that the flames were actually burning their heads. They immediately panicked and hurriedly flapped their wings, trying to extinguish the fire and save their hard-earned home.

"Did I let you move?"

At that moment, a soft murmur came, and the fairies who had just taken flight were as if subjected to a thousandfold pressure, instantly crashing to the ground, unable to move an inch.

"You despicable bastard! We won't let you get away with this!"

"We didn't do it, so why did they destroy our house?"

The fairies chattered and argued, some angry, some aggrieved.

"It's nothing, I'm happy, and besides, I have the ability, right?"

Samael answered with a smile, and at the same time, his serpentine vertical pupils were tinged with a golden halo. Under his gaze, the fairies were like ants facing a giant dragon, and they were all instinctively trembling and fearful. They were all silent and shivering.

In just a moment of contact, they clearly sensed how terrifying the monster was.

That was an insurmountable height. Even if they tried their best and spent their entire lives, they were destined never to have the right to seek revenge against this guy.

"2..."

Before the fairies could recover, the murmurs of demons, seemingly from the deepest hell, echoed once more.

"It's the fire spirit Ifrit!"

"Black dog! There's a black dog here!"

"Nonsense, it was clearly just a giant dragon passing by!"

The fairies shuddered and chattered in response, offering a variety of answers, their eyes filled with a hint of resentment.

"Boom!"

But then, hundreds of divine runes fell to the ground from around the demon like meteors.

Amidst the deafening roar of thunder, not a single house within a hundred paces was spared!

Even the few fairies who stayed inside were all thrown out of their dwellings by the violent force and imprisoned among the fairies watching the show.

"If you don't speak up, I'll assume everyone is involved. So, are you still going to protect them?"