Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The moment the ancient serpent stepped through the doorway, a giant wolf, its entire body ablaze with red and black magical flames, suddenly looked up and coldly met Samael's gaze, the atmosphere oppressive and heavy.

One minute... two minutes... three minutes...

boom!

As the ship swayed violently in the surging chaotic tide, turbulent beams of red and black magic scattered in all directions.

"Your Highness!"

Upon seeing this, Brunhilde's expression changed drastically. She immediately summoned her spear and stepped in front of Samael to block his path.

But before the Valkyrie could rush forward, a hand gently pulled her back from the shoulder. The spreading red and black magic dissipated in an instant before it could even touch the two of them.

"Ow!"

The ferocious giant wolf lowered its head and neck, opened its mouth, and let out a deep, muffled growl.

Just as Brunhilde was on high alert, the wolf howl gradually went off-key.

"vomit……"

“This…she…”

The Valkyrie stared in astonishment at the giant wolf, which lay sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, its limbs outstretched, ears drooping, vomiting listlessly.

"What do you mean 'going crazy'? She's just seasick, which is causing her magic to become unstable and leak out..."

Samael, who had already stepped forward, squatted down, and gently patted the giant wolf's back, rolled his eyes and gave a helpless answer.

Scandinavians are a natural maritime people, and most of them have extensive experience of hunting at sea or sailing from a young age.

Seasickness is not common for them. Even if a few people experience it when they are young, they have long since become accustomed to the rocking of the sea through repeated voyages and physical adjustments.

Therefore, the fact that such a powerful being was so seasick on the ship, almost dismantling it, was clearly beyond their expectations.

It was just seasickness, yet it caused such a commotion...

Brunhilde's lips twitched. Were these monsters? She was speechless.

"Tell the people outside to bring some tangerines, mint leaves, and tea."

Samael gently patted the listless wolf's head resting on his knee to soothe it, while turning to Brunhilde to give her some instructions on how to deal with the situation.

And with the departure of the Valkyrie and the re-closing of the door.

A red and black halo flowed out, and the giant wolf, which had been lying on the blanket like a dead dog, quickly shrank to about 1.5 meters in length.

Samael stiffened and withdrew his fingers from the smooth back without leaving a trace.

"What? Keep going, we're feeling much better..."

The head that had been lying on the serpent's lap lifted unhappily, its wolf ears perked up, and its amber pupils looked at Samael, its words carrying a hint of arrogance.

"Hey, next time you revert to human form, can you at least put your clothes on first? Stop with the surprise attacks all the time..."

Samael glanced at the long flaxen hair draped over the pink back, and the tip of the tailbone, with a lazy, sweeping brown tail, and rolled his eyes as a reminder.

"We are a great and wise divine wolf, why should we wear human clothes?"

The flaxen-haired girl unabashedly sat up, stretching in front of Samael. Her long hair swayed, almost revealing her ample bosom.

"Because this is the human world! Put your clothes on!"

Samael immediately covered his forehead and eyes, his face darkening as he pulled out a prepared Greek-style white dress from the magic circle and threw it over the head of the divine wolf.

"Ha, the human tendency to feel shame is such a nuisance..."

The girl pulled her clothes off her head and threw them aside. Muttering to herself, she shifted to a more comfortable position and continued to lie on Samael's lap to ease the confusion and nausea from seasickness.

"Do you want to be thrown back to Asgard and confined, Fenrir?!"

Looking down with his snake-like eyes, which were slightly narrowed, Samael spoke in a chilling tone.

Once the trump card was played, the willful wolf had no choice but to reluctantly get up and stand in front of Samael without any hesitation, hastily putting on the dress.

Seeing this, the ancient snake had no choice but to turn its head and rub its forehead, its face gradually darkening.

A moment later, the werewolf girl walked forward barefoot, hands on her hips, and leaned down. Her cheek, which had suddenly appeared close to Samael's, was only a few centimeters away, and her blood-red pupils held a hint of arrogance.

Fenrir, what do you want to do?

Samael was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously shrank back to increase the distance between them.

Seeing that her formidable enemy was intimidated by her overwhelming presence, the werewolf girl nodded in satisfaction, let out a soft hum, and raised her voice with a pleasant nasal tone.

“We were born earlier than you. According to human custom, shouldn’t you call us ‘older sister’? Say it a few times and let me hear it.”

Samael stared at the head that had come closer as if listening, then slapped Fenrir, the divine wolf, on the head, his face full of heartache.

"Fenrir, Fenrir, I raised you and Hela from childhood. I worried myself sick over your upbringing, struggled for your fate, and negotiated with the gods on your behalf. I have the debt of gratitude for your upbringing. What did I do wrong to deserve this? If we're going by human custom, why won't you call me 'father' even now..."

"Uh... is there such a saying about the central courtyard?"

Fenrir, lacking experience, was immediately taken aback and felt a pang of guilt. Coupled with seasickness, his mind went completely blank.

"Is your older sister more important, or your father?"

"Father...Father...But isn't ours Loki?"

Did he ever support you?

"No……"

Did he teach you?

"No……"

"Has he ever groomed you, bathed you, or cooked you a delicious barbecue?"

"nor……"

"So, he's pinned all the fatherly responsibilities he failed on me, right? Is there anything wrong with you calling me your adoptive father?"

"It seems so, but something feels off. You're not lying to me, are you?"

Fenrir was skeptical. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes narrowed, and he revealed his canine teeth, his expression wary.

“It’s only a scam if there’s a loss involved. Since you don’t trust me at all, let’s compromise and stick to calling each other by our names. That way, neither of us will lose out.”

"Ok?"

The werewolf girl stared intently for a moment, then slammed her left fist into her right palm, her expression solemn.

"Makes sense!"

Chapter Four: Holo the Wise Wolf?

After successfully fooling his own sister, the wicked creature showed no remorse whatsoever.

When Brunhilde brought over the necessary items such as citrus fruits, mint leaves, and hot water, Samael took over and used them to alleviate Fenrir's seasickness curse, while also changing the subject.

"I went to great lengths to get you off Heather Island and out for some fresh air. Odin's daughter Brunhilde is with you too. If you don't want to be confined when you go back, you'd better behave yourself."

"Okay, I'll be good, but you have to keep your word."

"Alright, you're allowed to drink. You're free to do whatever you want after you disembark."

Fenrir, having received the promise, munched on an orange, beaming with joy. Its golden-brown tail swayed upright, revealing its delight, and it immediately forgot all about the problem of what to call it.

Such simple conditions could be so easily met; who would have thought that this was the world-destroying wolf that killed Odin, the king of the Aesir, in Ragnarok?

Like other tragic figures in Norse mythology, Fenrir's life was bound by fate. At the time of her birth, the gods learned through a witch's divination that Loki's three offspring with the giantess Anglebodah—the giant wolf Fenrir, the world serpent Jormungandr, and their sister Hela, the goddess of death—would bring great calamity to the gods.

According to the original historical trajectory, Jormungandr was thrown into the sea, Hela, the goddess of death, was sent to Helheim, and Fenrir, the giant wolf, remained with the gods, growing up under their watchful eyes.

Of all the Aesir gods, only Tyr, the god of war, dared to feed it, expressing goodwill towards this future world-destroying monster.

Fenrir grew bigger every day, and the gods were deeply terrified, for in the prophecy, this giant wolf would be one of the culprits who would destroy the gods.

As Fenrir grew stronger, the prophecy of Ragnarok became more urgent, and the panicked gods decided to bind the giant beast.

The Aesir gods used sweet words to lure a naive wolf, Fenrir, into believing them and cooperating fully.

The gods first tried to bind the beast with a chain called Raedin, but Fenrir easily broke free. The gods then tried a second time, this time with a chain called Zomi, but Fenrir still escaped. After two failures, Odin commissioned a skilled craftsman among the dwarves to create the cursed chain Gleipnir, as soft and smooth as silk, from six incredible materials: the footsteps of a cat, a woman's beard, the roots of a hill, the breath of a fish, the spirit of a bear, and the saliva of a bird.

Finally, on Heather Island in the center of the Red and Black Lake, the gods asked Fenrir to try and break free of Granpnir. Fenrir vaguely sensed the gods' intentions, which seemed not as simple as they claimed, and instinctively felt Granpnir's strength and threat, so she refused to be chained. Unless, of course, a god was willing to place his arm in her mouth as a guarantee of her freedom.

The gods were terrified and none were willing to try, until Tyr, the god of war, stepped forward and placed his arm into Fenrir's gaping maw. Looking at the god who had raised and shown him kindness, Fenrir hesitated for a moment, but still chose to believe.

But when Fenrir put on the chains and found he could not break free, he begged the gods to release him from the bonds, but they refused.

Feeling deceived, Fenrir tore off Tyr's arm in a fit of rage. Tyr, the god of war, accepted his fate for the sake of the Aesir's future. Meanwhile, the gods seized the opportunity to drive the boulder that bound the cursed chains of Granpnir deep into the earth, thus binding Fenrir completely to Heather Island in the center of the Red and Black Lake.

When Ragnarok arrived, Fenrir, empowered by destiny and now stronger than ever, broke his chains and joined the fight against the Aesir. He ultimately killed Odin, the enemy who had plotted this deception, and died in the cataclysm himself.

In reality, judging from its behavior, this seemingly ferocious wolf is much simpler than the wicked gods of Asgard. Its so-called brutal nature is mostly due to the pressure it faces from Asgard, which gradually pushes it to extremes.

This also applies to Hela, the goddess of death, who originally intended to grant Baldr, the god of light, the chance to be resurrected.

With proper guidance, the outcome might not have been so.

Therefore, Samael, still in his juvenile snake form, boldly sneaked into the Golden Palace, persuaded Odin, and after the two formed a secret alliance, he seized the opportunity to gain custody of Fenrir and Hela.

Having experience in teaching Typhon's offspring and raising a top-tier troublemaker like Athena, he was naturally adept at being a guardian.

As Fenrir and Hela grew, the shadow of Ragnarok continued to loom over Asgard and expand.

But when the two con artists, Samael and Loki, joined forces and successfully tricked the Fire Giant King Surtr into going to the icy land of Niflheim, and with the help of Hela, Fenrir, and the gods of Asgard, sealed this true world-ending tyrant in the "Cage of the Gods," the so-called sense of crisis naturally vanished.

The ancient serpent demonstrated its stance to Odin and also showcased the significant power of the Frost Giants to the Aesir gods.

Hela and Fenrir could be the culprits who triggered Ragnarok and destroyed the Norse Age of Gods, or they could be the key to suppressing the Fire Giant King and eliminating the crisis.

Similarly, the serpent encircling the world can both destroy and devour it, and also support and protect it.

From another perspective, fate might be interpreted in a different way.

From then on, his alliance with Odin was almost unbreakable. They reached a perfect consensus on restraining each other's clans, suppressing the most troublesome and insane fire giant king Surt, maintaining the existing stable situation, and avoiding the arrival of Ragnarok.

Since Fenrir and Hela, the chosen ones of the Frost Giants, are completely subservient to him, he naturally became the representative of this force.

After the situation stabilized, he took only his restless Fenrir for a ride on this long-planned trip.

Because half of Hela's body is growing and the other half is decaying, she needs the power of the underworld to suppress the anomaly, which is why she cannot leave Helheim.

And just in case, it would be good for her to keep an eye on her father, Loki.

As for his biological father, Loki...

Well, besides raising his children, Samael also had to clean up the mess left by this god of mischief, lest he get carried away and cause Ragnarok again.

However, to prevent any potential problems, he had gathered a lot of dirt and evidence against Loki, enough to make the guy more docile than a cat in a critical moment.

Samael carefully reviewed the details of the trip's plan, and after confirming that there were no major problems, he nodded in satisfaction. He then glanced at the black rune collar around Fenrir's neck and casually offered a reminder.

"By the way, I don't know when we'll be able to get to a foreign country. Remember to think of your new name."

The gods went into hiding, and the world bubble rapidly sank. To avoid unnecessary conflict, both Fenrir and he had to suppress their power as much as possible.

"Oh, this? I've already thought of it!"

The werewolf girl, whose seasickness had improved, tossed aside the half-eaten orange, stood up with her hands on her hips, and proudly announced her new name.

"You can call me, the great and wise wolf—Lady Holo!"

"puff!"

Samael, who had just taken a sip of mint water to quench his thirst, immediately spat it out. He stiffly turned his head and stared at Fenrir with a strange and horrified look, his expression one of disbelief.

Chapter 5: No Big Mistakes, But Constant Small Mistakes (1/3)

"The Wise Wolf... Holo?"

"Hmm, what's wrong? That's what the humans of Midgard call us, and they even worship us as the god of harvest. It's quite interesting."

Samael snapped out of his daze, his eyes flickering thoughtfully.

The legend of Holo, the wise wolf and goddess of harvest, actually only became popular and widespread in the Nordic regions, including Germany, France, and Slavic countries, during the European Middle Ages.

According to the Druidic belief in animism, people generally imagine grain spirits transforming into wolves or dogs. Dogs and wolves are both incarnations of grain spirits in harvest-related customs. In many parts of Mecklenburg, Germany, the saying "the wolf of the five grains" is particularly popular. They say that the wolf sits in the last bunch of grains, and cutting or binding that bunch of grains is considered "getting the wolf," which means touching the god of harvest and receiving his blessing.

Therefore, people hope for a bountiful harvest and a prosperous life in the coming year.

However, the idea that Frey, the Vanir god of harvest, is the Norse god of fertility, and Holo the wise wolf, is probably not yet popular; it's just something that rural folks talk about casually.