Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The appearance of this Hunnic king in the Roman capital seemed quite unusual.

She can't possibly travel all that way just to attend the Lupercalia festival, can she?

With suspicions in mind, the ancient snake subtly probed Attila's purpose for her trip by using the opportunity to gain her favor by buying her snacks.

However, this seemingly easily fooled girl with no connections or resources deliberately avoided the core issues, and her scrutiny of Samael gradually became more suspicious.

Tsk, they're not so easily fooled after all.

Samael's repeated attempts to extract information failed, so he had to temporarily suspend his efforts and instead used the guise of having fun to wear down Attila's growing vigilance.

The two strolled along, stopping frequently, exploring the nearby bustling streets, markets, meeting halls, memorial columns, amphitheaters, and other interesting places.

They tossed coins into fountains to make wishes, searched for exotic fruits and vegetables in markets, stood before monumental columns to learn about Roman history, or entered the Colosseum to watch the battles between humans and wild beasts...

When the two emerged from the bar where they had rested, the sun was setting and the sky was dusky. Attila, who had drunk quite a bit of wine and ale, was already slightly tipsy, his eyes a little glazed over. He leaned half his body on Samael's shoulder and swayed as he walked unsteadily through the alley.

"Even if you like alcohol, you should drink it in moderation."

Samael glanced back at the half-closed bar and gave a rather irritating reminder to the Hunnic king, who was displaying signs of drunkenness.

"Hehe, I'm not drunk... Drink... Keep drinking... Cheers!"

Attila swayed and hiccuped, her face flushed and her expression arrogant. With every slight movement, the sound of wine gurgling came from her bulging belly, making one wonder just how much she had drunk.

Inside the bar, more than a dozen burly men were foaming at the mouth, completely drunk, and lying sprawled out in a chaotic mess.

"Do you want me to help you get rid of the effects of the alcohol?"

The ancient serpent shook its head, feeling rather helpless.

"Hmm...no need...it feels...like lying on a lamb's back...light and soft...looking up...I can see so many stars...I love it!"

Attila, clearly intoxicated, had a glazed look in her eyes and became more talkative than usual, appearing slightly more lively than her usual self.

"Never mind, where do you live? I'll take you there."

As Samael spoke, he bent slightly and lifted Attila onto his back.

If he hadn't been acting alone, perhaps he could have found some clues from Attila's companions.

The ancient serpent pondered to itself, and guided by Attila's elusive presence, it quietly began to move forward and walked out of the alley.

"Big brother, buy a bouquet of flowers. With the blessing of Venus, the goddess of love, you will surely be happy."

Just as Samael was lost in thought, a girl carrying a flower basket came running up excitedly from around the corner, trying to sell her wares.

Each carefully pruned red and white rose, with glistening dewdrops still clinging to its stamens, exudes a sweet fragrance and appears exquisitely beautiful.

The ancient serpent suddenly came to its senses, looked up at the bustling street where men and women were embracing each other, and couldn't help but think of another function of the Lupercalia festival, and was immediately speechless.

As the Roman Empire expanded across Europe, the customs of Lupercalia were brought to places like France and England.

One of the most popular festival activities is similar to a lottery. Young women's names are placed in a box, and young men then draw them. The couple whose names are drawn becomes lovers for a year or longer.

The rise of Christianity gradually diminished the custom of commemorating gods. To expand Christianity's influence, priests renamed Lupercalia as the Feast of Saint Valentine and moved it to February 14th. Thus, the legend of Saint Valentine and the ancient festival naturally merged, and Valentine's Day originated.

Therefore, in its evolution, Lupercalia has also taken on some of the effects of Valentine's Day.

So, does this count as going on a Valentine's Day date with a former arch-enemy?

Samael chuckled and shook his head, his eyes devoid of any romantic reverie, only a calm and profound look. With his left hand, he lifted Attila's two sloping, round thighs, and with his free right hand, he tossed down a silver coin, picked up a bunch of white roses from the flower basket, and prepared to leave.

Let's stick with white. Seeing blood on Valentine's Day isn't a good omen.

"You don't need this much, you don't need this much. Here's your change, please keep it."

The little girl with braided pigtails hurriedly fumbled for copper coins in her purse and handed them to her customer. She looked slightly shy, but her sapphire blue eyes were pure and clear.

Samael paused for a moment, then a smile spread across his lips. In a great mood, he took the change, reached out and touched the little girl's head, and whispered something to her.

May the gods bless you...

The little girl felt a moment of dizziness, and a strange warmth surged through her body, dispelling the chill.

When she came to her senses, she was surprised to find that the couple had disappeared at the end of the road.

Huh, my hand doesn't hurt anymore?

The girl came to her senses, unwrapped the dirty strips of cloth, and was pleasantly surprised to see her small, clean hands, which had been cut by rose thorns, now shining brightly in the moonlight.

"Here you go, how was your experience today?"

On the way, Samael casually handed the bouquet of white roses to Attila, who was gradually succumbing to the effects of the alcohol.

"Hmm, I'm very happy. As a token of my gratitude, well, you can make a request of me as a reward."

"Huh? Is it really necessary to be so formal?"

"Yes, it counts. You gave me a lot of things and let me experience life outside of being a soldier. In short, it was very interesting..."

The Hun king, holding the lamb doll with satisfaction, replied earnestly, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes, a touch of color rippling deep within his pupils reflecting the eternal starry river.

Isn't this favor too easy to come by?

Unexpectedly, this led to an unexpected gain, leaving Samael somewhat astonished.

"Well, I can't think, I can't perceive, I can only fight, I can only kill, I'm probably like a mindless machine. If you want to make a request, just input it, and I will execute it as a command."

Attila tilted her head and thought for a moment, then spoke softly, her blood-red eyes calmly looking at the man before her, like a puppet awaiting instructions.

"I think……"

"Ouch!"

Just as Samael hesitated to speak, a low howl of wolves came from outside the city. Attila, who was originally slightly drunk, narrowed his eyes, star patterns flashed on his skin, and the surging ether within him was activated, evaporating the effects of the alcohol, and his aura became cold and murderous again.

After sobering up, the Xiongnu king leaped into the crowd and disappeared from Samael's sight in the blink of an eye.

The ancient snake opened its mouth, then fell silent in despair. After hesitating for a moment, it ultimately failed to catch up.

Tsk, never mind, I'll keep this condition in mind for now; it might come in handy later.

Samael rubbed his throbbing temples, looked up at the Pantheon under the moonlight, his eyes flickered, and after a moment of thought, he abandoned his intention to continue exploring and turned back towards Nero's private residence in the suburbs.

He still hadn't found out Attila's purpose in coming to the City of Seven Hills, and he felt uneasy. He had been out for long enough; he should go back and check on things first.

Meanwhile, shadowy darkness spread through the corners of the city.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Legendary Four-Dimensional Cleavage (1/3)

"Ghost!"

A high-pitched and shrill scream echoed through the secluded alley, breaking the silence of the night.

There is movement!

A patrol of ten men arrived at the scene and stopped the young couple who were fleeing for their lives from the shadows, and questioned them as usual.

"Just now, a white ghost floated past under the glowstone lamp. It felt evil and chilling. We felt like we were being controlled and couldn't move at all!"

"That's right, its eyes were black and hollow, and it had horns on its head, looking like it was going to eat people. If you hadn't come, we would have thought we were going to die..."

The two young men and women looked around suspiciously, their faces pale. As they recalled the incident, their bodies trembled violently.

"ghost?"

"Ok!"

"Horns on its head?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

After finishing their questioning, the patrol soldiers burst into laughter.

"What...what are you laughing at?"

"I've never seen a ghost with horns in my entire life. If you come across one again, remember to bring it over so we can all see it for ourselves."

The sergeant, suppressing a laugh, hooked his arm around the young man's neck, pulled him aside, and made a teasing joke.

"What we said is true! We really saw it!"

The young man's face flushed red, his voice rose, filled with embarrassment mixed with brewing anger.

"Alright, let me tell you, under the radiant light of the Pantheon, those lowly and filthy creatures, ghosts, have no chance of entering!"

The sergeant frowned, picked at his ear, gave an impatient snort, and pointed behind him.

The twelve beams of light above the Pantheon in the distance flickered rhythmically, their light and shadow spreading outwards in layers, radiating outwards throughout the city of Rome at regular intervals.

"But……"

"guard!"

Just as the girl was about to speak, the sergeant raised his voice, and a soldier who had been scattering magic crystal powder in the alley and groping around to check it ran back, stood straight in front of his superior, and responded solemnly.

"Report! Apart from some new graffiti on the wall, no traces of magic or ether residue were found at the scene!"

“Every year during Lupercalia, there are countless men and women carving names and making marks on the walls. These are not our concern. Alright, they are just seeing things. There's nothing wrong with them. Let's call it a day.”

The sergeant glanced at the young couple beside him and waved his hand, sealing the matter.

Before leaving, the captain patted the young man on the shoulder, making a sarcastic remark.

"If you need to, just go to a hotel and get a room. If you're so timid, don't wander around outside."

As mocking laughter rose from the crowd, the young man and woman who had reported the incident were greatly embarrassed. They hurriedly wiped the marks off their faces, straightened their disheveled clothes, and frantically tried to cover up the exposed skin.

Then, the couple ran awkwardly along the wall out of the alley and disappeared from the patrol team's sight.

"The Lupercalia festival has just begun, and the night is still long. We've got a lot to do, brothers, let's go."

Seeing that the situation had calmed down, the sergeant beckoned to gather his soldiers and then headed to a new patrol area.

When the hustle and bustle subsided into silence, the deep alleyway seemed unchanged.

However, the darkness projected onto the wall, like a clump of liquid, moved silently and eerily, eventually coalescing and separating into a human figure.

puff……

A barely audible sound came from the wall, and the fluorite lamp at the intersection cast a faint light, which revealed a white ghost with horns on its head!

Wow!

With a dull thud, a graceful figure emerged from beneath a white sheet with several holes cut into it, its "horns" trembling slightly—they were actually soft, erect ears.

Under the fluorite lamp, a woman lifted a white sheet with both hands, revealing her curvaceous body as she moved, her large expanse of exposed brown skin gleaming with a healthy, crystalline light.

The woman's brown eyes first glanced disdainfully at the crystal powder scattered around her, then turned her gaze to the wall. She frowned, squatted down, and searched carefully. Finally, among a pile of graffiti, she locked onto an eyeball-shaped mark composed of messy divine symbols.

After a moment, the woman nodded in satisfaction, lowered her outstretched hands, and stealthily moved through the darkness.

Instantly, a white ghost with two horns on its head and dark, shadowy eyes was created.

A few dozen breaths later, the uninvited guest, who was running around with a bed sheet on his head, was swept away by the darkness and disappeared into a secluded house.

In the dimly lit room, a tiny lamp flickered violently in the unusual airflow. The black-haired woman, who had been kneeling on the mat with her curvaceous figure and alluring back view, suddenly narrowed her green eyes and trembled instinctively like a startled quail. Her mouth moved rapidly, uttering a series of trembling sounds.

There are two bags of gold coins in the second cabinet on the left!

If you want the gems, they're on the shelf behind, in the box on the third shelf!

There are twenty guards in the courtyard. If they receive a distress call, they will arrive within one minute!

It takes 3 minutes to run from the lobby to the back wall. I didn't see anything, so I won't resist. Now you can start silently counting to 200!

The woman, her face veiled in white gauze, closed her eyes tightly. At the same time, she hurriedly picked up the exquisite golden oil lamp on the table, held it high in front of her, and the spilling flames enveloped her in layers of light.

"..."

An eerie silence filled the room.

After a long while, the green-eyed woman with a veil over her face struggled to open her eyelids a crack, preparing to glance at her surroundings out of the corner of her eye.

"Ghost!"

However, in an instant, the woman holding the golden oil lamp, enveloped in layers of light, stared at the white ghost floating before her and let out a high-pitched scream. Fortunately, the sound waves were intercepted by the magic array on the outside.

"..."

A few dozen breaths later, in the messy room, a woman with a light veil on her face awkwardly bent down to pick up the scattered utensils and carefully put them back together. With her back to the newcomer, she explained somewhat nervously.

"Fighting is a terrifying thing. If I can avoid it, I'd like to avoid it as much as possible..."