Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Mordred paused, then frowned and scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.

Samhain?

The ancient snake was taken aback upon hearing this. After a moment of calm, it retrieved the relevant information from its memory and was speechless.

This is a native Celtic festival and one of the origins of Halloween in the West.

The Celtic calendar has four prominent and important festivals: Imblog, Maypay, Lugus, and Samhain.

Festivals mark the beginning of each season and are associated with the abundance of land and livestock. The sacrificial ceremonies are held to ensure the growth and continuation of life.

The sun is often the center of worship: in spring, people light bonfires to compete with the sun; in autumn, people light bonfires again in the hope of retaining warmth.

The Celtic calendar begins on November 1st each year. Although the festival is called "Samhain," meaning "summer festival," it actually marks the end of summer and the arrival of autumn and winter.

Samhain began on October 31 and ended on November 1—the Celts counted the days by night, not day.

The eve of the Lunar New Year, October 31st, is the transitional moment between the old and new year, so the scale of Samhain is similar to that of the Lunar New Year.

At this time, the barrier between the mortal world and the divine realm, or the fairyland known as "the other world," will completely disappear. The dead and the inhabitants of the fairyland can freely leave the fairy castle and roam the mortal world at will, using magic to cause trouble everywhere.

At this time, Druids in the British Isles would burn crops as offerings, and as they danced around the fire, the sun season would end and Samhain would begin.

The Celts believed that the god of death would return to earth on the night of October 31st with ghosts to find a replacement, so they lit torches and burned animals as offerings to the god of death.

During this time, they would dress themselves up in clothing made of animal heads or fur, and make strange noises so that the god of death would not recognize them and they would avoid disaster. After that night, the ghosts would return to the underworld and everything would return to peace.

Right now, Mordred's outfit is truly the most suitable holiday attire, with the Ogan runes and the horn-shaped symbol of the chief god Kornunos emblazoned on it, demonstrating the care she put into it.

Is it only the start of Samhain? The recent chill in the air gave him the illusion that winter had been here for a long time.

It seems that the climate change and abnormal ley lines in Britain that Morgan described have already begun to spread.

"Tch, I knew Kai was up to no good. I'm going to put cilantro and wasabi in all the dishes. I hope he eats himself to death!"

The mischievous child, feeling tricked, muttered angrily under his breath.

"Uh, sorry, I've been a bit out of sorts lately and I accidentally forgot about the holidays."

Samael snapped out of his daze, realizing it was his fault. He coughed repeatedly and apologized, clearing up the mess for Kai, who had been caught in the crossfire, and then put the skull mask on Mordred.

Mordred then turned his anger into joy, suppressing the malice in his heart.

Samael looked around at the empty courtyard and casually asked, "By the way, where are Melusin and the others?"

Mordred pointed to the side courtyard and answered casually, "Isn't it the Savin Festival? We should celebrate. They've gone to Habertrot's place and are busy preparing their festival costumes."

Halloween festivities? Oh, I see...

Samael nodded thoughtfully, and couldn't help but wonder how the little ones would make their entrance.

"By the way, I'm going out later, so I'll probably need to change my clothes. Do you have any style suggestions?"

In order to blend in with the local customs and give himself a break, the ancient snake asked questions, trying to immerse himself in the festive atmosphere.

"Oh, this is my first time celebrating Savyn. The gifts were all sent to me in advance by Kai at the palace, so I don't know the specifics. But Melusin and the others found a reliable advisor, so we can go and ask them together."

"Shall we go take a look?"

Upon hearing his partner's suggestion, Mordred became interested and readily led the way.

After a few turns, we arrived at Habertlot's weaving house, where a series of whispered conversations could be heard from inside.

"Phew! Finally finished. So, what are your thoughts?"

"Fufufufufufu."

(Regarding my impressions, firstly, the exposed abdomen is particularly impressive—flat and smooth, exuding a wild, masculine energy. There's no need to elaborate on Melusin's wings or Bavanshi's tail; these are all hallmarks of her animalistic nature, especially the destructive power of Bagster's chest, which I'm very familiar with. However, I was still surprised by the molting effect; it's so striking from a different angle.)

Although the overall color scheme wasn't my favorite, the colors possessed a charm that perfectly suited the night of Samhain—noble, decadent, and pure!

In short, it's really dangerous. Extremely dangerous!

The animal language, fluently translated by Samael, entered his mind, stirring up a tremendous wave of emotions.

"But, would Samair really like it dressed like this?"

"Fuufuu!"

(I'm guessing that guy must be very satisfied!)

At this moment, Samael, who was standing stiffly outside the door, looked at Mordred with a strange expression.

"Who...is the advisor you've consulted?"

“That little thing that keeps calling ‘Fou,’ isn’t Merlin a great sage of the Druids? She’s always around that guy, she must have seen Merlin presiding over the Savannah festival.”

Mordred blinked and answered matter-of-factly.

"You guys really found the right people," Samael's lips twitched violently.

Meanwhile, the little ones, hearing the commotion outside, excitedly pushed open the door and poured out of the room, posing in turn to demonstrate the effect of their Savin Festival attire to Samael.

"Father, woof...woof..."

Bagst, with a black dog ear on its left side and a ring collar around its neck, tentatively raised its hand, stuck out its tongue, and called softly.

"F~Samael, this is Melusin~"

Melusin, dressed as a werewolf, with a pair of purple pom-pom animal ears in the center, dragon wings on her back, and furry claws on her gloves, beckons from afar.

"Meow?"

With cat ears on her right head and a soft cat tail extending from behind, Bavanshi uttered a rising syllable, glanced at Samael who was stunned on the spot, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, I was surprised. It feels pretty good. I'll have Mother try on the lion suit she left for her later."

After a moment, Samael, having recovered his senses, took a deep breath, looked at the little white figure that had jumped towards the window, and forced a kind smile.

"Cathie Pall, come here, I promise I won't kill you!"

Chapter 101 The Lion King's Dark History

Finally, seeing that things were not going well, Cathy Palug tried to escape, but was caught by the quick-thinking Samael, who grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, brought her back to the station, and gave her a good beating in a corner.

After the ancient serpent's clarification and strict review, the three newly created sets for the three fairy knights—the dog girl, the werewolf, and the cat girl—were all rejected.

Similarly, Freya's forest-themed butterfly outfit was also not spared and was tragically rejected.

Because that outfit, which was as thin as silk, was almost transparent to the point of being completely unprotected, and it also featured bold and avant-garde cutout designs and exposed patterns.

The so-called "forest style" is just adding a few leaves to cover the chest, making it look even more erotic than the three major beast girl sets.

Therefore, under the supervision of the ancient serpent, Habetroth, who had to rush to finish the work, had no choice but to obediently hand over the traditional Samhain Festival outfit.

Once the girls had obediently changed into their new clothes, Samael nodded in approval, allowing them to join the Savin festival celebrations that evening.

As for the few distinctive outfits that were taken off, the ancient snake naturally allowed the little ones to keep them as they pleased.

Samael glanced at the few "dangerous" outfits the little girls were excitedly carrying back to their rooms, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his gaze.

After all, when going out, you need to pay some attention to your appearance.

How they dress at home is their own business, and Samael is quite open-minded about it.

With everything prepared, the ancient snake, adapting to local customs, took its little creatures dressed as wild beasts, ghosts, and gods out for a stroll.

As it is a celebration similar to the Celtic New Year, the festive atmosphere is quite grand. Residents in all sorts of costumes either go out to sing, dance, and gather, or decorate their homes and share a sumptuous dinner with relatives and friends.

Several bonfires were lit in Camelot's square, and the white-robed druids who were in charge of the ceremony began to get busy, either handing out small wooden pieces and dominoes engraved with Ogan script to convey blessings, or chanting incantations to purify and bless the residents who came and went.

In addition, several squads of charioteers dispatched by the royal palace were guarding the area around the bonfire in the square, maintaining order.

According to information gathered on Samael Road, after the ceremony, the druids distributed the still-burning embers from the bonfire to each household to light new kitchen flames.

These flames are used to keep the house warm and to drive away evil spirits.

The Celts believed that on this day of transition between the old and the new, the distance between the underworld, the fairy realm, the otherworld, and the human world was closest, the invisible gate would be opened, and the power of fire and light could protect them from harm.

Charcoal blessed by druids, in particular, is a hot commodity during festivals.

However, with the departure of the ancient gods and the rise of new gods and men, this once awe-inspiring ritual has now taken on the rudiments of the Halloween carnival that would follow. As a result, the streets and alleys are not deserted, but rather quite lively.

After a century of war, the Celts, under the protection of Camelot, the new god of mankind, enjoyed a long-awaited peace.

The little ones, who rarely go out in a proper group, happily ran around as they walked and stopped along the way, stuffing their arms with snacks and novelties they had bought from various places.

Samael stayed behind to keep watch and didn't stop them, patiently acting as the mobile payment terminal, letting the little girls in the family have a great time.

As midnight approached and the children's excitement waned, Samael chose some conventional gifts and led everyone to visit the Lion King and Kai, who remained in the palace.

The carriage slowly drove through the gate. The palace remained solemn and quiet, completely different from the bustling city, as if separated by an invisible barrier into two worlds: the human world and the divine realm.

But this desolation and somber atmosphere did not frighten the witch's family.

After all, on the one hand, Artoria and Kai were always coming over for meals, so they were used to it. On the other hand, whether it was Mordred, who received a court education and was always causing trouble, or Samael, who would drag three fairy knights to fight and spar with the Knights of the Round Table whenever he had nothing to do, the people present were basically notorious troublemakers in the palace, the kind that the Knights of the Round Table would avoid.

After getting off the carriage, Samael casually handed Mordred the pastries he had prepared before leaving, instructing her to take a few maids and deliver them to Artoria, the gluttonous queen of the government office, while she could also wander around and pass the time.

He then went to find Kai, who was on duty, and had a drink and a chat with his accomplice.

Of course, when drinking and chatting, barbecue skewers are an essential side dish.

Samael, who was taking a rare break, and his supervisor, who was skipping work and slacking off, skillfully smuggled some ingredients from the kitchen and went to the previously secluded courtyard to eat and talk.

Why didn't you call me?

Just as the two were marinating the meat and starting a fire to roast the ingredients until they were golden brown, a majestic low murmur from afar, focused into a line, exploded in Samael and Kai's ears like a thunderclap from a clear sky. They were so startled that their hands trembled, and they almost dropped the ingredients they had taken into the fire.

In an instant, Samael recognized the familiar voice and felt both amused and exasperated.

"Your Majesty, the State Affairs Hall is so far away, how can you smell it? Your nose is incredibly sensitive!"

At the same time, the ancient snake recalled the jokes of a certain old swindler, the truth of which was unknown, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

No wonder Merlin's incantation was "Artoria, dinner's ready!" So grilling meat can actually catch a wild lion king? Could this be a divine summoning spell?

"I'll accept this compliment for now."

Behind the flowers and trees in the night, a rustling sound came, and figures walked towards the light, responding calmly.

This isn't a compliment!

The ancient snake raised its hand to its forehead, unable to help but complain inwardly.

"Therefore, in my territory, do not even think of escaping my notice and committing the sin of stealing!"

That solemn divine pronouncement made Samael feel a cramp in his stomach, and his tense face was filled with a stiffness that made him want to laugh but dared not. He really wanted to add a sentence to fit the occasion.

Your Majesty, your integrity has vanished, it's all over the place...

Kai, standing next to him, looked on with an expression of utter disbelief.

A moment later, the figure passed through the flowers and trees, and its full form was revealed in the firelight. Samael and Kai turned to look back.

Click...

But in an instant, both of them stiffened simultaneously, and a faint cracking sound came from their wide-open jaws.

What did they see?

A brown, humanoid lion with a pale yellow mane, a single golden tuft of hair on its head, and walking upright has actually come out to hunt for food.

Is Camelot's environment too favorable for the evolution of wild creatures? Or has the Fang Clan, one of the six major clans, with beast-like characteristics, stormed the royal palace?

Just as a strong sense of absurdity exploded in their minds, the rising tone and anxious shouts from the other side finally snapped the two people out of their daze.

"Meat! Meat!"

Samael and Kai, seeing the meat skewers burning on the fire, immediately began frantically trying to salvage the situation.

However, in the end it was all in vain. They could only stare at each other, looking dejected, and return with a pile of black coke.

"The meat is burnt..."

In those golden-green eyes, a dark flame flickered slightly, and a hint of gloom appeared on his dignified face as he murmured.

"Oops, oops, but it's okay, there's more here, we'll take our time."

"Haha, soon, Your Majesty. Please have a seat for a while, and you will be able to eat in a moment."

Samael chuckled dryly and moved aside, then brought over some new ingredients to make up for it. Kai, as if waking from a dream, also cooperated perfunctorily.

As the goddess next to him, dressed in a brown "lion's skin," calmed down and sat down, her expression brightening.

The ancient serpent, which kept glancing at Artoria, coughed and asked a question.