Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Just as everyone was somewhat surprised, several tens of minutes later, a short figure carrying a British-made L115A3 sniper rifle, his back almost bent under the weight, walked into the bar.

She was a little girl of eleven or twelve years old, with black hair and black eyes, slender eyes, thin lips and a pert nose. She often gave people a cold feeling. Although her figure had not fully developed, judging from the subtle outline, she should grow into a beautiful woman with well-proportioned features.

Samael glanced at the little girl in front of him and a strange sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.

"This is?"

"My new assistant's name is..."

Natalia pushed the plate in front of the expressionless little girl, raised her hand to rub her head, and chuckled softly.

"Mai, Hisayu Mai..."

"puff!"

Upon hearing this, Samael spat out all the wine in his mouth and muttered something strange.

No way, what a coincidence?

Chapter 55 A (A) - Can't Afford It

Natalia took a sip of her drink and frowned as she looked at her somewhat sarcastic friends.

"What's your expression?"

"Ahem, employing child labor is illegal."

Samael picked up the tablecloth and wiped the table while coughing lightly and pondering.

"Could you please clean up your own mess before saying that?"

Natalia raised an eyebrow at Abigail and Lavinia, who were playing house with hand puppets in the back hall, before turning her disdainful gaze to Samael.

Well, strictly speaking, they're already adults; it's just that their loli-like figures have a long shelf life.

Unable to explain himself to his friend's questioning, Samael could only mutter to himself in frustration.

"Besides, do you think I want this? Is it easy to go through customs with such a burden?"

Natalia paused, then rolled her eyes at Samael and complained.

"In the end, isn't this all your doing?"

Seeing that the fire had spread to him, Samael was completely bewildered. Fortunately, a free glass of brandy was handed to him, and the satisfied drunkard at the bar readily opened up and began to tell the story of the child.

As a child, Mai Hisa was born in a war-torn country. Due to insufficient funds for the war, local warlords and military leaders often conscripted children to fight. Her parents refused to comply and died in such an armed conflict. She began to wander from a young age, struggling to survive in the ruins of war.

Having survived that environment, she naturally developed a keen sense of battlefield awareness and a good ability to survive.

But a young and frail child is destined not to be able to live for long in such a harsh environment.

Being taken to a military camp and becoming one of thousands of child soldiers, or being trained as a tool of war, stepping onto the battlefield and falling into endless killing, this is probably the path she is about to take.

Several months earlier, Natalia received a mission to travel to the area and was ordered to eliminate a military leader who wanted to use forbidden voodoo magic to control the undead and turn the tide of the war.

Being unfamiliar with the area, she stumbled into an armed conflict and, seeking refuge, happened to wander into the small hideout where Hisayu Maiya was hiding.

Thus, the two met unexpectedly in the ruins of the battlefield, and Natalia rescued the child who was starving and exhausted.

Afterwards, Hisayu Maiya followed closely behind Natalia.

However, as a seasoned bounty hunter, Natalia had seen countless deaths and tragedies, so she was unlikely to show any kindness easily.

The reason she initially took the child with her was simply because she valued Hisayu Maiya's familiarity with the area and needed a good guide for the time being.

The mission went smoothly. Sending a seasoned veteran at the level of a designated seal executor to hunt down a military leader who only knew a little bit of rudimentary voodoo magic was a fairly easy task.

Even after Natalia finished this job, she still had time to raid the target's personal savings.

The fine wine that Samael had came from here.

Incidentally, a group of rebels who killed a young couple in an attempt to capture children also disappeared shortly afterward.

"So, in the end you softened?"

The ancient snake swirled the fig brandy in its glass, took a sip of the mellow liquor, and murmured with a smile.

"I wouldn't say that. Anyway, I just happened to need an assistant, and this girl is talented. It's just a mutual benefit."

Natalia glanced back at the little girl who was wolfing down her sandwich and black cat pancakes, and couldn't help but feel a little smug.

"Besides, it's easier to raise children, and the commissions earned don't have to be split equally. It's just that there are more mouths to feed. All things considered, I'm not losing out."

Samael neither agreed nor disagreed with this pragmatic argument, but simply raised his hand to lightly clink glasses with his scoundrel friend, and they exchanged a smile.

Natalia is an impeccable woman in every way. She is not the kind of person who would be targeted by villains first and pursue a false sense of justice. Instead, she is the kind of person who ruthlessly defeats others while helping them with indifference.

She can mock the weak with the theories of an assassin, while simultaneously lamenting the price that comes with becoming strong.

She could be a greedy person who would stop at nothing to make a fortune, or a hedonist who would let wealth linger overnight.

Complex and ever-changing, detached yet emotional.

Their seemingly cold and profit-driven words and actions cannot conceal the deep-seated human kindness within them.

On Emmygo Island, rescuing Kiritsugu Emiya was one such act, and so was adopting Maiya Hisau during this mission.

In reality, without Natalia's intervention, this child named Hisayu Maiya would have joined the Boy Scouts in the near future, been raped by male soldiers in the camp, and met an even more tragic fate.

This conditional act of kindness saved a soul from falling into the abyss.

However, some things are better left unsaid.

Under the flickering lights, Natalia, a drunkard, chugged glass after glass of Scotch whisky from her friend's collection across from her. Because of her rough and casual way of drinking, the amber-golden liquid dripped down her cheeks, glistening as it slid over her delicate, white collarbone, seeping into the cleavage of her chest, continuing to explore deeper, until even her flat, firm abdomen radiated a jade-like, moist glow.

A gaze, unknowingly drawn to this enchanting scene, lingers on the beautiful view before it for a long time.

Natalia glanced across at the person opposite her, her fingertips swirling the wine glass, her cheeks flushed slightly, like a ripe apple, her smile radiating a hint of playfulness and unruliness.

"Want to see it?"

Samael snapped out of his daze, rolled his eyes at the nightmare, and deliberately lingered on those peaks for a few more minutes, a hint of disdain in his eyes.

"A is out of reach!"

Natalia smiled without saying a word, hooking her left thumb around the lace trim of her white bra, gradually widening the alluring slit with slight force. At the same time, she leaned forward, leaning against the bar, making the cleavage that was about to burst forth even more conspicuously exposed.

The dazzling, crystalline whiteness almost made Samael's blood boil, and he subconsciously turned his head away, muttering to himself.

It's the kind of thing that shows off your flesh when you take off your clothes. And to make it easier to exercise, there are bandages inside. Aren't you afraid of hurting yourself?

The succubus hybrid, exceptionally sensitive to emotional fluctuations, immediately discerned her resounding victory from the subtle reactions of the other. With a smile, she raised her hand, her slender white fingertips tracing circles on the man's chest. The tingling sensation sent a chill down the ancient serpent's spine, as if an electric current had shot from his tailbone to the top of his head, causing his beastly blood to boil. He could only tuck in his stomach and bend over, awkwardly offering a token of respect to the fairy before him.

"Oh dear, are you shy? Little one, want to come inside and have some fun? Whatever position you want to learn, I can teach you. I'm in a good mood this time, so it's free."

You gave me 100 last time, but this time you won't even give me 100! And you think you can get something for free?

Samael's face darkened, and he glared at his friend who was trying to suppress his laughter, muttering to himself.

Tch, the dignified Serpent of Original Sin was so easily aroused by this woman. It must be because she's been exercising for a while. I'll have Aurora come over and report on her work later, to see if she's been slacking off.

In addition, he felt a bit nostalgic for a certain nightmare from before.

The one from Avalon...

Chapter Fifty-Six: What's Free is Often the Most Expensive

Just as the two friends were bickering, a new customer at the bar quickly attracted everyone's attention with her unconventional eating habits.

As soon as she received her meal, Kuyu Maiya sat upright at the table, picked up an egg tart with her left hand, and held a spoon in her right hand, adding white sugar to the egg tart spoonful by spoonful.

Samael counted them; there were about seven spoonfuls, and the sugar jar was almost emptied.

When the small indentation in the center of the egg tart could no longer hold any more filling, the little girl reluctantly gave up. She then raised her hand and put the egg tart, which was covered with a layer of white sugar, into her mouth, chewing it with pleasure, as if she were savoring an unparalleled delicacy.

Seeing the little girl finish one tart and then, still wanting more, take a second one and empty the sugar jar in the same way, Samael's lips twitched slightly, and he really wanted to ask her a question.

Is it really not too salty to eat like this?

"So, you like sweets too!"

Unlike the complex thoughts of adults, Abby couldn't help but excitedly strike up a conversation with a fellow sweet-toothed girl as soon as she saw her, and casually took out her own treasured treats to share with this girl who was not very talkative.

"This is hazelnut chocolate, this is marshmallow, and this is my favorite gummy bear. Master bought all of these for me. I can't finish them all. Here, these are all for you."

Hisayu Maiya stared at the hollowed-out candy jar on the table, then at the colorful candies on the table. Her throat moved involuntarily, unable to resist the temptation. She subconsciously looked up at Natalia in front of the bar.

With the hunter's approval, the girl felt relieved, unwrapped a candy, and carefully put the crystal-clear treat into her mouth.

Instantly, a sweet taste bursts on the tip of the tongue, bringing a sense of complete pleasure to the body.

For a child born in a war-torn country, sweetness was a rare comfort in that miserable life.

"I have lots of delicious food in my house, do you want to come and see it with me?"

Seeing that Hisayu Maiya had accepted the gift, Abbi immediately beamed and extended an invitation.

"Go if you want. Natalia will let you know if you want to leave."

Samael stepped out from behind the bar, patted Hisayu Maiya's head, and made a promise with a smile.

However, the little girl remained standing still, unmoved.

Only after Natalia nodded in agreement did Hisayu Maiya, who still retained some of her childlike nature, get up and follow Abby's footsteps into the inner hall.

“My name is Abby, Abigail Williams… This is Lavinia, Abby’s best friend. I haven’t asked you your name yet?”

“Jiuyu…Maimi…”

Under the overflowing enthusiasm of her peers, the frost on the little girl's face gradually melted, and her lifeless expression gained a touch of childlike liveliness and innocence.

Watching the children's departing figures, Natalia, feeling she had won back the game, couldn't help but proudly raise her chin at her friend while taking a satisfying puff of her signature Dragon brand cigarette.

"How was it? Did I teach you well?"

"Yes, yes, yes..."

The ancient serpent nodded perfunctorily, then a cold smile appeared on its lips. It extinguished the fire with physical force, pulled the crumpled cigarette out of Natalia's mouth, and casually threw it into the trash can.

"However, you seem to have forgotten that smoking is prohibited in this store."

To preserve her remaining half-pack of treasured cigarettes, Natalia had no choice but to reluctantly suppress her craving, glaring at someone with resentment.

The game ended in a draw again.

After temporarily suppressing Natalia's arrogance, the ancient snake glanced back at the three little ones in the back hall who were enthusiastically enjoying candy and playing games. Only then did it breathe a sigh of relief and gradually relax.

Previously, his contact with Hisayu Maiya was actually to take advantage of the gap in his body's misalignment to secretly inscribe a protective rune spell on the child's body.

After all, Abi and Lavinia, as Outer God Priestesses, would occasionally emit mental pollution, and it would be of no benefit for ordinary people with weak resistance to get too close.

The safest course of action when dealing with things that cannot be named is to keep your distance.

But Abby and Lavinia have too few friends; they are destined to be lonely.

Similarly, Hisayu Maiya, whose fate was tragic, was also a little girl who lacked love and whose childhood was distorted.

Today, Samael had a rare new playmate, and since they got along so well, he naturally wanted to secretly protect him.

With the protection of that rune, Hisayu Maiya wouldn't suffer any mental breakdown while playing with the two little girls, preventing their budding friendship from dying in the womb.

Sigh, I'm playing both father and mother, I can't even have a break during my vacation.

After confirming that it was safe, Samael shook his head helplessly and couldn't help but lament his inescapable fate of being overworked.

"You look so listless, why don't you come out for a walk with me?"

Natalia glanced at her friend, who was slumped over the bar like a stranded dead fish, and casually made a suggestion.

Without a word, the woman dragged Samael out from behind the bar, leaving Arcueid to look after the bar, and then brazenly pulled the owner towards the door.

It was already dusk, and the fiery red sun was gradually sinking below the horizon. The clouds reflected a variety of colors. Walking on the shady country lane, a gentle breeze brushed against my face, bringing a refreshing feeling.

It must be said that this scene was indeed refreshing, and Samael had a rare moment of leisurely enjoyment.

The two strolled and chatted, mostly complaining about how inhumane their company was.

As they passed a park, Natalia glanced at a crimson bench on the lush green grass, smiled, and paused.

"Look, it seems we've arrived at the place where we first met."

"Yes, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye."

Samael looked at the somewhat worn-out deck chair and the few empty beer cans scattered on the grass, and a wave of nostalgia washed over him.