How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 101

“It’s not like you’re speaking with your mouth, so does it really matter if he’s holding it?”

 

[It’s uncomfortable!]

 

Fenrir glared at me with a pout and complained.

 

“Don’t take your frustration out on Laura just because you think she’s an easy target.”

 

I knew Yves was stepping in to help me, but in a way, it also gave me emotional damage.

 

‘I had a vague idea that Fenrir saw me as an easy target, but having it pointed out so clearly stings a bit.’

 

I swallowed a bitter laugh, but then Huluppu’s voice, warm and gentle like autumn sunlight, reached me.

 

[Have you reflected?]

 

[On, on what?]

 

[On your attitude.]

 

[What did I… Ouch! It hurts. It really hurts!]

 

As Fenrir tried to avoid eye contact and play innocent, Huluppu seemed to tighten his grip on Fenrir’s snout.

 

[It’s supposed to hurt. So, do you feel like apologizing now?]

 

[No. It’s not like I need to apologize, right? Laura was the one who interrupted with a question in the middle of my explanation and ruined the flow… Ouch!]

 

For some reason, Fenrir’s blue eyes seemed to be welling up with tears.

 

‘It must really hurt.’

 

Seeing Fenrir whimpering with teary eyes made me feel a bit sorry for him, but Huluppu didn’t even blink and continued.

 

[That’s because you only wanted to say what you wanted to say. I told you earlier that I called Laura today not just to ask her questions but also to answer the ones she’s been curious about.]

 

[But…]

 

[I don’t want to hear excuses. If you’re going to act selfishly, I’ll just finish the explanation myself.]

 

It seemed the two of them had already agreed on what kind of conversation to have with me.

 

‘Well, that’s why he asked me to find out Huluppu’s preferences.’

 

Suddenly, I understood why Fenrir had so readily offered a reward for my help. He probably knew that Huluppu would answer anything if I asked.

 

‘In a way, Fenrir is surprisingly sharp but also feels a bit lacking somehow.’

 

After hearing from Huluppu the purpose of calling me, Fenrir cleverly avoided his gaze and made the proposal to me, clearly trying to look out for his interests. 

 

But seeing how he failed to read the room in that situation, simultaneously earning the dislike of both the person he likes and his ally, it’s hard not to see his shortcomings.

 

‘He’s the type to dig himself into a thousand gold coins’ worth of debt with just one word.’

 

I was staring at Fenrir, analyzing him, when his upright ears suddenly drooped straight down.

 

[No. I, I was wrong.]

 

It seemed he had realized that his image in Huluppu’s eyes had worsened.

 

[I really didn’t mean to ignore you… It’s just that my expectations were too high, and sometimes when you ask low-level questions, I get disappointed, agh! Wait, stop! Enough!]

 

Fenrir, who had hesitantly started apologizing, began to veer into excuses as his explanation dragged on, but he didn’t get to finish his sentence.

 

That’s because Huluppu tightened his grip.

 

[If you keep going, I’ll really kick you out.]

 

[…I’m sorry.]

 

Fenrir’s energy deflated, and he apologized cleanly.

 

“I’m fine with it.”

 

So I also accepted it plainly.

 

[Laura, you’re too quick to forgive. At the very least, you should warn him not to do it again so Fenrir can get his act together.]

 

“I agree. Demanding compensation for the apology or imposing some other penalty would be good too. If he gets a taste of real consequences, he won’t take you lightly.”

 

Strangely, both Huluppu and Yves chimed in, seemingly dissatisfied.

 

“Both of you, calm down. It’s not that I’m being nice—it’s just that I’ve given up because no matter what I do, Fenrir probably won’t change.”

 

[Ugh.]

 

Yves and Huluppu didn’t say anything, but they seemed to understand, while Fenrir let out a telepathic groan in place of his still-clamped mouth.

 

“Anyway, I think I’ve roughly understood divine power. Shall we move on?”

 

[Wait, just one last thing!]

 

“What is it?”

 

[The answer to the question you asked earlier about the barrier is this. The reason I can read the thoughts of living beings is because of the nature of light, which exists everywhere in the world. All living beings are connected through it, and their thoughts are transmitted through the divine power that links us.]

 

He explained that it wasn’t an innate ability but a characteristic of divine power, so just like humans breathe without thinking, the thoughts of living beings naturally reach him.

 

“Then can the divine beast of Ellil, the god of wind, also read thoughts like you, Fenrir?”

 

Since air, like light, is omnipresent, the question suddenly occurred to me.

 

[Yes.]

 

Finally, I fully understood why Huluppu, who was also born from divine power, couldn’t read thoughts, while Fenrir could.

 

“Thank you for explaining it so thoroughly.”

 

Even though he had dismissed me earlier for not knowing, he had still answered my questions sincerely, so I thanked him cheerfully.

 

[Hmph, hearing a thank you from you doesn’t excite me much, but as long as you understood, that’s enough.]

 

He responded with a snort and a nonchalant tone, but in contrast to his words, his tail, which had been drooping earlier, was now wagging slightly.

 

‘He’s so dishonest.’

 

Even though he acted arrogantly, seeing this slightly flawed side of him made it strangely hard to dislike him.

 

[To continue, I mentioned before that my ability is to see the world through my roots, but fundamentally, it’s a bit different.]

 

After Fenrir finished his explanation, Huluppu naturally took over the conversation.

 

[To be precise, it’s the ability to record the world observed through my roots.]

 

“Now that you mention it, I heard from Fenrir that all the books on your shelves are your memories, right?”

 

[That’s right. Did you also hear about the mission the goddess bestowed upon me?]

 

“No?”

 

My eyes widened at the unfamiliar term.

 

‘Just hearing the word “mission” makes it sound like something heavy and significant…’

 

As I was making that assumption, Huluppu once again shattered my expectations.

 

[Actually, Lady Astarte really enjoys entertainment.]

 

“Huh?”

 

For a moment, I doubted my ears. There was a huge disconnect between the sacred, reverent image of a god and the word ‘entertainment.’

 

[She especially loves human stories. I record their lives in books and send the interesting ones to the divine realm.]

 

“Wait, what?”

 

The more I heard, the more trivial and absurd it sounded, which only added to my shock.

 

It was so different from the image I had of gods.

 

Apart from Huluppu and Fenrir, who possessed divine power, all the priests I had met so far would praise the gods as omnipotent and flawless whenever the topic came up, so I naturally assumed all gods were perfect and infallible.

 

‘But hearing this, they actually feel more human and relatable.’

 

In my past life, I also enjoyed various story-driven content like novels, webtoons, and games, so my internal affinity for them grew even more.

 

[Don’t get the wrong idea. Not all gods are like that. Lady Astarte is just a bit… unique.]

 

At that moment, Fenrir, who had been quiet for a while, chimed in.

 

[I can’t even argue with that.]

 

You’d think he’d get upset for calling the god he serves ‘unique’, but Huluppu just let out a dry laugh.

 

It seemed like he had been through a lot with Astarte.

 

[Anyway, this is where the problem starts. I observe and record human lives, so I can usually know everything that happens in the world. But I realized that, starting exactly half a year ago, one person’s records were missing.]

 

Half a year ago.

 

That was probably around the time Selene started regressing.

 

[That person was the other saintess candidate, Selene Saint.]

 

Just as I had guessed.

 

“It’s not because she has divine power like Fenrir, right?”

 

Given Fenrir’s intense reaction earlier, it was clear that Huluppu’s ability was nearly impossible to evade, but I asked anyway to confirm.

 

[No. My ability allows me to see everything regardless of divine power, but there’s one way to avoid it…]

 

[And that’s magic.]

 

Fenrir, who seemed bored just sitting there, cut in again.

 

‘Didn’t he say he doesn’t like talking much?’

 

He even teased Huluppu earlier for being a chatterbox inside the barrier.

 

[That’s right. The barrier you were in today is the only way to avoid it. But currently, the only being in this world who can use that magic is Fenrir.]

 

“Even dragons can’t do it?”

 

Yves, who had been silently listening, asked his first question.

 

[Of course not! It’s a special magic I worked hard to develop.]

 

Fenrir seemed proud of the magic he had created, puffing out his chest and answering in a boastful tone.