How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 111

Chapter 111 – Our Na, Hunt

The electrifying cheers almost made lose my footing. Nella, who had linked arms with , quickly steadied .

“Pull yourself together. If you ss up here, people will call you clumsy for the rest of your life.”

“Ah, sorry. This is my first ti in such a setting…”

“It’s my first ti too, you know?”

She cast a sharp glance at before straightening her back and looking ahead. Then, with an elegant gesture, she extended her hand toward like a noble lady expecting an escort. Catching on, I promptly offered my arm and began escorting her up the steps leading to the platform.

Nella, who was officiating this blood pact ceremony as a priestess, was here as the main host.

“Are you sure about this? You may not be able to work at the Blue Rose anymore.”

“I never wanted to work there in the first place. I’m just finally finding my rightful place.”

I couldn’t help but wonder how the Blue Rose’s regulars would react if they saw her like this. They’d probably be completely dumbfounded.

Today was a significant day for Nella.

But it wasn’t just her.

“……”

“……”

Behind us, quietly following, were Dorneth and Fenry. Both were impeccably dressed, and perhaps because of the solemnity of the occasion, they didn’t engage in their usual bickering.

As we climbed to the top of the platform, with thousands of eyes watching us from below, the knights, under Natone’s command, entered the stage as well, raising flags instead of weapons.

Flags bearing the emblem of a hamr waved proudly in the air, filling the sky.

The platform was high enough to command a view of the entire crowd. From above, the throng of people moving about resembled a swarming mass of ants.

The overwhelming sight of countless people filling the entire territory struck . Was this what it would feel like to stand in the middle of an Olympic concert surrounded by a packed audience?

The sheer tension made my heart pound uncontrollably.

Flap—

“Al…ex…ah!”

A gust of wind blew.

The pure white robe that had been covering my face fluttered, revealing my features.

Bronze hair rippling in the wind.

Thanks to my first-stage physical training and the increased synchronization with Reto, my hair now had a faint reddish hue. The sa went for my platinum eyes, which glinted coldly beneath my sharp gaze.

The aura of a wild beast naturally exuded from .

I quickly pulled the robe back over my face.

The luxurious white silk robe draped over my flashy leather outfit only revealed glimpses of my face, adding an air of mystery to my appearance.

This pure white concept, designed to convey the image of a ‘Saint of Salvation,’ had been ticulously crafted by none other than Nella, the madam of the Blue Rose.

Particularly striking was the blood-red bow emblem magically engraved on the back of the robe, making it stand out even from a distance.

An outfit with zero practicality, purely an extravagant display of wealth.

Still, as a debut costu ant to make a bold statent, it was perfect.

Though… I couldn’t help but feel like so sort of cult leader.

[We will now begin the blood pact ceremony.]

When Nella brought out her artifact, a dry branch, the elves silently knelt on one knee.

The branch, though withered and unimpressive now, symbolized the World Tree, a near-sacred existence to the elves.

Nella, the elf priestess.

Her presence was now known to the world.

Clad in a golden cape embroidered with the World Tree, Nella calmly proceeded with the ritual.

A short while later, Dorneth, Fenry, and I stood at the center of the platform as Nella, using magical amplification, read the blood pact declaration aloud.

Her clear, refreshing voice echoed throughout Beneta, reaching every corner.

When a holy light began to emanate from the branch raised high in her hand, everyone quietly observed the solemn scene.

The impact was incredible.

With a priestess officiating the ceremony, the entire ritual felt profoundly sacred.

Of course, amidst this solemnity, the childish spat between the dwarf and the wildcat continued in secret.

They had argued earlier about the order in which we would take the stage, growling at each other until Fenry finally sidled up to and whispered.

“You’re going last.”

“…?”

Isn’t the last spot reserved for the main figure? I thought I would be first because of my influence and standing, but both of them had decided to let take the final slot?

Fenry, dressed in form-fitting black leather that highlighted her figure, glared at Dorneth with a growl.

Sparks flew between their gazes.

It seed neither wanted to yield the last position to the other, so they reluctantly passed it on to instead. Honestly, they were acting like children.

“Then who’s going first?”

“.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because that dwarf agreed to cover all the costs of the blood pact ceremony. I don’t care as long as he’s not the last one.”

I couldn’t help but marvel at how easily Fenry, ever the gold-hungry elf, was swayed by money.

[May the bonds of this blood pact be blessed!]

Nella’s brief but powerful declaration concluded the blood pact. The oath ceremony ended with us sharing blood from a small chalice, after which the leaders of the pact were given a chance to speak.

Fenry stepped up first.

Despite facing a massive crowd, her expression remained indifferent. Was it because she was naturally shaless?

[I am Fenry Chaser, Master of the Black Rose.]

Her opening words shocked .

I never expected her to publicly reveal the Black Rose.

The implication of this declaration was imnse. By openly identifying herself as the master of the Black Rose, Fenry intended to bring what had always operated in the shadows into the light. This would have a significant ripple effect on elves across the continent.

[We seek to protect the elves and to find the World Tree.]

It was as if she was offering them a sanctuary.

I’d need to have a detailed discussion with Fenry about this later.

Next, Dorneth spoke about the curse of the abandoned mine.

[The curse of the abandoned mine has ended in my generation. It is clear that our god, Atoles, has blessed us in this age!]

He boasted about his frost hamr and armor before loudly proclaiming his love for Sharbadin three tis.

Truly, a dwarf who charged headfirst without hesitation. Definitely not soone I’d want as an enemy.

Finally, it was my turn.

Despite how long Fenry and Dorneth had spoken, it felt like my turn had co quickly.

Hoo—

Exhaling slowly, I stepped forward to the center of the platform.

The murmuring crowd gradually quieted down.

Thousands of eyes focused intently on .

Unlike the others, I kept my speech short.

A mix of truth with a pinch of exaggeration would leave the strongest impression.

“Alex.”

Why bother with formalities when most nobles don’t?

I kept my tone blunt, speaking as they did.

“As the first human to join a blood pact among different races, I will protect this trust, which is more precious than life itself. I swear this by all those who are dear to .”

I slowly lowered my head and scanned the crowd below.

Everyone gazed up at .

eting each and every one of their eyes, I seared my image into their minds.

A spectacular impact.

I activated the ancient glyphs at full strength.

Flash—!!!!!!!

“……!”

The entire platform was bathed in golden light.

Though not as sacred as the light Nella had summoned, it was far more dazzling, brilliant, and overwhelming.

Lifting the golden light high, I shouted in a voice that rang across the entire square.

“For those dear to —under this light, I swear in the na of ‘Hunt.’ They shall stand with .”

At that mont, the na I had carefully chosen, Hunt, was revealed to the world for the first ti.

It was the mont that the na Hunt etched itself into the minds of the people—and the world.

***

“Hyah—!”

Although we had arrived at the main square in separate carriages, after the successful conclusion of the blood pact ceremony, we all returned together in a single carriage.

All four participants of the blood pact ceremony were now riding in the sa carriage.

I had asked for this arrangent because there was sothing I wanted to discuss.

However—

“As expected, you really are a con artist.”

“What do you an?”

“I an, your skill in captivating the crowd is sothing else.”

Fenry, seated across from , and Dorneth, sitting beside her, stared at with odd expressions, practically bearing down on .

What did I do, exactly?

All I did was dazzle the audience a bit with a brilliant golden light and throw in a few cool lines that were just a tad cringeworthy.

But, for so reason, it worked like magic.

Unlike those two, who had given long speeches, when I finished speaking, thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd.

It seems that whether in this world or the real world, speeches are more popular when they’re brief. Of course, the flashy effects helped a lot too.

Pop-pop-pop-pop—!

Loud bursts of fireworks exploded outside.

With the blood pact ceremony over, the entire square opened up, and the real festival began.

Nella had inford us earlier that the festival would last for three days.

“Hunt—that’s the guild na you’ll be using from now on?”

“Yes.”

“Hm, Hunt… hunting. Not bad. It suits you, too.”

Fenry’s remark seed to imply she was thinking of Divine Hunter, my title. But I had chosen the na simply because it reflected what had kept alive up until now.

The core of it was ‘hunting.’

Whether it was Donecolint, Arena Huaton, or the cursed mine’s Bjorn, hunting had always been the key to my survival. And I was certain that it would continue to be so in the future.

“The first person to be recruited into Hunt will be Lochter Felice, right?”

“Yes. He’s essential for all of us.”

“You’re preparing for a war with Blyer, aren’t you?”

At Dorneth’s question, I nodded.

Lochter Felice was a high-profile criminal with a bounty of one million gold, wanted by Karl Bastain, the so-called Mad Butcher. If I recruited him, it would inevitably lead to a confrontation with Blyer. Besides, even without that, due to my fake identity, maintaining friendly relations with Blyer was impossible.

My current identity was Alex Marcia.

The House of Marcia had been annihilated by Kal Blazer’s royal guard, Lyon Martrein, for possessing the ‘Dragon Fang Cloak.’ Although I hadn’t publicly ntioned Kal yet, anyone with access to so information would soon uncover my past as a fallen noble.

When I noticed Dorneth’s dissatisfied expression, I cautiously asked,

“Do you still believe that Kal has designs on Beneta?”

“Both I and the elders have suspicions, but we lack concrete proof. There are too many connections between Kal and Blyer.”

A large number of spies who had been stealing information from Beneta were recently captured in the underground prison.

In less than two days, the captured spies had confessed everything, tears and snot streaming down their faces, begging never to see the dwarves wielding clubs again.

The Judges’ Hamrs.

Their reputation was growing by the day, and sohow, the thought of getting further entangled with them made my head throb.

I hope I don’t get too deeply involved with them later on.

“You’ve received the report, right?”

“Yes, I have.”

“The clients behind the spies are mostly unknown shamans. If we trace their origins, they’ll lead us to Rengua Field, the lord of Etor Territory and a shaman of the Blood Oak lineage. Rengua is one of Kal’s closest shamans and oversees the shamans’ stronghold. In other words, Kal is the true client who sent the spies.”

“The elders believe Kal beca interested in Beneta due to the abandoned mine incident.”

“Because of the mineral trade with the previous lord of Blyer?”

Dorneth nodded.

Beneta had maintained friendly relations with Blyer for many years through the mineral trade.

After the mine was cursed and shut down, Blyer, which owned large-scale mines, had been the only territory capable of supplying minerals regularly.

The trade had been ongoing for decades.

The elders were worried that if Blyer cut off the mineral supply, it would be disastrous for Beneta.

“Wouldn’t reopening the mine solve the problem?”

“You’re saying that because you don’t know the scale of the mine. Even if everything goes smoothly, it would take at least six months to restore the mine. And if you consider the ti needed for actual mining operations, it’ll take even longer. The real issue is that we’re about to run out of usable minerals in the anti.”

“Is there no stockpile left?”

“None. Supply was interrupted for a while due to the war with the chira. The elders have already requested additional supplies from Blyer. Now, we just have to wait and see how the young lord of Blyer responds.”

Beneta, a free city sustained by the dwarves’ manufacturing industry, relied heavily on minerals to keep its economy running. If the supply of minerals were to stop for even a day, the city’s economy would suffer significant damage.

Unlike individuals, factions had countless factors to consider.

There was no way soone as clever as Kal wouldn’t be aware of this. He was likely preparing to use the mineral supply as leverage.

“Recruiting Lochter could put Beneta at a disadvantage.”

“Even so, you plan to proceed with your plan, don’t you?”

“Yes. If we delay the plan, it would defeat the entire purpose of holding the public blood pact ceremony.”

Although I hadn’t even secured Lochter’s consent yet, I would begin spreading rumors in secret.

Lochter Felice, the Captain of Hunt.

I would let the world know that Lochter, the hero, was the second mber of Hunt.