How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 113

Chapter 113 – Fenry Banri

“To a toast!”

“To… to a toast!!”

Unlike before, the enthusiasm in their voices had noticeably diminished.

It was obvious—they were more preoccupied with what was happening outside than with the gathering here.

I ignored it and raised my glass again.

This is oddly addictive. Is this why company chairn are so fond of toasting?

Grenos, the chubby one, was subtly trying to wrap things up and leave, but I kept coming up with excuses to hold him back.

You’re not leaving until the end, you bastard.

“The fun is only just beginning. I’d feel a bit disappointed if you were only here for the mana stones…”

“Oh, no, no! I’m also thoroughly enjoying this event. Hahaha…!”

“It feels like the mood’s gotten a bit dull. How about a song? Shall I sing?”

“……”

Wow. Is abusing power this fun?

I’ve spent my whole life being on the receiving end—I never had a chance to experience this kind of feeling.

“To a toast!”

Just as I was starting to get tired of repeating these toasts, thinking that enough ti had passed, the door opened, and the steward entered.

“Lord Alex, we’ve brought out a new wine.”

The old werewolf approached with a bottle of wine.

Instead of red wine, he poured white wine into the glass. I nodded, gently rubbed my forehead, and got up from my seat.

That was the signal—the preparations outside were complete.

“I think the alcohol is starting to hit . Perhaps we should call it a night, unless you all wish to stay longer…”

“Oh, no, no! You must be exhausted after such a long day! We’ll take our leave now.”

“Is that so? Ah, Grenos?”

“…Yes?”

“Make sure to finish your song before you leave. It would be a sha to stop when you’re doing so well.”

Just as it was Grenos’s turn, I ended the gathering and sent the rchants on their way.

They had initially been so eager to speak with , but the mont I gave them permission to leave, they bowed deeply and hurried out without a second thought.

With Grenos finishing his lackluster song, the party officially ca to an end.

Damn, that fat guy sure moves fast.

Once everyone had left, the reception hall felt eerily quiet, like the aftermath of a storm.

“Go ahead and take so of these.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Take as many as you like, and share them with your families.”

I pointed at the mountain of pancake boxes, and the old werewolf and the servants lit up with joy.

Their pockets were full, and they even got to take ho so expensive snacks.

If I were them, I’d be happy too.

I sipped the white wine while lazily unwrapping one of the pancakes that the rchants had brought. Just then, Nella quietly appeared from behind.

“Is it good?”

“Nowhere near as good as yours. So, are you done with your business?”

“Yes.”

“But I don’t see any escorts with you. Didn’t Fenry say she’d send soone reliable to guard you?”

“Oh, here.”

Nella gave a bashful smile as she showed the back of her hand, where a familiar mark was etched.

No way. She actually used the Mark of Life on Nella?

Looks like Fenry was extrely concerned about her safety.

However, the Mark of Life had a critical flaw.

It could only be used once.

Moreover, it required the presence of shadows to be effective.

Considering the unpredictable nature of dangers, it wasn’t ideal to rely solely on calling Fenry in ergencies. Why didn’t she assign a proper escort instead of just sending Nella off alone?

“Isn’t this mark a one-ti use thing?”

“It’s not.”

“…What?”

When Nella opened her palm, a small, dark spirit appeared on her hand.

It was a miniature version of Fenry, wearing a hooded cloak.

The shadow spirit, slightly larger than before, glanced at briefly before burrowing into Nella’s arms.

What’s with this attitude? Why does it look so affectionate toward her?

More importantly, why is the spirit even with her?

“If you have the Mark of Life, you can’t give commands, but you can keep the shadow spirit close.”

“Is that sothing that beca possible after the spirit grew?”

“No, it was always possible.”

“…Always?”

That damned Fenry.

She didn’t say a word about this when she used the Mark of Life on .

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. You need to have magical energy for the spirit to stay. I’m not strong, but I have the ability to generate magic.”

“I see.”

“You also need to be compatible with the spirit. I have good synergy with Banri.”

“Banri…?”

“It’s the spirit’s na. I gave it that na.”

Fenry? Banri?

Did she na it with the sa suffix?

Hearing its na, the spirit peeked out shyly.

Naming a spirit holds significant aning, and since Fenry allowed Nella to na it, it seed likely that Nella had assisted in the shadow spirit’s contract in so way.

Anyway, the misunderstanding was cleared up.

Now I was curious about the progress outside.

“Is the operation complete?”

“Yes, everything’s done.”

“You shouldn’t overdo it. If you draw too much attention, people will start getting suspicious.”

“Don’t worry. They’re not that oblivious.”

Still, since it was Fenry, who was practically possessed by the spirit of money, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.

The rchants who had just left—where would they go first to find iron ore?

They’d head straight for the mineral exchange in Beneta.

But Fenry had already bought up all the circulating iron ore. That’s why I kept the rchants here for so long—to give her enough ti to act.

Now, the only places they could source iron ore were regions outside Beneta—such as Blyer or Etor Territory.

If they wanted to secure as much iron ore as possible within fifteen days, they’d have to scramble frantically.

anwhile, Fenry, who held the final casting vote, would likely offer the collected iron ore to the highest bidder in exchange for an exorbitant price.

I wonder how much she’ll manage to extort from them.

“By the way, does the mine really produce mana stones?”

“Yes, though only in small quantities, it’s been consistently mined according to historical records.”

“It’s a good thing Lord Dorneth had a stockpile.”

“What’s left are low-quality stones unsuitable for crafting. That’s why they’ve remained untouched until now.”

“The rchants will still be satisfied with that. Mana stones are highly prized by mages. They’ll be desperate to gather all the iron ore they can, so don’t worry.”

Nella quietly watched as I unwrapped another pancake and popped it into my mouth.

She hadn’t expected to solve the dwarves’ mineral shortage by using human rchants.

A fascinating person.

“Is it because you’re human that you could co up with such an idea?”

I chuckled at her question.

“Only humans can exploit other humans. I suppose it’s sothing like that.”

“I don’t understand humans. Or you, for that matter.”

“They say you can’t even fully understand yourself. Don’t bother trying to understand others.”

“So, what’s next?”

“What do you an?”

“What happens after the rchants bring all the iron ore to the castle?”

“Lord Dorneth will take care of that.”

I shoved the remaining piece into my mouth, dusted off my hands, and stood up.

What’s next?

‘Not my problem.’

I had already arranged for the required minerals to be delivered to the castle. Why should I bother with anything beyond that?

Whether Lord Dorneth chose to distribute the mana stones, buy all the minerals, or even seize them by force—that was his decision to make.

All I did was cast the bait. Reeling it in was Dorneth’s job.

If he couldn’t manage even that, he might as well give up being a lord.

As for Fenry, she was simply in the position of a cat lingering near a fisherman.

You know how fishern sotis toss fish to the cats that gather around them?

Since it seed like she’d need a lot of money to support the elves who would co seeking the Black Rose, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to let her dip her toes in this.

If the rchants ca complaining to later, it wouldn’t matter.

“Shall we head out?”

I was planning to leave now.

I might miss Grenos and his amusing flattery just a little, but I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again.

“I’ll probably be staying in the lord’s castle for a while, so take care.”

“Shall I prepare a carriage?”

“No, I plan to walk slowly and enjoy the festival on the way.”

“…Lord Alex.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Standing at the entrance with Nella, I was t by the old werewolf who had co to see us off.

There was a deep sense of reluctance in his eyes, as though he’d grown fond of during our ti together.

However—

“Will the rchants be visiting again?”

“Just focus on brushing your fur properly.”

The old wolf had gotten a taste for money a bit too late in life.

***

The villa was tucked into a quiet corner of the inner city, but as soon as we left its vicinity, the bustling atmosphere of the festival enveloped us.

Street stalls stretched endlessly, having crept up to the heart of the main square.

Like the ebb and flow of a tide, the dense crowd constantly jostled against my shoulders. If I wasn’t careful, I’d lose my way.

It felt like there were even more people than during the blood pact ceremony.

Draped in robes, we made our way toward the city gates.

Enjoying the festival was just a bonus.

Nella’s expression was one of pure delight.

“The people all look so happy.”

“That’s the power of festivals. They create lasting, joyful mories.”

“I wish Beneta could always be like this.”

“You’ll see it often. Beneta has now beco the heart that our blood pact must protect.”

“Do you think we’ll be able to protect it?”

“We’ll have to try. Isn’t that why Lady Fenry revealed the Black Rose to the world—to protect Beneta?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

The Black Rose’s master had set forth the protection of the elven race as their mission—along with finding the World Tree.

Fenry had declared her intention to draw wandering elves to Beneta.

It was an effort to unite the scattered elven forces, and the reason was clear: to build strength.

‘It won’t be easy.’

Even if the elves gathered and the dwarves joined forces, dangers would continue to loom.

Unlike Nella, my mind was already preoccupied with the battles that lay beyond this fleeting happiness.

Battles against the Massacre King, and beyond.

Beneta’s mine was likely to beco a pri target for greedy factions.

The existence of mana stones was no secret, after all.

In fact, the mine might have been safer when it was sealed under the curse.

But that would have ant waiting passively for destruction.

Now, Beneta had to move forward.

They needed to break down barriers and look beyond Tobaron.

That was the only way to survive in this world.

Fortunately, we still had ti to grow stronger.

The Ordor Forest.

The Witches’ Forest served as a protective barrier.

Before anything else, we had to overco the first major obstacle—the Massacre King, Kal Blazer, and take control of Tobaron.

Bang—bang! Boom! Boom! Boom!

With the sound of fireworks bursting behind us, we exited through the city gates.

Outside, an impressive number of carriages were lined up where the soldiers were stationed. Since carriages weren’t allowed inside the city walls, they had gathered at the outer wall, making it look as if an army had arrived.

What a ridiculous number.

Before long, a carriage approached Nella.

Judging by the dark elf coachman, it seed that soone from the Black Rose had been sent to guide us.

The carriage soon set off, carrying us toward Blyer.

Though our goal was Lochter Felice, I was keeping Karl Bastain in mind as well.

If I were Karl Bastain…

‘I’d hide in a place where no one would expect.’

Karl had a particular fondness for hiding right under people’s noses.

Instead of fleeing, he would’ve gone deeper into the heart of Blyer.

With that thought in mind, I turned to Nella and asked,

“How’s the letter coming along?”

“It’s already on its way to Blyer. Even if he’s not there, it should reach the lord of Blyer within three days. By the way, when will you tell what’s in the letter?”

“Later.”

“It has sothing to do with Lochter Felice, right?”

I nodded.

Before finding Lochter Felice, there was sothing I needed to do first.

It was to send a bold letter to the Massacre King in Alex’s na.

I suspected that the Massacre King already knew about my identity as ‘his ssenger.’

Given the Nest of Shamans under Kal’s control, gathering such information wouldn’t be difficult.

So, I decided to strike first—to inform him in advance.

That I was ‘his’ ally.

And that Lochter Felice was also ‘his’ ally.

If the enemy was truly a regressor with knowledge of the future, nothing would throw him off balance like a well-tid letter.