How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 182

Chapter 182: Hungry

Beyond the passage they had escaped through lay barren land—devoid of even a single blade of grass.

It was dark, and there were no signs of life nearby, but they couldn’t afford to leave a group of nearly ten thousand people exposed in such an open space.

Even with the moon hidden behind the clouds, Karl began searching for a suitable resting place for the massive group.

“This place should do.”

“I’ll move the people imdiately.”

Fortunately, before dawn broke, one of Karl’s n found a suitable location nearby.

Heinz surveyed the area and nodded, quickly giving out orders.

Under the soldiers' direction, the large group settled in a field thick with reeds.

The reeds provided cover from the wind, and the field was spacious enough to accommodate everyone, making it a decent temporary shelter.

"At daybreak, they'll start searching for us. Keep the people under control until then."

"Understood."

Heinz nodded, his face tense.

This wasn’t Tobaron.

They were now in the borderland between Zone 2 and Ordor Forest.

To the north lay Hell Gri, and to the south, Ordor Forest—neither direction was safe.

Perhaps because of that unease, even the air Heinz breathed felt foreign and unsettling.

“When will they regain consciousness?”

“I don’t know. Until then, just follow my lead.”

“…Are you sure you're alright?”

“? I’m perfectly fine.”

Heinz seed like he had more to say, but he kept his mouth shut and left to check on the soldiers.

Karl sighed quietly and glanced toward a secluded corner.

Arthur, Lily, Lochter—

Every key figure was still unconscious, leaving them at a complete standstill.

‘If I could just wake the witch, we might be able to find a path through the forest…’

But judging by her deep sleep, she had no intention of waking up anyti soon.

He had tried to rouse her, but that damn mutt had made it impossible to get close.

One of their n had approached her and ended up with a nasty bite. Karl decided against sending anyone else.

After all, Arthur had already told him what that dog really was.

For now, he chose to wait and rest here.

"Everyone’s exhausted, after all."

From Blyer Territory to the mine, then through the passage—every step of their journey had been a desperate struggle for survival.

As soon as they settled down, people collapsed into deep sleep, as if they had passed out from sheer exhaustion.

Thus, the night passed in quiet stillness.

***

“Gather around.”

The next morning, sunlight poured down from a clear sky.

As dawn broke, Karl assembled his team.

A total of eight n.

He ordered them to scout the surroundings, sending them in different directions with two clear instructions:

- Return before sundown.

- Avoid contact with people as much as possible.

However, the squad mbers' reactions were odd.

No—more precisely, their gazes were strange.

“…Why is everyone looking at like that?”

“N-No reason.”

“Do you have a problem? Spit it out.”

Before splitting up, several of them stole quick glances at Karl but avoided answering his question.

Karl smirked at their behavior, finding it ridiculous.

As he watched his n disappear into the distance, he thought about Elton.

‘That bastard should’ve slipped past Blyer’s cavalry and escaped by now, right?’

It hadn’t been a difficult task.

By now, Elton was probably headed toward Elletor Fortress—or had already arrived.

That should have been my position…

The thought of Elton enjoying a comfortable life in his place made Karl’s stomach twist in irritation.

Soon, the last of his n vanished from sight.

“…Nothing’s going to go wrong, right?”

The areas Karl had sent them to scout were all within Hell Gri's territory.

He had accounted for the worst-case scenario.

However, because of Arthur’s warning, he hadn’t let anyone approach the forest.

Karl turned his gaze toward the vast, discolored woodland.

A place where the living could not enter.

The Phantom Forest.

After a mont of hesitation, he decided to discuss their next steps with Heinz.

***

“Damn, that’s bright.”

Heinz and a group of people stood gathered under the dazzling morning light.

But then—

“Gasp!”

“…Huh??”

“Uwaaaaaaah!!”

“M-Mom!!”

Unlike the eerie silence of dawn, the crowd’s reaction upon seeing Karl was odd.

As soon as Karl stepped forward, Heinz flinched and drew his sword, while nearby children shrieked and burst into tears.

Karl narrowed his eyes, scanning their reactions.

Why were the kids covering their eyes?

What was wrong with his appearance?

Only then did he recall the looks his n had given him earlier.

What had they been trying to say?

“…Are you really okay?”

“Do I look weird or sothing?”

“…You have dried blood on your head.”

“…Fuck.”

Now he understood why they had all been avoiding eye contact.

The entire top of his head had been completely shaved bald.

And judging by the bloodstains on his skin, so of it had even bled.

His appearance had been a ss ever since he had traveled with Arthur, but he hadn’t realized just how bad it had gotten.

No—he had severely underestimated the damage.

The soldiers gulped nervously.

More than just ssy, his face looked downright vicious.

Even before, his scars and sharp features gave him a harsh impression. But now, with his bloodstained bald head, he looked even more terrifying.

A hulking, one-ard man, built like a warhound.

The mont people t his gaze, they instinctively looked away.

After a mont of contemplation, Karl slowly closed his eyes as if coming to a difficult decision.

He had wanted to avoid this, but it seed there was no escaping it anymore.

He had already suffered two unbearable pains.

A third? He’d rather avoid it.

Though… did he even have enough hair left to cut?

“…Do a favor.”

“…?”

Karl handed Heinz his dagger.

Now that they had so breathing room, it was ti to take care of this ss.

As the sun slowly set, the scouting teams returned one by one.

However, before reporting, they all stared at Karl’s head and bit their lips.

Karl caught their expressions and let out a savage grin, raising his dagger.

"You all know what happens when a man has nothing left to lose, right? That’s right now. Show so much as a smirk, and I’ll make sure you all match."

His n quickly clamped their mouths shut and nodded furiously.

A perfectly smooth, shaved head.

None of them wanted to end up bald.

After that brief commotion, once all mbers had returned safely, Karl called for Heinz.

As Heinz arrived, the scouts began giving their reports.

Most had found nothing—just vast, empty land.

But one man’s report was different.

“…There’s a village?”

“A fairly large one.”

“You an city size?”

It seed to be a frontline settlent built along the border.

That ant it would be quite different from an ordinary town.

“What about the inside?”

“I went in briefly, and…”

The village wasn’t filled with ordinary townsfolk. Instead, it was teeming with ard n who looked more like hunters.

The marketplace was well-developed, and both security and defenses seed quite high.

“They’re dealing in slaves?”

“Yes. I saw nurous wagons filled with captured beastfolk and humans.”

Since this place was a border town, it seed to serve as a hub for kidnapping and trading people from other regions.

Hell Gri was known for its thriving slave trade.

Which ant that slave hunters and buyers alike were frequenting this town.

“I also spotted a group that looked like mages.”

“If they discover us, it’ll be a pain to deal with.”

As expected, the best option was to avoid getting involved.

By the ti another day passed, Lochter finally regained consciousness.

Lyon Martrein and Wiley.

He had barely survived a battle against two 5-star knights, and the accumulated injuries had knocked him out cold. Fortunately, nothing seed to be permanently damaged.

“How’s your shoulder?”

“It’s fine.”

“You got run through. At least get it splinted. If you move too much, the wound might reopen.”

Among their group, there was an older man—once a healer—who was well-versed in treating injuries.

He was particularly skilled, and after taking care of Lochter, the knight was able to get back on his feet in just half a day.

Lochter’s presence imdiately lifted the group's uneasy mood.

His presence alone brought a sense of stability.

However, that evening—

Karl, after surveying the surroundings, gathered the group with a serious expression.

"We’re out of food."

“…That’s bad.”

“He's still not awake, is he?”

“He went through this before. He won’t be waking up easily.”

Arthur had depleted all his remaining energy.

Last ti, he had been unconscious for several days after exhausting his strength.

This ant they were stuck here for a while longer.

Karl groaned at Lochter’s explanation.

They had been so focused on escaping that they hadn’t even considered securing food.

For now, they could still endure, but the effects of hunger would only grow worse with ti.

Already, children were whining and crying in hunger.

"Waiting isn’t an option. We need to act fast."

But finding enough food to feed ten thousand people…

Heinz trailed off.

Because to him, it seed impossible.

“We might have to visit the town.”

“…Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“It’s a major trading hub. If we disguise ourselves properly, we should be fine. The problem is money…”

At Karl’s words, all eyes turned to Heinz.

Among them, the only noble who might have money was Heinz Bell, the baron.

With a bitter smile, Heinz pulled out a small pouch of gemstones from his coat.

But it wasn’t much.

It might not even be enough for a single day’s worth of food.

Just as the group was beginning to lose hope, Lochter suddenly spoke—his gaze fixed in a particular direction.

“There’s soone else with money. A lot more than this.”

“…Who? Wait—ah!”

Karl followed his line of sight.

He imdiately knew who Lochter was referring to.

He looked toward the sleeping Lily Base.

And beside her—

That vicious little dog.

Karl hadn’t forgotten what Arthur told him before the mission.

That dog wasn’t ordinary.

The Guardian of the Forest—Kerberos.

The Gatekeeper of the Phantom Forest.

And more importantly—

A monster with a massive subspace inside its stomach.

He vividly recalled the mont in Wailing Hill, where Keros swallowed a massive ritual doll whole.

And he also rembered Lily's proud declaration:

[All my gold is inside Keros’s belly! Arthur said I could buy a mountain of bread with it!]

They had to shake down that damn dog.

But with Arthur, Lily, and Lochter still weak, there was no one else available to do it.

After a mont of hesitation, Karl stepped forward.

"Leave it to ."

“…Do you have a plan?"

Instead of answering, Karl ran a hand over his freshly shaved head.

"I’ll show you what a desperate man can do."

With that, he walked forward, determined.

The sleeping figures of Arthur and Lily lay curled up in a soft bed of reeds.

And beneath Lily’s legs—

A small dog sprawled lazily, licking its paws.

As Karl approached, Keros perked up its ears and lifted its head.

"Hey. Do you understand human speech?"

No response.

Karl clicked his tongue.

‘Guess it really can’t talk.’

Then, he suddenly recalled sothing—

The way that damn mutt went crazy over the at Arthur gave it.

“…You hungry?”

“I’m about to go buy so at.”

At the ntion of at, Keros stuck out its tongue and wagged its tail.

This little bastard…

So you do understand human speech, huh?

"I need gold to buy it. I'll bring you at equal to the weight of the gold."

Keros tilted its head, considering.

Karl quickly added:

“…But only double the amount. No more than that. Otherwise, I’m at a loss."

If anyone overheard this shady deal, they’d probably grab Karl by the collar and call him a scamr.

But his opponent was a monster.

And to Keros, at was far more valuable than gold.

After a brief mont of thought, Keros opened its mouth…

And vomited out a hefty pile of gold.

Twice the amount.

A perfect deal.

Karl grinned as he hoisted the heavy bundle of gold onto his back.

"Let’s go!"

"Hooray!!"

With a sack of gold slung over his shoulder, Karl set off toward the city like a hero.

Since this was a direct trade inside enemy territory, Karl personally took charge.

Four others accompanied him for support, while Heinz joined as their cultural guide, given his knowledge of Hell Gri’s society.

As they approached the town, Karl pulled Heinz aside.

“This is a mage’s city, right? That ans they’ve got so incredible stuff.”

“Of course. There should be magic shops as well.”

“…Then I definitely need to stop by one.”

"We’re here to buy food—"

But Karl’s mind had already moved to the next phase of his plan.

Who knew when he’d get another chance to visit a Hell Gri city?

As he ran a hand over his smooth, shaved head, he built up hopeful expectations in his mind.

Surely, there had to be sothing.

Because even among mages—

There had to be so bald ones.

While Karl and his team set off for supplies, ti passed.

Another day ca and went.

And then—

“…Mmm…”

Lochter, sensing movent, quickly approached two figures.

Arthur and Lily.

And among them—

"I'm hungry."

Lily had finally woken up.