Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World
Chapter 129

Chapter 129.2. The Third Year at the Academy - Martial Arts Tournament Finals (2)

A light drizzle turned into snow before I realized it.

Although it's already well into March, the cold wave remains relentless.

I woke before sunrise and, feeling exasperated by the weather, decided to clear some snow as a change of pace.

After shoveling the front entrance, I climbed onto the roof via the slope to clear the snow there as well.

Looking around, I saw the pristine white snow beautifully blanketing the roof.

For some reason, it felt wasteful to simply throw it away.

I tried activating [Operate Soil], but it didn't budge—unsurprisingly, as it wasn't soil.

Switching to [Operate Water] didn't work either, so I scattered some [Pure Water] to soak the snow thoroughly before trying again.

It worked, albeit clumsily, and I experimented with reshaping it as I added more water.

As I played around, memories of the New Year's battle surfaced, giving me an idea.

I stretched the snow into a pillar and compressed it, then activated [Ice Frost].

"Oh, it solidifies better than I expected."

Even after releasing [Operate Water], the pillar didn't collapse.

Since I'd gone this far, I decided to add branches, transforming it into an ice tree.

By the time the sun rose, the ice tree atop the roof sparkled in the light.

If I may say so myself, it was quite a masterpiece.

Continuing the snow clearing, I created another ice tree in the backyard.

Before I knew it, all the snow in the backyard had vanished, replaced by an ice forest.

Hmm, not bad for killing time.

"Here to pick us up—!?"

Ted and the others arrived, staring in stunned silence at the ice forest.

Hearing their voices, Emily and Ginny poked their heads out of the shared housing, freezing in place without even greeting us.

"Uh... what the hell are you doing?"

"I figured I'd make these while clearing snow. When these trees melt completely, the real spring will arrive. Pretty poetic, don't you think?"

Ted shook his head, exasperation written all over his face.

Why such a reaction? It's artistic!

And Gemma, stop trying to snap off the branches.

"Today's the finals, you know?"

"Oh, right. Well... let's give it our best."

I responded enthusiastically and headed out with Ted and the others, who seemed oddly drained.

On the main street, the snow had been cleared, likely due to an accident.

I watched as a stagecoach cautiously passed over the usual cobblestone road.

Suddenly, a man darted into the street, forcing the driver to pull the horses to an abrupt stop.

The coachman yelled angrily, while the man bowed repeatedly in apology before retreating to the sidewalk.

That was close—almost a serious accident. It reminded me of my previous life.

As I mulled this over, a different commotion reached my ears.

A parent and child were being yelled at by a street vendor.

Things seemed unusually noisy today...

Perplexed, I heard Ted mutter beside me.

"It's been happening more often lately."

"Are they refugees?"

Ted nodded grimly.

"Another skirmish, apparently. They fled from Wolber."

His face twisted, and he gave a small shake of his head.

Ted likely felt conflicted.

The Wolber Count's domain wasn't just Ted and Lily's birthplace—it was also where Quince and Kyle hailed from, not to mention the troublesome noblewoman Lucena's family estate.

Wolber had ongoing disputes with the northern Viscount Taklaz.

Sabotage and looting behind the scenes were not uncommon.

The reason Ted and the others abandoned their village was tied to these issues.

Was it because the Sword Flash were absent?

Ismira had said Klaus was a renowned knight even within the Empire.

Though currently staying in neighboring Ceren, he wouldn't be able to return quickly in this heavy snow.

Perhaps someone saw his absence as an opportunity to provoke trouble.

Looking around, I noticed townsfolk gazing uneasily at the refugees.

While Ceren was tolerant of refugees, it generally didn't allow them to live within the city walls.

Doing so would overwhelm the town in no time.

A small child clung to their mother, covered in powdery snow.

Turning my gaze away from the scene, I continued toward the arena.

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