Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World
Chapter 130

Chapter 130.2. The Third Year at the Academy - Rapzel Town (2)

Count Wolber's Territory, Rapzel.

Situated northeast of Selen, it is close in a straight line. However, due to the gently rising mountains and the unusually dense forests for the northern region, it is considered faster to travel east on the highway and then head north.

The refugees from earlier formed a rather large group.

If they were to request aid, there would be no need for all of them to show up.

They must have taken a path typically used by adventurers and headed straight for Selen.

As evidence of this, the grasslands along the highway bore the footprints of dozens heading toward Selen.

Following those tracks, I stepped into the pristine white grasslands.

When I arrived at the forest, it was blanketed in deep snow.

I could follow the trail left by the refugees, but… it's not the shortest route.

This time, I'll go with Nuldroc.

Stretching my body lightly, I activated [High-Speed Movement], kicked through the air with [Bounding Hare], and leapt onto a branch.

Jumping from branch to branch, I sprinted through the forest canopy.

Leaving behind goblins struggling in the deep snow, I even outpaced Nuldroc, who was also moving along the treetops.

Before long, I reached the mountain range, which I crossed with [Bounding Hare], and entered the Wolber Territory's forest.

By midday, the forest suddenly opened up, and in the distance, the town of Rapzel came into view.

Rapzel seemed to be a town carved out of the forest.

The surrounding grasslands were narrow and encircled by the woods.

A stone outer wall surrounded the town, and it was impossible to discern what lay inside from a distance.

Using [Presence Detection], I confirmed that there were no Taklaz soldiers in the nearby grasslands or forest.

I shifted my gaze downward and followed the tracks leading into the southern forest.

Countless footprints and wheel tracks.

Although Taklaz is north of Wolber, the tracks headed south along the highway.

For refugees heading to Selen, the traces seemed too fresh.

It appeared that those who hadn't moved—or couldn't move—had hastily fled upon the approach of Taklaz soldiers.

The town of Wolber lies east of Rapzel.

If they headed south, perhaps their destination was also Selen.

Refocusing my gaze, I approached the town of Rapzel.

I soon noticed the gate had been destroyed.

The outer wall bore the crest of Wolber alongside an unfamiliar flag.

The unknown banner likely belonged to the knight entrusted with governance.

In any case, while the town hadn't fallen, it wasn't unscathed.

The broken gate had been reinforced with scrap wood, and a few men inside held swords and spears at the ready.

From quite a distance, they shouted for me to stop.

"I'm an adventurer from Selen. I'm acquainted with Shumer-dono and came to check on the situation."

When I showed them my adventurer's badge, the men exchanged glances.

Raising my hands to show I meant no harm, I slowly approached.

Once I got closer and they realized I was just a boy, their wariness completely dissipated.

"So, you're an acquaintance of Shumer-dono. You're lucky. Had you arrived any sooner, you might have been caught up in the fighting."

"It seems there was a fierce battle. Where is Shumer-dono?"

At my question, the man shook his head.

"He's dead."

The words left me frozen in place.

Slowly, I processed them and asked again.

"The Sword's Flash—is dead?"

"That's right. He fought Taklaz, but it was over quickly after that. The gate was breached, and Galei-dono, the administrator, and most of the soldiers fled."

The men's anger was palpable.

Unbelievable… Klaus was killed?

I hadn't heard of anyone in Taklaz stronger than Klaus.

No—had I neglected to gather enough information?

He was a knight renowned even within the Empire.

It seemed our brief encounter in the forest was to be our last…

I questioned the men, but they didn't know who had killed Klaus.

They said he led a unit to intercept the enemy, but soon after, the Taklaz soldiers surged forward.

Yesterday, they found him dead.

Hearing this, I realized these men were amateurs in battle.

Their equipment wasn't standardized—likely a militia.

Peering through the gaps in the scrap wood, I saw only a handful of soldiers patrolling the town. Most of the people wielding weapons were clearly inexperienced.

Lord Galei was supposedly in charge, but it seemed no other commanders had stayed behind.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have relied solely on a militia to guard the gate.

"Would you like to see Shumer-dono?"

Seeing me deep in thought, one of the men asked.

"If it's no trouble, I'd appreciate it."

The man nodded and moved the scrap wood aside, gesturing for me to enter.

In the barracks he led me to, Klaus lay among the soldiers.

He had no shroud to cover him and was still in his battlefield attire, his vacant eyes staring into nothingness.

I closed his eyes and silently offered a prayer.

The death of an acquaintance—especially in battle—was a first for me.

It seemed the fight had been intense.

His body was riddled with wounds, and blood had dried and caked all over him.

I bid Klaus farewell in my heart and stood up.

"Do you have enough healing potions?"

"We'll manage. Those who needed them most… don't need them anymore."

"I see."

Two days had passed since the battle.

The severely wounded must have already succumbed.

Taking a healing potion from my bag, I handed it to the man.

"If anyone in your family or among your friends is injured, please use this. It's a token of thanks for letting me see Shumer-dono."

"Thank you… we'll use it well."

The man carefully tucked the potion away.

As I stepped out of the barracks, the cold wind carried the smell of burning.

Following the scent, I found bodies being carried out of charred homes.

Whether family or friends, those around them wore pained expressions.

Rapzel had not truly held out.

The Taklaz forces must have deemed it unfeasible to maintain control and withdrew after pillaging and causing chaos.

The only consolation was that a portion of the residents had managed to evacuate.

"By the way, where are the refugees heading? Selen is already overwhelmed."

The militia man tilted his head at my question.

When I mentioned the tracks I'd seen earlier, his expression darkened.

"No, those aren't refugees. That's the Saigus Mercenary Corps, hired by Taklaz. They looted everything and left in comfort. The contents of those carts are stolen goods."

"Wait—they went south? Not back to Taklaz in the north?"

"Yes."

Rapzel is on the western side of Wolber's territory.

Heading south would lead out of the domain—but could they really be heading to Selen?

Selen is loyal to the Emperor but maintains a neutral internal stance.

It's an ideal place to rest.

Moreover, the mercenaries were merely hired by Viscount Taklaz to do their job.

They aren't criminals, so there's no reason to deny them entry.

But the timing couldn't be worse.

If the perpetrators of the attacks—the mercenaries—arrive, how will the refugees react?

It's hard to say, but chaos seems inevitable.

With the man seeing me off, I left Rapzel behind.

Returning along the path I had taken, I gazed at the tracks.

One or two hundred, perhaps.

The overlapping prints made it hard to estimate the number.

The quantity of carts was also considerable.

The mercenaries' trail stretched endlessly along the snow-covered forest road.

Quietly, I stared at it and made my decision.

I'll follow them.

I need to find out where the mercenary group is headed.