Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World
Chapter 131.2. The Third Year at the Academy - Saigus Mercenary Band (2) Illuminated by the moonlight, countless tents emerged into view. On a snowy plain, the tents were

 

Illuminated by the moonlight, countless tents emerged into view.

 

On a snowy plain, the tents were arranged in a circle, with bonfires lit along the perimeter.

 

This was the campsite of the Saigus Mercenary Corps.

 

Having moved a few hours east from the massacred Ilsana Village, they rested nonchalantly on the plains.

 

Lying low in the shadow of a hill, I observed them. Several lookouts and patrolling figures came into view.

 

Despite some elevation differences, the plains offered excellent visibility.

 

Anything approaching would be immediately noticeable, and the snow-covered plain was pure white. Missing something would be harder.

 

I partially unsheathed my Rhino Sword, then slid it back.

 

The pure white blade might work to my advantage.

 

If anything, the azure mantle would stand out more.

 

The [Seeker of Eternal Darkness] is most effective at night, but it wasn’t designed with snow in mind.

 

I gave it some thought and shook my head.

 

This would suffice for now.

 

Once inside the campsite, the shadows would be deeper.

 

I left behind the bare minimum of gear, digging into the snow to hide my backpack.

 

Then, activating [Stealth] and [Presence Detection], I circled the campsite from a distance.

 

Though their numbers made for a somewhat guarded perimeter, there were plenty of gaps.

 

The monsters in this area were weak, and they seemed confident that no creature would dare attack a group of over a hundred.

 

While a few of them had learned scouting techniques, their skill was around D-rank for adventurers.

 

My current [Stealth] was Rank 6, and with [Seeker of Eternal Darkness] activated, it would rise to Rank 7.

 

Even someone like Ose would struggle to detect me; the odds of being found were nearly zero.

 

Watching the patrol movements closely, I followed the mercenary corps’ traces and slipped into their campsite.

 

After confirming that I hadn’t been noticed, I nestled quietly into the shadows cast by a bonfire.

 

Nearby, three sentries were chatting casually.

 

“...Wouldn’t it have been better to stay back?”

 

“Enemy territory’s dangerous. Besides, Selene’s right next door.”

 

“They won’t make a move.”

 

“But what if they did? We killed those adventurers, and if the Guild gets involved, it’ll be trouble.”

 

“Yeah, I guess. Still, man, it’s freezing. How much longer?”

 

“Three days to Sale Village, then onto Rofmar after that—”

 

“Speaking of, I heard there’s a shortcut.”

 

“A shortcut?”

 

“I overheard the captain talking about it. Don’t know much, but it seems we’ll cut through the forest. Should save us a lot of time.”

 

“Well, that’s good news.”

 

As the sentries rejoiced, I felt a chill run through my heart.

 

Cutting through the forest or mountains could lead them into Weld’s territory from anywhere.

 

But calling that a shortcut was misleading.

 

These guys clearly planned to pass through Verene Village.

 

I let out a slow breath to calm the surge of emotions within me.

 

For the town of Lapsel or the village of Ilsana, they could justify their actions as being hired by Taclaz.

 

But their deaths weren’t something that could be dismissed so easily. It was a massacre.

 

The Weld territory might remain unharmed.

 

Passing through Verene Village might just mean passing through. Even if there were casualties, it wouldn’t necessarily involve Roni and the others.

 

Still, if anything were to happen, I’d never forgive myself.

 

Rather than clinging to wishful thinking, I had to act now and nip this in the bud.

 

Resolving myself, I recalled a moment from the past.

 

Now that I think about it, this happened before. A moment where I had to decide.

 

That time, too, it was Verene Village.

 

Tes had been captured by bandits and was on the brink of death.

 

I’d been lucky enough to save her, delaying any decisions—

 

This time, there’s no reason to hesitate.

 

I’ll kill them all.

 

If that’s not possible, I’ll cripple the mercenary corps beyond recovery.

 

But I have two concerns.

 

I focused my [Presence Detection] on a large tent.

 

A faint presence.

 

If it’s just an injured mercenary, that’s fine. But someone might be held captive.

 

The second concern lay at the center of the campsite, in a more lavish tent than the others.

 

Several strong presences mingled with a strange and distorted aura.

 

Those were undoubtedly the leaders of the mercenary corps.

 

Rather than assuming Taclaz had capable knights, it made more sense to believe these were the ones who killed Klaus.

 

And that peculiar aura—

 

It was disturbingly twisted and utterly unbalanced. I’d never sensed anything like it before.

 

I shifted my gaze back toward the faint presence.

 

For now, confirming it came first.

 

Remaining wary of the leaders’ tent, I approached the large tent.

 

Two mercenaries stood guard at its entrance.

 

Its size and the fact that it was guarded suggested it was a storage place for loot or valuables.

 

It didn’t seem like it housed an injured mercenary.

 

I circled around to the back, using the Blade of the Armored Rhinoceros to silently slit the tent fabric.

 

I widened the cut just enough to slip through, carefully entering the interior.

 

Thick fabric blocked most light, leaving the inside shrouded in darkness.

 

Grateful for Elphimia, I activated [Night Vision].

 

There were countless wooden crates, leather sacks, and scattered weapons. No doubt this was a storage space for loot.

 

The source of the faint presence seemed to be among the stolen goods.

 

Following the faint presence and the faint scent of blood, I navigated through the crates.

 

Then, I found a man tied to a pillar.

 

The man hung his head, unmoving.

 

Using [Appraisal], I found his name was Hymes.

 

He had no combat ability but remarkably high intelligence. Likely a relation of Lapsel, or perhaps a merchant.

 

In any case, he was still alive.

 

If he were dead, his personal information would have disappeared.

 

Keeping [Stealth] active, I approached the man, covering his mouth and pressing a knife to his neck.

 

“Don’t scream. If you even try, I’ll kill you.”

 

His swollen face contorted in shock, and he nodded quickly.

 

As I slowly released my hand, the man squinted into the darkness, trying to make out where I was.

 

“Who... are you?”

 

“I’ll be asking the questions. Who are you?”

 

“I’m Hymes, the magistrate of Lapsel.”

 

A magistrate—so he hadn’t fled but had been captured by the mercenary corps.

 

Suppressing the emotion in my voice, I continued questioning.

 

“Why is a magistrate being held captive?”

 

“The town was attacked by Taclaz’s forces, and I was taken during the assault. Likely for ransom...”

 

As he spoke, Hymes’ lips trembled.

 

It wasn’t uncommon for high-ranking individuals to be captured for ransom.

 

But how much value could a magistrate, who wasn’t a noble, hold?

 

Through [Night Vision], I examined the man.

 

Though his swollen face obscured his features, he seemed to be in his thirties.

 

To be appointed magistrate at such a young age, he must have been either exceptionally talented or skilled at currying favor.

 

Still, what to do?

 

Frankly, I didn’t care what happened to the magistrate under Count Wolber.

 

While it felt cruel to abandon him to his fate, I had no obligation to protect him.

 

Dealing with a civilian would have been simpler.

 

More importantly, how had things escalated into a conflict where the magistrate was captured?

 

Depending on the reason, I might decide to leave him.

 

When I asked for an explanation, Hymes slumped his shoulders in defeat.

 

“This was my failure. Some time ago, I sent a group into the Redil Forest to hunt monsters. I hired adventurers and formed a unit. While I knew that Viscount Taclaz claimed the forest as his territory, I never expected him to interpret it as an invasion...”

 

“Indeed, that was a blunder. You should have left it to the adventurers.”

 

Hymes shook his head, disagreeing with my assessment.

 

“The prey was a Rathira. Leaving it entirely to the adventurers risked them absconding with it.”

 

“A Rathira... that Rathira?”

 

I involuntarily pressed my fingers to my temples.

 

I shouldn’t have asked. Everything was connecting in the worst way...

 

The magistrate had mobilized soldiers to hunt a Rathira.

 

There was only one possible reason: Lucenna.

 

The Rathira fur adorning Doris’ outfit—Lucenna must have been searching for more of it to preserve her status.

 

Its discovery at this moment—was it due to the cold snap?

 

Sopric had also been drawn to the Keriel Village area by prolonged rainfall.

 

It wasn’t surprising that the Rathira had moved.

 

Regardless of the cause, this man had also been manipulated by her.

 

Moreover, while the root cause of the conflict was something else, one of the cogs in this machine was undoubtedly me.

 

We were both victims, and I couldn’t just abandon him.

 

I moved behind Hymes and cut the ropes binding him.

 

As he expressed his gratitude, I held him back, casting my gaze outside the tent.

 

“The mercenaries will start stirring soon. Use the chaos to escape.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Hymes agreed but began crawling toward the back of the tent rather than the exit or the hole I’d made.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Somewhere around here is Sir Shmel’s sword.”

 

He began rummaging through the crates and weapons, feeling his way around.

 

The Astral Law Sword and Nosval...

 

I had assumed they were somewhere safe if Klaus hadn’t been carrying them.

 

But this made things clear. The mercenary corps was the one who killed Klaus.

 

A sword of that caliber would undoubtedly be coveted, even by Taclaz.

 

Using [Night Vision] and [Appraisal], I scanned the tent.

 

If even a small portion came into view—

 

“It’s behind that wooden crate.”

 

I pointed, and Hymes carefully retrieved two swords, cradling them as if they were treasures.

 

In his battered state, carrying them was impossible.

 

He was already unsteady on his feet.

 

“Here’s a healing potion. Drink it.”

 

I handed him a potion with pain-relieving properties.

 

Hymes hesitated but eventually drank it, the swelling on his face subsiding almost immediately.

 

The pain seemed to vanish as well.

 

“This... This is quite the high-quality potion, isn’t it?”

 

“I can’t afford for you to slow me down.”

 

Still holding the swords, Hymes bowed deeply.

 

One of my concerns was resolved.

 

Now, the only ones left in the campsite were the mercenaries.

 

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