The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 21

“What happened in the village?”

“Just remember that this isn’t the time for welcoming outsiders. It would be best to leave as soon as daylight breaks.”

With those words, the soldier quickly turned away and disappeared. His demeanor reflected clear annoyance with the conversation, making it impossible for us to hold him back for more questions.

“What’s with his high and mighty attitude?” Hamar grumbled while Edmil silenced him with a look.

We were relieved to find that the inn the soldier had directed us to was quite large and well-kept. Although the building seemed old, it was neither dirty nor dilapidated, indicating attentive maintenance by the owner.

“Welcome… oh my, are you travelers?”

As the door opened and the innkeeper turned around, her eyes went wide with surprise. Her reaction cast a sense of foreboding over us.

“Is there no room available?”

“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just been a while since we had guests from outside. Welcome to Travelers’ Haven. Please, come in.”

Our worst fears subsided, and our faces brightened. After ordering rooms and meals for the day, we looked around. Inns typically operate alongside taverns or restaurants, and this place also had seating areas for dining. However, aside from our group, there was no one else in sight.

“Are you not serving dinner tonight?”

“We do, but these days, people don’t venture out of their homes after dusk. Even if we wanted to, we can’t serve anyone.”

We exchanged glances at her words. Hale stepped forward and inquired.

“The atmosphere in the village seemed rather tense on our way here. We even saw a soldier on patrol. Has something happened?”

“Did you come across a patrol guard?”

“Yes, he recommended this inn to us.”

“I see. I should thank him later. If he mentioned our inn, he must be Mrs. Bennett’s eldest son from next door. He joined the local militia to help protect the village. I only hope nothing terrible happens to him while on duty…”

“What exactly is going on?”

“Well, I’m not sure if I should be saying this…”

“It’s okay, please tell us. We’re not bad people and we won’t go spreading strange rumors.”

Hamar winked playfully, his easygoing demeanor seeming to relax the innkeeper. She smiled faintly and began to speak cautiously.

“Well, I suppose I should tell you since it concerns you too. Please avoid going out and stay within the inn as much as possible. People have been disappearing from the village lately.”

“…People have been disappearing?”

“Yes, some go out briefly in the evening, others disappear on their way home from work. It’s baffling. Over twenty people have gone missing so far.”

It was no wonder the entire village felt so ominous. There were cases where someone had disappeared in the brief moment their companion looked away. Apparently, this situation had been ongoing for three months.

“Have you reported this to the Lord?”

“Of course, we did as soon as the first person disappeared. How could we handle such a big issue on our own?”

Hale, in his investigation mode, turned to me, silently asking if I knew anything. I shook my head in response.

Lords submit operational reports to the Imperial Palace every month, and one of the duties of the Administrative Team is to review these reports and categorize their importance. Thus, we often have more information than the Operations Team.

Especially in the Administrative Support Department, where I work, we get involved in all sorts of tasks. Though recently swamped with work, I would have remembered if there had been such records.

“No one has been found so far? Have any bodies been discovered?”

“A body was found recently. I think it was the sixth person to go missing. It made things even more grim.”

“What was the condition of the body?”

“I didn’t see it myself, but I heard there wasn’t a single intact part. The body was covered in sharp, torn wounds.”

Could it be the work of a beast or a monster? While everyone was lost in thought, Hamar asked.

“What is the Lord’s manor doing about this? Surely they’ve conducted searches?”

“Don’t get me started. A week after we reported it, two people came to hear the story and left. Every time we visit them, they just tell us to wait as they’re investigating.”

“Is that really true?”

“Being a small village, it doesn’t seem like they care much. No wonder the young men formed a militia.”

The fact that over twenty people had gone missing without any significant action took all of us aback. If they hadn’t even reported this to the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the Lord was negligent. —Or perhaps he was involved in the disappearances.

“Some of the missing are travelers who were passing through. Please be very careful.”

The innkeeper’s repeated warnings were met with solemn nods from our group. What was supposed to be a brief rest in the village now felt like a heavy burden.

* * *

We all had dinner together in the inn’s dining room. It had been a while since we had a proper meal, and the food was good, leaving us all quite satisfied. Only after filling our bellies did we resume the conversation we had postponed.

“It’s serious if twenty people have disappeared. Shouldn’t we try to do something?”

“Well, it’s unfortunate, but if it’s already been reported to the Lord’s manor, there’s not much we can do.”

“Our schedule is tight as it is. We should avoid anything that might delay us.”

“Still, shouldn’t we report this to higher authorities? It’s suspicious that the Lord has allowed the situation to get this bad.”

“I’m against it. We were tailed by pursuers right after crossing the gate. Do you think they’re not monitoring the communication network? If we contact them, we might expose our route to those people.”

Various opinions were voiced, but no clear solution emerged. After finalizing the room assignments, Edmil and Hamar exchanged glances and stood up.

“From now on, it’s free time, right? We’ll take a light tour of the village to digest and maybe gather more information. We might find out more about the situation.”

“Will you really do that?”

“Well, we are public officials. It feels uneasy to just leave things as they are.”

“Oh, in that case, I’ll join too…!”

“No, Young Lord. Stay put and hold the fort.”

Hamar shot a warning glance at Camille, who was about to stand up. Camille’s face turned sullen.

“Why not? I can contribute just as much.”

“Hah, rookies like you show your inexperience in situations like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you not know about standby forces? There are three of us who can handle close combat. If all three of us leave, who will deal with unexpected situations?”

“…”

Realizing his oversight, Camille’s face showed clear frustration. Not only Lisa, who was a mage, but I also had abilities that were hard to use reactively in sudden situations. Hale, the Captain, was only skilled in basic self-defense, so his combat abilities were not particularly reliable.

“And ‘contributing just as much’ is nonsense, Young Lord. Aren’t you also part of the Administrative Team? You haven’t even received basic training. Do you think that just being good with a sword means you can handle everything, like searching and inquiries, effortlessly?”

“…I understand. But why do you keep calling me ‘Young Lord’?”

“Because that’s what I want to call you. I only use names for people I acknowledge.”

Camille’s expression turned even more sullen. But perhaps due to his recent mistake, he didn’t argue further and stayed quiet. Before leaving, Hamar turned to me and added,

“Sei, don’t bother waiting; just get some rest. You need to recover your strength.”

“I was planning to do that, but thanks for saying it. I’ll rest now.”

“You seriously lack physical strength. What kind of teenager has such low stamina? Starting tomorrow, let’s do some exercises together whenever we get a chance.”

“…”

Trying to avoid answering, I felt a bit disgruntled as Hamar chuckled. Just then, Camille shouted again.

“Wait a second! I have something to say!”

“What now?”

“Why do you call Sei by his name? Do you acknowledge him?”

“Why wouldn’t I? He’s been the most useful, whether getting us through the gate or evading pursuers.”

Unable to argue against that, Camille fell silent again. Finally, the two disappeared outside the inn. Once the door closed, the rest of the group dispersed to their rooms. Camille stood there, looking utterly dejected.

“Are you okay, Lord Camille?”

“Good for you, Sei. You’re acknowledged.”

“…”

I just shook my head and moved to my room.

Both my body and mind were exhausted.

* * *

I realized something was wrong when I was deep in my sleep. Slowly waking to a hand shaking my shoulder, I saw Camille above me, holding a faint light.

“Lord Camille…?”

“Sei, it’s time to get up. I think something’s wrong.”

Hearing his subdued voice drove away the remnants of sleep. I got up and noticed the empty bed. The outside was cloaked in deep darkness, indicating it was well past midnight.

“Don’t tell me Sir Hamar still isn’t back?”

Camille nodded seriously, confirming my worries. What was supposed to be a light stroll had turned into something problematic. Quickly putting on my outer garment, I left the room with Camille. Downstairs, we found Lisa and Hale sitting with grave faces. They had come down upon realizing the two were still missing. The innkeeper, who had woken up from the noise, also stood by the door with a worried expression.

“How long have they been gone?”

“It’s been five hours.”

Even if they had circled the entire village, it shouldn’t have taken that long. By now, it was clear something must have happened. Camille, who had already armed himself, spoke resolutely.

“I’ll go out and look for them.”

“I can’t allow that. You’ll only end up getting separated.”

“But it’s too late. We need to look for them.”

“Both of them can handle themselves. They’ll come back safely.”

“We could miss the critical moment if we keep comforting ourselves.”

“…”

“Captain!”

Camille requested again, but Hale ultimately didn’t grant permission. It was only the early phase of our expedition. If something had indeed happened to both of them, the rest of us would have to carry on. As the leader, Hale’s decision was natural under the circumstances.