Tuka Squad's Discovery

Chapter 32: Tuka Squad's Discovery

Ereccia, a border town on the edge of the Eastern Empire, was a city built by most of its residents who had fled war-torn countries after hearing of the Eastern Empire's formidable power.

From scattered settlements initially, the growing number of refugees attracted the attention of the Eastern Empire. Subsequently, under the command of imperial envoys, the city was gradually constructed through the efforts of numerous refugees.

After decades of life, all residents considered this place their home, settling down and raising families. The city also began to slowly prosper.

Today, Ereccia was as peaceful as ever. The stone-paved streets were filled with the sounds of children playing, merchants hawking their wares, and people conversing, all intermingling. Amidst the crowd, adventurers clad in armor and wielding weapons could occasionally be seen walking by.

Whenever an adventurer passed, merchants and passersby would greet them enthusiastically. The children playing would also can't help but show envious and longing gazes in their big eyes when they saw the imposing adventurers.

Such scenes were happening on every street in the city. For the residents here, this city, which they had built brick by brick with their own hands, was their shared home. Moreover, with tens of thousands of residents in the not-so-large city, they often encountered each other for various reasons, which fostered a sense of warmth and friendliness among the city's inhabitants.

Most of the adventurers in the city were descendants of the original refugees, so they didn't have the aloofness that some adventurers possessed. They were very friendly towards the city's residents.

"Hey! Tuka, aren't you going down to the sewers today?"

Outside a tavern in Ereccia, the usually idle tavern owner suddenly saw the Tuka Squad walking down the street and waved enthusiastically, calling out to Tuka. Many people in the city had heard of the Tuka Squad, who were known for consistently clearing the sewers.

Furthermore, Tuka's steady, responsible, and serious demeanor had made him friends with many people in the city. The tasks they usually assigned to the Tuka Squad were also a significant part of their income besides sewer cleaning.

"We're not clearing the sewers today. We took on Miss Lysa's job to repair a damaged house."

Tuka heard someone call his name and turned his head, spotting the waving owner in the nearby tavern. He smiled and nodded, relaying his task for the day. Originally, Tuka had planned to take on a relatively easy monster subjugation quest outside the city today, due to Keith's recent complaints.

However, strangely, something seemed to be happening at the Adventurer's Guild today. Not only were most of the staff absent, but all quests involving the outside of the city had been canceled, leaving only those posted by city residents.

Because of this, Tuka had curiously inquired with the young lady at the counter. He heard that the city lord had summoned the Adventurer's Guild and all imperial personnel within the city for some important matter and had left the city early that morning.

Before leaving, he had instructed those remaining to cancel all quests related to the outside of the city, stating that he would resolve the matters outside by tomorrow at the latest and would then reopen quests for the outside.

Although the remaining residents found this a bit strange, they didn't think too much of it. After all, they had heard many stories about small cities on the empire's borders being destroyed by monsters. Thus, after the city lord's departure, they all speculated whether a powerful monster had appeared nearby.

They believed the city lord had gathered everyone to subjugate it for the safety of the entire city.

As for the possibility of the city lord fleeing, no one who knew him would entertain such a thought. It was well-known that when the city lord was assigned to integrate the refugees, he personally hunted monsters and beasts for them to eat. During the city's construction, he had even worked alongside the laborers and guarded everyone's safety at night.

The city was named after him in gratitude for all his contributions. After the city was built, the residents' ability to live in peace and prosperity was also thanks to the leadership of the city lord.

It could be said that the city lord of Ereccia was respected and supported by all residents, with many even regarding him as their faith.

As for Tuka, he didn't pay much attention after learning about this. He even worried briefly for the city lord and those who had left. Afterward, he casually picked a quest from the mission board and led his squad to begin their work for the day.

"Captain, something's not right!"

Suddenly, Keith's voice interrupted Tuka's thoughts. As Tuka snapped back to reality, he also noticed that something was amiss around them. Although this area was close to the city's affluent district and usually quiet, it had never been this eerily silent before.

"Gordon!"

"Understood."

Tuka didn't need to say more. Their long-standing tacit understanding meant Gordon understood Tuka's intentions with just a glance. He cautiously took out his dagger, coated in potent poison, and nimbly leaped onto a wall, then onto the highest nearby rooftop. Throughout the entire maneuver, there wasn't a single wasted movement.

"Keith, you protect Nina. And if anything goes wrong later, Keith, you take Nina and run straight towards the Adventurer's Guild."

After speaking, Tuka took the brand-new shield from his back. Compared to his previous round shield, made of tin and wood, the shield in Tuka's hand was half a meter wide and nearly as tall as a person, entirely crafted from fine steel.

Although it was much heavier, it provided Tuka with an unparalleled sense of security. Combined with his skilled shield techniques, he could hold off even a newly-ranked D-rank common monster (mid-tier monster) until it fell. It was precisely because of this shield that Tuka felt confident leading Keith and the others out of the city to hunt monsters.

Clang!

"Tuka, there's no one around. Everyone has disappeared."

Suddenly, Gordon's figure landed beside Tuka. His expression was grave as he relayed everything he had seen to his companions. The entire affluent district where they were located was now deserted. According to Gordon's observations, many houses were empty, indicating that the residents hadn't left on a whim but had been prepared.

The owners of these pristine houses were all, without exception, active imperial personnel, meaning the city's administrators. Besides these houses, the few remaining residences were in disarray, with bloodstains visible inside the rooms.

"Something's wrong, everything is wrong. Something we don't know must have happened!"

At this moment, Tuka's face turned extremely grim. A shadow, like a mist, enveloped his heart. Looking at the deserted affluent district before him, Tuka's unease grew, as if the affluent district was a monster, its mouth agape, waiting to devour everything.