Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 109 (Part 1):
Helmut studied all day and fell asleep late at night. The late-night snack time disappeared, and the study room was quiet.
Because Asuka, Alea, and Sian all just looked at their books without saying a word.
‘I should stop training during the written exam period.’
Especially, it’s annoying that Asuka is working hard. He has been very motivated since he took the practical exam.
Whether he wants to beat Helmut, or whether he wants Alea to run around the playground, no one knows.
Helmut, who finally gave up morning training and entered the study room, found someone.
‘As expected, He’s here.’
“Today is the ‘Understanding of Magic’ exam, right?”
Alea, who saw him coming in, asked.
“Right.”
“Should I take a last look? I think it’s good to make sure.”
“What about your exam study?”
It was a statement befitting the top student of the magic department. Helmut nodded.
“Okay.”
Helmut spent about two hours in the morning solving the problems Alea provided. Alea, looking at the answers, seemed reasonably satisfied.
Alea didn’t expect Helmut to reach an exceptionally high level. After all, there were very few who could provide answers that satisfied her high standards in the magic department.
“This should be enough. As long as you don’t make mistakes, you’ll get good results no matter what kind of questions come up.”
It was a tone that he had to do so. Somehow, it felt pressuring.
Alea stared at Helmut with a sharp look. It seemed to say, ‘Take the exam well, you must do well, or else you’ll die.’ More intense than overly ambitious parents.
But Helmut, who received that gaze, wasn’t the type to consciously acknowledge such things.
“What do you mean by mistakes?”
“Mistakes, from the perspective of the culprit, are like this. Spilling ink and ruining an answer sheet you worked hard on, dropping writing utensils, or losing the logical flow due to tension.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Is your physical condition okay? Don’t drink water. You might suddenly want to go to the bathroom. Go to the exam room early.”
Alea’s nagging continued.
“Since you might doze off while solving the exam, eat only enough for breakfast so you won’t feel hungry. Your mind might blur.”
“…Okay.”
Helmut finally realized. The reason Alea had been helping him with exam preparation since morning.
Alea was suddenly anxious, perhaps afraid that she might have to run 100 laps around the field.
Even if she had confidence in her own exams, she had no certainty about Helmut’s exams.
‘Asuka studied less than me, but his exam was easier.’
Asuka said he did well on the practical exam. Since he didn’t compete directly with Helmut, so he definitely got a high score.
“Good luck on the exam.”
“You too.”
Helmut greeted him and picked up his textbooks, standing up from his seat.
There wasn’t much time left now. The week was almost coming to an end, meaning the first exam at the academy was coming to a close.
**
“Ah, it’s finally over.”
As Asuka came out after taking the final practical exam for the swordsmanship department, he sighed in relief. He had a somewhat satisfied expression after the exam.
Helmut was the same. He took the exam calmly. It was the easiest exam he had ever taken, so there was no need to be nervous.
“Now, you just need to endure the remaining half. If you don’t get a precise score for the midterm…”
“If I don’t?”
“The allowance increases.”
Asuka had been hiding his family background. It was noticeable enough that even Helmut noticed it.
He was making a fuss over nothing after saying something insignificant.
Sian would have been very curious, but Helmut was not very interested. As long as Asuka didn’t cause any trouble, his presence was enough.
“You study so hard, are you confident you will be the first place in the midterms?”
“Of course.”
In the ‘Understanding of Magic’ exam, which he had prepared for the most diligently, an interesting question appeared. It was the only question that Alea couldn’t predict. The score value was low.
Helmut smoothly penned down his answer. The moment he saw that question, he knew.
There wouldn’t be anyone more confident and firm in answering that question than himself.
‘Sounds familiar…I still have to be careful in my answer.’
It was a sensitive topic, but there was nothing to unearth from his answer. As Asuka asked Helmut, who seemed lost in thought,
“mages are generally obsessed with grades, and Alea is just a bit extreme. Let’s set him aside, but why are you working so hard? I get more allowance, but you don’t. What does Instructor Ethan do for you?”
Helmut answered simply.
“I like to be above others.”