Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 125 (Part 2):
Helmut’s hand moved towards the sword at his waist. If it was nothing significant, he’d deal with it here and return.
He stepped towards the forest without hurry. There was no rush.
Ahead, something came into view.
“Here you are, young friend.”
A man in black clothes, hanging upside down from a tree, was wearing a mask. A clown face mask, smiling sharply. An utterly bizarre appearance.
If someone with a weak heart had seen it, they would have fallen backward on the spot.
Fortunately, Helmut was among those with the strongest hearts in the human world. He looked on unimpressed.
“A mask? You have strange tastes.”
It felt like discovering something odd in the forest. Not a fairy or a spirit, but something akin to a magical beast.
“Kuhuhu.”
A low laugh leaked from the man’s mask. Helmut remembered Sian insisting on wearing a mask for mystique, and how all his friends had shunned him for it. It would be no different in Black Hawk. They would consider it a bad hobby.
Still, the man’s insistence on wearing such a thing meant he had a thick face.
‘Seems like a person who doesn’t care about others.’
Such people are ruthless and unprincipled. Moreover, this one came from Black Hawk, making it needless to say.
Just by the mask and the aura, Helmut judged the man to be a villain and asked to confirm.
“How much did Sabbat Rugal pay you?”
“It’s true Sabbat wants you dead. But my coming here isn’t because of that.”
“Then why?”
“If you remember the people you’ve killed so far, you wouldn’t need to ask.”
The man spoke as if blaming him. It was ridiculous since they were the ones who attacked first.
But there was no point in arguing about right and wrong. What happened had happened. Black Hawk sent people, and Helmut dealt with them. That was enough.
“Two second-rank mercenaries came to me and died. Your coming alone means you’re stronger than them.”
“Of course, not only that, but I’m not the type to confront someone head-on. I fight at an advantage, in a way that suits me.”
‘Certainly.’
They were about fifty steps apart. Helmut didn’t approach any further. The ground below was completely dug up. It was full of traps.
There was no reason to jump into an unfavorable battlefield. Not yet.
“An assassin?”
“That’s right.”
‘A first-rank mercenary assassin.’
If he’s confident he’s stronger than two second-rank mercenaries, he must be around the level of a first-rank mercenary. It was difficult to judge because the assassin was good at hiding his presence, but it seemed about right.
‘His presence is really faint. It’s possible I hadn’t noticed him until now.’
“I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Dark Jester of Hawk Eye, Fasho.”
“…”
Helmut had to think for a moment. Usually, the name comes first and the surname last. Was Dark Jester the name and Fasho the surname? It didn’t seem right. Something was off.
The man who introduced himself as Fasho kindly added an explanation.
“In our Hawk Eye, nicknames are given. Dark Jester is the nickname given to me, Fasho.”
Helmut couldn’t understand why such nicknames were necessary but decided not to understand. Humans often did incomprehensible things.
“If it’s Hawk Eye, it means the eye of a hawk. Black Hawk is the black hawk, so it’s something related. It didn’t seem like such a great organization to have several first-rank mercenaries.”
“If you’re talking about the commonly known Black Hawk, that might be true. But Black Hawk is the black hawk that looks down upon everything in the world from the sky. The lower-ranked grunts are just visible servants.”
It seemed there was more inside, like peeling an onion. Fasho, hanging upside down, spoke arrogantly.
“I’ll give you a chance to join us.”
“And if I refuse?”
“I’ve never seen someone your age with your skills. You are an underdeveloped beast. It’s not good to leave you alive. I’ll remove you by any means necessary.”
During his time at the academy, he tried not to cause trouble. But that didn’t mean he would show weakness to an enemy.
Helmut laughed. It was his characteristic aggressive smile, filled with a fighting spirit.
“Do you have the confidence to do so?”
“I don’t fight head-on. I’ll choose a method that benefits me.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’ll kill your friend.”
‘Friend.’ He used the singular, not plural. Except for Helmut, there was only one among the four team members who fit that description. Did he say that knowing? The man in front of him was as cunning as a dark mage.
“My friends are nobles.”
Helmut replied calmly. It was his specialty not to show any signs of disturbance. Fasho responded just as calmly.
“There’s one who isn’t a noble. And not all nobles are the same. Among your team members, there’s no one left whose death would pose a problem to Hawk Eye.”
“You mean to accept if I don’t want my friends to die. Well, then, fine.”
Helmut spoke nonchalantly. He wouldn’t be sad if his team members died, but the fewer sacrifices, the better. He didn’t mind lying about it.
“Take this.”
Fasho threw something. Helmut caught it cautiously.
“You didn’t think it would be over just by verbally accepting, did you?”
It was a small black ring. A faint wriggling movement could be felt from inside. Fasho kindly advised.
“Don’t chew, just swallow.”
“What is this?”
“Inside is a worm. A worm with sharp teeth that will settle in your heart and live. It’s harmless for now, but if you don’t consume a specially prepared medicine once a month, you will die. Oh, and don’t try to remove the worm recklessly. If threatened, the worm will eat through your heart and end your life.”
Fasho smiled lightly after giving the grim explanation.
“Don’t worry. You’re a valuable asset. We can’t lose you like that. As long as you’re with us, the medicine will be provided without fail. Show enough allegiance, and then we’ll remove the worm. Go ahead and swallow.”
Helmut looked at the ring in his hand with cold eyes.
‘Such things exist.’
The offer’s authenticity was uncertain. But if true, it would settle the hostility with Black Hawk.
All Helmut had to do was swallow it.