Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 127 (Part 1):
“So, who is our opponent? Shouldn’t we make them pay for what they’ve done?”
Asuka pointed at the food squashed messily on the ground with his fingertips. Murderous intent flickered in his eyes. Helmut responded in a calm tone.
“Our opponent is an assassin with skills comparable to a first-rank mercenary. I’ve only seen one, but there could be more.”
Given the signs, traces, and other factors, the number of enemies likely wasn’t large. It might have been just one person. At most, there would be some underlings playing supporting roles.
If there were several individuals with the capabilities of a first-class mercenary, they would have acted directly against Helmut without hesitation. They wouldn’t have chosen to target his classmates in a roundabout way.
The cumbersome method was usually the way of the weak. A choice made when one lacks confidence to win head-on.
Hearing about the first-rank mercenary level, the members looked at each other with tense expressions.
“If they’re of first-rank mercenary level… How strong is that?”
“The level recognized by the Imperial Royal Knights. Perhaps even stronger than some of our academy instructors.”
“Like Instructor Ethan Kudrow?”
“Yes.”
“That means they’re really strong.”
“Of course, they are strong. Why else would they threaten to kill us all?”
“Are you trying to scare us?”
“Is this some surprise assignment from the instructors?”
Dino and James showed their doubts. However, Helmut’s concise answer soon dispelled their skepticism.
“If you don’t want to believe it, that’s up to you.”
He didn’t have the capacity to convince and take care of someone who wouldn’t listen.
Helmut recognized his limits. His responsibility extended only as far as Asuka. The others were expendable if they became a nuisance.
The team members instinctively sensed this fact.
“Damn, I’ve never been in this kind of situation before.”
“Who wouldn’t? Thought it’d be a fun hunting trip, but being targeted by an assassin, what is this?”
Asuka suddenly asked.
“Wouldn’t nobles experience assassination attempts during fights for succession?”
“I get along with my brother.”
“My sibling is 3 years old. Would he try to kill me? he can’t even manage his toilet needs yet.”
“Our family competes for succession fairly.”
“Really? That’s unexpectedly peaceful.”
Asuka nodded with a relaxed expression.
This group consisted of the top three students from the swordsmanship department in their second year, excluding Helmut.
However, except for Helmut, they practically had no real combat experience, especially not in a forest against an assassin.
Yet, amidst the unexpected situation, they were able to suppress their anxiety because top students should remain calm.
Helmut and Asuka were composed. Helmut was confident he could win regardless of the situation, while Asuka was simply fearless.
Fear is contagious. However, these two had a presence that could overshadow the group’s fear.
No one blamed Helmut out of fear. That would be unbecoming of a swordsman.
Andro, James, Dino. All three were from sword-families. They were young but not so weak as to whine about such a situation.
Andro asked with a stern face.
“What do we do now?”
“Oh right, The crystal ball! Let’s take out The crystal ball. We can contact someone with it.”
“Let’s contact the instructors. Who has The crystal ball?”
“Me.”
Asuka raised his hand. He rummaged through his belongings.
“Huh? Why isn’t it here? I’m sure I put it in my pocket!”
Frantically searching himself, he then rushed towards his luggage. However, nothing came out of his messy belongings.
“It’s gone! Where did it go? Damn it, why is it missing?”
“Hey, you careless bastard!”
“Where the hell did you drop it?”
“If you couldn’t keep it safe, you shouldn’t have taken it!”
This time, the team members also lost their temper. But Asuka was not the type to take their anger quietly.
“Shut up! How do you know the assassin didn’t steal it secretly? You wouldn’t even notice if that guy was standing right behind you!”
Although it seemed obvious that Asuka had lost it, everyone grudgingly closed their mouths. They were seething inside, but what could they do? They didn’t have the energy to waste on this mad dog. They needed to coax him to escape the forest.
They started discussing immediately.
“What do we do now? Should we head back to the campsite right away?”
“What about the luggage?”
“Right now, is luggage really the issue? We’re being targeted by an assassin.”
Asuka’s expression flickered. He had brought a lot of baggage, preparing for camping. To him, the luggage was important. It wasn’t something he could just abandon because of some unseen assassin.
‘That cost a lot of money! As if we’re not rich enough.’
But having lost the crystal ball, Asuka was not in a position to say anything. He kept his mouth shut.
“How far is it back there?”
“It’s far. It took nearly 4 hours by horse. If we run without stopping, it’ll take more than 12 hours.”
“If the assassin has a horse, they can easily catch up to us. They’ll be fresh compared to us who’d be exhausted.”
“We can’t stay here. We don’t have anything to eat for tonight.”
“Going out to find food while being targeted by an assassin is insane.”
“If we leave now, it’ll get dark while we’re on the way. Even if we follow the path, it’ll be a night march. Are you confident you can deal with the assassin in the dark?”
“So what do you suggest we do?”
Everyone fell silent at that question. Facing an assassin in the night forest was unthinkable. It felt like stepping into darkness where you couldn’t see an inch ahead.