Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 136 (Part 1):
By the time Helmut and the second-year students of the Swordsmanship Department returned to the Academy, a comprehensive search had been carried out in the Pedica Forest.
Needless to say, it was too late. Talon and Fasho had already escaped the forest. Only the traces of the assassin remained at the campsite, cleanly erased everywhere else.
However, the presence of a rank 1 mercenary assassin was indeed threatening. Helmut knew that if Fasho was in his right mind, he wouldn’t target him alone again, especially not within the premises of Greta Academy.
Yet, the Academy staff, particularly Instructor Ethan, didn’t think so. Helmut was prohibited from going out of Baden.
Fortunately, this restriction simplified his schedule. Helmut could focus solely on training. He headed to the private training ground immediately after giving his statement at the Academy.
Battling strong opponents and experiencing intense, new challenges awakens one’s spirit. Helmut, a swordsman who had reached the realm of manipulating his ‘Vis’.
There’s a saying that all roads lead to one. Reaching a realm influences all types of achievements: new experiences, new emotions, new lives. The experiences he gained soon became his nourishment.
‘The seed of darkness has grown.’
It was inevitable, having been exposed to magic closely. The seed of darkness, albeit slightly, was growing. Its growth couldn’t be stopped. However, as the dark seed grew, so did his ‘Vis’ proportionally, as if leaping over the stagnant phase.
These two forces sustained Helmut but also interacted with each other. Thanks to that, Helmut grew stronger. How and how much he had strengthened, even he did not know.
‘Combat had its effects too.’
Swinging the sword with all his might and replenishing his ‘Vis’ after expending it in the process. All these were linked in a chain. A cycle. In the Academy, Helmut had weakened but at the same time, he had strengthened. He was growing.
Helmut knew this path was not easy. He would soon face another wall. But if he could overcome these walls, Helmut might one day reach Darien’s realm. It was too early to be overconfident, but that future wasn’t far off.
Alone in the training room, Helmut gripped his wooden sword tightly.
When he returned to the dormitory, Helmut coincidentally ran into his two friends. Asuka and Sian, who had come back late from the Academy after being questioned.
“You guys said you had a different experience in the forest?”
Sian asked with interest. Having completed his task early, he had been lazing around in the dormitory, having shifted to playing around normally and only focusing during exam periods.
“How was fighting an assassin? Fun?”
“Yeah, damn fun. This is also fun!”
Asuka applied a headlock on Sian without mercy.
“Ow ow ow ow!”
Even as Sian screamed exaggeratedly, Asuka tightened his grip. He usually wouldn’t use physical strength to overpower this frail guy. Talking about others’ affairs so lightly. Asuka himself tended to speak without thinking, but he couldn’t let it go when someone else did.
“You, you jerk! Is that something you say to a friend who returned alive from the jaws of death?”
“No, you seemed fine, so I just said it as a greeting. You look alright. Ow ow, let go!”
“Greetings my foot, you need a good beating!”
Watching them bicker, Helmut felt the reality of having returned to Greta Academy. It feels like he has returned after a long time, far away somewhere. An astonishing sense of reality washed over him. This place had already become like home to him.
“I’m going to rest.”
It was close to midnight. As Helmut was about to open his room door, he hesitated. The light was on inside.
‘Alea must be awake.’
He thought she would be asleep since he returned early. But it seemed Alea was engrossed in her research until late into the night, as usual.
“Welcome back.”
Alea stood up from her chair to greet him as he entered, her tone unusually gentle. Helmut stared at her intently.
‘Not wearing that pajamas.’
Alea was dressed in her academy uniform. Helmut, who found her cute in her bear pajamas, was surprised at his own discovery of such a preference today.
“Here, take this.”
What Alea handed over was a bracelet that looked like a thin, flat sheet of silver that had been bent. It was simple in appearance, engraved with letters and magic circles. Helmut unconsciously took it and asked.
“What’s this?”
“A communication bracelet. If something happens, contact me with this. It’s rechargeable and for single use.”
The bracelet was new, freshly enchanted. It seemed his roommate had made it out of concern.
Alea was a considerate person. Helmut couldn’t understand why Asuka and Sian cursed her as a character disaster. It’s usually difficult for the person receiving special treatment to realize it.
“The activation word is ‘Aleahi kibra’. Just say it after wearing, and the magic will be cast immediately.”
“Aleahi kibra… What does that mean?”
An unusual pronunciation. It wasn’t in the common language.
“It means ‘Lord Alea is great’ in some regional dialect. You have a good memory, so remember it well.”
“…Right.”
The atmosphere turned awkward. Helmut thought that saying the activation word would feel like begging Alea for his life. It felt somewhat humiliating.
However, he obediently put on the bracelet. He might not need to ask her for help through force, but Alea’s healing magic could be useful if he got injured.
“Then rest.”
Alea immediately turned and headed back to her desk, presumably to organize her assignment. The bracelet felt cool to the touch. It was as if he had put on shackles, a feeling of being bound. He didn’t understand why he felt that way but shrugged and headed to the bathroom. He planned to wash off the fatigue and rest.
***
The campsite manager confessed he had no choice but to lend the place to the assassins, as his family living nearby had been taken hostage. Based on the descriptions provided by the members of Group 9, wanted posters for Fasho were also posted. But could they really catch him with that? Helmut was skeptical.
The Academy also had its successes. They caught a spy who had leaked information to Black Hawk that the second-year Swordsmanship Department students were heading to Pedica Forest. The whole Academy was abuzz for a while because of that.
In any case, they would not approach Helmut again. Even if they harbored thoughts of eliminating him, they would rather wait for Helmut to make contact with them first.
‘Three pieces of information.’
Helmut thought about the information worth trading.
‘Darien’s enemy, my family, and the temple, perhaps.’
Baden was a city friendly to mages. It diverged from the temple, which valued obedience to the gods over human achievements.
There was conflict, though not outright rejection. He had heard that the temple once pressured Baden to install a barrier.
‘It’s not urgent yet.’
Helmut shook his head. He roughly knew about Darien’s enemy since Darien had told him.
The most needed information was the second. Helmut had to consider one thing. Why was he seeking this information? Black Hawk would be curious. Helmut knew that through this information, they might find his weakness in return.
‘I have to think carefully about providing information classified as a national secret. Can’t waste it.’
Whether Black Hawk actually had the ability to provide such information was another matter.