Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 144 (Part 2):

It was a strange feeling. Seeing Darien’s statue upon arriving in the capital of Basor. Even the traitors couldn’t do anything to this statue.

To remove Darien and leave only his symbolic significance. To be remembered only as a great swordsman and a symbol of Basor for generations.

Such a convenient act. Helmut wondered what Darien would have said if he knew this.

Would it have been better than having his honor dragged through the mud?

‘I should have brought some of Darien’s ashes.’

He didn’t have the means. Plus, he didn’t know much about human funeral customs at that time.

But now, Darien’s sword and swordsmanship were with Helmut. Wouldn’t that be enough to signify his return?

It had been over twenty years since Darien fell into the Forest of Roots. It was unlikely anyone would recognize him, but he still had to be cautious.

The sword was newly sheathed, making it difficult to recognize.

‘I must win this tournament.’

For Darien’s sake. Helmut was determined. But he hoped the tournament would end quickly. Basor was too hot. He wanted to flee to a cooler country as soon as possible.

Helmut fanned his face with his hand.

‘There must be shops selling magical items in the capital. I can’t stand this any longer. Maybe I should buy something there.’

In such a hot climate, there were clothes that maintained coolness. He had heard about them. They would allow for a comfortable stay even in this climate.

Due to the tournament, the streets were bustling. Not only the participants but also their families, relatives, and spectators filled the place.

The tournament, held during the particularly hot summer of this already hot country, was a festival for the Kingdom of Basor.

Since all the cheap inns were full, Helmut, after much searching, managed to find a room in an expensive inn.

A cool room with clean water supplied through plumbing. Luxurious furniture and beds. The floor was carpeted, and the room was cozy.

There was an open space that could be used as a training ground, spacious enough for practice. A room fit for high nobility.

Helmut realized that humans are treated differently based on their attire. If he had been dressed shabbily, this inn wouldn’t have admitted him. Fortunately, his cloak was luxurious, and his horse was of good breed, so he was not treated poorly. However, he had to pay half of the inn fee upfront.

‘If I don’t win the prize money in the tournament, it will be troublesome.’

The large sum he had received from Talon was helpful. The Kingdom of Basor used a common currency. The inn fee was a whopping 2,000 marks a day. Even for a high-season, upscale inn, this was exorbitant.

But the inn didn’t allow bargaining. After all, they had plenty of guests.

Helmut paid the price without complaint. Since he would be staying here for nearly a month due to the tournament, including everything, he might see a deficit of about 100,000 marks.

It couldn’t be helped. It was worth experiencing luxury at times like this.

Upon securing the inn, Helmut immediately inquired about the location and moved to a famous shop associated with the Mage’s Guild. It was a large-scale magic shop that exists only in large cities.

Upon entering and asking for clothes that maintain a cool temperature, a clerk approached him.

“It seems like the cloak you’re wearing already has magical features.”

Helmut looked down at his clothes.

“Ah, space expansion magic.”

“Then it’s likely a product of the Mage’s Guild, and adding a feature to it would be easier. Shall we do that for you? We’ll also recharge the spent magical energy.”

“How long will it take?”

“About 3 hours. You can do your business and come back by then.”

“Let’s do that. After 3 hours.”

Indeed, the efficiency of a capital’s shop was exceptional. Helmut decided to register for the tournament during that time.

‘The deadline was until tomorrow.’

He hadn’t taken on any quests but had scheduled plenty of time. Because it was impossible to ride in the scorching sun.

After registering for the tournament, the preliminaries would be in three days. Since the opponents for the preliminaries would be announced on the day itself, there was nothing special to prepare in advance. Just arrive on time.

The tournament in the Kingdom of Basor, a knockout format, was extremely famous. The prize money was a whopping 2 million marks. That’s why even rank 1mercenaries often participated. Many knights from Basor also participated, and they were exempt from the preliminaries.

‘If I win, I’ll be rich.’

Suddenly, greed for money surged. Helmut was not inherently without desires. He simply hadn’t known the joy of possessing something.

Upon reaching the tournament venue, Helmut filled out the registration form. The clerk, after taking the registration fee of 1,000 marks, carefully checked the details.

“Is Mr. Hyde your correct name?”

“Yes.”

It was a hastily chosen alias. He had slightly twisted his personal information as well. As long as one wasn’t a wanted criminal, they didn’t check, so it was fine to write as one pleased.

“If you are affiliated with a knight’s order from another country or a rank 1 mercenary, you can be exempted from the preliminary round. If you have something to prove it, please submit it.”

The moment the clerk mentioned this, laughter erupted from those around.

“They ask all sorts of things. That kid doesn’t look like he has anything like that. Looks like some noble’s son!”

The people of Basor were rough. Especially since this country had a relatively free social mobility compared to other countries, they didn’t particularly give preferential treatment to nobles from other countries, especially if the individual was alone and looked young.

The clerk, slightly embarrassed, hurriedly finished checking the rest of the form.

’16 years old, from the Empire, mercenary, swordsman.’

“Registration complete. Here is your confirmation. Please come back here by 10 a.m. in three days.”

As soon as he stood up, mockery flew his way.

“Don’t bother coming. You’ll be eliminated in the first match anyway. Just a waste of money.”

Helmut looked at the man who made the comment. Now that registration was over, there was no reason to ignore the taunts.

Like Helmut, others who had come to register for the tournament were gathered around. They blatantly ridiculed him.

“Look at those blue eyes! Looks like he’ll cry if you just touch him.”

“Look at that. A man with hair that shiny? Thought it was a doll walking around playing with girls.”

Otaku_Tensei

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