Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 147 (Part 1):

‘I wonder how strong he truly is.’

Helmut’s heart raced. The great-grandson of Darien. Even if that son did not inherit Darien’s talent, could it be that the seed of talent skipped a generation and is now shining brightly? Helmut felt a thrill of excitement for the first time in a while.

Helmut hoped he was strong. Just as Darien was strong, he wished that the offspring he left behind would be strong as well. It was more than mere competitive spirit—it was a near-compulsive sense of duty, that if one was of Darien’s bloodline, they ought to be formidable.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

‘What would those who betrayed Darien think of his great-grandson?’

It was fairly well-known that Darien had severed ties with his son. However, those with much to lose and those in high positions do not like to leave loose ends.

Even if the Sword Saint’s great-grandson does not dream of revenge, as long as there’s a non-zero chance he knows the secret, they wouldn’t be able to rest easy.

Helmut had learned politics at the academy. The bloodline of the Sword Saint was useful in itself symbolically. Now, he is a knight of Basor and a force to be reckoned with.

However, those who even eliminated the Sword Saint would not welcome the emergence of a second one.

‘I’ll have to observe.’

He owed Darien a debt. Even if he was the blood descendant of Darien’s son, whom he considered useless and dead, if a talented great-grandson was to display his swordsmanship, Darien would not dislike it. Helmut was thinking of whether to tell him the truth or just wait and see was the question.

***

The next day, Helmut visited the mercenary guild early in the morning. The weighty documents equivalent to three thick books vanished into his cloak as if they never existed.

Helmut received the documents and immediately returned to his lodgings.

Tomorrow, the martial arts tournament would begin. He would likely pass the preliminaries without difficulty, but it was still best not to wander around and get into unnecessary disputes.

What Helmut feared most in this country was not the ones who betrayed Darien, but the possibility of himself committing a murder in a fit of rage.

The hot sun and the weak ones underestimating him. Just a fantastic environment.

Upon returning, he swung his sword for half a day. Growing hungry, he returned to his room to find Michael sitting up in bed.

“You’re practicing with the sword again today. Hyde is really diligent. It’s good to see such dedication.”

“…”

‘This is the first time I’ve seen such a weakling.’

Among all the humans Helmut had seen since leaving the Forest of Roots, Michael was the weakest. Having laid in bed all day, Michael’s complexion was pale.

Not just for a day but for half a day of wandering, Helmut looked at him with a peculiar gaze. He was incredibly frail.

“Then you can cheer, can’t you?”

Staying in the scorching hot arena seemed like a tough trial for him.

“Ah, I’ll sit in a shaded spot and watch, so it won’t be a problem. Thanks for worrying about me.”

‘Who’s worried?’

Helmut knew there were times when it was better to hold his tongue. He kept quiet, but Michael seemed unwilling to end the conversation.

“Did you come in to eat? Sorry, but I can’t join you for a meal. My stomach can’t handle food right now.”

“There’s no need to eat together.”

“But it’s lonely to eat alone. I wanted to have a meal with Hyde.”

Helmut glared at Michael somewhat. It was the first time he encountered someone who would talk softly and cling like this.

The guys at the swordsmanship department spoke harshly, and neither Alea nor Asuka spoke in such a manner. It felt ticklish. But there was something off about coldly rejecting someone who clung like this.

‘He’s almost as good at acting friendly as Asuka.’

“As I said yesterday, you can order whatever you like.”

“Do you have a lot of money?”

“Of course.”

Michael replied lightly. Helmut felt the annoyance of ‘being unlucky’ again, but then Michael added,

“But no amount of money can cure this body.”

A bitter smile crossed his face. Helmut wasn’t good at comforting, even though he knew he probably should.

“Don’t worry. I’m used to it.”

“…”

Somehow, in his presence, one tends to fall silent. The world is full of people more miserable and poor than Michael, who couldn’t even dream of such luxurious lodgings.

Yet, Michael had a knack for drawing out sympathy. His angelic appearance only highlighted such emotions further.

‘This is his weapon, then.’

Helmut instinctively realized. Though not as direct as threatening with a sword, it might be just as effective a weapon.

As initially thought, he was a new type. It was also intriguing.

“Ah, Hyde. Could you close the curtains? The sunlight is too harsh on my skin.”

Helmut walked over to the window and drew the curtains. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a small object on the chair.

“A pendant?”

It looked familiar. Helmut thought of the pendant he kept in his pocket. His mother’s pendant. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it bore a similar design.

“Oh, it was there. I was looking out the window and must have placed it there because it was heavy. Could you pass it to me?”

The courtyard where Helmut had been practicing was visible from the window. He had been watched for quite some time.

Helmut didn’t dwell on the implication. Though it was annoying that he kept asking for things like a young master, considering paying for the meal made it bearable.

‘This guy might collapse just by trying to pick this up.’

He placed the heavy, gold pendant on Michael’s knee.

“What’s this?”

“A pendant my mother gave me.”

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