Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 15 (Part 1):

-His life has finally come to an end.

“Elaga, you knew?”

-We talked about it not long ago. But what’s with that face? Where there’s a meeting, there’s parting. He lived his life to the fullest and left without pain, so there’s no need for mourning.

Speaking like an elder, Elaga dropped something in front of Helmut. Tuk.

“What’s this?”

-It’s what you were wrapped in when I first saw you.

Helmut looked skeptically at the dirt-covered, tattered piece of cloth.

-I forgot where I put it and had a hard time looking for it. Take a look. Maybe there’s something?

It seemed in poor condition, but for now, it was the only clue to his origins.

Helmut picked up the piece of cloth. Despite being old and dirty, it felt incredibly soft to the touch.

As he fumbled with the cloth, a thin golden chain with a round object attached fell out.

Thud! Elaga quickly snatched it up with her tail.

-Not very careful, are you?

Helmut stared intently at the object dangling before his eyes, a pendant with a vine-like pattern etched onto its surface.

Neither Helmut nor Elaga knew what it was for. Elaga pretended to know.

-Made of gold, huh? Expensive metal. You must have come from a wealthy family?

Helmut nodded, remembering Darien’s remarks about him being of noble birth.

-Is there a line on the edge?

After examining it for a moment, Helmut managed to open the pendant.

Click. The pendant opened like a clamshell.

“There’s something written inside.”

Having learned to read from Darien, Helmut read the inscription aloud.

“May only light fill your path, Margret Irene.”

-Sounds like a woman’s name?

“My mother’s… name, probably.”

He felt it instinctively. An item made to bless a newborn baby. It was the only clue given to Helmut.

A wave of nostalgia washed over him. Helmut fiddled with the pendant before hanging it around his neck and tucking it into his chest.

-Once you leave, do you plan to look for your parents?

“I have to. I’ll think about it after I get out.”

There’s no time to dwell in sorrow, nor to entertain other thoughts.

As Darien said, there’s no perfect timing, but now was the right moment.

He must be fully alert from now on. The journey out of the Forest of Roots was fraught with life-threatening dangers.

-Naho is in hibernation, so unless there’s a significant disturbance, he won’t appear. During this time, others will quietly enter Naho’s territory.

“Then the human farm’s defenses will be tightened.”

-Yes, humans are prime prey. There are quite a few who only target this period. If timed right, you can easily get Erugo in your grasp.

Elaga asked, as if to confirm.

-Are you sure you’re okay? I can’t have your back. If I enter the territory, Naho will notice.

“Don’t worry. I can handle it on my own.”

It wasn’t baseless confidence or arrogance. Helmut instinctively knew how to gauge the strength of his opponents, almost like he had become part-monster.

He had observed from a distance, but unlike Darien, he felt nothing towards the humans at the farm. There were no strong individuals among those who had lived comfortably within Naho’s fences.

‘As long as I don’t let my guard down, I can manage.’

Helmut was Darien’s disciple, perhaps the strongest human to have fallen into the Forest of Roots.

Even an unripe beast doesn’t fear a flock of sheep.

Helmut declared firmly.

“I’m ready.”

*

‘This is where Naho’s territory begins.’

Helmut took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Entering the snake’s domain didn’t suddenly make the ground beneath him swampy, but he felt a sensation of being pulled downward.

His heightened senses were on high alert. Four years ago, in this territory, Helmut had tasted the deep fear of death to his bones.

‘I’m different now, from back then.’

Knowing how to manipulate Vis meant being able to control one’s energy.

With his presence minimized, even sensitive monsters would have a hard time detecting Helmut.

Unless seen with the eyes, it would be hard to tell he was there.

‘It’s like hunting.’

The most dangerous hunt he had ever undertaken. There were no allies. Silently waiting for the opportunity to strike with his claws at once.

There was only one chance.

‘If I fail, I might die.’

It wasn’t pessimism but a fact. His heart raced. Whether it was excitement or nervousness, a tingling sensation ran down his neck.

Thanks to Elaga driving away some of the monsters from her territory, a few had entered Naho’s domain before Helmut.

With Naho asleep, the human farm was a tempting target. Erugo’s attention would be divided.

Amidst the ominous atmosphere of the forest, Helmut quietly began to move. Soon, he disappeared into the shadows of the trees without a trace.

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