Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 169 (Part 1):

Luke Yeager had no talent for lying or fabricating stories.

He had to practice several times to properly convey Helmut’s scenario.

However, when they returned to the village with full preparation, they were met with an unexpected situation.

As the sun set, they arrived at the village.

The village, bathed in red from the slain monsters, was engulfed in silence.

However, they felt the presence of many people inside the village.

‘The support troops must have arrived.’

If that was the case, it would be easier to deal with the Palma Knights, including those close to Luke.

But upon entering the village, they encountered an unexpected figure.

“I’m glad you’re safe. We searched around here for you but to no avail.”

It was the Second Prince, leading a line of his personal knights. Surprised, Luke skipped greetings and asked:

“Your Highness, the Second Prince? What brings you to such a place?”

The Second Prince did not fault him for his rudeness and smiled.

“I had a bad feeling. When I went to Deser, I heard the Palma Knights were headed this way.”

He stared intensely at the wounded shoulder of Luke Yeager.

The Second Prince was also a fighter of comparable skill to the Palma Knights. Having him with them wouldn’t be a burden.

While the Palma Knight Commander could refuse him, others could not.

Helmut realized immediately. It seemed the Second Prince was more wary of the Palma Knight Commander than he had thought.

He asked:

“Where is the Palma Knight Commander? Wasn’t he with you, Luke Yeager?”

“That’s the thing.”

Faced with an unexpected situation due to the sudden appearance of the Second Prince, the normally honest Luke Yeager was at a loss for words.

The presence of the Second Prince changed the story. Helmut offered to explain:

“It might be best to discuss this inside.”

Sensing the peculiar nuance in his words, the narrow-eyed Second Prince agreed:

“Let’s do that.”

Amidst the murmurs of the Palma Knights, they moved inside a building in the village.

The Vice-commander of the Palma knights, Dasim Alvis, was also present.

“Tell me what happened.”

After giving Luke Yeager a glance to keep him quiet, Helmut began to explain.

It was a new scenario, revised from before and closer to the truth.

The Palma Knight Commander had lured Luke Yeager to a rock cliff intending to kill him.

Following them, Helmut was attacked by the High Priest Dolos and the red scorpion under his control.

Destroying the holy bead controlling the red scorpion, it turned on Dolos, and both perished together.

Immediately afterward, Helmut headed inside the rock cliff, where he saw Luke Yeager fighting the Knight Commander.

Helmut and Luke Yeager teamed up to kill him.

The only deviation from the truth was that Helmut hadn’t joined the attack. Helmut, at 16, or rather 15, knew too well that a boy his age defeating the Knight Commander in a one-on-one battle was no ordinary feat.

To avoid being detained in Basor, he needed to hide his identity as much as possible here.

‘Luke Yeager knowing this is enough.’

“Indeed, the Palma Knight Commander was targeting you.”

The Second Prince let out a sigh. Luke Yeager asked:

“Did you know that he was… my great-grandfather’s enemy?”

“Yes, I was aware. The king suspected… it too. The movements of my brother when the Sword Saint disappeared, Lutus Cicero’s ascension as the Knight Commander, the movements of the temple. But we only had suspicions, no concrete evidence. That was the problem.”

Vice-Commander Dasim Alvis nodded silently.

It turned out he, who seemed loyal to the Palma Knight Commander, was surprisingly a man of the Second Prince.

“Lutus Cicero was an impeccable knight who significantly contributed to driving out beasts from the deserts of Basor. He was also the right hand of the Sword Saint. A vice-commander from the esteemed Cicero family, which basked in the Sword Saint’s glory. At the time, there was no one more suitable than Lutus Cicero for the position of Knight Commander. Even if the king had suspicions, what could he do without evidence? The Sword Saint vanished without a trace, and we couldn’t even confirm his death.”

The Second Prince frowned.

“But since you appeared, issues buried for 20 years started resurfacing. My brother began acting strangely and started contacting Lutus Cicero. Though Cicero was cautious, we knew he would act eventually. To eliminate you.”

It all came down to the foolish First Prince alerting them.

‘Mistake was to ally with such a person.’

Helmut concluded clearly. Luke spoke cautiously:

“So what will you do now?”

“I’ve been considering revealing the truth as it is.”

His tone suggested he found the idea unappealing. The Second Prince stroked his chin.

“Are you calculating which side would benefit you more in the succession to the throne?”

Luke Yeager asked sharply. That was an impudent remark.

Helmut was slightly surprised. Hadn’t he been cautious around the Second Prince all this time?

‘He’s not even the Commander of the Palma Knights yet, and his attitude has changed.’

There’s a saying that positions make the man. Perhaps Luke Yeager already mistook himself for the Knight Commander.

Otaku_Tensei

I'm currently Translating the following novel: Helmut: The Forsaken Child. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

•