Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 171 (Part 2):

“I came to pick up my luggage.”

“Oh, your luggage? Right.”

As Alea inadvertently motioned Helmut in, she frowned.

“But is that all you have to say after seeing me?”

Helmut tilted his head.

“It’s been a while…?”

Was that the right thing to say? He felt like there was something he meant to say, but upon seeing Alea, everything turned blank. He couldn’t remember.

“Never mind, what can I expect from you?”

The room was as it had been before. Helmut’s belongings were untouched.

Helmut quickly gathered his belongings. Stuffing them into a box he had left under the desk, everything barely fit.

Alea watched him work in silence, grumbling.

“You’ve become so dark; you almost look like a beast.”

It was an unfounded comment. Helmut was slightly tanned, not burnt to a crisp.

“You seem taller, though.”

Alea’s eyes widened. Indeed, Helmut’s head was now higher. His eye level had naturally risen.

“Ah, so you haven’t shrunk.”

Helmut muttered. He had thought Alea seemed a bit smaller. He wondered if it was an aftereffect of a magic experiment.

Naturally, Alea scowled.

“First thing you do is demand your luggage, and now you’re picking a fight?”

“It’s not a fight.”

Helmut realized something. Women are shorter than men, so Alea wouldn’t grow much taller. On the other hand, he would continue to grow.

He paused for a moment. All he needed to do was take the box and leave, yet he hesitated.

Alea asked first.

“Where’s your room?”

“Right next door.”

“Really? Well, that makes moving your luggage easier.”

Silence lingered. Both felt it was too early to end their meeting, yet neither had much to say.

“What did you do over the break?”

“Just… hunted beasts and practiced swordsmanship.”

A typical question received a reply full of hidden details. Neither was open to sharing more. Both were still keeping secrets.

“That bracelet, you’re wearing it well?”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

Once again, they ran out of things to say. It was time to leave. The new room needed cleaning.

While Alea was there, the room’s cleanliness was maintained magically, so there was no need for cleaning. But now that he would be using the room alone, it was different.

‘If the room’s condition is severe, I’ll need to hire someone.’

Helmut made up his mind and said goodbye.

“I’ll be going then.”

As he was about to leave, Alea suddenly spoke again.

“This semester, I think I’ll settle all my wishes.”

“Do you have something in mind?”

Helmut hadn’t forgotten about the two wishes Alea had. He was anxious. Alea wouldn’t ask for an ordinary price.

‘I hope it’s not about hunting demonic beasts.’

He should avoid being influenced by magical energy. The takeaway from Basor was that despite committing murder, the seed of darkness didn’t grow; it actually shrank.

He even thought it might be good to periodically receive sacred magic from a priest. Since revealing the seed of darkness was not an option, he couldn’t act on it.

“Well, you’ll find out soon. So, what I’m trying to say is,”

Alea added firmly.

“I can at least offer to clean as a service.”

Though it could be easily resolved with magic, it was a rare gesture of goodwill from Alea.

And such rare gestures from Alea were usually directed at Helmut.

It was also more convenient for him. Helmut nodded and counter-offered.

“…Then, shall we have a meal together in the city next time? The place we went to before.”

Hiring someone for cleaning would cost money. Paying with a meal with Alea wasn’t a bad deal. It was also a way to avoid accumulating more debt.

Helmut had become wealthier. He had amassed a fortune so large, he didn’t know what to do with it.

He was now in a position where, even if Alea was wealthy, he wouldn’t be inferior… though that was somewhat doubtful.

Alea smiled gently, brightening his view with a pleasing sight.

“Sure.”

Alea’s decision to distance herself from Helmut once again flew away.

*

Helmut was organizing the dormitory, intending to head to the personal training ground for the first time in a while.

“Hey, Helmut! Buddy, it’s good to see you! It’s really been a while, hasn’t it?”

Without even looking, Helmut immediately recognized the owner of this boisterous voice.

“Sian.”

“Yeah, hey? You got a bit tanned.”

Sian, who came to greet him, had also grown a bit. It seemed everyone grew a little during the break. It’s the growth period, after all.

But it looked like he had spent his break well-fed and happy, as his cheeks were gleaming.

“Everyone’s saying that.”

The previous Helmut had a noble appearance with his pale skin, black hair, and eyes standing out.

But his current, slightly tanned look wasn’t bad either. It was different. Perhaps more rugged and fitting for a swordsman.

There was a sense of added gravitas, which created a bit of a distance.

“Since you’re tanned. But why did you arrive in Baden so late? I thought you had dropped out. Even Instructor Ethan didn’t know about your whereabouts.”

Due to concerns about being tracked, especially with someone like Michael around, Helmut hadn’t contacted Ethan. It seemed Ethan had been somewhat anxious during that time.

Helmut briefly replied.

“The horse was sick, so we took it slow.”

White had almost fully recovered. He was a sturdy one from the start.

“Really? I thought you would just leave a sick horse behind and switch to a new one. You care more about animals than I thought.”

Sian looked surprised, extending his hand.

“Anyway, let’s do well this semester too.”

As they shook hands lightly, Sian grabbed Helmut’s hand with both of his, making a fuss.

“Wow, look how firm your hand is. Squeeze it, and someone’s wrist might break. As expected of the swordsmanship department’s top student! Now that you and Alea are separated and each has your own single room, you must feel like you’re in heaven after always having to be mindful of each other.”

“…”

Why it was assumed that Helmut would naturally dislike sharing a room with Alea was beyond him.

Helmut didn’t argue but instead asked.

“By the way, where’s Asuka?”

Seeing Sian reminded him of Asuka. Usually, the two were inseparable. Helmut hadn’t seen Asuka at the dormitory since his return.

“That guy’s been in Baden for a while now. He’s been holed up in the training ground these days. He’ll probably be there today too. You might want to be on your guard this semester. Oh, and you might be surprised when you see Asuka. He’s changed a lot.”

Leaving the chattering Sian behind, Helmut felt a familiar presence and turned around.

Just then, Asuka was returning to the dormitory. Their eyes met.

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