Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 179 (Part 2):

Suddenly, it seemed that things were heading towards enjoying the festival with Helmut.

A splendid date with a handsome male student… Heike’s words flashed through Alea’s mind, but she forcibly dismissed them.

‘It’s not because of what she said. A festival… not bad.’

Alea hadn’t participated in the festival before, mainly because she was afraid she might lose herself if she started enjoying the situation here.

There was almost no one who would refuse to enjoy the festival with Alea, though she had no friends to share the fun with.

Always living on high alert, she had steeled her heart not to enjoy even such moments.

But somehow, the barriers she had erected were crumbling in front of Helmut.

Alea acknowledged that he was special to her. Probably, Helmut was the only person who could change Alea’s resolve. Though Heike only forced it.

“But why are you alone? What about your friends?”

“They went to participate in a cross-dressing contest.”

“…I see.”

Those guys, participating in such a contest. She was momentarily at a loss for words.

So Helmut was alone and, feeling bored, had decided to hang out with a girl he found alone. It was uncharacteristic yet characteristic of Helmut.

To suddenly approach a pretty girl because he liked her was a bit too proactive for Helmut. It was just like him to enjoy the festival.

‘…I don’t know.’

It was probably for the best that Helmut liked her as a woman. Alea sighed and asked.

“Where are we going?”

Helmut briefly explained his schedule.

“The cross-dressing contest is fixed. But that’s not until about 5 p.m., and I have no plans until then. Do you have anything you would like to do?”

It was still morning, not even noon yet. Alea asked doubtfully.

“How long are you saying we should be together?”

“Well, do you have something else to do?”

“Not… really.”

Her words hesitated more and more. Alea had forgotten even why she had gone to the magic department building in the first place.

Helmut nodded easily.

“That’s good.”

It was so clear-cut that she was left without a reply.

“What do you want to do?”

Alea finally managed to answer his question. Something she had noticed on the way had caught her eye.

“Ah, there’s a puppet show. I’ve never seen one.”

“I haven’t seen one either. Let’s go.”

They decided to buy a disguise mask first. Alea discreetly changed her eye color with magic. The violet pupils turned into ordinary blue ones.

Helmut, being a bit obtuse, wouldn’t find it odd, even if someone recognized her.

Fortunately, Heike’s magic and the eye-color changing magic seemed not to conflict.

Since Helmut didn’t recognize her anyway as it seemed, using magic wouldn’t seem strange to him.

Alea was wearing a cloak from the Gretta Academy’s magic department. The clothes underneath were just ordinary shirts and trousers, nothing remarkable.

‘There shouldn’t be any risk of being discovered by my outfit.’

Having bought a suitable mask, Helmut suggested.

“Why don’t we make it more certain?”

In front of the academy where the festival was taking place, traders from Baden’s shopping district were selling their wares.

There, Alea bought a flashy cape to wear over her clothes. Adding a childish magic wand with a crescent moon on it completed a perfect disguise.

It was truly a cosplay for enjoying the festival.

‘What am I doing?’

She felt a sense of doubt but decided to enjoy the festival as much as she could now that she was fully dressed.

The festival at Gretta Academy was a famous event in Baden. Thus, as they headed back to the festive shopping street, they were engulfed by an enormous crowd. It was particularly crowded since it was the last day.

It was impossible to walk side by side, so Helmut extended his hand.

“Grab it. Let’s go watch the play.”

They were not usually a hand-holding pair. So, Helmut must be completely unaware that she was Alea.

The situation felt surreal. Alea convinced herself that the reason she had grabbed his hand so readily was simply because there were so many people. After all, she had already grabbed it once before.

‘His hand is firm.’

Of course, it was, since he was from the swordsmanship department. But oddly, that normality made her heart race faster.

“Helmut.”

Alea asked.

“You don’t just hold hands with anyone like this, do you?”

“Anyone? I usually don’t hold hands.”

“Then why…”

“There are so many people.”

He answered as if it were the most natural thing.

“It’s convenient.”

“…Right.”

She thought he was a very practical person.

Naturally, there were acquaintances in the shopping district. The sophomore students from the fencing department created a commotion when they spotted them.

“Who’s that girl Helmut is holding hands with?”

“Her face is covered, but doesn’t she seem pretty? I think she might be pretty.”

“Could she be his fiancée, here for the festival?”

“Helmut is a commoner! What fiancée?”

“Do you believe that? How could that guy be a commoner!”

“Anyway, she could just be his girlfriend!”

“Helmut’s girlfriend?”

Their conversation was interrupted by a cold voice.

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