Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 203 (Part 2):

Only after confirming their immobility did Alea approach. With a curious gaze, she examined the shattered golems.

From the magic power she was raising, it seemed she was changing their allegiances. Helmut asked:

“If they’re rooted in the dungeon, why don’t they obey you as the dungeon’s master?”

“These ones were made to be operated outside the dungeon. They’re individual existences separate from the dungeon. I have to change the allegiance of each one.”

Alea added admiringly as she examined the golem,

“I knew Lampione was a genius, but I didn’t realize he had done so much research on golems. It’s impressive. If I had lived in his era… I might have felt inferior to him.”

Helmut thought differently.

“Lampione might have felt inferior to you.”

“You think so?”

As Alea walked towards the golems, she changed the subject.

“You too. Listening to your story, my own challenging life seemed peaceful by comparison. You’re the first human to have left the Forest of Roots. I couldn’t have done what you did. I probably would have died the moment I entered the forest.”

“Luck played a part.”

“Luck… you mean them?”

“Yes, my master and Elaga.”

It felt awkward to refer to Elaga as a parent.

Helmut had human parents, and Elaga had not taken him in and raised him as a parent would.

It was more about securing food than nurturing or raising him.

Elaga was just Elaga.

If Helmut missed anything, it was likely Elaga’s warm body and soft fur.

It was exceptionally comforting to cling to that in cold weather.

Alea opened her mouth with a serene expression.

“…When you have time, won’t you tell me more about them? How you grew up in the Forest of Roots, what life was like there. We can talk about that here.”

Somehow, Alea had not broached the subject of the Forest of Roots before.

Choosing the right place for such topics was important, as they were not to be mentioned casually.

They were both curious about each other’s stories.

And it seemed Helmut had more stories to tell, given the many incidents in his life.

Helmut nodded.

“First, let’s check the legacy, then slowly.”

From afar, at the edge of the clearing, a small hole appeared. Just large enough for one person to bend down and step through.

It was blocked by a golem, almost like a gatekeeper, which is why it had gone unnoticed.

“Alright.”

Alea readily agreed.

The hole didn’t lead directly to a treasure vault. Inside was an intricately tangled maze.

The paths branched off complexly, some sloped or narrow. Sometimes they circled back to the original spot.

There was no particular danger, but the two wandered the dungeon for a long time. Helmut had to pull Alea back from the sloped paths several times.

Alea explained as if to make excuses.

“The different parts of this akspace have become jumbled and chaotic. I still can’t control this aspect of it.”

“Does this lead all the way to Lampione’s legacy?”

“Yes, when I took over the dungeon, my strongest desire was to connect the path to Lampione’s legacy.”

Magic is the power to realize will and desire. The dungeon had made a path.

Just that it was not easy, perhaps reflecting even the former owner’s will.

But soon, they reached the end.

“Over here. There’s a door.”

Emerging from the narrow cave path, a massive door appeared before them.

The entrance was adorned with intricate magical patterns, clearly no ordinary door. There was no handle.

Perhaps it could be pushed open from the side or inside. Without much thought, Helmut reached out to try opening the door.

At that moment, crackle! A spark flew. Helmut raised his Vis to block the current and raised an eyebrow.

“I guess you’ll have to do it?”

“There’s a defensive spell placed on it. Lampione must have layered numerous spells here. This must be the place.”

Alea clapped, and as soon as her hand touched it instead of Helmut’s, the door opened.

Alea quickly stepped inside. The musty smell of old books wafted out.

A vast library with shelves filled to the ceiling appeared before them. The scale was such that it required a ladder to reach the books, about ten times a person’s height.

Excitement flickered in the eyes of Alea, a bookworm, at the overwhelming sight.

“Lampione’s library. As expected, Lampione built this as the most secure place in the dungeon. It’s preserved in near-perfect condition with minimal damage. Look at those ancient tomes! There are rarer books here than most academies have. Almost half are magic books. There are so many I haven’t read!”

However, musty books were not important to Helmut.

He looked at the library crammed full of books like it was an obstruction he wanted to burn down.

“So where exactly is the treasure hidden?”

That was what mattered to Helmut. It was well concealed.

“It’s somewhere inside… There must be a path leading on. Mages connect libraries with their laboratories and storerooms.”

But at first glance, the inside of the library seemed to stretch endlessly with only bookshelves. An enclosed space filled solely with books.

Alea scanned the bookshelves and noticed one book with an unusually shiny spine.

“This must be one of Lampione’s works. Maybe this is it.”

The moment she pressed on the book’s spine, a change occurred.

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