Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 24 (Part 2):

Helmut’s eyes sparkled with competitive spirit. Competing for strength was as familiar to him as hunting.

‘Dueling with a person from the outside world. An opportunity I cannot miss.’

A rank 3 silver medal mercenary seemed to be quite recognized in the human world.

Fighting her might give Helmut an idea of where his own skills stood.

Several members of the Pace Mercenaries, itching for some action, had gathered in the inn’s courtyard to train.

When Tanya and Helmut appeared, all eyes were on them.

“Tanya, you’re going to duel with him?”

“Yeah, yeah, so everyone step back and watch.”

“This’ll be a good show.”

They moved to the side, sitting down and turning into complete spectators, shouting enthusiastically.

“Isn’t that guy going to break if you just poke him?”

“Go easy, you’ll hurt his pretty face.”

“Isn’t his face prettier than yours, Tanya?”

“Shut your mouths before I rip them off!”

Tanya yelled, somewhat threateningly, and the crowd quieted down.

“Use this. I’ll take this one.”

What was handed to him was a blunt wooden sword. Helmut felt somewhat relieved.

She was different from Elaga, who wouldn’t be hurt no matter how Helmut attacked.

If Tanya was a skilled fighter, it would be hard for Helmut to go easy on her. He didn’t want to hurt someone who had taken care of him.

“The rule is simple. The match goes until one of us is on the ground. Come at me with all you’ve got. I’m strong.”

Tanya confidently spoke as she held the wooden sword, and Helmut carefully balanced his stance.

He had always been taught to take the sword seriously. There was no room for carelessness or half-heartedness.

“Wow, that stance is no joke.”

“Where did he learn that properly?”

“This is going to be interesting! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

The mercenaries’ murmurs faded into the background as Helmut’s focus sharpened.

He was aware that his physical condition wasn’t the best. He couldn’t use Vis, and if his strength didn’t suffice, he had to fight by deflecting and dodging, a tactic familiar from dueling with Darien.

“Are you going to dawdle all day? Come at me!”

Tanya’s sharp challenge finally spurred Helmut into action. Even a mere twig, when held by a swordsman, becomes a weapon.

A woman’s balance is different from a man’s. Helmut’s focused gaze caught every movement of Tanya’s bones and muscles.

‘Left side.’

Tanya easily parried the thrust aimed at her, a spot she could defend but not strongly counterattack.

Still, it made her grip ache.

‘She definitely has more strength than me.’

Then it was Tanya’s turn to attack. She thrust towards Helmut’s head without hesitation, which he watched closely and dodged, moving inside to stab at her diaphragm.

Tanya’s arm muscles tensed, and the direction of her wooden sword, previously slashing through the air, changed.

Helmut tried to easily dodge the sword coming in from the side.

Thud! However, he gripped his side in a numbing pain.

‘Why couldn’t I dodge that.’

If he had moved in just a bit faster, it would have been Tanya who was struck. But his legs didn’t keep up.

His body, unable to follow the movements he envisioned, moved as slowly as a worm, shackled.

‘What to do…’

But Tanya didn’t give him time to think. She rushed in, stabbing with her sword repeatedly. The speed matched her strength.

Thud! Thud! He managed to parry the first two strikes by swinging his wooden sword to the side, but the impact numbed his wrists.

The third strike hit him squarely in the abdomen.

Thud!

Tanya smirked as she tripped Helmut’s staggering legs. Thump! She lightly pressed the tip of her wooden sword against the prone Helmut’s throat.

Helmut, with tense jaw, admitted defeat.

“I lost.”

Tanya reached out to help him up, her face once again wearing a cheerful and friendly smile as if she had never provoked him. She teased Helmut,

“You seem frustrated by the look in your eyes.”

“Because I was beaten one-sidedly.”

Helmut retorted tersely, sighing.

More than being beaten, he was frustrated with his body, which didn’t move as he wished.

The opponent felt far too flawed compared to Darien, and his swordsmanship wasn’t perfectly efficient.

He knew how to counter but his body couldn’t follow through.

‘Or is Tanya stronger than I thought?’

She was neither a 1st nor a 2nd rank, but a 3rd-rank mercenary who had played with him. Even if he returned to his original body, he doubted his skills would be effective.

‘I must be quite ordinary.’

Indeed, as Darien had said, the human world was not to be underestimated. Helmut was reminded of this anew.

Then someone approached and spoke.

“Tanya is well-recognized even in our mercenary corps. It’s natural you lost. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

The man had a stern face and a significantly larger build, with bright brown eyes similar to Tanya’s.

Although Helmut had seen him only a few times, it felt more familiar because of his eyes.

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