Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 259 (Part 1):

Whoosh―

A powerful resonance fills the space. Precise and flawless movements.

There wasn’t a single instructor who didn’t admire his sword practice.

Swordsmanship that slices through the wind, dividing the air. Yet those movements were extremely natural.

It was swordsmanship perfectly ingrained in his body after years of harsh training.

Even though there had been a recent gap in those years, long-established habits didn’t disappear.

Helmut was inherently like rock or iron. As his essence was such, once something was engraved, it didn’t change easily.

However, regardless of how it appeared, Helmut felt a subtle discomfort.

‘It’s awkward somehow.’

A body that had been perfectly trained. Attempting intense movements after a long time, it feels stiff and rusty somewhere.

Vis has a property of trying to preserve the body in its best condition.

Even if it had stiffened, it wouldn’t return to a softer state worse than that of an average person.

But even so, a body that hadn’t moved for two months couldn’t be in its best condition.

However, Helmut knew what to do. He swung his sword, forgetting the flow of time.

Until heat circulated throughout his body, melting the parts that had hardened like candle wax.

The more he swung his sword, the more smoothly his body moved, as if lubricant had been applied to the creaking parts. In deep immersion.

After a while, Helmut naturally emerged from his immersion.

‘Still not enough. I’ll need to do this for a few more days.’

Helmut raised his head. It was already night. No, dawn perhaps. He couldn’t tell.

The piece of metal in his grip asserted its presence heavily. It meant he was tired.

‘A sword……’

The only thing left to him.

That place, which had been Naho’s human farm, was full of weapons that had lost their owners. Although there were no longer any people left who could wield weapons.

It seems that bringing weapons into the Forest of Roots wasn’t prohibited.

Being sent to the Forest of Roots itself was a death sentence. Was there any need to take away weapons when sending someone to this place teeming with demonic beasts?

At least, they could show the final mercy of allowing one to end their own life before being eaten by monsters.

Anyway, one of the ownerless swords was in Helmut’s grip. Susan had brought it to him.

It was a sword with an unfamiliar feel. It was heavier than Darien’s sword that he used to use.

Darien’s sword. His master’s keepsake that had perfectly fit his hand.

‘Now I’ll never be able to wield that sword again.’

Because Darien’s sword was in Renosa. They might have melted it in a furnace to erase all traces. Just like they erased him.

In an instant, some kind of intense emotion swept over him. Hot and painful, and burning fiercely.

Helmut gritted his teeth tightly, and that pain slowly subsided.

But its aftereffects remained dully. The furrowed eyebrows slowly smoothed out. One becomes immune to any kind of pain.

He had to get used to it.

He had to overcome it.

Cold wind fills his lungs. What remains in the place once filled with ardent desire is only emptiness.

Now Helmut had to find something to fill that emptiness. Again.

He could do it. Because Helmut was still young. An immeasurably long time stretched out before him.

‘Darien, you said it. As long as I don’t lose myself, I can rise again.’

There were times when he almost completely collapsed. But in the moment when Helmut had lost himself, Elaga saved him.

Destruction was not allowed for Helmut. Because Elaga was there.

As long as Elaga was there, as long as he was in the Forest of Roots, Helmut bore an obligation. The obligation to live on.

So he picked up the sword.

‘I am not weak.’

Helmut was not a being weak enough to be engulfed by despair and struggle. He just needed a break.

It seems that even he didn’t believe deep in his heart that he would live on in a collapsed state.

Helmut had certainty. Certainty about himself. That certainty was brought by his sword, his strength.

That’s why only the sword remained.

*

[Oh, finally.]

Elaga, who had been sauntering over, let out a short exclamation. It must have been quite frustrated all this time.

[Lazy kid. Why did it take so long?]

“I ate well.”

Helmut completely ignored Elaga and spoke to Susan for the first time, handing her the basket she had left.

It was completely empty inside. Yesterday, realizing Helmut had left his place, Susan had quietly left the basket.

Susan looked at Helmut as if bewildered. Sarah, who was standing holding her hand tightly, pointed at Helmut with wide eyes.

“He’s standing!”

To her, Helmut had been a somehow scary invalid who lay around all day doing nothing. The sudden change in his appearance was unfamiliar.

“How’s your body? It must be tough trying to train after so long.”

“It’s fine.”

Helmut answered business-like. Unlike Elaga’s intention, Helmut had no desire to become friendly with this mother and daughter. It was mere courtesy.

‘Courtesy……’

This too was something he had learned from the outside.

“Is that sword alright? There are other swords in the village, if you want, maybe you should look at them……”

“No.”

Unless it’s a famous sword like Darien’s, they’re all similar anyway. As long as he’s under Elaga’s shadow, there will be almost nothing to cut in this area of the Forest of Roots anyway.

Helmut, who had cut her off sharply, looked down at the sword in his hand. Its polished, gleaming surface caught his eye. The blade was also quite sharply honed.

Even though it must have been quite a long time since it lost its owner.

“The sword has been maintained.”

Susan smiled gently.

“My brother was a knight. I often saw him maintaining his sword. I tried to imitate it a bit.”

Otaku_Tensei

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