Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 285 (Part 1):

‘Could I actually die from this?’

Asuka thought. It wasn’t a pessimistic thought. It was remarkable that he hadn’t lost consciousness and fallen off already.

Every time Elaga’s foot touched the ground, it shook Asuka from his intestines to his bone marrow. His entire body, colliding with Elaga’s back, felt as if it had been pummeled.

He tried to suggest taking a break, but every time he tried to speak, he almost bit his tongue.

Naturally, Elaga was focused solely on reaching the destination and didn’t care at all about the condition of the human on its back.

Of course, if it were Sarah or Susan on its back, it would have been a different story.

But what he was carrying was a big, sturdy-looking guy.

‘When will we arrive? Why is this cursed forest so vast!’

It was clearly supposed to be a short journey of just a few days. But even a short journey feels different when you’re enduring such torture.

That wasn’t the time to worry about pride.

During a brief rest stop on the journey, Elaga gave Asuka a puzzled look as he lay sprawled on the ground, panting.

[You’re a weak one, unlike Helmut.]

“Who are you calling weak!”

Asuka burst out angrily, still lying down.

“This is, no, no problem for me! I’m just a little motion sick, that’s all!”

Asuka immediately regretted his bravado.

[Hmm, is that so? You’re fine then? But weren’t you one of Helmut’s subordinates? You’ve got quite a temper.]

“I’m not. Why would I be his subordinate?”

[You’re weaker than Helmut, aren’t you?]

Asuka gritted his teeth.

“Being weaker is… true, but we’re friends, not subordinates. We’re fellow students. That’s not how it works.”

Elaga asked, as if agreeing.

[How was Helmut at that Academy or whatever? I heard he was first in his class.]

The question somehow gave off a parent-like vibe.

What would a demonic beast know about human academy life?

But being alone with a giant leopard exuding demonic energy, even Asuka couldn’t help feeling intimidated.

‘Right, it raised Helmut after all.’

Asuka spoke, feeling it was only right to answer.

“That guy joined midway… but there was something about him—an aura, cold, pretty-looking. Other guys tried to pick on him because he was a commoner, but he’d beat them up.”

[Is that so? Was he a troublemaker then?]

“No, I’m the troublemaker. Helmut only fought those who provoked him.”

Asuka was surprisingly self-aware.

“Helmut was an honor student. Good grades, diligent, highly regarded by the instructors. His skills were overwhelming, after all. He even represented the academy in a swordsmanship tournament, well. I wasn’t sure then, but Helmut was the strongest swordsman in Greta Academy, no, in Baden. Including the instructors.”

Elaga’s mouth corners lifted into a grin. It was the expression of a doting parent pleased to hear praise for their child.

Feeling somewhat annoyed, Asuka grumbled.

“So what if he is, with his dark eyes and dark hair, fierce gaze, and old man-like demeanor. He never talks about himself, always brooding and caught up in his thoughts. He never looked like he was only fifteen.”

[He’s always been like that. A young one who never smiled, always focused on that training or whatever. Saying he needed to get stronger to leave the forest.
After meeting that Darien or whoever, he was always building muscle, practicing swordsmanship, sweating buckets. Well, he did grow a lot then.]

“Darien? You mean the Sword Saint Darien?”

Asuka’s eyes lit up.

He had heard a brief account of Helmut’s master from Alea, but even she knew very little about Darien.

[Yeah, that human took Helmut as a disciple…]

“Forget Helmut, I’d like to hear about Darien.”

[Darien? They say he’s called the Sword Saint in the human world. That one was truly strong. Even Naho couldn’t do anything against him.]

Elaga answered Asuka’s question readily.

It had been a while since it had a conversation with a new partner.

Especially when it came to gossiping about others, the two got along well.

However, because they had spent so much time chatting, they had to rush without taking any further breaks.

It was a journey from the eastern end to the western end. Asuka and Elaga’s group had the longest distance to travel.

So it was natural for Elaga to hurry.

‘We haven’t rested since then.’

But Asuka, clinging to the fur of the giant leopard without a saddle, began to care less and less about such circumstances.

He had been consuming Vis just to hold onto Elaga’s back. Using Vis for something like this!

‘It might be better to jump off and fight demonic beasts.’

No sooner had Asuka thought this than Elaga suddenly stopped.

Asuka’s body lurched forward as if about to fly off. His hands clutched Elaga’s fur as if about to tear it out.

‘Damn leopard!’

However, as soon as Asuka regained his balance, he stiffened, sensing something.

He felt a dense, heavy demonic energy.

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