Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 29 (Part 2):

Having fought enough demonic beasts, Helmut found Finn’s trembling somewhat pathetic.

The leader, that monkey, wasn’t particularly large, and its movements were visible.

Helmut had encountered one of the most powerful demonic beasts, Naho. Compared to its vicious appearance, this one seemed almost cute.

‘Should I step in?’

Helmut thought leisurely. A sharp light flashed in his black eyes.

Truthfully, he had wanted to face humans more than beasts, but there was a calculation involved.

He remembered the conversation among the mercenaries by the campfire before sleeping.

‘They said they’d pay more for acting heroically in a crisis.’

Finn had lamented the cut in their pay. Although Helmut hadn’t thought much of it at the time, earning more if possible seemed better. There were many uses for money in the human world.

For Helmut, who needed travel expenses, it was better to earn as much as possible when taking on a job.

Fighting a beast that killed a third-rank mercenary wasn’t a task for a fourth-rank mercenary. It was natural to receive a bonus for doing more than expected.

Miles wasn’t stingy in that regard. Besides, they hadn’t received their pay yet, and it would be troublesome if the one paying them died.

‘I’m in good shape.’

Having slain demonic beasts all the way out of the Forest of Roots and only having trained since, his body was itching for action.

However, Helmut decided to wait and see a bit longer.

‘If Kelop knows my strength, he won’t pick a fight, so let’s wait. I’m curious to see them fight. If necessary, I’ll move towards the third carriage.’

-Kyieeeeek!

As the monkey beast screamed and beat its chest, the battle began.

Bang! Crack! Boom!

The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck. Finn, with eyes wide open, crouched under the carriage.

Three second-rank mercenaries led the charge against the leader, stabilizing the mercenaries quickly. A stable center helped solidify their fighting spirit.

Once the battle commenced, their bodies moved as they were accustomed to.

The mercenaries coordinated their attacks, focusing on one beast at a time, taking them down.

Indeed, the mercenaries from the Pace Mercenary Corps, even those of the same third rank, had better coordination and movement than those from the Tariq Mercenary Corps.

‘It might end without me needing to step in.’

Smaller beasts, resembling monkeys or bats, acted chaotically. While they did charge in groups, they largely acted independently.

However, the humans’ battle scenes were certainly impressive.

Relying on physical strength and resilience, the demonic beasts charged in, whereas humans, frail and slow to recover from wounds, were cautious.

They aimed to strike down the enemy with minimal losses. Such trained movements rarely exposed weaknesses.

Moreover, their movements complemented each other, forming a solid front. The beasts, charging at this solid shield, were effectively shattered.

‘Indeed, the strength of humans is hard to underestimate.’

Helmut had underestimated the mercenaries, thinking they would struggle against so many beasts, but the flow of battle proved otherwise.

The only human Helmut had been close to was Darien, a human brimming with immense inner energy. Helmut naturally compared others to him.

‘As Darien said, I shouldn’t underestimate humans.’

As Helmut continued to watch from under the carriage, Finn poked his ribs.

“Hey, hey! We can’t let them notice us here. What are you doing?”

“It’s almost over.”

Many beasts were either slain or had fled with injuries. The mercenaries were tired, but it was fair to say they had nearly repelled the offensive.

However, one robust demonic beast remained. The leader.

The giant monkey, wielding a tree branch as a weapon, raged on.

But the second-rank mercenaries did not allow any openings. They surrounded the beast, inflicting small wounds, which seemed to infuriate it further.

The situation wasn’t great for the second-rank mercenaries either. The beast had superior stamina.

They needed to strike a decisive blow, but the demonic beast possessed tremendous strength and speed, capable of crushing a human head with one hand.

Any recklessness could lead to death. It was a terrifying situation.

The beast surely realized its underlings were being killed.

It knew that if the remaining third-rank mercenaries joined the fight, it would be at a disadvantage. Eventually, the demonic beast threw the tree branch in frustration.

-Kyaaaak!

Frustrated that things weren’t going its way, its eyes scanned the humans as if counting them, then its gaze suddenly halted.

Two black eyes peering from under the carriage. Something about that gaze seemed to stir the demonic beast’s instincts.

-Kyiee?

However, the second-rank mercenaries didn’t give it a chance to act. Phien’s sword aimed for the beast’s leg as it charged. If it parried, two others would strike from the side.

The beast leaped upwards.

Thump! The force of its jump from the ground sent it soaring like a bird, its arms reaching and grabbing the branches above.

It fled across the trees, not looking back, at a speed no one dared chase.

“Is it over?”

Phien clicked his tongue, watching where the beast disappeared. The remaining beasts, noticing their leader’s retreat, began to withdraw.

Only then did the tension ease. It had been a while since Phien experienced such an intense battle.

Two mercenaries were dead. Even though they weren’t from Phien’s Corps, they were comrades-in-arms. The incomplete state of their bodies weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.

Phien nodded slightly to the second-rank mercenaries from the Tariq Mercenary Band who had fought alongside them, then returned to his group.

“Any casualties? How is everyone?”

Tanya reported.

“We’re okay. Uter got a scratch on his arm, but it seems free of poison. We’re all tired but fine.”

She smiled reassuringly, patting Phien on the shoulder, who had taken on the most dangerous task.

“You did well.”

A brief smile appeared on Phien’s face as well.

Otaku_Tensei

I'm currently Translating the following novel: Helmut: The Forsaken Child. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

•