Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 304 (Part 1):

Antiol’s hideout welcomed a large number of guests for the first time in a while. Two of these guests were so enormous they barely fit through the entrance.

Fortunately, the hideout had a spacious yard where even those colossal guests could gather comfortably.

“Now, it’s time to celebrate! We’ve overcome difficult challenges, so everyone, please enjoy yourselves to the fullest.”

Antiol declared, gesturing with an open hand towards a massive table laden with food.

At that moment, everyone remembered a sensation they’d temporarily forgotten.

Hunger! The tension instantly dissipated, replaced by a chorus of rumbling stomachs. Grrrrumble!

They had been starving for over a day, not daring to eat while suspended high in the air.

Without hesitation, everyone gathered around the table and reached for the feast before them.

Munch, munch!

Particularly enthusiastic sounds came from Asuka and Sian.

Despite the ravenous atmosphere, Charlotte, a noble from birth, and Alea, naturally prim, maintained their characteristic elegance.

Susan and Sarah, accustomed to the Forest of Roots, ate with less grace than the nobles but were still somewhat presentable.

Helmut, who had been tearing into a giant, spicy rib, suddenly stopped and looked around, feeling self-conscious.

“Eat slowly.”

Alea, delicately slicing her steak with a knife and fork, gave him a gentle smile.

Her pitiful gaze seemed to say, ‘Don’t worry, you poor thing, I won’t take your food.’ He felt strangely embarrassed.

Helmut opened his mouth as if to explain himself.

“I wasn’t starving. It’s just that the food…”

It was just so delicious. A wave of nostalgia washed over him, a familiar taste from a distant memory.

He had spent a short time in the human world, but his memory was exceptional. It didn’t take long for Helmut to unearth the name from the depths of his mind.

“Finn?”

“You remember Finn?”

“I remember the dishes he prepared.”

Finn of the Pace Mercenary Corps. He vaguely recalled a shockingly fragile and easily flustered young man.

However, Finn possessed one undeniable talent, a talent Helmut lacked. The talent of cooking!

“He left the Pace Mercenaries and became a chef. He gained experience for several years and recently opened a restaurant. It seems the mercenary corps supported him in his endeavor. I’ve kept in touch with them since then, so I heard about his progress. His food is quite delectable, even for this old man’s discerning palate. I figured you were acquainted, so I requested his assistance with the meal. He readily agreed.”

“Finn is…”

The name he pulled from his memories after so long sounded unfamiliar.

While Helmut was in the Forest of Roots, time had continued to flow, and for some, it had been enough time to change their lives.

“Finn doesn’t know you’ll be eating his food. I thought it would be a moving experience for you, now that you’ve left the Forest of Roots. What do you think?”

“Th…Thank you.”

Helmut replied awkwardly. Antiol had prepared for his arrival with an almost unsettlingly meticulous and thorough approach.

Perhaps that’s why he was called an eccentric. Just then, Asuka spoke up.

“Hey, who’s Finn anyway? Someone you knew before? What kind of relationship? It’s not a woman, is it?”

Though Asuka’s words were thoughtless, Helmut felt Alea’s gaze sharpen. Without hesitation, he answered,

“A friend.”

“What? A friend? You mean you had other friends?”

Asuka’s reaction was exaggerated, as was Sian’s, who was biting into a large pie.

“A friend? You?”

“From my days in the mercenary corps.”

Maybe he should have said “comrade,” Helmut thought for a moment.

But “comrade” seemed like a term used between equals.

Finn had been a useless burden as a mercenary. Even after all these years, the memory remained vivid and unromanticized.

It seemed Finn had found his calling as a chef. Would they ever meet again, he wondered?

However, there was a more pressing matter at hand. He wasn’t full yet.

“Let’s eat.”

At Helmut’s gesture, both Asuka and Sian, who were in the same boat as him, readily agreed. While the humans were enjoying their meal with gusto, the demonic beasts were full of complaints.

[What is this? There’s nothing for us to eat.]
[Human food… It smells strange. Why would they process perfectly good ingredients like this?]
[They call it ‘umami.’ To me, it’s disgustingly nauseating.]

Elaga, who had some experience with human food, frowned and grumbled.

Human food, no matter what it was, always tasted strange to it. Heike smiled and offered,

“Would you like me to prepare some raw meat for you?”

[No need.]

A demonic beast of their caliber didn’t necessarily need to eat. However, while Elaga seemed indifferent, Igrelle immediately perked up.

[I want to eat a rabbit. Preferably a white one.]

Recently, they released a white rabbit that Igrelle had taken a liking to. Heike replied casually,

“Certainly, whatever you wish.”

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