Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 305 (Part 1):

“Meow?”

Elaga blinked. No, it wasn’t Elaga anymore. The huge leopard had vanished, and in its place sat a small, doll-like white cat with a bewildered expression.

[Huh? What’s this?]

“What do you think it is?”

A hand reached out from the side and grabbed Elaga by the scruff of its neck.

“You’re actually kind of cute like this, aren’t you?”

Elaga looked up. There stood a woman Elaga had never seen before.

Even to a demonic beast’s eyes, she was incredibly beautiful, a woman in a mage’s robe with pink hair and crimson eyes.

A figure that would stand out even from afar.

Elaga intuitively realized her identity.

[…Igrelle?]

“You recognize me, huh? You look cute now, though that’s not a word that usually suits you.”

Grinning, she released Elaga into the air.

Thump! Like a cat, Elaga landed softly on all fours.

“Hmm, a human body isn’t anything special, is it? The balance is a little different. Well, this much is nothing to the great Igrelle.”

Perhaps because Igrelle was also a bipedal creature, adapting was easy. After feeling her own body, she took a step.

Staggering slightly, she soon succeeded in walking normally.

“Magic is truly fascinating.”

Antiol, resting his chin on his hand, looked on with interest.

“Being able to speak immediately with a human voice is even more impressive than being able to walk right away.”

“I just could.”

Igrelle shrugged confidently. Heike asked,

“Is that the form you desired?”

“Yes.”

A natural smile appeared on Igrelle’s face, now transformed into a human woman. It was her desire.

‘I want to become human!’

It wasn’t that she wanted to abandon her original self and completely become human.

But she was curious about humans, beings entirely different from demonic beasts.

Humans who risked their lives for others, humans who accomplished seemingly impossible feats.

If she took on a human form, could she learn about them? Could she understand the human heart?

Since she had come to the human world, it was best to take on a human form to experience human life.

Of course, Igrelle didn’t want to become an ordinary human.

‘A beautiful human.’ Even as a demonic beast, Igrelle boasted a flamboyant and beautiful appearance.

As she transformed into a human woman, maintaining that image, she became a glamorous beauty with a curvaceous figure. Enough to make everyone stare in disbelief.

Asuka and Sian simultaneously let out sounds of suspicion and admiration.

“Is that even possible with magic?”

“So this is the magic of an Archmage.”

Helmut turned his head towards Alea. She had briefly regained consciousness, aware of the flow of magic power.

“Alea, can you do that too?”

“…Probably?”

It was an awkward answer. Even the greatest mages weren’t equally proficient in all types of magic.

In particular, there was always a field they delved into deeply, their area of expertise. Heike was the best in this area of magic, and Alea, not yet an Archmage, couldn’t fathom her magic.

‘If it were a spell on herself, maybe… but to completely change the size of such a large demonic beast…’

Alea frowned. This was no simple illusion magic. She realized anew that Heike had been called a genius before earning the title of Archmage.

If Alea and Lampione were geniuses, then so was Heike. There was no Archmage who wasn’t a genius.

Her moment of realization was brief, as Alea, her consciousness clouded by alcohol, started dozing off again.

Elaga, seemingly uncomfortable in its smaller body, took a few steps and suddenly looked up at Igrelle with unfamiliar eyes.

[Come to think of it, you’re female?]

Igrelle narrowed her eyes and asked,

“Yeah, didn’t you know?”

Igrelle was female! Elaga felt a similar sensation to when Asuka, Sian, and the others had realized Alea was female.

[No, male birds are more colorful than females.]
“I changed my appearance a bit as I grew. Towards more flamboyance.”

Igrelle ran a hand through her glossy hair as if showing off her feathers.

While it was impossible for a leopard to transform into a bird, demonic energy did influence growth.

That’s why Igrelle’s fur had such unnatural, variegated colors, and why Elaga’s fur was so uniquely white.

Heike nodded.

“That’s why the transformation was so successful. Because you already had the experience.”

[You’re not colorful as a human?]

“That would be too conspicuous, you idiot. But you’re kind of cute in that form, you know? So small I could crush you with my foot.”

Igrelle burst into laughter as she uttered cruel words. It was meant to be a provocation, but Elaga, who had willingly shrunk herself, simply nodded as if amused.

[I like it. It’s cute being small. I’ve lived my whole life being big, except when I was young.]

Sarah, clenching her fists, shouted from nearby,

“That’s right, Elaga! You’re super cute right now!”

[See?]

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!

•