Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 32 (Part 2):

Since it was known that the monkey beast had chased them this far, they couldn’t spend any more time in that place. It seemed everyone had lost their sleep.

Two 3rd-rank and one 4th-rank mercenaries. The creature had single-handedly killed three mercenaries. It was enough to instill a sense of alarm.

The order to depart immediately was given.

“We’re going to force march, so refrain from dueling or training and conserve your energy. We’ve decided to leave the forest as quickly as possible.”

Everyone nodded gravely at Phien’s words. The preparations were almost complete. They would be departing soon.

“Hey, Helmut.”

Finn sneakily approached and poked Helmut’s side. Well, he tried to.

But when Helmut swiftly dodged, Finn clicked his tongue and clung to him, saying,

“Hey, troublemaker. From now on, I’m sticking to you day and night. You won’t be able to do anything else.”

‘You’ll be safe then.’

Even as he thought this, a wave of annoyance washed over him. Now he would have to drag Finn around all day.

From the way it sounded, sneaking out for night training would be difficult.

If he got caught sneaking out while they were supposed to be asleep, Tanya would give him an earful.

“You really, why would you think to walk into that pitch-dark forest? You’re not afraid at all.”

“You’re just scared.”

“If it were me, I’d just do my business in any corner, hoping the Tariq Mercenary Corps guys would step on it.”

Finn laughed mischievously, then glanced at the Tariq Mercenary Corps and whispered in Helmut’s ear.

“Honestly, I’m glad Kelop ended up that way. Really, it’s bad to say this about someone who died, but I’ve been wishing every night that he’d get taken down by a beast. Guess my wish came true.”

His wish, too timid to enact vengeance himself, was modest.

Whether this was a common thought among boys his age, Helmut, who had never encountered peers before, couldn’t tell.

But it was clear that Finn was both timid and a coward.

“You’re still alive, at least. A hero of reversal, surviving even after encountering a demonic beast! You must’ve used up all your luck for a lifetime.”

Finn laughed, wrapping his arm around Helmut’s neck. The contact made Helmut uncomfortable, so he pushed Finn away.

“Let go.”

But Finn was used to being pushed away by Helmut. He always had that haughty look about him.

“How did it feel seeing that thing in the dark? Didn’t you think you were done for? Hey, I thought I was going to faint when I saw it standing there with a human heart in its hand. My legs were shaking.”

Finn was seriously saying he would’ve fainted if he had been told to fight the monkey beast.

If he had seen Naho’s form in the Forest of Roots, he might have died of a heart attack immediately.

“Well, not really.”

“Acting all cool. You didn’t pee yourself, did you?”

‘This guy, not sure if he has the qualities of a mercenary, but he definitely lacks the qualities of a knight.’

But Helmut decided to hold his tongue. Complaining would only annoy Finn.

Finn was in charge of meals. Even with simple ingredients at a campsite, he could create a variety of delicious dishes. This gave him some power, albeit temporarily.

During meal times, regardless of what Finn said, everyone kept their mouths shut.

It even crossed Helmut’s mind that maybe the Pace Mercenary Corps brought Finn along just for this purpose.

He was more than worth his pay as a cook.

Seizing the moment, Helmut mentioned,

“I got more reward money. They’re giving me Kelop’s share.”

“Wow, lucky you. After all that nagging, he turned out to be useful. You’re going to treat me, right?”

“Treat?”

“Yeah, after we finish the quest, in the village. Let’s secretly have some drinks. People keep saying we’re not of age and won’t let us drink.”

Their whispering attracted a shadow. Helmut pretended not to notice. Soon, a heavy fist landed. Snap!

“Ouch!”

Finn cried out, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Leading a perfectly good kid astray! This kid, we’re still a long way from finishing the quest, and he’s already thinking about drinking!”

“Ta, Tanya…”

With Tanya glaring daggers at him, Finn held his head. She gestured sharply.

“We’re leaving, let’s go!”

Finn grumbled but followed her command. Helmut joined them.

*

“Why do monsters attack so frequently.”

Finn, having become accustomed to hiding under the carriage, muttered with a sickened expression.

The sound of fierce fighting could be heard outside. It was a sound they had been listening to all day.

Not long after their departure, they were attacked. After repelling one attack and setting off, another group of creatures would attack.

Without a moment’s rest, the mercenaries were constantly fighting off the assaulting beasts.

Helmut and Finn didn’t need to be told to hide under the carriage anymore.

“Have all the forest’s monsters gathered here?”

“Maybe.”

Helmut answered leisurely. Once he decided to hide his strength to avoid connecting himself with the Forest of Roots, the itching to fight subsided.

He would step up if absolutely necessary, but not now.

The presence of magical energy outside indicated they were only small fries. The mercenaries should be able to handle them.

“There were no attacks before that monkey beast appeared, right? Did the families of the beasts we killed come for revenge?”

A creative thought. Helmut looked at Finn with a disparaging eye.

Finn, focused on the sounds outside, seemed not to notice Helmut’s gaze.

A sharp screech nearby made Finn jerk and move his head frantically.

“It seems like a movement to tire us out.”

A smart monkey beast. Its magical energy could be felt from a distance.

It roamed around the mercenaries without engaging directly. Choosing not to attack was a decision for more efficient combat.

Sending minions continuously. The tense humans wouldn’t be able to rest properly.

It would appear to deal with the humans when they were exhausted. Not a difficult plan to come up with.

In the Forest of Roots, demonic beasts rarely struggle against humans, but they don’t always charge head-on when fighting among themselves.

It seemed the monkey beast had experience dealing with humans. Finn turned to Helmut belatedly.

“Uh, what? What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Would anyone notice that obvious plan? But even if they did, what could they do?

They couldn’t just march into the forest to hunt down the monkey beast.

‘It won’t fight me for now.’

It was wary of Helmut. And the three 2nd-rank mercenaries who had faced it directly would be on its mind.

The mercenaries were loyal to their task. They faced the enemy, protected the wagons, and moved forward. It was an inevitable flow.

Helmut observed quietly within this flow. To him, it was a boring journey for him.

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