Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 33 (Part 1):

Only when night fell did the attacks subside, allowing the mercenaries to finally rest.

After cutting down trees and setting up a simple camp surrounded by them, the mercenaries sat around a campfire they had lit.

Roughly ten attacks had occurred throughout the day.

Without the manpower to collect the bodies, earning extra income was out of reach. Only the sensation of slicing through monster fur remained in their hands.

The relentless attacks had them snacking on jerky and bread for lunch. Hunger gnawed at them.

The mercenaries of the Pace Mercenary Corps were usually jovial, but today, they were unusually quiet, conserving their energy for speech.

Finn noticed the subdued atmosphere as well.

Permission to fetch water was denied, so their meal consisted of thick meat soup made from stored water, into which they dipped bread, accompanied by roasted eggs. Finn had prepared it, so at least the taste was decent.

Everyone ate silently, as if to replenish their strength.

Phien, with dark circles under his eyes from fatigue, was eating soup when Tanya whispered to him,

“How much further do we have to go?”

As a second-rank mercenary and leader of the corps, Phien was Tanya’s most trusted brother and a steadfast comrade who supported him.

Since their opinions often aligned, they usually took on requests together.

“If it’s this forest, we still have four more days before reaching the outskirts.”

“The problem is tomorrow. At this rate, everyone will be physically exhausted.”

“That’s true. I’m not sure what will happen starting tonight, especially since Maros injured his leg.”

“It’s not a severe injury, but it will affect our fighting capability. We’ll have to pair him with Uter, who has an injured arm.”

Monsters are more active at night.

It seemed they retreated at dusk, but based on past patterns, a peaceful night was unlikely.

Tanya frowned.

“Our fourth-rank mercenaries might also have to fight. I saw earlier that the Tariq Mercenary Corps was planning to arm even their fourth-rank mercenaries.”

“Can Finn handle it?”

It was a mistake to bring him here thinking it would be safe since it was a mission that involved a large number of mercenaries.

Monsters don’t take hostages, so they thought it would be less dangerous than missions involving humans.

So far, Finn had not encountered danger, but the coming days were a concern.

They were unsure if they could afford to fight while keeping an eye on the wagons.

“I should be able to protect myself. I don’t expect more than that.”

“Helmut should be fine. He’s brave, decent with the sword, and seems almost fully recovered from his injuries.”

“Helmut is…”

Tanya hesitated, about to mention something she observed but then shook her head, dismissing it as a misperception. She spoke again,

“Since they stick together, Helmut should be able to look after Finn. They plan to place them inside, close to the wagons.”

“Helmut’s calm demeanor will have a good influence on calming Finn down.”

“Then we should talk to those two.”

“I’ll do it.”

“You lads, from tomorrow, it’s the real deal.”

Phien appeared while they were burying trash to avoid attracting smells and tapped Helmut and Finn on the head.

Helmut, with his keen hearing, didn’t react much.

But Finn’s eyes bulged as if he’d heard they were diving into ice water.

“What? The real deal?”

“Yes, with the situation as it is, Miles decided to pay the mercenary group an additional fee. You two need to earn your keep. The third ranks have been rolling in dirt all day.”

“If that big one shows up…”

Finn glanced around, apprehensive.

“Don’t be silly! No one’s going to match you up with that kind of beast. If you were to face that thing, our mercenary corps would be in dire straits.”

Phien inwardly smiled bitterly. It was a relief no one had died so far.

The anxiety of potentially being wiped out lingered.

They had to make use of any available manpower since they couldn’t afford to spare anyone.

“Finn, go to Tanya. She’ll check your stance.”

Phien gestured towards Tanya, and Finn, nervously adjusting his sword belt, ran to her.

To Helmut, who had finished burying the trash, Phien, with crossed arms, said,

“Helmut, come here for a moment.”

“Yes.”

“You need to keep an eye on Finn. Not that we want you in danger, but move together. You’ll be placed inside, so fight with the wagon at your back.”

“Yes, I will.”

Finn had dodged a monster’s attack while collecting its corpse. Though he seemed to chatter incessantly, his movements were as nimble as his tongue.

He had a natural survival instinct, so even if he couldn’t fight off a beast, he was good at avoiding them.

“I think the beasts will keep attacking us until we leave this forest. It’ll be hard to get a good night’s sleep for a while. I know you’ve been practicing with your sword at night, but you should refrain for now.”

‘Did he notice?’

Perhaps he had noticed Helmut’s absence from his bed at night. It seemed he hadn’t noticed the secret training with Vis.

Helmut nodded.

“Yes.”

“I feel bad about giving you such a dangerous task when you’re new to our corps. But I know you’ve had some sword training. You’re prepared and calm. You seem confident in your skills.”

Phien smiled faintly.

“You’ll do well. This will be a good experience for you, so stay calm and collected, understand?”

He patted Helmut’s shoulder as if to reassure him. It seemed that he called to encourage the fourth-rank mercenary who would fight a demonic best for the first time, or that’s what he thought.

Helmut had likely faced more monsters than any other member of the corps.

The thought was somewhat absurd, but not unpleasant.

This sibling duo had been kind to him. They had rescued him without expecting anything in return, treated his injuries, and welcomed him into the mercenary corps. He owed them a lot.

Even though Helmut was just a fourteen-year-old boy, their kindness was far from ordinary.

Was this what Darien referred to as the warmth of humanity? It felt as if the seed of darkness in a corner of his heart was melting away, reducing in size.

But he couldn’t let his guard down. Helmut could never be like them as long as he harbored that dark seed.

He was a human who had survived being abandoned in the Forest of Roots. Helmut must never forget that.

If there are humans who show kindness without reason, there are also those filled with malice without reason, like Kelop.

He must be content with understanding humanity through his mind alone.

“Let’s do our best.”

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