Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 339 (Part 1): The Beginning of Change

Latona of Renosa. An office steeped in old-world elegance.

A young man, barely past boyhood, sat before a desk piled high with documents.

His snow-white face still retained some baby fat, giving him a youthful appearance.

Long hair was a privilege reserved for those of noble birth. His golden hair, which fell past his shoulders, was neatly tied back.

His fine, well-proportioned features held an aristocratic and androgynous charm, while his blue-rimmed eyes were clear and bright.

Basking in the sunlight streaming through the window, he looked almost angelic.

A kind and merciful angel.

Anyone easily swayed by appearances would never doubt his true nature.

However, those who served him closely knew exactly what kind of person he was.

In the bloodline of Renosa, no angel could exist.

‘I’m still alive.’

Michael held his hand up to the sunlight, examining it with curiosity.

Though this was a feeling he experienced daily, today felt somewhat different.

His pale skin and delicate hands, which had rarely held anything heavier than a quill pen, were noticeably beautiful.

His androgynous appearance with fine features actually stemmed from his frailty.

Michael was sickly. He had spent his entire life bedridden.

Death always loomed under his bed, waiting with its mouth wide open.

It seemed he had only one option: to eventually fall into that waiting mouth.

Every human faces death eventually.

But for Michael, death was a constant, visible presence. He had grown up staring into its abyss.

Strangely, the more he became aware of death, the more something took root within him.

If he was going to die anyway, he wanted to possess more. Anything he could have.

Michael was greedy. The dead cannot desire.

Michael did his utmost to obtain what he wanted. That was his life, his driving force.

And so, Michael had survived until this day. Without falling into death’s mouth.

If Michael had been a docile child who lay helplessly in bed waiting for death, he would never have survived.

Thus, Michael felt justified.

No matter what he did. For a living being to pursue life was only natural, and nothing could take precedence over survival.

‘Have I come more than halfway now?’

While his competitor Charlotte was away at Greta Academy, Michael had steadily built his position in Renosa.

He was clever and knew how to handle people, so his inability to wield a sword wasn’t a significant flaw compared to his strengths.

Michael was such an outstanding talent that even the master swordsman Grand Duke had to acknowledge him.

Even if Charlotte had competed with him at full force, Michael didn’t think he would lose.

However, since he could never become an excellent swordsman, he had no choice but to be wary of Charlotte, who had achieved what was impossible for him.

It was a talent highly valued by the Grand Duke of Renosa.

Yet she was too upright and righteous to be suitable for the position of Grand Duke.

Michael was patient and meticulous. He kept watching Charlotte. Never once taking her lightly.

It would be careless to lose sight of his only competitor just because she currently showed no interest in competing.

Michael would not let go of his vigilance toward her until the moment he ascended to become the Grand Duke of Renosa.

However, Charlotte had recently shown unexpected movements. Michael had to ponder about this for quite a while.

‘She’s been quiet these past few years.’

As he sat tapping his desk, lost in thought, there came a sudden knock. Tap tap!

“Come in.”

“Your Highness Michael.”

A man entered and bowed his head, and Michael cast his gaze upon him. Though a slight movement, it carried weight.

A smile appeared on Michael’s lips as if painted there.

“Sinus, I heard Charlotte has returned to Greta Academy.”

“Yes, she is currently going through the re-enrollment procedures.”

“Though less than half the semester has passed, it’s been quite a long time. I wonder what she’s been doing all this while, and where?”

Michael’s interest in Charlotte was greater than she likely realized.

No matter how quietly she lived, Michael always maintained perfect vigilance.

There was no way Michael wouldn’t have noticed her absence from Greta Academy.

He had discovered this fact barely three days after the semester began. But until now, he had merely been observing the situation.

‘If Charlotte had been captured by someone, that would be different, but there were no signs of resistance.’

“Because she moved using magic, we couldn’t track her whereabouts. Judging by the amount of magical power scattered around, she seems to have traveled quite a distance, but even our mages couldn’t determine the direction.”

“This is why mages are such a headache.”

Michael clicked his tongue. When people move, they always leave traces. No matter how hard they try to erase them.

But mages were different. They could traverse space, and mages couldn’t read magic from those more skilled than themselves.

This made tracking an Archmage nearly impossible. Michael, who wasn’t the Grand Duke of Renosa, had limited access to mages.

‘It wasn’t a low-level mage. For her to receive such support… she hasn’t wasted her time at Greta Academy.’

Charlotte had seemed uninterested in connections.

But perhaps that was just how she appeared. After all, everyone she associated with closely was exceptionally skilled.

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