Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 340 (Part 1):

Sabbat Rugal. A name long disconnected from Greta Academy. Few graduates would remember him.

Four years ago, he had tried to harass Helmut, who transferred to the academy at the same time, simply because he was a commoner. Instead, he was thoroughly defeated by Helmut and left Greta Academy, practically running away.

To Asuka, he was little more than a blurry, almost forgotten figure.

And truly, four years was a long time—long enough to forget petty grudges.

But nobles, as a breed, had a peculiar trait: Once their bellies are full and their livelihood secured, they had the leisure to remember and nurse even the smallest of grievances.

Sabbat Rugal, having graduated from the Imperial Academy to which he had transferred, now had ample time to contemplate revenge.

Moreover, Sabbat was the sort of man who never forgot a grudge once held.

For four years, he had brooded, chewing on the bitter memory of his first humiliating defeat—an experience that had been seared into his soul.

The fear he had felt during that moment had faded, leaving behind only the shame, humiliation, and smoldering rage of having been bested by a mere commoner.

‘I lost everything because of that bastard!’

When he first transferred to Greta Academy, Sabbat Rugal had been a talented and promising swordsman, standing out even among his peers.

But after being defeated by Helmut, he somehow became timid, his movements dulled.

Sabbat Rugal’s swordsmanship lost its edge.

Whenever even slightly dangerous situations arose, his mind would go blank, and terror would flood in.

It had taken him years to overcome the psychological scars of that incident.

As a result, the talent for which he had been recognized at Greta Academy had never fully manifested, and he had to settle for graduating from the Imperial Academy instead.

Though he worked hard to polish his skills at the Imperial Academy and achieved a respectable level of swordsmanship, he believed that he would have gained far greater recognition had he stayed at Greta Academy.

He had lost so much. The true reason for his departure from Greta Academy was whispered about, even at the Imperial Academy.

The tale was that he had tried to oppress a commoner, only to be defeated and forced to flee. Though this wasn’t a major scandal in aristocratic circles, it had tarnished his reputation.

Sabbat’s father, who had once proudly boasted of his son, now avoided mentioning his name in public.

Now, Sabbat Rugal was just another graduate among many.

Graduating from the Imperial Academy was no small feat—it still marked him as a capable individual.

The Swordsmanship Department at the Imperial Academy, while not as prestigious as Greta’s, was still well-regarded.

But for someone who had once been recognized for his potential at Greta Academy, mere mediocrity was unacceptable.

‘Helmut.’

Sabbat Rugal obsessively chewed on that name. Jerome, who had come to the Imperial Academy with him, felt the same way.

‘Asuka.’

Jerome, too, harbored a deep grudge. How could he forget the humiliation of being covered in vomit and rolling around in it before a crowd?

Like Sabbat, Jerome had struggled with similar issues and was forced to graduate from the Imperial Academy with diminished prospects.

Together, they reminded each other of their shared disgrace, ensuring the memory never faded.

‘Once we graduate from the academy!’

The two had transferred to the Imperial Academy. Causing trouble here would only disappoint their families further.

Even if they wanted to act out, Greta Academy was far away, and plotting during school breaks wasn’t feasible. Revenge had to wait until after graduation.

However, Sabbat Rugal heard some news. It was unwelcome news he hadn’t wished for.

Helmut had left Greta Academy. He had disappeared after winning the Academy’s swordsmanship tournament.

Sabbat Rugal mobilized his family’s resources to search for him. He couldn’t bear to lose his target for revenge.

But Helmut had vanished without a trace.

‘That damned rat!’

Sabbat ground his teeth in frustration, seething with rage and resentment that kept him awake at night.

Had Helmut fled Greta Academy because he knew his place as a commoner? Surely, a man like him would have made many enemies.

Perhaps, having turned so many nobles against him, he feared the consequences.

Unable to locate Helmut, Sabbat had no choice but to give up.

But another target remained: Asuka. After Sabbat and Jerome left Greta Academy, Asuka had reportedly become close friends with Helmut.

An arrogant commoner with a foul mouth. He was also Jerome’s enemy.

So Sabbat and Jerome turned their attention to Asuka. They would make him grovel, lick their boots, and beg for his life.

And when he lay weeping like a worm, they would put him out of his misery.

Once Asuka graduated from Greta Academy and left Baden, they would strike. He was just a commoner, after all, and no longer a student.

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