Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 346 (Part 2):

Sending away the attendants, they followed Luke Yeager. After a moment, Helmut spoke up.

“And who might that be?”

It was obvious. Luke Yeager paused and, in a serious tone, began,

“Unofficially, His Majesty the King entrusts large and small affairs of state to the Second Prince. I report to His Highness the Second Prince, he gathers and judges the information, and then the Second Prince reports it all to His Majesty. The same goes for anything about you two.”

It was no surprise that Helmut would end up speaking with the Second Prince.

From Luke Yeager’s words, Helmut realized the process of handing over the throne was in full swing.

But one question remained:

“Why unofficially?”

“Because rumors about the King’s health might spread. The King of Basor has to remain ‘robust’ until the very moment he departs this world. That’s the desert’s way of kings.”

Helmut revised his thoughts—so Luke Yeager was not entirely ignorant of the King’s true condition.

“You said you wanted to tell me something. You weren’t just telling ‘Luke Yeager’ the man, right?”

Helmut answered without hesitation,

“You’re the Palma Knight Commander, and that’s inseparable from who you are.”

“I cannot do anything that would harm Basor. But I do owe you a debt. That means I can’t be completely objective. Which is why I’m not the one making the decisions.”

Though Luke Yeager possessed genius-level talent with the sword, he wasn’t equally brilliant in other fields.

If anything, the problem was that he thought too well of people. The Second Prince was certainly aware of that.

Praised as a fitting candidate for the throne, the Second Prince would complement Luke Yeager’s limited ability in judging people.

When he made the young, relatively inexperienced Luke Yeager the Palma Knight Commander, the Second Prince must have considered all that.

Helmut asked to confirm,

“So is the Second Prince on your side?”

“I’m the Palma Knight Commander. His Majesty has entrusted everything to the Second Prince, and I merely follow orders.”

“I’m asking if the Second Prince is on your side.”

Luke Yeager must have understood the difference.

“His Highness does care about me, yes.”

Luke Yeager was fair and upright. He didn’t harbor pointless ambition, nor did he flaunt authority or misuse power.

As a knight, he diligently performed his duties, staying nearly neutral.

Helmut figured that trait of his wouldn’t easily change.

He was indeed well-suited to be Commander of the Palma Knights, and he had a charm that drew people in. For the Second Prince, Luke Yeager as Knight Commander was undoubtedly an ideal arrangement.

“Does your opinion carry weight with the Second Prince?”

“He wouldn’t ignore my words. I am the Palma Knight Commander, after all. But if you think I’ll naturally take your side, that’s not going to happen. This is official business, official.”

He tried to sound dignified as he talked about “official business,” looking similar to how he had four years ago.

“By the way, your tone can come across as insolent—try not to use it in front of His Highness.”

Luke Yeager left a final stern warning.

Helmut, not entirely sure which part of his speaking manner was insolent, merely offered a vague nod.

“All right.”

Walking beside them, Alea remained silent.

*

In the dining hall they entered, a lavish feast was laid out.

Normally, the maids would attend them, but they withdrew as soon as the group arrived.

A man was already seated at the far side of the table.

“Killing the Red Scorpion four years ago, and now slaying a demonic beast that inherited the Red Scorpion’s power again after four years—should I call that coincidence or destiny?”

It was the Second Prince, whose features had changed little from four years prior, who spoke.

A swordsman, and the man who would be king—there was a distinct strength in his words and bearing.

It was obvious Luke Yeager was the stronger swordsman, yet the aura the Second Prince gave off felt more intense.

“Isn’t that right, Hyde? Or should I call you Helmut now? It’s been a long time. It’s good to see you again. Have a seat.”

“It seems everything about me has been discussed.”

Helmut and Alea, together with Luke Yeager, offered a light bow and then took their seats.

The dining table was huge, so there was a fair distance between them. However, it was enough to converse comfortably.

The seating order was the Second Prince, Luke Yeager, then Helmut and Alea. It also signified that Luke Yeager would block any attack aimed at the Second Prince.

The Second Prince answered in an easy manner,

“I’ve known for some time. The Palma Knight Commander has been looking for a boy named Helmut, who possessed outstanding swordsmanship. How else would he search? By using Basor’s intelligence network.”

Luke Yeager wore an embarrassed expression.

In other words, it couldn’t have been hidden from the start, since the intelligence agency was also in the Second Prince’s hands.

“That’s why I naturally learned about you. I even knew that you’d gone missing. I had to devote considerable thought to that.”

His words implied deeper meaning. The Second Prince’s eyes became serious.

He was the one who would inherit Basor’s throne. His contemplations could hardly be compared to Luke Yeager’s simpler thoughts.

“I must have raised some uncomfortable points. Let’s eat first. We can talk slowly.”

Despite the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Helmut and Alea began their meal without much fuss.

Even though it was Basor’s own rough style of cuisine, a royal meal was still excellent.

Alea openly used magic to check whether the food contained poison or toxins.

Her magic could detect even components that became poisonous when combined. Thankfully, there was no issue.

The Second Prince didn’t take offense to her suspicions. Watching them eat, he wore a calm expression.

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