Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 36 (Part 1):

Helmut looked over the beasts scattered around him with a hint of regret.

“Are we not collecting the demonic beasts’ corpses?”

“There’s not a whole one among them, so it seems unnecessary.”

Tanya, having barely regained her composure, surveyed the surroundings and spoke. Helmut felt a bit disappointed.

He was slightly excited after showing his strength in battle for the first time in a while. He should have fought with the value of the corpses in mind.

Phien gestured to the mercenaries, who were standing around unsure of what to do next.

“Let’s move on.”

The horses pulling the carriage were calmer than the mercenaries. The mercenaries reformed their ranks and prepared to depart.

As Helmut walked toward the back of the carriage, the mercenaries jumped like frightened rabbits at his passing.

Finn, who had been moving with Helmut out of habit, approached him tentatively.

“Uh, Helmut.”

Finn hesitated over whether to use formal speech before cautiously calling out to him.

“Why?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Finn shrugged off his concern and fell silent. Normally, he would have been chattering away at Helmut’s side, but he was unusually quiet.

It was a bit lonely, but also a relief. After all, Helmut’s ears had been suffering from Finn’s constant chatter.

In an awkward and tense atmosphere, the Pace Mercenary Corps hurriedly made their way through the forest.

“Let’s rest here for the night.”

As the sun began to set, Phien suggested stopping in a small clearing they had found. The stiff atmosphere had gradually relaxed, and conversations started to flow more easily.

They had survived an improbable situation. It was a positive turn of events. A sense of relief had eased their moods.

“They must have escaped quickly. Not even looking back.”

“They’d have more energy than us.”

“If we were massacred, they’d be next. They’d want to get out of the forest quickly.”

A campfire was soon lit, and everyone started to feed their horses. Finn, who would normally be bossing others around and dividing tasks, moved around doing things without being asked.

No one asked Helmut to do anything. He was no longer just a fourth-rank mercenary doing errands; even Phien, a second-rank mercenary, was wary of him. The pecking order had completely changed.

Sitting near the campfire in a comfortable spot, Helmut closed his eyes. It was a leisurely and peaceful moment. He could hear Finn and Tanya talking in the distance.

“We seem to have some food left over, and I saw various ingredients in the carriage. Should we make tonight’s dinner a bit more abundant to celebrate our survival?”

“Yes, but keep it moderate. We don’t want anyone getting stomach trouble.”

“I was thinking of making a broth with bones and adding plenty of meat.”

“Eating meat will help with healing injuries.”

“Does Helmut like sweet potatoes? He seems to prefer them over potatoes. He also seems to like candy, having a sweet tooth like a child…”

Tanya glanced at Helmut and nudged Finn.

“Shh!”

“Why?”

“Vis develop their senses. At his level, he can probably hear everything.”

“Eh, from this distance?”

Finn looked doubtfully in Helmut’s direction. Just then, Helmut opened his eyes and met Finn’s gaze, startling him.

“Whoa!”

“He doesn’t seem like the petty type, but be careful in the future.”

That night, Helmut got to eat five roasted sweet potatoes all to himself. He also enjoyed plenty of delicious food.

After joining the Pace Mercenary Corps, he realized that the cooking skills he had admired in Darien back in the Forest of Roots were actually quite ordinary.

For Helmut, who had mainly eaten meat and mushrooms, every dish in the human world was a luxury.

“Eat up. We still have a long way to go before we’re out of the forest. Don’t let your guard down.”

As Phien spoke, everyone devoured their food as if possessed. It had been a while since they had enjoyed a meal in such a relaxed mood.

With Helmut around, demonic beasts were no longer a threat. Not a single one dared to come near after their massacre.

Conversations drifted towards Helmut.

“Wow, it really feels like we’re going to survive.”

“It’s like having a carpet laid out beneath us. Both our bellies and hearts are full.”

“I wonder if mercenary corps with first-rank mercenaries always feel this way?”

“Finn, go refill his bowl. It’s empty.”

“Ah, so now it’s ‘his’?”

“The hierarchy among mercenaries is based on strength, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Helmut chewed on his sweet potato, enjoying its rich and sweet flavor.

Caught gossiping, Finn nervously refilled the empty bowl. The realization that his strength provided comfort to others was a novel feeling, but not an unwelcome one.

That night, the Pace Mercenary Corps enjoyed a peaceful night for the first time in days.

“We’re on the right track.”

Tanya squinted at the ground, following the trail of the party ahead.

After a good rest, everyone was eager to move on.

The conflict with the Tariq Mercenary Corps, the continuous struggle with beasts, being abandoned.

Everyone wanted to quickly conclude this unsightly and burdensome mission.

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