Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 36 (Part 2):

A large group leaves traces. Especially in a dense forest, their passage was clearly marked. Broken branches and trampled grass were everywhere.

“They might have already reached the edge of the forest. If they traveled through the night without stopping.”

“If everything goes according to plan, they’ll rest at the first village outside the forest. Maybe we’ll catch up with them then?”

“They’ll probably be shocked to see us alive. They’ll think they’ve seen ghosts.”

“Old Miles will probably be more concerned about how much it’ll cost to keep us quiet.”

“Merchants are all the same.”

“We won’t let the Tariq bastards off easily, for real.”

“They thought we were weak because we’ve been quiet so far.”

“They wanted us to keep it down because we were outnumbered.”

“Phien said he’d dock our pay if we caused any trouble.”

Phien coughed awkwardly at becoming the target of the conversation.

“I knew we should have just attacked that Kelop bastard when he messed with our guys. We just held back for nothing.”

“That bastard’s dead, though.”

“Well, he got what he deserved. Three of them died, and we all survived. How about that?”

“I honestly thought Maros was a goner. I’ve been expecting him to drop dead since he hurt his leg so clumsily. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.”

“What are you talking about, you idiot!”

Maros, targeted by Sean’s comment, playfully swung his sheathed sword at him. Finn frowned.

“Ah, stop the chatter. We haven’t even finished the mission yet.”

“We don’t have any cargo to protect anymore.”

All that was left was a single food cart. They all looked bitterly at the cart, having been abandoned by their client due to betrayal.

“Huh? What’s this?”

Helmut suddenly quickened his pace. Moving from the back of the cart to the front, he stared intently into the shaded area ahead.

Feeling the unusual atmosphere, the chattering mercenaries turned their attention to Helmut.

“Do you sense something?”

“Is it nearby?”

Helmut crisply announced after reading the air.

“There’s a fight going on.”

“A fight? An attack by beasts?”

“Yes, I can feel the magical energy gathering. And that leader is there too.”

It seemed the persistent one had changed its target.

Since it couldn’t touch Helmut’s group, it attacked the humans ahead. The desire to kill humans was palpable, fueled by the loss of many minions.

“That big one that looks like a monkey, right?”

“How far away is it?”

Tanya asked, filled with regret. Even if the Tariq Mercenary Corps suffered, it would be problematic if the people from the Butan Trading Company were massacred.

They could only receive their reward if Miles was alive. A mercenary corps that lost its client would have nothing to say.

It would even risk being blamed for abandoning the client and running away.

Helmut tilted his head and responded.

“If we keep up this pace, about an hour.”

“Wait, you’re sensing something happening an hour away?”

Phien widened his eyes in disbelief. Helmut replied as if it was nothing significant.

“If we hurry, we can reduce that time. The Tariq Mercenary Corps should be able to hold on until we arrive.”

Phien nodded, understanding the unspoken implication.

“Let’s hurry. We need to secure the client and the cargo!”

“Yes!”

The relaxed atmosphere tightened up. The distance was not as far as they thought.

It seemed the group ahead had made their way through the untamed forest, while the Pace Mercenary Corps had followed a more beaten path, not making much difference in progress.

A tense battle was about to begin again.

“Left side, maintain the formation!”

“Forget the wounded! There’s no time to care for them.”

“Get a grip!”

The Tariq Mercenary Corps was in chaos. A monkey-like monster dropped from above, instantly killing two third-rank mercenaries.

As panic and fear took the lead, the morale of the Tariq Mercenary Corps wavered.

Paul, the representative of the Tariq Mercenary Corps and a second-rank mercenary, clenched his teeth.

‘Damned, it’s only been a day.’

It seemed to him that the Pace Mercenary Corps hadn’t put up much of a fight and were massacred.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible for such a large number of monsters to catch up and attack all at once.

‘Useless fools!’

Paul’s gaze swept towards the carriage.

The monkey beast, munching on a heart it had plucked out, watched from a distance with leisure, enjoying the scene.

Several mercenaries’ legs trembled at the sight.

‘If only we could deal with that one.’

As a second-rank mercenary, he had to do something. He and Max would have to break through the monsters to attack it. Was it a feasible plan?

‘It was tough even with three of us.’

The absence of Phien, presumed dead, was regrettable for the first time.

‘Was abandoning the Pace Mercenary Corps a mistake?’

Had they fought together, despite some sacrifices, they could have dealt with the beasts.

It was a good opportunity to eliminate troublesome members, but they hadn’t anticipated the monsters would pursue so relentlessly.

Paul schemed coldly like a snake, seeking ways to survive the situation, but found none suitable.

His thoughts drifted to a last resort.

‘Maybe we should just run?’

He and Max, both second-rank mercenaries, could escape. If they abandoned the carriage and ran with all their might, they could reach the forest’s edge in half a day.

Survival was possible. What did the mission matter if they could live?

If he survived alone after a total massacre, he would be branded a coward, but a tarnished reputation could be restored with skill later. Death was irreversible.

For a second-rank mercenary, there would always be those who wanted them. It was a foolish mission from the start.

“Argh!”

Another third-rank mercenary fell. Their numbers were dwindling. Soon, it might be too late to escape. A decision had to be made.

Mercenaries are individualistic. While skilled mercenaries lead, they don’t take responsibility for every subordinate’s life. One’s survival primarily depends on oneself.

Though the Pace Mercenary Corps had strict rules and their leader took on more responsibility, making their reputation particularly good, it meant other mercenary groups were not as responsible.

Paul raised his voice with clenched teeth.

“Hey, Max!”

“Paul.”

Their eyes met, and they understood each other’s intentions through their gaze. Max was also considering escape. He nodded immediately.

“Scatter!”

Paul shouted and ran in one direction, with Max following close behind to cover his back.

The others were just dead weight. The only ones they could trust were each other.

Otaku_Tensei

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