Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 365 (Part 1):

The Crown Prince was witnessing the skills of his cousin, whom he had been curious about, with his own eyes.

Asuka’s Vis dyed the air with a vivid blue light. Each time the manifested Vis cut through the air, blood splattered.

“Kuaaak!”

With a scream, an assassin fell, and Asuka mercilessly kicked him.

*Thud!* It seemed that his blood was boiling after returning from the Forest of Roots. Fortunately, these were opponents who deserved no mercy.

Assassins were beings who couldn’t exert their full power in such an exposed space.

These intruders were more like well-trained swordsmen than mere assassins. That made them even more troublesome opponents.

Asuka’s movements were animalistically fast. Before they could form a proper formation, two more intruders had already fallen.

The one who strikes first usually has the advantage.

The intruders were momentarily thrown into chaos. They were caught between the imperial knights in front and Asuka behind.

Asuka muttered to himself after confirming that the one he had cut down was dead.

“Ah, right. I need to keep someone alive to find out who’s behind this.”

The opponents flinched.

Asuka didn’t know if this was the work of the Temple. After all, the Crown Prince was someone who naturally had many enemies.

It could also be the doing of another nation, so it was too early to jump to conclusions.

He needed to keep at least one alive to interrogate and find out who had sent them.

But the situation wasn’t going smoothly. The momentarily panicked enemies quickly regained their formation.

From afar, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. Coincidentally, it wasn’t the sound of the imperial knights.

Asuka frowned.

“Huh? More are coming?”

About a dozen or so. It seemed they had formed a perimeter to prevent the Crown Prince from escaping or calling for help from the imperial palace.

They must have intervened after receiving a signal when things went awry. They were coming from the opposite direction of where Asuka had arrived.

“Move aside, you bastards!”

Asuka roughly pushed through the intruders and made his way in. He saw the imperial knights standing around the Crown Prince.

Unintentionally, his true thoughts slipped out.

“All I see are weaklings. No wonder you’re struggling.”

Most of the imperial knights were low-ranking, with only a few years of experience.

In the midst of this, the expressions of the imperial knights, who had just been insulted by a newcomer, twisted in frustration.

But the skill Asuka had just displayed was astonishing. For now, he was their greatest asset.

Asuka, who had assessed the surroundings on his way here, immediately spoke to the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, seize the opportunity and make a run for the library with one of them. Staying here won’t help at all. The rest will block the entrance.”

His tone had become even more disrespectful. In the heat of battle, the Crown Prince’s status didn’t matter.

To him, the Crown Prince was just a “weakling who needed protection.”

The Crown Prince suppressed his irritation and nodded.

“Alright.”

While magic could be used outside, it wouldn’t be possible inside the imperial library.

The imperial library was a treasure trove of magic, coveted by all mages. It wasn’t uncommon for mages to attempt to sneak in.

Because of this, it was as thoroughly protected by magic as the emperor’s quarters.

The interior was like a maze. The Crown Prince, who frequented the place, was familiar with its layout, but the assassins wouldn’t be.

Moreover, the imperial library had secret rooms and passages that only the emperor, empress, and Crown Prince could access.

Once inside, they could ensure their safety.

The battle resumed. The assassins, now reinforced by additional numbers, formed a formation and pressed them.

It was well past midnight. Unless someone like Asuka had a reason to head to the imperial library, no one else would be coming.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The sound of clashing swords echoed through the air.

Yet, despite the life-and-death struggle, only faint sounds could be heard, as if muffled.

Amidst this, the Crown Prince and one imperial knight watched the situation with tense expressions.

Asuka gave the signal.

“Now, go!”

At Asuka’s shout, the knight grabbed the Crown Prince’s arm.

“Let’s move, Your Highness!”

This was no time to worry about propriety.

The knight and the Crown Prince quickly made their way to the library. The intruders couldn’t pursue them.

Asuka and the remaining imperial knights swiftly formed a line to block the path to the library.

“You think numbers matter? It’ll just take a little more time, and you guys getting killed is just a matter of time.”

Asuka confidently declared after confirming that the Crown Prince and the knight had entered the library.

Now that the burden was gone, he could focus on fighting and eliminating them.

A murderous aura emanated from the intruders. They glared at Asuka with sharp eyes, as if they wanted to tear him apart.

Asuka realized one thing.

‘These guys, even though their target has escaped, they haven’t lost their will to fight.’

Seeing them fight so desperately, they weren’t mere thugs like Black Hawk, who fought for money.

There was a sense of determination and a kind of sense of mission emanating from the masked intruders.

They seemed determined to complete this mission, even at the cost of their lives.

Even if he had spared them, it wouldn’t have been easy to get them to talk. They would’ve likely taken their own lives before any interrogation could begin.

‘What kind of people are they, targeting the Crown Prince? Hmm, could it be?’

A certain blind, mission-driven group came to mind.

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