Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 375 (Part 1):

They had arrived at the location where the targets were set up.

“Huh?”

Asuka’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Although his memory for people wasn’t particularly outstanding, it varied depending on who the person was. Especially if it was someone he held a grudge against.

The Crown Prince gestured subtly with his chin and asked, “Do you remember?”

Two noble boys, guided by maids, stood before them. Both had clean, handsome appearances and gave off the air of scholarly types, as if they carried the scent of paper.

Both were around the same age as Helmut and Asuka. Undoubtedly, they were from prestigious noble families.

‘Is this my father’s doing? I didn’t expect to see these guys here.’

Asuka slowly scanned their faces. Then, with a smirk, he spat out, “I know you. Aren’t you my old childhood friends? Of course, we were only close for a very short time.”

Unpleasant memories and emotions began to surface. Asuka’s gaze turned cold.

“It’s been a long time, Asuka. I’m Levi from the Moran Marquess family.”

“And I’m Anthony from the Logos Count family. We heard you graduated top of your class from the swordsmanship department at Greta Academy and returned to the Empire. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Despite Asuka’s cold reaction, they greeted him with utmost politeness.

Their smiles were cultured and refined, exuding an air of calmness that suggested they had never raised their voices in their lives, having been groomed to maintain such composure since birth.

However, there was an awkwardness in their smiles. Unlike Asuka, who remained composed upon seeing them, they were visibly shaken.

For them, their friendship with Asuka had been a rare ‘failure.’

As nobles who had lived their entire lives in social circles, being disliked by a member of the imperial family—especially the only son of Grand Duke Farnese, the Emperor’s younger brother and a man of immense power—was a significant blow.

In the Empire, connections with the imperial family held immense weight.

Realistically, the Crown Prince and other imperial princes were too old to befriend, and their circles were already filled with noblemen.

Asuka’s friendship had been an opportunity for them—a chance to get closer to the center of power.

What had happened back then was a mistake born of their youth and ignorance of Asuka’s unique upbringing.

But now, the opportunity had returned.

Whether the Crown Prince had summoned them to give them another chance was unclear, but they had to make up for their past mistakes.

“Top of my class? Say it properly. I was the top graduate of Greta Academy’s swordsmanship department,” Asuka declared proudly, puffing out his chest. It wasn’t something that could be simply lumped under ‘excellent grades.’

“I was also top of my class,” Helmut interjected calmly. With just that one sentence, Asuka’s confidence wavered slightly, and all eyes turned to him.

“This is…?”

“A friend from my academy days. Don’t ask for details.”

Asuka considered introducing Helmut as a commoner to gauge their reactions but swallowed the impulse.

Helmut, the legitimate son of the Grand Duke of Renosa, couldn’t be called a commoner.

And even if he didn’t introduce him as such, Helmut didn’t look like one.

There was an overwhelming pressure about him that couldn’t be described simply as ‘noble.’

“Keep your mouths shut about the person you met here today and the conversation you had. If word gets out, there will be severe consequences,” the Crown Prince instructed, solidifying the impression that Helmut was no ordinary person.

Perhaps he was royalty from another country or something similar. With his black hair, maybe from Renosa? But the Grand Duke of Renosa’s only son was blond. Could he be a bastard?

However, no such rumors had circulated in the Empire’s social circles, which were quick to spread gossip.

The two nobles’ minds raced.

“Where’s the other one?” Asuka suddenly asked, staring at them intently. The noble children he used to associate with were a group of three. And the one who had caused the incident back then… He remembered clearly. The boy who had filled Asuka with shock, anger, and disgust wasn’t one of these two.

“Ah, are you referring to Gwen? He…” The Crown Prince, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

“He assaulted a maid who gave him wrong directions and was banned from the imperial palace for three years. That was about half a year ago. It was an order from His Majesty the Emperor himself, so unfortunately, we couldn’t bring him here today.”

Asuka thought it would have been quite entertaining to see him grab Gwen by the collar. For someone like the Crown Prince, who lived a highly regimented life, such a spectacle would have been a delightful diversion.

Asuka’s curt remark prompted Levi to avert his gaze slightly. However, Anthony responded with respectful composure.

“It may have been too early to judge the shape of the sapling. People can change as they grow.”

“That’s only true if they’re placed in an environment that allows for change.”

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