Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 377 (Part 1):

Following the Crown Prince, Asuka’s old friends took their shots and ended up with a slightly lower score than before—7 points.

Archery requires absolute steadiness at the moment the arrow is released, so it reflects one’s psychological state with stark clarity.

Even those who normally didn’t worry about the Crown Prince’s mood couldn’t help but be affected when he was this upset.

Returning to the line, Asuka scored 7 points. For him, however, that was higher than his previous score.

He did have a basic knack for it. But it was still true that he was the strongest candidate for last place.

After a brief silence, the cunning Asuka considered his words, then spoke up.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince isn’t so petty—no, I mean, so narrow-minded—as to hold a grudge just because someone did better than him. Thankfully, we can all give it our best shot, right? Let’s all aim for first place and do our best. As for the struggle for last place, it will be between us royals, we can handle that ourselves!”

The Crown Prince immediately let out a fierce reproach.

“Asuka, be silent!”

“But I was just saying we should all do our best…”

Asuka grinned from ear to ear as he tossed those words out, scratching at the Crown Prince’s nerves. For the briefest moment, the Crown Prince managed to suppress something within himself before speaking again in a subdued tone.

“From now on, until the competition is over, I will not permit a single word from you. That is an order.”

Under the Crown Prince’s fierce glare, Asuka pouted and turned away.

But as he turned, a sly smile lingered on his lips.

It’s never easy for a subordinate to remain unaffected when their superior is visibly displeased.

Especially when that superior is none other than the Crown Prince.

‘That guy will definitely ruin the competition.’

If that happened, Asuka might be able to avoid last place. His words had instantly created a strange tension in the air.

Currently, the most likely candidates for last place were the Crown Prince, who had made a mistake, and Asuka.

While the Crown Prince might hope for Asuka to end up last, if the Crown Prince himself were to take the last spot due to his shaken composure, it would be something no one present—except Asuka and Helmut—would want.

Asuka’s words had successfully rattled the knights. The thought of the Crown Prince declaring his own punishment if he ended up last was, for some reason, terrifying.

The royal knights were fiercely loyal. They hadn’t intentionally performed poorly.

It was just that their shaken focus was reflected in their shots.

“What’s this, 1 point? Seriously.”

As scores of 1, 2, and 3 points—far lower than before—came in succession, the Crown Prince raised an eyebrow.

He was a man who couldn’t tolerate being deliberately let off the hook, as it wounded his pride.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“N-not at all, Your Highness. The wind’s stronger than before, and I lost my aim for a moment.”

One of the knights hastily explained. While it wasn’t as strong as when Helmut had shot his arrow, there was indeed a fairly strong wind blowing around them.

The Crown Prince spoke as if issuing a warning.

“Focus properly. You were all doing well earlier—what’s gotten into you?”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Asuka was about to open his mouth again but shut it under the Crown Prince’s glare.

A smirk played on his lips. The situation was very promising for Asuka.

And as for the others, Helmut remained entirely unaffected by the series of events. Like a lake without a single ripple, his eyes were eerily calm.

Helmut’s second arrow once again sliced through the wind and effortlessly pierced the target.

*Thud!* This time, Ralph’s arrow, which had been stuck in the 10-point mark, fell to the ground. *Tap.*

“10 points.”

The way he recited his score made it sound like an inevitable result. The Crown Prince’s face hardened.

“Decide on the penalty. It doesn’t seem fair to decide based on the opponent later.”

Helmut calmly spoke as he looked at him.

Feeling an unusually strong emotional disturbance at his words, the Crown Prince had to consider the possibility that he might end up in last place.

Soon, a single word escaped his lips, as if he were chewing on it.

“Fifty laps around the training grounds.”

In a situation where he might end up last, that level of penalty was acceptable.

Helmut nodded. Soon, it was the Crown Prince’s turn again. 8 points. Not a bad score.

By the time this small competition with few participants ended, the two royals had managed to avoid last place.

Thanks to the loyal Imperial Knights who fiercely competed for the bottom spot.

Asuka, who had shown remarkable improvement in archery in just one day, was beaming, while the Crown Prince, despite achieving a result in the upper ranks, looked as if he had bitten into a bug.

And Helmut, who had confidently hit the bullseye with all five arrows and taken first place, asked the Crown Prince,

“You mentioned there was a prize, didn’t you?”

“Yes, a prize.”

The Crown Prince stared intently at Helmut. His gaze was almost piercing.

The Crown Prince had summoned Helmut today to assess him, the hidden son of the Grand Duke of Renosa.

In a short time, Helmut had made a profound impression on the Crown Prince.

Of course, it was too short a time to make a definitive judgment. As the Crown Prince, he couldn’t yet determine whether Helmut was a good or evil person.

But if Helmut were evil, he wouldn’t have been able to become friends with someone as simple and instinctive as Asuka.

Otaku_Tensei

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