Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 387 (Part 1): Standing by the Sword

Helmut gently touched the iron mask as he prepared for the tournament.

The mask, revealing only his eyes and the shape of his mouth, covered his entire face, its metallic weight pressing heavily against his skin. It gave off a solemn aura, like that of a prisoner bearing the weight of a grave crime. Yet, within the confines of the mask, his eyes remained sharp and clear.

Ten days before the tournament, Helmut arrived here in Madwin.

Madwin was quite a large city.
Because Grand Duke Farnese’s villa was nearby, Helmut’s party could stay there without needing to find a separate place; they only had to relocate temporarily.

Since the tournament was on a much grander scale than expected, crowds of people flocked to Madwin.
Contestants who wanted to fight or spectators who came to watch had to scramble for inns or pitch tents in fields, so in a way, having access to Farnese’s villa was a kind of privilege.

Located on the outskirts of the Empire, Madwin was very close to Renosa.
The thought of that made Helmut feel uneasy.

*Thump, thump.* He could hear his own heartbeat and realized he was growing agitated.

He had believed he would remain unshaken—certainly in battle, he would.
But right now… perhaps not.

He looked out the window, gazing up at the sky. The sun was blazing.

He suddenly remembered Basor’s tournament. It was so hot. The sun’s rays felt like they were burning his skin.
In Basor, under the searing sun, Helmut had once lifted his sword under the alias Hyde.

Back then, there had been only one path for him—charging straight ahead, proving himself by the sword.
Helmut had stepped onto that road without hesitation.

‘Is it different now?’

Helmut asked himself. No, it was not. The situation had changed a lot, and the location was different, but the task at hand remained the same. Once he picked up his sword, all other thoughts would vanish.

Because there was only one thing Helmut needed to achieve: victory.

“That’s enough. No one will recognize you.”

Alea approached him unnoticed and reached out, her fingers brushing through his hair.
His hair had been dyed a light brown, and the color had taken quite well.

Alea added, “It’s a magic dye. If you draw on your Vis, the effect will weaken, and at some point, it’ll just vanish all at once. Well, you can always re-dye it as needed.”

Helmut recalled his time disguising himself as Hyde.
He could have changed his appearance by magic as he did back then, but if he disguised himself in the same way, Michael might notice. Michael’s sharp eyes were not to be underestimated.

So instead, Helmut completely concealed his face with a mask.

‘Even if he does recognize me…’

Michael wouldn’t be able to do anything about it immediately. He couldn’t personally defeat Helmut in the tournament, nor could he summon the High Priests here on the spot.

But there were still other ways Michael could attack. Hiding his identity remained the safest plan—until the moment Helmut wanted it revealed.

Charlotte had arrived in Madwin well before Helmut.
People dispatched from Renosa had also joined her, but apparently Michael was not among them.

The Grand Duke of Renosa and Michael would arrive in Madwin only after the tournament had started. They would at least appear by the finals. The Emperor, likewise, was scheduled to attend only when the tournament drew closer to its conclusion.

With a participant pool so large, the tournament would span a long period. It would take too much time for dignitaries to observe the entire event from beginning to end.

[So secretive, hiding your face and going through all this hassle just means you’re weak. Put in more effort,] Elaga remarked. Like a parrot, the leopard-like demonic beast repeated how Helmut was “weak.” Helmut cut him off with a single retort.

“Humans have circumstances that can’t be resolved by strength alone.”

[If you were strong enough to crush all opposition, none of those ‘circumstances’ would matter. Everyone else would cower before you.]

“If I did that, I’d have to raise my sword against all of humanity.”

[Hmph, why not finish them off and take over the human world for yourself? Things would be simple, right? I’ll help you do it.]

“……”

At that point, Helmut gave up on talking any further with Elaga.
‘That damned demonic beast can only think of beating everyone into submission and declaring, ‘I am justice.’’

‘If only humans were as straightforward as demonic beasts, things would be simpler.’

They were similar in a way.

Ultimately, it was the strong who survived.

Helmut was strong—overwhelmingly so—and thus he’d endured every trial thrust upon him and lived.

And now, having survived, it was time to reclaim what he’d lost.

“Do well in your first match.”

Helmut met the violet eyes staring intently at him.

It was the first time in a while that Alea had shown such a gentle gaze.

As a mage unaccustomed to fighting in tournaments, she’d been on edge lately, preparing for this unfamiliar challenge.

Moreover, as Helmut’s informant, she had to keep tabs on Renosa’s movements without missing a beat, leaving her with much to worry about.

“Of course.”

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