Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 410 (Part 1):

The Grand Duke of Renosa abandoned Helmut when he was just a newborn baby. It was not some test.

What had the Grand Duke of Renosa done while Helmut, forsaken twice, survived and stood here now?

If anything, it was he who lacked the qualifications.

To revel in tests was the arrogance of a ruler, but he had chosen the wrong opponent for such arrogance.

Even facing Helmut’s razor-sharp momentum, the Grand Duke of Renosa remained composed.

“If it becomes known that she is the granddaughter of Archmage Heike, the Temple’s public enemy, the Temple gain a stronger cause.”

It was a piercing observation. Did he already know?

Charlotte would not have spoken of it. Or rather, one could not assume she would have kept silent on a matter directly tied to Renosa’s safety.

If forced to choose between her father and Helmut, Charlotte would choose her father.

Helmut declared in a clear tone.

“Becoming the heir to Renosa was to protect what I have, not to forsake it.”

“Are you saying you intend to use Renosa to suit your own tastes? Do you think that will be permitted?”

A stern rebuke flew at him, and Helmut responded with arrogance.

“In return, Renosa will gain a Sword Saint.”

Such a claim was not easily believed.

The Grand Duke of Renosa scanned Helmut up and down with a gaze tinged with suspicion.

It was not disdain or underestimation. Even for a martial arts tournament champion, for a young man to dare speak of becoming a Sword Saint warranted such a look.

“I know you possess exceptional skill, but…”

“If you wish, I shall prove it by dueling Alonso, the commander of the Black Wing Knights.”

His tone was bold and brimming with confidence, devoid of any bluff.

The words of one who knew their own strength carried undeniable weight.

Helmut could sense Alonso, who had been standing silently, becoming aware of him.

Even as the grand ducal heir, such a challenge could be seen as belittling, yet Alonso showed no reaction.

He, too, must think Helmut’s words were not entirely baseless.

The Grand Duke of Renosa sharply pressed further.

“Yet even that Sword Saint was eliminated by the Temple.”

“I know,” Helmut replied. “For I am the Sword Saint’s disciple.”

Dropping shocking revelations one after another, Helmut proclaimed to the Grand Duke.

“I will not meet such a fate.”

As expected, the Grand Duke seemed to know everything. His dignified, near-expressionless face showed no hint of change.

He continued the tense confrontation.

“Your qualifications do not guarantee hers as the Grand Duchess of Renosa.”

“She is a woman who will become the youngest archmage in history. An exceptional talent, more than Renosa deserves.”

No nation had ever managed to get an Archmage under its control until now.

Archmages, each one believing themselves a nation unto themselves, did not seek to belong anywhere.

With faint notions of homeland or birthplace, they dedicated their entire lives to magic.

They were almost like priests. Just as priests devoted their lives to the Temple of Lumen, archmages did the same for magic.

But if such an archmage became part of Renosa, she would be bound by a force stronger than any other.

At the point where Renosa had already accepted Helmut and antagonized the Temple, such a mage was a tremendous asset.

Both now and in the future as she continued to grow.

Her grandmother may be a public enemy of the Temple, but she was a granddaughter, not a daughter. Denying the relationship would suffice.

Only then did something akin to understanding surface on the Grand Duke of Renosa’s face.

Even that displeased Helmut. It was never pleasant when someone arbitrarily appraised the value of the person most precious to him.

It was bad enough that he himself was subject to such judgment.

And to think the one making that judgment was none other than the Grand Duke of Renosa.

“You are truly shameless.”

Even Helmut, who had harbored no expectations, was taken aback by how overbearing and self-serving the Grand Duke was.

He judged and spoke solely from the perspective of the Grand Duke of Renosa, as if the grievances between them had no bearing.

Was this the behavior of a father who had abandoned his child?

Moreover, the Grand Duke owed his life to Helmut. Was that a matter he could simply ignore for his own convenience?

Did the Grand Duchy of Renosa know no such thing as guilt?

Helmut himself had rarely felt guilt, but it grated on him to see those who ought to feel it act so brazenly.

He was encountering the most inhuman people in the human world. He hadn’t realized it would be so distasteful.

The Grand Duke seemed to immediately grasp what Helmut meant.

Instead of rebuking his insolence, the Grand Duke slowly closed and opened his eyes, then spoke candidly to Helmut.

“I cannot be a father to you. Thus, I can only ever be the Grand Duke of Renosa to you.”

It was less an atonement than an acknowledgment of his sin.

He did not seek forgiveness. He had no right to, and what had happened could not be undone.

The Grand Duke of Renosa would not regret it. He had done what he had to back then.

As the lord of Renosa, it was his duty.

A lord’s conviction. He had never once betrayed that which was everything to him. That was why he stood unashamed.

It was also why he did not blame Margret.

Understanding sometimes covers wrongs. He knew she, too, must have acted for similar reasons.

The Grand Duke and Duchess of Renosa thought alike. But because their values differed, they sometimes diverged.

Otaku_Tensei

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