Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 421 (Part 1):

Whatever Alea and Elaga were planning was lightly buried under the word ‘secret.’

She refused to explain to Helmut, and that was the end of it.

Perhaps swayed by Alea’s proposal, Elaga nodded readily without even hearing the details.

[Good.]

Helmut had to prepare for the battle against the Temple without expecting help from Alea or Elaga.

It was close to the ideal combat scenario he had envisioned—yet somehow, it felt lonely.

“Hmm, will it be alright?”

The only thing that comforted Helmut, even slightly, was Sian’s anxious expression.

Unlike Helmut, Sian lacked the skill to protect himself from the Temple’s forces in a situation where neither Alea nor Elaga was present.

But he was a mage hired by Helmut. As long as he was paid, he couldn’t just shrug it off like Alea.

“If only the Earth Spirit would just choose me already.”

His mother was still healthy, so it would take quite a while for that to happen. But if he had the Earth Spirit, what would there be to fear?

For someone who was second in the magic department at Greta Academy, he couldn’t help but feel like a rather mediocre mage.

‘If things get really bad, I can just sell Greencana.’

Sian soothed his anxiety with that thought.

*

Even from Veneta, they had caught wind of the Temple’s movements and sent Talon.

Talon had come prepared with a plan—how to ensure reinforcements would arrive before Latona fell if the Temple opened a gate and launched an assault on the city.

He was skeptical about the assumption that Renosa’s forces, including Helmut, could seize victory against the Temple’s army on their own.

It was unclear how much force the Temple would deploy, but their current movements were far from ordinary.

“Even so, you need to hold out for at least a day. There’s a high chance the Temple will use sacred artifacts or sacred magic to disrupt the magical flow in areas near Latona.”

If the Temple’s invasion was detected, the Mages’ Association would open a gate to transport Veneta’s reinforcements to Renosa.

The Empire would likely arrive faster, and Basor would be about as swift as Veneta.

For now, only those three nations could dispatch large-scale elite troops quickly enough to be of help.

“Basor has a grudge against the Temple, but Veneta won’t offer aid without a price.”

“Veneta wants wealth.”

Upon hearing the amount, Helmut shook his head decisively.

“Then we don’t need Veneta’s help.”

Were they planning to send troops and then extort him? Helmut, glad he’d asked in advance, felt a surge of displeasure.

Renosa’s wealth was his wealth.

The king of Veneta, having ascended through civil war, and likely squeezed by Greencana, wouldn’t be flush with resources.

It seemed he intended to profit from this war, but the amount was excessive.

“You’ll regret it.”

“With the Empire and Basor, Veneta’s presence is negligible. It’s enough if they join the other nations in condemning the Temple.”

“I’ll relay it as such. By the way, Black Hawk has some useful information about the Temple.”

“Show it to Alonso or Charlotte and let them handle the negotiations.”

Helmut decided to offload the parts he wasn’t familiar with.

A misstep could lead to being overcharged.

“Understood.”

As Talon withdrew, Helmut realized something. Talon’s tone had subtly shifted to one of respect.

He was treating Helmut as the Grand Prince of Renosa.

It was a change that felt profoundly real.

Memories of past connections, when he faced the world as the enigmatic Helmut, flashed through his mind.

Helmut’s new life had begun in Renosa.

He had to protect it. His new nest.

*

The Grand Duke of Renosa, for the first time, calmly accepted the possibility that Latona might fall.

“A ruler must anticipate the worst. I was prepared for this the moment I chose to accept you.”

The Temple could not destroy Renosa outright.

The Grand Duchy of Renosa was tied to the imperial bloodline, and the Temple, as a religious organization, did not directly occupy and rule nations.

What they could destroy was the Grand Duke, who had made the misguided choice to appoint an heir tainted by the Seed of Darkness, and that heir himself.

The Grand Duchess had been favorable to the Temple, so they might prop her up to govern Renosa.

In that case, Michael would likely become the heir once more.

Perhaps the Grand Duke had kept his distance from the Grand Duchess with such a scenario in mind.

Though the Grand Duchess had her faults, she too was a member of the Grand Duchy of Renosa.

She must have tried to accept the rift between herself and the Grand Duke caused by the Helmut incident.

A sudden question struck Helmut.

Could the Grand Duke truly have failed to consider the worst-case scenario—that the Temple would bypass the Empire and march straight for Renosa?

No. He *had* considered it. And he had still chosen. As the Grand Duke of Renosa, he had accepted even the possibility of losing everything.

The Grand Duke’s eerily calm expression, unshaken by the bolt from the blue, spoke volumes.

In that moment of realization, Helmut gazed intently at the Grand Duke’s rock-steady face.

‘I see… I think I understand now.’

He neither apologized nor sought forgiveness…

Yet he had entrusted everything to him. Even if it meant dragging Renosa into a whirlwind of chaos.

Could it merely be repayment for a debt, or for the sake of Renosa’s honor?

To claim that he had chosen Helmut solely because he was the rightful heir would be ignoring the overwhelming odds and immense risks.

True intentions are revealed not in words but in actions.

The Grand Duke had been sparing with words, at times acting as though testing Helmut, but in critical moments, his actions laid bare his hidden intentions.

He had said he chose Helmut because he was suitable as Renosa’s heir, but what sealed that choice was a human heart.

Guilt and conscience, too subtle to be called denial outright. And… a desire to do what was right.

It was strikingly similar to what Helmut had glimpsed in Charlotte’s upright gaze.

They were truly father and daughter.

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