Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 444 (Part 2):

“Igrelle, let’s make another trip.”

At Helmut’s words, Igrelle let out a startled squawk.

[What? You crazy bastard!]

She had fled from there with her tail between her legs, and now they wanted to go back? Her damaged feathers hadn’t even recovered a fraction.

Helmut replied in his usual impassive tone.

“If you hold a Rosetta root in your mouth, the awakening effect should keep you safe. …Probably.”

The last word trailed off faintly. He couldn’t be certain. Igrelle flapped her wings in a frenzy.

[What if I end up getting taken over? If a demonic beast like me gets brainwashed by the Demon King, that’s a huge problem, isn’t it?]

She had a point. Igrelle was the most powerful of the flying type demonic beasts.

If the Demon King brainwashed her and she started dropping boulders on cities, it would be catastrophic.

And truthfully, aside from Helmut, the others were reluctant to ride on the back of Igrelle, who might go berserk.

[Ugh, shut up, you coward. Move aside. I’ll go.]

Elaga stepped forward, tail raised confidently.

The Demon King? Sure, it felt a bit unsettling, but he was fine.

What did it matter? He’d find out by facing it head-on.

‘As if the mighty Elaga, the strongest in the Forest of Roots, could be controlled by some Demon King.’

Elaga firmly, stubbornly believed the Demon King couldn’t dominate him.

It was less instinct and more pride. And the fact that he felt inclined to experiment suggested his instincts still believed he could resist.

Even if it was the Demon King, it was still incomplete.

“No, we can’t take that risk. If Elaga were to fall to the Demon King… it wouldn’t just be troublesome.”

Heike, who had been silent, stepped forward. She raised a finger sharply.

“Antiol will soon calculate the exact timing of the barrier’s collapse. I’ll go with him and capture a demonic beast for the experiment. We’ll test how effective these Rosetta roots are.”

“Where are you going to find a demonic beast?” Alea asked.

“There are plenty in Basor. The desert is a treasure trove of demonic beasts. Testing on smaller ones would be safer. Look at this light. The Earth Spirit wouldn’t have pointed us to Rosetta for no reason.”

Indeed, this was a weapon to fight the Demon King. They needed to find a way to use it.

“Let’s do it. Elaga and Igrelle… it’s best not to experiment with them anymore.”

Helmut nodded. It was clear that both Elaga and Igrelle were forces that must not be taken by the Demon King.

If eating Rosetta and gaining its awakening effect wasn’t enough to resist the Demon King, there was only one option.

They would have to lock them away somewhere far from the Forest of Roots to keep them out of the Demon King’s grasp.

There were no such things as demonic beast rights here.

“Igrelle, you’ve worked hard. Rest now.”

[Yes, Heike. Humans do mature with age. You’re the only one who appreciates my efforts.]

Igrelle’s eyes gleamed as she looked at Heike. She was the human who had cast healing magic on her. Her fondness for her surged.

“Just in case… I’ll take some Rosetta with me.”

Alea packed Rosetta for Elaga and Igrelle. The rest would be used by Heike for her magical experiments.

“I’ll look for a place suitable for growing Rosetta based on the experiment’s results. If it’s me, I could set up a farm in no time.”

As an Earth Spiritmaster, Sian could make Rosetta grow in abundance overnight, enabling mass production.

Wouldn’t eating enough to the point of overdose work?

“We’ll head back to Renosa for now.”

Helmut declared. Soon, Alea enveloped them in a teleportation spell.

Their destination: Latona, the royal castle.

It was time to share what they had discovered.

* * *

Around the same time Helmut’s group set out,

The Grand Duke of Renosa summoned Charlotte and Alonzo, the commander of the Black Wing Knights, to share information about the recent events.

By the time his explanation concluded, Charlotte’s expression had completely hardened.

For her, accepting that she had contributed to the collapse of the sacred barrier was no easy feat.

Alonzo seemed both unfamiliar with and skeptical of the news.

“What will you do?”

“Helmut has gone to assess the situation in the Forest of Roots. We must head to the Empire. I’ve already sent word of our visit. Surprisingly… the Temple has also dispatched a High Priest to the Empire. They’ll likely arrive before us.”

This corroborated Heike’s claim that something unusual was happening in the Forest of Roots.

Charlotte nodded.

“Heike isn’t one to speak lightly. I’ll go with you.”

Having built connections with the Empire’s people while preparing for the martial arts tournament alongside the Crown Prince, it was only natural for her to accompany them.

“Until we return and everything is confirmed, all matters will remain confidential.”

This was a directive to keep silent, even to Michael and the Grand Duchess.

Immediately after, the Grand Duke declared,

“Before we head to the Empire, there’s someone we must meet.”

Charlotte understood his meaning at once.

“You mean High Priest Agato, the one we captured.”

He was tightly confined in the underground dungeon, his powers sealed.

A figure as significant as a High Priest might know something about this situation—or how the Temple would react.

“Let’s go. Alonzo, ensure the Black Wing Knights are fully reinforced.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Grand Duke led the way, with Charlotte following.

A new storm cloud was rolling toward Renosa. This one seemed vast and dark enough to engulf the entire world.

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