Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 452 (Part 2):

Four days later, a comprehensive meeting was held in the royal capital.

A massive gathering, with representatives from every nation the Temple had influence over.

Never before had a meeting of such scale been convened in so short a time.

Perhaps a thousand years ago, but not in recent memory.

And the topic? “The Demon King’s revival.”

The notion that the world might suddenly face annihilation was hard to believe, yet impossible to dismiss.

Surely the High Priests and the Emperor of the Deus Empire hadn’t collectively lost their minds to orchestrate this.

Moreover, the Magic Association, archmages, and other prominent figures all corroborated the claim.

The Temple even declared that those who didn’t participate or cooperate would be branded enemies of the Temple.

It was their usual strong-arming, but it was desperate. And for smaller nations, their influence was significant.

At the center of the meeting hall were dozens of communication crystal balls.

Those who could attend in person did so; those who couldn’t appeared through the crystal balls.

Language barriers would be resolved with magic.

The meeting was presided over by the Crown Prince, representing the Emperor.

After briefly summarizing what everyone already knew, he clarified the meeting’s purpose.

“And so, we face the calamity of a thousand years ago once more. We are here to discuss countermeasures.”

However, one matter needed addressing first.

Helmut’s existence.

“He carries the Seed of Darkness, does he not?”

“What if he falls under the Demon King’s control?”

High Priest Agato stepped forward.

“The Temple has confirmed that the Grand Prince of Renosa has sealed the Seed of Darkness and is not under the Demon King’s influence. We vouch for this.”

High Priest Levina added, “Moreover, as the disciple of the Sword Saint, he will not hesitate to fight the Demon King to the death.”

The Temple was resolute in keeping its word—an astonishing shift in stance.

With the rumors confirmed and the Temple, which had once waged war over the Seed of Darkness, now endorsing him, there were no objections.

Thus, the meeting began smoothly.

However, unlike its start, the process was arduous.

Only the Temple and Helmut’s group had knowledge of the Forest of Roots or the Demon King’s war.

Others had recently investigated historical records or the Forest of Roots but found little of value.

Even the Magic Association, which had belatedly joined the research, only obtained information that matched but fell short of what was already known.

In truth, everyone was bewildered.

A thousand years had passed. A forgotten legend resurfacing as a harbinger of doom didn’t feel real.

The Temple and Helmut’s side, with their knowledge, led the meeting, but the issue was that no clear answer emerged on “how to respond.”

If the sacred barrier collapses, the Demon King will revive, and the gates to the Demon Realm will open.

The demonic beasts of the Forest of Roots will pour out. The Demon King would march upon the world at the head of his beastly army.

Should they form an allied army to confront them head-on?

Here, opinions diverged.

“We must charge in directly!”

“No, the forces and circumstances are different now compared to then. We need a different approach!”

This was a battle for the fate of the world.

Unless a strategy was deemed the best, no one would yield.

The fortunate part was that everyone’s goal was aligned.

This was a fight they had to face.

There might be differences in how much they’d lose, but victory without sacrifice was impossible.

Winning wouldn’t bring riches either.

If they shied away from danger and it led to the worst outcome, then it would be over for everyone.

This dire situation fostered an unavoidable trust.

Until the matter was resolved, no one could afford to betray another.

Among them were nations with poor relations.

Yet, ironically, none had worse relations than the Temple and Renosa, who had been at war until recently.

If those two could join hands, how could others not follow suit?

“If we recklessly charge in and our army is annihilated, what then? A direct confrontation with demonic beasts? Is that even feasible?”

“We’re not fighting humans—demonic beasts! Most here have never even seen one!”

“This isn’t the time to split hairs. Hitting them hard means they won’t have the chance to send beasts elsewhere and try other tricks! I’ve heard some of them can even fly!”

“Concentrating forces near the Forest of Roots is fine, but how many troops are we talking about? If we send everything we have and they open a gate to strike the capital, what then?”

“So you’re saying we handpick an elite force, dump it on them, and just watch?”

“I’m saying we devise a more efficient strategy…!”

“Will you still talk about efficiency after the world ends?”

“Hey, who’s shouting? Think a loud voice makes you right?”

“How old are you? How dare you speak so carelessly!”

As the frustrating situation dragged on, voices grew louder, spiraling into emotional arguments.

A cacophony of heated exchanges filled the air.

After hours of this bickering, Helmut, who had been listening with a bored expression, raised his hand.

His gesture carried the power to quiet the frenzied room.

“Is the sacred barrier still functioning?”

“Yes, it is,” High Priest Agato replied.

The Temple had infused some holy power into the sacred barrier through sacred artifacts.

However, it wasn’t very effective.

At best, it might delay the collapse by a few hours to a day.

They had even halted that effort to conserve strength.

A low voice flowed from Helmut’s lips.

“Then… that option might still be possible.”

Alea, understanding his meaning instantly, added, “At this moment, only the Temple can make it happen.”

“What do you mean?”

High Priest Levina, pressing her brow as if exhausted, asked.

Helmut, with a calm tone that could stir waves, said, “It’s simple. Before the sacred barrier collapses, why not infiltrate it?”

There was only one way to pass through the sacred barrier to reach the Forest of Roots without resistance.

Even if it meant Helmut would be sent through the sacred barrier for the third time.

As his words landed, a deep silence fell over the meeting hall.

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