Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 463 (Part 2):

[Humans… I smell them. Faintly.]

“Is someone there?” Alea raised her hand, casting a detection spell. But the air, thick with magi, revealed nothing.

[Ahead… they’re coming… this way.]

As they all focused, something appeared in the distance. It was easier to spot visually than to sense their aura.

Two figures. One was flying, with the other dangling below. Piercing through the opaque, misty air, they swiftly approached and landed on Kantara’s back.

Kantara let out an uneasy groan. […One of them. What’s this? Feels… strange.]

“Alea, you’re safe,” Heike greeted, brushing her hair back with a tired gesture. She looked unscathed.

“Heike, didn’t you sense my magic? I tried to reach you,” Alea said. She had sent messages through a crystal ball intermittently, but there had been no response.

“The air here is too murky for communication. Nothing beyond my sight registers. I only noticed you because you were making such a racket approaching. And we had some trouble,” Heike said, gesturing to her side.

Beside her stood Igrelle, looking oddly wilted, in the form of a beautiful human woman with pink hair. “Hi,” she said, waving weakly, her movements lacking energy.

“What’s wrong?” Alea asked.

“Igrelle was stuck underwater until just a moment ago. She didn’t have the chance to focus on anything else,” Heike explained with a shrug.

Even if Igrelle was a bird-like demonic beast, there was no reason she couldn’t escape the sea. As Kantara had mentioned, weren’t the demonic beasts in this area either asleep or heading to the central region?

“What happened, Igrelle?” Helmut asked.

Surprisingly, it was Kantara who reacted. [Igrelle? The southern… Igrelle! That bird…? No wonder… it wants to eat me…!]

Kantara’s body trembled violently, nearly throwing those standing on his back off balance. Igrelle snapped irritably, “Who’s going to eat you? Stop making my stomach churn! Who’d want to eat a tough, hard-shelled thing like you? I’m a land bird!”

Only then did Kantara’s trembling subside. He asked, puzzled, [Why… a human form?]

“It’s the power of magic. It’s easier to control myself this way. Think of it as a kind of seal. But even then, there were issues,” Igrelle said, frowning and pressing her head.

A strong scent of Rosetta wafted from Heike. Come to think of it, Igrelle had been exuding the same scent as she approached.

“Well, it’s more or less resolved,” Heike began to explain. “When we were near the barrier, the Demon King tried and failed to control Igrelle. But it seems he planted something in her mind.”

The imprint the Demon King left didn’t take effect in the outside world. Igrelle had believed she was completely free of it. However, as she passed through the sacred barrier, the dormant imprint reawakened, spreading through her like a disease in her veins. It swelled rapidly, attempting to seize her mind. Her head throbbed with piercing pain, and her consciousness grew hazy.

Her awareness of her human form, the magic enveloping her, and the Rosetta pill she had preemptively swallowed kept her mind anchored. If she unleashed her demonic energy, the magic would break, and her artifact would be destroyed. Even in the outside world, she had been cautious about her human form’s limitations, so Igrelle suppressed her transformation. She regretted taking only a minimal dose of the Rosetta pill.

Who could’ve anticipated this would happen right after moving, without even facing the Demon King directly?

‘I need Rosetta!’ Igrelle thought desperately. It was the fastest way to shake off this control. But looking around, she saw no one else. Something had gone wrong with the magic during their northward journey, causing her to be separated from the group.

She realized she was alone in the Forest of Roots. And then, she noticed she was standing on ice, with the sea lapping beneath.

Normally, she’d never consider plunging into water. But it was instinct. Igrelle smashed the ice with her fist and threw herself into the hole.

The biting cold water enveloped her. Even in human form, she was a demonic beast—such conditions wouldn’t kill her. The pain subsided, and her mind cleared. But her senses shifted, overwhelmed by the intense cold. It didn’t alleviate her condition; it merely froze it in place.

Underwater, Igrelle breathed using demonic energy. Without more Rosetta pills, she couldn’t leave. Not until her companions found her. But who could locate her in the vast Forest of Roots, submerged and nearly undetectable?

‘Should I wait until this is over?’ she wondered, resigned. Why had she been separated? What had gone wrong?

Then, a dazzling silver light shone from above. A woman with silver hair swam down through the water’s surface, radiant like a savior. Igrelle recognized her instantly.

‘Heike!’

It was a risky move. This was the Forest of Roots. What if another demonic beast attacked underwater? But Heike was an archmage, capable of handling such dangers. Having landed nearby, she sensed Igrelle’s presence and rushed to her. When Igrelle plunged into the sea, Heike dove in after her.

Heike immediately understood what Igrelle needed. ‘Igrelle, take this.’

Speaking in magical language, Heike handed her a Rosetta pill. Igrelle stuffed it into her mouth, then, with Heike, surged out of the water.

With Heike’s help, it took considerable time for Igrelle to fully regain her composure. She had been prepared to remain submerged if necessary, so this was a fortunate outcome.

“I was just thinking it was time to move when you all showed up,” Igrelle said, her sharp gaze locking onto them.

Now, their group numbered five.

Otaku_Tensei

I'm currently Translating the following novel: Helmut: The Forsaken Child. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

•