Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 49 (Part 1):

Xenia’s gaze narrowed before she casually scanned over Helmut.

She then turned her head back to the mage she had been conversing with and said,

“Oh, I don’t mind about the mercenary. If Gilton thinks he’s alright, let him handle it. I have matters to discuss with Lord Alea….”

At that moment, the mage beside her stood up.

“It’s time for us to depart, so I must prepare.”

A clear, melodious voice flowed from him. It was a gender-neutral voice, too low for a woman yet too delicate for a man.

“Oh my? But you haven’t even finished your meal.”

“That will be all, thank you.”

Though his reply was polite, it seemed to draw a line. He turned towards the exit, in the direction where Helmut was standing.

Only then did the face under the hood reveal itself. The fleeting glimpse of silver hair sparkled transparently, and his face, as neat and elegant as it was, was as white and clean as snow.

Mystical violet eyes, nestled beside the delicate bridge of his nose, gave an engulfing sensation.

It was hard to imagine how he might change as he matures, given his still youthful appearance.

The mage was at Helmut’s age.

While Helmut’s charge, Xenia, was a noticeably beautiful young lady, this mage seemed almost inhuman.

His appearance was so surreal that it seemed impossible without magic.

It was as if this was how a magical beast, disguised as a human to enchant humans, would look. Alien yet mystical.

“Ah, Lord Alea.”

Leaving behind Xenia’s regretful call, the mage named Alea passed by Helmut with an expressionless face.

It seemed their eyes met for a moment, but he did not acknowledge Helmut.

‘Something is odd.’

Helmut pondered his own senses. Not just in appearance, there was something peculiar about this mage. Indescribable, but definitely an unsettling feeling of discord.

“I should return to my room as well.”

Xenia passed by Gilton and Helmut, her dress fluttering.

“Lord Alea, let’s go together!”

Her shout, amplified by her full voice, shook the dining area.

“One might fall running like that.”

Gilton sighed deeply. With the escort knights following her, they would take care of Xenia.

“That young mage, always looks so surreal every time I see him. I wonder if beings from legends look like that.”

Gilton clicked his tongue. Helmut asked,

“Is that mage also an escort?”

“No, he’s a guest of Miss Xenia. I hear he’s studying at the Greta Academy in Baden, quite a celebrity there. The lady has a cousin studying there, and it seems she’s heard about him. They met by chance, and she recognized him, so they ended up together.”

“The lady is going to the academy in Baden?”

“She’s off to take the entrance exam. She’ll be turning fourteen soon.”

Baden has three famous academies, and the academies accept students starting from the age of fourteen.

Helmut realized that he would soon be fifteen years old.

It didn’t feel like long since he left the Forest of Roots, but time had flown by unnoticed.

“Okay.”

“You have about two hours. Prepare as quickly as possible and go see Cedric. He’ll tell you what you need to do. I need to prepare to leave.”

“Understood.”

Helmut hesitated for a moment.

‘That mage, something bothers me about him.’

But there was nothing he could be certain of.

Taking Helmut’s hesitation as confusion about where to go, Gilton called a servant to guide Helmut.

Putting his doubts aside for now, Helmut followed the servant.

*

“As you’ve heard, my name is Cedric.”

“I’m Helmut.”

‘Late twenties, his abilities range between a second and third-rank mercenary.’

Helmut made his assessment of Cedric. Actual skills could vary with combat experience and other factors, but that was the impression he got.

“Quite a noble-sounding name. Well, there are many who come from fallen nobility.”

Mercenaries don’t inquire into each other’s pasts, and Cedric nodded as if he was well aware of this.

“Can you ride a horse?”

Despite never having ridden before, Helmut confidently answered,

“Yes.”

“Do you have your own horse?”

“No.”

“Tell the staff. If you follow them to the stable, you’ll be given a horse.”

On treacherous journeys, there might be paths where horses cannot go.

In such cases, rather than abandoning an expensive horse midway, it’s chosen not to ride from the start.

This was the case with the request from the Butan Company.

But knights almost always rode horses. If it was a noble’s request, riding was frequent.

Helmut hadn’t bought a horse because he had to leave the village in a hurry and was being pursued by the Black Hawk. If he had known, he might have gotten one.

‘Riding doesn’t seem particularly difficult.’

Helmut knew how to handle horses. If it was just about not falling off, it seemed easy. There was no horse that could throw him off.

‘I’ll learn by watching others.’

Helmut thought relaxedly. Cedric continued,

“Your position will be at the rear of the carriage. The knights will mainly take care of the escort, so you just need to keep watch. There won’t be much for you to do.”

From the fourth-rank mercenary, it seemed like he was only given easy tasks. He was curious if this was luck.

“If the lady speaks to you, respond with respect. Miss Xenia is the distinguished daughter of Marquis Zahringen, so be especially careful. It’s a journey that won’t take many days, but don’t let your guard down.”

“Yes.”

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