Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 52 (Part 1):

“Oh, what do we have here? A cute young lady? A noble girl in a fluffy dress, no less!”

“Look at this skin! She looks just like a doll. We could get a good price for her from collectors.”

“We’d better call for a good price in Zahringen. Who wants to be tracked down after messing with a noble lady?”

“Maybe just a little touch before that…”

“This bastard, seriously. Doesn’t know his place. The boss should be the first to do that.”

Listening to their conversation, Helmut suddenly realized something odd. Not only Xenia but also a mage was supposed to be riding in the carriage. If any of the thieves had seen him, they would have caused a commotion. That mage has an appearance that cannot be ignored.

Their lack of reaction meant there was no mage present.

‘Where did he go?’

He felt a faint flow of magical energy. As the thieves’ attention was focused on the carriage, a figure emerged from behind.

“Don’t move.”

The voice was calm but carried enough force to be heard by all. The thieves turned toward the source of the voice to see the mage, Alea, standing behind the boss with a hand glowing blue against his back. The boss froze, moving only his mouth.

“What the hell! I can’t move! What’s behind me?”

“A mage?”

The previously lax atmosphere turned tense as ice. The thieves reached for their weapons. Alea spoke in a cold tone.

“If you don’t want your boss to die, put down your weapons.”

He must have used invisibility magic, biding his time for the right moment. But Helmut hadn’t noticed Alea’s movements. This means that Alea can control his magical power to such an extent that it’s undetectable even from a close distance, which is significant considering Helmut’s skills which may be at the level of a first-rank mercenary or even better.

The thieves whispered among themselves, but Alea gave them no time to ponder.

Crackle!

“Ugh!”

The boss trembled, still standing, as he was struck by lightning magic. The pain was immense, enough to rattle his bones without knocking him out.

“I said, put your weapons down.”

Taking the leader hostage was more effective than facing them all. However, the thieves didn’t respond as expected. They chose a new tactic.

“Let our boss go! Or we’ll kill this girl.”

They threatened by pointing a knife at Xenia, lying on the ground. Alea, however, didn’t even bat an eyelid. His mouth curled into a sneer.

“Go ahead.”

His response was devoid of hesitation, as if it really wouldn’t matter if they killed her. Alea cast another spell. Crackle! The boss’s eyes rolled back in pain. He spat at his men to put their weapons down.

But they weren’t disciplined enough to follow orders. The man holding Xenia tightened his grip.

‘Let’s see if it’s just a bluff.’

He intended to make a small cut as a threat. But as he exerted pressure, something pierced his shoulder. Thud!

“Aaagh!”

The man bled and collapsed, and the thieves fell one by one in quick succession. Next to Xenia now stood a figure. Alea squinted to see who it was.

‘That guy.’

“It would be troublesome if you killed the client.”

Helmut tossed Xenia into the carriage and closed the door. Had the mage alone been able to handle the situation, he wouldn’t have intervened. But the situation forced him to act. While the mage might not care about her safety, Helmut felt differently. After all, failing to protect the client would mean not getting paid. He couldn’t afford such futile efforts.

“No one seems to be listening to you.”

The boss, realizing his life was at stake, turned pale and shouted.

“Dammit, put your weapons down!”

“What are you waiting for? Deal with it.”

Helmut urged Alea to quickly kill the boss. The subordinates’ disobedience showed the boss was worthless as a hostage. At this point, it was easier to wipe them all out. Helmut intended to avoid murder. Subduing these thieves without killing them wasn’t hard.

But the thieves made the first move.

“Run!”

They abandoned their fallen comrades and their boss, each seeking their own escape. They were so quick to flee that even Helmut, ready to pursue, hesitated and eventually gave up.

Crackle! The third lightning spell knocked the boss unconscious without a sound.

“Tie up the remaining ones.”

Alea instructed, looking at the unconscious boss. Helmut raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t hire me.”

“I’m a guest of the client. That means I’m on equal footing with your client.”

“If she knew you said it didn’t matter if she died, you wouldn’t be considered a guest, would you?”

“When did I?”

Alea feigned ignorance.

“Anyway, she’ll believe me over you.”

That was true. Given Xenia’s admiration for Alea, it was unlikely she’d take Helmut’s word for it.

“Suit yourself. I’ll handle it then.”

Otaku_Tensei

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