Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 53 (Part 1)

‘I must make it clear.’

Alea, a renowned figure at the Greta Academy, had experienced such situations countless times before. Each time, the emotions Alea felt were nothing but discomfort, awkwardness, and annoyance. Before he could even open his mouth, Xenia continued speaking.

“I, Xenia of Zahringen, am not ungrateful. It seems there is no other way to repay you, Lord Alea, except for one. Please, with me…”

Facing those deeply intense blue eyes, Alea said without a moment’s hesitation, even before she could confess,

“I have a fiancée back home. As soon as I graduate from the academy, I intend to marry her.”

Xenia burst into tears, her blue eyes streaming with pearl-like droplets. Noticing the situation, two maids quickly came over to console her.

“Oh dear, Miss.”

“You shouldn’t cry here!”

Alea sighed and brushed back his hair from his forehead. This should have made things clear to her. He should have done this sooner.

Fortunately, there weren’t many witnesses to Xenia’s heartbreak. Men generally consumed more food than women. The others were just beginning to wake up from their sleep, busy with getting themselves together.

On one side, Gilton and a knight were looking after the horses. Gilton sighed in relief after inspecting the horses, which were snorting as if asking what had happened.

“Fortunately, the horses are fine. There won’t be any delay in our schedule.”

“It seems the drug doesn’t affect horses. What exactly did they use?”

Overhearing their conversation, Alea dipped his hand into the spring water. A white light emanated from his fingers. After analyzing the water’s composition for a moment, Alea spoke,

“It’s the root of Rosetta. Odorless and tasteless, yet a powerful sedative. Normally, it’s used as medicine by nobles suffering from sleep disorders. It’s a rare herb and quite expensive; this was a highly concentrated extract, made from more than 30 roots.”

“Does this mean there’s a noble behind this?”

“It’s possible, but also not. The climate around here might be suitable for growing Rosetta. They could be cultivating it themselves.”

The root of Rosetta, when processed through a complex magical procedure, acquires a special efficacy. It’s a potion that shows remarkable effects for mages and swordsmen who use Vis, though not poisonous to humans, its effect can be deadly. However, its duration is short and the success rate of its processing is extremely low, so only a few are aware of its uses. Some mages have developed specific purification magic to counteract this drug. Alea used such magic.

Gilton asked Alea,

“What would you have us do with these bandits?”

“Hand them over to the border guards. If they’re in collusion, they might be released, but that’s the right thing to do. Alternatively, killing them and burying them here is also an option.”

It meant that it was acceptable to make an example out of those who dared to cross Zahringen. However, Gilton shook his head.

“Since the lady is here, it would be better to hand them over to the guards.”

“As you wish.”

With that, the situation was resolved. The mercenaries who had woken up transported the tied bandits, and the knights hurried along Xenia’s carriage to resume their schedule. Realizing that the Kinan Kingdom was more lawless than expected, they were eager to leave the area quickly.

“Actually, I’m using a special kind of magic.”

Worried about Helmut’s comment, Alea confessed to Xenia that he was under a spell. It seemed like he planned to pass it off as merely a spell for maintaining cleanliness, should the mysterious magic be revealed. Helmut overheard their conversation. At this point, Helmut’s curiosity about what kind of magic it was peaked. He was usually indifferent to others, making this a rare curiosity for him.

‘After the mission, I should catch him and find out.’

He wouldn’t be able to refuse with a blade to his throat.

“Oh my, how wonderful. So that’s why your beautiful silver hair shines so. I’m envious.”

“If you go to Baden, you can buy magical items that produce a similar effect.”

“Oh my, I must buy one. I had no idea such wonderful things existed.”

Xenia engaged in the conversation diligently, her face sorrowfully reflecting the pain of unrequited love. It was fortunate she wasn’t the type of girl who aggressively pursues love; if she had been, Alea would have been even more exhausted than before.

The days of subtly observing each other continued. Helmut, along with the mages and mercenaries near Xenia, rarely spoke or encountered each other. Helmut ceased his night training. He was almost certain the strange presence he felt on the first day belonged to that mage.

‘I wish this journey would end soon.’

Unable to train, Helmut felt frustrated. However, there was a silver lining. After handing over the bandits, a bounty was awarded to Helmut. Alea did not ask for his share, and the other mercenaries were not entitled to it. In Zahringen, it was merely a small sum. Thus, the bounty became Helmut’s.

‘10,000 Marks.’

It was an amount worth considering a career as a bounty hunter. The leader of the gang that had been wreaking havoc in the border areas was valued highly. He regretted letting most of the gang escape; had he captured them all, he might have received 20,000.

‘The rewards are substantial.’

Starting from zero, Helmut felt increasingly wealthy. Perhaps this was also an achievement? Accumulating wealth in this manner would be beneficial someday.

‘There’s something called a bank. I’ll deposit it there once I arrive in Baden.’

Helmut mentally organized his to-do list upon arriving in Baden. The short mission was nearly complete. What to do next was already decided.

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