Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 68 (Part 1):

That day, they visited all the places reported to be haunted by ghosts. After taking a look around, it soon became dark, and Sian suggested it was time to head back. Helmut decided to conclude the investigation for the day. They hadn’t found anything. Vaguely, they noticed that the energy at the locations rumored to be haunted by ghosts was slightly different, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly how. Perhaps a mage could tell, but not a swordsman like Helmut.

‘Right, a mage.’

Even though the term included the word ‘spirit’, Sian’s demeanor, who was indeed a mage, seemed suspicious as if he had realized something and was hiding it.

‘Could he be trying to intercept the request?’

If Helmut couldn’t solve the request within fifteen days, someone else could take over the task. Sian, having seen the documents, was aware of this fact. However, it seemed unlikely that he was a mercenary. For now, Helmut decided to keep his suspicions to himself.

“We need to gather more information.”

Upon returning to the mansion, Helmut discussed the request he had received with Ethan. Given that Ethan was an academy instructor, he might know something.

“A ghost at the academy? I’ve heard about it. It eventually went to the mercenary guild.”

“Do you know anything about it?”

“Well, it was quite the topic for a while. I’ve consulted with witnesses, who were from the swordsmanship department. After that, there were entrance exams and transfer exams, so many events that it was handed over to the academy’s administration. A mercenary guild, huh? It’s not something a swordsman could solve.”

“If it’s about solving it with force, that’s correct.”

But mercenaries don’t just use brute force. Cleverness and experience are often needed.

‘Both of which I lack, but the important thing is to somehow solve the request.’

Failing the request would not only blemish Helmut’s career but also leave a mark of failure on the Pace Mercenary Corps. He had taken on the request out of curiosity, but he didn’t want to leave a record of failure. The reward was quite substantial. He decided to dedicate the next fifteen days to this task.

“Is there a testimony that stood out?”

Most of the testimonies were written in documents, but those were given in front of the academy administration staff. In front of Ethan, they might have told a slightly different story.

“There’s one that comes to mind. Someone was sure they saw a ghost. They swung their sword at a dark, faint figure, but it passed right through. The person was a senior at the academy. He tried to attack again with force in his sword, but it disappeared.”

This information was not in the documents Helmut had. He asked to confirm.

“Did you hear any spells being chanted?”

“If so, I would have realized immediately. It would mean the opponent was a mage. Silent casting is used for simple magic, not in such ways. Or it might be possible for a highly skilled high-ranking mage. But why would a high-ranking mage play such pranks?”

“So, physical attacks don’t work.”

The possibilities narrowed down to either a real ghost or a spirit. Helmut wasn’t sure about ghosts, but he had seen a spirit once, just a few hours ago. Ethan’s testimony sounded similar to the spirit Helmut saw. This could explain Sian’s suspicious behavior. Suddenly, the answer seemed closer.

“What about the possibility of it being a spirit?”

If an unidentified spirit was roaming the academy, Sian could be the culprit. However, Sian remained calm even after hearing about the request. His strange behavior started only after investigating the haunted locations, so he might not have known it was a spirit.

“A spirit? I’m not sure. But there is one spirit mage at the academy, Sian. Maybe you should ask him.”

Ethan’s suggestion made Helmut realize something belatedly. He hadn’t made any plans to meet Sian again, implying Sian had no intention of helping him. When they parted, Sian seemed to have lost interest in Helmut, as if they had never been close.

But the clue still lay with Sian. Whether by coercion or persuasion, Helmut had to get him to talk. Helmut nodded.

‘Let’s visit the dormitory.’

However, Helmut failed to meet Sian at the dormitory the next morning. When he asked for Sian, a student told him,

“Sian? He went out early this morning.”

Whether Sian expected a visit was unclear, but he wasn’t there.

‘Can’t just wait at the dormitory’s threshold.’

Helmut turned towards the academy. If Sian had found something about the ghost incidents at the academy, he would be there. Helmut planned to confront him if they met.

But Helmut’s plan didn’t come to fruition.

“Has it been five days already?”

Helmut muttered. It was the time he had aimlessly wandered around the academy. He spent the afternoons practicing and studying, and from evening to dawn, he attempted to solve the request by roaming the academy. But there was no progress. He tried visiting Sian a few times, but Sian was always out. Helmut was at a dead end.

‘There’s no clue.’

In the past five days, there were two sightings. Helmut was close by only once, but by the time he hurried over, the ghost had vanished. The witnesses from those two instances didn’t provide any useful testimonies. Even plotting the ghost’s appearances on a map of the academy didn’t reveal any patterns. Helmut began to feel a foreboding sense of failure after spending five days without results.

‘3,000 marks…’

Ethan had mentioned it in passing. You’re young, so you might not understand, but sometimes time is more valuable than money. Helmut hesitated to give up, valuing the time he had already invested, but cutting losses might be better than wasting fifteen days.

Yet, Helmut visited the academy again today.

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