Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 74 (Part 2):

*Enmity and Friendship*

Soon, an instructor approached them while they were gathered at the school grounds.

“Everyone, pay attention!”

He was a familiar face. He had been beside Ethan during the transfer exam. Was his name Alan?

“Right now,  stand in four rows!”

Students who had been exchanging glances quickly moved into formation. Helmut, not understanding what “stand in four rows” meant, followed them belatedly. However, the bulky students in front of him blocked his view, and he couldn’t see clearly.

“Stand with one step of space between each other, align the rows as if measured with a ruler!”

Alan’s command led to quick adjustments in the formation. Standing at the back, Helmut struggled to see properly due to the tall students in front of him.

“My name is Alan Parel. Call me Instructor Alan. From now on, whenever it’s my class, you will stand in formation of four rows. Got it?”

“Yes!”

A booming voice erupted. The lax attitude they had during the vacation had all but vanished. The reason why the Swordsmanship Department students attended Greta Academy was simple: to become stronger. They were here to build their skills by competing with other students. In this academy where only the talented gathered, half-hearted efforts wouldn’t cut it.

“Shall we start from the basics? Today, we’ll lightly run twenty laps around the field! Attach the command!”

“One, two, three, four!”

With the resounding command, the Swordsmanship Department students in four rows began running around the field. Running around the field at this pace was routine for the Swordsmanship Department. Their speed was quite impressive. If it were students from other departments, they probably couldn’t even complete two laps without collapsing.

As they reached the fifteenth lap, some students who had neglected their training during the vacation were sweating profusely. However, Helmut ran lightly, as if taking a leisurely stroll. It was just right for warming up. Erun, who had tried to gossip about Helmut, was standing right next to him. Due to the formation, he ended up behind Helmut.

“It’s going well.”

With a smile of realization, Erun intentionally moved closer to Helmut. He felt uncomfortable that someone like Helmut, who seemed like a commoner, had joined Greta Academy alongside nobles. He would make sure to enlighten Helmut about his place.

As the front row’s speed waned and they reached the sixteenth lap, Erun swung his elbow roughly enough to strike Helmut. If he had hit Helmut’s side, it would have caused immense pain. However, Erun’s elbow merely sliced through empty air.

“What’s this?”

With a measured breath, Helmut continued running on the field as if nothing had happened. Not a single drop of sweat formed on his pale face. He appeared noticeably relaxed.

‘There’s no way you wouldn’t get hit in this position?’

Raising an eyebrow, Erun swung his elbow vigorously once again. This time, it was faster than before.

‘There’s no way it won’t hit!’

However, he was wrong. Just as Erun’s elbow cut through the air, he lost his balance. But he was a swordsman. He tried to regain balance by exerting force on his lower body, but something caught his ankle. Thud! Erun’s body tumbled forward, and the front line moved further away. In the end, he was left behind in the last row.

“What are you doing there!”

“Sorry, sorry. My foot got caught.”

Erun bit his lip as he got up from the ground and started running. The spot where he had hit the ground stung.

“That little brat tripped me!”

It was certain. Otherwise, nothing would have caught his ankle.

“Don’t just stand there!”

Erun gritted his teeth. He barely managed to stick to the formation, suppressing his anger as he ran. After completing twenty laps around the field, the running came to an end. At that moment, someone was approaching from the other side, fidgeting. He approached Alan, the instructor, and nodded politely.

“Hello.”

His hair was as blue as the sea, an uncommon hair color. He was definitely smaller in stature compared to the Swordsmanship Department students. While not appearing outright feminine, he had delicate features and a gentle smile. Compared to him, Helmut seemed incredibly masculine, to the point that you wouldn’t think he belonged to the Swordsmanship Department if he weren’t wearing the uniform.

“Asuka, why are you late?”

Not only did he look refined, but he also had a unique aura. The slightly upturned eyes and the dot beneath his eye gave him a distinct appearance. In a group like this, where macho men who wielded swords congregated, such a distinctive appearance was noticeable, and not necessarily in a good way.

“I had a meeting with Instructor Patricia.”

In truth, he intentionally delayed coming to the field because he expected something like this. The boy named Asuka naturally smiled. Alan, who knew he was a crafty one, raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so?”

“Why don’t you check?”

“Alright, in that case, you run twenty laps alone. Since today’s training is just basic physical conditioning.”

“Me?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I, I understand.”

The boy with an openly disgruntled expression headed towards the field. The Swordsmanship Department students watched his back as if they were enjoying his solitude. Helmut sensed hostile glances. It seemed that this guy had a bad reputation.

‘Doesn’t matter to me. My own reputation doesn’t seem too clean either.’

Just being known as a commoner seemed enough to keep people from approaching Helmut. When Alan, the instructor, was around, they didn’t make it so obvious, but as soon as Alan told them to take a break and disappeared for a moment, they openly stared at Helmut as if he were a spectacle. It wasn’t a friendly gaze.

The scrutiny was mild, at least for now. Erun, who had been waiting for an opportunity, boldly approached Helmut.

“You bastard!”

Otaku_Tensei

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