Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 77 (Part 1):

“Oh, really? Earlier, you seemed quite confident.”

“Well, I’m not that sure now. I remember Jerome distributing the notes, but…”

“You can’t trust your own memory, is that it?”

“Yes, yes! That’s it.”

“But with that unreliable memory of yours, did you accuse a fellow student of lying and take sides with your friend?”

“I… I trusted Jerome, so… I might have remembered it the way I wanted to.”

Erun answered as if squeezing out the words. He was also known for his sharp mind in the fencing department.

Instructor Patricia accommodated the explanation when he stuttered.

“I see. So, Erun’s explanation is this. What do the rest of you think?”

“I… I feel the same way as Erun!”

Sabbat clenched his teeth and supported Erun.

“So you’re not sure enough to warrant dropping out?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Now, there’s only one left. Jerome, are you absolutely sure about your memory regarding giving the note to Helmut? You clearly stated that you did.”

As if this were her final opportunity, Patricia stared directly into Jerome’s eyes. Jerome’s lips, pale as they could be, moved.

“I…I…”

“Can’t hear you.”

“I’m also… not entirely sure.”

“So, it’s possible you didn’t give the note to Helmut?”

“N-No, it wasn’t intentional. I thought I gave it to everyone, but… someone might have been left out.”

” ‘Thought’ isn’t the word you use in a situation like this. What’s certain is that, whether it was intentional or not, you put your fellow student in a difficult position!”

Patricia raised her voice. Her husky voice carried condemnation, and Jerome lowered his head.

Everyone except one held their breath, watching this scene unfold.

“Now, do you understand what you need to say? All three of you?”

“If we have to…”

Patricia raised her voice, seemingly frustrated.

“How did you pass the ethics exam, all of you?”

Upon hearing that, Helmut muttered softly.

“In this situation, created by your misunderstandings and distorted memories, shouldn’t you apologize to Helmut, who suffered as a result? Isn’t that right?”

“Well, um…”

Apologizing to commoners was an unthinkable act.

Faced with a situation they had never imagined in their lives, the faces of the three of them, now starting to sweat, showed signs of withering. Patricia cleared her throat.

“You can’t do it? Does that mean you don’t intend to apologize even after making a mistake?”

Saying that would lead to disciplinary education, probably for quite some time. Their remaining time at the academy would be very unpleasant.

“Oh, no.”

“We will apologize.”

They bowed deeply and approached Helmut.

“Sorry.”

Their voices were faint, like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

“You didn’t even eat a mosquito? Why does your voice sound like that?”

“Sorry!”

“Sorry.”

“I misunderstood.”

The voices of the three of them overlapped. Instructor Patricia clapped her hands with a smiling face.

“Now, Helmut. You should accept your fellow students’ apologies gracefully. Like an adult.”

He had no desire to accept their apologies and had hoped for their withdrawal instead.

However, Helmut felt an unspoken pressure in Instructor Patricia’s sharp gaze. Reluctantly, he nodded.

“All right.”

“Actually, mentioning withdrawal over this matter might seem a bit much from my perspective as the instructor. Apologies were given, and apologies were accepted. So, it’s essentially a resolved issue now. The matter was resolved before we even needed to resort to the ‘Eye of Truth.'”

The three boys who had tried to push Helmut felt a secret sigh of relief.

Having to bow their heads in front of the fencing department students and endure humiliation was not pleasant, and they were seething with anger, but for now, they had escaped the immediate crisis. No, it seemed like they had.

“But it seems like just apologizing might not be enough. So, in my opinion, running 100 laps around the field could be a suitable punishment. What do you think, Helmut?”

Helmut, singled out by Patricia, thought for a moment before responding.

“It’s too easy.”

The three boys’ gazes all turned toward Helmut at once, filled with a desire to curse at him.

However, when Patricia glanced back at them, they averted their gazes like guilty mice.

“Is 100 laps too easy for you?”

“Yes.”

Helmut answered without hesitation once again. It was a slightly labored task for him.

Patricia raised her eyebrows but stroked her chin as she asked, “Then how about 100 laps per day for three days?”

Running more than 100 laps in a day was unreasonable. Even for the robust fencing department, it would be too much to endure after a day of classes.

Patricia subtly winked her eye. This meant she would be satisfied if they agreed to this.

Helmut pretended to be defeated and said, “Alright, let’s go with that.”

Patricia smiled in satisfaction.

“Good, it’s settled. You three!”

“Yes!”

“If such an incident happens again, I will consider it a grave violation of the Gretna Academy rules, which are highly prestigious, even from the instructor’s perspective. In that case, those involved will have to take responsibility, right?”

She didn’t say “those involved” explicitly. Her words implied that she would make everyone involved take responsibility, no matter how many there were.

Patricia’s gaze was sharp. She had experienced similar situations several times as an academy instructor.

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