Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 83 (Part 2):
The next day, Asuka naturally stuck to Helmut.
From the morning, Helmut encountered Asuka, who had been waiting in the hallway on the third floor where his room was. Asuka waved his hand with a cheerful smile.
“We should go for class.”
Since when had they been going together? Helmut wanted to ask, but Asuka was shameless. Helmut stared at him for a moment and then remained silent.
Was he so annoyed and bothered by Asuka that he wanted to vehemently reject him? Well, not exactly.
Wasn’t this part of the socialization process that Asuka had to tolerate while attending the academy?
Helmut was taciturn, and as a result, the one who was always chattering was the other party.
While Asuka talked endlessly about academy life, having spent an additional year in the Swordsmanship Department, he knew a lot about the academy. He even knew which menu was delicious in a particular cafeteria.
Helmut suddenly thought,
‘Perhaps this guy was actually lonely.’
When they arrived at the Swordsmanship Department building, Asuka gestured.
“Let’s stop by the lockers. We have a written exam today. We should take some time during breaks to review the books.”
“You’re studying?”
Helmut looked at him with a surprised expression.
In the Swordsmanship Department, where practical skills accounted for 70% of the grade, it was rare to find someone who diligently studied for written exams. Among them, Asuka seemed to have an empty head just by looking at his behavior.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I’m stupid? I have good grades!”
So, having good grades wasn’t solely due to practical exams.
“Well, you probably need good grades.”
That way, even with a bad attitude and behavior like Asuka’s, you could attend the academy.
When Helmut agreed, Asuka, who was irritated by his words, rolled his eyes.
“Why do you keep arguing with me since morning? You’re really testing my patience.”
Muttering, he walked towards his locker.
In the Swordsmanship Department, each student was given one locker key. Many students carried their swords to the dormitory due to their training, but textbooks were left in the lockers located at the entrance of the Swordsmanship Department building, to be retrieved before classes.
However, Asuka soon came to a halt.
“Why is it open?”
He quickly opened his locker.
“No, this is crazy! Where are my books?”
Asuka’s locker was empty. It was as if there had never been anything inside. Helmut asked him,
“Didn’t you leave it unlocked?”
“There’s no way I did that. I’m cautious because I have a lot of enemies, so I always lock my locker!”
Asuka confidently exclaimed. The Greta Academy didn’t have magical locks on lockers.
However, they weren’t cheap lockers either, so they couldn’t be forced open without a key.
If someone had some skill, they could probably open it without a key, but it wouldn’t be easy.
Asuka slammed his locker shut.
“Did those Black Hawk hire thieves again? They’re so annoying, seriously!”
Since they had hired people to attack others before, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to assign someone to steal lockers.
It was clear that Sabbat’s gang hadn’t reflected or changed their ways since that day.
“Helmut, check your locker too.”
Asuka said, and Helmut reluctantly moved towards his locker.
He hoped they hadn’t touched his belongings. However, as he opened it, he noticed that the entrance of his locker was slightly ajar.
‘No way.’
He reached out and opened it, only to find it empty.
For a moment, he heard something snap inside him. It was as if his vision went black.
His mind felt hot but cold at the same time. He couldn’t see anything. The scene of a gruesome sight filled with a stench of blood appeared before his eyes. It was what was to come soon.
Helmut snapped back to reality because he felt a trace of darkness wriggling in response to his anger.
He suppressed the anger that felt like it could explode. As Asuka approached him, he grinned.
“You got robbed too? It’s insane. I’ve been through some crazy stuff.”
Although he was laughing, his lips twitched. It was a look of deep anger.
Academy textbooks were expensive, and all the notes taken during classes were gone. If his anger got the better of him, he might not act like a human.
“Wanna go track them down? Damn, whether we expel them or make them unable to walk with two legs, let’s do it.”
It was an immense temptation. He almost accepted it. He felt like he was being drawn into a swamp, but Helmut managed to resist.
“…We have a duel coming up.”
There was no need to do that when there was a legitimate way to deal with them. The rules of the academy tied his hands.
Within these constraints, he had a task to fulfill.
Helmut decided to be cautious of Asuka. Unlike Alea or Sian, this guy was the type to drag him into flying.
If they both went crazy, it would be troublesome. Helmut’s goal was to be a model student.
After controlling his anger with great effort, Asuka muttered while looking into the air.
“Anyway, the newcomers are annoying.”
It was a statement that included Helmut. However, Asuka turned around first.
“Yeah, the duel. That’s right.”
The way he tightly gripped his wooden sword was unusual. But Helmut was the same. He didn’t have a hobby of just taking it without retaliation. Helmut’s gaze flickered fiercely like a wild beast.
***
Today, there was a class with Instructor Alan. Instructor Alan was aware of the recent incidents in the Swordsmanship Department, but as the semester progressed, various things tended to happen.
There couldn’t be any more disruptions to the regular schedule.
The week for warming up was over, and it was time to start the actual classes.
“Shall we start the duels today? It’s good to fight with the friends you’re used to, but it’s also a good experience to spar with new friends you haven’t faced before. Luckily, it’s an even-numbered day. Find your duel partner and come forward. If you can’t find a partner, come to me, and I’ll pair you up.”
As soon as he spoke, Asuka immediately moved. He headed towards the group of Sabbat gang members.
“Erun, come out!”
A sinister smile appeared on Asuka’s face.
The Sabbat gang members who heard his shout flinched. It wasn’t because they couldn’t cause trouble in the first place, but because they knew that they were dealing with an opponent they couldn’t handle.
The group consisted of both transfer students and current students, and they all had their guard up when it came to Asuka.
Asuka had punched Erun before, and his movements were lightning-fast. They didn’t know what to expect if they agreed to the duel.
But they didn’t necessarily have to agree to the duel. They were free to decline.
“You’re giving a chance to settle your score. Are you going to hide like a scared little rat?”
Erun snorted.
“I’m sorry, but we’ve already found duel partners because we’re an even number.”
“Didn’t you hear the instructor say to find someone other than the ones you usually duel with?”
“We don’t think you’ll fight a duel properly. It would be troublesome if you went crazy on us.”
Asuka’s eyes flashed with anger. He wasn’t originally a patient person. He had endured a lot.
Then, from the side, another voice was heard.
“What about me, then?”