Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 93 (Part 2):
Sian sucked in the contents, frowning.
With his head back on the table, he remained motionless for a moment.
Just as Asuka was about to suggest leaving, Sian suddenly raised his head.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“What, you’re sober now?”
“I’m weak to alcohol. I always carry a detox potion with me.”
He spoke confidently, as if it were a routine. Sian, who had been slumped just a moment ago, was instantly fine. He seemed perfectly capable of standing and walking.
Sian spoke to Asuka in a meaningful tone.
“I’ll never forget your kindness, telling him to abandon me.”
“Well, I…”
Asuka stammered, scratching his cheek. Sian turned his gaze toward Helmut.
“That’s right, a friend with loyalty. Do you want to pass by the downtown area on the way back? It’s a holiday, so there might be a market, and we can also sightsee.”
“Are you really okay?”
“The power of magic is great.”
“Okay.”
Helmut affirmed.
They stepped outside, taking in the fresh air and indulging in some drinks and food. They might have gotten a bit lost along the way, but it wasn’t so bad. He felt like he could wander a bit more.
There was still plenty of time to go back and train since it wasn’t late yet.
Before long, they entered a lively district filled with shops.
On holidays, wealthy students mainly from the academies in Baden would flock to the area, so the shops were thriving.
In truth, they didn’t need many items for their academy life. However, for students mostly composed of nobility, they had the means to indulge in things they didn’t necessarily need, like expensive designer pajamas.
“Is this where Alea bought her pajamas? Those hanging on the display look like Alea’s pajamas.”
The color was different. Reflected through the glass, it was pink bear-patterned pajamas. Asuka chuckled.
“That guy with that cold face wears such pajamas? It doesn’t seem to suit him at all.”
“He has delicate tastes that may not be apparent at first glance. Alea even keeps potted flowers in his room.”
“Creepy, isn’t it? Could those be for magical experiments?”
“That’s a possibility.”
Helmut, who had gifted a potted plant, remained silent. Despite being a potted plant, a flower was still a flower. He would later understand the significance of giving flowers.
“Well, I won’t jump to conclusions.”
“More importantly, these bear pajamas are the latest trend. Don’t you know? They say those muscular guys from the fencing department wear them.”
“Muscular guys in those? That’s hard to picture.”
“It’s not like they’re wandering outside the room, so it might be okay. Alea is at least cute.”
“Alea is cute?”
“Who says so?”
“Well, you’ve probably never seen a guy better looking than yourself.”
“If you keep saying that, you’ll get hit.”
Seeing the determination in Asuka’s eyes, Sian quickly changed the subject.
“Wow, they’re on sale today! Should I buy one too?”
However, after seeing the price, Sian turned gloomy and walked away.
“It’s too expensive.”
“How can Alea afford it if he’s just a commoner? Is he from a merchant family?”
“Who knows? There’s no information about that. He might be from a family of wizards; they can make money easily.”
“But why don’t you have any money then?”
“Because I come from a rural village?”
“How about putting a coin basket here and doing a circus with your spirits? You might attract some attention.”
It was a reasonable idea. However, Sian immediately shook his head.
“I can’t use my precious spirits as a means of making money… Oh, look over there.”
They all turned their heads in the direction Sian pointed.
“Isn’t that Alea?”
The street was bustling with countless people, but through the crowd, they caught a glimpse of Alea’s shimmering hair.
Such distinct silver hair was rare.
“That’s him.”
“He refused to hang out with us, so what’s going on?”
“He must be here for some shopping. He’s a rich boy, after all.”
As they chatted, they gradually approached Alea.
Alea sighed.
She had run out of the pen she was using and had come to buy a new one. As she passed by a shop on the way, she spotted an elegant leather-bound notebook on the display shelf.
For a moment, her attention was diverted, and she missed the movements of the people surrounding her.
The word annoyance was drawn on her forehead as she was encircled by four girls.
“What’s up? Move aside.”
“Don’t do that, Alea. There’s a nice shop over there. Let’s go together!”
“We’ll buy it, what were you looking at?”
“Is it a notebook? We’ll buy it for you.”
Judging by the hats, dresses, and jewelry they were wearing, they were noble ladies. They looked two or three years older than Alea.
Greta and other academy uniforms did not have bad designs, but they lacked individuality.
It was an age when they liked to dress up. The dresses they had brought from their hometown were worn out for outings on holidays.
“Why are you buying my stuff?”
“We want to give you a gift, so don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, we just want to have a cup of tea with Alea…”
“I told you I don’t want you to do that, just move aside.”
“Don’t do that…”
Helmut narrowed his eyes. It felt strangely familiar. The only difference was that the target was Alea, not him.
No, the attitude was different too. They didn’t cling to Helmut like this; instead, they acted like they were chasing a thief who had stolen something.
Sian whistled.
“Wow, girls are scary.”
“Just take it it’s free.”
Asuka muttered enviously.
“Wow, girls are scary.”
“Just take it it’s free.”
Asuka muttered enviously.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no such thing as free in this world.”
“You talk like you have experience. I don’t think you’ve had such an experience.”