# 198
Helmut
Episode 198
That day, Helmut told a long story to Area. It was a story I had never told anyone before.
I imagine that the day will come when I will tell this story out loud. It was only vague.
The sound of my own voice, the first to bring out the secret that had been so heavy and buried inside me, was unfamiliar.
Because Helmut had the sprout of darkness, he was abandoned in the Forest of Pahe. From the moment I left the Forest of Pahe, that fact became a secret that had to be hidden even at the cost of someone’s life.
The time I spent living in secret, staying silent and hiding my power, had already become ingrained in me.
Area also had a secret, but it was not quite the same as Helmut’s.
Because Area is in conflict with the temple, not with the world.
Helmut was different. What he had was a truth that was driven out of the world as soon as it was revealed.
Area asked back.
“You… came from the Forest of Pahe?”
“okay.”
Helmut responded calmly. Archmage Antiol, who noticed that Helmut had a sprout of darkness, did not know that he had grown in the Forest of Pahe.
The first human to leave the Forest of Pahe. Even as she heard about the unbelievable miracle, Area’s eyes only slightly wavered and did not show much disturbance.
She was already working out a theory in her head about how a human with a sprout of darkness could pass through the sacred barrier and come out of the Forest of Pahe.
But none of the theories reached reality.
“how?”
Helmut briefly explained the method I used. It’s not a complete theory, and he said he was lucky.
Area met his gaze and listened carefully to his words. He was wizard-like and area-like.
Looking at those purple eyes, Helmut felt heavy for a moment.
Now Area knew almost everything. It means that Helmut’s destruction is in your hands. She could swing it either lightly or heavily.
It would certainly be unwise to give someone a weapon that could threaten them.
As Darian said, humans are wicked and treacherous. What’s more, it’s only been less than a year since we met.
But I believed. It was an unwavering, fixed belief that is difficult to explain how it came to be.
I wanted to talk. Maybe that’s why I believed it. The impulse was so earnest and strong that it heated my heart.
Have you been waiting for someone to show up one day to tell the truth?
I fought alone and alone. Helmut had moved his roots and was growing up in a new land called the human world.
Telling Area the truth was a change for him. Change is an adventure. Adventure inevitably involves risk.
Area stared at him. Helmut, a boy who lived an unimaginably harsh life even at a young age.
Of course, Helmut was not a boy so delicate and fragile that Alea felt sorry for him. Still, a part of my heart was bitter.
I feel like I finally learned about Helmut. The questions I had until now were answered one by one.
Area chose her words.
“I have something to tell you too.”
She was also not used to revealing secrets.
Area revealed the truth about herself in detail.
That she is the disciple and granddaughter of the temple’s public archmage, Heike.
Heike was chased by the temple due to an incident in the past. But she is an archmage. If he made up his mind to hide himself, there was no means of chasing him, even as a temple.
The hand of the temple that was chasing Heike reached her son and his wife who lived far away from her.
When Heike arrived, the only one left alive was Area, who was hiding.
“I look a lot like Heike. The temple knows that Heike’s granddaughter is alive. That’s why I disguised myself as a man and entered the academy.”
No matter how much she resembles her, she is still a girl. It’s hard to imagine that I’d be a male student at the academy.
Also, the Academy in Baden is a place beyond the reach of the temple.
“Was there a reason you had to come to the academy like that?”
“As I was being chased by the temple, I thought I should have the power to prevent them from doing anything recklessly. The Greta Academy Magic Department is the best place to build such power. No matter how much of a lore wizard I am, the magic department at Greta Academy is renowned for its reputation. “Heike and the dean also had a connection.”
“Are you planning to take revenge on the temple?”
“Revenge. “It’s true that I don’t have any good feelings, but for now, I won’t do that unless they touch me like they did this time.”
After speaking, Area asked.
“What do you plan to do?”
“I feel the same way.”
It would be a different story if the temple was making a fuss like this time, but I had no intention of going in and dealing with it.
Helmut has a sprout of darkness. He, who has sprouts of darkness, fights against the temple, only to be evaluated as being worthy of being abandoned in the Forest of Pahe.
A path that is bound to be followed by blood and slaughter. That was probably not what Darian had hoped for.
Darian hoped that Helmut, as a strong swordsman, would shoulder his duty to power and walk the right path, just as he did as a sword saint.
That may be the reason why he gave up revenge.
‘I also have no intention of becoming a great villain.’
I hoped I would find my mother. Not only my mother, but also my family members who don’t know if they are dead or alive.
For their sake, Helmut had to remain as quiet as possible.
Just as Area lost her parents because of Heike, if Helmut makes enemies, it will be his family that will suffer. The enemy wasn’t just a temple.
‘I guess we can’t avoid fighting anyway.’
At any given time, Helmut would be fighting the temple. naturally.
But there was no need to walk that path with revenge. Here is one more person to walk the same path.
Area nodded.
“okay.”
Neither of them had the personality to enjoy seeing blood. He did not seek to rule by trampling on anyone.
Perhaps their wish is to have the power to achieve peace on their own.
As we finished our conversation, silence fell. The two were sitting side by side on a tree stump.
Area, who had largely cleared this area with magic, was in the process of recovering her magical power. I have to use my movement magic to leave this place.
The forest, which was suddenly immersed in darkness, was quiet as if a battle had just begun.
As it became quiet, Alea, who remembered what had happened earlier, felt awkward for some reason and fiddled with her hand.
Perhaps what he felt when he met Helmut was not the fate of a wizard, but that it would turn out like this.
He broke into my tightly closed heart.
The fast beating of my heart was unfamiliar. I would have to gradually get used to it.
Helmut suddenly asked.
“But what should we do if we date?”
I knew the relationship had changed, but I wasn’t sure what to do after that. Area seemed to know the answer.
But Area didn’t know that either.
“…Let’s think about it when we go back to Baden.”
Area put on the bracelet. The magic effect unfolded again and Area was transformed from a girl to a boy. Magic power was recovered enough to use movement magic.
“I have to go now.”
Helmut looked back towards the forest.
“Wouldn’t they come after us for this?”
“If you are a high priest, you will be in contact with the temple on a regular basis. You’ll soon find out what’s going on. “This place is far away from Baden, so I hope that suspicion doesn’t return to Greta Academy.”
A white light erupted from Area’s hand. Area explained that she was talking to someone through a crystal ball.
“I roughly erased the traces, but that wasn’t enough. I told Heike, and soon all traces of this place will be completely erased. The High Priest and his party will disappear from this forest. “We artificially erased the traces, so we know something happened, but no charges will be brought against us.”
The person Area had just contacted was Heike.
I was reluctant to enlist Heike’s help in this matter, but Area’s magical power was not in perfect condition either. There is no one who can organize this place as surely as Heike.
If it doesn’t work out, you can just overwrite it with Heike. It was because of her that Area built the temple and castle in the first place.
Area added quickly.
“Not even Heike knows about you. “I guess you can guess.”
At best, we can just think of him as a bold and thoughtless guy who got into a fight with Shinjeon because of his girlfriend. Alea, who felt hot for some reason, cleared her throat.
“Now let’s go back.”
She stretched out her hand toward Helmut. Helmut grabbed the hand without saying a word.
The newly created relationship was unfamiliar. I didn’t know if it was okay to let others get caught up in my chaotic fate.
‘Is it okay?’
That remains to be seen. But the important thing was that there was no turning back now. The feeling of having something for the first time.
I don’t want to let go of this hand out of fear or worry. It’s a decision I made myself, so I have no choice but to accept it.
*
Soon after, where Area and Helmut disappeared, a beautiful woman with silver hair appeared.
She looked back at the forest where a little magical energy remained and read the memories of the earth.
The archmage’s magic perfectly revived Alea’s scattered memories.
“Ai with the sprouts of darkness…”
Heike frowned. I had already sensed that Helmut would have a special relationship with Area. Because I watched the festival secretly.
At that time, I felt a strange sensation while looking at the boy named Helmut. But I had buried it for now, so I found out about it like this.
“Befitting my granddaughter, I chose someone who was troublesome.”
It might not be a good thing to have a guy like that around Area.
Heike already had many enemies. There is no need to add another enemy to that enemy. It should be removed if necessary. Even for Area.
“But what you mean is that you tried to save Area at the risk of having that boy’s identity discovered.”
Heike tilted his head. In that situation, there were a lot of guys who would abandon the girl they liked anyway and leave her alone.
But Helmut didn’t do that. Rather, he chose to take risks and fight.
“I like it, except for the fact that it has sprouts of darkness.”
Heike did not think long. As an archmage, she had little prejudice.
For now, just watch.
“Well, I don’t want anyone to be hated if I interfere for no reason.”
Area did not treat Heike as family. I lost my parents because of her, so I deserved it.
Heike even accepted Area’s hatred and cold treatment. Since it was her mistake, it would have been a great greed to even hope for forgiveness.
Regardless of whether he was hated or not, Area was Heike’s only remaining blood relative.
Something that must be kept.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of guy he is. “As long as it doesn’t harm Area.”
Heike muttered as if making a promise and then performed his magic.
Completely erase all traces of this place. Even if the temple tracked her down, the charges would come back to her.
That was Heike’s job.
