#264
Helmut
Episode 264
“You are a woman? Nonsense!”
Once inside the door, while everyone was frozen in shock without even having time to notice their surroundings, Asuka shouted accusingly. His eyes were full of disbelief.
Area, who was standing still, snorted.
“Would you like me to prove it?”
Area walked forward and leisurely took off her bracelet.
In an instant, the magic disappeared and her true self was revealed.
The subtle change removed the effect that made her look like a man.
Now standing there was a beautiful girl with silver hair and purple eyes.
The appearance of a woman that is unfamiliar to even oneself. She had lived in disguise for so long that Area was unfamiliar with being in front of other people’s attention as a woman.
And as unfamiliar as she felt, so did others.
No, that was truly shocking.
“What is this? It can’t be like this… … .”
Asuka looked like she wanted to deny reality.
I don’t know why, but to him, Area seemed to be a creature that could never be a woman.
Xian, who had been lost for a moment, came to his senses later and muttered.
“Yes, that’s right. He said it was somehow strange. The two of you hung around together all day. Then you and Helmut… … .”
Area raised her eyebrows without answering. Charlotte, with a somewhat complex expression on her face, opened her mouth.
“I guess that was the reason why Area senior took such an active role.”
So, for her, Area becomes her brother’s girlfriend. Her feelings were completely different from those of her simply best friend.
Asuka and Xian looked at each other and exchanged words.
“They said I was too pretty for a man. But why didn’t I notice at all? “Didn’t you know?”
“I didn’t know. I think I had a vague suspicion, but as you know, my personality is… … .”
Area was arrogant, kept her distance from everyone, and had a very harsh tone of voice.
Aside from her appearance, there was nothing about her that made her feel like a woman, and her strong and lonely appearance eliminated even the slightest hint of doubt.
“Then Helmut, you bastard, you were dating at the academy without us knowing? Aren’t you a deceiver? “You have a girlfriend and you pretend not to have one!”
“They even shared the same room! This feels like a report! “Men and women sleep together in the academy dormitory!”
“You have the support of the Dean. how… … , What, is the dean also an accomplice? “I’m sure you didn’t know, right?”
“You kept it hidden until you graduated, you poisonous woman!”
“I feel strange because you refer to Alea as a woman. “I’m getting goosebumps.”
Xian shook his head with a frown.
“Area, when and how did you start dating Helmut?”
“You two were hanging out together, were you dating?”
Area responded indifferently to the two’s questions.
“I guess that’s not important now.”
“But Area, are you surprisingly romantic?”
“I risk death to save my boyfriend. Isn’t it pure at this point? pure.”
Asuka, who spoke teasingly, felt the cold gaze directed at me and flinched to keep her mouth shut.
The female Area was somehow more scary than the male Area.
“Enough chatting.”
The group became quiet as if under a silencing spell. Even while they were talking, they were moving steadily.
After crossing the gate, we arrived at a path with forests on both sides, and all we had to do was walk along the path.
I was so shocked to find out that Area was a woman that I couldn’t see anything else.
And at the end of the trail, an old man was waiting for them.
Antiol, who had a long white beard and wore a monocle, exuded an inexplicable sage.
Because of this, everyone knew his identity as soon as they saw him.
‘Archmage Antiol.’
He is so famous that most wizards have heard of him.
As an archmage, it is possible to maintain a youthful appearance, but the passage of time seemed to have taken its toll.
Area bowed to him.
“Mr. Antiol.”
“At first I heard a loud noise. “There must have been some problem.”
“it’s nothing. I brought them all. “All we have to do is leave like this.”
“He really looks like a great wizard.”
On one side, Sian whispered into Asuka’s ear.
“Yes, you appear to be a spirit wizard. “It’s a rare power.”
Even though it was a small sound, Sian flinched when Antiol pointedly said it.
Antiol glanced at them as if observing them, with a smile on his face.
“I can’t believe that four young people with bright and prosperous futures are joining us on this life-threatening journey. Looks like he didn’t live in vain either. Is that a bloodline? “They look very similar.”
“Yes that’s right.”
“It looks like he is of Rinosa’s lineage, but is he a defector from the family? or not?”
Antiol’s eyes shone sharply. Charlotte said firmly.
“I just do what I believe is right. “I have something to give back to him.”
“It’s something I believe is right… … Those are young things to say. But the world is not that easy. “If the time comes when you have to make a choice later, what will you do then?”
Antiol’s question was sharp. It was a difficult question to ask whether it was the family or Helmut.
Before Charlotte could respond, Area intervened.
“We are ready.”
In any case, Charlotte’s utility value lies in her useful power in the Forest of Pahe.
Even if she turned around after rescuing Helmut, it wouldn’t be a problem right away, so I decided there was no need to complicate things in advance.
Antiol’s gaze returned to her.
“Heike agrees?”
“It’s my choice. “There will be no problem.”
Area’s words were just as firm as Charlotte’s.
Heike, of course, did not readily agree. But the reason she didn’t agree was something else.
‘oh my god! My granddaughter risked her life for a mere man! Half of the world is male, so what on earth is that guy?’
However, whenever she said something as absurd, Heike was convinced by her own logic before Area could even say anything.
‘Well, he was unusually handsome. A guy like that is rare.’
‘… … .’
Anyway, Heike decided to cooperate with Area, saying that it was worth it if he could see his handsome grandson-in-law.
Only, she said she wouldn’t be with Area.
No matter what preparations you make, heading to the Forest of Pahe is a dangerous adventure.
That’s why Area didn’t want that from her either.
Antiol nodded.
“Well, okay. If Hai Ke hadn’t given permission, he wouldn’t have let you come this far. “I’m ready too.”
“Well, I have a question.”
Xian quickly raised his hand. The way he asked questions like a model student seemed very familiar.
“Why are we here? “Because Area didn’t tell me at all.”
Xian subtly pointed out Area’s unkindness. If things continued like this, I was in an atmosphere where I would be swept away without even knowing what I was doing.
Antiol stroked his beard.
“Okay, I guess I’ll have to explain. “How much do you know about Pahe Forest?”
Sian and Charlotte shared their knowledge about Pahe’s Forest.
It might be obvious, but Asuka just watched them talking in a daze without knowing anything. He had been completely focused on sharpening his sword.
“It seems like the public has picked it up. As you know, anyone who enters the forest of Pahe has never come out. That boy named Helmut, before that.”
“Then what happens when you enter the Forest of Pahe? Can I just come in?”
Xian asked curiously.
Once you enter the Forest of Dig, you cannot come out. That’s why no one wants to go in.
So there was no information about whether it was possible to enter without any problems.
There was no treasure hidden in the Forest of Pahe, and no one was willing to risk their lives to enter a place infested with monsters.
“Let me explain it simply. First of all, the sacred barrier is a boundary. The boundary dividing inside and outside. To divide means to separate. In other words, the sacred barrier blocks both what comes from the inside and what goes in from the outside. Of course, the latter is much easier than the former.”
“Anyway, do you mean it’s not easy to get in?”
“Yes, it would be easier for an ordinary person with no physical strength. Divine power and demonic energy are in conflict. Although not as much, divine power also rejects other powers. In that order, horsepower and vis. The resistance to magic is quite strong, and the resistance to vis is not that great. However, the greater the power you have, the stronger the resistance of the sacred barrier becomes, so the cost of power becomes greater.”
“Then, when you cross the sacred barrier and enter the Forest of Pahe, the swordsman will be in a better state than the wizard.”
Antiol nodded.
“The problem here is that, according to my research, the sacred barrier acts differently when exiting and entering. When it comes out, it reacts particularly sensitively to demonic energy and does not allow even the slightest demonic energy to leak out of the barrier. Instead, it reacts relatively less sensitively to other forces, but when it enters, it is also quite resistant to other forces.”
“How big is it?”
“As soon as you enter the Forest of Pahe, a wizard will not have the strength to stand still.
“The prosecutor may be in a better situation than that, but entering a state where one’s strength has been exhausted is itself risky.”
“How did Helmut, who was sent to the Forest of Pahe, overcome that resistance? He has both Vis and Magi… … ah!”
Xian let out an exclamation as if he realized something.
“Yes, even with strength, the only people who can enter and exit the barrier without any damage are those who can use divine power. In other words, holy magic. All those who have been sent to the Forest of Pahe so far were sent through holy magic. “Holy magic allows even those with demonic energy to pass through the sacred barrier without any problems.”
“Then what if we kidnap the priest and make him take out Helmut?”
Xian’s eyes lit up and he shouted something dangerous.
“That’s what happens when you go in. As I said, the sacred barrier works differently when entering and exiting. The barrier does not allow those with demonic energy to escape, even through sacred magic. And in the first place, sending someone to the Forest of Pahe through sacred magic is also possible only when a large number of priests are mobilized or become high priests. Are you saying you want to kidnap a high priest now?”
Sian scratched his cheek.
“That’s a bit…” … “It must be difficult, right?”
“Pahe Forest is a dangerous place. There may be formidable monsters near the barrier.
Only a strong person will be able to suppress the instinctive pressure felt from the sacred barrier. “It’s too risky to enter the Forest of Pahe with a lot of energy wasted.”
Antiol, who had been pouring out words, opened his mouth confidently after a while.
“So I came up with a way.”
