#63
Helmut
Episode 63
Chapter 5 What Happened in Baden
It was a new year. The new year when Helmut turns 15. Helmut, who had been training his sword since morning, looked up at the noon sky where the sun was shining brightly. His eyes are dazzling. Having lived in a gloomy, dark atmosphere, he is now accustomed to bright sunlight. His pale skin was also slightly tanned, giving it a nice white color. But there were some things he wasn’t used to.
‘It’s the first new year outside of Pahe Forest.’
He survived and grew another year. We took one more step further away from the Forest of Pahe. The feeling of welcoming the New Year outside the forest was unfamiliar. The reason Helmut recognized the word ‘New Year’ was because he heard the employees at Kudrow Mansion talking.
For a few days before the New Year, Helmut devoted himself to sword training, which he felt was inadequate due to studying for exams. As he practiced, he thought about what he could do before the semester.
‘Starting today, let’s take a quick look around Baden.’
I wasn’t satisfied, but I would have trained to the extent that I lacked. Helmut made his decision.
Meanwhile, Ethan Kudrow’s son did not return in the new year, and Ethan was not the type to welcome the new year with much excitement. Instead, the mansion’s employees actively decorated the mansion and prepared food. At lunch, where a generous amount of lamb ribs and grilled shrimp were prepared, Ethan suddenly asked.
“Helmut, when is your birthday?”
“Birthday?”
His eyes narrowed. Helmut had to think about those words carefully. When was he born, where was he born. Helmut didn’t know about himself. All I know is my mother’s name written on the pendant around her neck.
The concept of birthdays was of no importance to either the leopard or the clueless Helmut. Elaga, who knew when Helmut was abandoned in the Forest of Pahe, picked Helmut up and said that several seasons had passed since then. Darian wasn’t the type to take care of such things, so naturally Helmut’s birthday didn’t happen.
After I roughly explained it, Ethan looked at him pitifully.
“So you’ve never thought about your birthday.”
“yes.”
He was someone I felt was lacking in some way, but at this point, it was worth it. For the first time in his life, Ethan saw a guy who didn’t know his birthday. He is a guy with good looks and great skills that many people would envy, but I felt sorry for him and was shocked. He has never had his birthday celebrated since he was born until this day.
‘No wonder he has a unique personality.’
He was always so calm that I wondered if he ever cried when he was young. Emotions that he has no business to interact with become dull. He said that a child who does not have someone to respond to his emotions does not know how to show them. No matter what he feels inside. It is natural that Helmut, who is in the prime of his life, is calm and does not reveal his true feelings often.
“Let’s assume your birthday is today. “In the future, if someone asks, it would be better to answer like that.”
“yes.”
In this way, Helmut’s birthday was set as January 1st. When his birthday is set, it is natural to give him a gift as a guardian. Ethan said.
“If there is something you want, tell me.”
“I have money.”
I bought clothes and some other items, but including the money returned by Area, I still had close to 70,000 marks left. He wasn’t short of money, so he didn’t need to ask for Ethan’s help. First of all, he was saving money on lodging by staying at his mansion. It was a completely separate way of thinking, not to mention independent.
Ethan felt frustrated.
“I am your guardian, and it is natural to give a gift to a ward on his or her birthday.”
“iced coffee.”
birthday present. Yes, there was something like that. It’s something I’ve never received before in my life.
‘What do you want?’
Helmut was worried. He didn’t even know what the store sold.
‘clothes? book? New semester textbooks? ‘What do you get as a gift?’
“Why don’t you go out on the street and look for something you want?”
I told him to enjoy it, but I was so shocked to find out that he just stayed in the mansion and trained as if training his sword was something he enjoyed. Ethan, who was on his way to the academy and finalizing her entrance exam process, didn’t know at first. However, when she suddenly asked the employee what Helmut had been doing, he said yes. She thought she had become friends with Leah, but it seems she was just a tutor. She does not speak to her employees, so she is almost a reclusive loner. The only person he talks to is Ethan Kudrow.
‘Now that I win, I have to throw him out of the mansion.’
I would have to move into the academy dormitory soon, and I was worried about whether I would be able to do well in the dormitory life. Even if he builds a cabin in the forest and lives alone, he doesn’t feel lonely. He had no choice but to drive it out himself.
“Don’t worry about the price.”
Ethan added firmly. Since it was my first birthday present, I wanted to do anything, even if it meant going out of my way. Helmut nodded his head.
“I’m going to go out today.”
It was a good day to go out as the streets were already bustling with the New Year. After finishing his meal, Helmut stood up.
“I’ll be back.”
It was a day when the cool wind felt pleasantly around my body.
Around noon, there was movement in a room on the third floor of the Greta Academy dormitory. Sunlight was shining through the curtains. Even as the stinging light hit my cheeks, my eyelids, which had been stubbornly closed, suddenly trembled.
“ah.”
A purple pupil appeared between wide open eyelids and then disappeared again. As I squinted under the pouring sunlight, the world looked white and blurred.
“Is it daytime?”
The person who had fallen asleep as if dead in a shady room woke up from the bed. He stumbles out of his seat and moves in front of the mirror.
I don’t know when I fell asleep because I was researching magic until dawn. When I looked up, I saw myself in the mirror. What was reflected in the mirror was a dazzlingly beautiful girl. The fatigue evident on her face did not diminish her beauty.
Straight silver hair cascaded past her shoulders, flawless skin, a delicate nose bridge, pink lips, and deeply colored purple eyes were perfectly balanced. Like a glass doll made by the hand of God.
Area, who looked at herself in the mirror with no emotion, picked up the bracelet she had placed next to the table. When I put it on his wrist, it shrinks on its own and fits perfectly. Normally she would never have left it out. Due to elaborate magic research, it had to be released briefly.
Area’s appearance with the bracelet changed as if she was wearing a curtain. It was a very subtle change. The lines became slightly thicker, and her physique changed. But that alone completely changed Area’s appearance. Area chanted the magic name.
“Camouflage of light.”
It is a magic that disturbs the light around the body and makes it look different. For example, turning a woman into a man. Area was tall. Wizards, even if they are men, are often small, so as long as they look like men on the outside, they will not arouse suspicion.
It is an artifact created with great care by a master who is an archmage. The magic cast there was by no means sloppy. Until the spell is broken, it is impossible to see through Area’s true appearance.
“There was one guy who was a bit quick-witted.”
Area remembered a name she had forgotten for several days as she was busy studying magic. Helmut. A guy with black, crow-like eyes and mysterious eyes.
“I didn’t ask any more about what the magic was.”
Maybe he just stopped paying attention after the request was over? It won’t be a problem. Area was completely unaware that Helmut had tried to force her to tutor using the magic. Because it didn’t happen.
Area opened the window. As he revealed himself, a cackling scream could be heard from below. A noise like a crow crowing. It was a familiar sound.
“It’s the new year.”
The reason Area thought about going outside was because she was hungry.
Helmut left the Kudrow Mansion and was walking towards the downtown area. I felt eyes on me from somewhere. From afar, there were three girls looking at us with fresh eyes. Helmut, with his rare black hair, was a striking boy. In fact, his persona is noble and smart. Aside from his sharp and dangerous aura, he was sure to find a girl who would secretly like him.
But not today. The three girls walked quickly and surrounded Helmut with a somewhat hostile atmosphere. One of them asked with a gloomy face.
“Hey, can you take a look at us for a moment?”
“What’s the matter?”
Helmut asked. It was my first time seeing this face. And this atmosphere is never with good intentions. The gap between the girls was too close to ignore and pass by. The three girls fired without fear at Helmut, who was wearing a sword.
“Who are you and what are you doing?”
“What is your relationship with Area?”
“I heard you received tutoring from Area?”
‘Area?’
A caste system that was not valid in the academy was emerging here. It sounded more like an argument rather than an intention to ask a question. As I was silent because I didn’t know whose question to answer, harsh voices followed.
“Why is there no answer!”
“Tell me quickly how I got tutored by him!”
“What did you do?”
Helmut, surrounded by three excited girls, raised his eyebrows. If we were to judge the situation, it would be like this.
‘There is no murderous intent, but there is hostility, and there is no threat. ‘This seems like a fight.’
What is it if blocking the road and shooting is not an argument? The answer is to punish. However, the opponents are women as weak and fragile as Xenia, who was escorted to Baden. If you hit it, it will probably bleed and pass out. As far as Helmut knew, it was grounds for disciplinary action for a student at the academy’s swordsmanship department to knock down a helpless civilian. Moreover, these three people were only blocking him and annoying him, and did not attack him.
‘My ears sting. What should I do to avoid getting knocked down?’
I’ve had fights with big guys before, but something like this is a bit embarrassing.
At that time, I suddenly felt a familiar presence. Someone’s figure caught Helmut’s gaze. You can tell even if you’re wearing a hood. Silver hair sticking out from below stood out. Area glanced this way and turned her body, pretending not to notice. Helmut seemed to know a way out of this situation. He spoke to the tinkling girls.
“Hey, there’s Area over there.”
I hadn’t forgotten that Alea told me not to pretend to know. He told him without pretending to know, so Helmut judged that there was no problem.
“what? Do not lie!”
“Where is the trick?”
I guess he thought he was trying to escape by looking away as if there was something behind there, so he didn’t even think about turning around. Did what I said sound like a lie? Helmut was worried. One girl who didn’t like his silence raised her voice.
“Quickly explain the relationship between you and Area!”
Then something unexpected happened.
“Why does this guy have to explain that?”
Area, who I thought was going to ignore me and leave, appeared. Sharp purple eyes scanned the three girls. The three girls looked at him in confusion.
“Area!”
“go away. “When it comes to words.”
Tears welled up in the eyes of the three girls who didn’t seem to be able to avoid the harsh words with any words.
“You’re doing this too much!”
Area sighed, leaving behind them running like the heroines of a tragedy. It’s a shame that they are among the most docile of his followers, otherwise they would have grabbed Helmut by the collar a long time ago. Area tilted her head.
‘Which one is fortunate?’
He glanced at Helmut, whom he had not seen in a long time. He had no idea that as soon as he came out onto the street, he would be met. He was too skilled to dismiss it as a coincidence. When he saw that he was surrounded by three girls, he tried to ignore them and passed by, but somehow his footsteps stopped.
‘Because you shouldn’t get into trouble for no reason.’
The reason I got involved was probably because of a sense of crisis that Helmut might do because he was a guy with no common sense.
