Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Scar
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No. Of course not.
The sudden situation even gave me a slight headache.
Given Helga's aggressive personality, I had anticipated she would eventually snap.
I just hadn't expected her to act out so immediately.
Character Profile.
Name: Helga Wolfbert.
Age: 19.
Occupation: Vice Captain of the Steel Lion Knight Order Aslan.
Traits: Pure Love, Battle Maniac, Thunder God.
Helga was the only character in the original story who was completely loyal to Tristan.
But her way of showing it had gone astray.
Due to her excessively honest nature, people other than Tristan had been hurt, but she didn't care.
She was a mad dog, too ferocious to call a loyal hound.
A mad dog that treated anyone but her master as an enemy and tried to tear them apart.
Helga was indeed a dangerous existence.
I couldn't keep carrying a time bomb that might explode at any moment.
And the only one who could control her was Tristan.
I opened my mouth.
Helga.
Yes, my lord Count.
Helga turned to me with a grin.
She looked like a hunting dog ready to charge the moment I gave the command, eagerly awaiting my response.
I sighed and said,
Do you know why I haven't taken you on as my escort knight?
Hmm? Well, is it because you're embarrassed?
No.
Then, is it because having such an attractive woman like me by your side is burdensome?
No.
Hmm. Then I don't know. Even if there's another knight as capable as me, who can do anything without being told.
That's exactly the reason. Foolish girl.
Even as I coldly snapped at her, Helga didn't flinch.
This much wasn't enough to shake her mentality.
I needed an even greater shock.
Such traits as those?
Who told you it was okay to cause such a commotion in the mansion?
That woman showed hostility toward you, my lord Count, so I couldn't just stand by
This isn't a battlefield. And
I spoke without even glancing at Blanche.
She poses no threat to me.
!?
At least not until she pays off her debt to me.
So now, the threat to me was Helga.
I resolved to deal with her decisively.
.....
!
...
As if understanding my words, Helga meekly tucked her twin flails back into her coat.
And she bowed her head obediently.
Then it was my mistake. I'm sorry. Please punish me, my lord Count.
There will be no punishment.
Pardon?
Punishment is only for those who need it. You don't.
I approached Helga.
Then I reached out and roughly tore off the iron lion badge symbolizing Aslan's vice captain from her black uniform.
Helga Wolfbert. As of this moment, I dismiss you from your position as vice captain of Aslan.
My lord Count!?
M-My lord Count!?
Blanche and Wendy panicked at the shocking dismissal.
They probably thought it was too harsh.
But there was no choice.
Helga's expression darkened slightly, but she soon accepted my words.
Understood. If that's your will, my lord Count, I will obey.
To her, my words were absolute.
That's why what I was about to say next would be more effective on Helga than anyone else.
With a voice laden with cold 'Wrath', I commanded Helga.
From now on, never appear before me again.
.
At that moment, Helga's movements stopped.
She froze in place like a statue.
I read intense turmoil in Helga's eyes, who couldn't move from the shock.
What she didn't want to lose more than any honorable position was the spot beside Tristan.
With nothing more to say, I tried to walk past her.
That was when.
Just once
Helga looked at me, forcing a calm expression.
Her eyes trembled as if they would burst into tears at any moment.
She took a deep breath and said,
Won't you reconsider?
No.
Confirming Helga's heart crumbling, I passed her indifferently.
To Helga, who tried to follow, I spat in a cold voice.
Don't follow me.
That was the end for Helga.
Rejected by Tristan, she collapsed there with a face as if all emotions had drained out.
Ignoring her, I walked toward the mansion.
And to the two who had watched the entire situation, I said.
You two may follow.
That eye
Hm?
Helga looked up from her book, and Tristan was gazing at her.
Since the ever-cynical Tristan was speaking to her first, she listened closely.
What happened to that eye?
Ah. This?
Helga gave a wry smile as she touched her left eye covered in gauze.
It's nothing. I just failed to control my magic power a bit
Helga, who had a congenitally weak body, had tried to enhance her physical abilities with magic power.
Reinforcing the body with magic power was something only skilled mages could do to some extent.
But Helga was too young to know that.
While alone at home, she channeled magic power through her body, leading to a runaway incident.
Her magic power wounded her body in various places.
Among them, her left eye suffered irreversible damage.
Want to see?
Helga said with a playful smile.
She had thrown it out as a joke, half-expecting refusal.
No one would want to see something so gruesome.
But Tristan nodded.
Yes.
Huh?
Show me.
Wait. You really want to see?
As Helga looked bewildered, Tristan tilted his head.
Can't I?
Well. That's. not it, but
Helga felt embarrassed now that she actually had to show her eye's scar.
Everyone who knew her story pitied her upon seeing the wound.
Yet it was also Helga's medal of honor.
A mark of survival from the brink of death, proof that she was alive.
Her father, Gail, had many such scars.
Glorious wounds earned battling countless pirates.
People admired Gail's scars as cool.
But no one said that about Helga's scar.
After all, the reason she got it was because as a child, she recklessly used magic.
Naturally, people looked at her scar with pity.
But she had promised to show it, so no choice.
Helga placed her fingers on the gauze to remove it.
You won't say it's weird after seeing it?
I'll think after seeing.
Tch.
Unwilling but committed, Helga removed the gauze.
Tristan's brow twitched.
Here. Take a good look.
Helga felt unbearably embarrassed.
The fact that he was staring right through her.
The fact that he was looking at her scar.
But the words from Tristan's mouth were completely different from what she expected.
It's pretty.
Huh?
I see a lightning shape. Your family has purple magic power, I suppose.
Y-Yeah. That's right.
This is pretty?
Is this guy's head okay?
Where her magic power had surged, sharp burn marks remained.
Tristan had called the undeniably ugly scar pretty.
Looking at her scar, he muttered as if to himself.
Everyone has a scar they want to hide.
She thought it was intoxicating words.
But coming from Tristan, they sounded somehow mystical.
That's why Helga unwittingly said,
Then. You have a scar like this too?
Yes. But mine is ugly.
A shadow fell over Tristan's face.
Helga swallowed.
Curious about the boy's scar.
Can you show me yours? Just me?
Sorry, but I can't show you.
I showed you mine. Why not?
If you see my scar, you'll despise me.
Helga shook her head.
I won't despise you.
You'll scorn me.
I won't scorn you either.
How can you be so sure?
Well.
At Tristan's question, Helga scratched her cheek.
The answer that came to mind was quite embarrassing.
In the end, Helga said in a small voice.
I'm not bad enough to scorn someone who calls my scar pretty. Ah, I do have a bit of a reckless personality. Anyway. I won't say whatever, so show me.
Tristan seemed lost in thought.
Helga decided to wait patiently for his response.
And finally, Tristan opened his mouth with a sigh.
Alright. But I can't show you.
Huh? What do you mean?
Because my scar exists in my memories.
Memories?
Yes.
Tristan confessed a shocking fact to her.
I killed my father.