Helmut returned to Baden just three days shy of the new semester. His journey back was delayed more than expected due to monster subjugation, and considering White's condition, he couldn't push as hard as before.
"Being back in my own skin feels strange after so long."
Helmut had shed his disguise upon leaving Basor's borders, finding his reflection somewhat unfamiliar now.
The first place he headed in Baden was the Kudrow residence.
Upon hearing about Helmut's adventures in Basor, Ethan Kudrow breathed a sigh of relief.
"Basor has indeed been through a lot. It's fortunate that the truth has come to light."
"The truth won't come out because..."
Helmut shared the second prince's stance on the matter. Though he agreed to silence, he couldn't keep Ethan Kudrow in the dark, knowing Helmut was Hyde. Ethan Kudrow, too, easily agreed to stay silent. If Luke Yaeger wanted it that way, he had no more to say.
"The temple engaging in such acts under the name of Lumen, acting recklessly. They don't view our Baden, with its many magicians and knights, favorably either."
Ethan Kudrow seemed to harbor a worse impression of the temple, a positive development for Helmut.
"It's a pity we can't officially announce that a winner of the Basor martial arts tournament is from Greta Academy."
"It wasn't officially announced anyway."
Just a minor announcement about awarding Hyde for his contributions in monster subjugation was made.
Effectively, there was no winner for this year's Basor tournament since the final match never took place. With Basor engulfed in bigger concerns, especially with Luke Yeger's identity getting unveiled and the commotion around the descendant of Darien, the tournament was the least of their worries.
"Darien's descendant... that's surprising. How was he?"
"He resembles Darien. An outstanding swordsman."
Ethan Kudrow sighed, reminiscing about the past when Darien Difert saved him.
"Anyway, you better prepare for the new semester; not much time left."
"Yes, indeed."
Room assignments were already settled, and his luggage was mostly packed, anticipating a late return.
However, Helmut hadn't expected to return this late. According to Ethan, while Helmut's room changed, Alea was keeping his belongings.
"Alea's staying in the same room?"
Seems it was so, likely due to Alea being the top student of the magic department. Everyone else greeted him upon his return.
"Hey, Helmut! Back in Baden, eh?"
"Long time no see, Helmut."
"How was your vacation?"
Some even noticed his tan.
"You seem tanned. Been to a hot country?"
"Somewhere with strong sunlight."
Helmut casually responded and went to collect his belongings from Alea's room. If Alea wasn't at the magic department building, he'd be at the dormitory.
Climbing the stairs, an inexplicable tension enveloped him, akin to facing a formidable opponent. Or was it something else? He couldn't explain the feeling.
Knocking on the door, a rustling sound came from inside.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
The door swung open unexpectedly wide, and the first thing Helmut saw were those amethyst eyes, clear and vivid. It felt like years had passed, even though it had only been two months.
Alea still looked stunning, albeit slightly altered. Despite the magical disguise, Helmut could discern the difference.
Alea spoke,
"Helmut."
They stood frozen, staring at each other, a strange silence filled with a buzzing tension.
'My heart again...'
It might have been Alea's magic reacting to the seed of darkness within him. That was Helmut's new hypothesis. Breaking the silence, Helmut spoke first.
"I came for my things."
"Oh, your stuff? Right."
Alea moved to let him in but then frowned.
"But is that all you've got to say after seeing me?"
Helmut tilted his head, unsure.
"Long time no see...?"
Was that the right thing to say? He had thought of something to say before meeting Alea, but now it all seemed to blur. Alea dismissed it,
"Never mind, what should I expect?"
The room looked the same, and Helmut's belongings were untouched.
Quickly packing his things into a box, Alea grumbled,
"You've turned so dark; you almost look like a beast."
An unexpected critique. Helmut was just slightly tanned.
"You seem taller."
Alea observed, surprised. Indeed, Helmut appeared taller. The difference in their eye level had subtly increased.
"Oh, so you haven't shrunk."
Helmut muttered, having thought Alea seemed smaller. He had wondered if it was a side effect of a magic experiment.
Naturally, Alea was not pleased.
"Complaining about me the moment we meet?"
"Not a complaint."
Realizing a fact, Helmut paused. Women are generally shorter than men, so Alea wouldn't grow much taller, whereas he would continue to grow.
Deciding it was time to leave, Helmut announced his departure. However, Alea suddenly spoke up,
"I think I'll be able to settle all my wishes this semester."
"Do you have something in mind?"
Helmut hadn't forgotten the two wishes Alea had. He felt uneasy, knowing Alea wouldn't ask for anything trivial.
"If it's something like monster hunting, that'd be troublesome."
Avoiding magical influence was crucial. The takeaway from his Basor adventure was that despite committing murder, the sprout of darkness within him had shrunk, not grown.
"I'll let you know soon. What I mean is,"
Alea added firmly,
"I can at least offer to clean as a service."
Though a rare gesture of goodwill from Alea, it was always directed towards Helmut.
Helmut, finding it convenient, countered,
"Then, how about we dine out next time? The place we went to before."
Paying for a meal instead of hiring cleaning services seemed fair. He didn't want to incur more debts, especially now that he was financially well-off, able to stand on equal footing with the wealthy Alea, sort of.
Alea smiled, a lightening of the room with her grin.
"Sure."
Helmut's resolve to keep his distance once again flew out the window.
As he was about to leave for the private training grounds, a familiar boisterous voice called out,
"Hey, Helmut! Buddy, it's been a while!"
Without needing to look, Helmut knew it was Sian.
"Sian."
"Yep, you got a bit of a tan there."
Greeting the returning Sian, Helmut noticed he had grown a bit as well. It seemed everyone had grown a bit over the vacation. Sian appeared well-fed, his cheeks glowing.
"Everyone says that."
The previous Helmut, with his pale skin, dark hair, and eyes, had a princely charm. Now, slightly tanned, he seemed more robust, more fitting of a swordsman, though it added a certain distance.
"Why so late to Baden? I thought you had dropped out. Even Coach Ethan didn't know about you."
Helmut hadn't contacted Ethan, fearing being tracked due to Mihail's suspicious nature. It seemed Ethan was worried during his absence.
"I took it easy because my horse was sick."
White was nearly back to full health, robust as ever.
"Really? I thought you'd just switch to a new horse if it got sick. Seems you're more compassionate than I thought."
Sian extended his hand, surprised by Helmut's apparent concern.
"Anyway, let's do well this semester."
After a light handshake, Sian held on enthusiastically.
"Man, your grip's strong. Anyone would break their wrist. True to being the top of the swordsmanship department! Now you're in a single room, away from Alea. Must feel like heaven after always having to be cautious around her."
Helmut didn't correct Sian's assumption that he disliked rooming with Alea, instead asking,
"Where's Asuka?"
Seeing Sian reminded him of Asuka, usually inseparable from Sian. He hadn't seen Asuka since returning to the dormitory.
"He's been back in Baden for a while. Stuck in the training grounds these days. He's probably there even now. You might want to watch out this semester. And you might be surprised when you see Asuka; he's changed quite a bit."
Leaving the chattering Sian behind, Helmut felt a familiar presence and turned around.
Asuka was just returning to the dormitory. Their eyes met.