look at it this way - it doesnt matter how you use that helper app, it is going to get used in your app, or by your app one way or another. As part of the contract, that helper app code is necessarily going to be included.

LGPL requires that your thing be rebuildable with a different version of the library licensed with lgpl. So no, lgpl never requires you to release *source code* (unless you modified the library). Due to the terms of the contract, the code will still have to be released, though so not sure what the point in your question is.