Arthur Leywin
"Oh... Oh my goodness..." He rasped, "General... Leywin."
My armor folded itself back, leaving some sparks of aether as it vanished into thin air. "Are you... Barry?" I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to match the face Caera had described with the name.
A strangled laugh escaped him, tumbling into a cough that shook his chest. "A—ahem... hah... You must've met Caera, then. So it's true that she's your friend...? ...No... No, sir, I'm no—t"
"Easy now." I moved closer, slipping an arm behind his back as I helped him lay down.
"...Oh... Alright... I'm alright..." He shivered on the earth where the snow had only just begun to settle.
"Focus your mana on the missing limb," I instructed, already pulling my shirt over my head and tearing it into strips.
"Already... doing that, sir..."
"Keep your eyes open! Try stay awake!" My hands worked quickly, twisting strips into makeshift bandages. Blood seeped hot between my fingers as I pressed the cloth against his wounds.
"Barry?!" I called, and with no response, his head lolled and his eyes barely opened.
"Oh f*ck..." He might not be able to survive.
"Wah!" The sudden squeal jolted me. My gaze snapped down—
"What...?" It was that pale little mushroom thing, wobbling in the snow with its wide eyeballs fixed directly at me.
"Yep. There's our guy." Regis drawled behind me.
"Regis..."
"Mm-hm." He sauntered closer, tail wagging lightly as he sat down. "That kid looks like he could need a hand." A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. "Let these little ones help you out."
As if summoned, more of the little things emerged from the snow, spilling out from hidden burrows and hollows, already swarming around the injured kid like ants. Slowly, they lift his body up with a startling strength of unity before moving straight.
"Don't worry, they know what they're doing." Regis rose, stretching leisurely before padding after them. "Come on."
I god stepped to his side, eyes narrowing. "What are these things, Regis?"
He flicked an ear toward the mushroom creatures, amused. "They're lifesavers, Arthur. Literally. While you were busy with the big guy, I did what you asked—I went looking for Caera and Seris. And guess what? I found them! Nearly dead though, both of them. Seris couldn't regenerate in this zone like that old man said, and Caera... She was just as bloody as her mentor. Until these little things appeared out of nowhere."
"Where are they now?" My voice stayed clipped.
"You'll see,"
The snow broke into an expanse of strange color ahead. A small lake stretched before us, its surface glinting faintly under the pale sky. Without hesitation, the little creatures carried the injured boy to the edge—then tossed him in.
His body hit the water with a splash, floating motionless on the mirrored surface.
"Uh... Huh." I murmured, eyes narrowing as I spotted two other figures drifting far across the lake—motionless, but intact.
"Yeah, they are recovering. The lake is healing them, so we should properly wait." Regis said as he lay down, curling his tail around himself.
"..."
**********
"She is almost done. What do you think, Leywin?" Alias Novak—my boss—called out, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Looks... great! And you guys are fast too! Keep it up!!" Mr. Leywin praised, grinning ear to ear, his voice brimming with excitement as he hurried back to where his wife and son were waiting.
"..."
Well... today is probably the best day of his life, so no wonder why he's happy.
"Life really has its ways of surprising people." One of the men murmured as hammers and saws kept moving.
"Yeah," Another replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "Can't wrap my mind around it. The kid's not even three yet, and he has already formed a mana core all by himself!"
"Arthur Leywin... That's the name, right?" Someone else whispered. Workers stopped on their work to have a look at the small figure clinging to his mother's hand.
"Yeah, a gifted child. Might even become a Lance someday."
"Indeed..."
A Lance...
"..."
How lucky...
A sharp sting of envy struck through me as I looked at the boy blessed with everything.
A gentle mother.
A strong father.
A talent that shone so bright even strangers gossiped about his future.
...Arthur Leywin.
"..."
...I don't even have a name...
"..."
"Hey boy! Don't just stand there. Get over here and help me with the windows!" The shout jolted me back to work.
The day dragged on until the sun slid down, and before nightfall the house stood whole again and was fully furnished—finished right on time.
Mr. Leywin stood at the doorway, his hand clasping my boss's with heartfelt thanks. "Again, thank you for helping me rebuild the house."
"Please," my boss laughed. "You paid me, and that's more than enough."
I stood a little apart, dust clinging to my clothes, watching them from the back.
"Here, carry this for me." My boss handed me a heavy bag full of tools. His tall and muscular build cast a vast shadow over me as he added, "Alright, let's head back."
As we walked down the road toward the smithy, I couldn't fully shake off the image of that boy—Arthur Leywin.
I wanted all that too.
To be a mage.
To study in an academy.
To be recognized.
"Say..." Out of nowhere, my boss's voice broke through my thoughts, one of his tools slung over my shoulders while my hands ached from carrying the rest. He gave me a side glance. "Who are you, boy?"
I blinked. "Yes?"
He frowned. "Your name. Didn't your mother give you one? I heard my men just calling you 'boy.' That can't be it."
"I... don't have a mother or a father. I don't have a name. I'm an or—uhh..."
"Orphan." He finished for me.
"Y-yeah. Orphan. That's what everyone calls a kid without parents."
He was quiet for a moment, the night air filled only with the sound of dirt crunching beneath our boots. Then, with a sleepy yawn, he muttered, "Well, that won't do."
I stopped. "Are you going to kick me out?"
Worried.
He stopped too, shaking his head as he looked down at me with a frown that softened into something gentler. "...No, kid. I'd take anyone who's willing to work. But if you're going to work for me, you'll need a name at least."
"..."
He scratched his head. "Hmm..." looking thoughtful for a moment, "Delsin." He said.
"What?"
"Did I stutter?" He arched a brow, pointing a calloused finger at me. "Delsin. That's your name. Be grateful!"
"..." I just stared at him, unsure of what to say.
His tone shifted—softer now, giving out a hint of cheer, as though the matter had already been settled. "So, Delsin. My wife will make meatloaf for dinner. Want to join us?"
*********
"Wah!"
"Ah... Huh?!" I shot awake, water splashing around me as I found myself lying in the middle of a clear lake. "What—where—?"
"Whoa! Easy there, boy! Don't bite me!"
I turned toward the voice, blinking in disbelief at what was standing on the shore—a black wolf with horns protruding from its head, each twisting like a gnarled branch as they came to a sharp point behind its ears.
"You're... You're General Leywin's—"
It sniffed the air, annoyed but somehow dignified. "I'll have you know that I am not his pet!" The majestic wolf scolded, tail flicking furiously with each word clipped and irritable.
"And you might want to stay in that water for a while—you're not doing anything with that arm yet." It lifted a paw, gesturing toward my left arm, where bones were still gleaming beneath layers of reforming flesh.
"...I—"
A surge of purple flash ran through, and the wolf stepped aside for the very presence of General Arthur Leywin. "He's right. You should probably stay in there for a while." He spoke, majestically calm and powerful.
And he was wearing one of my shirts...
"Ah, right." He added, catching my stare. "Hope you don't mind me borrowing this shirt, Barry."
"No... I..." I forced my voice even. "It's Delsin, sir."
General Leywin blinked. "Hm?"
"My real name, sir" I added. "My name is Delsin Novak."