Falling Mage and the Power of Divergence

That was a while back. Would it have been ten years ago if I fixed the numbers? The figure of the woman with the name of the Holy Knight and the status of first in the Thirteenth Apostolic Sequence was Arthur-One in the Episcopal Church. She only looks like a thirteen-year-old girl, but she's a true, magician with Leiria's strongest alias.

"Thank you for waiting, Holy Knight"

"Hmm? Yeah."

One man comes to Arthur, who was waiting in a room in the Episcopal Church. The man is an official of the Episcopal Church and will prepare a tea set before Arthur's sitting table.

Rose smells all over the room at the same time as pouring hot water. It is then served to Arthur along with herbal cookies arranged on a plate.

They are what the Episcopal Church prepares for tee time, and most of the staff surround that set at break to thrive in conversation with their colleagues.

But Arthur sees the tea set and makes a request that is in a male employee.

"I'm sorry I had you brewed, do you have any barley? I don't know how to answer as much as barley after work."

"Yes. I'll have it with you soon."

The male staff member who heard Arthur's request rushes out of the room and returns with barley after five minutes. That speed would be due to the fact that the room we are in is a large room set up for a break and the food pantry is set up right next door.

There are no other shadows yet because of before noon, but in the afternoon the shadows start to stand out and in many cases it's a break room where all seats are filled. Arthur raises his voice as it sounds in such a large hall.

"Knock, I knew you wouldn't accumulate barley after work."

"Good luck"

Arthur gives a happy look with his barley mouth. A male employee who responds to such Arthur's labor.

That was the time. Three figures appear in that berth. One is a woman in an ecclesiastical uniform, one is a middle-aged woman in white, and a child leaning over to hide behind the two.

Apparently, we're gonna use this berth. But soon a male employee who was in the middle of the Great Hall blames them.

"Hey, the Holy Knight is in use now! Get it back out!"

"Hih!"

When a loud man's voice sounds in the hall, the child who was leaning down trembles in a freak.

"Shh, I'm sorry"

"Yeah, it's okay."

A herbalist who speaks out to reassure a woman official and a trembling girl who apologizes hastily. The three immediately tried to follow the Great Hall, where Arthur waited.

"Nothing wrong with that."

"But..."

"You're saying there's no problem, right?

"Yes, I'm sorry"

A male employee who hurries to apologize. Arthur makes further demands on such male employees.

"Hey, I want premium barley"

"Is it a premium?

Male employee bewildered by a word he has never heard of. But I'll get back to you right away with what I felt.

"Shh, I'll have it right away!

That's what I leave behind. The male staff rushes out of the hall. Instead the three of them came inside the hall and tried to sit on the edge. But Arthur waits here as well.

"Nothing to shy away from"

"But..."

Confused female employee. But if the target is the Holy Knight, you won't be able to do it either. I'd even call it disrespectful just to be seated. But I could not reject it before the presence emanating from Arthur.

"Excuse me."

Following female staff, herbalist women and children also take the same seats as Arthur. That's when Arthur couldn't hide his surprise when he saw the look on the child's face.

There was no color in the child's eyes that would have been less than ten years old. Desperate for everything, looking into his lightless eyes as if his soul had fallen out, Arthur asks the female employee what was going on.

"Hey, what happened?"

"Uh..."

Female officials quickly figured out what Arthur wanted to hear. But the female staff can't tell if it's so easy to say, even if the target is a holy knight. But Arthur doesn't want to blame the female employee.

"Fair enough. Then why don't you take it off a little bit?

"Huh? What is that..."

"Keep it up. Will you leave me alone with this kid for a little while?"

"Oh, yes..."

Confused yet understandable female employee removing her seat. The herbalist woman also takes her seat off like she figured something out. And what was left of the Great Hall was Arthur and his children.

"Hey, what's your name?

……

A child who silences himself in Arthur's inquiry.

"Here we go."

Arthur sees a child unresponsive to his words and puts his head on. On second thought, Arthur had no experience with child protection and didn't know how to deal with it.

That's where I notice what Arthur is. That was a tea set prepared earlier by a male employee. It's still warm because it hasn't been that long. It might rather be that warm for the child.

Arthur offers the tea set to the child.

"Drink."

Arthur gets an order tone because of his obsession. A girl trembles in the words. I thought I'd lost my heart, Arthur, but I wouldn't add any words in particular. That's because in front of him the kid reached for a cup of tea that smelled like rose.

When the child holds the mug, he carries it straight to his mouth and includes it in his mouth.

"... warm"

The girl talks her mouth out of the mug, smashing it small.

"You want some cookies over here, too?

……

Girl silent on Arthur's recommendation. So Arthur said again in an ordered tone.

"Eat this too"

Now a child transporting a piece of cookie to the interview with one hand. Arthur, who saw the appearance, is convinced.

(Rika on slave)

I don't know what life the child in front of me has had. But if you think about the current exchange in the uninhabited eyes of the light swallowed up by that despair, you know that the child has lived an unusual life.

"Dalta......"

That was the time. A child accidentally opens his mouth.

That was Arthur at first, who didn't know what he was looking at, but soon understands that it was the child's name.

"D'Arta? That's a good name."

Girl snorts at Arthur's words.

"... Mom and Dad gave it to me"

"Right."

"... what about your aunt?

"Is that me? I wonder what I am. And I'm only twenty-seven."

Dalta necks Arthur's answer. But more than that, D'Arta didn't do anything to ask. All I had to do was eat the cookies placed in front of me.

And a few years later, as Arthur walked down the hallway in front of that great hall, he accidentally heard the girls.

"Here, D'Arta! Don't just skip and work!

"Sorry, Melena ~"

Hearing such a voice, Arthur smiles on. But I don't know why I smiled at this time. It was just that nature and laughter would spill.

It was a trivial event in Arthur's long life. So there's no point in forgetting each other. But it is an indisputable fact that Arthur was pleased at this time.