FATE: The Man with Divine Keys

Arkhan and the rest waited patiently until the peasant woman, Joanna, woke up. Then, they told her everything about the child.

Joanna was a bit bewildered. Not only had her child, who was supposed to be born in six more months, arrived early, but now someone was telling her that her child would undoubtedly become a hero.

As if the recent ordeal were still vivid in her mind, she must have thought she was dreaming.

"Anyway, that's how it is. I didn't expect that wyvern blood I gave you would become a calamity. I've destroyed the jar, so it's useless for this child now, and it could bring you unnecessary trouble; keeping it would only be a curse. Of course, I will compensate you for it."

Arkhan explained the situation calmly without hiding anything.

Joanna shook her head slightly.

"Please don't say that, Mister Arkhan. If it weren't for you, both my child and I wouldn't have survived. I should be the one thanking you."

"I'm sorry, Miss Joanna. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been in such a dangerous situation." Artoria stepped forward, her face filled with guilt.

"Are you... Art?" Joanna blinked, having a feeling of familiarity with the blonde knight who had escorted her home earlier. It was only now that she finally recognized the figure.

"Art, you don't need to apologize. If it weren't for your help, my fate wouldn't have changed either. So, you have nothing to feel guilty about. You and your teacher both have kind hearts and that alone deserves respect." Joanna reassured Artoria with a smile.

"Thank you for understanding." Arkhan smiled and looked at the baby in Joanna's arms. "Actually, I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?"

 "Please, go ahead." Joanna nodded.

Arkhan cleared his throat. "I want to find a good teacher for this child, someone who can help him use his power correctly and become a true hero. Of course, if you don't want your child to go down this path, I will respect your choice and let your child live a carefree life."

Joanna gently stroked the baby's sleeping face and spoke softly, her eyes filled with tenderness. "How could I refuse? This child's father always wanted him to become a respected knight. His birth and this power all come from your kindness, Mister Arkhan. I hope he can inherit his father's legacy and kindness, continuing to help more people and passing on this belief."

"Please trust me; I will never let you and your husband down." Arkhan said with a solemn expression.

Joanna smiled and then, a hint of worry and uncertainty suddenly crossed her features as she asked, "Mister Arkhan, if you are taking my child with you, can I go with him?"

Arkhan was momentarily surprised but then smiled.

"Don't worry, madam, you can certainly go with him. You are his mother, and that will never change."

Joanna breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mister Arkhan."

"You're welcome. Now, you should give this child a name. For a newborn, that's the most important thing." Arkhan suggested.

Joanna pondered for a long while, her face showing signs of distress. To be honest, she hadn't expected the child to arrive so early, so she didn't know what name to give him at the moment.

"How about we call him Cu Chulainn?" Kay enthusiastically suggested, "He's the son of the sun god in Irish mythology, a great hero who can take on thousands. It's very symbolic."

Arkhan's expression immediately darkened.

"Absolutely no."

"Why?" Kay looked at him in confusion.

"Cu Chulainn is just a muscle-headed fool. Do you want this child to turn out like that?" Arkhan coldly retorted.

"Well, I think he's pretty cool..." Kay mumbled quietly.

"I suggest calling him Caesar. He's the founder of the Roman Empire." Yulina proposed.

"I hope this child can forge his own path rather than become a replacement for someone else..." Joanna shook her head.

"How about naming him, Hyden?" Merlin chimed in from out of nowhere, "These words represent 'a hero who upholds justice' in the ancient fairy language."

"Are you sure?" Arkhan squinted his eyes at the dick wizard. 

"Do you doubt my knowledge?" Merlin said, sounding irritated.

"I believe you know ancient fairy language..." Arkhan replied nonchalantly. "I'm just not entirely convinced that those words mean the same thing you claim."

"Hey! You're questioning my knowledge to an extent that's almost an attack on my character!" Merlin exclaimed angrily. "I am Britain's most famous mage, the friendly mage of the flowers. Do you really think I'd stoop to something like this?"

Everyone nodded except Joanna.

Merlin's face darkened. He turned to Yulina with frustration and asked, "You're not even from Britain, why are you getting involved and nodding?"

"But..." Yulina tilted her head, "Everyone in Britain always talked about the wise Merlin is unreliable."

"What did you say..." Merlin clutched his heart as if suffering a major blow, "My reputation has worsened to this extent?"

Merlin then sighed.

"It seems I shouldn't let others know my real name when I'm deceiving them."

Everyone remained silent.

In the end, with Merlin's repeated assurances, the child's name was decided as Hyden.

Afterward, at Artoria's invitation, Joanna agreed to move with the child to Ector's estate. The child would grow up there, and when the time was right, Arkhan would take him to the teacher he had chosen.

===

Deep night enveloped the land, and Arkhan lay on the rooftop, gazing at the distant moon.

"Congratulations, you've finally achieved your goal."

A familiar voice came from beside him, and Arkhan turned slightly to see Merlin emerging from the blooming flowers, wearing his trademark smile.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a very punchable smile?"

"Ehh? Really~? But according to my observations, this smile is supposed to represent friendliness in human understanding?" Merlin mused, stroking his chin.

"That just proves you haven't done your homework. In human society, no emotion fits every situation." Arkhan replied dryly.

"I see... humans truly are the most complex creatures in this world, huh...?" Merlin sighed. "And what about you? I can clearly sense that you're not interested in the throne at all, but I don't know why you agreed to help Lily pull out the sword and become a king."

"..." Arkhan fell silent.

At first, he intended to pull the sword from the stone solely because of the System's quest. After completing the quest, he planned to hand both the sword and the throne over to Artoria.

However, after living together for around half a year and understanding Artoria more deeply, he began to hesitate and finally decided on what he would do.

After being silent for a while, Arkhan finally responded to Merlin.

"Probably... because I don't want to see this heavy burden fall entirely on that frail shoulder."