Summary
Quick Links
The following contains minor spoilers from the manhwa of The Beginning After The End.
At the end of episode 3 ofThe Beginning After The End,we are introduced and then treated to a tearful goodbye with the character Sylvia, whom Arthur only knew for a short time but developed a deep bond with.
Sylvia enjoyed her time with Arthur, spending longer than necessary sending him home because of the kinship the two shared. Before the two parted, Sylvia bestowed a hidden power onto Arthur, one whose true naturemay not be revealed in the animefor some time yet. Just what is this power, and how will it affect Arthur in the future?
Sylvia and Arthur Part Ways
Arthur’s Tearful Goodbye
After Sylviapresumably saves Arthur from his cliff fall offscreen, the two meet for the first time, and Sylvia teaches the young boy about mana and the right use of power. Over several days, Sylvia prepares a portal to send Arthur home while they grow closer to each other and develop a bond.
However, despite their newly formed friendship, it was not meant to last. Sylvia was suffering from a grievous wound and was hiding out from unknown enemies. One of these enemies manages to find her, causing her to use the remainder of her power to fend them off while creating an opening for Arthur to escape. In their last moments together, Sylvia reveals herself to be a dragon-like creature and reinforces her lessons of kindness and protecting what is important to Arthur before he leaves.
“What do you think? Do I look more like a Sylvia, now?” -Sylvia to Arthur after showing him her true form.
Arthur contemplates how the time spent together has affected him. He realizes, much to his surprise, the emotional connection he feels towards Sylvia after she helped and guided him.
“I don’t care if you’re a dragon or a monster! You’re my family, Sylvia! I care about you!” -Arthur says goodbye to Sylvia.
He decides to call her his grandmother, which Sylvia is overjoyed about. She asks him to repeat what he said, and he joyfully obliges, receiving thanks from her before being sent away. Sylvia ultimately sacrifices herself so that Arthur can carry on after her.
Sylvia’s Gifts
Arthur Inherits Her Beast Will
However, before the two part ways,Sylvia entrusts Arthur with several boonsbefore he is whisked away in a magic portal.
“Arthur. I have a few gifts for you.” -Sylvia before bidding Arthur farewell.
The first is an egg,which will hatch at a future moment in the storywhen the time is right. In the manhwa, Arthur names her Sylvie after Sylvia, and the new pet becomes his mana beast bond. The second gift is more subtle. Sylvia touches her nose to Arthur, causing mysterious tattoos to appear across his body.
“What is this?” -Arthur
“You’ll know… in time.” -Sylvia
While Sylvia keeps all the things she gives Arthur a secret to their ultimate purpose, these tattoos indicate that she has transferred her beast will to Arthur. Normally, mana beasts pass this power onto their offspring, but in this case, Sylvia chose Arthur to carry her legacy forward. In the future, when Arthur has better mastery of his mana core, he will be able to tap into this beast will to manifest Sylvia’s powers.
Early on, using the beast will’s multiple phases will be taxing to Arthur. For this reason, he reserves the use its use as his ultimate trump card. While rare, humans and people of other races do sometimes wield a similar power to Arthur. Those who wield the power of beast wills in combat are called beast tamers. However, as happens with many things in the story, Arthur’s ability to use a beast will becomes exceptional and unparalleled. As Arthur develops a greater mastery of this new power, he will be able to use it to affect the flow of time and enhance his magical abilities.
For now, Arthur has emerged in a new forest and still has much to learn as he continues on his journey to find his way home to his family in this new life. He made a promise to live this life to the fullest, and he continues to grow as he learns aboutthe compassion he never experienced as King GreyinThe Beginning After The End.
