Chapter 44: A Master When in Need, an Old Woman When Not
The next three months were a period of "overload" for Artoria.
Just as the Magus of Flowers had said:
"After destroying an old world, you do not immediately get a new one. You only get a shattered, even worse old world!"
An ordinary person, no, even the famous wise kings of history, would inevitably be at a loss after suddenly taking over the power of eight entire kingdoms.
But Artoria would not.
The moment she realized the responsibility on her shoulders, the machine known as "King" began to operate at full capacity. She worked twenty-four hours a day, handling the affairs of each country; she coordinated and arranged the necessary supplies for eight countries and over a hundred thousand people; she personally went to the front lines to quell small-scale rebellions initiated by unwilling nobles... and while completing these tasks, she even found time to visit the streets of major cities and ask all sorts of questions to the most ordinary people.
She didn't rest for three whole months, yet she remained vibrant, dedicating herself to the construction of this new nation with the greatest enthusiasm.
Perhaps in this moment, Artoria could finally realize what sweet fruits the hardships she had endured since childhood had borne.
But others couldn't keep up with her pace.
"My Lord God, take me away, I beg you, take me away..."
"Whether it's searching for treasure or fighting with gods, whatever it is... just take me away, I beg you!"
Vena, who hadn't had a proper rest for three consecutive months, was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
To be honest, Artoria wasn't very familiar with her; they had only met three times at most. But what did that matter? The country was so short on manpower that Artoria wished she could unearth every talented person, split them into ten, and then stuff them into the right positions.
Kay, Bedivere, Morgan, Lancelot, Merlin... She was just short of going back to her old home to draft Sir Ector.
Under these circumstances, let alone Vena, even Guinevere, who was theoretically just an allied princess, was forcibly dragged over to temporarily handle the kingdom's "diplomatic" affairs.
"Whew, good thing I'm not human anymore."
Ignoring the tragic cries of his believer, Bailong, feeling completely relaxed, flew into the Reverse Side of the World and continued toward the island surrounded by black seas.
—He had come to keep his appointment.
...
Bailong flew over the black ocean, where countless departed souls drifted.
Arriving above the island, he immediately felt a chilling aura envelop him. This aura concealed the purest power of death, the natural enemy of all living things.
But the current Bailong no longer feared such an aura.
"Form change, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
The white dragon, surrounded by the breath of life, spread its translucent wings. With his body constantly emitting a dazzling light, he continued to fly toward the gray city ahead.
The undead living in the gray city all raised their heads, looking with disbelief at the streak of white light that cut across the sky.
This was the Land of Shadows, the kingdom of the dead. Logically, there should be absolutely no "light" here—but Bailong's arrival broke this convention, making him the first living being to voluntarily step into this sacred domain of death without the permission of the Goddess of the Netherworld.
However, unlike the underworld gods in other mythologies who were very protective of their territories, Scáthach felt no offense at all toward this blatant intruder.
She only felt excitement.
"Oh, you really came?!"
She had only said it casually before, as she herself never thought anyone would actually be willing to be a guest in this netherworld. Let alone others, even she disliked this land devoid of any life. If it weren't absolutely necessary, she would never stay here.
Even if it was for retirement, she would rather find a place with birdsong and fragrant flowers, not a desolate place like this where not even grass grew!
...
Bailong soared through the sky.
He flew over the island, past the seven high walls symbolizing the [Insurmountable Boundary Between Life and Death]. Finally, he arrived in the country where only the spirits of heroes could enter and found the queen, who was already prepared for battle, looking ready to strike.
There was no need for any questions; the red demonic spear held in Scáthach's hand was enough to show her attitude.
And Bailong, with almost no hesitation, confirmed her position and immediately fired a [Burst Stream of Destruction] filled with an aura of annihilation, thus kicking off the battle.
"Am I... asking for trouble?"
Watching Scáthach easily dodge the energy attack and transform into a streak of red light, Bailong couldn't help but think.
Perhaps—but more than that, this was the result he wanted.
"Although this old woman is indeed quite troublesome."
"This is necessary training!"
Bailong was well aware of his own weaknesses.
He was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, known for his immense attack power, born to stand at the pinnacle of this world. Coupled with the fact that it was the end of the Age of Gods, the truly powerful beings had already returned to the Root of the world. On this island, there was basically no one who could stand against him for a single exchange.
So, in this twilight of the gods, he could live freely, and no one could do anything to him.
But that would not be the case going forward.
The next battle was against another overlord—the White Dragon King, Vortigern. No matter how much the world despised this name, scorning the man who had brought foreign tribes to this land, people still acknowledged his power.
"That king is a true White Dragon King who has united divine authority and royal power in one body!"
Unlike the red dragon, whose [Authority] and [Power] were split between two sisters, the White Dragon King was now arguably at the peak of his power, an unprecedentedly strong enemy!
This formidable foe would not "show mercy" like Scáthach. In his prime, he would unhesitatingly tear apart any enemy who offended him, and he would unhesitatingly kill the red dragon, who was his [Fated Enemy].
Therefore, Bailong knew that to defeat such a strong enemy, he had to find someone to hone his "martial arts" and master true "combat techniques"—not just randomly vent his power.
And without a doubt.
On this island, no, even looking at the entire world, you couldn't find a second "sparring partner" as perfect as the queen before him!
"So, please."
"Shishou~"
The keyword was softly spoken from Bailong's mouth.
And it caused Scáthach, who had just been thinking of "playing with him for a bit" and "stretching her muscles," to widen her eyes in an instant.
"Eh?"
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