"Oh, I see. So you're worried about a girl and wondering whether you should go see her again? You're even more of a flirt than I imagined. Naughty children must be punished properly."
Morgan poked Arthur hard in the waist. He reacted sharply, his body trembling as he stumbled back and shouted, "Stop that! I'm not after that girl, it's just that—"
"Just that?" Morgan stopped poking him, her smile fading slightly. "Just what?"
"She seemed lonely, so I stayed," Arthur said.
That certainly wasn't the whole reason.
He had been immediately drawn to her eyes the first time he saw her—especially her initial hostility toward him—and then by her awkward expression when she lowered her sword and let him go, only to be embarrassed when her stomach growled… That transformation felt utterly novel to Arthur.
And most importantly… she was so cute!
"Hmm… I can understand that." Morgan nodded lightly, a faint, inscrutable smile on her face.
"After all, she is the future king."
"The future king?" Arthur asked, confused.
"Yes, the future king."
Morgana turned her back and gazed toward the horizon, in the direction of Britain. "King Uther has completely lost his mind, placing all those burdens on the shoulders of a little girl."
"She deserves a happier life."
As she finished speaking, her smile vanished abruptly, and her voice—unusually—carried a note of anger.
Arthur remained silent, unsure how to respond.
Thanks to the memories of his past life, he knew what would happen in the future. However, this world was different from the myths he knew. Scáthach of the Land of Shadows, Artoria of Britain… they all coexisted in this world.
Artoria would turn fifteen this year. In one year, she should be able to pull the sword from the stone and be crowned king.
But to be honest, Arthur found it very hard to reconcile the little girl he had met with the future King of Knights.
Yesterday, she had stood with her hands behind her back, feeling the sea breeze, her white dress fluttering as seagulls glided behind her—she had been breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet a year later, that same girl would draw the sword from the stone and bear the weight of the entire kingdom on her shoulders.
And most importantly… could the legendary witch Morgan le Fay actually be an obsessive sister?!
At first, Arthur had thought Morgan would be the final boss or something like that, but now it seemed she was just a woman with a yandere sister complex!
Of course, Arthur would never dare say such things. He simply stood aside and listened to Morgan in silence.
Morgan quickly regained her usual gentle smile and turned her head to look at him. "You were distracted because you were hesitating over whether to go see that girl again?"
"A little," Arthur nodded lightly, admitting it.
However, that wasn't the only reason.
For some reason, the bridge that Cú Chulainn had struggled to cross had been crossed by him with ease yesterday afternoon… This was one of the reasons he was worried.
"How would you know the bridge disappeared if you don't go there?" Morgan suddenly asked.
"My Master said that bridge would only exist for three hours…" Arthur replied.
"That was just the way she phrased it. She didn't want you to cross that bridge, so she lied to you like that." Morgan sneered. "Once you graduate, you'll part ways with her. That woman has lived for so long and witnessed so many deaths. Naturally, she hopes her beloved disciple can stay by her side."
Arthur shook his head. "My Master wouldn't be that selfish."
He's too sharp to fall for that… Morgan clicked her tongue inwardly.
"Still, I think you're right. I should go take a look. If I just stand still, I'll never make progress in this life." After Arthur finished speaking, he bowed slightly. "So, I'm sorry—I'm afraid I won't be able to practice magical circulation today."
"As the goddess of death, I shall forgive your sins." Morgan waved her hand, and before Arthur's eyes, the graceful woman instantly transformed into a crow and flew away, leaving only her voice behind:
"Go."
Arthur watched the crow disappear from sight before turning his gaze away.
Now he wanted to go to the island he had visited yesterday to see whether the bridge still existed…
---xXx---
Artoria stood on the island, staring in a certain direction.
The sunset dyed the entire sea a reddish orange, shimmering with light in the distance. She walked barefoot on the soft sand, seemingly lost in thought as she gazed at the ocean.
"It seems unlikely that he'll show up today…"
"That's true. He said yesterday that his appearance here was just a very accidental coincidence. How could he come here every day?"
"Let's continue training."
Artoria raised her wooden sword and began practicing repeatedly. Today, her hair was tied back, and compared to the gentle girl from yesterday, she looked far more heroic and spirited. Her emerald-green eyes reflected the light of the setting sun.
Whoosh!
Something suddenly attacked her from afar, but Artoria reacted swiftly, dodging to the side.
A small stone fell onto the beach.
"Who?"
She turned her head sharply and saw Arthur holding the branch she had just noticed, waving with a smile. "Good afternoon."
Artoria paused for a moment, then smiled softly. "Good afternoon."
---xXx---
After the spar, Arthur sat on the ground, breathing lightly, while Artoria's expression looked the same as ever, as if no fight had taken place at all.
"I think I understand what you meant by low endurance. You have a lot of combat experience, but you often can't avoid attacks because of your lack of stamina." Artoria shook her head slightly as she finished speaking. "It's a shame—if it weren't for that, you might even defeat me."
"My stamina should gradually improve in the future," Arthur said, still catching his breath.
With the additional benefit of the magical cauldron, and by conditioning his body little by little each day, his endurance should increase exponentially in no time.
"Are you sure you don't mind teaching me this Runic magic?" Artoria asked, somewhat uneasy. "Training with you will increase my combat experience, and now you're even teaching me this magic—"
She looked a little restless and glanced at Arthur. "Is it really okay?"
"It's fine. My Master said before that if I want to teach others, I can do so freely. After that, I should go to the Land of Shadows and defeat her, putting her into eternal sleep." Arthur waved his hand, indicating there was nothing to worry about.
"Only a truly powerful warrior could say something like that," Artoria couldn't help but sigh, finally feeling relieved after her earlier unease.
She looked at the sunset, then stood up, bracing herself on her knees. "Let's call it a day. If I get back too late, my brother will become suspicious."
"I suppose I should head back as well. After all, my Master is very perceptive." Arthur stood up. "See you tomorrow."
"Right, see you tomorrow." Artoria extended her hand. "Arthur."
Arthur reached out and shook her hand, as the last rays of the setting sun shone upon the faces of the two youths.
(End of Chapter)