Morgan le Fay stood barefoot on the beach, staring ahead with a neutral expression.
After watching for a few moments, she averted her gaze, a dazzling and seductive smile spreading across her face.
"I wonder what the Queen of the Land of Shadows' reaction will be when she learns that her beloved disciple—whom she carefully taught for over five years—is having a pleasant conversation with the future King of Britain?"
Morgan's smile brightened as she imagined that scene.
She was growing more and more eager for it to happen…
She had tampered with the Bridge of Trials. Although Arthur could not yet cross it on his own, as long as she used her magic to sustain it, she could allow him to cross whenever she wished.
She wanted him to meet her little sister as soon as possible and form a relationship with her; that would make it easier to obtain her help in the future.
After all, without an emotional bond, Artoria might be reluctant to ask Arthur for help. But if there were such a bond between them, and Arthur knew that once Artoria became King of Britain she would have to bear the weight of the entire kingdom, then, given his personality, he would be extremely unwilling to let her shoulder that burden alone.
"Lady Morgan," a subordinate approached her at that moment, interrupting her thoughts.
He had just seen Morgan staring into the distance, and without thinking much, he knew she must have been watching that child named Arthur.
"Agravain, didn't I already tell you that you are not permitted to seek me out unless there is a good reason?" Morgan said, looking at the man behind her, her tone cold.
"King Uther is summoning you to the palace," Agravain replied in a low voice.
"I see. You may leave now," Morgan answered calmly.
It was obvious she had been summoned because of the ghosts that had been haunting Camelot recently.
Agravain lingered with his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"You want to say that I'm being far too biased toward Arthur, don't you?" Morgan did not turn around, yet she seemed to effortlessly perceive Agravain's thoughts as she spoke calmly.
"Yes," Agravain said quietly. "It's very puzzling that you would teach such extraordinary skills to a completely unknown child for so many years."
"He is an important pawn—one that can be used to restrain that person in the future," Morgan whispered.
"That person…" Agravain hesitated for a moment. "You mean Artoria Pendragon?"
Morgan nodded as she gazed at the vast ocean in the distance.
"If that's the case, then why him… and not someone else?" Agravain asked, his head lowered, resentment filling his eyes.
Morgan shook her head. "Do you truly believe that his magic was taught by me, Agravain?"
"Both that boy's magical power and his original elemental affinity were things he possessed even before meeting me. Naturally, these were not taught by Scáthach either."
Her voice was steady, as though she were describing something entirely ordinary.
Agravain's expression froze for a moment. "What is going on?"
Morgan turned around. Her face was veiled, yet her noble bearing could not be concealed. Her eyes were calm, but carried an intriguing gleam.
"Who knows?" she replied.
---xXx---
After training with Artoria, Arthur lay down on the beach, letting the seawater wash over his body.
"It's a pity. If your stamina were just a little better, you might have had a chance to defeat me," Artoria said as she sat beside him. "I'm really looking forward to seeing whether you'll be able to train with me for longer after absorbing the essence of that black dragon."
"Maybe I won't be able to beat you," Arthur shook his head. "There's a difference between us—in talent, effort, and even in the motivations we put into our training."
Indeed, Artoria slept only three hours a day. Her red dragon element made her extremely powerful, and at the same time, she trained almost nonstop every single day.
Compared to the girl beside him, Arthur's daily routine seemed insignificant.
Although Arthur also had to train every day, it was nowhere near as extreme as what this seemingly delicate girl endured.
"But if possible, I really do hope to defeat you someday," Arthur added.
Artoria smiled faintly. "I look forward to that day."
"Come on, let's train a bit more, then I'll head back." After resting briefly, Arthur stood up again, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"Maybe I can beat you this time?"
Artoria paused for a moment, then smiled, her eyes blazing with competitive spirit as she raised the wooden sword in her hand.
"Let's go!"
---xXx---
Arthur walked through Dun Scaith, holding his forehead. When the passing guards saw him staggering, they rushed over to help him up, but Arthur waved his hand, signaling that he was fine.
And so, the guards watched as Arthur made his way toward his room.
"That girl is way too competitive, isn't she?" As soon as Arthur lay down on the bed, he felt as if his entire body was about to go limp.
Earlier, he had told Artoria, "Maybe I'll win this time." The competitive girl immediately fought him seriously, using her full strength. Then, when the wooden sword struck Arthur on the forehead and she saw him fall straight onto the beach, she realized she might have gone a bit too far. She apologized and said, "Sorry, I thought you had some kind of trump card when you said that."
Blatant mockery!
However, the upright Artoria Pendragon genuinely believed what she said. She truly thought so at the time, believing Arthur spoke with complete confidence because he had something hidden up his sleeve—only to discover that he had simply been boasting.
In terms of combat experience, Arthur was more experienced than Artoria. He trained under Scáthach, one of—if not the—greatest warriors of this era, and he was also highly proficient in the use of runes. Unfortunately, his stamina was far too low.
In terms of game stats, it would be something like this: if Arthur's stamina were 100, then Artoria's would be 1,000.
"Who's so competitive?" a voice asked from beside him.
"It's Artoria—" Arthur's voice suddenly stopped, and he turned his head to look.
Scáthach was sitting cross-legged nearby, her crimson eyes reflecting Arthur's surprised expression as she continued, "Who are you saying is too competitive?"
"Uh… I meant Nessa," Arthur said. "I have the impression she's quite competitive."
"If she were competitive, she wouldn't be slacking off and skipping training so often," Scáthach replied, raising her gaze as if recalling something.
Nessa's strength was the greatest among all her students except for Cú Chulainn, and it could even be said to rival his. Unfortunately, Nessa was far too lazy. She had talent, but often became complacent.
Even so, none of the disciples who trained diligently every day had managed to defeat her.
One could imagine how terrifying her potential would be if that girl trained diligently every single day.
"By the way, Master, what are you doing in my room?" Arthur looked at Scáthach. She was wearing her usual slit skirt, and her thighs covered in purple stockings were particularly eye-catching, forcing Arthur to avert his gaze.
After all, as an exceptional warrior and occasional mage, Scáthach was extremely perceptive. Since they were alone in the room, it would be a huge problem if she noticed him staring at her legs.
If that were discovered, given her personality, he wondered whether she would simply subject him to extra training until he died.
Thinking that, Arthur simply lowered his head and refused to look at her.
Scáthach cast a casual glance at Arthur, a faint smile unconsciously appearing in her crimson eyes, before placing a small vial she had prepared earlier into Arthur's hand.
"I'm here only to give you this. The essence of the black dragon."
Arthur looked at the small vial in his hand and the dark liquid inside, his eyes slightly dazed.
However, just as Arthur was about to say something, he heard Scáthach's voice again.
"By the way, you've been coming back quite late recently. Have you been going somewhere alone after training?"
As she finished speaking, her gaze locked onto Arthur, as if she could see straight through him, causing a chill of cold sweat to run down his back.
He has a good relationship with a girl from a neighboring kingdom… would that be considered adultery?
(End of the chapter)