"Did Mother really leave?" Nessa murmured, her gaze fixed on Arthur.
The two of them were in Arthur's room at the moment.
"Yes. She said it will probably take about half a month for her to return," Arthur replied with a sigh.
"Ahh… She didn't need to do that. I feel like I still haven't completely assimilated the power of the Black Dragon's essence."
Arthur knew very well that the essence of the Black Dragon would fully merge with his body in about fifteen days. After that, as he grew stronger, he would become increasingly prone to entering a Berserker state.
Scáthach had left precisely because she already knew this.
"Master is really very good to me…" Arthur sighed once more as he looked at his own hands, but then noticed that the girl sitting in front of him hadn't said a word. Curious, he raised his eyes and saw Nessa with her head lowered, murmuring something.
"Nessa, are you okay?" Arthur gently patted her shoulder and asked with concern.
Although she usually seemed cheerful and optimistic, this was the first time Scáthach had traveled so far from home, and it wouldn't be strange for Nessa to feel sad knowing her mother would be gone for fifteen days.
I'll take care of her for the next two weeks! Arthur decided as he looked at Nessa.
However, Nessa's thoughts were the complete opposite of what Arthur imagined.
With Scáthach away, there was no one left in the Land of Shadows to control her… which also meant no one could stop her from doing whatever she wanted. Even if she wanted to sleep in Leon's room at night, no one could stop her.
"Arthur…" Nessa suddenly called his name.
"What is it? Is there anything I can do for you?" Arthur asked sincerely. "As long as it's within my ability, I'll do anything."
"No, it's not like that…" Nessa sneered. "Now that Mom isn't here, I can do whatever I want…"
Arthur frowned. "…What do you mean?"
Nessa pushed Arthur onto the bed. "What do you think?"
A strand of Nessa's purple hair slid over her shoulder and brushed against Arthur's cheek, tickling him and carrying a peculiar fragrance.
Her lips curved into a seductive smile, her eyes moist as she looked at Arthur.
"…I think you need to explain a bit more," Arthur laughed.
"No, I don't need to…" Nessa said as she sealed Arthur's lips with a kiss.
Something he immediately returned.
A few minutes later, they parted.
"Are you satisfied now?" Arthur asked.
"No, I still want—" Nessa began to remove her dress as she spoke, but before she could finish, Arthur interrupted her.
"Master?!" Arthur suddenly exclaimed, looking toward the door.
Nessa straightened instantly, adjusted her dress, and turned to look at the door. "Mom, didn't you already leave—"
Her voice stopped abruptly.
There was no one at the doorway.
"Arthur, you dared to lie to me!? How shameless!" Nessa turned toward Arthur, preparing to punish him a little, only to find that Arthur—who had been lying on the bed—had disappeared at some point.
"Nessa, although Master isn't here, I still need to go train, so I'm leaving now." After saying that, Arthur left the room without giving Nessa time to react.
"I'll make you regret this when you come back!" Nessa rushed to the door, but Arthur was already out of sight.
She simply sat down near the doorway, resting her chin on her hand, gazing at the clear blue sky. As she touched her lips, she murmured to herself, "At least I got something this time…"
Some kinds of sadness don't need to be shown on one's face to be real. Scáthach's departure was a heavy blow to the girl, but she hid it because she didn't want to expose her vulnerable side to Arthur.
---xXx---
Arthur arrived at the forest where he usually trained with Scáthach, but Morgan—who normally watched his training from a nearby tree—did not appear today.
Morgan probably assumed Arthur wouldn't show up for the next few days, so she didn't come.
After all, she had helped Arthur escape the Black Dragon's attack that day and likely knew he had absorbed the Black Dragon's essence and would go through an adjustment period afterward.
Arthur left the Forest of Trials and headed in another direction.
It's already been two weeks… is Artoria still on that beach?
Arthur felt a little guilty and decided to apologize to her if he saw her.
It didn't take long for him to reach the island, but when he arrived at the shore, the trial bridge that always appeared automatically when he reached the beach was gone.
"That's strange… What happened to that bridge? Did it finally decide to disappear now?" Arthur muttered to himself as he looked out at the sea, then decisively jumped into the water.
With his current physical abilities and the help of runes, swimming to Britain wouldn't be too difficult—just a bit tiring.
After nearly an hour, Arthur finally reached the shore. He shook the water from his hair and walked forward.
The sea was restless, and the waves carried a refreshing breeze. Arthur took off his shoes and walked barefoot along the beach, searching for Artoria.
Suddenly, a gust of wind surged forward. Arthur reacted instantly, raising his spear to block the strike.
Clang!
The clash of spear and sword produced a clear, ringing sound. Arthur immediately lunged toward the newcomer with his crimson spear. This spear was a gift from Scáthach and, like her own weapon, was a replica of Gae Bolg.
But his opponent was clearly well trained. As Arthur's spear thrust forward, the man immediately raised the shield on his left arm. The spear slid along the edge of the shield, leaving a shallow mark. In a brief moment of overextension, Arthur stepped one pace too far—and in that instant, the opponent's sword was already pressed against his neck.
"Who are you?" A somewhat hoarse voice sounded out, and the eyes staring at Arthur gleamed coldly.
Arthur saw that his opponent wore armor and appeared somewhat old, but his skill was undeniable.
"You probably wouldn't recognize me even if I told you… But I'm here to find Artoria." Arthur planted his spear into the sand and raised his hand to show he had no hostile intentions.
"You must be the adoptive father she often mentions—Sir Ector, correct?"
Ector did not remove the sword from Arthur's neck, but his gaze softened slightly. "You're that child's friend? Why have I never seen you before?"
"Um… I came from outside Britain. I happened to meet Artoria before," Arthur explained.
But Ector's expression remained cautious. "Can you prove it?"
"Artoria is usually very serious about training, and she has blonde hair and blue eyes…" Arthur tried.
Ector shook his head. "That's far too unreliable."
Arthur paused briefly. "Also, she has a ferocious appetite."
Ector immediately lowered his sword, his expression somewhat strange. "It seems you really are that girl's friend."
(End of the chapter)