"I will draw the sword from the stone as you wish," Arthur said again, this time with a firmer voice, as if solidifying a decision that could no longer be undone.
"What a good child. I really do like obedient children." Morgan watched Arthur with a satisfied smile, her eyes gleaming with a faint trace of approval.
"However…" Arthur continued without backing down, "I hope you can revoke the restriction you just imposed."
Morgan's smile faltered slightly.
Her eyes narrowed as she studied him more closely.
"And what would be the reason?" she asked, her tone colder and more analytical.
"I am engaged to Nessa," Arthur replied without hesitation. "Therefore, it is impossible for me to be engaged to Lily. My master agreed to this long ago."
Morgan fell silent for a moment.
"That little girl who was by your side that day…" she murmured thoughtfully. "She was indeed very beautiful."
But soon, the smile returned to her face.
"Then I'll help you cancel that engagement."
"Huh?"
"I said I'll cancel that engagement for you." Morgan smiled as if offering something completely natural. "From now on, you can simply stay here and relax."
Arthur immediately shook his head.
"That's impossible."
"You rejected me so easily?" Morgan made an almost tearful expression. "Am I not enough to satisfy you on my own? Do you like your master that much?"
"I've been so good to you…"
"My master has also been very good to me," Arthur replied seriously. "And I made a vow… to protect the Land of Shadows forever."
A geis.
Arthur had made that vow upon receiving Lugh's blessing.
If he were to abandon the Land of Shadows, the price would be unimaginable.
"You… made a vow upon yourself?!" Morgan's expression froze completely, and her voice rose sharply. "When did that happen?"
"My master sought Lugh's blessing for me… and it was at that moment that I made that vow."
Morgan's body stiffened.
Her smile disappeared entirely.
She knew that Arthur had made a vow…
But she hadn't imagined it was this one.
No wonder…
No wonder that woman had so easily agreed to let him come.
So that was the reason.
"By the way…" Arthur spoke cautiously, watching her expression. "Can you still remove the restriction you just imposed?"
"Don't even think about it." Morgan's tone turned cold again. "I will not cancel it."
She then looked away for a brief moment… before meeting his gaze again.
"I will return to the Land of Shadows with you."
Arthur blanked out for a moment.
Return… with him?
But he quickly regained his composure, looking at her with a hint of unease.
"What are you planning to do now, Morgan?"
"Don't worry. It's nothing bad… at least not for you." Morgan shook her head slightly. "There's just something I need to discuss with your master."
Arthur frowned slightly.
Even after hearing that… he couldn't relax.
Noticing this, Morgan raised her hand and lightly tapped his head.
"Are you worried that I'll fight with your master?" she asked with a faint smile. "The last time I went to the Land of Shadows… did we have any conflict?"
"Yes." Arthur nodded without hesitation.
Morgan: "…"
Now that she thought about it…
That had indeed happened.
If it hadn't been for Arthur back then… she likely would have lost control.
"No, this time you don't need to worry." Morgan replied quickly, smiling again. "This time, there will be absolutely no recklessness."
After all, this time, she was in the right.
Morgan had never imagined that that seemingly indifferent woman would try to claim everything for herself.
All these years, both she and Scáthach had raised Arthur.
But in the end, everything belonged to Scáthach, body and soul.
Did she truly deserve to be called the Queen of the Land of Shadows?
As expected… women who live that long are terrifyingly cunning.
Even so, upon hearing Morgan's words, Arthur shook his head again.
"No way. I already promised to help you, didn't I?" he said firmly. "So don't go looking for my master."
For some reason…
He had a feeling that if Morgan and Scáthach met now…
Things would spiral completely out of control.
Morgan stared at Arthur in silence for a few moments.
Then, suddenly, she smiled.
"Alright," she said softly. "Then I won't go looking for your master."
"Really?" Arthur looked up, surprised.
Why had she suddenly become so easy to deal with?
"Really." Morgan replied with a faint smile. "Since you asked that of me, do you really think I would force a meeting with that woman? As the Goddess of Death… I always keep my promises."
Arthur still looked somewhat doubtful…
But after a few seconds, he nodded.
"If you say so… then I feel more at ease." He took a deep breath. "I'll head back now. I'll return next week… when everything begins."
"Alright." Morgan raised her hand and dispelled the barrier surrounding the room. "I won't see you out. Go."
Arthur said nothing more.
He turned and left the palace.
As soon as he disappeared from sight…
Morgan let out a soft laugh.
"As the Goddess of Death, I keep my promises…"
Her eyes gleamed with an enigmatic light.
"…but right now, I am merely Lily's older sister."
---
"Mother… is Arthur coming back today?"
Nessa was sitting on a chair nearby, yawning, clearly sleepy.
"If that woman doesn't change her mind… then yes, today is the day," Scáthach replied calmly. "Besides, this is the thirteenth time you've asked that question."
"It can't be helped…" Nessa said, lightly scratching her cheek. "We agreed on today… but it's already almost evening…"
She thought for a moment.
"How about we go pick him up?"
Do you really think you can just walk into British territory like that?
Nessa pondered for a moment… and then her eyes lit up.
"We can sneak in."
"He's the one who taught you that, isn't he?" Scáthach shook her head, resigned.
Arthur had once said:
If no one sees you… then your disguise was a success.
And naturally, Nessa had remembered that.
In a way… it did make sense.
Suddenly, Nessa's eyes lit up brightly.
"He's back."
Scáthach raised her gaze and saw Arthur entering the hall.
But soon, she frowned slightly.
What an unpleasant scent…
"Master." Arthur approached.
"You're much better than before," Scáthach said, analyzing him. "It seems the training over these two months has been quite effective."
She then cast a subtle glance toward the entrance.
A crow.
Her fingers began tapping rhythmically against the edge of the chair.
"Nessa, step out for a moment," she said calmly. "I need to speak with Arthur alone."
Nessa turned, confused.
"What needs to be kept secret?"
Scáthach seemed to hesitate… but simply shook her head.
"You'll understand later."
Without further questioning, Nessa left the hall.
Arthur observed everything in silence.
But when he noticed Scáthach's strange gaze, he felt a slight unease.
Something was wrong.
When he turned again—
He realized that Scáthach's gaze wasn't exactly on him…
But somewhere behind him.
Scáthach spoke calmly:
"You're here as well… aren't you?"
"Say what you want, Morgan le Fay."
---
(End of Chapter)