The moment Arthur drew his sword, he immediately charged at Scáthach.
Scáthach, however, remained calm; she simply raised her hand.
Using only her index finger and thumb, Scáthach effortlessly caught the blade. Even when Arthur poured all his strength into it, he was unable to push forward even an inch.
"You're still far too weak," Scáthach commented.
It looks like I'll need to find another approach; trying to break through my master's defenses head-on is still far too difficult.
Arthur had just reached that conclusion and was about to retreat when, at that instant, he felt a sudden roar echo within his mind. Even though he had already reached his limit, he felt the power in his body begin to rise steadily.
Without Arthur realizing it, a faint golden light began to emanate from his eyes.
Is this the effect of the liquid I drank yesterday… or is it some kind of overload?
Arthur didn't have time to think. He gripped the sword's hilt with both hands and pressed down on Scáthach with even greater force. He was still conscious, and if he truly lost control, he could simply stop fighting. After all, this was only training, and Scáthach wouldn't kill him.
"Huh?"
Feeling the increasing pressure of the blade between her fingers, her expression shifted slightly as she stared intently into Arthur's eyes.
Black Dragon…
No—the essence of the Black Dragon had already adapted to his body. What now flowed through Arthur was the blood of another dragon.
Could this creature be even stronger than the Black Dragon?
That woman really did give Arthur some good things… It was a good thing I pretended not to notice and allowed her to come into contact with my apprentice.
"Being distracted in battle is a grave taboo—that's what you taught me, Master!"
While Scáthach was still thinking, Arthur's sword was already about to touch her face.
Scáthach shifted her right foot slightly, intending to lift the spear that had fallen to the ground.
But in the end, she didn't.
If she were to raise the spear and point it directly at him, she would injure her apprentice.
She's not resisting? Seeing this, Arthur hesitated for an instant and subconsciously wanted to sheath his sword—but it was already too late.
However, as expected, Arthur was overthinking things.
With a dull thud, the sword—clearly about to strike Scáthach—stopped right in front of her.
No, the sword hadn't stopped; it had struck some kind of invisible wall.
Arthur felt his arm go numb from the impact, and the sword he had been gripping so tightly slipped from his hand.
An invisible barrier had appeared before Scáthach's face, and it was this wall that blocked his attack.
When Arthur looked up, Scáthach's fingers were already pressed against his forehead.
If it had been a weapon, his head would have been pierced through.
So we still lost?
Arthur sighed helplessly, but he wasn't particularly disappointed.
His strength had increased by a frightening margin.
He felt as though he could fight continuously for hours now—unlike before, when he could barely last a few minutes.
What concerned him most was that roar he had heard inside his body.
Was it related to the dragon blood Morgan had given him?
"It's surprising that you've improved so much in less than a month—not only with the spear, but you've also learned swordsmanship," Scáthach said, her eyes revealing genuine satisfaction.
"Congratulations. You won."
Hearing Scáthach's words, Arthur was stunned.
I didn't even touch her from beginning to end, so why is she saying I won?
Perhaps sensing Arthur's confusion, Scáthach explained calmly, "If I hadn't used runic magic, I would have already lost."
Earlier, if she hadn't used runic magic, she would have had to injure her apprentice with her spear. But this was only training, and there was no need to go that far. In the end, she accepted this defeat.
At that moment, Scáthach looked at Arthur again, her gaze somewhat complex.
In truth, aside from the surprise Arthur had brought her during the battle, there was something else she had been thinking about from the very beginning—and it was also the reason for her distraction during the fight.
She had indeed met Lugh, who already knew about the relationship between Cú Chulainn and Arthur. Moreover, since she had taught martial arts to Cú Chulainn, Lugh was pleased to grant her his blessing.
However, this blessing was slightly different from the one given to Cú Chulainn. Lugh had bestowed upon her both a blessing and a curse.
It wasn't a simple blessing, but a geis. Only by imposing a restriction on Arthur could he receive the corresponding blessing.
Ever since her return, Scáthach had been pondering what kind of restriction she should impose on her apprentice.
"By the way, Master, didn't you just say that if I defeated you, you'd grant any request I made?" Arthur's voice pulled Scáthach back to reality.
Scáthach paused briefly, then nodded slightly, a smile appearing on her face. "I did say that. What is your request?"
Although he was the one who brought it up, Arthur felt a bit uneasy hearing her response.
To be honest, he hadn't really thought about asking Scáthach for anything. Though his mentor usually seemed quite serious, she was surprisingly vengeful. If he asked for something that displeased her, she would definitely hold a grudge.
"Why are you hesitating?" Scáthach asked, looking at Arthur resting on the ground.
"I don't know what kind of request to make… and I don't want to upset you if I do," Arthur admitted.
"A bet is a bet, Arthur," Scáthach said, shaking her head. "I'm open to any request."
You really shouldn't say that to a man, Master… Arthur thought.
Arthur pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head. "I haven't decided yet. Let's head back first, Master."
"Very well. I'll wait until you've thought it through before we discuss it."
Scáthach didn't seem to mind. She stored her spear and walked back toward Dun Scaith alongside Arthur.
Along the way, Arthur couldn't help but glance back at the distant forest.
It seemed Morgan wouldn't be coming today either.
So is it because of the wandering spirits that King Uther still imposes many restrictions on her… or does Morgan have other reasons for not coming?
"What are you looking at?" Scáthach's voice suddenly sounded beside him.
When Arthur snapped back to his senses, he realized Scáthach had been watching him the whole time.
"It's nothing…" Arthur looked away, pretending not to care. "I was just wondering why you came back in less than half a month."
"Did I disappoint you by returning so early?"
"That's not it. I'm very happy that you came back so soon, Master—I just find it a little strange," Arthur explained quickly.
"Is that so?" Scáthach replied simply, then fell silent again, lost in thought.
As they passed through the fortress gates, the guards bowed deeply, expressing their sincere reverence for the Queen of the Land of Shadows. Arthur followed behind her like a small attendant.
Even as a mere follower, he still drew envious gazes from those around him. Countless people would fight tooth and nail for the chance to follow this proud and powerful queen—even as nothing more than attendants.
Arthur didn't say a word until the two of them entered the main hall.
He could sense what Scáthach was thinking, so he had no intention of disturbing her. Likewise, he didn't bring up the matter of his body's complete recovery, which Scáthach had mentioned before.
This time, Scáthach had returned so quickly probably because her attempt to find a cure had failed. Bringing it up again now would only dampen her mood.
Of course, Scáthach was unaware of Arthur's thoughts. After thinking for a while, she finally decided to leave the choice to Arthur.
She sat down on the throne in the hall, crossed her legs, and looked at Arthur standing before her.
"My apprentice, if I were to impose a restriction on you, what kind of restriction would you prefer?"
She was quite curious to know what kind of restriction Arthur would choose—if he were given the option.
(End of the chapter)