Scáthach watched Arthur in silence. Judging by their posture, it looked as though Arthur were trying to force himself on Nessa, while Nessa struggled futilely.
At that moment, Arthur was on top of Nessa, his other hand on her leg, looking like a pervert whose reason had been completely overwhelmed.
"M-Master?! How did you come back so early…?" Arthur hurriedly withdrew his hand, feeling somewhat unsettled.
"If I hadn't come back, what were you planning to do to Nessa?" Scáthach looked at Arthur, her voice still calm, yet carrying an overwhelming pressure.
Arthur was left speechless for a moment.
In the current situation, it seemed that saying anything at all would be meaningless.
So what exactly was going on? She had said she would be gone for half a month! Why had the carriage returned after just a little over a week?!
Scáthach glanced at Arthur a few times and smiled faintly. "It seems your strength has improved quite a bit since I left. Very well—come with me to the training grounds."
Arthur: "…"
Watching Scáthach leave the room after speaking, Arthur knew exactly what kind of 'treatment' awaited him.
He turned to glare angrily at Nessa, while the girl smiled at him. "Arthur, what were you trying to do to me just now? Aren't you going to continue?"
Clearly, she was taking a bit of revenge for Arthur having neglected her these past few days.
Arthur said nothing, turned around, and tried to leave the room, but Nessa grabbed his wrist.
"Is there something else, Nessa?" Arthur asked irritably.
"Are you angry?"
Seeing Arthur's unhappy expression, Nessa held onto his arm and gently shook it. "Whose fault is it for not telling the truth yesterday? These past few days, you've been sneaking out to have fun somewhere without me."
Arthur remained silent.
"You're not going to blame me, are you?" Nessa blinked and asked cautiously, realizing that Arthur seemed genuinely angry this time.
"It's fine… just this once," Arthur said in a muffled voice.
Seeing Scáthach's smile earlier, he was reminded of the fear he had felt over the past five years under her dominion. Although she was usually easy to talk to, when it came to training, Scáthach was a demon!
"Arthur, you're so cute!" Nessa hugged Arthur around the waist and rubbed her face against his back like a cat.
Arthur sighed. "Let go of me now. Master is still waiting."
"Go on!" Nessa released Arthur, lightly clenching her fist in encouragement.
Then, watching Arthur leave the room, Nessa let out a slow sigh. "That's good."
No matter how much she liked teasing him, Arthur never blamed her—and that was exactly why she liked him so much.
"Wait a second…" Nessa suddenly thought of something very serious.
Didn't this mean that all the precious time she could have spent alone with Arthur was gone?!
Am I an idiot?!
Nessa suddenly regretted it, buried her face in the pillow, and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.
"I absolutely cannot make such a stupid mistake again!"
---xXx---
In front of a clearing near the forest.
After Scáthach's intense training, Arthur simply sat down on the ground to catch his breath, his forehead drenched in sweat.
"Very good. You've made considerable progress while I was away. Not bad… truly not bad," Scáthach commented calmly, looking at Arthur as he sat there, panting.
"Thank you for the praise, Master… but if possible, I hope you'll go a little easier on me…" Arthur's forehead was soaked with sweat, and he was breathing heavily. "If you take this too seriously, it's too much for me."
"Too seriously…?" Scáthach shook her head. "I'm not even taking it that seriously yet."
She raised her gaze. "Besides, you should have prepared yourself for punishment before barging into Nessa's room. Pick up your weapon—we're continuing the training!"
"I already said I'm innocent!!" Arthur's shout echoed through the forest at dawn.
"Don't let your guard down, and don't think you can rest after training until you're completely exhausted. You can't win a battle without an indomitable spirit! If you don't think about how to defeat your opponents, your stamina will eventually run out—and you will die!"
Scáthach scolded Arthur loudly as she wielded her spear. To avoid accidentally injuring him, she often struck him with the butt of the spear, but even so, Arthur still suffered quite a few blows.
Clang!
The sound of weapons colliding echoed once more, the sharp, clear ring of metal striking metal. Scáthach raised her spear, its end slamming into Arthur's abdomen.
An indomitable spirit…
It seemed Scáthach's words had provoked Arthur. After being knocked back several steps by the spear's shaft, Arthur no longer retreated.
He lifted his head, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
He also wanted to know just how close he had come to Scáthach after nearly a month.
Seeing the seriousness in Arthur's eyes, Scáthach was slightly surprised and looked at him in astonishment. "Good eyes, good rhythm… very well, that's it. Come—attack however you like!"
Arthur said nothing, simply raising the spear in his hand. "Master, you once said that any weapon can be used in battle, didn't you?"
"Of course. A good warrior must know how to use all kinds of weapons. You may use everything you've got." Scáthach smiled faintly. "How about this: if you manage to defeat me, I'll grant you a wish."
"No matter what the wish is, I'll fulfill it," she added.
Those words brimmed with confidence. Scáthach did not believe she would be defeated—or rather, she did not believe she would be defeated by Arthur in his current state.
Something…?
Arthur took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
She truly didn't believe he could defeat her.
Arthur raised his spear and charged toward Scáthach, the tip aimed straight at her. Runes activated instantly, and blazing flames erupted, surging toward Scáthach.
Scáthach easily dodged the flames, but then felt something icy beneath her feet. Looking down, she saw that the ground was covered in ice.
"Runes, huh? It seems you've improved quite a bit." Despite her reduced mobility, Scáthach remained calm, leaning slightly backward to avoid the spear tip as Arthur thrust forward. Her long hair swayed as she placed one hand on the ground and kicked Arthur's arm with her leg, sending the spear flying high into the air.
Once weapons are lost, the battle is practically over.
Just as she thought that, Scáthach's eyes widened slightly, and she looked at Arthur with a hint of surprise.
More precisely, she was staring at the sword that he had somehow drawn from his waist.
When did my apprentice learn swordsmanship?
(End of chapter)