The moment Arthur spoke those words, the air seemed to freeze. For a brief second, he even wondered if his master had cast a rune.
Standing beside him, Nessa covered her mouth, nearly letting out a gasp of disbelief as she stared at Arthur.
Had he gone insane?!
No—this wasn't just madness. It was outright suicide!
"However, as Master said earlier, age no longer matters at this stage. What truly matters is the condition of your body. As for teaching level and things like that… Master and Morgan each have their own strengths, after all, the fields they specialize in are somewhat different." Facing the gazes of the three women, Arthur continued, "In short, no matter how you look at it, there's no need to worry about age. After all, you're practically the same as Nessa now."
"You think so too, don't you, Nessa?" he asked, turning to her.
Feeling the weight of the two women's stares, Nessa experienced immense pressure. She shot Arthur an annoyed glare before nodding quickly. "Yes, he's right."
In truth, that guy had dragged her into this as well.
Scáthach stared at Arthur for a long moment without saying a word.
However, the tense atmosphere from earlier gradually began to dissipate, and Arthur finally let out a breath of relief.
That was close… It almost turned into a disaster.
If those two had actually started fighting, who knew what would have happened?
Morgan smiled, casting a meaningful glance at Arthur before turning to Scáthach beside her. "Shall we step outside and talk?"
Noticing Arthur's worried look again, Morgan gently patted his head. "Don't worry. For your sake, I won't do anything reckless."
Their tone was incredibly intimate, as if the two of them were truly a couple.
Scáthach ignored that and said calmly, "Let's go."
Throughout it all, she appeared calm and composed, as if nothing could disturb her mood. But only Scáthach herself knew the truth.
Watching the two of them leave the palace together, Arthur exhaled in relief—but fresh concerns quickly surfaced in his heart.
What if they started arguing about something while talking?
Although Scáthach didn't seem like that type of person, encountering a "goddess" was a rare opportunity. It was only natural she would feel excited in the presence of such a powerful figure.
Moreover, Morgan was the kind of goddess who enjoyed provoking others for fun. If she truly angered Master…
"Hey! Can't you hear me?!" Nessa gave Arthur a light kick.
"Huh? What is it?" Arthur snapped back to his senses.
"Tell me—what exactly is your relationship with that woman?" Nessa asked.
"I can't say." Arthur shook his head. "If I do, something bad will happen…"
Because of the Geis, nothing about Morgan could be revealed to Nessa under any circumstances. That was the price of receiving the blessing of the Goddess of Death.
"Are you having an affair with that woman?" Nessa stared at him.
"It has absolutely nothing to do with that. You're overthinking it!"
"But the way she acted just now was strange… as if the two of you were a couple," Nessa muttered.
"That's just how she is. Didn't you notice Morgan was trying to provoke Master earlier?" Arthur sighed. "If it weren't for me, they might really have started fighting."
Hearing that, Nessa nodded slightly. "What you're saying makes sense."
It was true. If Arthur hadn't risked his life to redirect the hostility toward himself, Scáthach and Morgan might be fighting right now.
"In any case, I'll go outside and check on them," Arthur said, rising to his feet and leaving the hall.
He was still uneasy about the situation outside and couldn't fully relax.
---
When Arthur stepped out of the hall, something unexpected happened.
He had assumed the atmosphere between the two would be tense, but instead, he saw Morgan and Scáthach holding hands.
Had they reached some sudden agreement?
"He'll be under your care for now," Scáthach said.
"Don't worry," Morgan smiled, casting a casual glance at Arthur, who stood not far away. "I'll take very good care of him~"
After saying that, she waved at him. "Come here. You're mine now. Your master has sold you to me."
Arthur hesitated for a moment and looked at Scáthach beside her.
"Don't look at me like that. Would I lie to you? From now on, you are my beloved consort." Morgan gently stroked Arthur's head. "Come, I'm taking you with me now."
Arthur looked once more at Scáthach, only to see her nod slightly.
"Go with her."
Master wouldn't really betray me… would she?!
Seeing Scáthach nod, Arthur had a fleeting moment of doubt, wondering if he had mistaken her for someone else—or if that Scáthach was merely another illusion conjured by Morgan.
But soon after, Scáthach spoke.
"Two months will pass quickly. When you return, I expect to see a stronger version of you."
"Master didn't betray me… right?" That was the only question echoing in Arthur's mind.
Scáthach fell silent for a moment. "I think that, before beginning your training, you should probably improve your most basic judgment skills."
No matter what happened, she would never sell the apprentice she had raised for years to a princess from a neighboring land… Moreover, nothing in this world would ever make her change her mind.
However, what Morgan had proposed was indeed highly beneficial for her apprentice… At least from Arthur's perspective, it was a very good thing.
"So Morgan was lying to me… That's a relief." Arthur seemed to let out a sigh.
"Are you truly that unhappy about coming with me?" Morgan asked with a smile.
Why does this goddess feel so overwhelmingly intimidating when she smiles?!
Feeling the pressure of Morgan's gaze, Arthur quickly shook his head. "That's not what I meant… I've just grown used to being in the Land of Shadows, so—"
As he finished speaking, he looked toward Scáthach, as if expecting his master to say something more. But Scáthach simply looked back at him calmly, without a word.
Morgan observed the exchange of their gazes and unconsciously frowned.
That woman… could she possess some kind of charm ability?
She couldn't believe Arthur could be so attached to her.
"Is there anything else you and your master need to discuss? If not, we'll depart now," Morgan said, looking at Arthur.
"We're really leaving now?!" Arthur asked in surprise, feeling somewhat reluctant to go.
He had just returned, and now he was leaving again?
"Don't worry. I'll make time to visit you in a few days." A faint smile appeared on Scáthach's lips. "I can't stay away from the Land of Shadows for too long, but I can visit from time to time. I hope you won't disappoint me during your training."
Morgan had previously told her that the so-called training was, in fact, taking Arthur into the outside world for combat experience.
"What kind of training?" Arthur asked instinctively, turning his gaze toward Morgan.
Morgan maintained her gentle smile.
"Guess."
For some reason, the tone of Morgan's voice gave Arthur a very bad feeling.
(End of Chapter)