Punishment

"..."

"..."

Inside the room, Arkhan and Nidhogg sat across from each other in silence.

The eerie atmosphere caused a slight cold sweat to appear on the nearby Yulina and Thrud's foreheads.

"Um, I just remembered that the room upstairs hasn't been cleaned yet..." Yulina said with a forced smile on her face. "If there's nothing else, I'll just leave."

With that, Miss Dead Apostle immediately turned around and fled.

"I-I have an appointment with Miss Katherine to teach me how to make desserts, so I'm leaving too." Thrud quickly followed behind Yulina.

The spacious room was now left with only Arkhan and Nidhogg.

"..."

"..."

Another long silence ensued.

"Hahhh..."

Arkhan let out a soft sigh, stood up, and bowed to Nidhogg.

"Hmm? What are you doing?" Nidhogg was puzzled.

"Lily is my student, and at the same time, she's my sister. Since she has committed such a big mistake this time, it's also my responsibility as his big brother." Arkhan said with a serious tone. "Consider this my apology on her behalf. If you have any dissatisfaction, feel free to vent it on me."

Seeing him like this, Nidhogg suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. After all, if it wasn't for her greediness in grabbing the cake and eating it without thinking, none of this would have happened.

In the end, Arkhan hadn't done anything wrong to her; it was the other way around.

Nidhogg quickly expelled the lewd scene from her mind and coughed lightly.

"Since you put it that way, let's forget about this incident. However, you must ensure that this matter does not leak out!"

Anyway, continuing to dwell on it wouldn't lead to any results, so might as well let it go.

Arkhan breathed a sigh of relief. This was the best outcome he could have hoped for.

"Rest assured, I promise this matter will not be spread."

Nidhogg nodded, then raised a question. "But there's one more thing, do you not find it strange?"

"Strange?" Arkhan was slightly puzzled.

"Do you not find it strange where these things came from?" Nidhogg pointed at the cakes inside the basket.

Arkhan looked at the small, exquisite cake and a thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes.

===

"Hmm? Are you asking if Lily has been around lately?"

Morgan furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Now that you mention it, I remember. I was working on some new stuff recently, so I called her in to help me out."

"What were you working on?" Arkhan inquired.

"That..." Morgan's expression stiffened slightly, her gaze wandering. "Ahem, just a little something, nothing important."

Arkhan silently pulled a basket from behind him and pushed it in front of Morgan, unveiling the cloth covering it.

"What's this... Cakes?" Morgan picked up a piece of cake, sniffing it with confusion. Her face immediately froze.

"This is your 'little something'?" Arkhan's tone was dry.

'I knew something was off... ' Morgan muttered inwardly. 'I explicitly told Lily that this thing was only half-done, pretty powerful, and could be deadly if mishandled. Why doesn't she ever listen?'

She then tried to appear casual.

"Fufu, what are you talking about? These are just a few small cakes, right? Oh, I get it. You must've thought your big sister was working too hard, so you brought me a little treat? Such a good little brother. Well then, Big Sister graciously accepts."

With that, Morgan grabbed the basket and dashed out, disappearing from his view in the blink of an eye.

Arkhan wore a look of utter disappointment.

'Can't I have at least one normal woman around me?'

===

The Netherflower's effect stirred the darkness within someone who ate it, prompting actions one might desire but dare not undertake. Yet, this did not imply manipulation of one's thoughts; it all stemmed from one's own will.

So, two days later, when the Netherflower's influence waned, Artoria naturally remembered the events of that time.

"Teacher, I know it's all my fault!" Artoria, teary-eyed, gazed at Arkhan with a pitiful expression. "As a knight, I did something so shameless! Please punish me!"

After saying that, she knelt on the ground, banging her head thrice on the floor, creating a noticeable dent in the marble.

Arkhan sighed, helping Artoria up.

"Enough, Lily, it's not all your fault. To be honest, I bear some responsibility too."

If he had used Fenghuang Down to restore her to normal, none of these events would have unfolded in the first place. He was initially curious and wanted to see another side of Artoria but ended up digging himself into a hole.

As expected, tempting fate leads to misfortune, as the ancients wisely warned.

"Please don't comfort me anymore, Teacher. Someone like me, who goes against the code of chivalry, can no longer bear the honor of being a knight." Artoria's eyes were incredibly dim.

Arkhan felt a headache coming on. He knew Artoria's character, someone with a strong sense of responsibility; if she committed a mistake, she'd do everything in her power to make amends.

If he didn't offer her a chance to redeem herself, she might truly carry this burden for a lifetime.

After pondering for a moment, Arkhan decided.

"Since it's the case, I'll give you a chance. But be warned, this task might be challenging. Are you truly prepared?"

As she heard that, Artoria's eyes lit up again.

"Please give your orders. Whatever the task, even if it costs me my life, I will complete it!" Artoria said solemnly with her body upright.

"In that case..."

Arkhan clasped his hands behind his back and made a solemn expression on his face.

"Artoria Pendragon, I hereby appoint you as the temporary commander to lead forty thousand soldiers. Within two months, you must conquer Wessex!"