Misunderstanding

"You came to find me, basically for that kind of thing, right?"

Sitting upright and enjoying the sight of the attractive youth, Scathach continued speaking to Artorius with an assured and effortless tone.

"Considering your sincerity in coming all this way to find me, and your diligent efforts to impress, I'll reluctantly agree."

When she mentioned 'that kind of thing', of course, she wasn't referring to what Medb next door was up to. It was about the cliche plot for the Fate series' transmigrators or reincarnators—became disciples of Scathach.

"Be grateful, kid. You should also be aware of the current state of the world. Technically, I shouldn't be taking on disciples anymore."

After finishing these words, Scathach realized she had made a mistake.

Because in front of her, Artorius had a pleased expression.

That expression seemed to say—"You fool, you've finally fallen into my hands~."

This puzzled Scathach.

Apart from her considerable skills and the ability to teach, she didn't have any other advantages.

This Dragon Prince went to great lengths to come here, searching and fooling around with Medb in dreams. Wasn't he seeking her guidance to further improve himself?

What else could it be?

Surely he wasn't genuinely infatuated with her beauty?

Thinking this, Scathach couldn't help but chuckle.

If this were 500 years ago, she might have considered it. But now...

The Queen of the Land of Shadows had already withered inside. Love and romance, she had passed the age of pondering such things.

So, she envied that child, who, even now, maintained youthful vitality and remained like a typical girl—Medb.

In fact, one of the reasons she came to find Artorius today was partly because she wanted to vent her frustration by showing Medb who was the boss.

Of course, now, Artorius held a higher position in her heart than Medb and didn't bother about that pink woman anymore.

'Could it be him?'

'...If it's him, perhaps my wish can be fulfilled.'

Though she wasn't at the point of being desperate or exhausted, the current Scathach had a premonition, an expectation, a belief.

She needed a disciple who was strong enough, tenacious enough, and ruthless enough to 'be prepared for the worst.'

Of course, even if he wasn't ruthless enough, the Geis she possessed would ensure he acted mercilessly when facing her.

So, she had originally chosen that target. The one named Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Culann, as her insurance.

But that guy died.

And he died so miserably. It was truly laughable.

With that in mind, her satisfaction with Artorius grew even higher.

This kid was clearly an old fox. He was ruthless enough and shameless enough. Probably, if necessary he would mercilessly attack her without hesitation. With his sword, his spear, he would ruthlessly pierce through her body.

However, it was not at all like that.

Artorius mercilessly rejected her, saying, "I searched for you, to discuss a matter of great importance that affects the whole world."

Facing Scathach, who seemed somewhat bewildered, he continued without hesitation.

"If it were back when I was just starting out, I would have accepted you as my teacher. But now, my position is different. Ultimately, I am a leader, a prince. In the future, I am destined to play the role of an emperor."

"If the emperor were to personally engage in combat, wouldn't the empire be deemed a failure? What would be the purpose of having so many subordinates?"

"Therefore, all I need is a certain level of combat ability to protect myself and leave the rest to my subordinates."

"Oh, of course, if you have an obsession with teaching and can't bear not being someone's teacher, that's not a problem either. I can introduce you to my sister. She's the one—"

"Hold on a moment."

When Artorius reached this point, Scathach interrupted him.

"In other words, you're not here to seek my instruction in martial arts or magecraft and such?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Then..."

"I already said, I need your help—not as a teacher, but for research in magecraft. In this age where gods are hiding, you are the one I can find with the most extensive and profound knowledge of magecraft—"

"No. That's not it."

Before Artorius could reveal his 'grand plan' and his ambition to usurp the fate of Franks, and before he could try to persuade her to assist him with a series of reasons, Scathach interrupted his torrent of words.

She stood up and approached Artorius.

This proximity was too dangerous for a teenage boy like him. So Artorius couldn't continue saying what he wanted to say. He could only fix his gaze on her assertive outstretched hand, feeling embarrassed as he thumped back into his seat.

With a strong sense of shame, Scathach looked intently at Artorius, like a predator stalking its prey.

Was she mistaken?

In other words, did she misunderstand everything just now?

Did she make a fool of herself in front of this boy?

Was she too overconfident?

Look at the expression in his eyes; they were filled with contempt as he looked at her. Though he didn't say it out loud, Scathach was certain he was completely denying her teaching ability. It was as if he was saying:

"A granny like you wants to be my teacher? I think you're delusional. You, a granny, can you compare to Chiron? Look at his numerous disciples, the finest of them being Greece's top heroes. And yet, your best disciple is a dog, for God's sake. You may seem wise and intelligent on the surface, but you're failing so miserably. You're probably a member of the Tohsaka Family as well."

With this thought, Scathach suppressed the desire to thrust her spear through Artorius and made a decision.

Since that was the case, there was only one path left to take.

"Speak." Scathach looked at Artorius seriously, her red spear trembling in her right hand. "You came here to seek me out, desiring my unrivaled glorious martial arts and the world's greatest magecraft. You want me to teach you how to become stronger, right?"

"I..."

In an instant, a hundred and eighty thoughts raced through Artorius's mind.

From 'This woman has gone insane' to 'Maybe she wants to imprison and exploit me.'

Before he could select the most reasonable answer from these hundred and eighty options, a thunderous sound reverberated as Gae Bolg gouged out a trench tens of meters deep and hundreds of meters long, burying Artorius's words in the ground.

After swallowing a gulp of saliva, he calmly repeated the words Scathach had just said.

"I... I came here to seek you out, desiring your unrivaled glorious martial arts and the world's greatest magecraft, and to ask you to teach me how to become stronger..."

After saying these words, as Artorius watched Scathach's expression turn pleased and relaxed, he added the second half of his sentence.

"By the way... I also want to discuss a matter related to the fate of the world."

"Hmm."

Feeling refreshed, Scathach neither confirmed nor denied it.