Chapter 32: A Test

Mordred was currently writing notes. Odin was in front of a blackboard and there was a TV nearby that was playing some rated x movies.

"Umu, umu, so that's how I should do this and that." Mordred was being taught how to please a woman.

You can't call yourself a proper man with a harem if you couldn't even satisfy them all in one sitting. So Odin quickly taught him the tricks of the trade.

"Odin-sama, they are finished learning for today." Brynhildr brought back the others. The sparring team were also included and they looked like they had a lot of fun.

Odin quickly changed the contents of the board with runes and Mordred who has the remote of the TV changed the channels immediately.

Odin then gave him a glance and they communicated with their eyes. 'I have never been prouder of my student. You're a real one.' Odin nodded at him.

"Thanks for bringing them here Brynhildr." Mordred thanked her and she left immediately after bowing. Thinking of what to do to dissuade him.

And the answer she got was to avoid him as much as possible. Because they won't get closer if they simply did not meet.

"You guys enjoy yourselves?" Mordred smiled at them and they were pleased with their days.

"We learned a lot about the magic system and how to create runes. But we're a bit too far away from primordial runes. There are too many symbols, it makes my head hurt." Cleria rubbed her temples.

"Ahhh, it isn't considered a lost art if it was that easy. Primordial magic might be nigh impossible due to the instincts and quality of mana needed. But Primordial runes are the same due to how much information you have to learn." Mordred explained and Odin gave him a thumbs up.

Of course he also thought him about rune magic. Mordred's primary objective was to grow stronger after all.

Mordred formed a rune with his mana and it released a bit of fire. Lavinia did it too and some snow appeared.

Dulio generated some wind and Cleria made some electricity.

Mordred nodded in satisfaction at their progress. He was still working on his too, but it was much easier due to their mastery with primordial magic.

"Primordial runes will be quite hard for you youngsters. Gods and masters of it would die of anger if you suddenly learned it after all!" Odin laughed and they already knew that.

"It is quite difficult, even though we already have primordial magic." Mordred tried to form a primordial rune.

But his mana just dispersed, unlike their magic that works on intent and will. Primordial runes need tons of information and knowledge about how you want to bend the universe to your will.

It is the reason why it is considered a lost art. Because the thinking of mages and the supernatural was, magic could already bend physics to your will. Why learn rune magic? Especially primordial runes.

But what they don't understand, is when you manage to form your specialized ones. Once mastered, you can use it nigh instantly. Spells with immense power and effects turn into a concentrated script as a rune.

And unlike magic, it can also be pasted on things. Just like Excalibur, Caliburn, and even Mordred who has runes on them to enchant them.

'I need to learn this, no matter how long it takes. I have to.' Mordred squinted his eyes. It will be invaluable in strengthening humanity.

Or even just protect them so that the supernatural can't just kill or kidnap them due to someone's whims or mood.

He also wanted to give the magic types in their group enchanted armor with runes.

It is very versatile, magic is too. But runes have more applications. Especially in protection and territory creation. Because they were always on, or it activates once needed.

"I still have lessons with Odin, go on and rest everybody." Mordred sent them off.

They were quite tired, so they accepted and went to Valhalla in order to eat tons of meat, then pass out on their beds.

Ise got left behind though, she looked at the old man with a meaningful look and Odin smirked at her.

He snapped his fingers and the writing on the blackboard changed. It contained forbidden knowledge that can only be learned through experience.

"Hohoh? It seems that you are definitely wise Odin-sama." Ise smiled at him and Odin chuckled.

"I declare you as Mordred's assistant Ise. You will help him be the god of harems!" His eyes turned bloodshot, it became his ambition to turn Mordred into the ultimate womanizer.

"Yes! Master! I will definitely help Mordred conquer every beautiful woman in the world!" Ise held his hands while there were tears in her eyes.

"Hide your daughters! Hide your wives! Hide your long lived grandmothers! A menace will be born today! Guahahahaha!" Odin cackled and Mordred looked at them weirdly.

"Can we begin again please? We are wasting daylight you know? Odin will have to get to work as well." Mordred reminded them and Odin looked like he bit a lemon.

"Accursed paperwork, I haven't created a rune to do that faster." Odin glared at empty air and Mordred thought about it.

"Shouldn't a rune that detects important key words be enough? Like if it contains words like war, fight, blood, feud, etc. Highlight those and then you work on them first?" Mordred offered a solution.

"It is not specific enough sadly." Odin sighed and Mordred shook his head.

"No, you should let your subordinate use it to filter the reports. Or even make a system in which there are ranks on their importance. Like D ranks are just negligible ones. And the higher it goes, the more important it is? Release that all over your departments so it would come to you based on importance." Mordred shrugged.

"Boy... I Odin Borson, declare you as a valued guest of Asgard from now on." Odin squeezed his shoulders.

"Okay? Thanks I guess? Ahh, how about you give me information about Brynhildr then? So we can get closer?" Mordred wanted to get to know her so he could practice his new knowledge.

"Good, my boy! You have initiative! Ahh, you can also say that you're closer now because you know more about her!" Odin cackled and schemed against his strongest Valkyrie.

Brynhildr felt a shiver in her spine. "I can feel someone conspiring against me." She then received an order to read Mordred's file that he provided.

Odin gave her an order to learn more about them under the guise of checking if they were trustworthy.

The young Valkyrie dutifully reviewed their files and wasn't aware that she was trapped by a scheming old man.

In the morning, Mordred snuck out of Asgard and he went to the land of shadows.

"Hello Scathach, how are you doing?" Mordred brought some sandwiches and a lunchbox.

He cooked some cockatrice and rock bird fried chicken. Black diamond tuna rice bowls, a murder sheep Sheppard's pie, and some roasted Goliath cattle. All courtesy of the familiar forest.

And of course, he didn't forget the mashed potatoes. Both chunky and silky smooth. She is Irish after all.

"What in the world are you doing?" Scathach raised a brow at him and Mordred looked at her like she was stupid.

"I'm arranging a picnic, have you never had one?" He genuinely asked and Scathach was about to smack him for being sarcastic.

But she noticed that he was seriously asking that. "Hah, fine. Why a picnic though?" She sat down at a chair he took out and he kept on setting the table.

As a queen, she didn't want to be rude to Mordred who is a royal that prepared something that he made himself just for her.

"Talking while sharing food is something that brings people together. If we talk while eating good food and drinking good wine, wouldn't we be having a nice time?" Mordred indulged her curiosity and she sighed.

"I do not need to eat Mordred, I am immortal." Scathach appreciated it, but she has forgotten the taste of food and drinks. She hasn't partaken in any for centuries.

"Then you will be surprised, I have hunted these down myself. They are exquisite ingredients that I doubt you have tasted yourself." Mordred was proud in his cooking. And the ingredients also came from the underworld. So she never did get a taste of insanely rare food.

"I'll gratefully accept, but don't think that I will teach you." Scathach partook on the food and she couldn't hold her poker face upon eating.

'What in the seven hells is this?' Her mouth went numb and she could feel her brain melting due to the taste of it. She then started tasting the others and they were all the same. They had flavors that could overload normal humans.

"It seems that you enjoy it Scathach, that makes me glad. I made that myself after all." Mordred smiled at her softly and she coughed.

Donning her indifferent expression, she slowed down. "It is good Mordred, thank you for preparing this for me."

She enjoyed it immensely. The alcohol he brought was also sublime. And as an Irish person, she loves a good drink. The food was also an eye opener.

Scathach ate to live back when she was a mortal. It didn't matter if it wasn't too good, just edible was enough.

Sighing in satisfaction, Mordred was pleased that she enjoyed herself. "Now, how about we exercise in order to digest all of that food?" Mordred suggested.

'What a sneaky boy, sparring with me would also count as training. Especially from someone of his caliber.' Scathach saw through what he wanted. But she decided to indulge him.

She has been in isolation for two thousand years now. It is a miracle that she hasn't gone insane yet.

"Very well, it is a good time to digest our food Mordred." She stood up and a red spear appeared on her hand.

"I thought you gave Cu the Gae bolg?" Mordred took a look at it and she smirked. "I made it, so of course I had some spares." She waited for him to clear everything up.

Mordred started breathing in deeply. His dragon heart started roaring, pumping his body with mana and power.

He grew to two meters and his body got buffer. Mordred used the full powers of Grendel. "Touki, senjutsu, mana reinforcement." Mordred whispered and a thick whitish aura formed around him.

Scathach could feel his power skyrocket. It was simply unbelievable for her. 'This boy, no. little man, is too strong, what a monster.' She licked her lips in excitement.

"Ahhh, what a bad habit. I am losing myself to excitement. Fighting great warriors of your caliber makes me quite eager." She released her aura and their mana clashed against each other.

Scathach started to hope, her desperate desire to die and rest lit up again. Like small embers that landed on coal that had its flames extinguished already. It started to burn once more.

'Maybe... Just maybe, I can train him. So he would be able to kill me and end this pointless life filled with death and killing.' Scathach pointed her spear at him.

"Come at me Mordred, show me your worth as a warrior." He nodded and pulled out Caliburn.

"This sword might not grant promised victory, but the victorious does wield it." He poured in his mana inside of it and the land of shadows was illuminated by blinding white light.

They suddenly disappeared from their place and their weapons crashed against each other with a deafening thunderclap. A shockwave was released from their point of contact and Scathach felt her arms go numb due to his violent strength.

"That's it! Come at me with all you've got!" She twirled her spear and flicked the speartip at the flat of his blade. Making him jump backwards or she'll use leverage to take it off his hands.

"As expected, you are strong and your skills must have been honed by thousands of life and death battles." Mordred nodded at her and closed his eyes.

He also took out the Kusanagi and the clouds in the sky gathered to their spot. Lightning started to crackle and Scathach couldn't help but remember her fight against gods.

"Shall we start? The quick warm up is done now after all." Mordred rolled his shoulders.

"Yes, try and stab me with your swords!" She twirled her spear and formed a stance. "Here I go... Stab and penetrate, thrust and drill!"

"Illuminate the world! Caliburn! Bathe everything with divine lightning!" He powered up his two swords to prepare for their clash and the realm turned white due to the flash of intense light.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.