Morgan slowly leaned forward, drawing closer without the slightest hurry. Her sweet, intoxicating fragrance surrounded Arthur from every side, invading his senses in an almost irresistible way. The sudden closeness made his mind waver for a moment.
So... what exactly does this have to do with the mark of the Goddess of Death?
What kind of goddess leaves marks like that?
"Don't worry, it'll be over soon. Close your eyes."
Her voice carried an authoritative tone, the kind that accepted neither objections nor room for negotiation. It was a simple command, yet impossible to refuse.
If Arthur was the King, then Morgan le Fay felt far more like a sovereign empress, someone whose dominant presence simply crushed any attempt at resistance.
Faced with that, Arthur had no choice but to obey.
He closed his eyes.
Immediately afterward, he felt a slight sting on his neck.
It was quick, almost imperceptible, and the small pain vanished as swiftly as it had appeared.
When he opened his eyes again, he found Morgan standing before him with a warm, elegant smile, as though nothing significant had happened.
"Thank you for that."
"That way, the marking is temporarily complete."
"I obtained the mark of the Goddess of Death that easily?" Arthur widened his eyes in genuine surprise.
Deep down, he couldn't help but think:
Sister... are you messing with me?
I didn't feel any fluctuation of magical power, no shock, no transformation... and you're already saying the mark is inside me?
"It's no surprise that you don't feel anything right now," Morgan said naturally as she carefully adjusted the collar of Arthur's shirt, as if she were merely fixing the clothes of a distracted child.
"This kind of mark does not form in one or two days."
She raised her gaze to him and continued:
"Come see me once a week from now on. It will take six months before the mark can be considered permanent."
Arthur fell silent for a moment.
Six months?
"You don't understand?" Noticing his suspicious expression, Morgan reached out and slowly ran her fingers over the still-clear mark on his neck.
The cold touch made Arthur shiver.
"Didn't you absorb the essence of the White Dragon before? This is similar."
She spoke calmly, like a teacher explaining something obvious.
"It takes time because if the mark of the Goddess of Death were imprinted on you all at once, your body would not withstand that overwhelming aura of death."
Morgan smiled faintly.
"And you would die instantly."
It's that terrifying?!
Arthur couldn't stop his expression from turning serious.
If that were truly the case, then it made sense.
After all, when he had consumed the essence of the White Dragon, he had also undergone an intense transformation. Afterward, his body had truly become similar to that of the White Dragon, and both his magical power and physical attributes had increased drastically.
The mark of the Goddess of Death...
That sounds absurdly powerful.
"By the way..." Arthur narrowed his eyes and looked at Morgan suspiciously. "What exactly did you use to make the mark just now?"
From the beginning, he had felt that something was strange.
That cold sensation on his neck earlier had clearly felt like...
No.
It couldn't be that.
Logically, Morgan shouldn't have gone that far.
"Just as when you consumed the blood essence of the White Dragon before, the mark is transferred through a liquid."
Morgan replied with flawless composure, as if the question were not embarrassing in the slightest.
"I am the Goddess of Death, so I can only transfer the mark to you using a special method."
She then crossed her arms beneath her chest and added:
"Of course, you could also gradually obtain the mark by drinking my blood."
Arthur froze for a second.
"But in the end, the effect would not be as fast as me personally implanting the mark into you."
Morgan stepped closer and looked directly into his eyes.
"As for the method used... you don't need to worry about that."
She raised a hand and lightly touched his chest.
"Just remember one thing: I will not harm you. That is enough."
Although Morgan's words still contained countless questionable points, Arthur reflected for a moment and ultimately decided not to press further.
After all, the essence of the White Dragon really had been obtained through consuming blood.
So... in theory, her logic was not impossible.
Thinking that, Arthur could not help but sigh quietly.
Morgan had truly helped him too much.
Even if strengthening him with the blessing of the Goddess of Death and the body of the White Dragon had the purpose of preparing him to pull the sword from the stone... it was still an enormous favor.
And now she was even planning to give him this so-called mark of the Goddess of Death.
"Although I am at a disadvantage, there is nothing I can do..." Morgan sighed softly, with an almost melancholic air.
"For you to become stronger, I need to make a small sacrifice."
Arthur blinked several times.
Why is Morgan so good to me?
Just because I am the King now?
Or is this a reward for pulling the sword from the stone?
After all... she really did mention before that she would give me a reward.
As he thought that, Arthur silently observed the woman before him.
After everything Morgan had done for him until now, all he could do was silently keep that kindness in his heart. He did not know how to express it in words, so he simply made a sincere decision:
When Morgan faced difficulties in the future, he would repay everything without hesitation.
"All right, don't think so much." Morgan gave Arthur a light pat on the shoulder, as if she could easily read his thoughts. "Go back first. Lily will worry if you disappear for too long."
She then crossed her arms and added with a calm smile:
"Go ahead. I will arrange a meeting between you and your master tonight, so don't worry."
Arthur nodded vigorously, unable to hide his excitement.
He took two steps toward the basement exit, then stopped halfway.
He turned around once more to look at Morgan.
For a moment, he remained silent.
Then he gave a slight bow.
"Thank you, Morgan."
"It's fine." Morgan smiled as she watched Arthur leave. "You are the King now. Making you stronger is good for me as well."
Arthur left the basement with quick steps, and the sound of his footsteps soon disappeared up the stairs.
Then the smile Morgan wore deepened even further.
She slowly raised her arms, stretching elegantly, and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
"The mark of the Goddess of Death..."
Her lips curved in amusement.
"In a certain sense, that isn't wrong."
After all...
It truly was a mark left on him by the Goddess of Death herself.
"Very well... now it is time to begin working."
Morgan picked up the small vial she had separated earlier. Inside it, Arthur's blood swayed gently as she moved it.
Under the flickering firelight, the red liquid looked almost hypnotic.
This is the blood that was just taken from Arthur.
She spun the vial between her fingers, observing it carefully.
Her gaze, once playful, gradually became more serious.
After a long silence, Morgan set the small bottle on the table.
For the first time that night, a genuinely focused expression appeared in her eyes.
Indeed...
There was a problem.
"I did not expect the power of the White Dragon to still not be fully assimilated by Arthur..."
She murmured softly to herself.
Arthur now possessed the body of a White Dragon.
However, the will of Britain still remained within Vortigern.
"No wonder Vortigern fled to the afterlife in such haste..."
Morgan narrowed her eyes.
"Could it be that he already foresaw I would kill him?"
One possessed the shell.
The other possessed the will of Britain.
An imperfect division. Incomplete.
But still useful.
"And he truly thinks that by recovering his original power in the afterlife, he can compete with me?"
Morgan let out a low, cold laugh.
"That is still far too naïve."
She slowly walked through the underground laboratory, her heels echoing against the stone floor.
"Once Arthur unifies all of Britain..."
"He will be able to capture Vortigern."
"And I will extract every last drop of value from him."
Her tone was calm, yet cruel.
When the will of Britain was transferred to Arthur, Vortigern would finally be able to die.
Truly die.
But before that...
It was necessary to strengthen Arthur's mind even further.
His physical strength was growing rapidly.
His body was excellent.
His talent as well.
But his spirit still needed to be shaped.
"As for methods of improvement..."
Morgan tilted her head back and reflected for a few seconds.
Then a dangerous smile appeared on her face.
"The method of leaving a mark on him seems to be working very well."
---
Late at night.
Arthur lay in his bed, staring at the dark ceiling of the room.
The thought of seeing his Master soon left him restless.
The idea of seeing her again soon makes me a little excited...
But first I need to sleep so I can see her...
Thinking that only increased the pressure.
It was ironic.
The more someone wanted to sleep, the less they could.
The more he closed his eyes and tried to relax, the more awake he became.
Doesn't matter...
I won't think about it anymore.
I'll just close my eyes and empty my mind.
Arthur took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Time passed silently.
One minute.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Half an hour.
"No!"
Arthur suddenly threw the blankets off himself.
"I can't sleep at all!"
His heart was beating far too fast.
The mere anticipation of seeing Scáthach after falling asleep only made him even more awake.
"What's wrong?"
A voice suddenly came from beside the bed.
Arthur was so startled that he nearly jumped backward.
He immediately turned toward the sound.
Even in the dimness of the room, those bright blue eyes were unmistakable.
And that clear voice as well.
"Is something bothering you?" she asked next.
"Lily?!"
Arthur sat upright abruptly in bed, staring at the girl before him.
"What are you doing in my room? Weren't you going to rest?"
"I couldn't find you earlier," Artoria replied naturally, sitting on the edge of the bed. "So I came to check your room."
She adjusted her posture and continued:
"You came in afterward, so I thought I would leave once you fell asleep."
Her eyes settled on him.
"You seem rather agitated. Is something troubling you?"
"Not exactly..." Arthur let out a sigh. "I just want to sleep... but I can't."
Then suddenly, an idea appeared in his mind.
He turned toward Artoria, placed both hands on her shoulders, and spoke with extreme seriousness:
"Lily."
Artoria blinked, clearly confused.
After holding that intense gaze for a few seconds, she involuntarily looked away.
"...Yes?"
"Why don't you just knock me out?"
Thud.
Before Arthur could say another word, something struck his head with brutal precision.
His body immediately toppled onto the bedside table with a dull sound.
His consciousness began to fade.
Before completely passing out, Arthur cast one last glance at Artoria and thought:
This girl is truly decisive...
She really just knocked me out like that?
Without saying a single unnecessary word...
Arthur plunged into total darkness.
Gradually, however, that darkness was replaced by a soft light.
When he opened his eyes again, he found an extremely familiar landscape.
"Morgan really keeps her promises!"
Arthur ran excitedly down the corridor and entered his room.
He opened the door with anticipation.
But Scáthach was not there.
"So Master really did leave something in my room last time and came to retrieve it...?"
Thinking that, Arthur immediately turned and walked toward Scáthach's room.
Perhaps because it was a dream, the corridor seemed even quieter than usual at that late hour.
He slowly opened the door without making a sound.
And then he saw Scáthach in the room.
But she was not alone.
Beside her, sitting calmly, was a girl.
It seemed they were having a late-night conversation between mother and daughter.
(End of Chapter)