Arthur left the room in silence and walked through the stone corridors of Dun Scaith, his footsteps echoing softly throughout the castle.
When the guards spotted him, they all bowed respectfully, not even considering stopping his passage.
This was not surprising.
As one of the most esteemed disciples of the Queen of the Land of Shadows, Arthur was already a well-known figure within the fortress.
Thus, Arthur passed through the gates of the main hall without any obstruction.
The Land of Shadows was surrounded by nearly insurmountable natural defenses. It was composed of seven castles, each protected by seven massive walls, built of black stone that seemed to absorb the surrounding light.
Each castle, in turn, was encircled by nine wooden palisades arranged in concentric circles. On each stake, a human head was impaled.
These heads were known as the "Stones of Vision."
Each one was carved with three human faces.
Scáthach often stood before the castle, gazing at those heads in absolute silence.
Above the fortress, large birds of prey occasionally spread their immense wings and glided slowly through the skies. Their colossal shadows covered the courtyard and the walls like living omens.
Arthur was already accustomed to those monstrous silhouettes. Without hesitation, he crossed the main hall.
Inside, the atmosphere was vast and solemn.
Cú Chulainn was sitting in a completely relaxed manner on a side chair, his legs crossed and his spear resting carelessly on his shoulder. His body radiated an almost insolent confidence.
At the center of the hall, elevated above everyone else, Scáthach rested upon her throne. The two seemed to be talking about something when Arthur entered.
"Well, well, finally awake, kid." Cú Chulainn noticed Arthur immediately and raised a hand in a casual greeting.
"Good evening, Cú Chulainn," Arthur replied politely, bowing his head slightly. "What brings you here today?"
About three years ago, Cú Chulainn had arrived in the Land of Shadows to train under Scáthach's tutelage. He had left about a year later, leaving a deep impression on the apprentices. Among them all, Cú Chulainn was, without question, the strongest.
"What?" he replied with a teasing grin. "I can't come back to see the old woman after finishing my training—"
Before he could finish the sentence, a lethal whistle cut through the air.
A spear was hurled from the throne with crushing force, streaking toward Cú Chulainn like lightning.
"Watch out behind you!" Arthur shouted instinctively.
But Cú Chulainn did not even move.
With a calm gesture, he raised his hand and caught the spear in midair, gripping it with absolute firmness. Then, without any visible effort, he hurled it back toward Scáthach.
The weapon embedded itself in the ground before the throne, vibrating violently.
"Didn't I tell you not to worry about my safety?" Cú Chulainn laughed as he walked over to Arthur and ruffled his hair until it was completely disheveled. "How did you manage to put up with the Master's temper for so long?"
"I think it's fine…" Arthur replied neutrally.
Unlike Cú Chulainn, he still had to live in the Land of Shadows. If he gave Scáthach any reason to "take too much of an interest" in him at that moment, his future days could turn into a living nightmare.
Cú Chulainn slung an arm around Arthur's shoulders, wearing a mischievous grin.
"Tell me the truth. I guarantee your safety."
Arthur rolled his eyes internally.
Did you already forget how you were crushed by the Master last year?
You could barely stand after that beating…
What kind of guarantee can you even give me?
If Arthur told the truth, the two of them would probably end up thrown to the ground, defeated and covered in bruises that very night.
With that in mind, Arthur kept his composure.
"Although the training is harsh, the Master is usually very kind to me," he replied.
"Tch… coward." Cú Chulainn released him with a bored expression, placing his hands behind his head. "Are you really that afraid of the Master?"
"So boring," he added with a sigh.
Arthur then changed the subject.
"By the way… why did you come to the Land of Shadows today?" he asked.
"Ah, I came to take the final trial," Cú Chulainn said, his eyes shining with determination. "To prove my strength."
He cracked his neck.
"That old man insists that I haven't truly graduated, just because I can't defeat her."
"That grumpy old man…" Arthur thought for a moment. "You're talking about King Forgall Monach, right?"
"Who else could it be?!" Cú Chulainn grumbled. "Why did I have to do this, when I could've just taken Emer and left?"
Emer—Cú Chulainn's lover.
He had come to the Land of Shadows years ago precisely at the demand of the princess's father. Forgall Monach had decreed that Cú Chulainn could only marry Emer if he passed Scáthach's trials.
"So you want to gain someone else's approval," Arthur remarked with a faint smile.
"Basically," Cú Chulainn said, turning toward Scáthach. "Let's fight again. I'm much stronger now than I was before!"
Scáthach remained seated, observing him with absolute calm.
"Even after two years, your temperament hasn't changed much," she said. "Why don't you fight Arthur instead?"
"Him?" Cú Chulainn looked at Arthur and sighed. "What if I hurt this kid?"
"Spears and swords exist to wound," Scáthach replied coldly. "If he gets hurt, it simply means he isn't strong enough."
"Heh!" Cú Chulainn laughed mockingly.
"When I hurt this kid back then, you beat me far harder than usual," he said, crossing his arms. "You're clearly biased, Master."
In the past, whenever he fought Arthur, it only took the slightest excess for the outcome to be inevitable: Scáthach would beat him mercilessly.
It didn't matter who had provoked whom, or what the original intention had been. If Arthur was injured beyond what was acceptable, the retaliation came swiftly, brutally, and completely one-sided.
Without a doubt, that woman was far too protective.
It was difficult to understand why Scáthach held Arthur in such high regard. It wasn't merely the ordinary care of a master for her disciple—there was something more. Still, regardless of the reason, there was no doubt about that fact.
Scáthach raised an eyebrow slightly, her sharp gaze settling on Cú Chulainn.
"I will show favoritism to no one," she said firmly. "But you… your so-called 'trial' with me was never the real reason you came here, was it?"
Cú Chulainn flashed a carefree, almost provocative smile.
"You're mistaken," he replied calmly. "I'm here solely for the trial. And since I came all this way, I decided to bring something for this kid."
As he spoke, he reached into some impossible place and pulled out an object that, at first glance, looked exactly like a human skull.
"Here."
With a casual motion, Cú Chulainn tossed the object toward Arthur.
"What is this…?" Arthur caught it midair by reflex.
The next instant, his eyes widened when he realized what it was. For a moment, he almost dropped it, but he recovered in time and held it carefully.
Scáthach watched the scene in silent attention. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"A magical cauldron," she explained. "I retrieved it from the depths of the Forest of Trials. When water is placed inside, the runes engraved on its surface enchant the liquid. When you drink that water, your health is gradually strengthened, reinforcing your body and vitality over time."
Scáthach then cast a direct look at Cú Chulainn.
"If we're talking about favoritism, you're far more biased than I am."
Cú Chulainn shrugged, completely indifferent.
"Hey, I just picked it up along the way and gave it as a gift," he said, waving his hand. "I don't need that kind of thing anyway."
He then stretched his arms as if loosening up.
"So… when do I take my final test?"
Scáthach remained silent for a few seconds, considering.
"Come to the main hall tomorrow at noon," she said at last.
"Tomorrow?" Cú Chulainn thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. I'll rest then. My room must be a mess."
"Arthur cleans your room every week," Scáthach replied casually. "He always said you would definitely return someday."
Cú Chulainn froze for a brief moment.
He looked at Arthur, who averted his gaze in slight embarrassment, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.
"Well done, Arthur."
It was precisely that kind of attitude that made Cú Chulainn like him so much.
Unlike most disciples—who either feared and avoided him, or blatantly flattered him because of his strength—Arthur had always been… different.
When Cú Chulainn left the Land of Shadows two years ago, Arthur had shown genuine reluctance. Though he was only thirteen at the time, he had tried to hide the feeling out of pride, saying things like:
"Finally you're leaving. That's one less person to beat me up."
But Cú Chulainn had never forgotten the tears that pooled in the boy's eyes that day.
"How is your training going?" he asked.
"It's going well… nothing special," Arthur scratched his head. "Because of my lack of stamina, I'm not suited for very prolonged battles."
Cú Chulainn grew thoughtful.
Arthur's physical weakness was innate. No matter how much he trained, he would never have the same endurance or stamina as a strong warrior—especially someone like Cú Chulainn, or even Nessa. Even if he tried to compensate in the future using magic, that limit would always be there.
That was precisely why he had given him the magical cauldron.
Cú Chulainn then picked up his spear, planting it firmly on the ground.
"All right," he said. "Let's see how much you've improved over the last two years. Let's fight, Arthur."
"Huh?!" Arthur was completely stunned. "Impossible! How could I possibly defeat you?"
"If you believe you'll lose before you even start, then you've already lost," Cú Chulainn said, raising his spear and pointing it directly at Arthur. "Come on. Grab your weapon."
Looks like I don't have any other choice…
Facing Cú Chulainn's intense gaze, Arthur took a deep breath. Carefully, he handed the magical cauldron to Scáthach, who received it in silence.
Then, Arthur took up his own spear.
He planted his feet firmly on the ground, straightened his posture, and met Cú Chulainn's gaze head-on.
Cú Chulainn studied those eyes for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Good eyes," he said as he assumed the same stance as Arthur. "Looks like you really have grown a lot."
Scáthach gently caressed the surface of the magical cauldron, her eyes shifting between her two disciples.
Although she held no great expectations regarding the final outcome, it was still something worth observing.
After all, it was also an opportunity to see how much Cú Chulainn had evolved over the past two years.
"Very well," she said firmly. "Begin."
---
(End of Chapter)