The blonde girl remained completely still for a long moment, utterly stunned by Arthur's words. The sea breeze drifted gently around them, making the grass ripple and softly swaying the golden strands of her hair. Her green eyes studied him closely, attentive to every subtle movement, as if trying to decide whether he was merely a lost traveler… or a disguised threat.
"What is your name?" she finally asked, her voice firm and authoritative.
"Arthur," he answered without hesitation. His tone was calm, almost casual. "I come from the other side of the island. I arrived here purely by chance. To be honest… I didn't even think I'd manage to cross the Bridge of Trials. So if you could lower your sword… I can simply leave right now."
Upon hearing his name, the girl blinked once, then again. The name, combined with the young man's appearance, stirred an odd sensation within her.
Still, there was something undeniably out of place about the situation.
She took a deep breath, maintaining her upright posture.
Fortunately, the girl was someone who valued honor and principles above all else. Arthur was clearly unarmed, and for a knight, attacking someone under such circumstances was simply unthinkable.
"The other side of the island?" she repeated, her tone now more confused than aggressive. Her ahoge swayed gently in the sea breeze, softening the severity of her expression and giving her an almost adorable air, despite the sword still in her hand.
"Yes." Arthur nodded. "The Land of Shadows. It lies beyond that sea."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"So… you were born there?" she asked, a hint of curiosity slipping into her voice.
Arthur tilted his head thoughtfully.
"I think so. I'm an orphan. I was taken in by my mentor when I was still very young." He paused briefly, then added with an awkward smile, "Now… could you lower the sword? It's getting a bit uncomfortable trying to hold a conversation like this."
The girl remained silent for a few seconds, clearly weighing his words. At last, she let out a short sigh, relaxed her shoulders, and lowered her sword, letting the blade point toward the ground.
"You may leave now."
As soon as he heard that, the tension built up in Arthur's body began to slowly dissipate. He lowered his hands, released a quiet sigh of relief, and took half a step back, already preparing to turn around and go.
That was when the sound echoed through the still air.
— Gurgle.
Arthur froze.
If it wasn't my stomach… then it can only be…
Unable to help himself, he glanced toward the girl.
Her expression had changed completely. Her ears were slightly red, and her face was a mixture of irritation, embarrassment, and wounded pride desperately trying to hold itself together. She straightened her posture, as if that alone could erase the sound that had just betrayed her.
"What are you still doing here?!" she snapped, trying to regain her authority. "Do you want me to take you to the palace to be punished?!"
— Gurgle.
The sound echoed again, even louder this time.
The silence that followed was almost painful.
The girl stood completely still. The embarrassment written across her face was impossible to ignore.
Arthur blinked a few times, then his gaze drifted downward almost instinctively to the basket she held in her other hand. Inside, he could vaguely make out several freshly caught fish, still gleaming in the sunlight.
She noticed his look immediately.
Almost reflexively, she pulled the basket behind her back, as if she could hide it—or hide her hunger. Her expression showed a trace of unease mixed with stubbornness.
"Leave already," she said, averting her eyes. "I'll let you go this time because of your honesty. Don't make me regret it."
Arthur observed the scene for a few seconds, then spoke simply, as if commenting on something trivial:
"Do you want grilled fish?"
She didn't answer right away.
After a long pause…
She nodded slightly.
Very slightly.
---xXx---
As the sun slowly began to dip toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold, a small flame flickered to life in the dimness of the beach. The fire's dancing light reflected in the girl's eyes, revealing an expression of genuine surprise and curiosity.
"Are you a magician?" she asked, watching the newly lit fire intently, as if trying to decipher the trick behind it.
Arthur shook his head, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"No," he replied simply. "I just know a few tricks."
He wasn't lying—at least, not entirely.
There were twenty-four runes in total, representing the four great fundamental attributes of the world: earth, water, wind, and fire. Beyond those, there were runes of healing, curses, strengthening, weakening, and many others, each carrying a power that could, without exaggeration, be described as terrifying.
Arthur had learned all of them under Scáthach's tutelage… but truly mastering them was another matter entirely.
Even now, after years of training, he could draw out at most about five percent of each rune's true potential.
For someone like Scáthach, a single runic inscription was enough to incinerate an entire dragon, reducing it to ashes in mere moments.
For Arthur, however… the most sophisticated use he could manage at the moment was something like grilling a fish without needing flint.
The dry wood crackled softly. First it began to smoke; then the flames rose higher, illuminating their faces and driving away the chill that crept in as night fell.
The girl watched the fish roasting over the fire in silence for quite some time. Her eyes followed every movement of the flames, every snap of sparks. Only when one leapt into the air, popping a little too close, did she clear her throat and explain, in a tone that tried to sound casual:
"Don't get the wrong idea. I just need to recover my energy after training. Eating is part of that."
"Oh…" Arthur replied, pretending to think deeply. "I thought you just wanted to eat grilled fish."
She shot him a sharp look.
But unlike before, Arthur was visibly more relaxed now. He knew she had no intention of harming him. The initial tension had almost completely faded.
"That is an insult to my character, Arthur," she said, clearly annoyed. "Why would I go all the way to the beach to fish just to eat?"
"I see," he murmured, handing her one of the skewers with grilled fish before taking another for himself.
The girl examined the fish she received. Its surface was a bit too dark, almost burnt. Her eyes then slid to the perfectly golden fish Arthur was holding. Her brow furrowed slightly.
"Either way," Arthur said, already taking a bite of his. "It's just to fill your stomach. I assume you don't care much about the taste."
Even without seasoning, the fish was surprisingly good.
The girl sat down with impeccable posture. She took the skewer, bit into it… and immediately stuck out her tongue.
"Bitter…!"
She turned toward Arthur, ready to complain, but before she could say anything, he was already holding out another freshly prepared skewer.
"I'm not a professional," he said casually. "Messing up one or two is normal."
She hesitated for a moment, then accepted the second fish and took a small, cautious bite.
This time, her eyes widened slightly.
The taste was completely different.
They continued eating in silence for a while, and little by little, the conversation began to flow naturally. Before they realized it, the sun was already on the verge of disappearing beyond the horizon.
"Seriously…?" the girl murmured, more to herself. "You go through rigorous training every day too?"
"Well…" Arthur replied thoughtfully. "I'm not as physically strong as most people, so I have to make up for it by training longer. Even then, my stamina is still low… and I lack real combat experience."
"Is that so?" She tilted her head, studying him with renewed interest. "In that case, since you fed me today… I'll be your training partner starting tomorrow."
"You?" Arthur repeated, surprised.
"Do you look down on women too?" she frowned immediately.
"No! That's not it!" Arthur hurried to explain. "I just… don't know if I'll be able to come back here."
He sighed.
"To be honest, I only managed to come today because my mentor opened something called the Bridge of Trials. But I believe it will disappear tomorrow."
"A bridge?" she looked even more confused.
Arthur briefly explained, from the existence of the Land of Shadows to the unstable nature of the crossing.
"I see…" she said at last. A shadow flickered briefly in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a resolute smile. "Then there's not much we can do. Still… we'll do our best."
Arthur nodded, not mentioning that he was fairly certain he could return. He didn't want to create expectations or promises he might not be able to keep.
"But if I do manage to come back…" he added, "I'll teach you the runes. Consider it a reward for being my training partner."
Runes were precious, but not forbidden. Scáthach had made it clear that he was free to teach them if he wished.
"You still haven't told me your name," Arthur remarked.
She blinked, as if she had completely forgotten.
"You're right," she said with a slight smile. "My name is Artoria Pendragon. It's a pleasure to meet you, Arthur."
"I hope we meet again, Artoria," he replied.
---xXx---
After leaving the island, Arthur quickly returned to the Land of Shadows. After some basic magical practice and a few simple exercises, the day came to an end without any major incidents.
The following afternoon…
"That's enough training for today." Scáthach stowed her spear with a fluid motion and fixed Arthur with a sharp gaze. "What's bothering you so much? Your reflexes are noticeably slower."
"My apologies," Arthur replied, bowing slightly. "I was thinking about a few things."
"Then change your mindset," she said firmly. "I want you in perfect condition tomorrow. Are you listening to me?"
"Yes!" Arthur answered loudly.
"Good. Then rest." Scáthach nodded and walked away, disappearing among the trees of the forest.
Arthur watched his mentor leave and let out a tired sigh.
Scáthach was kind most of the time, but when it came to training or combat, she made no concessions.
Once her presence had completely vanished, Arthur turned his head to look in a specific direction.
The small island he had visited the day before. Great Britain lay just ahead.
Was she still there today?
Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his cheek. He stepped back half a pace and saw an index finger pointed directly at his forehead.
"Why do you look so distracted?" Morgan asked, appearing in front of him without warning, an enigmatic smile on her face.
Though her voice was light, her eyes seemed to see far more than Arthur would have liked.
(End of the chapter)
Artoria -