Chapter 178: Mother and Son (I)
With Loki's fall, the seal on Scathach was instantly lifted, and she once again gained control over the Land of Shadows.
"Ahaha... Now that things are settled here, I'll be on my way." Arkhan chuckled nervously, subtly taking a few steps backward. However, a spear instantly pressed against his throat.
"What's the rush, Arkhan? After all this time, don't you want to have a nice chat with your mother?" Scathach squinted her eyes, her smile gentle and warm. "Especially... Considering the little incident of you sneaking out of the Land of Shadows when I wasn't looking..."
*Gulp!*
Arkhan swallowed hard, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He quickly sought help with his eyes, glancing towards Cu Chulainn.
Cu Chulainn immediately understood his gaze. Being a loyal bro, he wouldn't abandon his junior, so, he stepped forward.
"Um, Master, I think Arkhan had his reasons for what he did back then. Maybe you should—"
"Hmm?"
Scathach tilted her head slightly toward him, her crimson eyes devoid of any emotion.
"Should what?"
Her voice was so cold akin to snow frozen for a thousand years.
'S-So scary!' Cu Chulainn shivered, feeling as if her spear would pierce through his head the next second. 'N-No... It might not be just a feeling...'
His lips curled into a stiff smile.
"W-Well... I mean, this battle made me realize there's a lot I need to improve on! So, I'll go train!"
Without waiting for a response, Cu Chulainn turned and fled the scene at the speed of light, disappearing in an instant.
'#^%$*&@?! You asshole! I shouldn't have saved you!' Arkhan felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal and cursed Cu Chulainn with colorful language inside his heart.
"The nuisance finally left. Now, it's just the two of us, my dear son." Scathach smiled.
'Ah shit, here we go again!'
Arkhan shuddered, his body stiffening, legs seemingly rooted to the ground. It wasn't because Scathach had cast some kind of restraint magecraft. In fact, with his current power, he could escape easily even from her inside the Land of Shadows.
But another mysterious and powerful force gripped his mind, rendering him unable to resist. It was the legendary 'Mother Authority'!
Arkhan had been exposed to this power since baby. Every time he was alone with Scathach, he couldn't help but be influenced by this power. Despite thinking he had overcome it over the years, it seemed nothing had changed at all!
"Here we go again..." Scathach sighed softly. "Every time we have a private conversation, you get so nervous and tense. Am I that scary?"
Arkhan's eyes darted around.
"No—I mean, I myself don't want to be like this..."
*Thud*
A fragrant breeze enveloped Arkhan, and before he could react, his head was covered by a soft and big mass.
Scathach looked at her son, whose head was buried between her breasts. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"In that case, could you relax a bit?"
'Relax...? How the hell am I supposed to do that?! My heart feels like it's about to jump out right now!' Arkhan thought in panic and quickly pushed his mother away, gasping for air.
"Don't you like this approach?" Scathach's face showed a hint of embarrassment. After a moment's thought, she sat on the large rock where Cu Chulainn had been lying, patting her straight and slender thighs. "How about this?"
'A lap pillow?! Is this a reward or punishment?!'
Although Arkhan really wanted to say that out loud, looking at the faint hope in his mother's eyes, he sighed in the end. He walked over, lay on his side with his back to Scathach, his head resting on her soft and delicate thighs, and his body slightly curved.
"Hmm? Why are you lying in this position? Is it that uncomfortable to look at my face?" Scathach wondered.
"No... It's fine... I think... This is good, very comfortable..."
"I see..." Scathach fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Arkhan, do you think I'm a terrible mother?"
"Huh? Why would you say that?" Arkhan turned his head in confusion, only to see two magnificent peaks, and quickly turned his head back to the side.
"If not, then..." Scathach gently stroked his black hair, her eyes showing a hint of complexity. "Why were you seduced by someone and so determined to leave this place no matter what?"
'What the heck? Seduced? Who got seduced?"' Arkhan blinked in confusion.
"I admit that I've been keeping things from you all this time, never mentioning the outside world to you. I can understand your anger and resentment towards my behavior, but please believe me, everything I did was for your own good..."
'No, I've known what the outside world is like for a long time...' Arkhan silently retorted inside his mind.
Scathach looked at his son's black hair tangled around her fingertips, her gaze slightly complicated.
"You now know... your true origin, right?"
"..." Arkhan remained silent for a moment, then nodded gently. "Yes."
"In that case, do you know about the fading of the Age of Gods?"
"...Yes."
"Since that's the case, let me be blunt..." Scathach sighed softly. "You are someone from Britain. With the gradual disappearance of the Age of Gods, Britain will eventually face destruction. If you continue to stay outside, sooner or later, you will be dealt with by the Counter Force. Moreover, you carry Nidhogg's power; they will surely keep a close eye on you."
That was what Scathach had been worrying about all along and the reason she never mentioned the outside world to Arkhan.
The Queen of the Land of Shadows was well aware of how much better the outside world was compared to this haunted land. But precisely because of this, she didn't want him to know about it.
Humans are inherently endowed with the aptitude for 'comparison'.
A former billionaire who becomes a homeless person will unconsciously compare his current life with his past life. When he sleeps on a hard park bench, he'll think of the once-soft memory foam mattress; when he has to rummage through trash for food, he'll recall the Michelin three-star chef he used to hire to prepare his foie gras; when he shivers in the cold wind, he'll reminisce about the handmade fur coats that used to fill his entire wardrobe.
This immense gap can bring a heavy psychological burden, and as time goes on, this pressure will only become heavier until it is completely overwhelming. But if he never experienced the life of a billionaire, even if the homeless life is bitter, he will only complain a little and not bear the pressure caused by the gap.
That was precisely the mindset of Scathach.
As long as you have not seen the light, you can endure the darkness.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
VALRRR
VALRRR Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone