[FMMIKA] Chapter 308: Gods of the Past

"Teacher."

However, just as Artorius was about to step forward to share a moment with Scathach, she took a step back, and her gaze toward him became sharp.

"On you..."

"There's a scent of another woman's perfume."

It should be Nero's scent.

The kid used rose essential oil when bathing earlier, making him smell so good that she wanted to give him a little rub.

Perfume has always been one of the crucial weapons women use against men, just like how plants emit scents through their organs to stimulate insects for pollination.

"..."

Artorius stayed silent for a few seconds, gazing at Scathach in front of him. He couldn't help but want to instinctively retort something like 'Isn't it normal to have another girl's perfume on me?'

For a moment, Artorius really wanted to ask Scathach a question like 'Teacher, do you want me to be chaste? An existence like me, really?'

Of course, in the end, he restrained himself and decided to choose the 'correct answer.'

"Teacher Scathach~"

Of course, calling it the 'correct answer' wasn't entirely accurate.

To be more precise, it was the answer that 'could increase Scathach's favor the most', 'make Scathach the happiest', and 'yield the most benefits'.

That is, being a little coquettish and acting cute.

In front of Scathach, he acted like a little boy.

Speaking of which, Artorius hadn't used the gorgeous shota form for a long time. So...

"You really... don't you have any sense of shame?"

Looking at Artorius, who instantly transformed into the gorgeous shota form, Scathach was initially at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, she finally said to him somewhat helplessly, and it earned her a cheeky grin from him.

"Whatever you say is fine. No matter what."

"..."

"In that case, you better be prepared." Scathach continued, "My disciple, I've been accumulating a lot of frustration towards you. Are you ready? If you want me to continue to serve you, if you want to continue harnessing my power, you know what you should do, right?"

"Of course, Teacher, I'm ready."

"Well, that's good."

===

After such a conversation, Artorius in 'shota form' found himself squashed in cowgirl position by his teacher and got his 'cream' sucked more than twenty times until he pretended to be extremely weak—face pale, muscles thin, looking like he would turn green under the sun, and walking with the support of the wall. Only then did his teacher forgive him.

"Spill it." Scathach inquired as she began to dress. "Choose to summon me over any Artoria Species. There must be a reason."

Listening to that, Artorius thought of continuing to act cute and saying something like 'Because I missed you, Teacher~' or 'Because I wanted to see you, Teacher~'

However, looking at Scathach's serious expression, Artorius felt that honesty might be the better approach.

After all, Scathach wasn't as easy to please as Mordred. Lying to her might lead to a decrease in hard-earned favorability.

By that time, Artorius might really have to give his all, to the point of exhaustion.

"It's like this—Mash went to Mount Olympus and encountered a still-functioning palace, or rather... a temple. So..."

"You want me as your advisor or something?"

"Yes."

"Then let me make it clear beforehand." Scathach continued with a calm tone. "Although I could be considered a goddess, I don't know much about the Greek pantheon."

And as for the point about not knowing much, Artorius took Scathach's words seriously.

After all, the Celtic tribes of that time were scattered all over the world—in Italy, the Balkans, and Asia Minor. They had interactions with the Greeks and Romans, be it through employment, business, mutual combat, exchange, or intermarriage.

If Scathach claimed ignorance about the Greek pantheon, that would be a real joke.

"Let's go."

"You are really reliable as always, Teacher."

In the next second, Artorius and Scathach canceled the bounded field used to cover their 'naughty activity' and instantly teleported to Mash and Ritsuka's location.

"Magical energy consumption is higher than in ordinary places..." Artorius remarked.

"After all, it's Mount Olympus." Scathach replied. "Back in the day, we tried to attack it. The result was a miserable failure..."

"Is that so..." Artorius mused. "Were there massive wars of gods or something during the Age of Gods?"

"Yes."

Scathach nodded leisurely and then started to explain:

"Gods against gods."

"Gods forming alliances with gods."

"Allied gods creating divine pantheons."

"Divine pantheons opposing other divine pantheons."

"Pantheons destroying pantheons."

"Gods devouring gods."

"Gods killing gods."

"That's truly a tumultuous history of war."

"In conclusion, both the Celts and the Celtic pantheon were the losers. We were relentlessly pursued by the Greek pantheon, retreating from Italy to Gaul, then from Gaul to Britain, and finally surviving only in Ireland, along with some insignificant territories."

"But those Greek bastards didn't have much to celebrate either."

"The end of the Age of Gods came sooner than they imagined."

"Perhaps it was the excessive warfare, the relentless pursuit of expansion and power that consumed excessive energy, causing the faster collapse of the Greek bastards."

"They brought it upon themselves."

"..."

"Teacher, from what you're saying, it sounds like the Greek gods and the Roman gods..." Artorius raised his eyebrows.

"They're basically the same bunch." Scathach said with a relaxed tone. "Quite a few of them play both sides."

"Hmm, what about 'allied gods creating divine pantheons'... isn't a pantheon something inherent?" Artorius asked curiously.

"Hmph, of course not. Every pantheon boasts, claiming they created the world. Do you believe everything they say?"

Scathach snorted with disdain.

"The genealogy of gods and the relationships between them contain a considerable number of half-truths, whether 'confirmed' or 'fabricated' for practical interests. Some are true, some false, falsities turned into truths, truths turned into lies. Constantly changing with shifts in power, status, and strength. With your abilities, you should be able to figure this out by yourself."

"I see... quite enlightening..." Artorius nodded repeatedly.

"You seem indifferent to it." Scathach continued. "Why?"

"Because no matter what, those are the past, the ancient history. It's no longer the Age of Gods; myths and legends have no relevance to us. So, I don't care, and I'm not interested in judging." Artorius said casually while shaking his head.

"Is it really irrelevant? That's not necessarily true."

Scathach's final words carried a profound meaning.