He was finally going to get his freedom. So he was full of anticipation after they left the prison and boarded their carriage to return home.
He sighed and said with melancholy, "Who would have thought the last time we took this mother-son bonding ride would creep up on us so fast?"
Lady Vena asked with a sneer, "If I didn't know better, I would think you will miss these rides."
He grinned at her as he said sarcastically, "Of course, I'll miss it. Who wouldn't miss being taken out to kill every morning for three years?"
She chuckled. "You cheeky kid. You are fooling no one. But I'll miss these morning rides of ours. Apart from exercising, it is the only thing we do together. Who knows when you will return to visit after leaving me? I will just have to cherish these moments."
Arthur didn't think they were pleasant memories. Their so-called exercising together was just Lady Vena using exercise to punish him. As for their morning rides of death, that was emotional and mental torture.
So she had tortured his body and mind for many years. He doubts he will miss them or cherish the memories. He doubts that very much because he is looking forward to finally leaving his mother's house and living on his own.
So he said, "You can cherish the memories all you want, but the first thing I will do when I get my place is to have a party."
She scoffed. "Don't go preparing for your party yet. You haven't met my requirements to leave yet."
His happy face fell when he heard that. He said, "But I defeated Brooks."
"Or so you say. I didn't see it happen, so it didn't happen."
He frowned and said, "Are you calling me a liar?"
She said, "Yes. Considering who your mother is, it is reasonable to consider that you're lying."
He couldn't argue about that. So he changed his angle. "I might lie, but what about Brooks? He said I defeated him. Was he lying too?"
She nodded and said, "He could be lying. After all, he dotes on you too much. Lying so that you can escape my tortuous grasp, as you've put several times, sounds like something he can do for you."
He huffed in anger. "Fine. I just have to defeat him in front of you. That is easy to do. Then I'll be out of here."
He became silent. Lady Vena also didn't say anything anymore. She simply yawned and closed her eyes as if to nap.
These were silent most of the time. But today's silence was difficult because he didn't have Ruff to share it with.
They had stopped taking Ruff with them because he didn't need the encouragement and because Ruff had become too big to board the carriage with them.
Without Ruff, he has to stay in the carriage with a woman he wants to beat but isn't strong enough to. That's how much he has it out for his mother.
Eventually they got home. Ruff was already outside the house waiting for them. His large, 1.5-meter-tall form rushed at them like a golden freight train as soon as the carriage stopped in front of the house.
He looked like a lion instead of a dog. He just didn't have a mane. But his long fur more than made up for a lack of mane.
Ruff rushed over to him to lick his face. Fortunately, Arthur was strong and tall enough not to be instantly floored by the heavy dog.
He said to Ruff, "Who's a good boy?"
Ruff wagged his tail with enough power to flatten the ground.
Arthur laughed while Lady Vena scoffed. "If you're done playing with your pet, you should come and show me your paltry skills."
He frowned. Her words had gotten to him.
He called out to her, "My skills are not paltry."
She called back, "I'll be the judge of that."
He couldn't take it anymore. So he said to Ruff, "I can't play, Ruff. I have to show Lady Vena that she is wrong."
He didn't refer to her as mother. That had stopped the day he was tricked three years ago.
The two of them had been living in the same house, but their relationship hadn't gotten closer over the years. Instead, they had become estranged.
In fact, he doubts he can bear another day together in the house with her. He wants to leave as soon as possible.
So he was anxious to show her that he is capable of taking care of himself on his own. To show her that, he must defeat Brooks.
That is the requirement that she gave him. Brooks is a highly skilled seventh transformation first coil mortal. She says that if he can defeat him, then he can protect himself in the outside world.
He is not going along with this test because he loves his mother and wants to obey her every instruction. He is not doing it to put her mind at peace either. He is doing it because he can't defeat her.
He had wanted to leave a year ago when he achieved the sixth transformation. He felt that his power was enough, and he didn't want to continue staying with her, so he wanted to leave. But she didn't allow him to leave.
He has tried to escape several times. She had always been able to find him and drag him back.
He had resisted, but she had beaten him black and blue. She had even dislocated his arms and legs to make sure that he wouldn't be able to resist being dragged home.
So he is doing this out of necessity. For a year, he trained in the sword fighting technique she forced him to learn.
It is not something he likes at all. In fact, it is something that makes him very angry.
He thought to himself, "A grown man like me being tossed about by some scarlet-haired dandy. I've had enough of it. It must end today."