Cernunnos, meaning "the Horned One," was most clearly distinguished by the pair of antlers on his head, which was why he was also known as the "Horned God." He was often depicted alongside beasts such as snakes, deer, wolves, and bears.
This deity was born from the power of the Celtic land itself and the Druids' faith in nature. Because of that, his temperament was gentle. As the supreme object of worship in Druidism and Wicca, he symbolized forces such as nature, the sun, masculinity, fertility, harvest, death, and rebirth.
In theory, he governed hunting, fertility, animals, plants, the wilderness, and authority over the underworld in Britannia.
Because the Druids revered nature and pursued harmony between humanity and the natural world, the Cernunnos born from that faith looked adorably harmless, approachable at first glance and seemingly devoid of any threat.
Naturally, a localized native god with such a limited sphere of influence could not contend with ancient pantheons like those of Greece, Mesopotamia, India, Egypt, Persia, or the Scandinavian regions, which possessed vast followings and deep-rooted lands to support them.
But as a genuine supreme deity of Druidism, he undoubtedly possessed considerable strength. He simply disliked fighting.
Speaking of which, persuading this guardian of Britannia to move had taken Boudica no small amount of effort.
Fortunately, she had already become Queen of the Celts and was qualified to make a plea to this guardian deity on behalf of the Celtic people.
Added to that was the Horned God Cernunnos's natural affection and affinity for the lives native to his land. For the future of Britannia, he ultimately agreed to follow Boudica out of the forest and assist the Roman Empire against the Persians.
Of course, friendship was one thing, but binding interests were indispensable.
As the Regent Prince who supported the Roman Empire from behind the scenes, Samael naturally understood the principle of returning favor for favor. The payment he offered was a temptation even the Horned God Cernunnos could not refuse.
A seat in the Roman Pantheon!
As long as Persia was swept away, not only would the Celts be incorporated into the Roman Empire as an autonomous province with citizenship rights, and not only would Druidism receive recognition, but even the Horned God Cernunnos would be elevated into the Pantheon to receive worship.
As a Divine Spirit, even one with a gentle nature and few desires, he could not reject the chance to strengthen his Thaumaturgical Foundation and expand his faith.
What was more, the divine seat Samael offered showed considerable sincerity. It was the vacancy left after the fall of Pan, the god of shepherds.
The War of the Titans had been so brutal that even under the protection of Zeus's divine seal, many gods of Olympus had still been struck by the Velber until their divinities shattered and their true spirits were erased.
Pan, who belonged to the Earth Mother pantheon and was not especially skilled in battle, was one of them.
This Divine Spirit, horned, sharp-eared, half-man and half-goat, held a fairly prestigious place within the orthodox Olympus pantheon. He presided over herding, harvest, and forests, making his authorities a perfect match for those of the Horned God Cernunnos.
Rumor had it that the image and faith of the Horned God Cernunnos were the result of Celtic Druidism undergoing local divergence.
As such, the two had striking similarities and connections in appearance as well, which also made it easier to integrate believers and spread the faith. For the Horned God, absorbing Pan's shattered divinity and obtaining his divine seat was equivalent to tracing his origin back to its source. Naturally, the benefits were immeasurable.
And so, Cernunnos gladly accepted. His fondness for a certain kind Greek god rose sharply.
"Jigu, jigu, jijigu…"
"Mm, Lord Cernunnos, we still have about a day's journey ahead of us. If you're tired, you can rest for now."
Beneath the gray-yellow dust, the fluffy, adorable creature lowered its head and spoke divine words in a peculiar voice.
Boudica, seated on the chariot, nodded and answered him without the slightest trouble understanding. She also reached out and stroked the Horned God's dangling furry paw.
Thud…
After receiving her reply, Cernunnos's slightly furrowed brow relaxed. His mountain-like body plopped down cross-legged on the grass he had brought forth, taking a break midway through the journey.
The four legion commanders, after receiving the message, raised no objections either. They ordered the legions to halt their advance and make camp on the spreading oasis with this Celtic Divine Spirit at the center, lighting fires and cooking on the spot to recover their strength.
After all, in this perilous Old Gods' Battlefield, diverting sandstorms with his authority, forcibly opening a green passage through a barren land, and supporting supplies for more than a hundred thousand people had truly exhausted this dazed and adorable Celtic native god.
Because he was so tired, Cernunnos simply lay down on the grass.
The fairies of the six clans following behind, Mirror, Earth, Wind, Wing, Fang, and Rain, curiously climbed onto the god's body, chattering and playing without the slightest restraint.
The gentle Horned God was not at all angry at this offense. Instead, he stretched out his limbs and rested, defenselessly exposing his soft belly to give the fairies an even wider place to play.
But soon, whether because they had finished exploring or because Cernunnos's overly docile reaction gave them no fun, the fairies quickly found it boring and hopped away from the fluffy playground.
Even worse, before leaving, a certain female fairy turned back and flicked her hand. She had butterfly-like wings on her back that faded from pink to blue, long golden hair falling over her shoulders, a golden laurel crown on her head, and a white dress that gave her an elegant, noble air. A pale blue wind blade gathered from the flowing Ether around her and struck the Horned God's soft belly.
The woman said something like an apology, but the corners of her mouth rose almost unconsciously. Clearly, she felt very little guilt.
Such disrespect was undoubtedly quite vile.
However, to a Divine Spirit like Cernunnos, a Magecraft attack of that level was utterly insignificant. It did not even cut more than a few hairs on his belly.
Thus, the absurdly good-natured fluffy creature could not even be bothered to roll over, much less take issue with this female fairy's malicious little test.
Seeing that the fluffy thing had no reaction, the fairy, who looked like a goddess but had a nasty, black-hearted personality, could not help feeling disappointed. She turned away to look for new amusement.
But Boudica, standing not far away, saw all of this clearly.
If she remembered correctly, that woman should be Aurora, the Fairy Queen of the Wind Clan…
The Celtic Queen recalled the warning in the message from the Regent Prince of Rome, and her fine brows gradually drew together. Toward these chattering, outwardly adorable little creatures, a strong wariness rose in her heart.
Cernunnos was a guardian god of nature born from the Celtic land, while the fairies of the Six Great Clans likewise came from the power of nature.
In a sense, it would not be wrong to say that the Horned God was half creator and half object of faith to the fairies.
Yet toward this god of similar origin, the fairies before her showed no real respect at all.
Sure enough, these fairies were just as Samael had said. They had little sense of good or evil and little capacity for awe. Not a single one of them could be trusted. They needed to be watched carefully.
There was no denying that bringing these little things along did create plenty of trouble, but thanks to their extraordinary affinity with Ether, the power of fairy sorcerers was beyond question.
At present, there were still five days until the so-called [Ragnarok]. According to the plan, the Roman legions had to occupy the royal capital and destroy the Persian Pantheon before the countdown ended.
To bring this decisive battle against the Persian Empire to an end as quickly as possible, some risks were worth taking.
Boudica gathered her thoughts, turned toward the west, and gazed into the distance. She could not help murmuring under her breath.
I wonder how things are going at Thermopylae. Has the Greek army reached that battlefield according to plan?