The journey to Ulster was made by carriage. The current situation in Ulster was said to be stable, but…
It seemed that Nessa was covetously eyeing my throne.
The daughter of the former king, Eochaid Sálbuide, she had borne a son, Conchobar, by Cathbad, a court druid and priest who had been the former king's right-hand man.
Conchobar was extraordinary from birth. Cathbad, who was also a priest, had prophesied that if his mother endured the pains of labor in a river for a full day, her son would become a future king. Conchobar was born with the gift of clairvoyance; his abilities were undeniable. He was just the type not to use them.
Conchobar himself seemed to have little ambition, but his mother, Nessa, was full of it. She was a woman who was not pleased that I, her relative, was to become king. I, too, was not close to her.
As the daughter of the former king and a royal, I could not treat her carelessly… but I had no intention of letting things go her way. What good was Conchobar's clairvoyance? I possessed the Wisdom of the Land of Shadows, which was far superior. I usually kept that damned clairvoyance sealed away on purpose. The moment I used it, I felt like my head would split open…
Setanta had no ambition for the throne, so I only needed to be wary of Conchobar's side.
"...Lord Fergus. Will you be alright? You are still young, Lord Fergus. Is it truly alright for you to delve into politics already?"
The man who voiced his concern was the bard, Fedlimid. I had met him a few times at the castle before. The former king had been fond of him, and I liked him because he was neutral and had little interest in politics.
"Yes. I have studied the arts of kingship, and I learned a great deal in the Land of Shadows."
"Is that so... It's just that, my wife is with child. And so, I pray that Ulaid remains peaceful. I will put my trust in you, Lord Fergus…!"
"With child? That is wonderful news. When the child is born, please invite me to the celebration. I will go and give my blessing."
"Haha, for the king himself to give his blessing. I am a truly fortunate man. But, when do you plan to marry, Lord Fergus? Once you become king, the elders will likely urge you to produce an heir without delay."
"I am already married... but you are right. A marriage as a king will also be necessary."
Scáthach cannot leave the Land of Shadows. She can appear temporarily in the form of a servant, but that will not do. It is also uncertain if Scáthach will even become pregnant this time. What to do…
"Ahem…! Ahem!"
Medb, who had been leaning against me with her eyes closed, kept making noises. She cracked open an eye and glanced at me.
"...Aha, I see. As expected of Lord Fergus, where did you find such a young—er, lovely bride! So you were married to her!"
"I am married to Scáthach. And Me—Mab and I are not even ten years apart in age."
"Eh, with that Scáthach…?"
"I was lucky enough to win against her once. I was acknowledged for it. If you don't believe me, I can summon Scáthach."
At my words, the retainers in the carriage stared with their jaws agape. For anyone from Ulster, that reaction was only natural. She was a legend among legends, after all.
"Ahem!"
"Is your throat sore?"
"...Never mind."
Medb turned her head and crossed her arms. She was properly sulking... I had never thought of Medb as a romantic partner, but... considering her future disposition as a femme fatale, it would probably be safer if I took her in.
"Sigh... Very well. I will make Mab my queen."
"——Really?"
"No one but me can handle you. Honestly, I doubt even Setanta could."
"...Hmph, I win."
Was it because she had secured the position of queen? How long was she going to feel this rivalry with Scáthach?
"Haha... Ahem, Setanta has also been wanting to see you, Lord Fergus. He is probably waiting with bated breath even now."
"Setanta, is it... I heard he has gained the name Cú Chulainn (The Hound of Culann)... I told him not to cause trouble, but he pays no heed to the words of his uncle and foster father."
"Haha! But isn't that what it means to be from Ulster!"
"That is true."
That Setanta... I wonder, who is stronger right now, Medb or Setanta? I'm curious about that as well. Medb, raised by me and Scáthach, versus Setanta, who trained on his own. Talent versus effort. I can't wait to see this.
"Ah, I can see it now."
"Ah, it's been a long time. Look there, Mab. That is the kingdom of Ulster, Ulaid."
A massive castle wall, rivaling Scáthach's fortress in its grandeur and sharing the same architectural style, greeted us. We passed through the gates without issue and headed towards the castle.
"Even if the funeral is over, I must visit the tombstone."
"Yes, it is located in the royal tombs."
"Only Mab and I will go. Everyone else, please return. You must be busy with preparations for the coronation."
"Yes, my lord. We will see you then."
I took Medb's hand and headed towards the royal tombs. In the Celtic lands, when a person dies, a funeral is held for seven days.
The body is washed and dressed in a shroud, and a seven-day wake is held at the deceased's home. As he was a king, it would have been held at the castle. Candles would have been lit around him, and a bowl placed on his chest. In it would be food for the deceased to eat on his journey to the afterlife and coins to use. From the third day, the family and acquaintances would gather for a feast in honor of the deceased and even hold games.
On the final, seventh day, a druid would conduct the funeral with an ash staff engraved with Ogham script. The druid would give advice to the deceased's soul, including how to find the way to the afterlife. After the ceremony, the body would be either cremated or buried. A dolmen or a gravestone would be erected, and a tomb would be built. As he was a king, he would have been buried with gold and treasures.
"This is the royal tomb."
"It's not much different from Connacht."
"...May your journey be peaceful."
The former king was like a father to me. He was an elder who had trusted me as his successor. I pray that he has reached the afterlife safely...
After paying my respects, we left the tomb. And as we were leaving, I saw a blue wolf running towards me.
"Uncle~!"
"Setanta, it's been a long time."
Setanta jumped into my arms. Wow, how is a seven-year-old over 140 cm tall? As expected of a demigod, it's unbelievable.
"Woof!"
"Hmm? That dog, could it be the offspring of the dog Setanta killed?"
"Ah, that's right! I have to raise it until it's fully grown!"
Setanta said, baring his fangs in a wide grin as he held and petted the puppy. So that's the puppy that appears when he's summoned as Setanta. It's cute.
"But who is she?"
Setanta asked, peeking his head out from behind me towards Medb. Medb had a sullen expression and was looking elsewhere.
"Ah, this is Mab. She is my disciple."
"...She's cute."
Hmm...? I see, if they meet under normal circumstances, is it not an ill-fated relationship but a destined one? Will it be the opposite this time?
"Ahem... I'm Setanta! You said your name is Mab, right? It's nice to meet you!"
"Woof!"
"...Right."
With a sullen expression, Medb showed her disinterest and didn't even make eye contact. No, what are you so displeased about, Medb? He offered his hand for a handshake, and you just ignored him.
"Hey, do you perhaps not like me?"
"I was curious what the foster son of Fergus would be like... but you're even cruder than I thought."
"Crude... what did you say!?"
Oops... wasn't it a bit much to call him crude? What part of him is crude?
"If Fergus is your foster father, can't you act with a little more dignity? And Culann's mutt? There's a limit to how much you can embarrass Fergus. You're big for your age, but in the end, you're just a kid. A snot-nosed brat."
"What did you just say!?"
Now, how do I stop this... No, is this my fault too?
"Are you trying to start something? Who are you keep calling a kid!"
"Should I call you a seven-year-old brat instead?"
"That's it! I'm letting you off because you're a girl!"
"Hah? Letting me off because I'm a girl? Are you looking down on a woman of Conn—Ulster?"
"I may not look it, but I'm a warrior! I might fight a warrior woman, but I won't fight a frail-looking girl like you!"
"...So he says. Fergus."
"Sigh... well, there's plenty of time until the coronation, so very well. It's a bit much for you two to fight directly, so let's make it a beast hunt. The one who catches a beast first is the winner."
"Hmph, fine!"
"Idiot kid."
To think it would come to a competition like this. I quickly took the two of them outside the castle walls. Outside, there was a forest where demonic beasts lived. I sent the two of them into that forest. Setanta was a full-fledged warrior anyway, and Medb, needless to say, was more than capable.
"Then, begin."
Dash!
The two of them ran off quickly to find a beast. I threw a runestone to observe them from afar, like a drone. The beast... it seems Medb found it first. Just as I taught her, she found the tracks and the scent even while running at full speed. Setanta seems to still be searching.
That Setanta, has he been slacking on his beast hunting? Or is he just bad at finding them? He's still too inexperienced. He may be strong, but his senses are still lacking. Well, he is only seven.
CRACK...!
Medb quickly found the beast and tore its throat out with her whip in a single blow. The beast died instantly. In this area, warriors patrol regularly, so the number of beasts is small and they are weak. It's a hunting ground intentionally left for food. For Medb, who has fought in the Land of Shadows, it was an easy task.
Medb took the beast's heart as proof, and Setanta, after looking around, ran towards her. Did he smell the blood?
"Hey! Are you hu—huh?"
Setanta, who must have thought Medb was injured, ran over and was dumbfounded when he saw her.
The hunting competition was Medb's victory.
"You need to train harder, Setanta."
"...Uncle. Who in the world is she?"
"I told you before, didn't I? She is my disciple."
This is what you call early education.