A new storm had swept across Erin.
The fall of Connacht.
As a result, the political landscape had changed dramatically. Ulaid's territory had not been expanded, but Connacht, caught off guard by the sudden change, was unable to respond. Mumu, in turn, had split again, reclaiming the territory it had lost to Connacht. Munster and Leinster, which had been unified as Mumu, split again, and the royal family of Leinster, the Laighin, announced the revival of Leinster under the name Laighin.
In the first place, it was Connacht that was behind the unification of Munster and Leinster into Mumu. They were the true masterminds. Mumu was strong, but internal divisions had arisen from the combination of different ethnic groups. Munster and Connacht shared the same ethnic roots, but Leinster was a different people. Munster, as before, named themselves the Mumu tribe under the name Mumu.
Leinster was revived under the name Laighin. In the end, things had returned to a state similar to the era of the former king. A true guardian of the balance.
The only difference was that Munster, which had been divided into north and south, was now unified as Mumu.
And, while the previous High King had been relatively neutral, the last one, the King of Connacht, had tried to make Connacht the hegemon of Erin. And what about me?
"I have no interest in unification."
"Wh-why...?"
"Isn't it obvious? Ulaid and the other nations may share the same Celtic roots, but our ancestral gods are different. It might be a different story for Connacht and Munster, or rather, Mumu. But Ulaid and Laighin are different tribes. That was the reason Mumu split again. If we unify, it will only be the beginning of discord. To prevent that... we would have to become a nation that oppresses its people."
Just like Qin Shi Huang. To make the people ignorant and rule them with absolute power. In fact, it had succeeded in the Lostbelts. But I had no intention of doing that.
"It is natural for things to be different. However, people cannot accept what is different and condemn it as wrong. That is why Mumu split. Why is there no unified nation in Erin? Because we are all different. To solve that, even a hundred years is not enough. Cathbad, for the sake of your own honor and achievements, you are trying to burn down a forest to save a single tree."
"...."
If I were to unify the nation, he, the court druid, would gain much honor and be recorded in history. I would set the table, and that old man would just put his spoon on it.
"Do you know how much work I have to do? The corruption of the officials I've purged is like a mountain. It's like looking at a mountain in the Land of Shadows. They've taken a lot. It's a good thing the former king was old. If he had been in his prime, you all would have been beheaded."
"Wh-what are you talking about..."
"Don't think I don't know. You worked hard during the former king's reign, and you are a veteran who even served the king before him. That is the only reason I did not strip you of your position. Court druid, priest? I can easily replace you. So, live quietly and spend your old age in peace. That is the least of the mercy I will show you. You and Nessa seem to want to make Conchobar king, but don't even dream of it. That boy will ruin not just this country, but all of Erin."
"...Yes."
Cathbad tucked his tail between his legs and left the room. That old man, he's taken more than I thought. What has he been doing behind the scenes... as expected of a prophet, he's been up to all sorts of things.
"Hah, my head... there's a mountain of work to do."
The cleanup is tough. I've fired them, but there aren't many talented people to fill the positions... Ulster is lacking in talent. There's a reason why there are so few famous heroes from Ulster. Or is this also a trigger to show how great Setanta is...
"Should I recruit talent from other countries?"
The reason Connacht became a powerful nation was because it had so much talent. Should I appoint officials from other countries... my perspective is still narrow. The art of kingship and the political skills I learned from Scáthach are not enough.
If I solve everything with just power, I'll be a dictator. I'd have to be like Qin Shi Huang. I'm not that smart, and to run a country alone, you have to transcend the limits of a living being, like Qin Shi Huang.
"Hah... I think I know how King Arthur felt."
I wonder if the difficulty is on the level of Britain... no, that place is even worse. But I think I can roughly understand the feeling. Good luck, junior. I don't know if it's Arthur or Artoria, but they'll probably show up eventually.
"Sigh... should I summon Scáthach? I feel like it's too soon to summon her... no, this is how you grow, by trying to do it on your own. Yes, yes, let's try it! I have to do this for about a year to become a man who isn't ashamed to face Scáthach!"
But, it's a little hard... maybe it's better to fight Scáthach... no, that's not quite right.
Fergus strengthened his royal authority and, in an instant, made his country the strongest.
However, he was now suffering from being swamped with work. He handled his work at a pace that made one wonder if it was even possible for one person to do so much. It was all thanks to the Wisdom of the Land of Shadows... but he was still overworking himself. His strong physique would prevent him from dying of overwork, but his mental fatigue continued to pile up.
Medb was also capable of handling work, but she had not yet had her coming-of-age ceremony, so he did not give her any tasks.
So, to cheer Fergus up, Medb was making a gift for him herself.
"What are you making?"
"A handkerchief. Embroidery is a part of a princess's accomplishments, you know."
"Heh... are you going to give it to uncle?"
"Who else would I give it to?"
"Ahem... a, a friend, maybe...?"
"I don't have any friends."
"...What about me?"
"You're my lackey. I'm the queen, you know? Just another soldier."
"..."
Setanta was dejected by Medb's words. His first impression of her was that she was a pretty but ill-mannered girl, but now he knew that she was a warrior on par with, or even greater than, himself, so he had a high opinion of her. Yes, Setanta had fallen for Medb.
He himself was not yet aware of his feelings. But he was greatly disheartioned by the fact that he was not even considered a friend.
"Ouch... it's been a long time since I've done this."
A thoroughly distinguished princess. Even Fergus could not change her self-centered princess-like nature. And Medb was still a villainess. It was just that she now had the reins of Fergus, but she was still like a wild colt.
Setanta was envious of Fergus, who received such strong affection from Medb.
Setanta was also a handsome boy, second to none in Ulster. He was handsome compared to his peers, and he was also stronger than the average warrior. On his seventh birthday, he believed the prophecy of Cathbad that "he who first takes up arms today will be more famous than any other hero, but his life will be short," and he was strong enough to immediately behead three villainous warriors.
That Setanta was experiencing his first frustration in life, simply because he could not even become friends with a girl, and his puppy was comforting him by patting him with its paw.
"Sigh... it's all because uncle is so great."
"Hmm? So you know that Fergus is great? He's the greatest man not just in Ulster, but in all of Erin. You should be proud to be his foster son and nephew."
"Of course I'm proud... uncle is not even twenty yet, and he's already achieved such a great feat. If uncle were my real father, it would be the greatest honor."
"You say that, even though you're the son of the highest god. Well, I think he's even greater than the highest god."
Medb smiled faintly as she recalled Fergus, who had triumphed over Scáthach. The image of an indomitable warrior, standing firm even when covered in blood and pierced in several places, with his entrails and bones visible. Recalling that, Medb savored the love she had felt at that time.
Just then, someone entered Medb's room.
"Medb~ I'm done with my work for today, so let's have a snack together."
It was Fergus.
Medb quickly hid the unfinished handkerchief she was making and smiled nonchalantly.
"A snack? Did you make it, Fergus? Then I'd love some."
"Oh? Setanta is here too. Would you like to have some as well, Setanta?"
"Uh...."
Glare.
"...I'll have some next time."
"Really? That's a shame."
Setanta, who had received a "get out of here now!" look from Medb, quietly slipped out of the room. Fergus and Medb chatted happily as they ate their snacks.