The Road That Lights Up the Dream

"It's already this late."

Arthur pushed himself up as well. He quickly pulled on the scattered clothes beside him, then yawned, stood up, and walked out of the camp.

It was still early morning, and hardly anyone was awake. They were in a forest by the roadside. Aside from Arthur, Mordred, and the guides and envoys from Ireland, there was almost no one else around. The rowing soldiers and pirates had all been left by Arthur at the landing site.

Arthur had ordered them to build an outpost there.

This outpost would become the empire's forward base for trade, invasion, and colonization in Ireland in the future. Of course, for now, it was only for trade and cultural exchange.

After wandering around outside for a while, everyone got up as well. Then they began cooking with the marching pots. It was ordinary mixed stew, with batter, coarse grains, and the like all boiled together. Other than being fresh and filling, it had no particular advantages. But for soldiers and people of this era, it was already a rare delicacy.

Besides the fresh batter soup, breakfast included game hunted from the woods and hard bread they had brought along. The former was roasted over the fire. The latter was torn apart and tossed into the soup, then eaten after it had softened.

In this era of abnormal global climate, every bit of food had to be conserved. Even the German Military District, with agricultural technology fifteen hundred years ahead of its time, was no exception.

Of course, perhaps in another two years, as more farmland was reclaimed, things would improve—right now, most tribes in the German region still had farming techniques that were terrible beyond belief. They still practiced the most primitive slash-and-burn agriculture. Changing all that was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

"Come to think of it, this is Connacht territory now."

While eating breakfast, the Irish guide waggled his brows at everyone, seemingly preparing to tell a local legend.

"Speaking of Connacht, its most famous figure is naturally the legendary Queen Maeve."

Cheerfully and endlessly, he recounted the deeds of that queen, whose beauty was famed far and wide. Especially the story between her and Cú Chulainn, Ireland's Child of Light.

"Come to think of it, this place was once Queen Maeve's palace. They say locals occasionally still see Maeve here."

"Really? It's been so many years."

"That's fake, right?"

After that came the guide's assurances and everyone's doubts. There was nothing worthwhile in it anymore, and Arthur did not want to listen further.

"Was that why I saw Maeve last night?"

Arthur thought so, then gave an order.

"We're done searching. We'll return to Britannia tomorrow."

Though his attendants found Arthur's words strange, they did not dare object. The Irish guide, however, was somewhat panicked, worrying whether he had done something wrong and displeased this great lord from the superior kingdom.

If this great lord was dissatisfied, would he be implicated as well?

Of course, Arthur did not particularly care about the thoughts of an ordinary guide.

The Britannian expedition left just like that, quite happily.

Not long after they departed, someone whom Arthur had mocked as a lustful bitch, a green-tea queen, and a pink-haired slut came charging over in an iron chariot, radiating murderous aura.

"Where is he?! Where is he?!"

Surrounding her were "soldiers" mass-produced from her blood and genetic factors. These products of "Divine Era Magic" could not exist in modern Ireland for long, so she had to end this quickly.

"Where did that little bastard who refused to defile my body run off to?!"

"Damn it, I absolutely won't let him go! I have to catch him and teach him a proper lesson!"

With bloodshot eyes, she furiously searched the woodland where Arthur and his party had camped, going over it several times inside and out. Yet she found nothing.

That only made her even angrier.

Yesterday, in the Inner Sea of Stars, she had thought it over and over.

The more she thought, the angrier she became.

After Arthur left, following a brief period of confusion, she figured everything out.

She had been deceived. Completely deceived.

That child had been one of "her kind" from the very beginning. The shyness he had put on before was all fake. He had done it to fool her, obtain information, and "capture" her.

But after she brought out the Golden Honey Wine with its charm attribute, that child immediately turned against her.

Because she had skipped straight past the process and gone directly to the result. That had made the child feel it was boring. A purely physical relationship was not what he sought. So he mocked her, then left outright.

"Damn it, I have to get revenge! I'll do this and that to him, then that and this! I'll make him understand the power of Queen Maeve and admit through tears that he was wrong! Only then will it be enough!"

She swore to herself like that. Unfortunately, she could not find him, so all she could do was continue raging helplessly.

"AAAAARGH!"

Just like that.

At the same time.

"Once I return to Britannia, I'll go find that White-Haired Scammer. He's the final piece of the puzzle."

Riding at full speed, Arthur thought this while surveying his surroundings.

Like Brittany and Wales, Ireland was also "the last home of the Celts."

This needed a slight correction.

Arthur had previously believed, as had certain literary works and the "Age of Gods Counter Force," that the end of the Age of Gods had to come at the cost of the Celts being completely wiped out. But that was not entirely accurate.

Because Celts still existed in remote corners such as Brittany, Wales, and Ireland.

So the claim that the disappearance of True Aether would mean the extinction of the Celts was wrong—the Celts had ultimately still squeezed their way into the Seat of Humankind. The price, however, had been far too great.

All parts connected to the "Age of Gods" and "True Aether" had been cut away, as though they had undergone an amputation below the neck.

The surviving Celts no longer had the strength to participate in grand history. They could only cling to life in remote, bitterly cold places. In Pan-Human History, they had no important place of their own. They were not even supporting characters, merely nameless extras waiting to die.

"So my plan is still correct."

Thinking this, Arthur returned to the Dublin anchorage as quickly as possible. At this moment, the sky was gradually darkening. Artorius was about to dream once more.

So the claim that the disappearance of True Aether meant the Celts went extinct was fucking absurd. Ireland, Wales, and Brittany all had Celts. They survived all the way to the present.

And if you mean the Moon World, then the Moon World also had Celts living into the modern age. Otherwise, where did Gray and Bazett come from?

Author's Note:

Today's first update!

I changed a line in the previous chapter while cosplaying Chancellor Zhuge and added the phrase, "I have never seen such a brazenly shameless person."

Once you're done reading, go get some proper sleep. The holiday is over, everyone!

The Road That Illuminated Dreams

"Good night, Brother."

The one who said good morning was Little Mo, and naturally, the one who said good night was Little Mo too.

After happily closing her eyes, Little Mo soon began breathing evenly. Once Arthur confirmed that his adorable little sister was asleep, he prepared to close his eyes as well.

"Who will I dream of tonight?"

That was what he thought to himself.

"Will I be able to find the path to the Shadow Country?"

Before falling asleep, Arthur was full of anticipation, and he was also somewhat envious of Merlin.

As a Half-Incubus, Merlin's ability to enter dreams was far stronger than Arthur's. Finding the Shadow Country must have been much easier for him.

"If not, then when I meet that scammer, I'll have him help me think of a solution." Arthur thought, tightening his embrace around Little Mo, who had unconsciously snuggled closer to him.

If ordinary people slept like this all the time, the woman would develop cervical problems and the man would develop frozen shoulder. But Arthur and Mordred had no such issues. Their physical abilities ensured that even if they slept upside down, nothing would happen.

"Still, I might not be able to reach the Shadow Country smoothly. Maybe I'll enter another region of the Inner Sea of Stars instead." Arthur continued thinking.

"Then, will I be able to see that pink-haired slut again?"

If it was her, that would not be bad either. He could make up for yesterday's mistake.

Although Arthur believed that Maeve would definitely be very, very angry after he left yesterday, it did not matter. Once she saw his exquisitely handsome face, she could only endure it no matter how unhappy she was.

"That purple-haired old woman would be great too. But being able to look without being able to eat is a real pain in the ass... Hm?"

At the very end of falling asleep—or rather, losing consciousness—Arthur sensed that something was wrong.

Someone was beside him!

The instant that thought arose, he immediately reached for Clarent, ready to slash first and ask questions later.

As a general who had slaughtered countless enemies on iron-blooded battlefields, Arthur had naturally faced no small number of assassinations. Killing people in dreams was basic practice for him.

But the other party was simply too fast.

Almost the instant Arthur sensed something was wrong and grabbed Clarent, his forehead suffered a heavy blow.

"B-Bastard, is this where it ends?"

Arthur resisted the dizziness and barely opened his eyes. "At least, at least let Little Mo—"

As he thought that, he prepared to swing his sword. But what he saw before him greatly shocked him.

She was a great beauty wearing purple Lustful Tight Leather Armor and a black mask, with flowing purple hair.

She had been the one to viciously strike Arthur's head just now, sending him into a dazed state.

"Purp—"

Overwhelmed by shock, Arthur nearly blurted out what he was thinking—

But before that happened.

"!"

The other woman's gaze flickered, and the look she gave Arthur became even more dangerous.

With two thudding blows, she followed up with another attack on Arthur's head.

And so, Arthur successfully "fell asleep."

Dream.

When Arthur woke again, he was already inside a dream.

"My head hurts."

"Seriously, I should have been more careful."

The prince secretly felt some regret.

He only knew that after the Age of Gods, all these Irish people had slipped into the Inner Sea of Stars. He had not known that they could repeatedly jump between the Inner Sea of Stars and the real world.

If he had known, he definitely would not have made calling her a Purple Old Woman into a catchphrase, bringing it up whenever he felt like it.

At the very least, he would not have continued courting death like this after arriving on Irish soil.

"But there's no use thinking about that now."

Arthur continued, "Since she didn't kill me immediately, that proves there's still room for negotiation."

"This is a dream. Since she dragged me into a dream, she must have fallen for this young master's handsome, elegant, jade-tree-in-the-wind looks. So her heart fluttered, and she wants to do this and that to me?"

"Mm, this young master doesn't dislike that development.

"If my opponent is that Purple Old Woman, then this young master has actually always been your admirer~"

Just as Arthur happily "thought" that, a red light flashed in the distance. Then a crimson spear gleaming with cold light blasted toward Arthur—

It was the weapon used by the Purple Old Woman Scathach, whom Arthur had been thinking about so dearly: the "Gae Bolg," also transliterated as "Gae Bolg."

The next instant, the greatsword Clarent swept out with a whoosh, colliding with the thrown spear and producing a crisp ring. In the following instant, Arthur stepped back, and the greatsword in his hand exchanged another strike with a second blood-red spear of the same style.

At the same time, Arthur saw her.

A beauty with excited killing intent gleaming in her eyes, a delighted smile on her lips, wielding twin spears with such skill that it seemed she was dancing.

"Scathach!"

Artorius Pendragon shouted joyfully as he swung his greatsword fiercely toward her—

This time, it was not a clash of martial skill.

Though he had only received two of her attacks, Arthur had already confirmed that his martial skill was no match for hers. Second, his fighting style was not suited for a duel.