42 Ireland

"Artorius, what's going on? Just tell me, please..."

In the garden of Avalon, amidst a perpetual blooming flower sea, fairies witnessed a surprising scene under the warm and gentle sunlight.

Among them, the strongest and most exceptional was Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, who acted like a little girl, playfully pestering a youth of around sixteen.

It was a rather indescribable feeling.

Fairies, these creatures, some were as tiny as butterflies with insect-like wings and miniature figurine-like bodies, cute and fantastical. They were innocent, lively, and mischievous, just like children.

But there were also some, the powerful ones, with proportions akin to humans—and among them, the most formidable possessed unparalleled wisdom.

Just like Vivian.

Vivian wasn't like those half-hearted fairies that always boasted, "I'm the smartest," when in reality was a fool. No, she was the real deal, possessing top-notch intelligence. She was admired by the fairies, as an exceptional and clever big sister. One could even say she was the queen of the fairies.

That's why Vivian always carried herself with grace and elegance in front of the fairies. She was the admired big sister... Never did any fairy imagine that their exceptional and wise big sister would make such a cute gesture towards a human boy named Artorius, even though he was indeed cute in their eyes.

But can someone really be judged solely based on cuteness?

Well, considering the simple thought process of fairies, they probably wouldn't understand.

===

It had been five or six days since Artorius had been troubled, unwilling to reveal the situation to Vivian, and now, her curiosity and concern regarding Artorius had reached its peak.

Despite being a queen, a goddess, and a big sister, Vivian was still a fairy. Her curiosity was not inferior to that of any other fairy.

To satisfy her curiosity, it wouldn't hurt to act cute in front of Artorius—ah, of course, only in front of him, others were out of the question.

"It's nothing." Artorius resisted as usual.

He displayed a forced smile while declining Vivian.

"I don't want to trouble you with this, Big Sis Vivian."

Artorius's response showed progress compared to the previous days.

A few days ago, he simply told Vivian, "It's nothing." Now, he said, "I don't want to trouble you."

After uttering those words, Artorius promptly vanished, leaving Vivian alone, sulking.

"What on earth..."

"Obviously you are already a lover of this Big Sister, yet you still hiding something from Big Sister. Really! Really! You're not being a good boy!"

As she grumbled, Vivian vented her dissatisfaction with the flowers and plants around her. Her delicate feet kicked the ground.

"But..."

However, after pondering for a short while, Vivian made a decision—she would forgive him.

Yes, she had decided to forgive Artorius.

It wasn't just because he was adorable or kind-hearted and well-behaved. It was because Artorius, by concealing things from her, was actually for her own good—despite facing difficulties himself, he worried about burdening her. Such a child was truly, truly precious.

"I will definitely help him!"

After Artorius left, Vivian felt happy for a while and made a decision.

Since he treated her so well, she was determined to wholeheartedly repay him.

===

Meanwhile.

"Brother, did something good happen to you?" Mordred asked curiously by Artorius's side.

Observing Artorius involuntarily smiling, Mordred became slightly curious.

"Yeah..." Artorius replied. "The plan to convince the fairy Vivian has moved on to the next stage."

"I see..." Mordred said, realization dawning on her.

As usual, her brother didn't deceive her and chose to share all the secrets and plans with her, even during their journey to Ireland.

At the moment, they were already aboard a ship, enduring the turbulence of the waves while the excellently designed longship, with its raised dragon head, sailed bravely forward.

This type of ship, invented by the Norsemen, gained significant fame in later times because of the Vikings' extensive use. Despite being a type of sail-and-oar vessel like their counterparts in the Mediterranean, it was better suited for navigation in the stormy North Sea.

In later years, Viking adventurers even relied on these ships to sail the Arctic Ocean and eventually reached the New World.

Artorius, commanding a considerable number of Germanic peoples, naturally adopted this ship, best suited for the North Sea, as the standard equipment for the Germanic army. They made some modifications to the ship's design.

"Land!"

At that moment, a sailor standing on the lookout shouted excitedly. This announcement made the rowers even more enthusiastic—Artorius preferred using free sailors over slaves. Although they were harder to control, having more combatants in naval engagements was always a welcome advantage.

"We have arrived in Ireland." Artorius informed Mordred, saying, "The next step is to proceed to the Land of Shadows."

The Dragon Prince spoke confidently, harboring some anticipation for what would happen next.

After all, who doesn't love that purple lady?

===

Half an hour later.

The longship, with its shallow draft, ran aground on a sandbar. Sailors armed with various weapons, pirates, and soldiers cheerfully disembarked onto Ireland's isolated land, which had little connection with the continent since ancient times.

Although the region had experienced Roman influence and been inhabited by Celts who migrated from Britain, politically, economically, and culturally, Ireland remained independent.

It had always been a land of divided factions. Small kingdoms constantly battled each other, never achieving unity.

If history is correct, this chaotic situation would persist for centuries until Britain eventually annexed it.

'But now, perhaps there's another possibility,' Artorius pondered. 'It's just a remote corner of Europe, an inconsequential place. In the end, it will also be an addition to Britain. Even if we bring it under control and annex it now, won't it trigger any adverse consequences to fate, right?'