Chapter 28: Northern Fairies
Unlike the southern fairies who built towns like Manchester, the northern fairies' domain of Edinburgh was still little more than a primitive settlement.
It carried the air of a nomadic tribal city.
Having just ended their war, the northern fairies were now celebrating their hard-won victory after driving back the southern Fang Clan.
Mab clearly couldn't stop the fairies from rejoicing to urge vigilance against opportunistic attacks from other clans. All she could do was post soldiers to guard the main roads leading into Edinburgh.
And now, those very soldiers blocked the path Shiomi and Aesc had to take.
The helmeted fairy soldiers, with green skin marked by light brown patterns, made it difficult for Shiomi to tell which clan they belonged to.
As soon as the two stepped into range, a volley of arrows came raining down, hundreds of shafts burying themselves into the mud at their feet.
"Hmph..."
Shiomi plucked one arrow that had nearly struck them and tossed it aside.
"Put me down. There aren't many of them, but fighting while you're carrying me is inconvenient." Aesc shifted slightly, trying to slip out of Shiomi's arms.
The northern fairies were clearly far less welcoming than expected, loosing a rain of arrows without even a word.
"Don't move. If you struggle, I'll have to worry about you getting hurt." Shiomi's voice was calm. "There are a lot of them, but not enough to make me set you down. Besides—"
"Besides?" Aesc pressed, sensing he had something else in mind.
"We're here as guests, not to start a fight." Shiomi's smile sharpened as he watched the northern soldiers charge. "If I put you down, I might not resist drawing Gáe Bolg."
Aesc's eyes widened, and at last she could only sigh helplessly.
Until he knew why the northern fairies were hostile, Shiomi wanted to avoid needless killing.
The soldiers were well-trained. Once their first volley failed to land, the captain immediately ordered a charge.
But even their discipline looked laughable before Shiomi—like children swinging blades at an adult.
Carelessness could be fatal, yes. But if taken seriously, the children wouldn't even touch their target.
Soldier after soldier fell, losing the ability to fight, while Shiomi still hadn't drawn a weapon—holding Aesc in his arms, he defeated them with only the smallest of movements.
The captain quickly realized these two were not opponents his men could handle.
He sent runners to inform the chieftain, then drew his own sword and charged forward.
His speed and strength far surpassed those of the ordinary soldiers; he was, at least, a captain worthy of the title. Shiomi had to put in more effort this time, retreating step by step as the captain's blade slashed with speed and power.
Yet by the twelfth strike, the captain's strength was spent, his swings heavy and sluggish.
Shiomi simply waited until the sword cut empty air and sagged downward. Then, with a single step onto the blade's edge, he pinned it to the ground, leaving the weapon unable to rise again.
"At times like this, you should drop your weapon and retreat to a safe distance," Shiomi said calmly.
The fairy captain looked up in sudden realization, but before he could release his grip, Shiomi's knee smashed into his face. The iron helmet caved in instantly, blood spurting from its vents.
Only then did Shiomi set Aesc down, turning his gaze to the soldiers still standing in formation at the end of the road.
Their comrades had been defeated in the blink of an eye, and the fear that gripped them was different from what they had felt facing the Fang Clan's armies.
Shiomi picked up the fallen captain's longsword, examining it with interest.
"This looks like the craftsmanship of the Earth Clan?" he remarked in surprise. "I thought the northern fairies forged their own weapons."
"And it doesn't seem like spoils of war. More like... could it be?" Aesc immediately reached the same conclusion.
At that moment, a soft but confident voice rang out from above.
"Got you."
Seizing the moment, Mab descended from the sky, both hands gripping her weapon as she launched a strike filled with absolute confidence. Yet her mana-charged blade was caught barehanded by Shiomi, who simply raised his arm to block it.
"I see. You must be the chieftain of the Northern Fairies. Impressive. With this power, it's no wonder you were able to lead them against the Fang Clan's armies."
Mana surged through Shiomi's arm, and with a single push, he sent Mab—along with her weapon—flying backward.
Flipping to land on her feet, Mab didn't rush to attack again. Instead, she eyed the two cautiously. Even if that strike hadn't been her full strength, for it to be stopped so easily demanded vigilance.
"You... you're not from the southern clans?" she asked. "Then why attack my soldiers?"
"Attack? Now that's a serious misunderstanding." Shiomi dropped the longsword and clapped his hands as though brushing off dust. "Your soldiers attacked the Witch without warning. Naturally, we weren't about to stand here and take it."
Mab's eyes widened. "The Witch? Then you're the Witch and the Sage... It seems the reports from the Border Forest were true."
With the Sage and the Witch's aid, the ambush squad had successfully annihilated the Fang Clan's raiding force in a narrow pass, clearing the way so the flanking army could circle around and strike from behind.
Mab had known of the incident, but since the Witch and the Sage had vanished after offering their strategy, she had remained doubtful.
That she now believed the moment Shiomi named himself had an even simpler reason.
A human who could so casually block her strike could only be the Sage whose name was known across all Britannia. And the woman beside him could only be the Witch.
"Sharp judgment," Shiomi said with a smile.
Though Mab looked exactly like Queen Medb from Proper Human History, her demeanor and mannerisms were clearly different. She was not to be mistaken as merely a parallel counterpart.
"Still, treating guests from afar like this... I can't say it's the most impressive display of Northern fairy hospitality," Aesc said lightly, twirling an arrow between her fingers as she mocked.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Mab sheathed her weapon with a troubled expression.
"I had no choice. We'd just finished a war. Who knew if the southern clans would strike while we celebrated? I never imagined I'd end up wounding allies." In just a few words, Mab made her stance clear. "If you're guests, then come with me. Guests must be treated as such."
With that, she turned and began walking toward the city, her figure wordlessly making it clear she would lead the way.
Shiomi and Aesc exchanged glances, both shrugging helplessly with the same wry smile, then followed after Mab.