The butchering of the monstrous boar went smoothly.
"Ugh… I'm covered in blood… I want to wash!"
"Hoo~ We shall bathe after we eat. For now, allow me to at least cleanse you."
I used a simple spell to clean her clothes and body.
"What, you can use magic too?"
"Only the simple, basic kind."
The original Fergus couldn't use magic. It wasn't that he lacked talent, like Waver, but rather that he was a muscle-head who refused to learn because it gave him a headache. But was I overflowing with talent, enough to use the Primordial Runes like a cheat character such as Cú Chulainn? I don't think so.
The result of my tutelage under the court mages was that my talent was not exceptional, merely average. It's a bit disappointing, really. I wonder if I'll ever be able to master Rune magic… I had the chance to learn, but I refused, wanting to learn from Scáthach herself.
Learning even one of the Primordial Runes would be incredible. The most versatile and simply powerful is Ansuz (ᚨ). It's an all-purpose rune that changes according to the power of the deity the caster envisions. Cú Chulainn mainly used it for fire magic by invoking a fire god, but its versatility is immense.
Of course, magic is magic even without the Primordial Runes, but the difference in power is significant. All the users of the Primordial Runes are powerful, are they not? Just look at the list: the creator Odin, the Valkyrie Brynhildr, the god-slayer Scáthach, the Prince of Light Cú Chulainn, the dragon-slayer Sigurd, the goddess of ice Skadi, and so on. Even Surtr himself uses them. There's even a Death Rune that can cause instant death, or so I've heard…
It's completely broken, isn't it? I'd like to learn at least one. Still, I have a good supply of runestones. By simply imbuing them with magical energy and throwing them, even a common person can wield magic.
Fwoosh~!
I gathered some branches and shot a Gandr between two stones. It's a type of Rune magic, but it's so useful that I learned this much at least. It's not like Scáthach shoots Gandr, right? Gandr is originally meant to harm the target's soul, but it can also strike physical objects like this, and if controlled well, it's great for starting a fire without needing to rub sticks together.
So I'm trying to learn magic, but the problem is my magical energy capacity is on the low side. Still, most runecasters have a Mana parameter of C, so maybe it won't be a huge problem even if it's low?
"Is it just roasted meat?"
"I have salt harvested from a rock salt mine, so seasoning won't be a problem. We'll smoke the rest, and I can make a blanket from the hide."
"You're quite capable, aren't you? For a prince, at least."
"It's the result of hard work."
Medb squatted in front of the campfire, and I grilled the meat with the tools I had brought. I made skewers and also grilled some on a pan. The oil was olive oil.
"Is it not ready yet? I'm hungry!"
"We can eat when it's cooked. This isn't beef, you know. You'll have to wait until it's done. Or would you prefer it burnt on the outside and rare on the inside?"
"Hmph, you're so slow…"
A few minutes later, the boar meat was nicely browned and cooked through. The meat from the Land of Shadows looks appetizing. I gave Medb a skewer. She must have been very hungry, as she bit into it without hesitation.
"Mmph…!"
"Is it not good? I cleaned it well, and it doesn't smell."
"…No, it's delicious. You're quite something. To make it this good with just salt. Have you ever considered becoming the royal chef of Connacht?"
"I have no plans to change my profession to a cook."
I only learned the basics to eat well in the wild. Yes, just like Director Goredolf.
"I'll use a Berkano (ᛒ) runestone to search for a lake or spring nearby. You can keep eating."
"Aren't you eating?"
"I have a lot to do. Didn't I tell you? I'm going to work hard to prevent you from becoming a villainess. So, I plan to do my best for you. I'm hungry too, but taking care of you is more important. Isn't that right, Princess of Connacht?"
"…I suppose so."
I threw a runestone to find a spring or a lake. A river would have a current, so I needed to find one of the other two. Where Medb was, I threw runestones of Wunjo (ᚹ), Teiwaz (ᛏ), Naudiz (ᚾ), and Algiz (ᛉ) to create a barrier. It was a barrier that could even block a high-ranking Noble Phantasm, the same runes Cú Chulainn used in Heaven's Feel. Unless it's something on the level of the Shadow, it can't be broken.
I quickly followed the runestone and found a small spring about a ten-minute walk away. Let's see, the water quality is good, and there don't seem to be any Phantasmal Beasts around. Perfect.
I immediately returned to the campsite. There, Medb was squatting on the ground, eating the meat alone and looking dejected. I immediately dispelled the barrier and sat down.
"Were you perhaps lonely?"
"Shut up! Of course not…"
"Then, were you frightened?"
"…A little. I heard strange noises around."
"Haha, I should have used a soundproofing rune as well. I'll be more careful next time. I'm going to smoke the rest of the meat, so you can finish eating, Lady Medb."
"…Are you really not going to eat?"
"I'll eat after I've finished smoking the meat. I can eat after you've washed up."
"That would be a waste of time. It's not like it will spoil immediately. We can eat, then I'll wash, and then you can smoke the meat."
"Oh? That's a good idea. I was thinking of eating after you were asleep, as I thought you wouldn't want me around. Is that alright?"
"What do you take me for! I don't hold such petty grudges!"
A child is a child, after all. I stopped preparing to smoke the meat and finally ate some myself. Mmm, it's well-seasoned and delicious.
It's not that there are no Phantasmal Beasts around; rather, it feels like they can't approach because of me. It seems that boar was the strongest one in this area. Still, I can't get complacent. This is the Land of Shadows, where monstrous divine beasts like the Curruid and the Coinchen exist, as well as beings who have fallen from gods to evil spirits. Scáthach is said to amuse herself by hunting such creatures… and Scáthach herself is a monster who slays gods.
It's a thousand years too early for me to be complacent.
After finishing our meal, I set up a barrier to protect the meat and headed to the spring.
"Is this it?"
"Yes, you can wash here. I'll keep watch."
"…What are you doing."
"Pardon?"
"You have to undress me. I can't wash by myself."
"…"
No, in the FGO racing event, she had an illustration of herself bathing alone without any shame, but now she can't wash herself? Well, she is still a child and royalty, so I suppose it makes sense. Besides, even if my body is that of a lust-crazed monster, I'm not a madman who would get turned on by a child. Fergus also had firm preferences, and he had an unexpectedly gentlemanly side, in that he wouldn't touch a child unless they wanted him to.
"Heh heh, I see. My apologies, I was being thoughtless."
"…What's with that look?"
"What look?"
"I wasn't laughing at you at all. I was just thinking… even if you are a princess and a future villainess, right now you're just a cute little girl."
"That's the same as laughing at me!"
"Haha. You're imagining things."
"Tch, it's hot, so hurry up and wash me!"
"Yes, yes, Your Highness."
I've never had a younger sister, but this feels like I've gained one. I helped her undress and neatly folded her clothes by the spring. A child just looks like a child to me. Besides, I'm still in my teens myself, about high school age.
"Is it just water? There's no perfume or anything?"
"What perfume would there be in the Land of Shadows? Scáthach might have some, though."
"A witch would have something like that?"
"We'll have to see. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you how to hunt as well."
"Me!? You're going to make me get my hands dirty again?!"
"That's how you grow strong. What good is a Celtic woman who can't even hunt a single beast?"
This isn't a sexist remark. It's a fact that in the Celtic world, many women were strong, as if they all possessed the soul of a warrior. Medb herself has an aptitude for the Saber class, so she's quite skilled in her own right.
"I do have a towel, at least."
"It would be a problem if you didn't!"
"Towels are very precious in the Land of Shadows, you know."
After her bath, I dried Medb's body with the towel and helped her dress.
"But you're not washing?"
"Are you perhaps hoping to bathe together?"
"What of it?"
As expected of the future femme fatale, her seeds of corruption were planted early.
"I must decline. I am an adult, you see."
In this era, a high school-aged person is an adult. And knowing Medb's future, I feel a sense of repulsion.
"You're so shy, aren't you? It's not like there's anything to see on your body. Though your back does seem quite sturdy."
"Haha, men have their secrets too."
As long as I am Fergus, ahem… I am also well-endowed among men.
I took Medb back to the campsite and began smoking the meat.
"If you're tired, you can go to sleep first. I will stay by your side."
There was a lot of boar hide, so I gave one to Medb to use as a mattress and another as a blanket. Medb lay down without hesitation and watched me work.
"…Do you really think I can be rehabilitated?"
"A certain animal trainer once said, 'There are no bad dogs in the world.'"
"Are you calling me a dog…?"
"In the future, you become a bitch."
"That's harsh…"
"I'm joking. There are certainly bad people in the world. But such cases are very rare. There are villains who are rotten to the core, but I don't believe you are one of them. You can definitely be rehabilitated."
Just as Cnoc na Riabh, who had a similar disposition, was a good person, I will make you one too.
By the time I had finished smoking the meat, Medb was asleep. She looks like an angel when she's quiet… After stroking her hair, I set up a barrier and went to take a bath.
Splash…
"Hoo… Unlike before, the water feels like it's seeping into my body."
Before, I went in with my clothes on, but now that I'm naked, it feels good. My clothes have a waterproofing spell on them, so even if I go in with them on, they boast incredible water resistance. Magic is the best, after all…
"…!"
Just then, I felt a gaze from somewhere. It wasn't Medb. I knew from my detection runes that no one had approached or left the barrier. This gaze was a human gaze… and it disappeared almost immediately. What was that? Could it have been Scáthach? I was trying to avoid meeting her for a while to focus on rehabilitating Medb in the wild. If we stayed with Scáthach, her rehabilitation might not go well. At the very least, I needed to do some groundwork…
I hope it wasn't her. For now, I should probably finish my bath.
"For a young lad… he's quite well-endowed."
Meanwhile, as he had suspected, the appearance of a new person in the Land of Shadows had piqued the interest of its mistress. Scáthach, using the wisdom of the Land of Shadows, had peered at Fergus from afar, much like clairvoyance. As fate would have it, she happened to see him bathing, and despite his youthful frame, his impressive masculinity made her blush for the first time in a long while.