Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight

Credits: Gerardo Hernández Sánchez

["Attention! A very strong Spirit Origin reading is approaching your location at high speed, comparable to the Round Table Knights we've encountered before! Wait, this Spirit Origin reading is—"]

Roman's warning paused briefly, as though he was doubting something, but he continued, ["The one appearing near you is a Round Table Knight—"]

As Roman's words fell, a wyvern dove from the sky, hurtling down toward Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others.

The figure leaping from the dragon's head was someone all too familiar to Fujimaru Ritsuka and her group.

"Everyone, stay calm!"

Mash's clear shout immediately settled the commotion among the refugees, who had begun to panic at the sight of the green wyvern.

Boom!

The figure landed heavily, kicking up a cloud of dust. Emerging from it was a white-haired young man, now the center of everyone's attention.

"We meet again—"

Descending from the sky, Alaric landed not far from Fujimaru Ritsuka and her companions, his gaze sweeping over them with a faint smile.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash, Da Vinci, Bedivere, and a group of defenseless refugees.

That was the entirety of Chaldea's current lineup.

To Alaric, it was hardly a threat.

"Sir Alaric?!"

Upon seeing him, Mash's voice rang out in surprise and joy. She quickly approached him and asked, "What happened in your fight with Sir Gawain? Are you hurt?"

Even after witnessing the terrifying battle between Alaric and Gawain, Mash's only concern was whether Alaric was injured.

Fujimaru Ritsuka also stepped forward, curiously examining Alaric.

"Sir Alaric, were you using the Holy Grail back there?"

The magical energy Alaric displayed in his battle with Gawain had reached an inhuman level, far beyond what any human should possess. After discussing it with Da Vinci, Fujimaru Ritsuka concluded that Alaric must have drawn power from the Holy Grail.

Now that Alaric stood before them, Fujimaru couldn't help but ask directly.

Her question immediately drew the attention of both Da Vinci and Bedivere.

When Alaric suddenly appeared, Da Vinci had held Bedivere back, preventing him from attacking Alaric.

Hearing Fujimaru mention the Holy Grail, even Da Vinci perked up with curiosity.

Bedivere, on the other hand, froze.

The Holy Grail?

As a Round Table Knight, Bedivere was well aware of the Grail's existence, especially since one of the knights had returned it in a tale.

But why would Alaric possess the Holy Grail?

Alaric casually tapped his shoulder and, without hesitation, replied, "I did use the Holy Grail. After all, Sir Gawain has been blessed by the King, making his Saint Graph enhancement and strength his attributes. Without the Grail, I couldn't have lasted so long against him. I would have been defeated pretty quickly otherwise."

Having fought Gawain with all his might, Alaric had come to understand his limits. Without the Grail, relying solely on the magical energy from his Dragon Heart, he would have run out of energy and lost the fight halfway through.

Moreover, without the Grail's infinite magical supply, his self-healing ability would have been significantly weakened, causing his injuries to accumulate rapidly.

"But," he continued, "if I used my Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, things might have been different."

After a month of rigorous training with the Old Man of the Mountain, Alaric had mastered assassination techniques and honed his Mystic Eyes to the point where he could sever the connection between the Holy Grail and the King of Magecraft.

Even so, engaging Gawain in such a life-or-death battle would have been too risky unless it was a final confrontation.

Hearing Alaric's explanation, Mash and Fujimaru nodded in understanding. Then Mash tentatively asked, "Sir Alaric, is there some kind of conflict between you and Sir Gawain?"

Mash and Fujimaru had witnessed the fierce argument between Alaric and Gawain, as well as their subsequent battle, which lit up the night sky with overwhelming power.

The reason for their clash was well known to them.

"No, we made up after the fight. I even went to apologize to Lion King before making peace."

Alaric brushed off his two near-death experiences as if they were trivial, but his words were cut off by Bedivere's urgent voice.

"You met the King?"

Having barely restrained himself earlier, Bedivere now couldn't hold back his emotions upon hearing Alaric mention the Lion King.

"Can you tell me," he asked, "what is the King like now?"

Da Vinci sighed in mild exasperation, clearly frustrated by Bedivere's inability to remain calm.

But Alaric simply chuckled as though only now noticing Bedivere.

"Sir Bedivere, I should introduce myself properly. I am Alaric, also a Knight of the Round Table appointed by King Arthur."

Bedivere, taken aback by Alaric's vastly different demeanor compared to their earlier encounter, relaxed slightly.

"Can you tell me about the King?" he asked, his focus unwavering.

Though puzzled by Alaric's identity, Bedivere's primary concern was the current state of the Lion King. Having come so far without seeing her, he felt a deep sense of loss.

Mash and Fujimaru also turned curious eyes toward Alaric.

The Lion King was the most enigmatic figure in this singularity. Despite identifying her true form as King Arthur, Roman and Da Vinci had made little progress in understanding her motivations.

But Alaric was different. As one of her knights, he knew her situation better than anyone.

Even Roman's image appeared as a virtual projection, anxiously watching Alaric while clutching his coffee cup.

Da Vinci, too, looked on with interest.

Alaric's smile deepened at their reactions. Meeting Bedivere's gaze, he delivered the words that would plunge him into despair,

"The King? She's magnificent. The iron-blooded, cold-blooded, yet passionate Lion King.

For the love of humanity, she builds a tower to end the world and bring human history to its conclusion—a ghost of King Arthur's legend."