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

"Sir Alaric, what are you doing this time?" Despite his defeat at the hands of Mash and having lost the will to fight, Lancelot voiced the lingering doubt in his heart.

To Lancelot, Alaric's loyalty to the King should have been no less than that of the Round Table knights summoned from the past.

But why, after Chaldea appeared in this Singularity, had Alaric immediately made contact with them and allied himself with their cause?

Yes, an ally.

In the minutes following his defeat, Lancelot had ordered his pursuit of the refugees fleeing into the mountains to cease. His Enforcement Knights stood idle, unmoving.

As he interacted with Chaldea's group, Lancelot learned that Alaric had divulged critical information about the Lion King and the Round Table knights. The revelation left him bewildered.

Wasn't it... too fast?

Even if one were to consider this a betrayal of the King, the sheer speed with which Alaric acted was unprecedented—almost as if it had been premeditated.

When Lancelot posed his question, Da Vinci and the others turned their attention to Alaric.

After all, Alaric's motives were unclear not only to the Round Table knights but even to Chaldea, whom Lancelot now regarded as Alaric's comrade.

Alarif was unlike the Heroic Spirits who had lent Chaldea their aid in previous Singularities. He was a creation of the Lion King—a monster crafted by her own hands in this Singularity.

What's more, he bore the Holy Grail, further complicating his identity. He had even ambushed Bedivere and engaged in a fierce battle with Gawain.

Now that Lancelot had raised the question, Da Vinci and the others listened intently. Even Romani, far away in Chaldea, held his breath.

From Romani's perspective, if Alaric truly acted as Chaldea's ally, his support would be a tremendous boon in this Singularity. But if Alaric were their enemy—continuing to fight as a member of the Round Table—the ferocity of his earlier battle with Gawain already made Romani's blood pressure spike.

Da Vinci, however, wore her trademark enigmatic smile, quietly watching Alaric as if anticipating what he might say.

Alaric did not disappoint. He spoke directly.

"How should I put this? I'm comparing."

It was the same reasoning he had once shared with Pharaoh Ozymandias: comparing the Lion King's method of saving humanity with Chaldea's mission to restore human history, to determine which was more valuable to preserve.

This reasoning was undeniably arrogant, bold enough to make even Ozymandias laugh.

Who was Alaric, to dare harbor such hubris?

But to Alaric, who believed in walking alongside humanity, this reasoning of comparison felt perfectly natural—even if he lacked the qualifications to make such judgments.

His words immediately drew the attention of both Chaldea's group and Lancelot.

Chaldea's members were perplexed, and even Lancelot heard this reasoning for the first time.

Without letting the confusion linger, Alaric continued, "I don't think the King is wrong. The world the Lion King seeks to establish with her Tower, in my view, has a future.

But it's not enough, Sir Lancelot. Such a future is too narrow, too constrained.

I don't know how vast the future Chaldea pursues will be, but a complete human history must always progress forward.

Even if extinction is inevitable, it must surpass the pure white Millennium Kingdom."

As his words trailed off, Alaric's mind wandered to a book he had once read. In the distant future, humanity will push the Earth to its very limits, causing Gaia—the spirit of the planet—to die alongside the Earth itself.

The dead Earth would resemble steel.

When Alaric shared his thoughts, the group fell silent. It seemed they struggled to fully grasp the meaning behind his words.

Alaric thought otherwise. Turning his gaze to the smiling Da Vinci, he asked, "Da Vinci, surely you understand me, right?"

["This is... quite bizarre. What happens if we lose this comparison?"] Romani blurted out before Da Vinci could answer, his voice betraying his unease. ["If, in Sir Alaric's comparison, we lose to the Lion King, then wouldn't that mean—"]

"I will become your enemy," Alaric interrupted plainly. "And I'll kill Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight before you grow strong enough to resist me."

His words carried a chilling killing intent, startling even Lancelot.

Mash and Ritsuka, who had only just relaxed, widened their eyes in shock.

Mash, visibly tense, stammered, "Si-Sir Alaric, are you serious?"

["Eh? Eh? No way!"] Romani, now thoroughly panicked, was far more distressed than Mash. While Mash was stunned by Alaric's declaration, Romani was already contemplating worst-case scenarios.

The calmest ones present were Da Vinci and Lancelot.

Having accepted his defeat, Lancelot laughed. "If it's you, Sir Alaric, I trust you will choose the correct path in the end.

As the first knight of the Lion King, you've been comparing from the very beginning, haven't you?"

"From the day I swore loyalty to the Lion King, it was all for the salvation of humanity. Of course, I wasn't resolute back then—not only was I lacking in strength, but I was also immature in spirit. Even now, my words are nothing but empty talk."

Having said this much, Alaric had nothing left to hide except his identity.

Turning to Chaldea's group, he smiled. "So, Ritsuka Fujimaru, I ask you to work hard. Don't let the expectations of everyone in this Singularity go to waste. Time moves forward, leaving no trace behind, but I hope you'll remember us."

The weight of his words left Ritsuka and Mash silent.

Alaric broke the heavy atmosphere himself. "Well, that's how it is. Do you have any other questions?" Clapping his hands, he tried to dispel the solemn mood.

"Thank you, Sir Alaric, for your explanation and help. I-I'll remember this!" Mash said with a serious expression as if making a solemn promise.

Even Ritsuka echoed her sentiment. "Sir Alaric, we won't let anyone's expectations go to waste. We'll restore human history and bring everyone back!"

...

After this brief interlude, Ritsuka and the group boarded the Pterygoid Sphinx, preparing to continue toward the mountains.

"Won't the refugees need to be sent to my territory?" Lancelot asked. If Alaric weren't present, Lancelot had planned to take Mash and the others there to settle things before his departure. But with Alaric here, there was no need to worry.

Even so, Lancelot still cared about the refugees hiding in the mountains.

"For now, there's no need, Sir Lancelot. These refugees can integrate into the lives of the Mountain People. Besides, Ritsuka and the others need to meet the last remaining faction of this Singularity," Alaric replied, considering whether to ride or summon his wyvern.

From the yet-to-depart Sphinx, Mash called out curiously, "Sir Alaric, are you taking us somewhere?"

"No, not me taking you. It's where you were headed all along—the village of the Mountain People."

Alaric pointed toward the unnamed mountains.

So far, Chaldea had encountered both Ozymandias and the Lion King's Round Table knights. Now, they were about to meet the final faction in this Singularity—the Mountain People, led by several Hassans who formed a rebel group.