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

Credits: justin avalos

Nightfall. Several hours had passed since Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash Kyrielight, and the others entered the village. After the exhausting journey, the Chaldea crew finally found a moment of rest.

As Mash set up a summoning circle using the round table, Alaric eagerly prepared to welcome the Heroic Spirit he had long awaited: Paracelsus von Hohenheim.

"Summon!"

Ritsuka Fujimaru extended a hand, the Command Seals on the back of her hand glowing faintly. A surge of magical energy erupted from the shield, radiating into the air.

The brilliance Alaric had witnessed countless times before once again blossomed before his eyes.

A Servant's body, constructed purely from Ether, was nothing short of miraculous. Compared to the simpler summoning rituals Ritsuka typically performed alone, this was a full summoning—one that preserved the Servant's consciousness and abilities completely intact.

"Servant: Paracelsus von Hohenheim, responding to your summon, esteemed Master."

The long-haired man in a white robe spoke softly, his presence calm and assured.

The renowned 16th-century alchemist had finally appeared before Alaric.

"Mr. von Hohenheim!"

Unable to contain himself, Alaric strode past Ritsuka and clasped Paracelsus's hands tightly. "Please, I need your help! Of course, your Master has already agreed to this!"

Before he even finished speaking, Alaric turned and pointed toward Ritsuka.

"Ah, yes, yes! Mr. Hohenheim, we're counting on you!"

Ritsuka quickly bowed, catching on to the situation. "Please help us create True Ether!"

Hearing this, Paracelsus immediately understood the purpose of his summoning. He smiled gently.

"I didn't expect I'd get to continue my alchemical pursuits in the 13th century."

Without hesitation, Paracelsus agreed, much to Alaric's delight.

...

While Paracelsus busied himself synthesizing True Ether, Alaric, now idle, wandered to a large boulder outside the village. He sat alone, gazing out at the distant mountains.

Time passed, and eventually, this desolate vantage point welcomed a second visitor.

It was the universal genius herself: Leonardo da Vinci.

"Hm? Miss Da Vinci, what brings you here?"

Noticing her approach, Alaric smiled knowingly.

Da Vinci skipped the pleasantries, her expression friendly yet direct.

"Sir Alaric, you're not from this Singularity, are you?"

"Hm? Miss Da Vinci, does that really matter?"

Alaric kicked his legs idly as he sat on the boulder, the cool night breeze brushing against his face and bringing a rare sense of comfort.

Instead of answering directly, he countered her question with one of his own,

"To Chaldea, I'm just a passerby. No matter what I accomplish in this Singularity, no matter how I assist you all, I'll only ever become a part of your memories. So, does my origin matter?"

As a scholar of unparalleled wisdom, Da Vinci had already pieced together much of the truth from Alaric's ambiguous reply. Normally, she would have respected his choice to remain silent.

But this time, Da Vinci was unwilling to let it go.

Beneath the dense veil of night, the self-proclaimed Universal Genius brushed strands of hair aside and fixed her gaze on Alaric.

Under the moonlight, it was just the two of them.

"It matters a great deal, Sir Alaric. You're not from this Singularity, are you?"

Da Vinci's familiar smile carried an unexpected warmth, her tone equally gentle.

"...As expected of Miss Da Vinci's sharp eyes. What gave it away?"

Alaric fell silent for a moment before meeting her gaze, his curiosity piqued.

Da Vinci's expression remained kind as she spoke softly,

"Many things. But what truly tipped me off was your claim that your actions were for the salvation of humanity from the very beginning."

"For you to act with such foresight, to compare futures... That's something that shouldn't have been possible before you met Holmes."

Da Vinci wasn't certain whether Alaric's mention of Holmes had been a mere excuse, but that didn't matter. What did matter was the timing—when Alaric first began contemplating the comparison of futures.

If it had occurred during his encounter with the Lion King, then, as a native of the Singularity—or even just an ordinary person—he shouldn't have possessed such knowledge.

Not to mention the other peculiarities Da Vinci had observed in him.

"Oh, I see— You're right, Miss Da Vinci. I'm not from this Singularity, just like you."

Impressed once again by Da Vinci's brilliance, Alaric candidly revealed his greatest secret.

Hearing his confession, Da Vinci's smile remained, though a weight seemed to settle in the air between them.

Even so, she didn't stop there. She pressed onward, her voice steady,

"Which era, then? Or rather, where are you truly from?"

It wasn't enough for Da Vinci to confirm that Alaric wasn't a native of the Singularity. She sought a deeper truth.

What era did Alaric belong to? Was he from the same time as Chaldea? Or was he from a distant future, one that couldn't yet be observed?

If Alaric truly hailed from a future far beyond theirs, what would that mean for the Human Order Incineration initiated by the King of Magecraft? Could Chaldea find a path forward, toward a future they hadn't yet reached?

If not, then even the mere existence of someone like Alaric—someone who could traverse to the 13th-century Middle Eastern Singularity without spiritron transfer—would shake Chaldea to its core.

"My origin, huh…"

"It's a dream that's already faded into the distant past, one I can never return to."

"Mis Da Vinci, speaking in terms of time, I'd say I'm from somewhere between 2016 and 2017."

Alaric looked up at the sky, gazing at the radiant moonlight—the same pure, untainted light he had seen when the Lion King handed down her judgment.

Hearing this unreserved confession, even Da Vinci's breath momentarily quickened.

But Alaric's inevitable question soon followed,

"Do you have a way to help me leave?"

At that moment, Alaric seemed like a sailor who couldn't swim, standing aboard a sinking ship with no means of escape from the stormy seas.

Chaldea, on the other hand, was like a speedboat arriving at the wreck. They would retrieve the Holy Grail, then sail away, leaving the sinking vessel to its fate. There was no seat for Alaric on that boat.

As Chaldea's technical advisor, Da Vinci could have immediately given a definitive answer. But she hesitated, fully aware of the despair embedded in her reply.

Unlike Heroic Spirits, who were echoes of the past, Alaric wasn't a remnant of history. He was a living, breathing person—just like Ritsuka and Mash.

Perhaps that was why, once Da Vinci unraveled Alaric's greatest mystery, she also came to understand the weight of his reasoning and couldn't help but admire his resolve.

After a brief hesitation, Da Vinci made her decision. She wouldn't trample on Alaric's determination.

Finally, she spoke,

"It's not possible. Spiritron Transfer is two-way, but it can't bring a living person out of a Singularity."

"Right, I already figured that out when I used Hermes."

Alaric didn't show any sign of disappointment. Instead, his expression remained lighthearted.

"All roads lead to Rome, don't they? Who knows, maybe I'll survive somehow?"

Seeing this, Da Vinci smiled.

"It seems I've been overthinking things. Sir Alaric, you have quite a strong will."

"Hey, make some room for me too."

To Alaric's slight surprise, Da Vinci leaped onto the boulder, taking up most of the remaining space beside him.

"So, care to share what you plan to use True Ether for?"

PS: Da Vinci-chan presenting herself as a heroine?