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

The moonlight was cold and serene, as the luminous full moon, encased in its halo, gazed upon the sole human in this world.

"Hmm?"

Carrying the Heavenly Vessel, Alaric sprinted out of the Divine Tower and arrived at the outskirts of Uruk. Standing alone, he examined the massive bow that bore a striking resemblance to the Maanna.

Gilgamesh hadn't provided any sort of user manual or instructions for the artifact, leaving Alaric to figure it out on his own.

"Since it's a Noble Phantasm, it should be similar to a magical artifact. The method of operation must involve mana…"

Having experienced using various Noble Phantasms before, Alaric wasn't intimidated by the Heavenly Vessel.

As he studied the enormous bow, memories of the Persian hero's elegance and superb archery skills surfaced in Alaric's mind. Then, a bold idea popped into his head:

"Fire me out of it?"

Just like Arash Airlines, he could load himself into the vessel's chamber and launch himself at supersonic speeds to achieve high-velocity flight.

A method of flight that was as crude as it was effective.

"Sounds fun."

Alaric couldn't help but think fondly of his exhilarating experience with Arash Airlines. With that thought, he placed his hand on the Heavenly Vessel. In an instant, dark mana surged into the artifact.

Similar to the Noble Phantasms wielded by Heroic Spirits, the Heavenly Vessel that Gilgamesh had given him could perform a True Name Release. However, even without invoking its True Name, normal usage was still possible.

A simple infusion of mana was enough to activate it—

Crackle!

As Alaric's dark mana flowed into it, the Heavenly Vessel underwent a dramatic transformation. Its appearance was overtaken by shades of jet black and crimson. In less than ten seconds, Gilgamesh's treasure had been dyed in Alaric's colors.

Ignoring the change in appearance, Alaric's attention was entirely focused on the floating vessel before him.

Yes, floating.

With the infusion of mana, the Heavenly Vessel, which had been resting on the ground, finally revealed its true nature. It was similar to the Maanna, a divine ship capable of soaring through the skies of Mesopotamia!

"Ishtar, with her authority over the heavens, can freely fly even without the Maanna. After all, the Maanna is merely her bow. However, the Heavenly Vessel given by King Gilgamesh seems to possess similar capabilities…"

Alaric rubbed his chin as he examined the vessel. With the mana link established, he could sense the mana consumption required to activate and sustain the vessel, as well as its intended targets.

Whoosh!

Under the moon's watchful gaze, Alaric's feet lifted off the ground.

Without any external force, he could feel himself standing naturally in mid-air. The slight sensation of weightlessness was unfamiliar, but he quickly adapted to it thanks to his strong physique.

Without hesitation, Alaric poured in more mana, causing the vessel to radiate a brilliant black light.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the Heavenly Vessel shot into the sky, carrying Alaric with it.

In an instant, it pierced through the vast sea of clouds, streaking toward the distant horizon!

It resembled a jet-black aurora, cutting across the heavens and earth!

Even the people in the city of Uruk could see the sudden appearance of the black aurora in the night sky. Bathed in moonlight, it even reflected a faint, cool silver glow.

Atop the central Divine Tower in Uruk, Merlin raised his hand to shield his eyes as he stood on his tiptoes, gazing into the distance. Alaric's figure, soaring across the heavens, naturally entered his sight.

This made Merlin smile even more. "Whew, whew, King Gilgamesh, you've given him something extraordinary."

"Hmph, anything from my treasury is, of course, the best," Gilgamesh retorted, arms crossed, with a cold snort. "Though all treasures are mine, don't assume I would pull out some defective item to make up the numbers."

...

Meanwhile, high above the heavens—

"Hahaha!"

Just like the joy he had felt when he first captured a wyvern in the nameless mountains and soared through the skies, the reborn Alaric once again experienced pure, unadulterated happiness.

Two hours later.

After concluding the performance test of the Heavenly Vessel, Alaric returned to his temporary residence, only to be confronted with a new problem.

The Heavenly Vessel could not be retracted and had to be left outside.

And he didn't have a parking space.

Under Gilgamesh's governance, Uruk had strict regulations comparable to those of modern cities, meaning Alaric couldn't just park the vessel wherever he pleased.

After pondering for a while, Alaric quickly came up with a solution—

A few minutes later.

"Miss Siduri, that's the situation. I'll leave it to you."

After explaining his request, Alaric smiled at the elegant woman before him. "I'm sorry to trouble you at this late hour."

As Gilgamesh's assistant, Siduri easily resolved Alaric's issue. She smiled gently and said, "Sir Alaric, since you are the king's guest, such a small matter is no trouble at all."

"By the way, about Amakusa Shirou and the others…"

With the parking issue resolved, Alaric grew curious about the whereabouts of Amakusa Shirou and the seven other Servants. "Have they already started working?"

Alaric had run into Siduri on the street as she was heading toward the Divine Tower, but none of the seven Servants were with her. It seemed Siduri had already made arrangements for them.

"Mr. Amakusa and the others are currently resting. They'll officially begin their work tomorrow. After all, proper rest is necessary."

Siduri smiled softly. "You should also rest, Sir Alaric. After spending the whole day with the king, you must be tired."

"Then I'll take my leave, Miss Siduri. Have a pleasant evening."

Alaric smiled as he bid her farewell.

Having completed the performance test of the Heavenly Vessel, he confirmed that its mana consumption was well within the capacity of his dragon heart. All that remained was to set out the next day in search of the goddesses.

As for his first target, Alaric had already made his decision.

Of course, it would be Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent God.

She was revered as the pinnacle of benevolent gods, known for opposing human sacrifices.

She was considered the same entity as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the benevolent god who represented the morning star, and Kukulkan of the Mayans.

A deity with many kind and virtuous legends. From a risk perspective, she was far less dangerous than the Gorgon, the Goddess of Demonic Beasts.

Alaric wasn't about to take unnecessary risks.

"I wish you a safe journey," Siduri said with a slight bow and a warm smile.

Though she didn't know Alaric well, Siduri held a favorable impression of this foreign knight.

He was strong in a way that differed from King Gilgamesh—a youth with a resolute heart.

...

The next morning.

When Alaric woke up, he had once again lost track of a certain Caster. This made him abandon the idea of forcing Merlin to join him on the journey.

Prioritizing efficiency, he set off alone, boarding the Heavenly Vessel and leaving Uruk behind.

As for Quetzalcoatl's location, Alaric had a guess.

In the fragmented visions of the future he recalled, Quetzalcoatl's surroundings were unmistakably lush green jungles and a Mesoamerican-style altar.