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

Credits: Surge1301

Without further entanglement with the ghoul-like refugees, Alaric and the group pressed onward into the eastern wilderness. Half an hour later...

"Great! Once we crest that sand dune, we'll officially leave King Ozymandias's domain. Everyone, stay sharp!"

Da Vinci, with a carefree air resembling an excited mother on a spring outing, cheered exuberantly, "We're about to go uphill! Watch out for the landing!"

Vroom vroom!!

 The Pterygoid Sphinx roared like a ferocious beast as it leaped over the sand dune.

Beyond the border of Ozymandias's territory, a sight even harsher than the sea of sand greeted Fujimaru Ritsuka and their companions.

It was a lifeless death zone: cracked earth, withered trees, and relentless waves of heat radiating through the oppressive atmosphere.

Even a single glance sufficed to draw one inevitable conclusion,

"No one could survive here."

"Temperature: 48°C, humidity: 0%, atmospheric magical energy: 0.3 milligrams... This is a hellish environment—uninhabitable for humans," Da Vinci remarked grimly as the group entered the wilderness.

Mash and Fujimaru stared at the desolate scenery, equally shaken.

"Sir Alaric, what is this place?"

Mash instinctively turned to the one person who might hold answers. Da Vinci and Fujimaru Ritsuka also shifted their focus to Alaric.

After all, he was a native of these lands—and a knight under the Lion King. Surely, he would have some insight.

"Sir Alaric, can you tell us now?"

Fujimaru asked, recalling his earlier reluctance to divulge information. Thankfully, this time, Alaric did not refuse.

"Miss Da Vinci already hit the nail on the head," Alaric replied nonchalantly.

"The King of Magecraft's grand endeavor to incinerate humanity's foundation involved distributing Holy Grails to disrupt historical anchors. Even Singularities like this one couldn't fully escape his influence. This wasteland is but one consequence."

Alaric's casual explanation prompted Fujimaru and Mash to glance at Da Vinci for confirmation. However, Da Vinci's unwavering focus remained on Alaric himself, her gaze lingering with curiosity.

As the Pterygoid Sphinx sped across the barren land, the sky began to darken.

Just as Fujimaru and their group prepared to rest—

["Ah! Finally, I've connected with you! What happened? Did you encounter trouble?"]

A sudden blue holographic screen appeared, revealing a fiery-haired young man with a concerned expression.

["Wait a minute, why is there such a strong magical reaction on your end? Is it a Servant?"]

"That's our Doctor," Mash said with a smile, introducing the figure to Alaric.

"Dr. Romani Archaman, head of Chaldea's medical department and our acting director."

Seeing Roman's familiar face, Mash's smile grew even warmer as she added, "Doctor, this is Sir Alaric. You could call him our companion."

"Ah, it's so reassuring to see you, Doctor!"

Fujimaru greeted warmly, their relief evident.

Roman, though anxious, calmed down slightly upon hearing this. Still, his curiosity was piqued.

["It's great that you're all safe, but there's no time for idle chat. Mash, what's the situation over there?"]

Mash quickly recounted their experiences: their arrival in Ozymandias's domain, the timeline being a mix of ancient Egypt and the 13th century, their encounter with the Sun King, and finally—

"The Holy Grail is currently with us, specifically in Sir Alaric's possession."

["Wait, what?! The Holy Grail?!"]

Roman's shock practically burst from the screen as his face pressed so close to the camera that even his nostrils were in clear view.

But Roman couldn't care less about appearances. The information he'd just received—from the Sun King's actions to Alaric holding the Holy Grail—was a bombshell.

Not to mention, there was also the mysterious Lion King occupying Jerusalem.

["How could the Crusaders have been defeated? Who is this Lion King, and what kind of being occupies the Holy City?"]

Roman's disbelief was palpable, and he kept seeking confirmation from Fujimaru and Mash.

Fujimaru, perplexed by Roman's agitation, asked, "Doctor, is this such an impossible scenario?"

["Of course, it's shocking and hard to accept! Because—argh, I'll just send you the map data from Chaldea!"]

Roman's hands flew across his keyboard.

["Seeing is believing. Just look at the map of this Singularity, and you'll understand why I'm so startled!"]

Almost immediately, another holographic screen popped up beside Roman's, displaying an overhead map of the Singularity.

["See this?"]

Roman's voice brimmed with urgency.

["This Singularity has a massive city unmistakably occupied by Crusaders! In proper history, Jerusalem should've been conquered by them! Yet you're saying the Crusaders were defeated?"]

Even Alaric, standing some distance away, could feel Roman's turbulent emotions.

["The Lion King..."]

Roman murmured with suspicion as he processed the new information.

Both Fujimaru and Mash turned their gaze toward Alaric, almost simultaneously.

"Hmm? What is it? You want to ask me?"

Noticing their stares, Alaric raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Are you seriously asking a knight of the Lion King about the Lion King?"