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

At this moment, Alaric had no idea what Gilgamesh was thinking.

"It seems you are aware of Tiamat's manifestation in this world. Then I won't say much. I simply wish to ask, King Gilgamesh—do the citizens of Uruk know about the impending calamity?"

Just as Gilgamesh had little information about Tiamat to share with Alaric, the latter also had only a limited understanding of the primordial goddess. There wasn't much to ask regarding Tiamat.

What Alaric sought to know, perhaps only Tiamat herself could answer.

Thus, Alaric's immediate concern was whether the citizens of Uruk—or rather, the people of the kingdom ruled by Gilgamesh—were aware of the situation.

As the sole and absolute king, Gilgamesh had two choices: to hide the future from his people or to face it alongside them.

The moment Alaric posed his question, Gilgamesh, seated on his throne, covered his eyes and burst into laughter:

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

His hearty laughter echoed throughout the ziggurat, giving Alaric the illusion that he was standing before Ozymandias. These two kings, despite ruling different lands, shared an unexpected love for laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!

Do you even need to ask? My people, of course, know of the coming destruction! Only those who understand the future of ruin have chosen to stay here!

The separation between humanity and the gods begins right here and now!"

Lowering his hand, Gilgamesh continued, "Since Merlin has already told you about this, there's nothing more I need to add. The Three Goddesses are merely an appetizer; the true trial is yet to come!

Alaric, you outlander without a home, let this king see the brilliance contained within your star!"

'To know the future of destruction and yet live in the present without ever giving up—

That is what it means to be human—'

Hearing Gilgamesh's reply, Alaric couldn't help but admire the people of this era.

As he prepared to leave, Alaric suddenly asked, "By the way, King Gilgamesh, do you know where the Holy Grail is?"

Aside from the Three Goddesses and the slumbering primordial goddess Tiamat, Alaric was most concerned about the elusive Holy Grail. His primary interest lay in its infinite magical energy, which would provide him with limitless stamina.

If he could acquire the Grail's infinite magical supply, combined with his continuously growing power, Alaric believed he could even challenge the gods.

Facing Ishtar, his low-level version of the Holy Judgment had already been unleashed at Noble Phantasm-level intensity. Every second of combat demanded his full magical energy, pushing his abilities to their absolute peak.

At this moment, Gilgamesh casually raised his hand, and from the void emerged a golden portal. Slowly, the golden chalice appeared.

"The Holy Grail? Naturally, it is in this king's possession," Gilgamesh said in a matter-of-fact tone.

'Huh? So the purpose of the Three Goddesses' alliance is the Holy Grail held by Gilgamesh?'

The moment Alaric saw the golden chalice, his expression froze in shock.

He had considered the possibility that the Holy Grail might be in the hands of this treasure-hoarding King of Heroes, but to think it would be true felt surreal.

Something didn't feel right.

Almost instinctively, Alaric's eyes glimmered like gemstones as he scanned the grail.

"This... isn't the Magecraft King's Holy Grail, is it?"

Not seeing the Magecraft King or Goetia's crest on the golden chalice, Alaric immediately concluded that this Holy Grail was not the one sent by Goetia.

If his guess was correct, this was a Holy Grail originally owned by Gilgamesh, not the one placed in this era by the Magecraft King to destabilize human history.

Noticing Alaric's sharp insight, Gilgamesh chuckled lightly: "Correct. This is the Uruk Chalice, owned by this king. It is not the Holy Grail placed in Mesopotamia by the Magecraft King.

You've got a good eye, Alaric. Those must be Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Your eyes aren't bad."

"So the Holy Grail deployed by the Magecraft King in this Singularity...

Most likely, it's in the hands of the Beast Goddess, Gorgon," Alaric concluded as he gazed at the golden chalice Gilgamesh toyed with.

The Magecraft King's Holy Grail couldn't possibly be unclaimed. Among the entities in this Singularity capable of holding the Grail, Alaric had encountered most of them, and none had it.

The only ones left were Gorgon or Tiamat.

'I guess I'll have to meet Gorgon—'

A confrontation with the Beast Goddess seemed unavoidable. However, Alaric was confident that even if he couldn't defeat her, he could at least escape intact.

As long as it wasn't someone like Ereshkigal, who was invincible in the Underworld, or the supreme deity Quetzalcoatl, Alaric believed he could hold his own.

"Hah, so Gorgon has the Holy Grail?

Interesting. Are you planning to seek her out?" Gilgamesh asked, tossing the Uruk Chalice back into the golden portal and studying Alaric with amusement.

"Indeed. After gathering information on the Three Goddesses, Gorgon—the last of them—will be the final destination."

With his report on the Three Goddesses concluded Alaric saw no reason to remain in the ziggurat. He was prepared to bid farewell to Gilgamesh and head alone into the forest to find the Beast Goddess, Gorgon.

But just before leaving, Alaric remembered someone he had forgotten: "By the way, King Gilgamesh, where is Merlin now?"

The previous night, when Alaric returned to the inn, Merlin was nowhere to be found. This left Alaric slightly disappointed, as he had intended to ask Merlin how to maintain his presence in this world. To his surprise, Merlin was also absent from the ziggurat.

"Merlin?" Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow at the question, then snapped his fingers. "Siduri, where is Merlin now?"

"King Gilgamesh, Merlin left Uruk this morning. He accompanied the supply convoy to the front lines of the battle against the Beasts," Siduri replied.

"You heard her, didn't you? Alaric, hurry and go!"

Gilgamesh laughed as he shooed Alaric out of the ziggurat and returned to handling his state affairs.

Leaving the ziggurat, Alaric summoned his heavenly vessel and soared into the endless skies like a shooting star.

...

Several minutes later.

A streak of darkness cut across the azure sky, racing over the vast land. On the horizon, a towering wall stretching for miles came into view.

Riding his heavenly vessel at full speed, Alaric finally sensed Merlin's magical aura.

"MER—LIN!!!"

The dark streak crashed onto the ground near the supply convoy under the wary gazes of the soldiers and the amused smile of Merlin.

As the magical energy dissipated, Alaric descended from his heavenly vessel.

Seeing Alaric's figure, the soldiers transporting supplies heaved a sigh of relief.

As long as it wasn't the goddess Ishtar, they could relax.