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

As long as Kayneth could defeat Alaric, that was enough.

As the natural-born genius he was, Kayneth did not hesitate to seek cooperation with others—even with Waver, whom he despised. This was the Kayneth of today.

Although Little Red Riding Hood's ability to amplify desires had fallen silent when half of her body was taken away, Kayneth had never let go of his obsession.

If he could not defeat Alaric, then Kayneth would be a failure.

For someone like Kayneth, who saw himself as a natural genius, this was unacceptable. Alaric's talent was an anomaly, defiance, and provocation against him.

It was a chaos he could not tolerate, an insult and blasphemy against the order of the gods.

"What if I refuse?"

Waver Velvet, who had entered this Holy Grail War solely to prove himself to Kayneth, spoke up after Kayneth lowered his head and proposed cooperation.

"What if I refuse you, Professor?"

If he agreed to cooperate, would he earn Kayneth's approval?

Waver Velvet thought that was impossible. Even if he and Kayneth worked together, it would not make Kayneth acknowledge his talent or theories.

This cooperation was nothing more than Kayneth's charity.

And that was something Waver Velvet could never accept.

However, Weaver's words were swiftly met with an intense rebuttal.

"Are you joking?! I, as the Lord of El-Melloi, have lowered myself to cooperate with you, and you dare refuse?!"

Already frustrated, Kayneth's eyes widened, and his voice rose several degrees:

"Waver Velvet! Do you still not understand your situation?!

Lancer!!"

Tap, tap.

A knight wielding a magical spear stepped forward, standing before Iskandar, the tip of his spear aimed coldly at the King of Conquerors' forehead.

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's expression was grim, but this was the command of his one and only Master—he could not disobey.

The moment Diarmuid moved, Waver, tense, pressed his hand against the Command Seals on the back of his hand.

Indeed, as Kayneth had said, Iskandar had expended most of his mana and was in no condition to fight.

But Waver still had his Command Seals.

As a secondary system built to support the Greater Grail, the Command Seals were condensed from an immense amount of mana.

They could grant three small miracles or provide enhancements to a Servant.

However, once all three Command Seals were used, the contract between Master and Servant would be nullified.

A Master who lost absolute control over their Servant would no longer have any means to restrain them.

If the Servant harbored ill intent, the Master wouldn't just lose their three Command Seals—they could very well lose their life.

But Waver knew this would never happen between him and Iskandar.

To Waver, the Command Seals could temporarily compensate for Iskandar's depleted mana, allowing him to at least fight.

"No need, kid."

Before Waver could activate his Command Seal, Iskandar stopped him. Sweeping his gaze past Diarmuid's magic spear, he looked at Kayneth with a calm expression and said:

"We will cooperate with you."

Just like Kayneth, Alaric and Gilgamesh were two towering mountains that stood in Iskandar's way—higher than the peaks of the Hindu Kush, hotter than the burning sands of Makran.

If Iskandar wished to establish himself in this world, his only challenge would be overcoming those two.

The oldest hero of mankind, Gilgamesh, who claimed to possess the treasures of the entire world—

In Iskandar's eyes, a being worthy of being called a true king.

And from another realm, a Knight of the Round Table—one who had witnessed the end of the Age of Gods, who had fought and slain the primordial goddess Tiamat, who had undergone countless adventures and accomplished great feats—

A man who embodied his desires to the fullest, a pure soul—Iskandar admired such a knight.

Yes, admired.

Iskandar deeply respected those who could manifest their desires and dedicate themselves to them.

And Alaric, whose intense self-awareness rivaled that of a Heroic Spirit, who unreservedly displayed his desires and acted upon them, naturally earned Iskandar's admiration.

Even though they were enemies, that did not stop Iskandar from admiring him.

And it was precisely because of this admiration that Iskandar had to defeat Alaric.

For the sake of his lifelong ambition—

Though joining forces with others to take down Alaric might seem disgraceful, Iskandar cared little for such trivialities.

Or rather, this was exactly what Alaric wanted.

Iskandar had already understood Alaric's intentions—he sought to leave behind only the strongest Servants for battle.

No matter who it was, they would all be forced into an alliance.

"Rider—"

Waver, who rarely had much say before his Servant, instinctively spoke up, but before he could continue, Iskandar's large hand pressed down on his head.

With his usual booming laughter, Iskandar said:

"Master of Lancer, though I have agreed to work with you, do not underestimate my Master!"

"Of course."

Kayneth, biting the inside of his cheek, replied indifferently:

"Now then, Saber, what about you? If it's that Magus Killer, he'll surely join forces with me."

Almost at the same moment, Emiya Kiritsugu's cold voice followed:

"That's right. I will work with you."

Entering the courtyard shortly after Kayneth, Emiya Kiritsugu was accompanied by Irisviel.

"Irisviel?!"

Upon seeing Irisviel, Artoria instinctively called out.

How had Emiya Kiritsugu managed to take Irisviel away from Merlin?

Though Kiritsugu had not shared his plans with Artoria, she could easily deduce that with Alaric away, Merlin would have stayed behind.

As the magus who had taught her swordsmanship, Merlin's combat ability was far beyond what Kiritsugu could handle.

Under such circumstances, how had Kiritsugu done it?

Before Artoria could ask, Irisviel kindly explained:

"That Merlin gentleman let me go. Though I have no idea why."

"Merlin?"

Hearing this, Artoria's brows furrowed slightly. Her first instinct was to question and consider the possibility of Merlin scheming something.

Merlin would never release Irisviel so easily. What was he up to?

Before Artoria could contemplate further, Kiritsugu had already begun discussing tactics against Alaric with Kayneth.

Kiritsugu was fully aware that Alaric's strength was not something a single Servant could handle—only by joining forces could they stand a chance.

And the best time to strike was after Alaric had fought Gilgamesh.

...

Meanwhile…

Under the cover of the night, Alaric arrived at the Tohsaka estate. After conversing with Tohsaka Tokiomi, he successfully gained unrestricted access to the Tohsaka library—just as he had at the Matou residence.

Gilgamesh, who had also returned to the Tohsaka estate, had no interest in accompanying Alaric to browse books.

Instead, under Tokiomi's slightly gloomy gaze, he continued enjoying his fine wine.

As Kotomine Kirei, the disciple of Tohsaka Tokiomi, followed Alaric around, he occasionally voiced his doubts about Alaric's actions and objectives.

Alaric, however, was not bothered and patiently explained his purpose, as well as the situation regarding the corruption of the Holy Grail.

"By the way, Kirei, you have a child, don't you?"

Alaric, flipping through an ancient tome, casually remarked, "If I remember correctly, her name is Caren?"

"You seem to know quite a lot, Mr. Alaric."

For the first time, Kotomine Kirei, usually composed and indifferent, showed a noticeable emotional fluctuation, seemingly surprised that Alaric knew about Caren's existence.

"I don't know everything—I only know what I know."

Sensing something, Alaric paused his reading and turned his gaze toward a pile of gemstones in the corner not far away.

"It looks like we have a visitor."

Holding a tome on the Second Magic, Alaric looked at the pile of gemstones before him. Given that the Tohsaka family was renowned for their gemstone magecraft, having a pile of jewels in their library seemed normal—

Alaric tried to convince himself of this, but something felt off.

Under Alaric's gaze, the pile of gemstones began to radiate a dazzling brilliance. A flowing light, like liquid, enveloped each gemstone, transforming the already solid gems into liquid form.

From the gemstones emerged a tall elderly man, clad in a simple yet dignified suit adorned with embedded jewels.

His apparent age was in his sixties, with messy white hair slicked back. Though his face bore the sternness of an old man, his lively expression made him look closer to being in his fifties.

"The Jewel Sage—Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg."

Even though they had never met before, Alaric instantly recognized the man before him.

He was one of the world's only five True Magicians, the wielder of the Second Magic: Kaleidoscope.

A disciple of Solomon, the King of Magecraft, and one of the oldest magi still active since before the Common Era.

The progenitor of Jewel Magecraft, the pinnacle of mineral-based sorcery.

He was also the witness to the creation of the Fuyuki Holy Grail.

This elderly man carried many titles, including "Marshal of Magecraft," "Jewel Sage," "Kaleidoscope," and "Old Man of Time."

"Nice to meet you, future guest."

The tall old man, Zelretch, smiled warmly. His hearty grin had an uncanny ability to make people lower their guard.

"And how should I address you?"

Still holding the tome, Alaric maintained his composure and smiled. "Should I call you the Marshal of Magecraft? The Second Magician? Or simply Zelretch?"

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg—the wielder of the Second Magic, capable of traversing parallel worlds.

The transformation of the gemstone pile earlier was undoubtedly caused by Zelretch's interdimensional movement. That meant the Jewel Sage had entered this world from beyond it.

This also meant that Alaric's actions had not escaped Zelretch's watchful eye.

What does he want?

If there was anyone Alaric feared, Zelretch was at the top of that list. As the Second Magician who once annihilated the Crimson Moon, Zelretch possessed unfathomable power.

Moreover, he had been a witness to the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, and his apprentice, Tohsaka Nagato, was one of the founders of the Three Great Families.

All of these factors combined made the presence of the Jewel Sage a cause for deep concern—especially for Alaric, who was preparing an intricate plan to claim the Holy Grail.

Although Zelretch had long taken the stance of a spectator, merely observing the world like an amused grandfather watching his mischievous grandchildren, he was also known for offering cryptic advice to those on the verge of failure.

He remained a bystander—unless something directly threatened him or the world itself.

If it were merely about the Holy Grail War, Alaric wouldn't be too worried since his actions were still within acceptable boundaries.

But Alaric also sought to delve into the realm of the Second Magic.

That was the true transgression.

It wasn't just about the Third Magic—Heaven's Feel—embedded in the Holy Grail system; Alaric also intended to explore the Second Magic—Kaleidoscope.

Even though he couldn't hope to fully master True Magic, merely being able to manipulate aspects of it would be enough for his goals.

After all, even Goetia had used a feat as grand as Reverse Flow Canal—Genesis Light-Year, which was merely an application of the Fifth Magic, not a true mastery of it.

Countless thoughts raced through Alaric's mind in an instant.

He had no idea what he had done to warrant Zelretch appearing before him in person.

But pondering in isolation would never yield answers. The old man standing before him was quick to speak again.

"You can just call me Zelretch!"

Zelretch laughed heartily, seemingly unconcerned with how Alaric addressed him.

Casually, he took the tome on the Second Magic from Alaric's hands and said, "I'll call you Alaric-kun—hope you don't mind?"

"No problem. Respect for elders comes first."

Seeing Zelretch take the tome, Alaric wasn't discouraged. Instead, he maintained a calm demeanor and continued conversing with him.

"Normally, I'd exchange some pleasantries with you first, but now doesn't seem like the right time for that."

Alarid locked eyes with Zelretch. "Can you tell me, Mr. Zelretch, why have you come to this world?"

As a wielder of the Second Magic, Zelretch had essentially transcended the confines of Earth.

Unless it was an event that directly impacted the planet or himself, he would typically remain an observer.

Hearing Alaric's question, Zelretch nodded and said,

"You should already know the answer, don't you? I came all this way just for you."

"How so?"

Alaric, keeping his composure, met Zelretch's gaze with a steady expression.

"You understand, don't you? As the Second Magician, I've seen everything that has happened since you entered this world."

As they walked through the Tohsaka library, Zelretch handed Alaric various books on the Second Magic while speaking.

"Of course, I was also aware of what happened before that."

"The Star of Humany's vessel… I've watched your journey closely. You are an anomaly—one that could bring new possibilities to this world."

Then, with his back turned to Alaric, Zelretch's tone turned icy.

"But you should know—I am merely an observer. Unless something threatens this world, I do not interfere."

Then…

Alaric halted, staring at the towering figure before him.

At that moment, the weight of Zelretch's presence seemed to crush the space around him.

Now, Alaric was certain.

Zelretch was not here because of the Tohsaka family or the Holy Grail.

Then what was his purpose?

As Alaric reached his conclusion, Zelretch finally spoke:

"Leave this world. Leave all worlds that exist within the Human Order."