Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [404] (Patreon)

In what is called the Pan-Human History, there certainly existed others known as Ivan the Terrible, but he had long since remained in the years gone by.

Yet, in this world, things are different.

In this land known as the Russian Lostbelt, Ivan the Terrible is still alive, having survived for centuries and ruling the world as Tsar.

All of this divergence began hundreds of years ago, during the time when Ivan the Terrible was still human.

A meteor fell from the heavens, bringing with it a long ice age. Endless blizzards swept across the globe, leading to the extinction of humankind.

However, Ivan the Terrible, who was already accustomed to living in snow and ice, joined forces with the court magicians and created a technology that fused humans with magical beasts.

Thus, the Yaga were born.

Although they gained bodies far stronger than those of the old humans, their energy consumption also increased exponentially as a result.

For survival, they had to spend every day hunting.

Even if they succeeded in the hunt, they still had to hand over most of it to Ivan the Terrible; refusing would only result in the punitive action of his personal guard units.

In this cruel world, the law of the jungle was the only truth.

This was the understanding Alaric had of this Lostbelt after three months.

Aside from the customs and landscape of the Lostbelt itself, there was also—

Walking through the mountains and fields, Alaric lifted his head and gazed toward the end of the world.

The world was not vast, but rather like a caged bird.

A silent wall of storm stood at the world's end, encircling all of Russia.

That was the boundary of the Lostbelt.

It had appeared three months ago, together with the Fantasy Tree.

It not only demarcated the limits of the Lostbelt but also restricted Alaric’s area of activity.

He could not fully take hold of this anomalous planet.

Alaric didn’t think much of it, whistling as he leisurely crossed over the mountains.

Ninety days was more than enough for him. If not for waiting for the Fantasy Tree to completely overwrite the anomaly, he could have started his plan even earlier.

“Knock knock.”

After a long journey, Alaric arrived at a certain village and knocked on a door.

Moments later, Mash, who opened the door cautiously, instantly widened her eyes in shock and blurted out, “Sir Alaric!”

Hearing Mash’s startled exclamation, Ritsuka Fujimaru hurried over and, upon seeing Alaric in his winter clothing, also exclaimed, “Sir Alaric! What are you doing here?”

“What? That guy called Alaric showed up here too?”

A virtual screen immediately popped up. Goredolf, gritting his teeth, glared fiercely at Alaric—the man who had once saved his life but now seemed to be working with that wretched Koyanskaya—and demanded, “I’m asking you, is Koyanskaya here too?!”

“Eh, Sir Alaric? How did you sneak out like this?!”

A projection of Da Vinci-chan quickly popped up, asking, “Sir Alaric, where’s the other me? What are you all doing? And what’s going on with this Singularity?”

“That’s right, Sir Alaric. Since you’ve shown yourself, please explain.”

Holmes, with his pipe in his mouth, chuckled lightly. “After all, we’re still completely in the dark here.”

“That’s a bit hard to say.”

Alaric glanced at the furnishings inside the wooden house and said, “This is Patxi’s house, isn’t it? Did someone else take care of him for you?”

“Mr. Alaric knows Mr. Patxi?”

Mash asked in surprise, “Mr. Patxi met Senpai and me out in the snow. He kindly took us back to his house, and thanks to him, we’ve come to understand a bit about this Russia.

As for Mr. Patxi, he’s out hunting now. Just earlier, Mr. Holmes gave him some information about hunting spots.”

“We’ve only met a few times. Patxi’s mind is different from the other Yaga, after all.”

Familiar with the place, Alaric walked right in, inviting Ritsuka and Mash to sit. Raising his hand, he conjured black tea and snacks out of thin air, saying casually, “What would you like to eat? I’ve got everything!”

“I’ll have the same as Mash!”

“And I’ll have the same as Senpai!”

“Are you two teasing me?”

Alaric ultimately chose the tea he drank most often in Chaldea, and—at the strong request of the absent Goredolf—poured in lots of milk.

“Oh! If you’re with us, I’d never have to worry about my life! What kind of magecraft is this? You can actually create food like this?”

Gordolf couldn’t help but exclaim, “You must register this as a patent at the Association!”

If there were someone like Alaric in imaginary space, his life would surely be much more comfortable than it is now—he wouldn’t even have to worry about food shortages!

“It’s called Marble Phantasm, Director.”

Alaric took off his heavy coat and smiled. “But the patent would probably belong to a True Ancestor, right?”

“What?! How can a human like you use that?”

Goredolf blinked, finding it hard to accept that a human could use Marble Phantasm.

After all, that was supposed to be a power only spirits like True Ancestors could wield.

“Let’s put that aside for now. Sir Alaric, can you tell us about this Singularity?”

Holmes interrupted Goredolf, while Da Vinci-chan nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! And I want to know how the other me is doing, too.”

“Well, I’ll say what I can.”

Sipping his tea, Alaric pondered for a moment, then spoke under Mash and Ritsuka’s expectant gazes: “This Russia can’t really be called a Singularity, since it’s not something that twisted human history—it’s another possibility for humanity.”

“So that’s how it is—”

From Patxi, they had learned the current year was 2019, and the initial divergence had occurred 450 years ago. Holmes and Da Vinci had already guessed as much, but Alaric’s confirmation sealed it.

Alaric continued, “I don’t need to explain the theory of pruned phenomena, right? Miss Fujimaru, you can ask Holmes or Da Vinci-chan about it later. You don’t mind if I call you that, right, Da Vinci-chan?”

“Of course! After all, the other me is still around, so call me whatever you like!”

Da Vinci-chan grinned. “It’s my turn now, so tell us, Sir Alaric!”

“Nope!”

Alaric’s eyes curved with a smile. “That’s a secret between me and Lady Da Vinci.

Well, aside from that, let’s talk about the current state of the Earth.”

As Alaric spoke of the present world, Ritsuka and Mash immediately became serious, while Holmes and Da Vinci-chan fixed their gaze on Alaric.

Only Goredolf, still shocked by the idea of pruned phenomena, blurted, “Wait, wait, explain! What’s a pruned phenomenon? Isn’t this just like a Singularity, like the incineration of humanity?”

“Pruned phenomena are histories of failed choices and failed progress, histories of losers, which are cut off as ‘unnecessary things’ and even abandoned by parallel worlds—the so-called ‘dead-end human histories.’”

Da Vinci-chan explained, “So this is a Lostbelt? It’s not just a distortion of one era or location, but an entire human history changed—a possibility for mankind, now manifest.”

“Exactly. A Lostbelt is like a second playthrough, a comeback.”

Alaric went on: “And after the Fantasy Tree took root, the invasion of the entire Earth actually began. The world’s destruction continued for three months before it ended.

In other words, the moment you set foot here, the world was completely bleached.

That’s probably called the Lostbelt Filtering Phenomenon—a direct attack on Earth based on this Lostbelt’s history.

Among the many unknown Lostbelts, there are even stronger things, weapons that enforce the possibility of Pan-Human History.

The Earth has become a totally bleached planet.”

“So my beloved Hawaiian Islands, the Monaco GP, and even the dreamy Suzuka Circuit have all disappeared?!”

Unable to accept this reality, Goredolf shouted.

“What about that tree and the storm wall?”

Holmes asked, “That gigantic tree—”

The mysterious giant tree standing behind Moscow, as Patxi described, had appeared three months ago. Could it be considered part of the invasion?

“That’s the Fantasy Tree, the cornerstone for the Lostbelt’s manifestation.”

Alaric explained, “It initializes the planet, creates new myths, and draws mana from the leylines.

Without the Fantasy Tree, real-world invasion is impossible. It’s also the keystone for the Filtering Phenomenon, located at the center of the Lostbelt.

If you want to end this Lostbelt, you have to defeat the Lostbelt King and cut down the Fantasy Tree.”

“I see.”

Holmes nodded, then asked, “And what kind of being is the Lostbelt King?”

“Obviously, it’s the strongest being in the Lostbelt. Didn’t Patxi tell you? Ivan the Terrible, that top-tier monster rivaling a chief god.”

Alaric set down his tea and smiled, “He’s a terrifying monster—the first Yaga. After centuries of growth, he’s become the pinnacle of monsters, wielding immense power over this country—the Emperor.

It was on his orders that Chaldea was attacked before. You’ve seen his daughter, haven’t you? Anastasia, the beloved daughter of the Tsar.”

Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, the youngest daughter of Nicholas II, the last emperor of the Romanov dynasty.

Originally, even as a Servant, she wouldn’t have possessed much power, but due to the interference of the Lostbelt, she gained the power of Viy, making her extraordinarily strong.

“So, is our job to correct this Lostbelt?”

After a pause, Ritsuka asked, “To cut down the Fantasy Tree and end this Lostbelt.”

“That’s right, but you need to think carefully, Miss Fujimaru.”

Alaric interlaced his fingers in front of his mouth.

A pair of reflective glasses, appearing from who knows where, glinted eerily, giving off a sense of oppressive scrutiny.

“Ritsuka Fujimaru, this may be a war to save your world, but this world won’t be saved at all. In fact, your intervention will only ensure its total destruction.

Unlike Singularities, there’s no chance for reversal. The Lostbelt is already a history of losers—you’re just pushing them back into the grave.

But in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ll be the one to destroy this entire world. Since you’ve met Patxi, in the end, you’ll be the one to destroy his country, his world, and possibly Patxi himself.

This is a war for survival—kill or be killed. Don’t let your heart soften, Miss Fujimaru.”

“How could this be—”

Ritsuka hadn’t spoken yet, but Mash, unable to accept this, wore a look of disbelief.

How could something so cruel—

“What about you, Sir Alaric?”

Da Vinci-chan, calm and composed, asked, “Since you chose to appear now and explained so much, what is your plan?”

“My path isn’t much different from yours—I’ll defeat Ivan the Terrible and destroy the Fantasy Tree.”

Alaric stood up. “But, well, the details will differ a bit.”

“Oh, right, there’s a resistance here, isn’t there? A coalition of Servants and Yaga fighting against Ivan the Terrible’s tyranny. You should check them out.”

Remembering something, Alaric added, “That Servant is humanity’s counterattack—a Servant summoned jointly by Alaya and Gaia.”