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Following Rasputin’s gaze, Alaric naturally also noticed the silent Alien Priestess, and instantly fell into silence.

The true identity of the Priestess remained unknown; all that was certain was that she had appeared in Chaldea long ago, yet no one had ever discovered her presence.

Perhaps as the last Master of humanity, Ritsuka Fujimaru might have sensed something, but it was always like an illusion—something that simply left no trace in memory.

Even for Alaric, he could only retain a fleeting impression of the Alien Priestess’s appearance—after all, Alaric was highly sensitive to the presence of gazes.

During the year after Chaldea’s Servants had withdrawn, Alaric had sensed unknown eyes upon him in Chaldea many times, but his perception never revealed any extraneous entities.

Thus, Alaric only knew that something was secretly watching, but he could never find it.

It wasn’t until the end of that year, after returning from the Underworld, that Alaric finally uncovered the true identity of the watcher—it was, as expected, the Alien Priestess, though her true nature remained unclear.

But perhaps she was someone Chaldea was already familiar with.

Without any pretense, Alaric calmly met the Priestess’s gaze.

His intentions could not be hidden from her; after all, such a grand undertaking could not possibly leave no trace behind.

He was not like the seventy-two Demon God Pillars led by King Goetia, who could accomplish great feats with just a glance.

Even with Da Vinci’s help, Alaric still needed the assistance of other devices to accomplish his own great work.

Priestess could not be detected by any observation equipment; she could only be observed through direct sight.

Alaric relied mostly on his own intuition to perceive her presence.

And after seeing the Priestess, Alaric also understood the true reason for Rasputin’s appearance.

It wasn’t for Anastasia but for the Priestess.

The specific reason was still unknown, but Alaric was certain that the only problem he now faced was the one before him.

“Since you’ve come out, do you have anything to say?”

Alaric spoke naturally, “I’m all ears.”

“…………”

The Priestess silently watched Alaric. As the swirling snow and wind gradually swallowed their figures, she finally spoke in a whisper.

“■,■■■■■■■?”

Her flat words were drowned out by the wind and snow; it seemed no one could discern what she had actually said.

Not even Alaric.

….

The interlude that had taken place outside Moscow ended quickly. After the Priestess left, Rasputin also departed and returned to Moscow.

Kadoc, who had been monitoring Moscow through Anastasia, couldn’t help but tense up, his rapidly working mind unable to reach a conclusion.

If Alaric attacked again, he would surely fail.

“Damn it, I have to move up the schedule—”

With a dark expression, Kadoc knew he had to bring his plan forward.

Alaric’s objective was clear: to defeat Ivan the Terrible.

This wasn’t really a problem for Kadoc. After all, just as Alaric and Rasputin had said, Ivan’s death would be a cause for celebration for everyone. Using his considerable authority to restrain the Fantasy Tree’s roots was something Kadoc, as a Crypter, had to resolve.

As a Crypter, Kadoc’s primary mission was to ensure the Fantasy Tree took root and that the Lostbelt expanded.

Expanding the territory could be set aside for now, as victory was nearly certain.

But Kadoc had his own objectives to fulfill, and for that, the Fantasy Tree had to take root.

For the tree to do so, Ivan the Terrible was an obstacle that had to be overcome. Even before Chaldea arrived, Kadoc had been pondering how to deal with Ivan.

He had finally finished his plans for after Chaldea’s arrival, but Alaric’s actions had unsettled everything.

Kadoc couldn’t determine why Alaric wanted to kill Ivan. As an Apostle, he shouldn’t be doing this.

Was it for Chaldea’s sake?

No matter the reason, Kadoc could clearly feel Alaric’s unwavering resolve—one that could not be shaken by outsiders—and his own helplessness to stop it.

If Ivan the Terrible awoke now, the destruction he would bring to the Lostbelt would be unimaginable. That was an outcome neither Kadoc nor Anastasia wanted to see.

“We have to cooperate with Chaldea—quickly—”

Kadoc immediately made up his mind. Seeing Alaric already returning toward Moscow, he decisively said to Anastasia, “Caster! Let’s go, we’re going to find Chaldea!”

After learning that Chaldea would surface in the Russian Lostbelt, Kadoc had made a simple plan: to use Chaldea’s power to deal with Ivan.

Kadoc could not summon the Heroic Spirits called forth by the foundation of humanity. Reluctant as he was to admit it, Chaldea and Ritsuka Fujimaru could do it.

Alaric had once mentioned the rebel army to Chaldea, and Kadoc was naturally aware of it—a force of Yaga led by a single Servant, forming a resistance.

But he had never sent Anastasia to suppress them.

If he did, he was sure she could resolve it, but to ensure he had enough power to deal with Ivan, he always held back.

Not just the rebels; through the Killing Hunters, Kadoc also learned of several other summoned Servants.

Kadoc could no longer afford to wait for Chaldea to gather enough strength—he had to contact them before Alaric made his move!

…

As Kadoc and Anastasia left Moscow, heading toward the coordinates of Chaldea’s last detected personnel—Fujimaru and Mash—

Far outside Moscow, Fujimaru gazed solemnly at the sky, in the direction of the city.

A voice sounded in her ear, coming from the Shadow Border submarine’s communications.

“That’s right. A short while ago, divine-level magical energy surged at Moscow’s location, along with Sir Alaric’s magical signature. He was in Moscow, fighting the Servant who attacked Chaldea—and a mysterious divine Servant!”

Holmes’ words were accompanied by a projected screen before Ritsuka, informing her about the recent battle in Moscow.

“Though it was only a small fluctuation, I can confirm it was Alaric and two other Servants. As for the reason, that’s unknown.”

Holmes frowned slightly, still unable to comprehend why Alaric was acting independently.

If it was to defeat Ivan, he could have waited to fight alongside Ritsuka—but what was the purpose of moving on his own?

It puzzled not just Holmes, but Ritsuka as well.

“What are you thinking, Sir Alaric?”