Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [433] (Patreon)

"Shadow Border, begin surfacing!" Goredolf barked, his expression tense. "I won't say it again—move quickly!"

After parting ways with Alaric, the Chaldea team spent two days reaching the Scandinavian Peninsula. After some discussion, they began a ten-kilometer dive through imaginary space.

But this time, something unprecedented happened during the dive.

Imaginary space is a space that shouldn't exist. At this moment, there should be nothing but the submarine—but the Shadow Border encountered an unknown entity.

Impossible to observe, impossible to confirm.

The only certainty: it was real.

This unprecedented crisis only added to Chaldea's difficulties, and the new director, Goredolf, immediately ordered an emergency surfacing.

After all, this imaginary dive was different from their time in Russia—they had no special ties to the Scandinavian Lostbelt. Surfacing at any moment could bring unpredictable danger.

"No problem~! Since everyone's ready, I'll give it my all!"

In the engine room, Da Vinci-chan grinned. "Meunière, switch to manual control. The safety system will forcibly brake in automatic mode."

"No way?!"

Meunière, shocked as he switched to manual, exclaimed, "Isn't this what the manufacturer called an unintended use not in the design specs?!"

The operation Da Vinci was about to perform was thrilling just to imagine.

"Enough talk. Holmes, please take over the console—let's split up the controls!"

Da Vinci winked. "Activating the planar lunar navigation chart. Positive and negative convergence initiated. Shadow Border will soon surface in real space.

Navigating the boundary. Contact—though the earth melts, I remain.

The gravitational pull from real space applies.

Offset between target coordinates and real-space perception: confirmed within 0.4 seconds! Within acceptable limits—departing now!"

"Surfacing from imaginary space. Thirty seconds to real space—imaginary dive ending. Surfacing imminent!"

A short while later—

"Senpai, we've reached the summit."

Once the Shadow Border surfaced into real space and officially entered the Lostbelt, Mash Kyrielight and Master Ritsuka Fujimaru formed the advance team for initial exploration.

The result—

"Fire."

Before Ritsuka Fujimaru lay a boundless, silver-white world. Endless snow-capped mountains stretched to the horizon—but blue flames covered the snowy expanse.

The world was transformed into a domain of fire.

"Fire?"

Mash recognized the blue flames. "That's impossible as a natural phenomenon—it must be magical. White ice and blue flames covering the mountains... this is the Scandinavian Lostbelt."

"Not just that, Mash—look at the sky."

Ritsuka looked up. "Something's off up there too."

An unbelievably huge sun, several times its normal size, hung in the sky.

"Thank you. We've confirmed it via video."

Projected through communications, Holmes nodded. "The sun is indeed larger than before. But the sun's expansion shouldn't happen for billions of years. Even if the Lostbelt can drastically alter reality, if the sun turned into a red giant, not just snow and ice—Earth would be a desert."

"So, it's not really the sun?"

Ritsuka asked, "If the environment hasn't changed, then that thing must just be disguising itself as the sun?"

"A sun in our eyes, but not actually the sun?"

Holmes looked thoughtful. "I don't recall any related Norse legends, but I'll investigate.

As for the flames Miss Kyrielight and Miss Fujimaru saw—mysterious for sure, clearly magical territory. I'd wager it's connected to the Crypters."

"Spot on as always!"

Mash praised. "Just hearing Mr. Sherlock Holmes reminds people of those keen eyes that see through any situation and his mesmerizing logic!"

"Haha, thank you, Miss Kyrielight," Holmes laughed. "Your praise for the novels based on my adventures is a bit embarrassing—but sometimes compliments are nice."

Holmes raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Fou?"

Suddenly, the little white beast in the sub went wild, leaping about as if agitated.

Before Mash could ask, a rumbling explosion erupted below.

Ritsuka thought she might know why Fou was upset.

From the forest below, giants several meters tall slowly stood, moving en masse—heading for the submarine.

"Mash, prepare for battle."

Without hesitation, sensing hostility from the giants, Ritsuka narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Holmes, did you not detect the giants approaching?"

"Giants?! So that's it—this is bad!"

Holmes instantly understood and quickly cut the transmission.

Ritsuka, seeing this, said, "No time to assess—Mash, engage!"

"Yes!"

Although Mash had considered trying to communicate with the giants, Ritsuka's determination made her abandon the idea.

Thud.

With the Ortenaus exoskeleton, Mash's combat strength was back at Heroic Spirit levels. These giants, with Ritsuka's support, were no match!

Boom!

Mash leapt, spinning her round table shield—several tons of weapon moving as easily as a toy. With a sweeping arc, she smashed the five-meter-tall giant!

In a flash, the giant was sent flying!

"Summon!"

At the same time, Ritsuka performed a quick Servant summon. Instantly, a shadow dashed forth, leaving faint footprints in the snow.

Buzz.

A dazzling sword flash cut down another giant, blood spraying vividly in the white world.

The summoned Servant: the Knight of the Round Table, Lancelot!

The fight ended quickly—the giants were repelled in a flash.

Soon after, Holmes reported back.

"I analyzed the footage and battle data. Your opponents were something new—not Heroic Spirits or magical beasts, but giants."

Holmes explained, "Enormous humanoids from Norse legend, not meant to exist in 21st-century Scandinavia—giants from the Age of Gods."

"So this Lostbelt is a Norse world where divine creatures survive—"

Ritsuka mused, "Does that mean—"

"The Age of Gods hasn't ended?"

Mash was shocked. "Is that possible?"

"Generally impossible. That's why Da Vinci and Director Goredolf keep shouting 'impossible'."

Holmes sighed. "Let's set that aside for now. The sub didn't detect the giants because the database lacked relevant data, but now it's updated. Also, the snow is an issue.

All the snow carries a faint magical charge—too weak for most magi to notice, but enough to mask the giants' approach."

After a brief explanation,

Holmes said, "You'd better come back. We'll discuss this further later."

…

"We're back." Mash and Ritsuka returned to the sub, relaxing as they shed their gear.

Mash smiled. "The exoskeleton performed perfectly—thank you."

This trip was not just for intel, but also to test Mash's exoskeleton—it wasn't yet a finished product.

"Great, great!"

Da Vinci, now out of the engine room, nodded. "Goredolf is resting due to nerves—maybe the stress of surfacing was too much."

"Or maybe he's been worrying nonstop about whether to send out a scouting party," Meunière sighed. "That guy—"

"Even so, being able to tense up at the first sign of danger and order a retreat is an important leadership trait!" Da Vinci said. "Director Goredolf is excellent at that. He really treats his agents' safety as his own concern.

Was he raised by strict parents? Didn't Sir Alaric know his father? Maybe he knows the inside story."

Da Vinci paused. "Anyway, you two had it rough. Most giants are from the Age of Gods—even magi rarely see them in the flesh.

In regions with deep mystery, a few survivors can become threats, only to be slain by heroes of their era.

Even among the seven eras you've shifted through, you've never seen ancient giants, let alone in the 21st century!"

It was almost unbelievable.

Even Da Vinci, now, found it hard to accept.

"That was probably a Jötunn."

Holmes, appearing unnoticed, nodded. "In myth, Norse cosmology had nine realms—two of which, Niflheim (ice) and Muspelheim (fire), clashed to create rime.

The rime became a river of poison, which met Muspelheim's heat and became a giant.

That's the giant Ymir, origin of Norse giants."

"Many giants were born from Ymir's body—called frost giants, or Jötnar."

Holmes continued, "Some Jötnar even intermarried with the gods, producing new giants or gods. Most survivors became later cave giants—but what you encountered were definitely Jötnar."

He hadn't finished speaking when alarms blared throughout the sub.

"Damn, is the sensor broken?!"

Meunière banged on the machine. "Ritsuka, Holmes! There's a massive magical energy reading near the sub! It's like a magical core—as strong as the Greater Grail or Dimension of Steam!"

"What?!"

Everyone was startled. Meunière cursed, "Damn it, no warning at all! It just appeared on the empty snowfield!"

"Probably a Servant—just materialized," Holmes calmly said. "Meunière, what's the composition?"

"Spirit origin structure is similar to Chaldea's, but the color frame's a bit different."

Meunière called, "It's getting closer, and the magical energy is filled with a terrifying curse—what do we do?"

"If it's still searching for us, it hasn't pinpointed our location yet," Holmes nodded. "But the sub's camouflage isn't perfect; it's only a matter of time before we're found."

The sub's camouflage could only delay the inevitable.

"We're good against magic detection, but if it searches physically—"

Da Vinci frowned. "So what's the plan? Stay quiet and hope for the best?"

"We strike first. We can't let it reach the sub."

Ritsuka's face was serious. "Da Vinci, can we still dive into imaginary space?"

"There's plenty of magical energy here. Power's restored fast—"

Da Vinci quickly calculated. "Leave it to me—but buy me time while the engine warms up!"

"Let's go then, Miss Kyrielight, Miss Fujimaru," Holmes said, taking the lead. "Only you two and I can fight. This time, I can't stay behind."

Seeing Holmes join, Ritsuka didn't object, and the three left the sub for the outside.

Goredolf, arriving too late, could only watch helplessly as they left.

Outside, Holmes, Ritsuka, and Mash immediately saw the Servant who had been avoiding surveillance.

Overwhelming, unmatched power.

Ritsuka even hallucinated seeing Alaric.

Can we win?

Ritsuka's pupils shrank; her body trembled—but fear did not defeat her. Instead, she stood even firmer on the battlefield.

"One human, two Heroic Spirits."

The nameless Servant approached, exuding deadly, cursed magical energy.

"Mash, get ready—"

Ritsuka gritted her teeth and slowly raised her hand.

At the same instant, the nameless Servant moved. Mash dashed forward to intercept—but the result was obvious.

A one-sided battle ensued. Holmes, sensing something, didn't attack—instead, he guarded Ritsuka.

Boom!

A massive fist crashed onto the round table shield, sending a shockwave that knocked Ritsuka to the ground.

But at that moment, her voice rang out.

"Summon!"

She meant to call a simplified shadow Servant, without full consciousness, just to fight.

Buzz!

Magic surged through the summoning ritual, connecting an intangible bond. The responder would appear as a Servant.

A familiar pale blue light intertwined before her.

This was perhaps the first time someone had truly answered her call.

When the glow faded—a Spirit Origin both familiar and strange emerged.

Thud.

Without even a moment's conversation, the knight dashed past Holmes to Mash's side, wielding the Sword of Promised Victory—

Buzz!

A radiant aurora burst forth, expanding as if to rend heaven and earth!

The blinding aurora swept past, tearing up the ground itself.

But Mash, stunned, looked back—

"Servant Saber, summoned in response."

The knight stood with sword in hand, serene, but with a faint smile. "Tell me, are you my Master?"

Amidst the swirling snow and magic, the Chaldea team saw only one thing. "No way?"

Da Vinci-chan nearly stopped prepping the engines in shock, but Meunière managed to keep things running.

Goredolf, watching the battlefield, was shivering with anxiety—but also excitement. "Ohhh! Is this our savior?!"

The pressure from the nameless Servant was immense—his magical power rivaled the Greater Grail itself. Chaldea could barely keep up.

But now that this newcomer had arrived, maybe everything would be okay?

Unlike the optimistic Goredolf, Da Vinci's expression was complicated. She recalled a theory she and her original self once discussed at Chaldea: "Imitating Merlin's method of manifesting as a Heroic Spirit in the past."

But that theory was abandoned because Alaric could move freely between worlds—the power of a Servant's manifestation was less than Alaric's own.

Still, there was an advantage: Alaric wouldn't be in danger, since affecting the original through a Servant had never been seen.

Yet, Alaric had appeared—as a Servant.

Da Vinci wasn't sure if another version of herself was behind this, but she knew for certain: Alaric was now on their side—

Meanwhile, everyone outside watched the sudden arrival of the knight.

Normally, summoning a proper Servant required the round table at a leyline node. Ritsuka's usual quick summons couldn't call a proper Servant.

That rule seemed broken now.

Moreover, even Ritsuka, who usually fought with summoned shadows, knew the iron law—Heroic Spirits can only be summoned if they have already died.

The figure before her was so vivid, yet so sad.

"He's not dead—he's like Merlin, manifesting as a Servant,"

Though Ritsuka and Da Vinci's conversation was unknown to him, Holmes quickly deduced, "Sir Alaric has Independent Manifestation. Short of casting him into the Seat of Evils of Humanity, he won't die.

With that skill, he can appear as a Servant even in a time he never existed.

After all, Merlin said he could be summoned before his birth, right? In our world, Alaric was never born."

"Huh? Oh!"

Ritsuka's mind lagged, but finally caught up—there was nothing to be sad about.

The conversation didn't reach the battlefield, which was now split three ways:

Mash fighting the nameless Servant, and the knight—Alaric—arriving.

Seeing Alaric, Mash was too stunned to speak. Her heart overflowed with things to say—too many for words.

"Mash, this time, we fight side by side."

Alaric, manifesting as a knight, held the Sword of the End, his armor similar to Lancelot's, much like Mash's own.

Mash immediately stood by Alaric, shouting, "Please take care of me, Sir Alaric!"

Having experienced countless battles, Mash saw that Alaric's current state was not his peerless knight self, but a Servant limited by standard Spirit Origin.

But there must be a deeper meaning!

Mash thought so.

"A Heroic Spirit? A dragon?"

The nameless Servant's gaze landed on Alaric. This unfamiliar knight evoked a new reaction.

That sword flash earlier was astonishing—its power amplified by the divine environment, reaching Noble Phantasm level.

It seemed strong, but to him, it was nothing.

"Eliminate."

No hesitation—just one task.

Draw the magic sword, and slay the opponent.

That was all.

The nameless Servant drew his blade—crimson, glowing with ominous energy. Alaric, beside Mash, frowned.

He recognized this Servant—Sigurd.

The Volsunga Saga calls him the King of Warriors, a great hero.

Some episodes of his tragic tale were adapted into the Nibelungenlied, which became widely known.

Whether he and Siegfried are the same remains uncertain.

It's unclear which of them slew the legendary evil dragon—perhaps both slew different dragons.

But judging by the situation, they're different people—Alaric has met Siegfried before.

But this opponent was overwhelmingly strong—clearly beyond a normal Servant's level.

Is this the Crypters's Servant privilege?

Aside from his outrageous stats, what troubled Alaric was Sigurd's anti-dragon ability and magic sword.

Sigurd, the dragon-slaying hero, had abilities similar to Siegfried's.

The magic sword Gram possessed both solar attributes and rare magical properties—a divine weapon bestowed by Odin, symbolizing glory, envy, ruin, and fate.

It was once given to him by Gilgamesh as a reward. In Sigurd's hands, its power was unique.

Then there was the curse in his magical energy—immense and dangerous.

As if mere contact would invoke a divine curse.

Assessing Sigurd's strengths, Alaric grinned. "We can do this!"

The goal wasn't to defeat the great hero Sigurd, but to buy time for Chaldea's retreat. That, he could do!

Bang!

Alaric and Mash charged from both sides, stirring up blizzards.

"Hyaaah!"

Mash leapt, spinning her shield—the strength in her arms could shatter mountains. This blow could crack the earth!

Sigurd, raising his head, eyes glowing red, faced Mash's powerful attack. Among Heroic Spirits, her raw strength was formidable.

But the deadlier strike came from the other side.

Swish.

With barely any time to react, a devastating attack followed!

Clang!

A crisp sword ring tore through the sky, splitting the blizzard.

A black sword flash stretched dozens of meters, like an aurora, turning the area into a polar star.

The shockwaves blew the snow away.

Sigurd caught Alaric's sword with one hand, Mash's shield with the other!