Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [437] (Patreon)

Snow and fire, two completely different physical phenomena, appeared together in this world.

But Alaric knew this was not simply a physical event. Rather, it was a spectacle created under the influence of far greater beings.

Two of them.

The result of a clash between two such entities.

After witnessing the flames covering the mountains, Alaric could draw this conclusion.

After successfully manifesting as a Servant, Alaric had hastily repelled Sigurd's attack, then retreated with Chaldea to a far-off place.

During this time, he hadn't paid attention to the outside world, nor had he witnessed its state firsthand. Before leaving, however, Da Vinci-chan had managed to take some photos from the Shadow Border as reference points.

Only after seeing it with his own eyes did Alaric truly understand the situation.

"This is really troublesome..."

Alaric sped across the snowfield on skis with astonishing speed, and not far away was Mash, carrying Ritsuka.

As a Master, Ritsuka's physical abilities were far weaker than those of Alaric (a Servant) and Mash (a Demi-Servant). If she tried to ski on her own, it would be impossible to keep up.

They traveled for a while. Even after reaching the plains, Alaric couldn't find the slightest sign of a leyline. The overwhelming magical energy covering the area further disrupted his senses.

"Mash, where are we, roughly?"

Alaric stopped, looked around, and casually asked, "How many kilometers have we traveled?"

"About ten or so kilometers," Mash replied as she set Ritsuka down. "Since we don't have satellite positioning, we can only roughly match our current location with Pan-Human History for an estimate. Ah, found it."

After quickly checking the map, Mash said, "We're on the Scandinavian Peninsula, southern Sweden, just above where Lake Vättern used to be."

"Lake Vättern?"

Hearing this, Alaric lowered his head and looked at the thick snow beneath him.

Lake Vättern is Sweden's second largest lake, only smaller than Lake Vänern.

Located in the south-central part of Sweden, between Jönköping and Askersund, it stretches northeast to southwest for 129 kilometers, with a maximum width of 26 kilometers, a depth of 118 meters, and an area of 1,912 square kilometers.

Such a massive lake had become a snowy, ice-covered valley—

Without much hesitation, Alaric formed an empty grip with his right hand. A slender aurora transformed into a spear of light and silently dropped down as Mash and Ritsuka looked on in confusion.

The falling spear of light did not create any mystical barrier. Ice, snow, earth, and magical energy were all silently transformed, driving the aurora deeper underground.

One meter, ten meters... As the distance reached dozens of meters, a dark passage appeared before Alaric's eyes.

"Sir Alaric, are you digging a hole to go ice fishing?"

Having seen elderly fishermen ice fishing back home, Ritsuka ran over curiously, "Aren't you going to use a fishing rod?"

"Fishing?"

Alaric, crouching by the hole, was surprised. "I don't want to come up empty-handed. There's obviously no fish under there, right?"

"True,"

Ritsuka squatted down as well, clearing the snow around the passage to widen it. "Then are you planning to check what's underneath?"

"Don't you need some sort of detection magecraft?"

Mash came closer too, curious. "Also, isn't it a bit small?"

The mark left by the spear of light was perfectly clean—a cylindrical passage about one centimeter in diameter—not big enough to fit any sort of detector.

"It's not small at all."

Alaric propped his chin up with one hand, staring into the dark hole. "The terrain has changed drastically; it's like the world has transformed."

From a lake to a snow-covered valley, such a change was enormous.

The crystalline coniferous forest seemed to be a product of magecraft, not normal plants. Even the sun above was clearly abnormal.

Too abnormal—this world.

Alaric looked up slightly, staring at the world above, at that sun, which was not a true sun, but rather a manifestation of mystery. Within it—

A giant's outline could be vaguely seen.

This was not something one could perceive with normal vision. Even for Alaric as he was now, it took the higher-dimensional perspective granted by Human Evil to catch a glimpse.

Yet even so, Alaric couldn't look for long—not only to avoid being noticed, but also due to the strain it put on him.

Rumble.

Just then, a sudden roar interrupted Alaric's thoughts. From deep within the coniferous forest, a series of booming sounds rang out—tree canopies started to shake as if some enormous creature was stirring the sea of trees.

"I just detected a large magical reaction nearby—a giant-type!"

Mash quickly reported, "We didn't encounter any while moving earlier—maybe because we've stayed in one place too long?"

Previously, because Alaric and the others were skiing, they didn't linger in any one area. Now, forced to slow down by terrain, they had stayed longer.

Did that attract the giants?

Alaric brushed the snow from his hands and stood, shielding Ritsuka behind him.

"So these are giants..."

Alaric watched as several enormous figures emerged from the forest. They were about five meters tall, dressed wild and unrestrained, their massive bodies fully exposed.

Even without precise weapons, their sheer strength rivaled that of Heroic Spirits, and their attacks could cause massive injuries.

This was Alaric's first time seeing giants, since his first opponent upon summoning was the great hero Sigurd.

"Get ready for battle, Mash."

Alaric flipped his wrist, and the holy sword granted by the Lion King—the Sword of End—silently appeared in his hand.

It was an echo of the past, but as a Servant, he could once again wield it.

"Yes!"

Shield in hand, Mash's eyes swept over Alaric's back, shouting, "Ready for battle!"

Ritsuka, meanwhile, did not attempt to summon any more Servants; just supplying Alaric and Mash was already a strain, let alone summoning more.

"Roar!!"

There was no need for words—the giants charged, shaking the earth with every step.

Each stride covered several meters, snow flying, the forest behind trembling!

If the rampaging giants were wild incarnate, then the swordsman who met them was the embodiment of death's blade.

Buzz.

The magic sword sliced through the air—a thin sword light raced toward the giants, growing larger in their eyes until it swept past, leaving behind a faint mist of blood.

No resistance at all; even the giants' formidable defenses were meaningless before that sword light.

What happened?

The giants didn't know. As that thought surfaced in their minds, the world turned upside down.

Only the bright, gem-like light in the youth's eyes remained eternal.

Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the ultimate future sight, eyes that see all things' death; even as a Servant, Alaric had not lost them.

He had not used this power against Sigurd, knowing the hard gap in strength. To force Sigurd into the death state would mean his own defeat.

So he could only settle for driving Sigurd off.

But against these giants, there was no contest!

Swish, swish. 

No flashy sword energy, no earth-shaking roar—only the silent blooming of deadly flowers on the snowy field.

The giants' blood, a deep red, burst into mist, freezing in the air and falling.

Precise, swift.

Each sword strike was fatal—decapitating, life-ending. In just a few breaths, all the giants had fallen, not a single one spared.

Thud, thud—headless bodies collapsed, blood gushing from their necks and pooling on the ground.

"Miss Fujimaru, can you handle the mana drain?"

Alaric, keeping his mana cost as low as possible, casually asked, "I didn't use much this time."

In this fight, aside from using Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Alaric had spent almost no mana—barely more than his daily upkeep.

Years of battle had honed his skills and mana control to perfection.

"No problem at all!"

Ritsuka gave a thumbs up and smiled, "The fight ended so fast Mash barely had a chance to do anything!"

Alaric had moved so quickly that Mash had only just engaged a giant when the battle ended.

Ritsuka, who had seen countless Heroic Spirits fight, was left in awe of Alaric's killing technique.

"I'm fine!"

Mash quickly explained, "Just being able to help Sir Alaric is enough!"

"That's good. These Jötunn types will yield plenty of material."

Alaric didn't put away his sword but smiled, "Their anatomy is different, but that's not a problem—I can handle it."

Da Vinci-chan needed materials to make Living Puppets—what are materials? The most valuable parts that can be extracted from these corpses.

After Alaric had finished dissecting the giants, separating flesh from bone, he froze the mystic- and mana-rich parts for storage in Mash's shield space.

Chaos Claws, Spirit Roots, Dragon Scales, Black Beast Fat—all could be found.

After packing up the loot, Alaric clapped his hands and said, "Materials won't be a problem. The leyline, though, is tricky—we need to find it before we run into Sigurd again."

According to Da Vinci-chan, Sigurd had deliberately targeted the Shadow Border soon after they arrived in the Lostbelt. That was no coincidence.

So, Sigurd must have some way of monitoring the Lostbelt—magically or otherwise. At the very least, it would be hard to hide from him.

Time was tight.

"Sigurd, huh..."

Mash furrowed her brows. "Sir Alaric, may I say something?"

Ever since Alaric mentioned Sigurd, the question that had been troubling Mash resurfaced.

Before Alaric was summoned, Mash had faced Sigurd alone, leaving her with confusion and unease.

"Oh?"

Ritsuka was also curious. "Mash, do you think something's wrong with Sigurd?"

"Heroic Spirit Sigurd, one of the greatest Norse heroes."

Mash said seriously, "He reforged his father Sigmund's sword Gram after it was shattered by Odin's spear Gungnir—slew the evil dragon and gained the wisdom of dragons, just as Mr. Holmes described.

He later fell in love with the Valkyrie Brynhildr, but died tragically amid love and hatred.

He shares the same origin as Siegfried, sometimes even called the origin itself.

But... why?"

Mash recalled having met Siegfried before—he was always calm and dignified, worthy of his title as a great hero.

But—

"I can't sense that dignity from this masked Heroic Spirit—"

Mash hesitated. "Is he really Sigurd?"

"He's certainly very different from Siegfried."

Ritsuka leaned her finger on her chin, thinking, "Sigurd feels cursed just to look at, so different from Mr. Siegfried."

Even his leaking mana carried a terrifying curse—ordinary people would die instantly from contact, and even Heroic Spirits would be affected.

"That is a problem. Outwardly, he does look like Sigurd."

Alaric stroked his chin. "But inside, something feels off—like there's something hidden within."

There was no doubt Sigurd was suspicious.

But even Alaric couldn't say for sure—their contact had been too brief. With more interaction, maybe something could be discovered.

With that, the topic was dropped, and the group resumed their search for the leyline.

The journey ahead was long. Even with skis, it would take Alaric, Ritsuka, and Mash considerable time to cross the 150 kilometers.

During this time, whenever Ritsuka rested from exhaustion, Alaric kept searching for a leyline. But the interference from the ice, snow, and mana underground was beyond imagination, constantly disrupting detection.

Alaric still couldn't find any clues about the leyline, and could only watch as more materials were stored in Mash's shield space, until—

…

A few days later.

"There are a lot of giants ahead—far more than any group we've encountered so far, at least thirty. You could call it a tribe."

Taking the lead, Alaric sensed the mana fluctuations—many Jötunn were moving about in the forest ahead. If they kept going, a battle would be unavoidable.

"Is it because we're avoiding the flaming mountains?"

Mash asked, "Maybe we've wandered into the giants' territory?"

Those mountains covered with blue flames were certainly dangerous, so the group had naturally avoided them, making their path winding and irregular.

"Since there are so many, let's avoid them."

Ritsuka said, "A big fight here would attract more giants."

"Too late. There are other life signs besides giants—humans."

Alaric's expression was calm, his gaze seeming to pierce the endless ice forest to spot a petite girl, young, wearing a thick fur coat.

Her golden hair stood out in the snowy landscape, and her emerald eyes shone like jewels.

A human girl—not a magus.

Alaric sensed no threat from her, but behind her were the giants—clearly, she had angered them and was being chased.

"Someone else?"

Ritsuka was surprised. "Mash, Sir Alaric—let's go."

This might be a way to learn about the Lostbelt.

Since the Master had spoken, Alaric had no reason to refuse. 

…

At the same time—

In the ice forest, among countless crystalline conifers, the girl ran desperately, panic on her face showing her helplessness.

'No good, I've been found—'

She panted, her nose red, cheeks flushed.

How long had she been running?

She'd lost track of time. She only knew she had to keep running or she'd die.

"Why—why can't I make it to the end smoothly? I'm so stupid!"

The appearance of the giants was completely outside her expectations. Based on her experience, this shouldn't have happened, but she'd run into a migrating group!

Facing such invincible monsters, she had no hope but to run.

But how could she possibly outrun five-meter-tall giants?

The distance shrank, her escape cut off.

The pressure brought her closer and closer to collapse—

"...Begelmir, Begelmir, Begelmir…"

The girl began to pray, hands clasped, face devout. "God, God, God.

Please, please.

If I'm stomped flat by a giant, let me join everyone else in peace."

There was no answer from the gods—only a carefree man's voice: "Mash, this one's yours."

She didn't understand these words, but instinctively opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of the sword-wielding man moving away to face the giants.

Buzz.

Scarlet blood bloomed, along with the giant's head—so terrifying that even the girl shrank back.

The man charged from the forest like a silent shadow, leaving not even footprints—a true master who left no trace.

As he passed the giants, sword lights flashed—bringing only death.

The girl had never seen such a scene.

Such a quiet death, a single instant of sword light so dazzling, as if the world itself slowed.

Three minutes—just three minutes, and dozens of giants fell, from living beings to corpses.

Even as they died, they were dismembered—blood froze, preserving the final spark of life.

The girl sat on the ground, dazed, unable to comprehend what had happened.

"Are you alright?"

Mash, shield in hand, offered her hand. "Da Vinci's translation amulet should work—hello?"

"No."

The girl quickly answered, "No, no, no, this isn't right! Anyone found by mountain giants gets rescued! If you see someone being attacked you're supposed to run away! Yet—yet what are you doing?! Run—"

"The giants are dead. What's there to run from?"

After finishing with the giant corpses, Alaric spread a dark aurora like water, absorbing the rest into his own mana reserves.

To prepare for upcoming battles, he had to accumulate as much mana as possible.

Drawing from the atmosphere was too slow, and drawing from the land risked alerting the Lostbelt King, so corpses it was.

Living in the Age of Gods, the giants' mystery and mana were immense, providing a massive supply for Alaric.

Thus, through constant fighting, he managed to avoid draining Ritsuka's mana entirely.

This didn't mean he could act independently as a Servant—it just meant he didn't cost any extra mana, still relying on Ritsuka's contract.

Also—

"Mountain giant Begelmir, a friendly of the Jötunn."

Alaric had noticed a different type among the giants—mountain giant Begelmir.

They were another tribe that lived alongside the frost giants in Jotunheim; some even lived in human mountain forests.

Their origins and birth time were unknown.

They didn't clash with the gods as much as the frost giants, and whether they participated in Ragnarok is unclear—only that they helped build Asgard's walls.

So it was normal to see them acting together.

"…Huh?"

The girl finally realized the meaning of all the corpses on the ground—the giants were dead.

The supposedly invincible giants had been killed.

"Amazing—"

The girl was stunned. "Amazing, amazing, this must be the will of the gods!"

Convincing herself, her eyes sparkled and she broke into a smile. "Thank you, thank you, you saved me. Amazing, just amazing."

Having escaped death, the girl's tension melted away. Even as her exhausted body ached, she didn't care.

She just kept thanking Ritsuka, Alaric, and Mash.

"What's your name?"

Thanks to Da Vinci's translation amulet, even Ritsuka could communicate easily.

"Huh? Sorry, I should have introduced myself first. I learned that. I know."

The girl realized her slip, cleared her throat, and smiled. "I'm Gerda."

"Miss Gerda, then."

Mash, having finished organizing materials, returned to Ritsuka's side and smiled. "That's a very Norse-sounding name; it sounds nice."

"Thank you!"

Gerda smiled, dimples showing. "I think so too.

By the way, black-armored big sister, orange-haired big sister, and black-haired big brother—what are your names?"

After a brief introduction, Alaric learned that Gerda came from so-called Village 23. The adults were busy preparing for tomorrow's activities, so gathering food and medicine for sick children had fallen to her.

That was why Gerda had been alone in the forest.