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

The overwhelming force behind that punch was so immense that even King Leonidas' well-tempered muscles couldn't easily withstand it!

"Very good!"

Yet, despite this, King Leonidas I did not feel the slightest urge to retreat. On the contrary, the flames of passion in his heart burned even brighter.

With that, Leonidas I spread his arms wide and charged toward Alaric!

Alaric, however, did not remain stationary. Relying solely on the strength of his physical body, he unleashed an astonishing speed far surpassing that of Leonidas I.

As sand and dust swirled into the air, Alaric, now behind Leonidas I, raised his elbow and struck Leonidas I's back without hesitation!

But who was Leonidas I?

Even if his strength could not rival Alaric's, he was still the Spartan king, a warrior seasoned by countless battles!

Bang!

 With a muffled explosion, Leonidas I crossed his arms as if anticipating Alaric's move, forcefully catching the elbow strike!

Before Leonidas I could counterattack, Alaric's assault came like a violent storm, striking relentlessly! Perhaps thanks to the hand-to-hand combat techniques taught by Lancelot—designed to allow fighting in any condition—Alaric was even more adept at close combat than spear techniques.

In less than a few minutes, the hand-to-hand duel came to an end, with Alaric emerging victorious.

"Hahaha, truly remarkable, Sir Alaric! What magnificent muscles!"

Even in defeat, Leonidas I wore a broad smile. In fact, upon seeing Alaric's muscles, he laughed even louder.

Alaric stood bare-chested, revealing a body more robust than Leonidas I's. His muscles were perfectly sculpted, almost as if carved by the gods themselves.

Just by looking at the contours of those muscles, Leonidas I could sense the immense effort Alaric had invested in his own body.

"Muscular justice! I like the sound of that!"

Faced with Leonidas I's hearty laugh, even Alaric couldn't help but be infected by the energy and joined in with a hearty laugh of his own.

To be a true hero among heroic spirits, one must possess an unparalleled charisma that could inspire and uplift those around them.

Once the sparring session officially concluded, Alaric had no plans to linger at the northern wall. He was preparing to bid farewell to Leonidas I, Merlin, and the others, intending to leave the northern wall and head alone into the cedar forest in the northern wilderness.

But a question suddenly arose in Alaric's mind.

"By the way, Merlin, what are you doing here?"

Alaric looked at Merlin with curiosity, seemingly unable to understand why Merlin had come to such a place alone.

At this moment, Merlin was truly powerless, so weak that Alaric could have easily killed his current form. What was the purpose of coming to the frontlines of the battle against magical beasts in such a state?

"Hm? Hahaha!"

Merlin scratched his head awkwardly and laughed, avoiding Alaric's gaze. "I'm here... as a tourist?"

Hearing Merlin's seemingly absurd yet oddly fitting response, Alaric tilted his head in confusion.

Was he serious? Risking his life just to go sightseeing?

Not only Alaric but even Leonidas I was slightly taken aback by Merlin's answer. However, before he could say anything—

"Lord Leonidas! The magical beasts have launched another attack!"

A soldier hurriedly reported, "Their numbers are double those of the last two waves—at least a hundred of them!"

"Sir Alaric, it seems we will need your assistance in this battle!"

Quickly grasping the situation, Leonidas I turned to Alaric and said, "Currently, only Lady Tomoe and I are available as servants on the northern wall. The other three are occupied elsewhere and cannot return to aid us."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Alaric, who had no objections, smiled and extended his hand, signaling his readiness to move forward. Seeing this, Leonidas I burst into laughter, patted Alaric on the shoulder, and led Alaric and Merlin onto the wall. Soon, they saw numerous shadows approaching from the far horizon.

"At this range, using the Dingir would allow us to strike them down."

Leonidas I did not shy away from close combat, but to avoid unnecessary casualties, he chose to use the Dingir to obliterate the magical beasts before they could get too close.

"I can handle it. Let me warm up a little."

Before Leonidas I could order the use of Dingir, Alaric spoke up with a smile, "There's no need to waste a Noble Phantasm—I can wipe out these magical beasts in one fell swoop!"

"Oh?"

Both Leonidas I and Merlin turned curious eyes toward him.

Could Alaric possibly have a long-range, high-power Noble Phantasm? Based on Merlin's understanding of Alaric, he shouldn't possess such a Noble Phantasm.

'The heavenly vessel of King Gilgamesh?'

But Merlin quickly recalled the heavenly vessel gifted to Alaric by Gilgamesh. As a prototype artifact, its power, while not as great as Ishtar's Maanna, could still unleash its Noble Phantasm or be loaded and fired.

It might not be far off.

Merlin had never seen the heavenly vessel's magic release, so he refrained from making judgments. Instead, he watched Alaric with curiosity, eager to see how Alaric would handle the situation.

Leonidas I, upon hearing this, laughed heartily. "Then we shall leave it to you, Sir Alaric!"

As one of the seven servants summoned by Gilgamesh, Leonidas I knew his companions' Noble Phantasms well. None of them had wide-area Noble Phantasms, so they could only rely on close combat to deal with magical beasts.

Therefore, Leonidas, I was eager to see what kind of power Alaric's Noble Phantasm could unleash. If it could annihilate the hundred magical beasts in one go, it would be ideal—even if there were stragglers, it would still be manageable.

At the center of everyone's attention, Alaric slightly raised his hand. When the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad appeared in his grip, Merlin's expression grew visibly astonished.

Merlin could immediately tell that the Holy Lance had been modified. Almost all of its powers and mysteries as the Tower at the End had been repurposed to stabilize Alaric's current state.

What remained was merely the shell of a Holy Lance, incapable of unleashing its Noble Phantasm in the traditional sense.

So, what was Alaric planning to do?

Merlin didn't know, but he eagerly awaited Alaric's next move.

Alaric raised the Holy Lance with one hand, as pitch-black magical energy surged into it. Under Merlin's watchful gaze, the lance began to spin rapidly!

'This is—'

With Merlin's discerning eyes, he could clearly understand the magical operation Alaric was performing, which only heightened his surprise.

Using the Holy Lance as a substitute Magic Circuit and performing a technique akin to creating a magical projectile.

But it wasn't true magic, so it wouldn't be limited by the constraints of magical projectile foundations. Its power depended purely on the amount of magical energy and the precision of the technique.

What an ingenious method of magical energy release!

Merlin stroked his chin with interest, eager to see how Alaric would execute this.

At that moment, Alaric immersed himself fully into the Holy Lance. Two-thirds of his vast magical energy was compressed and, in an instant, poured into the lance to accelerate its rotation!