Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [150]

Credits: Synben28

As soon as Gilgamesh spoke, Alaric immediately withdrew his smile. As the most ancient Hero King and the child of gods and men, Gilgamesh possessed extraordinary talent—becoming a Heroic Spirit only served to diminish him.

In this world where gods and men were yet undifferentiated, where everything remained as one, Gilgamesh built the Golden Capital and achieved the great feat of collecting all the treasures of the world.

Rather than saying these treasures were amassed by Gilgamesh, it is more accurate to call them the prototypes of human wisdom themselves.

No matter from the past or the future, all treasures created by humanity would be stored in the Gate of Babylon.

If there were anything absent from the Hero King's treasury, it would be:

Something created by new humanity realized through completely novel concepts.

Something achieved through the civilization and technology of intelligent life from other celestial bodies.

Not only did Gilgamesh possess this unparalleled, all-encompassing treasure trove, but he was also an exceptionally skilled magus. With his high-level clairvoyance, he could glimpse into the future—unlike Merlin, whose clairvoyance could only perceive the present.

"King Gilgamesh, I think of myself as human. Why bring up the matter of a monster in human skin?"

As information about Gilgamesh flashed through his mind, Alaric quickly recognized the vast gap between the two of them. Yet, even so, Alaric remained calm.

After all, I have my king as well.

"Ha! A stray dog incapable of seeing even itself dares to utter such dignified words. Very well. That king left everything to you. Hold on to those scraps and struggle on. This farce is truly laughable."

Gilgamesh smirked, then set down the stone tablet in his hand. "Siduri, go inform the innkeeper to prepare a room and arrange food for seven people."

Siduri, who had remained silent after bringing Alaric and Merlin here, gave a slight nod. "Understood."

She then left, leaving behind only Gilgamesh, Alaric, and Merlin.

Once Siduri had left, Gilgamesh propped his chin on one hand and gazed down at Alaric. "You, who cannot even see or save yourself—on what grounds do you stand before this king?"

What is your qualification?

Alaric offered no answer, quietly meeting Gilgamesh's gaze while replaying the Hero King's words in his mind.

Recognize myself…

I can't see it.

Alaric found it ironic: everyone else seemed to see through him completely, but he couldn't see himself at all.

"Ahah, since it's King Gilgamesh, surely you can understand us. After all, we're here to deal with the calamity of this singularity."

Just as the atmosphere grew heavier, Merlin stepped forward with a cheerful expression and said with a smile, "Our goals align, King Gilgamesh!"

When Merlin stepped in, Gilgamesh's gaze shifted from Alaric to him, casting a faint glance at the magus. "You've come too early—or perhaps too late.

You ignored my summons, choosing to manifest on your own just to wait for this mongrel. Until now, you hadn't shown yourself, leaving only rumors of a wandering magus in the jungle."

Hearing this, Alaric suddenly understood the situation.

To find Alaric accurately, Merlin had manifested in Mesopotamia early—perhaps even before Gilgamesh performed his Heroic Spirit summoning—and had wandered the jungle alone, all to ensure he could meet Alaric as soon as possible.

But this also meant that today was the first time Gilgamesh and Merlin had met, despite their paths being destined to cross long ago.

"Things aren't too late! There's only one goddess left in Mesopotamia now, so we still have time to prepare! As long as King Gilgamesh continues summoning Heroic Spirits—no, with our strongest ally now, as long as Brother Alaric—"

Merlin turned to look at Alaric, who was deep in thought, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "As long as Brother Alaric continues to grow, he could serve as three Heroic Spirits all on his own!"

After finally meeting Alaric in person, the only thing Merlin was certain of was that Alaric had stabilized.

Even though Alaric didn't yet understand himself, he could continue to grow.

And in this Age of Gods, Alaric's growth potential was limitless. He had already surpassed phantasmal beasts and spirits, reaching the level of a top-tier dragon species—comparable only to the greatest heroes remembered in history.

With the encroachment and infusion of spiritual information, Artoria's dragon blood could no longer fully encompass Alaric's current state.

Initially triggered by dragon blood, his second explosive growth had found the perfect environment to flourish in this Age of Gods. If Alaric continued to grow, it would greatly ease the burden on King Gilgamesh's Heroic Spirit summoning.

What?!

Seeing the gleam in Merlin's eyes, Alaric suddenly had the urge to perform a Lariat Style Neck Throw on him.

"Enough. Uruk's matters don't need to depend entirely on this mongrel. I'll continue summoning Heroic Spirits. As for you, Merlin—focus on doing your job properly. Don't mess things up."

Having already foreseen the future, Gilgamesh said calmly, "As for you, Alaric, a stray dog should act like one. If you want to stay in Uruk, you must prove your worth."

Gilgamesh's words immediately clarified things for Alaric.

This man, who spoke as if he looked down on him, was planning to use his power.

Realizing this, Alaric nodded and spoke up: "… I am the storm that is approaching. Provoking blac-"

"Hey, hey, hey! No, Brother Alaric! That's not a good thing to say!"

Merlin immediately covered Alaric's mouth, cutting him off mid-spell, and laughed awkwardly. "King Gilgamesh, you can entrust anything to him. I believe in Brother Alaric's capabilities—so long as it doesn't involve facing gods, he can handle it!"

Am I just a hired hand?!

Alaric pulled Merlin's hand away, wiping his mouth.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh, seated upon his throne, silently observed the farce before him. Slowly, he stood up.

The moment Gilgamesh left his throne, both Alaric and Merlin snapped to attention.

Without saying a word, Merlin instinctively dashed to hide behind a nearby stone pillar, loudly shouting, "King Gilgamesh, please do as you wish!"

Tap. Tap.

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed. Gilgamesh raised a hand, summoning a stone book. "This king's time is precious. Your worth will be determined in this battle.

Prove it to me, so-called Knight of the Round Table—can you continue forward under the banner of humanity?"

Boom!

Before his words even finished, an overwhelming surge of magical energy erupted. Ripples of light shimmered in the air, and the Gate of Babylon opened behind Gilgamesh.

Wands of various shapes stretched out from the treasury, all aimed at Alaric.

Seeing this, Alaric's mind quickly processed the information.

Unlike his usual state, the current Gilgamesh had sealed most of the Noble Phantasms in his treasury in exchange for immense magical power. Even the strongest sword humanity could wield was locked deep within the vault.

As a result, he could now only use magecraft-related Noble Phantasms for attacks, unable to employ the deadly swords and blades of his usual arsenal.

Realizing this, a smirk appeared at the corner of Alaric's lips. The thought of battling the most ancient Hero King made his blood boil.

Bring it on, then.

With newfound determination, Alaric raised his hand.

In the next moment, the Holy Lance fell into his palm.

In the year 2655 BCE, the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad was about to leave its mark.