Credits: SunyLaw1
"Huh?"
The pure white little beast's fierce charge didn't make Alaric take a single step back, not even a slight wobble. Yet, Alaric's face showed a hint of surprise.
As Fou tried to use Alaric's forehead as a springboard to leap away, Alaric grabbed Fou's slender little leg in an instant, holding it firmly.
But the surprise on Alaric's face didn't fade—in fact, it deepened.
It wasn't just because of Fou's sudden attack. What truly startled Alaric was everything about the pure white little beast named Fou.
The moment he touched Fou, Alaric remembered.
What he should have recalled upon first seeing Fou came flooding back only after this close interaction.
The three-eyed cat beast—Cath Palug.
The familiar of Britain's court mage, Merlin, who followed Merlin into Avalon.
And now, this very same entity had become a pet by the side of humanity's last Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru.
These were minor details. What stuck with Alaric were Merlin's words from the other day about Cath Palug—Fou's ability to manifest independently.
Independent Manifestation.
Who could possess such a skill?
The Beast of Calamity.
So, what kind of entity was Fou, who also had Independent Manifestation?
The Beast of Calamity.
Realizing this, Alaric casually put away his holy lance. Before Fou could escape, he wrapped both arms around Fou's fluffy waist.
The slender rabbit-like ears stood straight, like antennas. Fou's light purple beast eyes locked with Alaric's pale golden slit pupils once more.
Feeling the heartbeat and warmth of the small beast in his hands caused the dragon's blood within Alaric to stir violently, becoming instantly active.
However, Alaric could now control the release of his dragon's aura, showing no shocking phenomena. Only a faint brilliance shone in his eyes.
The active state of his dragon blood made Alaric understand even more clearly that the pure white little beast in his hands was an existence equal to himself—or no, even far beyond him—a Beast.
This brought to mind the historical evaluation of Cath Palug.
"The Beast of Calamity, huh..."
"Fou! (What's your relationship with Merlin?!!)"
Fou, with an angry expression, kept yelping, trying to make Alaric understand its meaning.
As Alaric stared into Fou's eyes, he surprisingly understood the meaning behind Fou's cries. Though he didn't understand why he could comprehend it.
A calamity born from the primal instincts of humanity, and it looked like this?
Even Alaric couldn't help laughing at the absurdity of the scene before him.
"Sir Alaric? Are you okay?"
Mash, who had arrived late, hesitated as she took Fou from Alaric's hands, then apologized, embarrassed: "I'm sorry if Fou caused you any trouble!"
Still laughing, Alaric replied with a smile: "It's no trouble at all. It seems I share quite the connection with this Fou."
"It looks like Fou likes you too—"
Mash smiled as she held Fou. "Although it's a bit... overexcited in its approach."
"Sir Alaric, how long have you been here?"
At this moment, Ritsuka Fujimaru interrupted the conversation between Alaric and Mash, redirecting everyone's attention back to the main topic.
For Chaldea, information about the singularity was the top priority.
And Alaric, who had arrived at the singularity early, was undoubtedly the best source of information.
"I haven't been here long. Just a few days. I've been trying to make a living here," Alaric said with a sigh. "It's just that my lack of funds has left me at the mercy of the local beasts and monsters."
"Uh, Sir Alaric, about your work... is it legitimate?" Ritsuka Fujimaru asked hesitantly. "Or is it something secretive?"
The last time Alaric had mentioned finding a job, it turned out he had been knighted by the Lion King herself. This time, it was hard to guess what kind of work he might be doing.
A double agent? A shadowy rogue?
Or... a superhero in tights?
"Does this mean you're no longer a knight, Sir Alaric?" Mash chimed in earnestly. "Have you become a mature office worker?"
"Tired of it all. It's not exactly a big secret—I'm just working under King Gilgamesh to make ends meet. Look, I even brought this thing over."
Alaric knocked on the hull of a Heavenly Vessel behind him and smiled. "You guys should come with me to Uruk. King Gilgamesh has been waiting for you for quite some time."
With his clairvoyant ability to see the future, King Gilgamesh naturally knew of Chaldea and its people.
["That's right. According to the timeline, the ruler of this land right now is none other than the oldest hero king, Gilgamesh. I'm just not sure what state he's in—"]
As Alaric mentioned Gilgamesh's name, Dr. Roman provided the relevant information.
This prevented Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others from being completely in the dark.
"The Gilgamesh of this era is the one who has returned to Uruk after obtaining the Elixir of Immortality."
As Alaric casually considered whether to use the Heavenly Vessel to take Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash directly to Uruk, he added: "Oh, by the way, there are currently three goddesses in Mesopotamia trying to take over Uruk and rule humanity—or rather, only one remains."
After days of intense observation, Alaric had confirmed that the goddesses' goals merely conflicted with each other. Resolving that conflict would settle the matter.
As for the threat lurking deeper—Tiamat—Alaric thought it better not to mention it.
If Tiamat wasn't unsealed, there was no point in discussing it. If she was, it would already be too late. Better not to risk morale.
Other than Tiamat, the only real threats Alaric thought worth taking seriously were Gorgon and Kingu.
Before Ritsuka Fujimaru's arrival, Alaric had planned to spend his time honing assassination techniques to eliminate the divine contract within Quetzalcoatl.
With the help of a goddess, dealing with Kingu and Gorgon would become much easier.
But time was critical. Whether Kingu would persuade Gorgon to accelerate their assault was a matter Alaric couldn't ignore. The pressure on the northern wall's defenses was something he had to monitor.
With Ritsuka Fujimaru's arrival, however, this problem seemed solvable.
The addition of Ritsuka Fujimaru, who had faced countless adventures, would buy Alaric enough time to deal with the divine contract within Quetzalcoatl.
With that thought, Alaric smiled broadly and said, "Why don't we head to Uruk right away and celebrate tonight?"
With that, Alaric activated the Heavenly Vessel and extended a hand toward Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash.
Without hesitation, Ritsuka Fujimaru grabbed Mash's hand and took Alaric's.
The two young girls gracefully landed in his arms. As the soft warmth fell into his embrace, Alaric laughed, "Are you ready, girls?"
"Aye aye, Captain!"
With her wealth of experience, Ritsuka Fujimaru beamed like a crescent moon and shouted back.
And sitting aboard the celestial boat, Mash also shouted, "Aye aye, Captain Alaric!"
Before their voices faded, a surge of pitch-black magical energy erupted from the Heavenly Vessel, enveloping the three of them. They soared into the sky, leaving a black trail of stardust behind as they disappeared into the endless heavens.