Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [52]: Questions

"The Holy Grail is the King of Magecraft's scheme; it's the egg from which the Demon Pillars will hatch. Did you know this, Sir Alaric?"

The Lion King hadn't taken the Holy Grail from Alaric but instead had warned him of its dangers and benefits.

Hearing this, Alaric instinctively glanced at the golden cup in his hand. "The hatching of the Demon Pillars begins with the Holy Grail?"

The drawbacks of the Holy Grail, as the Lion King pointed out, were something Alaric had never considered before. He had always assumed that the Holy Grails placed in the Singularities by the King of Magecraft were simply fakes—massive sources of magical energy with wish-granting powers. But upon further reflection, that alone wasn't enough to destabilize humanity's foundation.

Now, with the Lion King revealing that the Holy Grail was also the catalyst for the Demon Pillars' hatching, Alaric finally grasped the true nature of the Grail he held.

"The Holy Grail is of no consequence, Sir Alaric. Has your dragon blood already developed to such an extent?"

The Lion King looked deep into Alaric's eyes, not just perceiving the dragon blood within him, but as if seeing his very soul laid bare before her.

As the Lion King spoke, Agravain and Gawain fixed their gazes on Alaric. Mordred, in particular, seemed eager to get closer, as though to uncover Alaric's secrets. Compared to Agravain and Gawain, Mordred was especially sensitive to the changes within him.

With his continued assimilation of dragon blood, Mordred felt that Alaric was now closer to the Lion King—or to King Arthur—than she was. Though Mordred was born as a complete replica of King Arthur, she found herself unable to rival this latecomer, Alaric.

This made Mordred feel...

"Come on, come on—"

Mordred muttered impatiently, urging Alaric to explain.

And Alaric did not disappoint, speaking naturally.

"Just as the King has observed, after using the Holy Grail, the dragon blood nourished by its magical energy has become more active, further assimilating with me. My power has not only increased, but other visible changes have taken place."

As Alaric described the effects of the dragon blood, the other Knights of the Round Table, and even Sanzang, perked up and listened carefully.

Zzt—!

Crimson lightning flickered as the invisible might of the red dragon filled the throne room. Without even using the Holy Grail, Alaric summoned the power of his dragon blood, fully igniting his magical energy. It was as though a real red dragon had ascended.

The newborn dragon revealed itself for the first time before Gawain and the other Knights of the Round Table.

The knights were all astonished—except for Lancelot, who wasn't present. This was Gawain and the others' first time witnessing Alaric's full power. As knights who had followed King Arthur, they recognized the aura of the red dragon instantly. Though King Arthur had long suppressed her draconic nature, this aura was unmistakable.

The dragon's presence radiating from Alaric was nearly identical to Arthur Pendragon's red dragon—kin to the dragon species of the Tyrant King Vortigern!

With their experience, Gawain and the others judged that what had happened to Alaric was not merely a result of being imbued with dragon blood, but a deeper, more profound transformation.

Standing before the Lion King now was undeniably a humanoid dragon—a red dragon with immense potential.

"Very good, Sir Alaric."

The Lion King, standing close to Alaric, felt the overwhelming dragon's might erupt from him, her eyes gradually glowing with a faint light.

Faced with her praise, Alaric smiled.

"My King, I have one question. As my assimilation with the dragon blood continues, will I lose my human form and become a true red dragon? Or, like you, will I retain my human form?"

This question had lingered in Alaric's mind since the day he accepted the Lion King's dragon blood. His recent transformation only intensified his curiosity.

Upon hearing Alaric's words, Sanzang couldn't stay quiet.

"Huh, are you going to turn into a red dragon, like that? One dragon disciple is enough—if there's another, won't it be a bit crowded?"

Originally, Sanzang had been bewildered by Alaric's report, but now she was wide awake, staring at him in shock. Even though this wasn't the first time she'd seen him in full power, she hadn't imagined that this path might lead him to lose his human form and become a true red dragon.

"You've assimilated Father's blood to this extent? Are you going to turn into a dragon?"

Mordred, nearby, couldn't hold back either.

She, too, had dragon blood similar to Alaric's, making her a second King Arthur. So why was Alaric changing differently than she was?

Mordred couldn't fully explain the feeling—it was a strange intuition, one that grew stronger as Alaric fully activated his dragon blood.

Gawain, observing the crimson lightning dancing around Alaric, nodded approvingly.

"It seems Alaric's power is formidable. The King's dragon blood has shown exceptional adaptability within him."

Unlike Mordred, Gawain had no particular opinion on Alaric's dragon blood. To him, it was a minor matter.

In contrast, Agravain, who had been scowling, now looked even grimmer. It wasn't just Alaric's display of dragon blood that bothered him—the Lion King's current attitude toward Alaric concerned him more.

Due to her deep fusion with the Holy Spear, the Lion King's mindset had transformed, elevating her to a divine-level goddess of the Holy Spear. Her perspective was no longer the same as it had been when she was King Arthur.

This was Agravain's assessment of the King after spending several days with her. But everything changed after Alaric's return. The King's behavior toward him felt... unusual. Even if Alaric possessed a holy soul, her attitude seemed different.

'My King, what are you planning?'

Agravain thought as he gazed at the Lion King's back.

Meanwhile, in a quiet corner, unnoticed by anyone, Alaika II was sweating profusely, clutching her robes tightly, wishing she could simply close her eyes and vanish. The Lion King's pressure had always been overwhelming, but now, combined with Alaric's dragon might, it was unbearable.

"When the heart of the inhuman fully reveals itself, you will shed your human form and become the red dragon of Britain, burning the world. At that time, you will be the Last Dragon, soaring to the ends of the earth. But if you remain steadfast in human wisdom, you will naturally retain your human form—"

The Lion King's words left Alaric astonished. Not only was his potential path revealed, but the mention of "Britain" caught his attention.

If his understanding of Celtic lore was correct, the word that the Lion King had just used was both unfamiliar and deeply significant.

'Britain…'

Alaric thought for a moment. His dragon blood came from the Lion King, who was once King Arthur—the legendary King of Knights, ruler of Britain.

But to become the red dragon that burns the world, soaring to the ends of the earth... what could that mean?

Suddenly, Alaric felt that the dragon blood was more daunting than he'd ever realized.