That was something that happened a little earlier.
Gordes' return to Yggdmillennia did not involve some kind of magical transportation. Instead, it was by a simple cart, which meant he could not return to the base as quickly as possible.
This was not only due to Gordes' slow movements but also resulted in Alaric, who did not attempt to conceal himself, entering the Black Faction's line of sight.
The great sage, possessing B+ level Clairvoyance, was the first to spot the approaching figure.
Or rather, the entire night's battle had been within his vision. However, the interference was so intense that he couldn't see anything clearly—especially with the presence of a goddess, which caused massive disruptions.
This made it impossible for the great sage Chiron to make an accurate judgment. However, seeing Alaric walking harmoniously alongside Gordes, Chiron had no choice but to report his observations to his Master, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia.
The girl, forced to live in a wheelchair due to her deteriorating Magic Circuits, showed a surprised expression when she heard the news but quickly regained her composure.
Surely, he wouldn't attempt to face all seven of their Servants alone, right?
As for this unexpected guest, Alaric, Fiore didn't pay much attention—or rather, it wasn't something she needed to focus on.
In her view, Alaric and his Servant coming to their castle was nothing short of suicidal.
No one paid much attention to the approaching interlude, and shortly thereafter, Alaric stepped into the territory of Yggdmillennia's castle.
He moved like a shadow, weaving through the bounded field set up by Yggdmillennia, heading underground—
"The path ahead can be explored later."
The great sage blocking his way smiled and said, "Welcome. How should I address you?"
"Clairvoyance, is it?"
Emerging from his concealment, Alaric stopped in his tracks. He showed no embarrassment at being caught sneaking around and instead smiled casually. "Just call me Alaric. I'm currently a Master participating in the Holy Grail War. If possible, I'd like to stay here for a while."
Alaric had some knowledge of the great sage Chiron.
Although his Clairvoyance couldn't compare to the likes of Gilgamesh or Merlin, when combined with the Mind's Eye (True), it allowed for a certain degree of future vision. Under normal circumstances, his Clairvoyance provided a vast field of vision.
This made Chiron, as an Archer, capable of precise long-range attacks, fully showcasing his exceptional archery skills.
As the teacher of all heroes in Greek mythology, Chiron was not only of noble lineage but also remembered by posterity for his wisdom and bravery.
Chiron, who lacked parental love, grew up striving to become a sage—perhaps related to his mother turning into a Linden tree.
The flowers of the linden tree could be used in medicine, and its bark was used to make divination tablets.
Growing up, Chiron became proficient in various fields of knowledge. Due to his calm demeanor and skillful teaching methods, countless future heroes in Greece were educated by him.
Heracles, Achilles, Asclepius (who later became the god of medicine), and Castor (who became part of the Gemini constellation) were all his students.
Jason, leader of the Argonauts and lover of Medea, was also one of his students.
In other words, the person standing before Alaric was the genuine mentor of heroes—a being whose significance outweighed even Merlin, the world-renowned kingmaker.
Alaric had nothing but respect for this great sage.
Respect for such a sage transcended national and cultural boundaries.
"If that's your wish, I can't decide for you. How about I take you to meet our current Masters, who can give you an answer?"
Chiron, tall and imposing, maintained a gentle demeanor and showed no hostility toward Alaric's actions.
In this close interaction with Alaric, Chiron finally notices a glimpse of the truth—a living hero.
Unlike their reactions as Servants, Alaric's body exuded an overwhelming vitality, something only possible in the Age of Gods.
He was not one of the creations of Magecraft from the Age of Gods or a lifeform born of powerful Magecraft meant to replicate the Age of Gods. He was a warrior who had experienced the battles of myth.
It was an incredible notion, but it had indeed occurred.
As a great sage, Chiron did not doubt his judgment but could not help being intrigued.
Not only was Chiron curious about Alaric, but Alaric was also immensely curious about the sage who had trained world-renowned heroes like Heracles and Achilles.
He wondered if he could perhaps learn something from him.
The exchange between the two didn't last long. When Chiron brought Alaric to a certain hall, Alaric smiled and casually greeted the man seated in the main chair: "Greetings, Vlad the Impaler."
The man seated in the chair was none other than Vlad III, whom Alaric had encountered once in the Sixth Singularity. However, this Vlad III was entirely different.
Not only was he summoned to Romania, his ideal location, but he had also connected to the leyline in advance, unleashing the full potential of his powers as the Defender of the Nation.
By securing the leyline beforehand, Vlad III could treat a specific area as his territory, granting him combat enhancements equivalent to the A-rank Madness Enhancement of a Berserker.
Currently, Vlad III was strong enough to clash with Karna, one of the strongest Servants.
Back in the Sixth Singularity, had Vlad III fully unleashed his powers as the Defender of the Nation, even with the Holy Grail, Alaric wouldn't have been able to fight him. At that time, Alaric was too inexperienced to fully utilize his strengths, and even his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception struggled to land a proper hit.
With so many factors stacked against him, Alaric would have been utterly defeated.
But now, things were different. Even with Leyline's support and his ability to match Karna, Vlad III would be no match for Alaric and would suffer a crushing defeat.
When Alaric casually addressed him as Vlad the Impaler, Vlad III merely moved his eyes slightly without showing any unnecessary emotions. He stared at Alaric and said, "Master of the Red Faction, what is your purpose?"
"To obtain the Greater Grail. As for why I'm here—"
Alaric, hands in his pockets, was followed by Tiamat in her spirit form. This made it impossible for Vlad III and his allies to gauge the Servant's strength.
"That side is too boring. It's nothing but tea and idle chatter."
Alaric spread his hands and said, "So I thought I'd stay here for a while. Of course, if you're unwilling, I'll leave."
As he spoke, Alaric shrugged, showing no concern about whether Vlad III or Darnic agreed.
If Vlad III and the others rejected him, Alaric would simply leave.
Although Alaric was now capable of single-handedly annihilating all of Yggdmillennia's Servants and Masters and directly acquiring the Greater Grail, that wasn't his sole objective.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Alaric decided to wait until Shirou's Servant, the Assyrian Empress Semiramis, completed the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were, in fact, unrelated to Semiramis.
However, thanks to the faith of numerous misinformed believers, the Noble Phantasm was realized.
Because Semiramis did not create the Hanging Gardens in history, it was named Vanity. As a result, the conditions for activating this Noble Phantasm were extremely strict, and it couldn't be manifested through magical energy alone.
It required gathering specific materials—wood, stone, minerals, plants, and water from the ruins near Baghdad, where Semiramis once lived—before performing a long ritual to turn the fantasy into reality.
From start to finish, the ritual took at least three days. However, Alaric was certain that Semiramis had been summoned in advance.
Thus, the timeframe was likely about one or two days.
The Hanging Gardens, as the name suggested, appeared as a floating fortress.
The gardens floated due to the concept of inversion, where plants grew downward and water flowed from downstream to upstream.
While within the Hanging Gardens, Semiramis's attributes would be fully enhanced, her fame would reach its peak, and her attacks would receive favorable bonuses. She could even unleash high-level Magecraft from the magic domain.
As an Assassin, Semiramis possesses top-tier Territory Creation and exceptional magical expertise, which is truly astonishing.
Of course, the boost provided by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is secondary to this.
Kotomine Shirou's grand ambition can only be realized through the Greater Grail. However, even with the current Greater Grail—or even if it absorbed the souls of all fourteen Servants to convert into mana—it still wouldn't be enough to achieve his goal.
Sufficient resources are undoubtedly required to accomplish such a grand feat.
As such, Kotomine Shirou's solution was to rely on the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This fortress-like floating existence could travel across the world, drawing upon the leylines' magical energy to fulfill his grand ambitions.
For Alaric, this was also an indispensable existence. To maximize its effectiveness, Alaric not only needed to ensure that the primary resources were used for himself but also to see that the use of these resources was optimized to the fullest extent.
Thus, Alaric aimed to seize both the Hanging Gardens and the Greater Grail.
Although it would be somewhat troublesome once Semiramis completed the construction of the Gardens, it was only a minor inconvenience.
Once Alaric successfully summoned Tiamat—or rather, after Tiamat actively came to his side—everything would already be decided.
The moment Alaric finished speaking, Vlad III responded:
"Since you've come to pledge your allegiance as one of my soldiers, I have no reason to refuse. However, you must summon your Servant as well."
Before Alaric could reply, Tiamat, who had been waiting impatiently, dispelled her spiritual form, appearing before everyone in her holy maiden's guise.
Even Chiron, who had brought Alaric here, was stunned.
As the son of the Titan Cronus and the island goddess Philyra, Chiron had naturally encountered the existence of gods before.
Over the years, he had continually studied all forms of knowledge and was ultimately revered as a great sage. Based on his wisdom, he could easily discern that the blue-haired girl before him was a divine being—a high-ranking goddess who had descended to the mortal world as an avatar.
This was an incredibly bizarre occurrence, even more so than Alaric's existence.
Alaric's presence could still be explained using theories of ancient magi from the Age of Gods, but Tiamat descending as an avatar during a Holy Grail War was extremely unusual.
Could the Holy Grail system even support the summoning of a divine spirit?
Chiron couldn't help but feel puzzled.
And it wasn't just Chiron—all who witnessed Tiamat were frozen in place. While they lacked Chiron's insight and knowledge, they could feel the sheer vitality and overwhelming aura radiating from Tiamat's mere presence.
She was like a mother.
Regardless of differing legends, cultures, or pantheons, Tiamat, as the primordial mother, embodied the role of the mother of all humanity on Earth.
Although her True Name could not be identified, the same thought arose in the minds of Darnic and the others:
"Very dangerous."
There was no doubt about the extraordinary quality of this Servant, and Alaric's potential had already been confirmed thanks to Siegfried.
This combination joining Yggdmillennia seemed like something worth celebrating.
Even though Alaric's sincerity in pledging allegiance couldn't be fully ascertained, it didn't seem to pose a problem for Vlad III and Darnic.
Vlad III had absolute confidence in his ability to control others for his use, while Darnic trusted his Servant. At this moment, the two seemed to reach a tacit understanding.
Later, Alaric and Tiamat left the hall together, accompanied by Chiron.
Although Alaric successfully joined Yggdmillennia, he was not allowed to roam freely inside the castle. His activities were restricted to the castle's exterior. This, however, was not an issue for Alaric. His purpose in coming to Yggdmillennia was merely to observe the Servants here, and—
Leading Tiamat to the garden, Alaric waved at the young boy and girl sitting there, smiling as he greeted them:
"Good morning, you two!"
"Grr!!"
The moment the girl, dressed in a white gown and black veil, saw Alaric and Tiamat, it was as if she had encountered an incredibly dangerous presence. She roared and immediately attempted to draw her weapon, entering combat mode.
This startled the boy beside her, who hurriedly exclaimed:
"Wait a second! Sir, who are you—?"
Having not attended the hall earlier, Caules Forvedge was unaware of Alarc's existence. The only conclusion he could draw was that, since Alaric was freely moving about the castle, the family head must have approved his presence.
Regardless of the situation, however, he didn't want to see Frankenstein enter combat mode.
Watching the berserk Frankenstein, Alaric shrugged but did not act. Instead, he glanced at Tiamat beside him.
Meeting Alaric's gaze, Tiamat immediately understood his intention.
"Hehe, let Mama comfort her!"
Finally getting the chance to act, Tiamat's previously puffed-up expression softened into a slight smile. Straightening her posture, she stepped toward Frankenstein with confidence.
With each light step she took, Tiamat's power began to manifest.
It was the power of the Sea of Life—
Frankenstein quickly calmed down. Under Tiamat's influence, she fell into a brief slumber.
Watching Frankenstein sleep soundly on Tiamat's lap like a baby, Caules didn't know what to say.
After a moment of stunned silence, Caules began questioning Alaric and Tiamat about their identities.
Based on Tiamat's displayed abilities, she wasn't the Black Assassin they were expecting.
Meanwhile, this scene was also observed by Vlad III, Darnic, and others.
Without even an exchange of blows, Frankenstein had fallen asleep.
The power Tiamat displayed was undeniably overwhelming, bringing a smile even to the confident Darnic.
It was all still within his control—Vlad III would undoubtedly be able to deal with them.
Moreover, once the golem was complete, victory would be Darnic's.
...
During the following days, Alaric, having little else to do, sought out Chiron, hoping to learn a few skills from the Wisdom of the Divine Gift.
Chiron's Wisdom of the Divine Gift was an exceptionally overpowered ability that encompassed all kinds of skills bestowed upon him by the Greek gods.
From arts such as music to combat techniques like archery and spearplay, as well as ranger-related skills like tracking and herbal knowledge, Chiron's expertise was vast.
However, this skill was based on the technical knowledge of the Greek mythological era, meaning it didn't include proficiency in skills developed in other times and places.
Other unique skills like Imperial Privilege and Pioneer of the Stars were also outside the scope of the Wisdom of the Divine Gift.
Aside from its versatility, the most broken aspect of this ability was its capacity to grant skills to other Servants.
However, since Servants are typically summoned as heroes, very few of them are eager to learn new skills.
Alaric, on the other hand, was quite eager, and the idea of learning from the great Greek sage himself was thrilling.
After all, the Red faction had two Greek Servants—meeting them later would undoubtedly lead to some interesting encounters.
Upon expressing his desire to learn, Alaric found that Chiron, who enjoyed teaching and mentoring, did not refuse.
Although Alaric was still alive, he seemed to fall within the criteria for the Wisdom of the Divine Gift.
Rather than directly granting skills, Chiron preferred to teach them personally.
Discovering that Alaric was a promising student, Chiron enthusiastically began teaching him basic skills, though high-level techniques were beyond Alaric's current capacity.
Thus, time passed quickly. During this period, Alaric also encountered other Black faction Servants.
These included Avicebron, who was busy constructing a golem, and Astolfo, one of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins.
After nightfall, with everyone deployed due to the rampaging Red Berserker, the now-empty castle finally allowed Alaric to begin his exploration.
However, calling it free exploration wasn't exactly accurate, as the sage Chiron had not left. Not only was he staying behind to protect his Master, but also to monitor Alaric.
To Alaric, however, this wasn't much of an issue.
"So this is an awakened homunculus!"
Alaric quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and stared intently at the homunculus lying on the ground before him. The homunculus, unable to stand due to weakness in his lower limbs, was a lifeform created by the Yggdmillennia clan using the Einzbern clan's technology, designed to provide mana to Servants.
It was also the kind of creation Alaric had pursued during the Fourth Holy Grail War. If Alaric had possessed Einzbern's homunculus technology back then, the Holy Grail War could have ended on the very first night.
The boy before Alaric didn't seem to differ much from the other homunculi scattered throughout the Yggdmillennia castle. Although male, his features were overly delicate, almost unnervingly so.
Not to mention his thin limbs and torso, the result of never having exercised since his birth in a nutrient tank.
At this moment, the homunculus boy was no more than a newborn.
Yet his mind had already begun to grow. In his eyes, the light of intelligence was starting to shine.
Alaric could see it—the light of a desire to survive.
It was the same desire Alaric himself had held during the Sixth Singularity: the desire to live.
That desire was shared by all primates, all life.
Alaric had no intention of denying such a desire.
"Can you still move?"
Looking at the boy, whose pure-white intellect had only just begun to sprout thanks to his accidental awakening of the will to survive, Alaric extended his hand.
This homunculus boy was one of Alaric's goals in coming here—or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Alaric had been curious about seeing the boy in his current state.
The boy, who did not even have a name, struggled to lift his head and looked at the man squatting in front of him.
It was a face he had never seen before—
Then again, the boy had only seen a handful of people since his birth. Describing him as inexperienced with the world could not have been more fitting.
Even so, he had something he wanted to strive for.
To Alaric, the boy's intellect was still incomplete, but the single desire in his heart had already grown enough to become a driving force.
That desire stemmed from something he had been told earlier: a life countdown—"In your current state, you can only live two to three years."
Although he had spent his life in a nutrient tank, his understanding of such civilized words seemed flawless.
The boy understood the meaning of those words clearly. It was a declaration of the end of his life.
"I don't want to die like this."
With a desire and will similar to Alaric's, the boy grasped Alaric's large, warm hand.
Alaric pulled the boy up from the ground with one swift motion. He glanced at the boy, who was barely over 160 cm tall. The homunculus uniform he wore was far too loose on his thin frame.
Not only that but even after Alaric forcefully pulled him to his feet, the boy could barely maintain his balance, as if he might fall over at any moment.
"Hmm, maybe I should just send you away like this," Alaric muttered, scratching his chin. His current preparations were all designed for the final Greater Grail, but this homunculus boy—
If he remained in his current state, it wouldn't matter much if Alaric sent him away.
But Alaric still remembered the bizarre developments to come. As Alaric was lost in thought about the boy, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, accompanied by the magical energy of a Servant appearing behind him.
"Astolfo?"
Realizing who was approaching, Alaric instinctively wanted to leave the room, but he quickly stopped himself and waited for Astolfo to enter.
"Quick, quick, there's no time to explain! Let's go!"
Astolfo burst through the door, shouting excitedly, and tried to grab the boy. But soon, his eyes landed on someone who wasn't supposed to be there.
"Who are you?"
Tilting his head, Astolfo suddenly remembered Alaric's identity: the mysterious magus who had joined them.
"That doesn't matter. You're here to take him, right?"
Clapping his hands, Alaric redirected both Astolfo's and the boy's attention to himself.
The boy, recognizing Astolfo, didn't say anything. He simply looked at Alaric with curiosity and hesitation.
After being pulled up by Alaric, the boy had already come to trust him as a fledgling bird might.
Although his nascent intellect allowed him to make basic judgments, he still chose to trust Riye.
It was purely an instinctive decision.
Astolfo, clearly in a hurry, didn't bother to stay silent and immediately tried to drag the boy out of the room.
Alaric, who did nothing to stop them, spoke up in a calm voice:
"There are two choices. If you go with Astolfo, you'll probably gain the power and qualifications to participate in this war. Of course, the obstacles in your path will be immense."
Alaric held up two fingers and continued, "The other option is to come with me. You won't gain any power—your only asset will be your magic. But your desires and wishes? I will fulfill them for you.
Life's meaning is far more than just this. I'm giving you a choice.
So, boy, what will you choose?"