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

As Alaric's words, spoken as if conversing with an old friend, echoed through the prison, the solitary figure of Sere, bound within the cell, slowly lifted her head.

The dim light flickered across her youthful face, a stark contrast to the cruel surroundings of the prison.

It was a sight that evoked pity.

"You—"

Upon seeing Alaric's face clearly, Serenity did not show any strong emotions. She only gazed at Alaric with a faint sadness.

This was—

The first time they had met since Alaric had captured her and brought her to this prison.

"Miss Serenity, I deeply apologize!"

Seeing the sadness in Serenity's eyes, Alaric immediately felt a pang of guilt.

After all, it was his betrayal that had led to her capture.

Clang!

With a crisp snapping sound, Alaric slashed through the chains binding Serenity with a single swing of his sword.

At that moment, Serenity regained her freedom.

Without wasting time, Alaric said directly, "Miss Serenity, Mr. Cursed Arm sent me to rescue you. Though I was the one who captured you, now isn't the time to dwell on that. Let's leave first."

Time was of the essence, especially since Agravain was still somewhere in the fortress.

Alaric didn't know why Agravain wasn't guarding the prison, but he was certain that once he left with Serenity, it would cause an uproar.

At that point, Agravain would be drawn to them—

Alaric wasn't exactly eager to face Agravain. It wasn't a matter of strength.

Sure, Alaric couldn't beat Gawain, but Agravain? That was another story.

What truly concerned Alaric was Agravain's position as the Lion King's advisor. If he were forced to kill Agravain, the Lion King's reaction would undoubtedly be even more intense than the uproar caused by Mordred's death.

But for Alaric, who had already burned all bridges, it made no difference in the end.

Serenity didn't waste time asking questions. Though Alaric's conflicting actions were puzzling, the priority was to escape.

She didn't know what had happened during her time in captivity, but if her village had been attacked—

"What happened to the village?"

Serenity followed Alaric at a distance and asked softly.

If her capture by Alaric had endangered the village, she couldn't accept that.

"It's fine. Mr. Cursed Arm should have handled it. By the way—"

"Lord Alaric?"

A voice filled with uncertainty came from above, interrupting Alaric's explanation.

Looking up, Alaric spotted an Enforcement Knight he had recently encountered. The knight was staring at Alaric and Serenity, confusion evident in his gaze.

It seemed he couldn't comprehend why Alaric would release Serenity and allow her to move freely.

"Miss Serenity, wait here for a moment."

Before Serenity could release her toxic gas, Alaric raised a hand to stop her and continued, "You don't need to question this. Just step aside. Do you expect me to explain myself to you?

I'll handle Sir Agravain later. For now, just pretend you didn't see me."

Intent on minimizing disturbances, Alaric added bluntly, "Leave this area immediately. You're aware of the range of Miss Serenity's poison, aren't you? Unless you want to be caught in it, retreat now."

Without waiting for the knight's response, Alaric led Serenity forward, intending to pass by the knight.

Serenity glanced at the Enforcement Knight and noticed him staring at her, frozen in place.

"Lord Alaric, this prisoner is of critical importance. You don't have the authority to remove her without Lord Agravain's approval—"

Before they could leave the prison, the knight finally spoke, blocking the way.

Clang!

Expressionless, Alaric drew the large sword he had taken from another knight at the main gate.

"This is your final warning. Are you going to stop me?"

"I…"

Seeing Alaric draw his weapon, the knight froze. The words he was about to speak got stuck in his throat.

"This is simpler. Let's go, Miss Serenity!"

Alaric sheathed his sword and continued upward with Serenity.

Behind them, the knight collapsed to the ground, rendered unconscious by the toxic gas Serenity had unintentionally released.

"What are you doing?"

A voice filled with authority and reproach came from above.

Alaric didn't even need to look up to recognize who was blocking their path.

"Sir Agravain, I'm taking Miss Serenity with me. What's your stance on that?"

Alaric raised his head, smiling as he spoke, the sword in his hand already drawn.

Without further words, Alaric's actions made his intentions clear. Agravain turned and retreated.

But when Alaric and Serenity emerged from the prison, they found themselves confronted by over a dozen Enforcement Knights and Agravain, with more knights arriving to reinforce them.

It was clear that Agravain had mobilized the entire fortress to deal with Alaric.

"So, you've betrayed the King. Spending time with Sir Lancelot has taught you even this?"

Agravain glared at Alaric with a dark, oppressive gaze, his barely suppressed anger evident.

Upon seeing Alaric forcibly taking Serenity and even poisoning a knight, Agravain confirmed what he had suspected—Alaric had defected. The recent battles against the Lion King's forces, both the frontal assault on the Holy City and the attack on Tristan, were all part of a rebellion.

But why now?

Agravain had seen Alaric's contributions over the past six months. Despite his disdain for Alaric's association with Lancelot, Agravain had grown to respect him.

And yet, Alaric had betrayed him, just like Lancelot had.

Agravain could not forgive such treachery.

Unaware of Agravain's thoughts, Alaric smiled and said, "I haven't betrayed the King, Sir Agravain. That's slander.

I'm merely correcting the King's mistakes. This method of salvation is flawed. A thousand-year kingdom of pure white will bring nothing."

Agravain had been the Round Table Knight Alaric had interacted with the least in the past six months. Partly because of time constraints, and partly because Agravain himself had no desire to befriend Alaric. Perhaps it was due to Alaric's frequent association with Lancelot that Agravain's dislike extended to him as well.

"What did you say?"

Agravain's gaze sharpened, like a ravenous beast ready to strike.

If this were merely a misunderstanding, there might still be room for reconciliation. But Alaric's direct denial of the Lion King's plans—of the salvation offered by the Holy Lance and the thousand-year kingdom—left no doubt in Agravain's mind.

"You've joined the rebels, haven't you, Sir Alaric?"

With his sharp mind, Agravain quickly pieced together the truth.

Originally tasked with eliminating the Chaldean Master, Alaric was now attempting to save Serenity and had even turned his blade against Agravain.

There could only be one explanation: Alaric had been defected.