Credits: Korasakof
Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded as if suddenly enlightened, seemingly understanding the significance of the True Ether Alaric was pursuing.
Mash turned to Alaric, curiosity evident in her eyes.
"Sir Alaric, what do you plan to do with this True Ether?"
After all, Da Vinci had made it clear that True Ether no longer existed on the planet.
Even if Alaric learned how to obtain it from the Hermes, what miracle did he intend to perform with this mysterious power?
"To destroy the world," Alaric said, staring at the glowing screen in front of him with a smile.
This notion of pursuing True Ether had only recently occurred to him—when he realized the limitations of the Holy Grail's mana. While he could compress the Grail's energy endlessly, the results never fully met his expectations. Pure destruction and the achievement of miracles were two very different things.
If using the Grail's mana for combat, Alaric could confidently call himself an expert.
But when it came to miracles?
That was something he had yet to master.
At this moment, Alaric felt like a warrior with maxed-out strength attempting the delicate tasks of a mage. Lacking extensive magical knowledge only made the challenge even harder.
Thus, Alaric needed denser mystery—the kind that could twist the world: True Ether from the Age of Gods.
As Da Vinci had explained, the end of the Age of Gods marked the decline of mystery, with True Ether retreating into the Inner Sea of the Planet. Only by reaching the planet's interior could one hope to obtain this miraculous energy.
However, Alaric had no way to enter the Inner Sea. So, in this mystery-starved 13th-century Middle East, he had to attempt to recreate the fifth primordial element through human ingenuity.
"Eh?!"
Mash, seemingly alarmed by Alaric's outlandish claim, flailed her hands in an attempt to dissuade him.
"Sir Alaric, destroying the world is wrong…!"
"Hmm? You believed me, Miss Mash?"
Even Alaric looked surprised by her innocence, bursting into laughter. "In the end, after you fix this Singularity, this world will be erased anyway. It's just a matter of who gets to do it."
"That's not how it works! Sir Alaric, once we correct the Singularity, the world will return to its proper history, and everyone will go back to their normal lives. Please don't joke about things like this!"
Mash's expression was serious as she locked eyes with Alaric, clearly upset by his remarks.
"Back to proper history, huh…"
Alaric didn't respond further, his gaze returning to the glowing screen in front of him.
The hum of Hermes' operation grew louder, signaling that the answer he awaited was near.
Seeing Alaric's silence, Mash seemed ready to continue, but she was interrupted by a chime from Hermes. Instinctively, her attention turned to the virtual screen before Alaric.
Not just Mash—Fujimaru Ritsuka and Da Vinci also leaned in, eager to see the response Hermes had to offer.
["If you wish to obtain True Ether (Pseudo), perform a magical ritual replicating the miracle achieved by the 16th-century alchemist Von Hohenheim Paracelsus."]
Alaric quickly absorbed the information Hermes provided, and memories of Paracelsus came flooding into his mind.
A Servant listed in the Fate/Grand Order—a 16th-century alchemist renowned for accomplishments like the rediscovery of the Four Elements (and Five Elements) and the Three Principles, leaving behind numerous works.
His Noble Phantasm embodied his mastery of alchemy: a magical artifact forged from a high-purity Philosopher's Stone, capable of wielding all five elements to simulate True Ether, a remnant of the Age of Gods.
"Got it!"
Alaric's face lit up, his hands moving rapidly to access more data provided by Hermes. He aimed to uncover the complete structure of Paracelsus' magic. If he could replicate that Noble Phantasm, he could produce pseudo-True Ether!
"Wait..."
Alaric suddenly turned to Fujimaru Ritsuka, her wide eyes reflecting her confusion.
An idea struck him: could Chaldea summon Paracelsus here and now?
Unlike the Round Table Knights, who were all warriors with no magic specialists, Chaldea was fully equipped with diverse expertise. Their ability to freely summon Servants made them a unique force. Using Fujimaru's bonds or a Heroic Spirit's willingness to answer the call, they could potentially summon Paracelsus directly.
If that failed, there was still one universal genius present—Leonardo da Vinci.
"Miss Ritsuka, can you summon Paracelsus for me?"
Alaric stood abruptly before Ritsuka.
If not for the gender difference, he might have grabbed her hands in desperation.
"Huh?"
Ritsuka was momentarily taken aback but quickly caught up.
"You want me to summon Paracelsus to help you create pseudo-True Ether, Sir Alaric?"
She had seen Hermes' output and easily followed Alaric's train of thought.
"That alchemist, Paracelsus—creator of the Philosopher's Stone and author of numerous works. If anyone could manufacture pseudo-True Ether, it's him. But, Sir Alaric, what do you plan to do with it in this Singularity?"
Da Vinci interjected with her ever-present sharp intuition.
From Da Vinci's perspective, Alaric was no less dangerous than the Sun King or the so-called Lion King. Bearing a Holy Grail, closely tied to the Lion King, and displaying power that made even Chaldea wary, Alaric now sought the means to obtain True Ether.
How could she trust him to involve Chaldea in this endeavor?
"Well, that's a secret for now—just a little mystery," Alaric responded casually, refusing to divulge further.
"But aside from this, I'm more than willing to assist you with your tasks. So, Miss Ritsuka, please consider helping me."
Before Fujimaru could answer, Ozymandias' voice rang out, cutting through the conversation with evident impatience.
"Enough! Sir Alaric, your little farce ends here. Don't sully my eyes any further—be gone at once!"
The Sun King's tone was laced with annoyance, and with a dismissive wave, he issued a command to leave.