"Astolfo's suggestion makes sense. In that case, we should set off as soon as possible." After carefully thinking it over, Alaric came to a conclusion during a discussion with Fujimaru Ritsuka.
They decided to follow Astolfo's advice and explore the small town ahead first, leaving the seaside town for later.
Having confirmed their course of action, the group wasted no time and headed toward the small town Astolfo had observed.
With the addition of the Armored Cavalry Alter, Chaldea's traveling speed had significantly improved.
As for the issue of insufficient seating brought about by Fergus joining them, it was resolved thanks to Astolfo's suggestion—
Fergus, the young boy, was forced to sit squeezed between two beautiful maidens of indeterminate gender, leaving even him visibly awkward.
The boy's embarrassment went unnoticed by anyone else. Soon, with Astolfo's excited shout, a simple encampment appeared on the horizon.
"Ignore them and charge through—"
At such a close distance, Alaric quickly detected the camp's magical energy and confirmed there were no Servant-level units, only well-trained soldiers.
Judging by their attire, were they Amazons?
"Mash."
Although the relevant information had already surfaced in his mind, Alaric still asked, "What does your side say?"
["It looks like a forward base camp. Chaldea has not detected any significant magical energy."]
Mash responded immediately to Alaric's question.
Behind Alaric, Fujimaru Ritsuka also received the information. After some thought, Ritsuka concluded, "Make contact. If communication fails, defeat them first!"
If this was a forward base, what might be in the town behind it? Fujimaru Ritsuka wanted to gather information about the town from this camp.
"Let's move!"
Confirming that the camp posed no threat, Alaric acted decisively as they approached!
Chains filled the air like writhing dragons, crushing the resistance of each Amazon warrior, binding them tightly, and cutting off any chance of fighting back!
The chains, a projection magic imitation of the Chains of Heaven, were created by Alaric. Although they were replicas, his magical energy had imbued them with extraordinary toughness, compensating for their inherent fragility.
Of course, this toughness was useless against powerful Servants, but it was just enough to deal with these Amazon warriors.
'What incredible strength.'
Alaric was impressed by the Amazons' strength as they tried to break free of the chains, accelerating their progress with sheer power.
Even Alaric couldn't help but marvel at their strength.
"This man seems to be a seasoned warrior—"
Young Fergus instinctively exclaimed as he watched Alaric resolve the battle with decisiveness. "Such skillful techniques."
Although Alaric had not displayed swordsmanship or martial arts before Fergus, the efficient and seamless way he wielded the Chains of Heaven to conclude the fight reflected a level of skill forged through long, intense battles.
"Right?! Sir Alaric isn't any worse than Saber or Lancer!"
Astolfo laughed excitedly. "Ahaha!"
With the Amazon subdued, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others conducted their interrogation. The result? They learned nothing.
However—
"From our journey so far, we haven't seen any farms or similar structures. These people likely survive through hunting. The demonic boar we encountered earlier probably escaped from their hunt."
D'Eon, who specialized in intelligence gathering, analyzed the traces in the forward camp and deduced some information.
"The spoils of their hunts seem to be transported elsewhere. Judging by the tracks left by wagons, they're headed toward the town we're going to."
With D'Eon confirming a supply line between the forward base and the town, Alaric's group continued their journey toward the town.
In just over ten minutes, riding the Armored Cavalry Alter, they arrived at the medieval-style small town.
The town's appearance was secondary. Upon stepping into the town, Alaric immediately sensed the presence of multiple Servants.
One of them was—
Straight ahead!
Alaric, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and the others had disembarked and were walking down the town's streets when they spotted Amazon soldiers charging toward them from afar.
These soldiers were the same as those they encountered at the forward base.
The attacking soldiers didn't concern Alaric. Using the same method as before, he swiftly incapacitated and bound several Amazon soldiers, tossing them to the ground.
What caught Alaric's attention was—
["Be careful. A Servant is approaching!"]
Mash's warning rang out.
Thud. Thud.
A white-haired warrior wielding a meteor hammer scanned the scene, taking in the restrained soldiers and the mess. "What's the meaning of this chaos?"
Although their movements were restricted, their speech was not. One of the Amazon soldiers exclaimed, "Queen! This is—"
"No need to explain. I'm not foolish."
The white-haired woman, referred to as "Queen," spoke with a calm expression. "It's obvious—someone is trying to defile our valor and dignity again, isn't it?"
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Fujimaru Ritsuka and Astolfo before finally settling on Alaric. "Who is that man over there?"
Meeting the queen's gaze, Alaric remained calm and emotionless. "Alaric of the Round Table."
"Oh? At least you're cooperative. Then let me ask further—who are you all? Under whose command do you serve? Where do you come from?"
The queen's imposing tone carried the weight of royalty, her questions laden with authority. "Are you allies of the decadent city of water, the dazzling city of dust, or perhaps the rowdy pack of wild dogs making noise lately?"
"None of the above. You sure talk a lot, Penthesilea."
Hands in his pockets, Alaric smirked slightly, his tone playful. "Or should I call you 'Queen'?"
At the moment he saw her, Alaric had already deduced her true name—Penthesilea.
Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology, was said to be the daughter of Ares and the sister of several notable figures, including Hippolyta, whose belt was stolen by Heracles.
After Hector's death, Penthesilea led the Amazon army to support Troy in its battle against the Achaeans.
She eventually dueled Achilles, a fight that marked both the pinnacle and the end of her life, leaving her with a lasting obsession to kill Achilles.
"The queen is speaking to you! Who permitted you to address my name?! Stop dodging the question!!"
Having her true name revealed, and even more so by Alaric's failure to answer her directly, Penthesilea erupted with fury. Her overwhelming anger startled even Astolfo and the others.
"Whoa ~ she's suddenly furious!"
Astolfo instinctively shrank back in surprise, while D'Eon remarked, "She seems unusually young for a queen, but if she's Penthesilea, that behavior makes sense."
The Amazonian queen's valor was renowned across the world.
"This is... the queen. Even I, an amateur, can sense the contrast between her appearance and her undeniable dignity and authority."
Fergus marveled at her presence.
"That mismatch is precisely why I appear in this form."
Penthesilea, unbothered by such remarks, replied as if the anger she displayed earlier wasn't even her own.
Alaric, watching this scene, also felt it was only natural.
The battle with Achilles was the pinnacle of Penthesilea's glory, a moment that could be described as the embodiment of beauty itself.
Similarly, at the end of the fight, Achilles perhaps didn't even realize that he subconsciously muttered the words: "So beautiful."
This was understandable.
Even in life, Penthesilea could be said to possess a Golden Rule (Beauty): Rank A, a woman destined to have goddess-like beauty regardless of the environment she grew up in.
During the Trojan War, Penthesilea undoubtedly had a beauty that rivaled that of the goddesses.
Because of this, Achilles removed her helmet—
But to Penthesilea, she fought as a warrior. She believed that if her opponent had not viewed her as a woman but as a true warrior, then he should have, at the end of their deadly duel, felt relief, thinking, "Finally defeated her," "Thank goodness I didn't die," or "I hope she doesn't get back up."
Yet Achilles uttered such words, unwittingly trampling on Penthesilea's dignity and valor.
This also led Penthesilea to instinctively refuse to manifest in the form of her completed embodiment of beauty after death.
Because that appearance was the very reason for her greatest humiliation, she believed, "An age of possessing such beauty was never truly my prime."
While Alaric was piecing together Penthesilea's background, she also began to speak:
"Enough of this. It doesn't matter whose subordinates you are; nothing will change what I am about to bestow upon you all.
The shame you brought upon me must be settled, the disgrace must be avenged—this must, must, must be done!
You are insolent fools, yet fortunate ones at the same time, rare and unlucky individuals!
Rejoice! You are so fortunate to have me personally teach you this truth!
Die, and praise my valor in the Underworld!"
With Penthesilea's declaration, the regrouped Amazon warriors charged toward Alaric and his companions!
"The other soldiers are yours to handle. I'll take care of Penthesilea myself."
Clang.
As the holy sword was drawn, Alaric strode alone toward Penthesilea.
"Mash, no mistakes in the analysis, right?"
As the distance between them closed, Alaric confirmed Penthesilea's condition with Mash from Chaldea.
Although Alaric could discern her true name, more specific information could only be gathered by Chaldea's systems.
["That's correct. Penthesilea has manifested as a Berserker-class Servant. While she seems to retain her rationality, still—"]
After several checks, Mash confirmed these findings.
Because of her hatred and obsession with Achilles, Penthesilea had forsaken all facets of her prime and manifested in the form of a young girl.
This could indeed be described as the essence of a Berserker.
Had Penthesilea manifested in her prime, she might have appeared as a Lancer, Archer, or Rider-class Servant.
"But she's got Berserker enhancements, huh—"
Alaric smiled as he gazed at Penthesilea, the Queen of the Amazons, not far away. The attribute boosts granted to Berserkers were among the highest possible.
Under such enhancements, even someone like Vlad III could fight toe-to-toe with Servants like Karna.
As the Queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology, and one who even bore the bloodline of the war god Ares, Penthesilea was on an entirely different level.
"Only you alone?"
Penthesilea's gloomy expression suggested that she saw Alaric facing her alone as an insult to Amazonian dignity.
"Of course. I may not compare to the heroes of old, but I've at least crossed blades with Achilles in his Servant form—"
Before Alaric could finish speaking, a fierce gust of wind surged toward him.
"Die, die, die, die!!!!"
Penthesilea, her rationality instantly evaporating, swung her iron mace with a wild ferocity and charged at Alaric.
Even though Penthesilea, with her EX-level Madness Enhancement, could communicate normally at times, her rationality would vanish when faced with Achilles.
Her rage would similarly flare when confronting detested Greek heroes.
And if someone dared to praise her beauty, the psychological trauma would cause her to lose control as well.
Alaric had, quite aptly, stepped on the largest landmine.
For Alaric, whose intention was to fight Penthesilea at her fullest strength, this brought a grin to his face. With a sudden burst of force, he propelled himself forward at a speed far surpassing hers!
In just an instant, Alaric disappeared from Penthesilea's sight!
But having battled the swiftest hero, Achilles, Penthesilea's combat instincts remained sharp even in her Berserker state.
In the span of a single breath, Penthesilea swung her meteor hammer behind her!
Screech.
The clash between the dark holy sword and the meteor hammer produced a piercing screech, scattering sparks into the air.
The air itself seemed to be torn asunder by the violent clash, stirring up the ground beneath them.
The mere movement of the meteor hammer generated an overwhelming wind pressure, akin to a storm, tearing up the earth itself!
That wind pressure alone could kill or severely injure an ordinary person.
Yet, it did nothing to hinder Alaric's actions. His holy sword intercepted the meteor hammer, preventing it from getting any closer.
The immense force behind the hammer was fully absorbed by him!
Crash!
With a deft motion, Alaric's holy sword twisted through the chains of the meteor hammer, pinning it firmly to the ground before Penthesilea could complete her turn.
Seizing the opportunity created by immobilizing her weapon, Alaric swiftly closed the distance between himself and Penthesilea.
Penthesilea, realizing this, immediately abandoned her weapon and resorted to using her bare hands as weapons, launching an attack at Alaric.
But Alaric, faster by a margin, intercepted her arms and forcefully pressed them downward!
A massive surge of superhuman strength erupted from Alaric, sending shockwaves radiating outward from their clash. Cracks spread across the ground, and even nearby buildings began to collapse!
Though Da Vinci had strictly forbidden excessive destruction, Alaric's raw strength was not inferior to Penthesilea's. When augmented by magical energy, the difference became insurmountable!