Traveler Starting from Type-Moon, Demon Lord Rimuru!

If it were merely an intrusion by a single individual or a crushing act of theft, the Church and the Mage's Association might have chosen to handle it with a hush-hush approach... offering the Einzbern family some compensation and declaring the matter closed.

But if it were a large-scale, comprehensive invasion, an illegal gathering of Dead Apostles...

That would be a different story.

The Church would have to launch a massive crackdown in Germany just to justify their existence, wouldn't they?!

In any case, Germany is one of the most important territories of the White Winged Duke; regardless of whether he caused this trouble or not, he would end up taking half the blame.

Rimuru even felt that if not for this point, Altrouge might not have been willing to accompany him on this trip—though it must be said, much like finding people or locating their hidden lairs, Altrouge's influence certainly saved Rimuru a great deal of effort.

And at this very moment, when the barrier shattered, the current head of the Einzbern family, "Acht"—that is, "Jubstacheit," who inherited the eighth generation—had long since sensed it. Looking keenly into the silent forest, he activated the perimeter system for all his Homunculi.

In an instant, the Homunculi throughout the ancient castle ceased their ongoing work and movements. Their vacant eyes lit up with autonomous magical counter-attack systems. While they stood on guard, a few Homunculi even charged directly into the forest, actively seeking out the intruders.

Although the Einzbern family had long since lost most of the information regarding the third Magician and their reputation in the world had gradually declined, they were forced to use their exceptionally skilled Homunculus technology to gather funds and gain a measure of fame in the world to maintain their ambition of reclaiming the Third Magic and the Holy Grail War.

Because of this, aside from the Homunculi maintaining the basic operations of the castle, the Einzbern family actually possessed a massive number of combat-oriented golems and Homunculi as defensive works, much like Yggdmillennia, even if this wasn't depicted in the original work. The entire castle was famous precisely as the magical workshop of Acht.

At the very least... up until now, no mage had ever managed to break through the Einzbern castle.

On this point, Acht was quite confident.

After all... in the eyes of the truly powerful, the Einzbern family, which had completely lost its connection to the Third Magic... was not worth paying attention to.

Yet, five minutes later, Acht, holding onto such confidence, began to feel that something was increasingly wrong, because the few Homunculi that had entered the forest had not sent back any news until now.

A human-like frown appeared on his aged face; he slowly stood up and walked out of the room.

And then he saw it... in that forest.

Pouring out were the Dead Apostles—strange and varied, some pale-faced, some barely humanoid, and some... even beasts!

The cold wind blew across Acht's face, which was covered in wrinkles, carrying with it a faint scent of blood. This scent did not come from the Homunculi, for even if dolls were endowed with humanity, they would not possess blood.

As Acht stepped out of the main gate, Rimuru, as the intruder, naturally no longer hid himself. He walked along the path torn open by his subordinates, looking coldly at the scattered parts, limbs, and a maid who was still being pinned down and resisting under a beast-like Dead Apostle, her eyes gradually dimming, her face expressionless.

"I told you not to kill anyone." Rimuru looked helplessly at the debris on the ground and the wary Acht, saying softly.

"But, my lord... they aren't human, are they?" Hearing this, a scarred man with a ferocious, beast-like face argued with a sinister tone.

This made Rimuru raise an eyebrow slightly, falling silent for a moment with a touch of dissatisfaction.

Admittedly, there were no humans in the strict sense within the Einzbern family, but he had not expected that there would actually be Dead Apostles who would split hairs like this—it was as if a boss asked you to pour water for a guest, and instead of pouring tea, you went to the water fountain and brought back a cup of plain water.

Did they really not understand the meaning behind his words, or were they intentionally being disgusting out of spite?

But regardless, just as Rimuru, who was accustomed to reasoning with others, was about to speak, a flash of black light streaked by—the Dead Apostle who had spoken let out a miserable shriek as his entire arm was severed, blood spraying like a fountain before it fell to the ground.

The scent of blood mingled in the wind, causing even the calm heart of Acht to skip a beat. His pupils constricted tightly, for at this moment, in the shadows behind Rimuru, a graceful figure was slowly approaching with a pair of clever eyes.

With her appearance, all the surrounding Dead Apostles immediately lowered their heads, not daring to even let out a breath—

"But regardless, who gave you the right to talk back to him?"

A burst of pressure descended from above, slamming the scarred man to the ground with a loud thud. He knelt on the floor, clutching his wound, covered in cold sweat—he looked up and saw the Black Princess looking down at him coldly from above. A wisp of black energy emerged behind him, and the Black Knight raised his cold, eerie blade. The icy killing intent locked onto him instantly, causing him to hold his breath, not daring to refute a single word.

This scene left even Rimuru speechless for a moment: "I thought you were still eating ice cream in Norsk Town."

"I only left for two days, and they're already on the verge of rebellion." Hearing Rimuru's teasing, Altrouge rolled her eyes at him and said coldly: "I remember telling you, if there are any who don't obey you... just kill them."

To Altrouge, or rather to the Dead Apostles, strength is the only qualification for having a voice. In the concept of the Black Princess, who was already deemed cruel, disrespecting one's lord is a grave sin.

However, even so, Altrouge did not let the Black Knight execute the man. After all, these subordinates she had temporarily gathered had been handed over to Rimuru, and she did not want to interfere too much. This was the most basic respect for a subordinate; on this point, Altrouge was very clear. Therefore, she would only use her actions to tell Rimuru how to handle such situations, and then she would absolutely not interfere further. Even when speaking, she stood behind Rimuru from beginning to end, not taking a single step forward.

In her eyes, Rimuru was clearly still thinking about problems from the perspective of a mage, and his style of conduct was full of so-called "consensus"—meaning his actions took into account the views of those around him and his subordinates. But in reality, these things were useless to Dead Apostles.

Most Dead Apostles worship the strong, and the main reason they follow someone is their need for the protection of the strong so they aren't hunted by the Church and the Mage's Association.

Therefore... there is no need to be too polite to followers. You protect them, they offer you their blood and execute your orders unconditionally. This is just an equal transaction, having nothing to do with beliefs, and even less to do with righteousness.

"..." Regarding this view, although Rimuru did not quite agree, he did not refute it, hindered by his lack of deep understanding of the Dead Apostle factions. He simply turned his head to look at Acht, who had been watching them in silence, unmoved even by the death of his kin, and suddenly said: "He seems to recognize you..."

"Hmph, if he didn't even recognize this Princess, then the noble surname of Einzbern would probably be nothing more than an empty name." To this, the Black Princess no longer targeted the poor Dead Apostle, but wrinkled her nose slightly and said haughtily.

However, in reality... the appearance of the Black Princess was not particularly famous. Because she didn't like to act personally, the Black and White Knights responsible for the fighting had become the girl's iconic figures. Rimuru also noticed that Acht's expression only changed instantly after the Black Knight revealed his magic blade... but seeing Altrouge's little proud look... he thought about it and didn't dare to dampen her spirits.

"Indeed, I do know a little about the rumors regarding Princess Black Princess." Hearing this, Acht's constricted pupils relaxed slightly. He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his entire temperament seemed to have become calm and indifferent. But Rimuru knew that this was only because the other party, like the Great Sage, belonged to an extremely precise operating terminal. As long as the human-like simulation related to fear was cut off, the other party could return to a state of absolute rationality.

"Then, I wonder what brings the famous Black Princess, Your Highness, to visit the ancient castle of the Einzberns in the middle of the night."

His throat moved slowly, and he opened his eyelids, expressionless, looking at the group and asking calmly: "If it is for the Homunculi, I can take the liberty of offering a few as a gift—"

As the remaining Homunculi began to slowly shrink back and gather behind Acht, the Black Princess also keenly sensed that the entire castle had begun to operate slowly. The flow of magical energy began to surge rapidly, and more powerful combat dolls were activated by the magic, beginning to open their eyes and step out of their cultivation devices.

Acht assumed that the Black Princess looked down on their Homunculus technology, so the visitors were not here with good intentions... He had to prepare a foolproof plan.

But the Black Princess simply tilted her head, gave Rimuru a playful smile, and then nimbly took a step back: "I would very much like to appreciate the magical workshop of the Einzbern family, but unfortunately, the protagonist today is not me."

"The one who wants to cause you trouble is the one right in front of you."

Facing this person... hearing these words, Acht's ancient gaze once again fixed upon Rimuru, scrutinizing him. His long, light blue hair was tied into a ponytail as if meticulously styled, and his slender figure was perfectly accentuated by a pure white knight's uniform patterned with red flowers. Yet, in terms of temperament, had he not been standing beside Altrouge, Acht was certain he would have mistaken the other for a young noble magus from England, rather than... a Dead Apostle.

However... even though he had judged at a glance that this youth was the leader, he had not expected him to be involved with a being like Altrouge. Because, masked by a facade akin to a Noble Phantasm, what Acht could not see through was not just the other's face, aura, or scent; even his strength felt blurred and ethereal, as if he were incredibly weak.

Facing Acht's gaze, the emotionless ghost mask on Rimuru slowly turned to meet his eyes. The cold, golden pupils made Acht pause, and at the same time, he heard a crisp voice accompanied by a faint chuckle: "A pleasure to meet you, head of the Einzbern family. You may call me... White Knight."

"White Knight..."

Acht's aged face wrinkled slightly as he whispered, as if contemplating something.

Watching his reaction, Rimuru chuckled lightly: "It is fine if you cannot find any relevant information, Head Acht. My purpose this time is actually quite simple; I merely wish to borrow something from your esteemed family."

"You do not look like you are here to borrow something, sir."

Acht's eyes finally shifted to the shattered Homunculi, sweeping over them briefly. You kill my people and then ask to borrow something? Do you really think the Einzbern family has no pride?

Rimuru noticed this and felt somewhat helpless: "My apologies, I had already warned them not to kill anyone..."

"In that case, I have a proposal." Hearing this, Acht spoke calmly: "Although I do not know what it is you wish to borrow, for the sake of the Princess, I am willing to trust you, but..."

"I wonder if you could hand over the culprits who killed my clansmen... After all, as you said, they were the ones who disobeyed orders first..."

Hearing this, Rimuru froze for a moment, while those Dead Apostles who had been killing with the most fervor suddenly broke into a cold sweat and began to tremble uncontrollably.

Every Dead Apostle knew that falling into the hands of a magus was far more miserable than falling into the hands of the Church. The Church would simply kill you, but a magus would... make you wish for death! Research, live experiments, vivisection, or even being pickled in formalin.

"I see."

Upon hearing the proposal, Rimuru paused briefly before instantly letting out a low chuckle: "As compensation, that is quite reasonable..."

"However, your dolls are indeed too fragile. If I break them by accident... that would be quite a headache for me too." Rimuru narrowed his eyes, looking at the growing number of Automata behind the old man. His voice beneath the mask grew more helpless and flippant as he spread his hands: "It seems the negotiations have broken down."

Although he was dissatisfied with his subordinates killing the other side's people without permission, they were, after all... his subordinates.

Acht understood well that as a commander, one could purge from within, but one must never hand one's own subordinates over to the enemy. Thus, saying such things was more like a provocation.

But Acht understood even better that as a magus family legally recognized by the Mage's Association, if he truly just obediently "lent" the item out, it would be no different from trading with a Dead Apostle—it would be tantamount to colluding with the enemy. Therefore, he had refused before even asking what the other party wanted to snatch.

Likewise... Acht glanced once more at Altrouge and the Black Knight, who were watching the show with smiles, and sighed with heavy sorrow. If he truly could not stand against them, he would not fight to the death. After all... as the final processing terminal of the Einzbern family, the reason and purpose for bestowing humanity upon all Homunculi was merely... to complete the final Third Magic.

For that, anything could be sacrificed.

Therefore, if the item the other party needed was something that could be sacrificed, and since he could not offend the Mage's Association nor defeat Altrouge, then the only option was... to bleed a little and let the item be taken.

It was sad, but there was no other way; this was the only choice a weak existence could make.

Thus, he nodded heavily. After the Homunculi behind him prepared for battle, he spoke coldly: "Then, before we begin, allow me to ask: in this declining family of ours, what is it that is worth coveting?"

"It is nothing of great importance, merely a scabbard that carries history."

Rimuru naturally guessed Acht's thoughts, so he answered quickly. After all, if a Noble Phantasm was lost, one could find another. Among the Sabers, Artoria was not the only one of the strongest, but if one lost their life, everything was truly gone. He believed Acht would make the correct choice after witnessing the overwhelming gap between them.

However, what Rimuru did not expect was that upon hearing this, Acht's expression froze. He revealed a look of confusion that habitually made Rimuru feel something was wrong, and he asked in return: "A scabbard?"

Rimuru felt a sense of disappointment, yet it was also within his expectations.

It was seven years before the Holy Grail War. Although the Einzberns, as one of the Three Families, had long begun preparations for the next Holy Grail War, the search for Noble Phantasms was rarely easy or targeted. If that was the case, would he have to find it himself?

Although he now had Altrouge to help him suppress his vampiric impulses, he could not rely on her forever; this was something he could not tolerate. Moreover, Acht had been alerted; even if he found the scabbard in the future, he would surely contact the Mage's Association immediately. Once it was in the hands of the Association, with Rimuru's current authority and influence, he had no confidence in snatching this item—which represented King Arthur—from others amidst various political struggles.

Therefore, Rimuru would not wait—on the contrary, for the sake of the future Holy Grail War proceeding smoothly, Acht could not die. If Acht did not die, the words "the scabbard" were destined to reach the ears of the Church and the Mage's Association! If Acht already had the scabbard or clues to Cornwall...

He had to accelerate his progress! He had to obtain Avalon as soon as possible!

To the side, Altrouge watched this scene with an interesting smile. Seeing Rimuru suddenly lose his fighting spirit, she reminded him softly: "Hey, White Knight."

Not calling him by his name in front of others was a pact they had made.

"Don't forget, this mission isn't just about what you want. This is also your debut as the White Knight..."

"I understand." Rimuru nodded: "Although my goal has fallen through, I promised you..."

To let this invasion ignite the undercurrents surging throughout Germany.

He pointed at Acht and the ancient castle behind him, saying softly:

"Go, my children. I command you in the name of the White Knight—"

"Destroy, slaughter—"

"Tell the world at any cost."

"The brand new Eighth Ancestor... has arrived!"

After speaking, Rimuru lowered his eyes, his tone beneath the mask devoid of any further fluctuation. He gently raised his hand, and thick fog began to permeate. The Dead Apostles surged like a tide, charging headlong into the army of Homunculi!

He himself completely transformed into a black phantom, and thousands of blood-colored blades blossomed like flowers within the pristine ancient castle.

Chapter 038, I bloom amidst the slaughter, just like...

The cold wind gently blew the fallen leaves, and the swaying shadows emitted ghostly wails like spirits. Above this dark night, thunder flashed amidst the gathering storm clouds, causing the air pressure of the entire city to sink.

Rimuru floated gently in mid-air, watching the Dead Apostles locked in combat with the Homunculi. Whether it was shattered parts or spurting blood, fragments of limbs and a bloody storm were everywhere.

Suddenly, looking at the blood-stained earth, magic power surged, and drops of rain began to fall. While washing the earth, they merged with the blood... Following that, the rain grew heavier and more intense—Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck. Amidst the torrential downpour, a torrent of blood roared to life, turning into a raging current that swept beneath people's feet. As it flowed rapidly like a river, Rimuru lowered his eyes, coldly raised his azure arm, and the moment his palm, shining with magic power, clenched shut!

"Rumble!"

The torrent suddenly transformed into layers of oceanic curtains, emitting a deafening, overwhelming roar as it swallowed and strangled one Homunculus after another who failed to escape in time. Slowly converging, it formed a massive, blood-colored flower bud; its base flowed like a river of blood, and its petals, resembling vertical surfaces of water, rippled with beautiful, subtle waves as the rain fell upon them.

However... seeing this scene, Acht could not help but shrink his pupils, frantically ordering all Homunculi to retreat immediately and withdraw into the ancient castle for defense...

This is... a variant of the Water Flower? Damn it!! How could there really be a mad magus who would research this kind of magecraft! And even transform it into such a massive... battlefield magecraft!!

Water Flower is a small-scale assassination magecraft that has recently become popular and controversial in the magecraft world.

It was created by Professor Rimuru of the Fairy Tale department, passed the patent application of the Mage Association, and was directly made public.

Originally, it was a magecraft developed by Rimuru, imitating the so-called Pear Blossom Needle in Rainstorm from the novels of his past life. It was a gorgeous water-elemental magecraft that killed without a trace. Because it was so flashy, it was deeply loved by students, yet it was so dangerous—dangerous to the point that thirty-seven percent of the casters themselves would be injured—that the Mage Association urgently banned unauthorized learning of it. However, this magecraft also caused Rimuru's reputation as a water-elemental magecraft artist to quietly spread among the adoration of countless students.

Compared to those reckless brats who only cared about whether something looked cool, Acht, as a humanoid processing terminal, knew very well that this thing was... a thorough, terrifying killing weapon... wrapped in a beautiful skin!!

He should have run long ago.

Rimuru watched the Homunculi urgently contracting and beginning to retreat, and slowly shook his head—

The next moment, the blood-colored flower began to bloom, and tens of thousands of blood-needle threads formed a true blood-red storm that instantly swept across the entire void!

It pierced through the castle, eroded the magic circles, and ravaged all the Homunculi and Dead Apostles, while simultaneously sweeping blood into every corner of the castle, staining every part of this barrier... red.

In the forest, the drizzling rain was shaken and dispersed by the massive energy fluctuations. After once again being mixed with the filthy blood of those Dead Apostles as it fell, Black Knight silently condensed a sheet of energy with black flames capable of instantly evaporating any liquid, gently shielding it above Altrouge's head like an umbrella.

Yet, Princess of the Black simply rested her chin in her hand, her scarlet eyes quietly watching the blooming blood-colored flower. A nameless sparkle flickered in her eyes as she whispered, "His magecraft is truly beautiful, isn't it? Especially after it combines with blood—"

"I don't think mere beauty has any use." Black Knight said, somewhat unable to understand: "Although I am not skilled in large-scale magecraft, I know that such flashy displays require a waste of mana."

"You don't understand." Hearing this, Princess of the Black suddenly giggled: "What you consider unnecessary is merely the requirement one sets for oneself when pursuing perfection. Pursuing perfection is never a mistake, and beauty can never be evil."

"This is..."

"His exact words when refuting his students." Princess of the Black lowered her eyes and chuckled: "This is the first time I've heard such a theory."

"Very interesting, isn't it?"