It wasn't just the man from earlier. There was a girl with him who hid her face within the hood of her cloak. Gilgamesh was certain that they were still following him despite knowing that he was luring them on purpose.

        All the while, Gilgamesh searched for the memory of that man. Why did he feel a sense of familiarity from some random mage? No, he knew for certain that he knew exactly who that man was, but the knowledge would not come to him. He was quite literally being denied of his own memories by the force he assumed was in control of the Throne of Heroes.

        He decided that he would think about it later once he reached the entrance to a park where people were scarce and there was plenty of room to speak. He made a glance back at the two individuals just to be sure that they were still following him.

        "Be honored, mongrels. I have taken the time to hear your requests. What is it that you want with me?" He stopped at a fountain, choosing to keep his back turned to them.

        "I know who you are," the man claimed. "It shouldn't be possible for you to be here. How did you get in this world?"

        Gilgamesh slowly turned around with a glare. "I'm the one asking the questions here. If you really did know me, you would have enough sense to watch your mouth." Oh how tempting it was to flaunt the power of the Gate of Babylon, but that would only draw attention towards them. "I'll ask one last time. What exactly do you want?"

        "To meet your master," the girl beside him spoke up. The man looked at her in shock. "If that would be possible...please," the girl added in a small voice. The small cage in her hands shook as she stared down at it to hide her embarrassment. The creature inside the cage chuckled at the girl.

        "How amusing. One of you has manners." He crossed his arms and allowed himself to relax. "I expected you to give me a reason why I shouldn't annihilate you where you stand. The answer you gave is only helping you to prepare your graves." The girl looked at him in surprise. Though the colors were not the same, the glimpse he got of her features was familiar. The man took notice of Gilgamesh's split second falter and took the opportunity to pull the hood right off of the girl's head without warning.

        "Does this girl look familiar to you?"

        "What of it? Do you believe that will grant you any mercy?" Gilgamesh questioned with his signature laugh.

        "So you do know her." Gilgamesh was a lion's hair close to throwing caution to the wind.

        "I would watch my next words very carefully, mongrel. Make one more assumption of your own and I will assume you wish to be dead." The way the man flinched gave Gilgamesh just the sense of satisfaction he was looking for. The girl with him, however, remained unafraid. "Somehow this man really does..." he began to realize. "What are your names? You speak first since you were so bold the first time." He waited on the girl to introduce herself.

        "My name is Gray. This here," she raised up the cage in her hands, "is Add. It's nice to meet you."

        "Nice my a-" the cube creature in the cage was forced to cut his words off as Gray shook it.

        "I am Lord El Melloi II." That was all the man needed to say for a sharp pain to suddenly strike Archer's head. He settle for a wince though it was strong enough for him to have the urge to hold his head.

        "So that's who you are then," Gilgamesh muttered. A fight. Three masters and four servants. Among them was a boy and a man by the name of El Melloi, but this was not that same man. "Your name was in that letter. Very well," Gilgamesh waved a hand in the air. "You have been pardoned for the moment. It seems you are an ally of an acquaintance. I will lead you to them. If you choose not to follow, I will hunt you down another time, but don't expect me to be so merciful."

        "Can I be sure that I can trust you?" Melloi II asked.

        "Do you want to die?" Gilgamesh growled. "Honestly, I cannot stand you foolish mongrels with your ridiculous questions," he muttered under his breath as he began to guide them once again. This time, they didn't keep their distance which made it easier for Gilgamesh to keep an eye on them. Just as he preferred, they walked in silence until they reached the hotel. The receptionist gave him a questioning glance when she didn't see (y/n) returning with the group, but they got in without any other problems. "Take a seat. You are not allowed to touch anything."

        With a snap of his fingers, Gilgamesh opened his treasury so that (y/n) and Masuda could return. "We figured out some things while we were talking," (y/n) spoke as he waited the portal without having looked up from the document that he was reading. "I think we should be able to find the person Masuda is looking for if we-" the boy went silent when he noticed that there were two additional presences. For a good minute, Masuda and (y/n) stared at Gray and El Melloi II, neither side uttering a single sound.

        "Someone speak before I go mad with boredom. I didn't go out of my way to set up this meeting to have my time wasted," Gilgamesh snapped.

        "You brought the guy from the restaurant?" (y/n) asked his servant, not bothering to address the two newcomers.

        Masuda gave the strangers a curt nod. "It's good to see you are well," he greeted them. "You ran into him at the restaurant? This is the person we're supposed to be looking for," Masuda informed (y/n) of the man's identity. Gilgamesh could only roll his eyes and leave the area to head for the half kitchen. He needed a glass of wine. Children were so bothersome.

        "You have more allies," Melloi II spoke directly to Masuda with a hint of skepticism.

        "I met them long before I reached out to you. If you are concerned about them betraying you, I advise that you reconsider," Masuda said with words sprinkled with salt and an opposingly innocent smile. Gilgamesh was certain that Masuda was probably a servant more dangerous in wit than in combat. A fitting ally, but an even more treacherous enemy.

        "I have questions for both of you," Melloi II said. He slipped a cigar from his pocket but it burst into shredded pieces in his hand. He stared at (y/n) half shocked and half intrigued.

        "No smoking in the building. The smell gets left behind. I intend to leave as few traces as possible," the boy warned. Gilgamesh, still watching from afar, let himself briefly display a proud smirk.

        "How did you do that? What are you?"

        "Those are not the questions you should be asking. As a matter of fact, I will take over from here in that regard. Masuda is currently looking for his master, as you already know, but I still don't trust you. You are going to tell me how you plan to assist my ally, or I will make sure that it's your magic circuits that I destroy next time."

        Gilgamesh set down his glass of wine to laugh at the boy's actions. He simply could not hold back his mirth knowing that he was responsible for (y/n)'s way of carrying out interrogations. It was truly a sight worth all of the king's attention.
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I think it's time we start getting towards what this arc is really going to be about. Until next time you epic readers!