"That's an easy question to answer," Caules said in relief. "I'm working alone. I arrived here in this world with practically no allies and a holy grail. There wasn't much I could really do with it. The state it was in left it practically unusable."

        "Wait, stop right there," (y/n) demanded. "You mean to tell me, you're the reason that all these rouge mages have gotten their hands on the power to create these miniature worlds? All of the crap that I've been through up until this point has been your fault??" The realization had the boy seething. Gilgamesh put a hand on his shoulder.

        "I don't believe that is the case," the king spoke. "If he had his hands on a holy grail, damaged or not, then he should have been able to use its remaining power to return to his world or at least the very least summon an ally. The grail does not lose its power just because it is not whole. The existence of all of those reality marbles proves that." Gilgamesh tilted his head, his brows furrowed with confusion. "Who took it from you, mongrel?"

        "Well, to be honest I don't know who he is. All I know about him is that he said he was from Chaldea and started to attack everyone involved in the war. I was sent here with the help of Caster and my own servant Berserker, but that's been years ago."

        "So someone did take it..." (y/n) noted. Regardless, he was still upset knowing that Caules was connected to the source of his troubles. He sighed to himself once he realized that he wasn't even supposed to mention the grail fragments. Their existence was a secret between himself and Gilgamesh afterall. Even his adoptive mother, Sakura, was unaware despite how much (y/n) trusted her.

        "Years ago? You were a child master then," Melloi II pointed out.

        Caules shook his head in disagreement. "That's the tricky part. I haven't aged a bit since arriving here. I believe that coming from a different world had something to do with that hence why I look identical to the Caules you know. That man from Chaldea is the same way. I've come across him twice. The day he tried to take the grail from me, and the day he tried to finish the job of killing me."

        "What is Chaldea?" Gray asked. She had been waiting for the opportunity to ask ever since it had been initially mentioned. (Y/n) had been curious about it as well, but there were other matters weighing heavily on his mind.

        "I wish I knew. I've spent my time here in this world searching for records, but it doesn't exist. Either that, or it's been hidden extremely well. I've hacked into countless databases searching for it." Caules turned to (y/n). "That's how I found out about you."

        "So you started looking for him. Why?" Masuda asked before Gilgamesh could. The blonde was silently fuming.

        "Because I believe the man that wants me dead is somewhere within your organization. I've been following the traces you left behind. It wasn't easy, but I managed to learn that you appear whenever these reality marbles do." Caules pointed back towards his counterpart. "The only reason we are here now is because I always watch over the me from this world. I believe the culprit from Chaldea used him on purpose to lure me out. As if he somehow knows..."

        "Wait, that doesn't make sense." (Y/n) stopped him with the shaking of his head. "How do you have the resources to do these things? You shouldn't have even been able to determine our arrival. My spells are powerful enough to evade even high level mages."

        "The grail fragment, I'm assuming," El Melloi II decided to answer for him. "If it can create a reality marble with ease, which is almost on par with a servant's noble phantasm, then I have little doubt that it could enhance magically ability or even bypass them." He seemed awfully interested in the topic. "I've never come across this before. Usually if a grail is broken, chaos ensues, but you're telling me that the one you were in possession of merely shattered and nothing happened?"

        Caules grimaced. "Nothing is wrong. Something definitely happened. The fragments scattered on their own. I managed to hold on to just three, but the rest...I have no idea who got ahold of them. Someone must have spread the knowledge of how to use them though. A person's first thought is not always to create a reality marble with them, yet there have been many across the span of the last five years."

        "What would happen if you were to collect all of them again? Could you go home?" Gray wondered.

        "I wish that were the case, but I honestly have no idea. It could be a possibility." The way this Caules answered their questions without a problem had won over (y/n)'s trust for the time being, but there was still one more thing that he wanted to know.

        "What good would it do you to tell me all of this?" he asked. "Even if the person you are running from is within my organization, you realize this makes us enemies right? You've practically given yourself away."

        Caules shook his head. "No, I believe you are wrong. If that person is truly hiding within your ranks, you may be in danger. I remember clearly that he told us before attempting to kill us all that he was there to restore order and fix my world. If killing innocent people is how you fix a world, then I implore you to reconsider your morals."

        "I don't kill innocent people. Usually I don't have to kill anyone unless its explicitly...wait..." (y/n) trailed off and turned to Gilgamesh. "My mission...I was specifically told to eliminate the target this time. The director even said something before I left."

        "It's possible that he was aware Caules would appear here," Gilgamesh confirmed. "But for him to know that, he also knows that you have those fragments. There is no other explaination. I do believe the man that Caules speaks of may be the director."

        That was not something (y/n) wanted to think about. If what his servant said was correct, then wouldn't that make him a brainwashed pawn? Was the Mage's Association even aware?

        "Whatever conclusion the two of you have come to, I'm curious to hear it," Masuda spoke as politely as he could.

        "Caules is right," (y/n) admitted. "I...I don't know what it is that you want, but you better start telling me."

        "To put things simply, I just want to rest in peace. And yes, it is exactly as I imply. At this rate, that man from Chaldea knows where I am. If he had something to do with you being sent here, then it's only a matter of time before I meet my end." He caught some of their solemn gazes. "Trust me, it took some time for me to come to terms with this, but there is no other way."

        "No, there is another way," Gilgamesh raised his voice in obvious arrogance. "I shall be the one to make it for you. Tell me, mongrel. You merely wish to return to your home, do you not?" The boy gave a hesitant nod. "You do realize that it will have changed by now, right? Your very way of life may be nothing as you once knew it. Do you still wish to return knowing this?"

        "I have many things that I want to do when I return. I owe a lot of people flowers. Even if I cannot find a place for myself in my original world, I want to at least escape from here." Anyone could see it in his eyes right through his glasses. Caules was beyond fed up with this world.

        "A good answer." Gilgamesh opened a gate to his treasury just large enough to cover the span of his hand. (Y/n)'s eyes widened at the familiar necklace that seemed to hold the galaxy itself. "If I am correct, and I am, then this item should be able to grant you that request." The smirk on Gilgamesh's face could not be more prideful.

        Caules seemed as shocked as (y/n) was about the necklace. "H-How did you get that?"

        "You know what it is?" (Y/n) couldn't deny that he had sounded more surprised than he had wanted to.

       "I don't know what it is. Someone please explain what the hell is going on here. I've been a confused spectator for the past few minutes," Melloi II complained. Gray flashed them an apologetic smile on behalf of her mentor. At least, (y/n) assumed he was her mentor.

        "We will get to that," Gilgamesh growled. His attention went back to Caules immediately. "Be grateful mongrel, for I now grant you the opportunity to trade with a king."
____________________________________

Hopefully this is starting to all make some form of sense. If not, I'm still finishing the next chapters and I hope to keep them going until the end of this book. Until next time you amazing readers!