"Master, it would appear we have attracted a follow."
Saber's sudden words echoing in my mind sent a slight shiver down my spine. I wasn't doing the safest thing by any means, poking around the bounded field of another master or servant. I still didn't even know what it was for, but its size alone was troubling enough that I believed it warranted an investigation. To be caught out in enemy territory was just about the worst possible outcome, especially since I still wasn't any closer to figuring this bounded field out.
"Are they a threat" I asked, preparing some talismans I kept tucked away in my sleeves.
"Doesn't seem so. He has been following us for eight minutes now, yet hasn't taken any form of offensive action; hence why I'm only mentioning this now. I'm not detecting any other servant either, though that could be due to the bounded field, I admit."
"…"
"What do you think, master: should we try to retreat, or do you wish to confront him here and now?"
"…While I don't like it, if he is the master or servant behind this bonded field, I want to try and get something out of him. Stay in spirit form and get ready to intervene, but don't make the first move."
"As you wish, master."
Knowing Saber was right by me made me feel better. Even in enemy territory, I had full confidence that Saber could deal with what I assumed was most likely Assassin or Caster, based on the current situation. The worry came in the possibility that there was another alliance; that there was more than one enemy servant here. Even if I tried to text Sortiara right now, it would take a while before she and Lancer got here. Fighting outnumbered here would be troublesome…
"I know you're there; don't try to hide" I turned around and spoke out to the shadows of the alleyway.
I didn't expect anything to happen with just that, but within mere seconds I heard another voice laugh out in the night. From the shadows of some pipes further back down the alleyway emerged a man. He seemed pretty young; maybe mid to late twenties, at the very most. Yet he was quite thin, and fairly short; only just taller than me, by like an inch or so. In his hand he was holding a phone, which he was currently focusing on, rather than me.
"Man, I'm rusty at this shadowing business" he grinned as he looked up from his phone. "Only ten minutes before being discovered… high school me would be ashamed by this pathetic display."
Huh? Did he just say he'd been following me for ten minutes? That surely wasn't possible; Saber had said it was only eight minutes we've been followed.
"Not possible" I told the man bluntly. "I know you've been following for the past eight minutes, not ten."
"Well, for one, that means I'm even more rusty than I'd originally thought…" the man laughed slightly. "Only two minutes is dreadful, considering what I used to be able to do. However, if you really think I've only been following you for eight minutes, then I'd suggest you work a bit on your situational awareness. Unless you think I started the stopwatch here two minutes early just randomly."
To prove his point, the man took a few steps closer and displayed his phone. True enough, the timer on it read 10:17:67. On guard to deploy my talismans at any second, I confronted Saber on this development.
"That says ten minutes, Saber, not eight. You're certain you only detected him eight minutes ago?"
"Yes, master. It would appear I was slow at detecting this potential threat. My sincerest apologies…"
"Forget that; I'm not mad or anything. I just want to know how he evaded the detection of a servant for two minutes. That seems like the presence concealment skill of Assassin at work, doesn't it?"
"In a sense yes, but then why was I able to suddenly detect him? Not only that, but I still don't sense any servant. That man isn't Assassin; if Assassin revealed themselves, I would be able to sense it. A servant doesn't stand before us."
"Then maybe he's Assassin's mas-"
"Well" the man interjected, returning my focus to him. "Do you believe me or not? Taking an awfully long time to consider things, aren't you?"
The man had a grin on his face that unnerved me. He knew something. As to what it was, I couldn't say. But whatever this man wanted from me, it seemed he had either already obtained it, or was close to it. I needed to regain the advantage in this situation, and quick.