Hallway goers made room as a bubbly rider skipped down the center of the corridor.

Employees stared curiously at the pink haired servant as they watched the 'girl' practically waltz down the hallway at times. If the servant could hear their thoughts, he wouldn't even mind they thought he was female. There were plenty of gender revelations that initially confused the workforce, but before long everyone grew used to it; Barely anyone bat an eyelash when one of Charlemagne's Paladins appeared as a girl, though he was still definitely a guy. He silently figured his choice of cute clothing didn't exactly help to prove his actual gender to the workforce who mostly remained ignorant of the truth.

The rider simply turned to the passing group, glancing with pink eyes, and gave a bright smile and wave which they returned with accompanying nods. He paused to check the hem of his short, black skirt to ensure it wasn't revealing too much when he skipped, then continued to prance down the hallway. Black stockings and purple sneakers covered the rest of his legs, while a striped violet shirt exposed his feminine midriff. A purple, zip-front sweater flapped wildly as he went. His pink hair was decorated with black side bows, and the cut was styled in the same way as the resident female ruler.

Astolfo definitely looked like a girl to everyone else, there was no doubt about that.

The male rider hummed brightly and thought, for the ninth time in the past thirty minutes, of the reason he was currently extra enthusiastic today; He was recently informed that training sorties were canceled until further notice while Leonardo and Tesla searched for the source of a large energy leak. While they could generate enough power with the leak to deploy to a possible emergency singularity, any other deployment was cancelled to conserve the minimal reserves. It was also uncertain what would happen if they tried to use Saint Quartz to surge power into a potentially damaged system.

So until the problem could be fixed, there would be nothing for the rider to do today; The suited him perfectly fine. Unlike his previous war with that rather displeasing master, Astolfo found himself in a new conflict with more than enough relaxation time. Getting a full day off wasn't too rare, but it was always cause for celebration of some sort! There were many things the rider loved, and an entire day off to do what he pleased was one!

"I wonder what adventure I can have today?" The rider pondered out loud, drawing the curious stares of another passing group of employees. This group belong to the science division, and one guy eyed the effeminate man longer than the rest before being snapped out of his gaze by his teasing colleagues.

As much as Astolfo loved exploring and adventuring around Chaldea on his days off, it was significantly more fun doing it with friends; The problem was every one of his closest seemed to have made plans already. Jeanne was with Arturia modeling new designs for the Clothing Department. Siegfried was sparring with D'Eon and Fergus out on the training fields. Mordred preferred being alone, or was pestering Jekyll.

There was one option left, but only if Frankenstein wasn't currently enjoying some time with her boyfriend.

The simplest way to check if she was with Anton was to see if the employee was reading with her and Medusa in the library, since that room was located more centrally than any other communal area in Chaldea. Frankenstein really didn't read, even though she had some learning experiences after her creator abandoned her, so Anton did it for her quietly. It was one of the ways they spent their free time in public, and was the most common place to find them outside of the dining areas at proper times. Maybe Anton would be interested in joining their adventure before working his shift?

Deciding it was well worth the simple effort, the pink haired rider made a swift left down a corridor and headed towards the library for his request.

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Fragment 14: Astolfo's Big Adventure

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

The rider walked casually into the library, having remembered last time he skipped through happily that Hans reprimanded him. Even though Shakespeare was the one manning the desk, he decided not to attempt to find out what the playwright thought. He was sitting, leaned back in the leather chair with his jacket on the backing, wearing the same modern jade three-piece he usually did. He waved happily with his usual grin, receiving a smile and wave in return before the caster turned his attention back to low humming and writing in his scratchpad.

The rider looked around the room and noted that only Medusa was reading in the corner. His smile faded, though barely, as he walked towards the fellow rider by way of the outer walkway. As he glanced at the passing books without paying much attention, he turned towards the center in time to see a glimpse of blue hair within an aisle before swiftly disappearing. There were a few employees reading on separate couches near the window, all engrossed in books similar to Medusa. The female rider yawned lightly and softly brushed the front of her white sundress with her hands, turning to face the male servant when he finally drew near.

"Astolfo," She greeted with a small nod. The enthusiastic rider practically plopped down on the sofa in front of her, drawing a faint smile from the Greek woman. "Looking for Frankenstein?"

"Mhmm!" He nodded as his feet kicked restlessly in front of him. "I wanted to see if she was willing to come on an adventure with me!"

"Where in Chaldea this time?" Medusa asked, a glint of amusement in her eyes.

The male rider held a finger to his mouth in thought, making a show of pondering even though he already knew the answer. He grinned. "Don't know yet!"

Medusa chuckled as she turned the page in her book, turning her attention back to the written work. "She and Anton left for his room ten minutes ago."

"Thank you!" He answered in a chipper voice before jumping off the couch.

"Lower your voice, Astolfo," came the deep voice of Hans from the central bookcases. In a much lower voice, that no one heard, he added, "That's the tenth time this week..."

Astolfo made a show of keeping both hands over his mouth, making the female rider chuckle in amusement. He gave her one last toothy grin before walking away, deciding to go through the middle this time. The paladin made eye contact with a lone employee on his way towards the steps, waving to him enthusiastically. As he was about to turn and head down the steps, he noticed an empty coffee table and sofa set with a large piece of paper on it, resembling parchment.

Privacy and secrets were difficult concepts for Astolfo. Sneaking Sieg and keeping him in hiding had been one of his greatest achievements in that regard, but his curiosity knew no bounds; It was that personal intrigue that lead him to helping the poor soul out. Now that same curiosity was tugging at him to look at someone's discarded item. Every inch of his mind screamed that it was inviting him, and thus, he was only happy to follow his instinct.

The rider stopped and stepped over to the abandoned piece. It had a small sticky note on it that read, 'To ye that finds, your adventure begins.'

He picked up the parchment eagerly and felt it, revealing it was actually just regular construction paper stained to look like the rich material. Very detailed yet colorful drawings of the floors of Chaldea were placed in an orderly fashion with numbers marking the floor levels. There were some cartoon doodles of ships, mermaids, Fous dressed as pirates, and a kraken all around the outskirts. A compass rose at the bottom right gave it a nautical look, and the X marks all over the map indicated its true intent as the sparkling eyes of the rider widened with his grin.

On the top of the unlabeled map was a message written in pen and forged to look like old English script.

To find the treasure of forbidden booty
Find the clues to the hidden looty
The first of the first and the last of the last
Are necessary to find the spot

Find the room with the nearby clue
Search near the fake and find it true
A treasure to find and stow away
Since the goods were shamelessly got

Astolfo was jumping and squirming with joy, but stopped before he got into trouble. Gripping the treasure map with glee, he rolled it up quickly and held it with both hands like a prize. The rider looked around before swiftly, yet quietly, crossing the room without being spotted by either male writer. Hans was too busy cataloging new books in an aisle and Shakespeare was still jotting on his notepad. Astolfo easily slipped past but let out a cheer of happiness, causing Shakespeare and Hans to look towards the doorway. Shakespeare smiled, though Hans rolled his eyes.

Astolfo bolted down the hallway towards Anton's room with enthusiasm thundering with every step; His adventure had begun!

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ III ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

The male rider skipped out of the elevator as the doors opened, nearly bumping into a well-dressed avenger who rolled his eyes at the sight of the bubbly servant. He entered the elevator as Astolfo continued his prance down the hallways of the residence area, waving to the occasional servant or employee he passed. Robots weren't excluded as he even gave one a high five, much to the apparent confusion of the robot that was spun like a top by the excess strength used by the servant.

It usually took servants a few days to adapt to this curios facility, but that was not the case for Astolfo! He loved this place immediately, and eagerly tried to fit in as best as he could. A place where he could do what he wished was like a dream come true, and it was even better with little surprises like this treasure map! Today was already starting to look brighter than most, though nearly every day here was sunny from his point of view.

Left, right, another right. Astofolo made quick, memorized turns as he approached his destination. The door to Anton's room resided at the end of the hallway dedicated to some members of the science division. There was no one in the corridor which allowed the rider to pick up the pace and skip at increased speed. He slowed to a brisk walk as he neared the door, toothy grin still plastered on his face as he unrolled the map to take another look at it.

Too engrossed in his map, he failed to hear some of the muffled dialogue through the nearby wall with his enhanced hearing. "This alright? I'm not hurting you am I?"

"Uuuu..."

"Just making sure, dear."

"Uuuuuu..."

Astolfo grinned wider, if it was even possible, and rolled the map back up as he reached for the door handle. Without hesitation he grabbed the handle and twisted, opening the unlocked door swiftly yet quietly. The door finished its movement with no sound and Astolfo opened his mouth to greet the coupl- but found his grin had all but vanished. It was replaced with total shock and a bright red blush.

"Just a bit more, Fran. We're close. Sorry I'm taking longer than usual... I'm not very good at this..."

"Uuuuuu..."

The pair were on the bed, but he could barely see Frankenstein's yellow sundress from her spot on Anton's lap. Both of their backs were towards him, and the sitting employee's position looked awfully intimate. A small, soft sound escaped Frankenstein's mouth, making Astolfo's blush turn several shades darker as he completely ignored the fact they were fully clothed. It didn't help the berserker shifted her position on his lap gentl- He shouldn't be watching this intimate ritual!

"ImSorryImSorryImSorry!" He screamed rapidly as he ran back down the hallway, letting the door slide closed silently behind him.

Back within the room, both Frankenstein and Anton were facing the door, still partially in their previous position. The strap of the servant's sundress was held loosely in Anton's right hand. In his other hand was a needle and thread, likely being used to sew on the loose butterfly decoration that threatened to break free. Both had raised eyebrows and confused looks on their faces as they stared at the door.

"...Was that Astolfo?"

"Yes..."

"I wonder what that was all about."

"Uuuu..."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IV ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Astolfo, still with a tint of blush on his cheeks, walked down the hallway with arms dropped at his sides. He made a mental note to apologize to the pair after walking in on a very intimate moment. The servant let out a small sigh, part of his endless enthusiasm drooping upon realization he didn't get to share his treasure adventure with anyone. Secretly, he'd never admit, he would also like someone to help him with the riddle he couldn't figure out. But that could wait.

He could at least go to some of these X marks and find out what they were.

Noting one X was nearby, the servant's enthusiasm returned swiftly and he skipped towards the location. Judging by the position of the mark, it was located in a rather mundane corridor near the gymnasium, with another mark within the room itself. While holding the map in front of himself with both hands, he swiftly approached the specific location and looked about, catching the curious glances of some employees. His eyes lit up upon spotting the only thing nearby, then lost some of its sparkle upon realizing it was just a small sign.

Notice
All employees must follow proper sanitation procedures.
Wash your hands thoroughly after using public restrooms.

Astolfo pouted. This was definitely not what he was expecting to find at the first marker. He looked down at the opened map then back at the sign. This was clearly supposed to be a clue yet it was far from what he expected. The rider began squirming a bit as his eyes ran over the simple statement over and over, his eyes resembling a game of pong as the pupils bounced back and forth. He gripped the map slightly more and let out a sigh and small groan as some passing employees gave the feminine rider curious glances.

The rider didn't know how long he had been putting on a small show until a small tap on the shoulder broke his trance. He turned around and found Mata Hari standing there with a perplexed look clearly displayed on her features, a lone hand on her hip and the other holding a small purse. Astolfo would have enjoyed commenting on how she still managed to look cute in her yellow shirt and matching gym shorts, or how her brunette hair looked lovely when tied in a ponytail, but his small pout remained.

The assassin giggled. "You've been squirming in front of that sign for a few minutes now. Does it have something to do with that map you've got?"

"It's part of my adventure!" Astolfo nodded enthusiastically with a sudden grin which faded a bit. "I can't figure out what the riddle means though... Oh! Can you help me for a moment, Maty?"

"Sure, mind if I have a look?"

The assassin glanced over the rider's map and read the note scrawled across the top. She put a hand to her chin and hummed to herself as Astolfo looked at her inquisitively and in delighted anticipation for the answer. He watched as she glanced towards the sign then back at the riddle, a smile slowly growing on her face. The rider could only grin at the telltale signs.

"First of the first and last of the last. That's your answer, I believe. Since this sign is the only possible clue here, then the message is likely referring to the words," Mata Hari explained as Astolfo watched her in awe. "I hope it's not more complex since this treasure hunt map is decorated in a cartoony fashion. If that's the case it would be the first letter of the first word in the message, and last letter of the last word that you need to know. Would you like a piece of paper and pen to borrow?"

"Yes please!" Astolfo exclaimed as the assassin opened her personal item and fished through her purse to get the two items. "Wow, you're really clever, Maty! Was it from all your spy work?"

"Um, well I had different circumstances and means of acquiring info for that. I just enjoy puzzles," She deflected with a giggle as she handed the articles to the rider, who swiftly noted the info. "I'm sure you would've gotten to that point as well."

He blushed and scratched a cheek with a finger. "Maybe after a bit. Not having common sense is difficult sometimes."

Mata Hari blinked and paused before giving a sympathetic smile. "Can't be too difficult. You did become a heroic spirit after all."

Astofolo grinned as he began skipping down the hallway. "Thanks again! I'm off to my next adventure point now!"

"In the gym right?" The assassin inquired as she followed the enthusiastic servant, having noticed the nearby mark within the large room.

"Mhmm!"

The rider reached the destination quickly and opened the gym doors. He looked inside to see a few employees working at some of the stations around the track. Before he could glance at the map to see where the location of the mark was, his curiosity was seized by a loud female yell in the center of the room followed swiftly by the sound of an impact. The rider observed the three servants in the center of the room, noting Xuanzang sitting cross legged on the floor with a water bottle observing the other two. She wore a pair of yellow workout shorts and a white tank top, her hair tied in a large ponytail that swung from the breeze of another impact between her partners.

Beowulf stood in a fighting stance, his leg muscles tensed underneath his black gym shorts. His bare feet gripped the gym's floor as another impact collided with one of the padded gloves on his hands. He grinned as another fist was thrown by Martha, the small shock wave of the impact registering the power she used. Her determined look was locked onto her next target as she threw another punch. The sheen from a light layer of sweat glistened on her visible skin between blue workout shorts and matching sports bra.

Her hair hung loosely behind her and waved with every movement made as she swiveled to keep Beowulf in front of her. She threw a fist forward and struck another training glove, making the berserker chuckle in approval. "Ata girl! There's gonna be a poor golem that you will introduce to your fist someday!"

A roundhouse kick collided with a training glove with a solid slam as Martha smirked and Xuanzang laughed. From the doorway, Astofolo grinned and turned to Mata Hari who was standing slightly behind the rider. There was a nervous look on her face as she watched the duo sparring and she let out a small sigh. The rider tilted his head in curiosity.

With a grin, Astolfo turned to the friendly assassin. "Joining their fun?"

"Unfortunately... I didn't think Martha meant this when she said we should work out together sometime."

As Mata Hari reluctantly walked forward and approached the group, with Martha enthusiastically waving her over, Astolfo looked at the piece of paper she handed him and grinned. Now his adventure could begin in earnest!

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ V ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Carefully peering into the kitchen from the cafeteria side, Astolfo ignored the silent curiosity from the attendants.

Boudica hummed to herself as she mixed a bowl of batter at one of the counters in the kitchen. Her white halter dress hugged her figure and was protected by a red apron with yellow flowers. There was a magazine about different cakes opened in front of her and she seemed completely distracted with preparing a blueberry cake for Jack's birthday a few days early. She stuck a finger into the batter and raised it to her lips, licking it off with a satisfied smile before returning to her work.

Continuing to hum, she ignored Astolfo moving quickly into the pantry after entering through the cafeteria.

With a finger to his lips, the robots and kitchen staff merely stared at the sneaking rider. Many times he had managed to sneak a snack before a great feast. While no assassin, he had become adept at infiltrating the kitchen back in his day, but this was the first time doing it in Chaldea. It made him excited with nervousness, and he nearly cheered when he managed to enter the enlarged pantry.

None of the robots or employees seemed to have said anything, so he quickly assumed he was in the clear. Neither Tamamo or Emiya were here, which made the task of infiltration that much easier. He ignored the employees near the pantry, who made confused glances into the room as he searched. Finding the stocking notice, the pink-haired rider cheered and began pulling out a piece of paper from his sweater.

Being among the delicious ingredients was tempting his stomach. Though most were unprepared and raw material, there were a few cookie jars nearby. His eyes occasionally wandered to them, tempting his taste buds. However, he had to remain focused and write down the clues. He couldn't be caught here while he still had the gracious window open; Tamamo and Emiya could return at any moment!

Still, his hunger urges overpowered his senses. He found himself reaching for the jar's lid after successfully copying the clues. As he slowly opened the lid with an eager, mouthwatering grin, he failed to sense the arrival of two servant signature. He didn't even hear Boudica's voice, "...Tamamo?"

"Boudica... if you're out here, then who's in the..." Judging by the tone of the voice, that one was definitely Emiya.

Astolfo began panicking on feeling the servants approaching the pantry. He struggled to pull his hand out of the jar, but his own optimistic greed led him to grasp a handful. Quickly, he released all but one to pull his hand back, but the pantry's doors flew open. As the kitchen's illumination spotlighted him, he knew they had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. Unconsciously, he placed the cookie into his mouth and began to happily chew.

With a sheepish smile as he ate, Astolfo turned back to look at the trio of servants peering inside. He quietly contemplated complimented their appearances as a distraction. Emiya was dressed up in a white dress shirt tucked into black formal pants with Tamamo wearing a blue sundress and slippers, so it was too plain to work. Thankfully, Codsworth floated over to them to catch their attention and buy him time... but he popped a cookie into his mouth instead.

"Mister Emiya, I'm afraid I wasn't made aware you were entertaining guests today."

"Neither was I, Codsworth," Emiya replied as he crossed his arms and stared back at the rider.

Astolfo quietly swallowed the cookie he had eaten, leaving a few unapologetic crumbs on his lips. "Hi Emiya!"

"Astolfo."

His grin grew more sheepish as Emiya's glare narrowed. Maybe honesty would work. "...I'm on a treasure adventure?"

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Arturia and Jeanne, both in casual blue dresses, were talking cheerily about their recent discovery involving modern television shows as they made their way towards the cafeteria for lunch. The diffused light from the windowed hallway illuminated them, making them glow like their soft smiles. The pair had recently gotten into watching some TV series in their off time and were discussing their favo-

A clattering and commotion from the cafeteria drew their attention as they continued walking, now slightly confused at the registered presence of two servants making a beeline for the doorway. "Sorry only a little sorry! I'll share them with the kids or something!"

"Get back here, Astolfo!" On cue, a cheerily laughing Astolfo burst from the doors with a rolled map and cookie jar in his arms. He bolted down the hallway past the two girls.

Behind him, Emiya appeared from the doorway with two reinforced brooms in his hands, held in an awkward manner that partially resembled Diarmuid's stance with his lances. An irritated scowl graced his features as he stared at the back of the retreating rider. Tamamo casually walked through the doorway as several employees peaked out to see the end of the scene. The caster giggled and pat Emiya on the shoulder as he groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Maybe that security robot wouldn't be a bad idea after all."

"At least it was only one cookie jar this time," Tamamo stated with a smile before turning a teasing look to Arturia only a few meters away. "Certainly less than what we usually lose, right?"

Arturia lightly blushed and crossed her arms as she leveled a half glare at the caster. Jeanne laughed next to her.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Astolfo skipped down the hallway, munching on the last cookie he took from the jar he had stashed in his room.

While many times others found his enthusiasm and impulsiveness to be both cute and endearing, there were just as many of the opposite. He tried more often to be more considerate about it, but he couldn't help it. It was who he was, even when representing Charlemagne or assisting Roland. Thankfully, others had come to accept and understand him through the unique situation of their war. He'd just have to make ammends later after letting the archer cool down a bit.

He added Emiya to his 'Apologize Later' list for his impulse acquisition, but he had no time to stop by the cafeteria for lunch when there was an adventure to be completed! Wiping the crumbs on his lips away with a tissue, Astolfo made his way towards the women's spa which was newly renovated. He quietly pondered to himself how he was going to get into the restricted rooms as he turned a corner. Making his final approach to the locker room, and still with no plan in mind, he was knocked from his thoughts as he stared at Blackbeard rummaging through a backpack near the entrance.

There was a small reflection of light from the lens of a tiny camera that quickly disappeared within the backpack. 'Ah... so that's it.'

Astolfo quietly approached, map currently held in both hands, as he stared at the fellow rider. The black haired man was currently stuffing something into the side pocket of his jeans. A loose white shirt had a unique logo on the back with some text reading, 'Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag.' He stared at the pirate as he smoothed the front of his shirt, back still turned to the fellow rider, before casually getting up and nearly jumping when he spotted the paladin so close. Putting the thought of the map to the back of his mind, the effeminate rider pursued his new curiosity.

"Hi Blackbeard!" Astolfo cried out happily, making the servant shudder at the volume as he looked around nervously. Astolfo bent over and looked up, taking on a familiar pose he's known for as he stared curiously up at the fellow rider, hands held behind his back with the quickly rolled map. Blackbeard had both of his own tense at his sides, looking up and down the hallways quickly to note no one else was thankfully watching. His pack lay on the ground near his feet.

Astolfo grinned and tilted his head. "Whacha up to?"

"I-erm...I wasn't..." Blackbeard knew he was caught, and there was no way to save himself, yet again... until he spotted the rolled map clutched in the other servant's hands, clearly resembling a chart of old. "Is that a treasure map?"

"Oh! Yes! It's my current adventure!" Astolfo exclaimed happily and loudly as Blackbeard inwardly sighed in relief on buying himself some time.

"Astolfo, was that Blackbeard!?" A voice roared from within the locker room.

The pirate paled and groaned as a familiar scarred face poked through the doorway. Drake wore a white tank top and jeans, her hair still damp from a shower. Behind her was a short girl with an over-sized black sweater with the hood masking part of her own scarred face; Crystal blue eyes still shone through the shadow cast by the cloth. Long sleeves covered her hands and hung well below her fingertips.

Anyone looking at her could see denims from the knees down, and would question why anyone would want clothing so loose. A tall blonde appeared from behind Drake and stared at the two male riders with her red eyes. Unlike her petite friend, she wore only a large white towel and hid slightly behind the British servant. Amused with the situation, Astolfo waved at the trio of girls in the doorway of the locker room. "Hi Drake, Anne, and Mary!"

"What are you two doing?" Mary asked as her taller partner held her towel a little tighter. Mary had a suspecting look directed at Blackbeard who squirmed slightly. He had already been warned about going anywhere near the women's spa, and for him to be caught so close to the door was already spelling doom for the famous pirate.

"Well I was-"

"He's helping me with my treasure adventure because he's a pirate! See?" Astolfo unrolled the treasure map he held and showed it to the pirate girls, much to the surprise of the four servants. Blackbeard quickly regained his composure upon seeing the opportunity.

"Yes! Our fellow rider was having some difficulty deciphering the charts so I agreed to lend him a hand. I did not mean for us to get so close to the women's spa but I was dragged here anyway."

Drake looked incredulously towards Blackbeard who held firm. Astolfo looked between them in amusement. The group of pirates were a curious mix of rider friends. While Drake, Anne, and Mary got along very well, it was usually hit or miss with Blackbeard. They still spent time with him, but it was just a matter of if he did anything wrong that day. At least they were always rather kind to him, even if they were just acquaintances. It made believing him that much easier.

"There's a mark in the locker room though, and I can't enter," Astolfo explained as he pointed to the mark and approached the girls to prove his point. The trio looked towards the mark clearly displaying its position within the locker room. "Do you mind helping me with my quest?"

"Oh, sure!" Anne answered quickly, observing the position of the mark and disappearing into the locker room. The riders waited patiently for the small girl to return, and upon doing so, Astolfo perked up. "There was just a sign. Is that what you need?"

"Yes! What did it say? Exact words please!"

"Oh, I'll be back then. I'll take a picture of it for you with my camera."

Anne once more disappeared into the room as Astolfo looked back towards Blackbeard who had slung his pack onto his shoulder. There was a very appreciative look on his face which was returned with a grin; It was missed by the two remaining females as they whispered to each other about the potential of treasure. Anne returned with a small camera and showed the back display for the paladin to read. He quickly scribbled the clues he needed onto the paper Mata Hari gave him and smiled.

"Thank you! I'm one step closer to the treasure!"

"As pirates, it tempts us greatly to join you, but we have things to do," Anne stated as she looked at the map. "Besides, you already have a pirate helping."

Blackbeard quickly flashed a thumbs up and nodded. Drake shrugged, walked over, and threw an arm over the shoulders of the paladin. "I'd like to know what you find at least. And if you share some with me and the girls, even better!"

Astolfo laughed. "We'll see about the last part, Drake! Thanks again! Let's go, Teach!"

Grabbing Edward by the wrist, Astolfo dragged the pirate down the hallway with him as he skipped. The female pirates waved at the retreating pair before disappearing back into the room to finish changing. The duo quickly turned a corner further down and out of ear shot where Blackbeard dropped to his knees and bowed towards the paladin. Astolfo wore a knowing grin as he took his trademark stance and stared at the pirate.

"You're too kind!"

"You owe me so much!"

"I'll repay you for this someday, I swear it!"

"Just delete the pictures, Pervbeard. I saw the camera," Astolfo smirked, but then his eyes lit up with glee. "Oh! And maybe some ice cream~!"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VIII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Astolfo looked into the Clothing Department nervously from the doorway.

Vlad and Medea were looking over an ornate rug that was being displayed by two robots. Next to the red rug with golden trim, Naomi was manipulating multiple needles to finish some extra detailing in the center. Olive branch outlines framed a golden flower in the center. Naomi placed one hand onto her hips as she adjusted the tie on her pristine, as always, uniform with her other. Medea wore a purple dress with a black throw over while Vlad stood casually in his black robe. The group eyed their collaborative work as Naomi placed her needles away into a holster on her back hip.

"There... done."

"This should get Nero off your back," Medea teased as she looked towards the prince who rolled his eyes.

"Not quite I'm afraid. She's always on my back," Vlad sighed and Naomi giggled. "I appreciate you two helping me with her personal request."

"I know how extravagant and demanding the empress can get, no worries," Naomi stated as she reached a hand up to adjust the crocheted rose in her hair. "Will you be delivering it to her or..."

The tailor fell quiet as she finally acknowledged Astolfo, whose face was buried in the treasure map. He looked up nervously and glanced around the room. After a pause, he waved towards the knitting trio before quickly looking onto the vacant front desk and staring at the information sign. Pulling out a piece of paper, he began writing as the trio approached; He felt his nervousness grow upon feeling Vlad's skeptical eyes on his back.

While the berserker still held a grudge over the rider's previous antics, he was rather civil about it. There was no misinterpreting his exasperation on having anything to do with him though; It sure beat an angry Vlad by comparison. Still, there were only a few servants that made Astolfo much more paranoid and aware of his own antics, and Vlad was easily topping the list.

Thankfully, it appears it was Naomi who wished to speak. "We're closed for lunch, Astolfo."

"I know! I just needed this sign and another in the back! I promise I'll be quick and won't make a mess or anything!"

Naomi looked back towards her equally confused friends. "What?"

Astolfo quickly held up the paper with scribbled letters in two groups and the treasure map so the group can get a clear visual. "I'm on an adventure!"

Vlad sighed as Medea and Naomi examined the map. After a few seconds, the eager and nervous rider quickly began skipping towards the back of the room. While Medea remained curious, the gears in Naomi's eyes turned. Vlad noticed. "Something peculiar?"

"It's just... Astolfo going where Gabrielle had been yesterday..." Naomi pondered before she raised her voice. "Astolfo? Who gave you that map?"

"I just found it!" he replied in a chipper voice as he found the item he was looking for. It was another small sign regarding placing material away properly.

"Just behave yourself, Astolfo. Don't make a mess and trouble Naomi," Vlad chastised with crossed arms as the rider flashed him a nervous grin from the other side of the room. A robot hovered past the berserker with a pile of sweaters in its triple arms.

"Aw come on, I'm just reading a sign! I'm not that bad, Vlad," he tried to reassure.

Vlad stared at him incredulously. "I'm well aware of how bad your impulse actions can get, Rider of Black."

Astolfo grin fell bashful as the berserker let out another sigh. Medea patted him on the shoulder.

Without properly looking, Astolfo began walkin- He bumped into a robot with a large tower of designer shirts. The column tipped and began falling as Astolfo quickly grasped for the doomed clothes, catching them miraculously but accidentally shoving the robot out of the way in the process. The robot smacked into a stack of boxes causing the top most pair to topple over and spill their contents as countless spools of thread rolled across the ground, some even coming unraveled.

Naomi stood with mouth agape as Medea watched the sight in bewilderment. Vlad growled and stared right at the offending rider as the robot began attempting to clean up the new mess. Astolfo's grin grew even more sheepish as he scratched the back of his head after placing the clothes on a nearby table. He felt the nervousness amplify and his own dread mounting as Vlad glared at his former faction ally.

That apology list sure was getting long.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IX ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"But you're so cute in that outfit, Mordred!"

"What are you saying, idiot!?" The knight cried out as Astolfo looker her over as he passed. He grinned before skipping away and unrolling his map once more. The knight was wearing black jean shorts and a leather jacket with a white tube top underneath. "I look tough, not cute, idiot!"

With a chuckle, Astolfo merely skipped by hid friend. Mordred was always rather rough on the exterior, but there were a few servants who could get under her skin with no fear; He was one! Their times spent during their shared grail war made for a decent foundation, so he was used to her antics by now. It was likely the same for Mordred, but she had an appearance she always wanted to uphold. The rider ignored her complaints as he ducked into Salon de Marie and nearly stopped in his tracks.

Once more his task was pushed aside in favor of what was occurring before him. Marie was by the bar in silver sweatpants and a red shirt, staring warily with Tamamo at two arguing servants near the large window. Dantes sat on his usual couch and was glaring at the two offending servants as well, clearly displeased with the commotion. The suit-wearing avenger had just put on his black jacket and stood up, likely to get away from the bickering servants Astolfo now eyed curiously.

Gilgamesh stood proudly with crossed arms as he glared at his opponent, Chaldea's newest arrival. He wore his hair spiked back with usual golden earrings, and his favorite leopard print suit. Across from him was a tan skinned man with a black formal shirt open and revealing his well-toned chest. Black formal pants and a belt accompanied the shirt and matched his equally dark, spiked hair. A golden necklace with a centerpiece Ankh hung around his neck.

Golden eyes stared arrogantly back into red ones as the tanned man let out a haughty chuckle. "I do not enjoy repeating myself, but very well. As pharaoh, I permit you to worship me."

"Mongrel, you have no right to that tone when speaking to the King of Heroes. Know your place!"

"Ah, but my place rests atop all to be worshiped! I am the perfect pharaoh, the King of Kings, Ozymandias, and therefore above you King Gilgamesh! Isn't that right, sister Tamamo?"

"Don't drag me into this! I'm not your sister!" Tamamo yelled from the sidelines to Marie's amusement.

"Ah, my sister is quite embarrassed. I normally do not take an interest in heroes or mages, but this place is full of people worthy to worship me and spark my intrigue. Will you not join them, Gilgamesh?"

The King of Heroes scoffed. "Do not address me like I am your equal, mongrel!"

"We have been over this. You are beneath me, but worry not as there is no shame in admittance of my pretiege."

"No, you are beneath me!"

Astolfo walked by the bar to find the first mark in the form of a large drink menu. He scribbled the notes necessary onto his piece of paper before moving towards Marie and Tamamo. The fox caster had a look of slight irritation on her face as Marie's wary glance held a tint of amusement at the sight. Dantes exited through the doors as the rider came to a stop next to the two girls. They looked towards the paladin and nodded in acknowledgment as he stared curiously at the newest servant in Chaldea.

With a finger gently tapping his lips, he mused openly, "So Ozymandias finally got to meet Gilgamesh?"

"Unfortunately," Tamamo grumbled as the male rider looked at him inquisitively. "Don't mind me. It's just irritating how he still insists I'm his little sister."

"It's kinda funny though, isn't it, mon amie? Their bickering has a sort of humorous charm, non~?" Marie asked with amusement. "Who knew there would be someone as arrogantly narcissistic as him? It's almost like a mirror... Oh, what have you got there?"

"It's my adventure! I'm looking for treasure!" Astolfo explained happily as he held the map for the queen and caster to see. "I almost have everything I need! Just a few more marks!"

"There's two in this room," Tamamo observed as she slowly looked towards the two arguing kings. "And the second one is..."

"I'll be back!" Astolfo exclaimed as he placed the map on the counter and skipped towards the two arguing kings. There was a picture frame containing a poem near the two, placed on a table between two flower vases.

"Wait, I wouldn't...!" Marie exclaimed, but it was far too late to stop the quick rider who was already skipping towards them blissfully. "Oh... oh no..."

"Count your blessings that you're too beneath me to warrant opening my gate, mongrel."

"I ceased counting my endless blessings eras ago, Gilgamesh. It is but the minimum of praise I deserve!"

"Stop addressing me a- hey, what're you doing, mongrel rider!?" The archer exclaimed as the paladin casually skipped between the two kings and began scribbling onto the paper the necessary letter he needed. "How dare you interrupt!"

"Oh, don't be so childish," Ozymandias stated proudly while rolling his eyes. "Though I do say this girl has been disrespectful. I shall forgive you if you offer your praise and worship, servant."

"Childish? You dare call me chi-" Gilgamesh stopped upon realization and smirked. "King of... Kings... How about we hold a small banquet?"

Two portals opened for Gilgamesh as he held his hands out. In one hand, two golden cups fell while another carefully dropped a translucent bottle of fine china glass. Ozymandias eyed the bottle with curiosity at its ornate design, taking one of the golden cups Gilgamesh offered. Astolfo stopped writing and eyed the two's exchange as the King of Heroes poured the contents into both cups. Sending the ornate glass back into the Gate of Babylon in golden dust, Gilgamesh raised his glass towards the King of Kings and smirked.

"To our... mutual prosperity."

"Ah, so it seems you are ready to worship me then, King of Heroes."

"I shall allow you the honor of drinking first."

"Wait!" The two stopped to look at Asolfo's outburst, with Gilgamesh glaring with irritation at the feminine rider. "Shouldn't you test it for poison or something? That's standard procedure!"

Gilgamesh scoffed, unaware the idea of a possible trick completely flew over the head of the paladin. "Poison? Why would I poison my own fine wine, mongrel?"

"Then Ozymandias should drink second since you save the best for last!" Before Gilgamesh could react, Astolfo approached swiftly with a toothy grin and brought the cup to the king's mouth happily. His eyes widened upon realizing his plan had backfired, but before he could spit out the liquid that now made its way down his throat, he accidentally swallowed. A bright light erupted from Gilgamesh that forced everyone but Ozymandias to avert their eyes.

Upon the light subsiding, the servants were met with a sight that stunned all of them. Gone was the King of Heroes that they knew, replaced with a small blonde boy wearing a white, zipper-front sweater and desert-style camouflage shorts. A blue undershirt rounded out his attire as a look of confusion graced his face. Holding up his two hands, the boy looked at them then towards the, now much taller to him, pharaoh whose lips twitched. The sides of his mouth slowly turned upwards and Astolfo looked towards him as he laughed heartily.

"Wh-what?" The small boy stuttered. Astolfo considered adding Gilgamesh to his growing list.

"Oh? A failed assassination attempt? How amusing!" He said between bouts of laughter before turning to Astolfo. "What is your name, fellow rider?"

A toothy grin sprouted on the feminine rider's face. "I am Astolfo! Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne!"

"I will not forget this moment! You have earned my thanks, worthy hero! You have saved the King of Kings from outright humiliation!" Ozymandias proclaimed as he looked at the child-like Gilgamesh. "Indeed! I wish this moment to be eternal! Dear sister Tamamo, please acquire a camera to do just that!"

"I am not your sister!"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ X ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Mashu sat on Gudao's bed in her usual uniform and tickled a playful Fou on her lap who squirmed under her torture. She stopped and hugged the small animal to her chest and giggled as it licked her cheek. The shielder leaned forward and rubbed her forehead against it before pulling back and readjusting her glasses. Nearby at his desk, loaded with paperwork as usual, Gudao took a small pause and watched with a tiny smile at the sight. He swiftly returned to his work with a light blush when Mashu turned to catch him staring at her.

The moment was soon interrupted by his room door opening to reveal Gabrielle in a casual, blue dress since she wasn't working today. Gudao himself was wearing his standard uniform but with the collar popped. She entered the room without a word and looked towards her partner's desk and frowned. Gudao noticed and shrugged, "You were expecting me to do something else?"

"You should be actually. You didn't by chance see a treasure map, did you?"

Gudao blinked. "Treasure map?"

"Yea. Treasure map. I seem to have misplaced it. I was making it for you to do later today and I completed it... but now I can't find it," Gabrielle stated and scratched her head. "I thought I left it in the library but Shakespeare and Hans said they thought I took it back to my room."

"And it wasn't in the room," Gudao asked. The female master shook her head.

"It was a scavenger hunt kind of map, right?" Mashu chimed in, still holding Fou to her closely. Gabrielle nodded with a raised eyebrow; She had definitely not informed Mashu about it since it was her personal secret until she recently lost it.

"How did you know?"

"Astolfo was skipping around the halls, saying he was on an adventure in search of treasure. I helped him get a mark near the Party Cave. Could that be it?"

Gabrielle's eyes widened, making Gudao and Mashu look at each other confused. "What's the treasure anyway?"

"Something no servant should find!" Gabrielle practically yelped as she raced out of the room. Mashu and Gudao quickly followed after her.

Fou quickly hopped onto Mashu's shoulder as she cried out, "Gabby, wait!"

"What do you mean no servant should find it!?"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ XI ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Astolfo felt proud of himself. He had successfully found all the clues and unscrambled the letters collected to spell out "Summoning Chamber." He had proceeded to that room, past a few confused employees, Tesla, and Leonardo, to find a hidden clue by the console that redirected him to the Game Room. He had entered the room and found it vacant of anyone, which wasn't surprising since the room was technically closed for a day of cleaning and maintenance. The cleaners in particular were taking a small break for a late lunch, their tools scattered about the room.

"Search near the fake and find it true," Astolfo mumbled to himself as he looked around the room. He placed the map down on a table and sighed. "What could that mean?"

Astoflo looked around at the various board games. He had never actually been in this room much before, and while the grail did inform him of the information necessary for modern entertainment, he still had no clue what he was looking at. Only a few games weer recognizable when he played Marie and her staff during salon down time. As far as he was concerned, one of these games could be fake and he wouldn't know it.

He walked through the room looking at the televisions before going through the small doorway to the video game section. It is at that moment that his eyes widened in understanding as he looked at the large, converted monitor planted against the wall. To everyone else it was serving as a television at this point, but it was still a monitor to the servant who took things at face value. It was a wild guess, but it was better than nothing.

Skipping over to it, he eyed the piece of equipment and noticed it was partially unattached from the wall. Whether it was maintenance or done intentionally didn't matter to the rider. He carefully removed the large monitor and placed it on the ground, revealing a mess of wires in the wall behind its former position. Most importantly was a black box among the wires written with the word "Treasure" in large white letters.

Grinning in delight, Astolfo cheered as he pulled the treasure from its spot. In total excitement, he skipped into the other room to place it on the map's table. After dropping the medium sized box onto the piece of furniture, he began playing with the lock to find it was already open. Countless possibilities raced through his mind ranging from sweets to a new noble phantasm of all things.

It might have been absurd for most to think they'd get a new noble phantasm outside a memorial essence, but he was optimistic. He's adventured to countless places and obtained many treasures and items along the way. It was obviously fate granting him another fun adventure which would reward him with something great! While suppressing a newfound wave of giddiness, the rider rubbed his hands and finally threw the lid open.

Blackbeard appeared in the doorway just in time to see Astolfo's glee falter. "Ah drat, it really is under maintenance today... Oh, Astolfo. Is that the treasure?"

Astolfo stared shocked and disappointed into the now opened box. "I... I guess it is."

Blackbeard raised an eyebrow at his fellow rider. "I thought you'd be happier about it. What is it?"

The pirate approached the box, and before Astolfo could hide the contents, Blackbeard rounded the table and spied the items within. His eyes lit up instantly and his hands seized the box to pour the contents out greedily. Pictures of scantily clad women fell onto the table in heaps as the pirate happily shook the box empty. Some of the pictures had a complete lack of clothing, and the worst part for Astolfo was that some of them were actually servants in Chaldea. Thankfully, none of those were in compromising pictures or naked.

"My stash! I thought they burned it all when Gudako seized it from me days ago!" Blackbeard cried happily as he looked at the pictures with shameless delight. "I can't thank you enough for finding these! It looks like I owe you again! You can take three dozen photos for yourse-"

"I don't want any of these, Pervbeard!" Astolfo cried out with a blush on his cheeks. Blackbeard quickly began collecting all of the pictures back into the box while humming to himself. The effeminate rider was still in shock.

"Oh, so I can keep them all then? Great! I'll figure out another way to repay you but until the-"

"Oh no you don't!"

Gabrielle had stormed into the room and snatched the now closed collection from the servant's hands. In the doorway stood a stunned Mashu with Fou and a confused Gudao.

"No! Please! You can't just burn my stash, that's too cruel!"

"What's too cruel?"

Blackbeard paled as he saw Robin stick his head into the doorway in curiosity at the sudden commotion. If he was here, then there was a high chance that she was also nearb- Drake also looked into the doorway and noticed Astolfo and Blackbeard. She smiled and waved towards the still stunned rider.

"Ahoy Astolfo! Did Blackbeard help you find the treasure just fine?"

"Yea... Yea he did..."

"Well, hold up your end, fellow rider! What was it?"

Blackbeard looked towards Astolfo with horrified eyes and was met with a blank stare; Astolfo could tell by the acknowledging look in his eye that there would be no assistance a third time. "Blackbeard's stash... There were some pictures of you in there too."

Before he had even finished the statement, Blackbeard had fled the room past Drake who was now glaring at him in irritation. She charged after the quickly disappearing Blackbeard. Robin followed close behind laughing at the riders' antics while his friend roared, "Get back here, Teach!"

Mashu had approached Astolfo who was now sitting in one of the chairs in slightly slouched disappointment. Fou leapt from her shoulder onto the rider and it nuzzled its cheek against his, slowly bringing a tiny smile back. Mashu rubbed the servant's back in a reassuring manner. "Sorry your adventure didn't end as planned."

"I had fun doing it... I just wish I got real treasure out of it."

"I'll get you something worthy to make up for this trash, Astolfo. Promise," Gabrielle stated and laughed at the rider's renewed mood. He was back to his enthusiastic self within seconds.

"Thanks Master!"

Gudao had also walked into the room and was eyeing Gabby with a raised eyebrow as he picked up the treasure map. "Blackbeard's treasure was going to be my reward? You wanted to give me personal time fuel?"

Gabrielle blushed lightly. "No! You said you wanted to burn this contraband personally when we found it two days ago... so I just decided to hand them to you in a fun way to get you off your ass!"

"Should have thought this through a little better... and my god, I forgot how terrible you are at poetry," Gudao stated with some amusement as his best friend flipped him a choice finger. His eyes glanced over the map of Chaldea and his eyes widened when he reached a certain point before staring at Gabrielle horrified. She giggled at her assumption of where he looked.

"You were going to have me walk into the women's spa!?"