He had gone to the moon only about ten days ago, hadn't he?
"Then why didn't she tell me?"
"She was a king, the King of Knights. She ate Britain out of house and home before, and now she's eaten your household empty too. Of course she'd be too embarrassed to say anything. Besides, she's trying to make up for it, like working part-time, or—"
"Making Luviagelita her Master was just to earn some money?"
Gilgamesh's eyes silently told Shirou that this was the truth.
Shirou couldn't help hating his own slowness. No matter how strange Artoria was, she wouldn't acknowledge someone else as her Master. Even if she did, she would at least choose someone she knew well, rather than Luviagelita, whom she barely knew at all.
The only reason she would choose Luviagelita as her Master was that she needed money.
And not just a little.
"Come on, let's go find her!"
"Are you going to ask her to pay you back? She probably hasn't saved enough yet, has she?"
Shirou firmly shook his head. "How could I ask her to pay me back? It's the thought that counts. Money is just an external possession; I don't care about it. Once I have enough magical energy, I can always project things anyway. So what if the savings are gone? Of course I'll forgive her."
Sakura had quietly crept up behind Shirou by then.
Three pairs of eyes peeked out from the edge of the mahjong table where Illya and the others sat.
Stare—
"Ahem. I'm just going to bring her home. That way, they'll lose a powerful fighter, and I can take advantage of the opening to win the Holy Grail War."
Shirou hurriedly added.
"Then I'll believe you for now, Senpai." Sakura nodded.
"Big brother, can we