"Where have you been all day? Why are you only getting here now?"
Illya arrived at the agreed meeting place early. Ever since learning Jiang You's true nature, she had constantly worried that he might one day stop logging in. After all, to him, this world was just a game, and he would inevitably grow tired of it. This fear only strengthened her resolve to go to his world.
"I went to push through some other storylines..."
Jiang You continued speaking in words Illya couldn't understand, though she had actually come to comprehend them now.
"By the way, you should be able to see my Parameters, right? I've changed my Servant's Class. Now I won't be weak against Rider anymore!"
"Foreigner?"
Illya glanced at Jiang You's Parameters. By now, nothing absurd about his stats surprised her; theoretically, all his stats were just arbitrary numbers he had filled in himself (based on his own imagination).
"...That actually suits your identity quite well."
"?"
Jiang You was slightly disappointed by Illya's lack of surprise. "You should at least show some amazement at a Class that's appearing for the first time! I'm a noble Foreigner now!"
Illya looked up at Jiang You, thinking to herself, I can't exactly tell him his Class is actually Player, can I? But she needed a plausible explanation. "Have you forgotten what the Einzbern family did during the Third Holy Grail War? That's when Avenger first appeared. Extra Classes aren't exactly shocking. Besides, you matter more to me than any of that, Jiang You."
Jiang You could only smile in response. He'd noticed Illya's assertiveness had increased sharply lately, and he was struggling to keep up.
"We're here!"
Having completed their Magical Girl transformations, Illya and Miyu arrived at the scene. The moment Prisma Illya spotted Jiang You, she stormed up to him, cheeks puffed out in anger.
"Jiang You, you jerk! You abandoned your servants and left me to clean up after you! Do you even realize how long a grade-schooler has to save up to afford lodging? Compensate me immediately!"
Jiang You finally remembered that he'd been so focused on finding Illya that he'd forgotten to dismiss the servants he'd summoned. Due to the Special Summon, these servants couldn't Spiritronize and still needed rest like normal people.
"It was my fault. I'll be more careful next time. This is all the cash I have left. See if it's enough."
Since most of Jiang You's wealth consisted of gold and jewelry stored in his backpack, he usually used the credit card of a deceased oil king for daily expenses. He didn't carry much cash, so he pulled out a few high-denomination bills from the bottom of his backpack and handed them to Prisma Illya.
"That's more like it."
Prisma Illya took the money and counted it. Sella strictly managed her allowance, so booking a hotel for three servants was a significant financial strain. Jiang You wasn't short on cash, so being polite to him would only put her at a disadvantage. "That's too much. This is more than enough for one night. Honestly, put a little more thought into it! What if someone sees them (referring to the Servants' strange attire)?"
"Jiang You, do you realize you're breaking the law?"
A chestnut-haired girl emerged from the woods, her expression grave as she watched the monetary exchange between Jiang You and Prisma Illya.
"Huh?"
Jiang You didn't feel like he was doing anything wrong.
"This child doesn't look even twelve years old..."
Hakuno scrutinized Jiang You with a critical gaze. "This getup... you don't mean the 'Magical Girl' you mentioned is dressed like this, do you?"
Small forest, "Amusement Costume (Magical Girl Uniform)," cash transaction, little girl. Indeed, these four elements combined formed a sentence that would have been enough to get Jiang You executed.
"Mash!"
Gudako decided it was time for tough love. This kind of Servant required a heavy-handed approach.
"Senpai."
Mash couldn't bear to watch the scene. "Mr. Jiang You's Noble Phantasm... it would be better if you fought him directly. I tried earlier and couldn't even touch him. You're our only hope of defeating him!"
"Makes sense!"
Gudako glanced at Jiang You, then down at her own petite frame. Jiang You was a healthy adult male, after all. Though his college-era muscles had faded somewhat due to lack of exercise, the underlying foundation remained. Combined with his Servant parameters, even if Jiang You was inept at combat, he was still far beyond what an ordinary person like Gudako could handle.
"A Duel is one thing, but what if he chooses to fight me hand-to-hand?"
Gudako could get lucky with her draws, but Jiang You could always settle things with his fists, making him virtually invincible.
"Should we attack Jiang You?"
Nero saw nothing wrong with this idea; she simply wasn't aware of the implications. "Then I shall lead the charge! I've been dying to see Jiang You's Noble Phantasm for ages! I want to see what my Deck record contains!"
"Nero's still so energetic," Jiang You remarked.
Even though they had only been apart for less than two hours, Jiang You felt like Nero possessed an inexhaustible reservoir of energy, like a massive Golden Retriever.
And you two have plenty of yellow trash in your heads too! What even is this nonsense? Prisma Illya, explain the backstory... Wait, why are you blushing? Don't make it sound like we've done something wrong!
In the end, Prisma Illya managed to explain the full context, salvaging Jiang You's reputation.
Despite his lack of reputation in Chaldea, if any special incident were to occur there while Jiang You happened to be present, there was a ninety percent chance he'd be branded the mastermind—treated the same way Shakespeare, Ashiya Douman, and B.B. were during events. After all, who else had orchestrated such a massive incident in the Seventh Singularity, defying the consequences of the Human Order's burning?
"But it's not entirely our fault!"
Gudako circled Prisma Illya curiously, replying to Jiang You's earlier comment.
"It's someone's fault for telling Saber, 'I want you,' like that. Uttering such misleading words is truly shameless."
Hakuno nodded in agreement.
Gudako's current demeanor closely mirrored her character in the event storyline, occasionally teasing the servants. This was likely a sign of their growing familiarity. Now it was Jiang You's turn to feel awkward. "You all heard that?"
"How could we not?" Hakuno pointed to Nero nearby. "Nero-Saber told us."
"What's with that look, Jiang You? Is this some shameful secret?" Nero dismissed the matter with a wave of her hand. "Naturally, I must declare my interest in you to others. That way, no one will dare snatch what belongs to me."
"Absolutely not!"
Hearing this, Illya couldn't stay seated any longer. "Jiang You is my Servant! I will never give him to you, Artoria!"