I love time travel the most!

“That’s right. You don’t understand it either, do you? You clearly don’t understand anything, yet you’re listening with great interest. You can’t answer a single one of Professor Kimberly’s questions. It’s astonishing that you can still act like a good student.”

Charlotte's words were harsh, but they were also true.

Kobayashi couldn't answer the teacher's questions in class, and Charlotte was the one who had to clean up his mess.

but--

"You should only listen if you can't learn it!"

"How can you learn if you can't even listen?"

"But how can you listen if you don't learn... Stop, stop, stop, don't dwell on this anymore."

We need to quickly stop this endless spiral, otherwise it will turn into a discussion about "how to beat Luke without a full set of level 90 gear".

Moreover, it's not like Kobayashi couldn't understand everything.

After being taught by Ryuu and Aqua for a period of time, he was able to absorb some of the ingenuity and technology of this world through analogy, which is why he listened with great interest.

"Besides, participating in the night party doesn't require theoretical knowledge; being strong is the most important thing."

What's the use of points? As long as the person is strong, that's enough.

This is a wise saying from a famous and powerful figure, which Kobayashi has always deeply agreed with.

Akabane Raishin nodded repeatedly. He was someone with strong practical combat skills but weak theoretical knowledge, so naturally he would choose the argument that was advantageous to him.

"Haa... I don't want to be around idiots, it'll make me stupid too."

Charlotte seemed quite disgusted with the two of them, and it even escalated to—

"Are you two idiots? You went out without your wallets! It's common sense that you need money to buy things, right? Where did you come from, you country bumpkins?"

She paid for the meal.

Even though I not only have to repay the money but also pay interest, I'm still quite grateful to her.

Kobayashi sighed, "Please be a little more understanding of me. This is my first day in this country, it's normal that I don't have the local currency. And you're right, I really am a country bumpkin."

Axel is a remote starting village, not as prosperous as the capital, nor as advanced as the city of mechanics.

To the other party, they certainly seemed like country bumpkins.

"Besides, who knew they wouldn't accept gold coins? In terms of value, gold coins are obviously more valuable. How about this, Charlotte, you can have the gold coins as repayment for lunch between me and Akabane-kun, and the extra can be considered interest."

"...You really are a country bumpkin."

Charlotte looked at the gleaming gold coins that Kobayashi had placed on the table and pushed towards her, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Are all people in the countryside this rich?

Using gold coins as circulating currency?

He watched helplessly as the two people in front of him elegantly ate their pasta.

Then she immediately realized what she meant and said haughtily:

"...Wait, wait! Why are you two eating here? Get out of here! It's a shame I have to sit at the same table with you."

"Don't be so arrogant."

"I refuse! There's nothing to say to the pervert who rushes up and hugs me, and who says he likes ganging up on others but hates being ganged up on."

"So I told you not to be so arrogant."

Kobayashi twirled the pasta with his fork and put it in his mouth.

Seeing him like this, Charlotte became even angrier and remained silent in a sullen mood.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I was just dumbfounded. How can there be a guy with such a thick skin like you? You must be a complete idiot, right? Also, the reason I wasn't saying anything was because I was bored. Since you're a guy, how about you liven things up a bit?"

"...You should just stay arrogant. Someone's already got the sharp tongue."

"Aha?!"

"You wanted me to liven things up with that topic earlier, right?"

Xiaolin raised one index finger.

In her bewildered gaze, a jet of water suddenly burst forth from her fingertips, rising half a meter before spreading out to both sides, forming a beautiful rainbow in mid-air under the sunlight.

Charlotte was stunned. Her small lips opened and closed like a goldfish. It seemed she had never seen such acrobatic feat before.

"—Flowers, birds, wind, and moon."

Kobayashi smiled slightly and said with a hint of pride, "This is something I stole and imitated from a certain silly goddess. How about it? Never seen it before, have you?"

This is not a banquet skill learned with skill points, but a fake one created by altering the shape using a basic skill.

Of course, spraying water from his fingertips was his limit.

"...Even if you leave here, you can still be a street performer who doesn't starve."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"I wasn't praising you! ...Hey, what's wrong?"

Charlotte noticed that Akabane Raishin was acting strangely; he had been staring blankly out the window since earlier.

It was a student wearing a silver mask, accompanied by two dolls dressed in gorgeous dresses. They exuded an aura of death and decadence, which was completely at odds with their beautiful and lovely appearances.

—Magnus.

He ranks first in overall performance throughout the years, and is outstanding in both skills and magic. He is the genius since the founding of this academy and the man who is closest to the title of Demon King.

He is also Akabane Raishin's older brother.

— Akabane Tenzen.

"You're not targeting him again, are you? Give up, Magnus is very strong."

"Night after night."

"Yes!"

Akabane Raishin and Yaya stood up from their seats and, ignoring Charlotte's attempts to stop them, recklessly broke through the window and rushed straight towards each other.

"...Wait! You can't beat them!"

"Never mind, Charlotte. This is his family matter, let's not interfere." Kobayashi pressed her shoulder, preventing her from disturbing the two of them.

"Eh?"

Charlotte blinked, puzzled.

He didn't want to get involved in the other party's family drama, but seeing the six beautiful girls who suddenly appeared and surrounded Akabane Raishin from all directions, Kobayashi felt a little angry.

They actually divided my sister into six equal parts and even turned her into an automaton...

Even if you like your sister, you don't have to make a six-part wedding, what kind of hellish joke is this?

In reality, they did not have a conflict.

Akabane Raishin handed a small bottle to the other party, saying it was a gift for him, which the other party gladly accepted.

Because of the wind direction, Kobayashi was able to smell a faint odor, and with his superhuman eyesight, he was able to tell that what he was giving away was ashes.

As for whose ashes they are, it's already quite obvious.

After Magnus left, Akabane Raishin knelt down in frustration, realizing the vast difference in strength between them that he was simply no match for him.

She gently comforted him every night.

Akabane Raima said dejectedly, "I'm sorry, Yaya. You are a top-grade doll worth a warship. If we could fully utilize your abilities, it would greatly improve our chances of winning. I'm the one who dragged you down."

“Raishin…”

She couldn't help but hug him every night.

After the matter was over, Kobayashi and Charlotte stepped forward.

"It's alright, Akabane-kun."

"...Xiao Lin?"

“You will definitely defeat him, my eyes are telling me so.”

"...Then why are you pointing to your forehead?"

"It does not matter."

Xiaolin waved his hand, telling him not to worry about these details.

"Hmph, he's far from being able to defeat Magnus. He should fight to become stronger, at least to the point where he'll be qualified to fight him at the Night Party."

Charlotte retorted haughtily.

With the two people comforting him, and given that he wasn't one to wallow in self-pity, Akabane Raishin felt much better.

"That's right, I need to become stronger! I need to qualify for the Night Party!"

"...But before that, you have to compensate for the broken glass."

"……Eh?"

Xiaolin's words extinguished his enthusiasm.

Looking at the shards of glass that had shattered the window in his moment of uncontrollable rage, and under the astonished gazes of the students, he knelt down in remorse once more, shouting:

"No----!"

Recklessness comes at a price, and it seems he has come to understand this principle deeply.

Chapter 134 No one understands magic better than me!

"King Akabane, could you please introduce me to Miss Hanayagi-sai?"

"……Um?"

Akabane Raishin looked puzzled, not understanding why Kobayashi would suddenly say that.

However, Kobayashi figured it out.

It's not necessary to go to the top floor of the library at the Academy of Machines to study. Exchanging experiences and learning from experts who have profound knowledge of automata is also a good way.