I love time travel the most!

Hermes raised his hand: "Um...can I say something?"

Apollo slapped his forehead and said, "I forgot, Hermes, you're the referee. Well then, isn't it time to declare me the victor?"

“Well… how should I put this…”

"Hey, what are you trying to do by stammering like that! Don't try to side with Hestia. With the gods as witnesses, you can't pull any tricks on me!"

“That’s not what I meant. Actually… Hestia didn’t cheat.”

"Aha?"

"At the guild's clan certification office, Kobayashi re-certified her rank a month ago. I thought Apollo knew about this."

"Aha???"

Hermes' words left Apollo stunned.

Some of the gods who knew the inside story looked at him with amusement, as if they were watching a clown.

Enraged, the sun god grabbed the playboy by the collar and shouted, "Hermes, you tricked me!"

"Wait, this has nothing to do with me!" Hermes cried out in grievance, "I hadn't even mentioned Kobayashi's matter before you made your decision, you didn't give me a chance to speak at all!"

"——!!!"

Apollo then realized that he had indeed agreed in a moment of impulse.

And because I was so engrossed in my fantasy, I didn't bother to investigate their information at all. The whole thing is my fault!

His face turned deathly pale.

"No, it's impossible... I was only at LV2 a month ago, how could this be...!"

"Well..."

Hermes, as if he had been prepared, took out the parchment containing information about Kobayashi.

The details above record his activities during this period, and highlight his adventures in the depths of the dungeon with the Loki Familia.

"Hey, is this for real? Going from LV2 to LV4 in just one month? That's incredible!"

"More exaggerated than Fiora... no, more exaggerated than any child."

"So strong!"

"Don't be silly! How is it possible to go from LV2 to LV4 in a month? It's obvious that your proficiency level was already high enough to advance to LV3 before you could advance to LV4."

"That's really exaggerated!"

All the gods were talking non-stop, their words filled with shock and admiration.

Of course, there were a few scattered doubts, but the fact that it reached LV4 was undeniable, and they had to admit it.

Apollo's face was deathly pale, and he lowered his head in despair.

Then--

After everything had settled down, Hestia rose from her seat with a chilling movement, her eyes gleaming with a godlike light as she looked down at the sun god.

"Apollo, are you ready?!"

"Huh...huh?!?"

The voice, seemingly emanating from the depths of the earth, startled the sun god so much that he fell to the ground with a thud.

Facing Hestia, who was radiating resentment and on the verge of exploding, Apollo trembled and clung to her legs, howling, "Wait, wait! Hestia! I was just momentarily captivated by your child, so, so...!"

"That's it for now."

It was not Hestia who spoke, but the goddess of beauty who sat regally in her seat.

With a flick of her long silver hair, Freya, whose beauty could captivate all, uttered a chillingly sarcastic remark from her rosy lips: "Too ugly, Apollo. Your mannerisms are like a clown's prep work, all so that everyone can recognize you at a glance when you appear on stage. Just accept your defeat honestly."

The gods in the council hall stared at her in astonishment, for the goddess of beauty, who was always elegant and poised in public, had never been so sharp-tongued.

He looked as if a taboo had been touched.

The powerful aura rendered Apollo speechless, and he did not even react when Hestia demanded that he hand over all his property, disband his family, and be exiled.

Despite not being the main character, she forcibly occupies the center position.

Watching all this, Loki thought to himself: I'm glad I didn't win, otherwise if this lovesick fool got angry, I would have been sent back to Heaven.

Thus, the Hestia clan emerged victorious.

But the most talked-about topic in Labyrinth City isn't Bell, who defeated Hyacinthus, but rather Kobayashi, who shines even brighter.

In the labyrinthine city where the excitement has not yet subsided, hidden undercurrents are already quietly brewing.

They knew that the battle for talent had begun.

Chapter 302 He chased him, he fled; he couldn't escape even with wings.

The third day after the war game ended.

The Apollo family was dispersed, and their property and residence were confiscated.

Right now, Kobayashi, Bell, Hestia, and their families are standing in the spacious manor, looking up at the three-story house that requires looking up to see the top.

According to Hestia, the mansion also seemed to have a central courtyard, a cloister, and a front yard planted with flowers and plants, and was even surrounded by tall iron railings.

It's even more luxurious than the mansion Kobayashi bought in "Konosuba".

Hestia puffed out her chest and said smugly, "Look! How about that! From today onwards, this is our headquarters!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

The family members were all moved and expressed their admiration.

Kobayashi also expressed his approval, but quickly asked, "So, why am I here?"

"You were specially invited because you contributed to this."

"Hmm. So what's the real reason?"

"The clan is making a name for itself and is preparing to start anew. Soon, many clansmen will come to join us. If Kobayashi wants to join, that's fine too."

Hestia extended the invitation, feigning arrogance.

Xiaolin's lips twitched slightly.

Why is it such a condescending attitude?

Don't let her pure and innocent virginity fool you; she's got quite a few tricks up her sleeve, and she's certainly quite adept at this kind of thing.

The others also looked on with anticipation.

Rising up together, resisting, fighting, and laughing—under normal circumstances, one might just join in.

"But, I refuse!"

"……Um?"

"I love saying NO to arrogant people!"

Xiaolin crossed her arms and decisively refused.

Bell and the others pursed their lips, showing obvious disappointment, but quickly relaxed.

Why should a super genius who advanced from LV2 (actually LV3) to LV4 in a month join a familia that's just starting out? They can't even guarantee the resources Kobayashi needs to grow.

Such prodigies are probably only qualified to be recruited by the two top clans in the Labyrinth City.

Only Hestia scratched her head and asked stupidly, "Why refuse? After going through so much hardship, you should agree no matter what, right?"

What gives you this inexplicable confidence?

"I saw it in a novel I kept in the basement of the library. The protagonist gets through a lot of troubles with the help of a group of friends, and then they live happily together, and then it repeats itself. Isn't this the usual formula?"

"Please distinguish between reality and fantasy, thank you."

Xiaolin rolled her eyes at her.

I really want to punch Hestia's face, which is so similar to Aqua's, and take it all for granted.

This is a common trope in novels and shonen manga, but unfortunately, Kobayashi isn't a character in a shonen manga. Besides, he's currently affiliated with the Uranus Familia; how could he possibly join them?

Hestia clearly wanted to say something more, but Bell quickly stopped her when he saw Kobayashi's unfriendly expression.

Mistaking the rabbit for being jealous, the Virgo goddess comforted her with a blissful expression, while it was the jealous Lily who forcefully intervened.

Ignoring the noisy trio, Kobayashi, Zolf, and Mikoto began to tour the Apollo... no, it should now be called the Hestia Familia's residence.

The room, balcony, swimming pool, and bathroom are all fully equipped.

There were even forging workshops!

After the tour, it was already evening. To celebrate the victory in the war game, the Hestia Familia was holding an internal banquet, and this was why Kobayashi, as one of the main contributors, was there.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Xiaolin got up to say goodbye.

Walking down the street, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, surrounded by bustling noise, the labyrinthine city still looked incredibly lively.

But he didn't feel comfortable at all.

On the contrary, being sensitive to gazes, he felt a little uncomfortable with the intense stares coming from all around him.

That look wasn't simply admiration for handsome men and beautiful women; it was the kind of hungry, ardent desire an old man had for a widow, an aggressive urge to devour her whole. It seemed he wanted to strip her naked and lick her from head to toe.

“I said, Liu Zi.”

"What's wrong, Lord Kobayashi?"

"Don't you feel like the stares around you are a little too intense?"

"After all, it's normal for Lady Kobayashi to be surrounded by a crowd of people after she made a big splash at the war game that was just held. That's wonderful! In addition to Lady Aqua, Lady Darkness, or other adults with personality flaws, there are finally more people with personality flaws who like you."

"...Is this something to be happy about?"

Xiaolin couldn't help but complain.

The doll girl's sharp tongue remains as biting as ever, but it also reflects the current situation.

—He has become a complete celebrity.

Of course, there were also looks of admiration, jealousy, and envy, but compared to these, the former had reached the point of making him physically uncomfortable.