Chapter 165: Carrying Out My Own Arrogance (Unbreakable Machine-Doll Arc, Complete)
After Alice, disguised as Cedric, was not caught, that cunning woman—even the strongest in practical combat, the Sword Emperor, could not touch her in the slightest. Even without her powerful butler, it was the same.
Of course, there was also the factor of deliberately letting her go.
As long as one has contact with people, there will be all sorts of constraints. Even if you have the strength to take the other party out, you have to hold back due to the big guy behind them.
He was experiencing the same feeling as the Great Sage.
Damn it! I've crossed over and I'm still being wronged! Didn't I cross over for nothing?
Thinking of this, a rage that wanted to overturn the entire world instantly burst forth in his chest.
"Mr. Kobayashi, are you alright?"
A fair, smooth little hand smoothed his slightly furrowed brow, and a soft, concerned voice lingered by his ear. He looked down and saw a little loli nestled in his arms, her large, sky-blue eyes filled with a look of worry.
"—Henri."
"Yes, it's Henri."
The little loli with the flaxen-colored hair wore a maid-like outfit and was sitting in his lap, a rabbit-shaped apple speared on a fork, which she held to his lips.
"Here, Mr. Kobayashi, please open your mouth."
"Ahm. Mmm, delicious!"
"Hehehe."
Seeing the smile on her face, the frustration in his heart instantly dissipated, and he felt a sense of gratification, as if everything had been worth it.
"What's with that annoying expression?"
"...You're here again, Charlotte."
"Of course I'm here where Henri is. Is there anything wrong with that?"
On the other side, the beautiful girl, playing with her long, shiny golden hair, was glaring at him with a face full of displeasure. It was unclear if she disliked his gratified smile, or if she disliked her younger sister being too intimate with a man.
Sigmund flew down from his master's hat and landed on the empty space on the left side of the hospital bed.
The little dragon shook its wings and explained on behalf of its master, who could not express her true feelings, "Actually, Charlotte has been worried about you. Henri is just an excuse. I hope you will accept her kindness."
"S-Sigmund! If you say another word, be careful I don't downgrade your lunch from chicken to salad dressing!"
The tsundere girl's face instantly turned bright red upon having her feelings exposed, but she also secretly peeked at his expression, her apprehensive look very cute.
"Is that so? Thank you, Charlotte."
"...Charlotte."
"What?"
"Call me Charlotte. My family all calls me that."
"Okay, Charlotte."
"——!"
The Tyrant Rex's cheeks flushed slightly.
Henriette, seeing her sister's expression, said bluntly, "As I thought, you also like Mr. Kobayashi, older sister."
"Wh-what are you talking about, Henri!" Her face became even redder.
"It's fine. I won't treat you as an enemy, older sister. In fact, sister-flowers... have an advantage, don't they? And, in order to revive the Bellow family as soon as possible, we have to work together!"
"H-Henri?!"
Her younger sister's statement shocked her. Coming back to her senses, she glared fiercely at him, as if blaming him for leading her sister astray.
Wait, wait! What does this have to do with me?!
Although sisters were very tempting, and they really were very tempting, making a move on a loli... was absolutely impossible!
A strong killing intent radiated from her eyes, and Henriette desperately tried to stop her from going berserk.
Sigmund and Kobayashi exchanged a look, and both sighed helplessly.
It was great that they were so full of life.
A few days ago, the Headmaster had held a school-wide assembly, where Charlotte had apologized to the students for destroying the clock tower and causing a commotion.
The Tyrant Rex, who was feared by everyone, obediently admitting her mistake... the impact was quite significant.
After that, the Headmaster had stepped in to plead her case. Furthermore, with the unnaturally fast spread of rumors, everyone now knew that she had only done such a thing because her younger sister had been taken hostage.
If a good person does a bad thing, they will be hated by everyone. But if a bad person does a good thing, they will, on the contrary, be accepted by everyone.
Although the analogy was inappropriate, thanks to this phenomenon, everyone's hostility towards her quickly dissipated, and their evaluation of her was even much better than before.
It had to be said, it was a ridiculous affair.
At the same time, the mastermind behind the scenes—the Head of the Night Party's Executive Committee, Cedric—had been found to have been placed under house arrest after the incident.
He knew that this "Cedric" was also a fake, but he no longer had the heart to care, because he was about to face the punishment he had been waiting for for a long time.
"Yo, you two are really hot."
A teacher appeared at the door of the infirmary.
She was the one who had helped him with his entrance exam, who had helped him deal with Loki and Frey's father, and who had helped him stall the watchdog of the Magic Association, the Head of the Night Party's Executive Committee.
—Professor Kimberly.
And following beside her was Frey.
In this commotion, she had successfully found the mastermind, and was the great hero who had cleared Charlotte's name.
Kimberly walked into the room with a swagger and a malicious, sarcastic smile. "You really are popular. To be lazing around here even though you're not injured... are you deliberately enjoying being surrounded by beautiful girls?"
"Of course not! Please don't say such misleading things! Someone could get killed!"
That kind of instigation, even as a joke, was very dangerous. A moment of carelessness and it could lead to a "nice boat" ending.
Seeing him so scared, she let out a light laugh, and then said seriously, "It's a good thing everyone is here. Since the aftermath has been mostly dealt with, I've come specially to convey the Headmaster's disposition."
She paused, and under the tense expressions of everyone, slowly opened her mouth.
"—In short, Kobayashi, you are to withdraw from the school."
"Mmm, I understand."
He nodded plainly, as if he had known this would be the result long ago.
The unhinged chaos seeker's final counter-attack. If she wasn't allowed to take a solid bite, this matter would never be over.
Coincidentally, he also had the thought of leaving.
He could accept it, but the others were not so calm.
Especially Henriette. She asked anxiously, "Why, professor?! Is it because he saved me? If that's the case, then please let me..."
"Henri."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, telling her not to be so flustered.
"Professor Kimberly, what in the world is going on? Could you explain it a little?" Charlotte was quite calm, but her toes were constantly tapping the ground. It seemed she was not as calm as she appeared.
Kimberly did not play the riddle-man and told them the reason directly. "Because his admission application was a forgery, his student status must be revoked."
"His student status... was a forgery?!" xN
This time, everyone was dumbfounded.
They had thought of many possibilities, but they had never thought that his student status was a forgery.
It was too strange!
"No wonder... no wonder you were willing to give all the credit to Raishin before," Charlotte murmured.
The girl who had spent the most time with him finally remembered all the various oddities from before. This way, everything he had done had a reasonable explanation.
The most crucial thing was that he was also a participant in the Night Party.
"To mess around at the highest-standard gathering of magicians in the world... it's already a great tolerance that you haven't been arrested," she said, pushing up her glasses, it was unclear if it was a compliment or sarcasm. "I really have to admire your courage, to dare to mess around like this."
"Ahahaha, it was just a series of coincidences," he said, laughing and scratching the back of his head.
But in his heart, he was not as carefree as he appeared on the surface.
I see. So she really didn't know about the fake application. After ruling her out, that only leaves the 87th-ranked "Accelerating Fairy" with the wicked hobby.
Was it to find some fun that she deliberately let me in?
But it was impossible to know for sure.
"The same situation also applies to Henriette. Her admission application was also a forgery, but I have already decided to put her in my research lab. I also happen to want someone to help out. Simply put, a dedicated maid for the lab. From today on, she is my servant. Of course, I will take responsibility for her and take care of her."
Kimberly, as if to make up for it in another way, had given Henriette a place to stay. The implication was that the Magic Association was willing to help protect her.
"You understand, right, Kobayashi?"
"Yes. Thank you very much, professor."
Henriette was not yet out of danger. If she were to be left to wander outside, she would surely become Charlotte's weak point again. Therefore, Kimberly was helping the sisters.
Unfortunately, this method could not be used on him, because he had already violated a taboo of the Night Party.
"But there is still a chance."
"A chance?"
Looking at the mysterious teacher, everyone's eyes were filled with doubt.
Kimberly nodded. "Before that, there is one more thing to say—about the reconstruction of the clock tower."
"The clock tower..."
Charlotte's expression was slightly dejected.
Even if it was due to being threatened, the fact that she had destroyed the clock tower was undeniable. She had to take the corresponding responsibility.
Kimberly looked at him and said, "Rebuilding the clock tower does indeed require a large sum of money. But a certain wealthy person has chosen to sponsor it. He is helping to rebuild the clock tower, and has even put pressure on the Headmaster, which is how a certain Night Party member with a forged student status was able to escape disaster. He asked me to convey to you—it's fine. Neither the academy nor the higher-ups will hold you responsible."
"A wealthy person?" he asked, slightly puzzled.
Speaking of which, he didn't know any such wealthy person. And he had a feeling that the other party had a connection to the Axis Orphanage.
"By the way, his daughter also asked me to pass on a message—'Big brother, I will definitely grow up to be a proper lady. Please be sure to wait for me'."
"——!"
This sentence instantly sent his thoughts back to that afternoon.
By the side of the derailed train, that cute little loli, and the feeling of a wet touch on his cheek.
He unconsciously touched it.
"Wait, who's Phi?"
"Older sister, another rival has appeared."
"Kobayashi... an affair?"
"Wait, wait! You've misunderstood!"
The girls' "catching the cheater"-like words viciously whipped him. He quickly explained the cause and effect, and at the same time, successfully received their praise. Even he hadn't expected that his good deed from back then would bring him a reward.
Kimberly added, "Based on this, although you have lost your Night Party qualification, you can re-enroll after a year."
Hearing her words, everyone broke into smiles.
"That's... great, Kobayashi!"
The girl with the pearl-colored hair puffed out her broad chest and pounced on him. This caused the petite loli, who was curled up in his arms, to be squeezed even smaller, and her breathing also became difficult.
Henriette held out her hand to her older sister for help. Charlotte quickly rushed up and pulled Frey away.
Frey looked at her, puzzled, and said dazed, "Tyrant Rex... do you want to be spoiled by Kobayashi too?"
"Of-of course not!" she denied in a tsundere way. "I would never stoop to being spoiled! It's just that Henri... my sister is being crushed by you and can't breathe!"
"Henri?"
Frey looked down and only then saw the little loli in her embrace. At this moment, Henriette's eyes were slightly rolling back, and she was on the verge of fainting.
After she was rescued, she unconsciously said to Charlotte, "Older sister, what do we do? That's a bomb-level chest! The two of us can't possibly win against that."
"...What are you talking about, Henri!"
Charlotte wanted to stop her tactless sister, but everyone present had already heard her, and their strange smiles made her extremely embarrassed.
Especially his gaze, which was very offensive.
"Wh-what are you looking at?!"
"...It's fine. Small is cute, too."
"Wh-what... did... you... say?!"
Charlotte's shoulders trembled violently. Sigmund received her mana and entered a battle stance.
"Wait, calm down, Charlotte!"
"That's right! You're the kind of pervert who only judges a woman's value by her chest! A person like you should just go and play with that chest over there!"
She pointed forcefully to the left.
And standing there dazed was Frey, who had been dragged over. She raised an eyebrow and glared at her.
"Wh-what? You want to argue?"
"Ngh... even if it's big... it's not necessarily good... ah..."
"What's not good about being big!"
"Showering... is very tiring... my arms get sore."
Frey bounced up and down, making a scrubbing motion. The surface area of her chest was very large, and it was also heavy. Her arms would indeed get very sore.
Charlotte's face instantly turned bright red, steam coming from her head. She threw herself into Henriette's arms and cried aggrievedly, "Are you making fun of me? Anyway, I don't have to worry about that kind of thing! Showering is very easy! Sob sob sob~~~"
He didn't know why her reaction was so big. He had already told her that small was also cute.
But after such a scene, the sadness of being expelled had also dissipated quite a bit.
He had thought he would be leaving just like that, but he hadn't expected someone else to come and see him off.
Late at night.
He slowly walked to the balcony. At some point, a mature beauty in a gorgeous kimono had appeared there. In front of her was a pot of steaming hot sake.
There was no one else with her.
"Good evening, boy."
"Good evening, Miss Shouko. Have you come specially to see me off?"
"No. I just came to deliver this."
Shouko tossed him a small badge. A triangular stone with complex patterns carved on it. It was warm to the touch and would flash with a brilliant light from time to time. From its appearance alone, one could tell that it was very exquisite.
His face lit up with joy.
"It's finally finished? I thought I wouldn't get to see it."
"Look forward to it, boy. It is a heart that is even stronger than the Setsugetsuka."
"Then I'll look forward to it! ...That being said, normally, shouldn't this have been handed to me before the battle? Why did it only appear after everything was over?"
"Hmph. Your automaton can overcome difficulties even without it, right? It's the same whether it comes early or late."
"Thank you for having such a high opinion of RyuZU, world's strongest girl-type automaton master."
"After all, it is a fact."
...
A brief silence between the two.
After a long while, she spoke again. "Boy, want to come to my place? As the world's strongest girl-type automaton master, I should be qualified to be your teacher, right?"
"...More than enough," he pouted.
Anyone would be overjoyed to hear such a thing, but he still refused. "I'm sorry. I've already decided to go back to my hometown... I don't know how those guys are doing. I'm a little worried."
Worried that they'll cause some big trouble!
"Is that so. What a pity," she said, it was unclear if she really thought it was a pity.
...
Another wave of silence.
He looked at her and said, "Miss Shouko, don't tell me you came here specially to take on a disciple."
"Not entirely," the beautiful woman in the kimono shook her head.
"Then are you here to blame me?" he said with a slight grievance. "Whether it's taking care of that mastermind's pride, or Charlotte's self-imposed burden, or Henriette's feelings, I've done it all without causing a big commotion. I think I've been very restrained."
That's right. He had been very restrained.
If it were before, he would have definitely gone to negotiate with Alice directly. How could he have played along with her and even had to satisfy her wicked hobby?
"You've misunderstood. I came to apologize to you."
"Apologize...?"
"Ah. For what I said before about you being arrogant. I wanted to apologize to you."
She raised her cup. The wide kimono hid her expression, but he guessed she was probably embarrassed.
"Why I said that to you before... it's probably because I thought you were like that boy. Both of you, for the sake of others, disregard your own safety, put yourselves in dangerous places, and always do things that trouble and worry others."
"Akabane-kun?"
"That's right. But later I realized I was wrong. You and he are two completely different types of people. To make you restrain yourself is, on the contrary, a kind of bondage. If you get yourself hurt, isn't that putting the cart before the horse? So..."
"So?"
"Just go and carry out your own arrogant will. Even if you are alone, even if you are not understood, even if you are not acknowledged, if you believe that what you are doing is right, then just do it."
"In other words, I no longer need to worry about anything?"
"That's right."
Her words were not just a liberation for him, but also a kind of recognition, the kind of recognition a parent gives when they believe their child has independent judgment.
He was slightly moved.
As if he had gotten permission, after leaving the academy, his actions became even more unrestrained.
First, he found the source of everything, the Kingsfort family, and intimidated and pressured them. When he left, the mansion where the Kingsfort family resided had disappeared, leaving only a huge crater. And the area around the crater had crystallized glass from the high temperature.
Some said a huge fireball had fallen from the sky and burned everything down. Some said it had been hit by a nuclear bomb, otherwise it wouldn't have caused such great destruction. And some said it was an automaton that had gone out of control and exploded, causing the residence to disappear.
For a time, there were many different opinions, and everyone was looking for the truth of the matter. But none of this had anything to do with him, because at this moment, he had already left this world.
(Unbreakable Machine-Doll Arc, Complete)
(End of Chapter)