Chapter 32: Feet Off the Ground, Virus Shut Down, IQ Reclaims the High Ground
As you steal from others, so shall you be stolen from.
"Using her own methods to pay her back in kind is my ninja... ahem, my way of life. Since you made a move on me, old lady, don't blame me for being impolite and stealing it right back."
Kobayashi wore the smug smile of someone who had just pulled off a successful heist.
In his right hand, a plump coin pouch flipped up and down with the turn of his wrist. Although he didn't know the value of this world's currency, a flash of gold from within the bulging pouch made it easy to guess that it contained a lot of money.
This was the prize he had just swiped from that old woman.
...
It was just too much of a coincidence.
If you thought about it carefully, you could guess there were many suspicious points.
When he and the little girl collided, a simple word of concern had scared her into kowtowing on the ground and apologizing repeatedly. It took constant reassurance to calm her terrified state, and only after he let her go and she was out of sight did her expression, a mixture of relaxation and a trace of fearful tension, finally disappear.
From the little girl's reaction, her words, and her constant, subtle glances at RyuZU, it was clear she had mistaken him for the son of a noble.
Looking at the surrounding environment, the architectural design, and the clothing and behavior of the pedestrians, it wasn't hard to guess that this world was still in a feudal period with clear class distinctions.
If a commoner bumped into a noble, a reprimand was unavoidable. They might be required to pay compensation, or in more serious cases, be sentenced. Both were possible. But her reaction was far too extreme, which was very problematic.
Furthermore, the small commotion just now had already attracted the attention of others. It was safe to say that other people on the street would definitely be keeping their distance from them.
And at this moment, an old woman appeared.
Like the little girl, she pretended to accidentally bump into Kobayashi. She used her frail appearance of old age and poor eyesight to make him lower his guard. During this time, she fumbled all over him, trying to secretly steal his valuables.
Unfortunately for her, there were two flaws in her act.
First, the old woman was not actually blind.
When Kobayashi extended his hand to help her up, she had accurately grabbed his hand. This made her subsequent strange behavior—trembling as she grabbed his clothes and fumbled around searching for her cane—seem particularly conspicuous. She had already touched the cane several times, yet she pretended she couldn't find it, continuing to grope all over him.
Now suspicious, Kobayashi conducted another test. When he asked the old woman where she was going and if she needed him to walk her, she accurately pointed to her destination.
Could it be that she has lived nearby for a long time and is familiar with the distance?
But this guess was mercilessly refuted after the limping old woman successively dodged four or five oncoming pedestrians.
Second, the old woman's body was very healthy.
When helping her up, Kobayashi, seeing her old and frail state, was worried about her well-being and secretly used magic to heal her body. However, he discovered that her body was very robust, and there were no hidden ailments in her legs.
Should he call this good karma? His subconscious act of kindness had unexpectedly exposed her disguise.
In summary.
An old woman pretending to be blind and lame, walking down a bustling street, was able to dodge oncoming people yet just happened to bump into a stationary Kobayashi. Wasn't that strange?
As for the reason she targeted him...
She must have taken him for a naive young brat who had just left home and didn't know anything about the world. The kind of stupid, rich son of a noble family who was also kind-hearted.
Of course, all of the above guesses could be wrong.
But there was one thing Kobayashi could be certain of.
That was this ornate coin pouch. It was definitely not something that raggedly dressed old woman could own, because the palm-sized piece of cloth it was made from was worth more than her entire outfit.
The light pink coin pouch had auspicious cloud patterns on both sides, hand-stitched with pure gold thread. Not only was the fabric of high quality and very soft, but it also faintly exuded a special, pleasant fragrance.
In the classic tropes of most stories, it should belong to some noble young lady.
In that case...
Could it be that some unlucky young lady had her coin pouch stolen, which led the thief old woman to think that Kobayashi would also be an easy target, and that's why she made a move on him?
Hey, hey, hey, do I look that harmless to people and animals?
Of course, that old woman also paid a heavy price. Not only did she fail to gain anything, but she even lost what she had previously obtained. Although she didn't know it, in this clash between thieves, he had emerged as the final victor.
Kobayashi's heart was filled with immense satisfaction.
He then explained his reasoning process and theft technique to RyuZU, hoping to win her praise and admiration.
Unexpectedly, the maid was unimpressed.
She even tilted her head and said with a sharp tongue, "How rare. I had thought you were as dim-witted as the others in your party, Master Kobayashi. Because you always engage in the same incomprehensible and absurd acts as they do. I never expected you to see through that old woman."
Is she trying to say that I also act like an idiot along with Aqua and the others? She's got some nerve!
Kobayashi would definitely not admit it.
He defended himself, "Is it possible, and I'm just saying it's possible... that I'm actually very smart?"
"What do you mean, Master Kobayashi?"
"Actually, my IQ is very high, and my methods are just like a normal person's—I always choose the optimal solution. But I've spent too much time with Aqua and the others, which has caused my thinking and behavior patterns to be gradually assimilated by those problem children. And now that I've left them, it's like my feet have left the ground, the virus has been shut down, and my brilliant IQ has reoccupied the high ground!"
"Master Kobayashi..."
RyuZU didn't continue with her sharp tongue. But her expression already showed that she was concerned about his intelligence. She even had a look of pity in her eyes.
Kobayashi's pupils dilated and contracted repeatedly. He shouted emotionally, "N-no... don't look at me like that! Miss RyuZU, you have to believe me! I'm really not a problem child!"
"Yes, yes, Master Kobayashi is not a problem child."
"Don't say it like that!!!"
RyuZU showed the obedience a servant should, but that only seemed to reinforce her belief that he was, in fact, a problem child, which made him very sad.
As expected, being misunderstood and not being listened to was a fate that the misinterpreted could not escape. The feeling of being unable to defend himself was extremely frustrating.
Speaking of which, what is with this city? Is it called "Goose Town" or something?
...
The battle of wits with the old woman could only be described as foreplay. The main course was next.
RyuZU asked softly, "Master Kobayashi, what are we going to do next?"
"Wait. All we have to do now is wait."
Kobayashi tossed the coin pouch high into the air. After it reached its apex, hung there for a moment, and was then pulled down by gravity, he caught it firmly in his hand.
"Whether it's the old woman from before or the owner of this coin pouch, as long as one of them finds us, we can use them to connect with this world."
So all he had to do was to keep using the coin pouch to attract the attention of one of the parties.
As the coin pouch was tossed high into the air again, and was caught steadily as it fell—
"Ah! I found you!"
A delicate shout came from behind him. "Give me back my wallet, you despicable thief!"
See? The person we were looking for has arrived.
(End of an book)