About time

[???]: "Oi Meina, check this flower crown I made."

[???]: "Whoa, It's beautiful,"

The sound of children's laughter filled the air as Tanaka and Ram arrived at the Arlam village. The bustling atmosphere was a stark contrast to the quietness of the mansion they had just left.

Tanaka: "In any case, it seems that I really I'm no longer in Japan."

The stark differences between this place and his familiar Japan became more apparent with each passing moment.

The architecture, the clothing, the language, and even the way people carried themselves—all pointed to a place far removed from his homeland.

It's hard to believe but he might have became a victim of a supernatural event. Tanaka had read before theories and it could be that one of them might be a the case for his situation. Time travel sounded plausible considering that the civilization in front of wasn't that advanced.

But the thing is that the people speak the same language as him but they don't use the same alphabet characters he uses and also their culture isn't alike.

Then the theory that he got dragged into another universe would sound more plausible, it makes sense since there are stuff which he finds odd while the other find them completely normal and it can be said about the opposite.

Or it can be just that he is dreaming.

Tanaka: "In any case, those all are still theories."

Ram: "Tanuki, quit mumbling like an idiot and help Ram with the groceries."

The red haired girl's sharp voice woke Tanaka from his stupor, shaking off his ponderings for the time being. He decided to focus on his job.

Ram led the way through the lively village, weaving through the crowded market stalls and colorful shops. The villagers greeted Ram with smiles and nods, acknowledging her presence as a familiar face.

They finally reached their destination, a small shop tucked away in a quiet corner of the village. The shopkeeper, an elderly man with a kind smile, greeted them warmly.

Shopkeeper: "Ah, Ram! Good to see you again. And who's this with you?"

Ram : "This is Tanuki, a new useless servant at the mansion."

Tanaka : "It's Kazuki Tanaka, please forgive her sir. It seems that she has dementia since she can't remember ,nam...Augh."

Ram's elbow jabbed Tanaka, to which he responded with a glare.

The old man chuckled at their interaction. "That's quite a peculiar name. Anyway, how can I help you?"

As Ram listed her needs, Tanaka's eyes wandered over the shelves of the shop. They primarily sold vegetables and other edible items.

Amid observing the village, something suddenly caught Tanaka's interest, and his eyes widened.

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After thanking the owner, Ram prepared to leave the shop. However, she noticed that Tanaka was no longer by her side. She looked around, scanning the surroundings until she spotted a crowd of kids huddled together, their attention fixed on someone.

Ram made her way through the crowd, and there she found Tanaka, kneeling on the ground with a mischievous smile on his face.

Tanaka: "Alright, kids, listen up! Whoever finds a rock like this, I will trade it with this super rare and delicious juice named Cola."

One of the kids eagerly stepped forward, holding a rock in their hands.

Kid: "Here, here, I have one!"

Another child chimed in excitedly, "Here, here, swap with me!"

Tanaka's voice resonated with a playful tone as he responded, "Very well, then put it in the bag. All in the bag, WOHAHAHA!"

Ram looked at him with a perplexed expression, unsure what to make of his evil laughter which echoed through the air, drawing curious gazes from the villagers passing by.

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Kids: "Come again!!"

Tanaka responded while waving his hand, "Of course, make sure to prepare more rocks,"

With that Ram and Tanaka left the village, he got along well with the kids which was quite surprising. In any case, he kept grinning from ear to ear as he held the bag filled with stones in front of his belly.

His attitude only irritated Ram, " Ram always thought that you were stupid, but trading some fine liquor with some rocks was beyond Ram's imagination."

Tanaka ignored her insult, after all he was in such a good mood.

Tanaka: "First, don't call it liquor. you make it seem like I gave those kids alcohol," He then added, " And this is not just a rock, it's rare earth,"

Ram gave a 'huh' face.

Tanaka then pulled two rocks stuck together, out of his bag ," Look how they are sticking together, it's so strong that it's extremely hard to separate them,"

She gave another look that mean 'Is Ram supposed to be impressed' something like that.

He spotted two kids playing with them and quickly rushed towards them. Rare earth is the world's strongest magnet, they are also fucking expensive. In a way, it's safe to say that he scammed those kids when one rock is worth way more than one hundred cans of soda.

Tanaka: " It's fine, I still have another pack at the mansion. You can take some more and also let Rem take a taste,"

Its seemed that her annoyed behavior is because she took a liking to the drink and her eyes, he just threw it all away. But however, he made the bargain of his life so he wanted to share some of his happiness.

Ram: " I see, then I shall inform Roswaal-Sama that he can pay you with sticky rocks."

'She is a dumbass, just ignore her' Tanaka thought to himself as he tried to ignore her sarcasm.

As they got to the mansion, Tanaka helped the twins organize the supplies. He then took his bag and rushed to his room.

He sat down on the desk, took out his pen and his notebook. He then took out a cigarette and lit it up. Today was the second time he smoke, usually he smokes a pack and a half. But due to his current situation if he smokes all his storage at once he will surely regret it.

'Puff' letting out a large cloud, Tanaka was in a perfect mood to concentrate until...

'tchhh' The sound of gas leaking out made him flinch.

He then looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. To his surprise, he found Ram sneaking into his room and opening a can of soda. He couldn't help but utter, "What the heck?"

Ram smirked mischievously and replied, "Ram is here to claim the drinks that Tanuki offered earlier."

Tanaka looked at her with a dumbfounded expression.

She took a sip of her drink and added, "And yeah, Roswaal-sama asked Ram to teach you how to read and write."

Tanaka: " Oi, shouldn't you start with that first." He scratched his head with his hand then added, "Well I appreciate the offer but let it wait for tomorrow, I have a bit of work,"

" As expected, trying to slack off," casually lounged on his bed, sipping her drink.

Tanaka: "I don't want to hear it from you."

Just as Tanaka was about to focus on his work, Rem entered the room.

Rem : "Sister you were here."

However, Tanaka was too absorbed in his thoughts and writing to pay any attention to his surroundings.

Tanaka retrieved the copper sheets that Ram had given him, with meticulous precision, Tanaka skillfully cut and flattened the copper sheets, transforming them into long, thin strips. His hands moved deftly, rolling the strips tightly forming crude yet functional wires.

In addition to the copper sheets, Tanaka had borrowed a collection of silk fabric, recognizing its potential as insulation. He wrapped all fabric around the copper wires to prevent any short circuits.

Later he connected the copper wires to the charger's connectors, he used his lighter to melt the copper into the charger to ensure that they stay intact. Finally, he moved to the last part which is the power source, this where the Rare earth role come.

Using Electromagnetic induction, placing the rock is close to coiled copper wires. It created electromotive force causing an electric current to flow through them.

The circuit was now is complete, it looked crappy but it should be functional.

Tanaka then reached for his phone to test his invention, he realized that two hours had passed since he started working.

He already regulated the clock with approximation on it when it was decided that he will be working here from now on.

Now his phone was indicating that it was 7:30 PM, time had slipped away as he dedicated himself to the task at hand. Surprised by the duration, he glanced around the room, only to find Ram and Rem sitting side by side on his bed.

Curiosity piqued, Tanaka turned to Rem and asked, "When did you get here?"

She replied, "Since the beginning. Tanaka-Kun was too absorbed he didn't notice."

Before Tanaka could respond, Ram interjected with her usual straightforward manner, "Anyway, what's that garbage that you have built?"

Tanaka: "First of all don't call it garbage, that's rude. It's a system that generates electricity, which will allow me to power up my device."

Observing their puzzled looks, Tanaka realized he needed to provide a simpler analogy.

Tanaka: "Electricity... It's like lightning, but way smaller."

To demonstrate the concept, Tanaka connected two of the wires he had created, resulting in a spark.

Tanaka: "This is electricity."

Ram and Rem couldn't hide their surprise as they witnessed the spark manifesting before their eyes. Rem then made a remark.

Rem: "So it's magic."

Hearing her comment, Tanaka couldn't help but smile, realizing their perception of his creation resembled magic.

Tanaka: "Well, I guess you can say that. Now, it's time for the real test."

With anticipation in the air, Tanaka took hold of the cable from his charger in one hand and his phone in the other. He gulped, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Tanaka: "Here goes nothing."

Silence enveloped the room as everyone held their breath. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Tanaka's voice broke the silence, albeit in a low tone.

Tanaka: "It's working!"

The screen on his phone lit up, indicating that it was indeed charging. Overwhelmed by the success, Tanaka couldn't contain his excitement.

Tanaka: "Holy shit! It's actually working. I'm a genius!"

However, Ram's remark broke his happy celebrations in the room.

Ram: "Why does it smell like something is burning?"

Tanaka's eyes widened in alarm as he too detected the distinct smell of smoke. With a sinking feeling in his gut, he turned his gaze towards his phone, only to be greeted by a scene of horror.

Sparks flickered, and thin tendrils of smoke escaped from the device. With the sight in front of him, there was only one word can describe his current feelings.

Tanaka: "Fuck."

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Ram:" Then Tanuki, don't forget to clean up that garbage and go to sleep. Tomorrow there's a lot a work waiting for you."

With those words, Ram and Rem left Tanaka's room leaving him laying on his bed staring at the ceiling.

"Dammit." Tanaka said while punching his pillow.

The cause of his failure was the lack of voltage regulation which resulted excessive voltage being supplied to the phone.

Tanaka: " Well, it doesn't matter anymore."

Even if he figured out where he failed, it doesn't change the fact that his phone is completely done for and there is no way to fix it.

Regret and frustration washed over Tanaka as he realized his oversight.

Closing his eyes, Tanaka let out a deep breath, releasing the tension from his body, he then blew out the candle before finally going to sleep.

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[???]:"I admire your spirit, Tanaka-Kun. If that's what you wish, then I won't stop you,"

[???]:"Just remember to take breaks when necessary."

He can hear the sound of someone talking.

In any case he felt uncomfortable because of his position which caused him to open his eyes.

The sight in front of him made him confused, he was back in the living room.

[???]: "―What's the matter? Why'd you suddenly space out?"

He followed the source of the voice, which was Roswaal with Ram standing beside him.

The most absurd thing was that he was also standing.

Tanaka: "Hah―?"