I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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Demon Church.

Those guys are a sinister and meticulous bunch.

They tempt humans who are vulnerable to desire, corrupting them into worshippers, and thoroughly involve the humans’ surrounding relationships.

Just like a cult spreads its religion.

Therefore, when the Demon Church infests an area, the speed at which it spreads is beyond imagination.

Moreover, since it has the nature of a secret organization, it rarely reveals itself above the surface, making it difficult to uproot the Demon Church entirely.

Their evil deeds have hardly been exposed except in my territory and Max’s.

“Then I need to drag them out. Even if it requires manipulation.”

Thus, I plotted this event.

I posed as Gyro, the commander of the Entica Kingdom’s knight order and a swordsman, to attack the students.

By doing so, I can raise their awareness while also spreading the existence of demons.

Above all, it allows me to draw the Entica Kingdom, which is becoming a forward base for the demons, out into the open.

“And that’s just the beginning.”

The Entica Kingdom, which has always been a forward base for demons.

This event may not stop the kingdom from being demonized entirely, but at least it can reduce the number of victims.

Even if it’s the Empire’s one-sided claim, they will know that Gyro is a demon and that the new religion he spreads is also a Demon Church.

In other words, if they were once unwittingly ensnared by the Demon Church, they will at least be somewhat cautious now.

“Ed, we’ve received some news.”

At that moment, Elena opened the door and delivered the message.

It was news that Gyro would prove his innocence through a long-distance video magic connection.

I quickly prepared and moved to the Empire’s diplomatic office.

***

“Wow… I never thought demons would be real.”

Meanwhile, while Edgar was plotting.

The students who had entered the dungeon gathered to discuss yesterday’s events.

They still couldn’t shake off the shock from yesterday and wanted to relieve their emotions by coming together.

The best talents of the Empire, unable to even use their strength, had been helplessly taken down.

“…Do you think that guy’s words are true?”

At that moment, Enya turned to everyone and asked.

As most of the students looked at her with expressions that said, “What do you mean?”, she added her next words.

“That their master would destroy the human world.”

Their master.

In other words, she was referring to the “Lord of Hell,” a being that only appears in myths.

Although sealed by Heavenly Beings, it was that ancient evil that swore to return one day for revenge.

Claire replied.

“Well… If that were true, it could be really dangerous. The Heavenly Beings were much stronger than us, right?”

“…”

Others lowered their heads at her answer.

Then one student spoke up.

“But, isn’t it common for the past to be exaggerated? Perhaps the Heavenly Beings were similar to us, and they were just… given a boost because they founded the ancient kingdoms…”

Another student argued, claiming that myths are often inflated, suggesting that both the Heavenly Beings and demons are exaggerated.

Isabella glared at the student and replied.

“What were you doing during history class? There’s actual evidence of their power.”

Isabella continued, stating that “The places the Heavenly Beings fought were so immense that the terrain and climate changed permanently.”

She had checked the history teacher’s words herself when she found it hard to believe back then, and indeed, it was true.

The traces of the Heavenly Beings’ great power still remain throughout the world.

“If you think you can just dismiss the Heavenly Beings as some inflated myth, then why have we been worshipping them until now? Get a grip on reality.”

“…I-I’m sorry.”

The student who had dozed off in history class scratched the back of his head apologetically.

Lucas then spoke up.

“Maybe… We might be the only ones unaware.”

“……?”

“Ed and Professor Elena said they’ve been researching demons for a long time.”

“……”

“Perhaps the establishment of the Academy for the purpose of conquering demons was indeed to prepare against them? Of course, it might be an overreach… but Professor Elena is practically royal, you know? With such a professor heading the Academy and Ed, who is favored by the royal family, also investigating the Demon Church, it just… kinda makes you think.”

Though it was just Lucas’s personal opinion, he had his own reasoning behind it.

Enya nodded, rising from her seat.

“Then we don’t have time to waste.”

“……?”

“We need to grow stronger than we are now. At least if we join forces, we should be able to handle that guy.”

Enya clenched her fists, recalling the brutal defeat from yesterday.

The other students also clenched their jaws and fists in determination.

Despite claiming to be the best talents of the Empire, they had been utterly helpless, displaying pitiful fear.

“To be strong enough to face any situation is all we need. I’m leaving now.”

With that, Enya turned and left the room.

With her words stimulating them, the remaining students began to rise one by one.

As Enya said, getting stronger was imperative.

“……”

However, when everyone was burning with fighting spirit and stepping outside, Isabella remained in place with a blank expression.

The words “Getting stronger is all that matters” felt like a death sentence to her.

For she realized that the only way for her to grow stronger would be to become even more ruthless than this.

“I… have I become so weak?”

Suddenly, Isabella reflected on herself.

From the strongest student of the Academy, she had fallen to second place.

Now she was undeniably under Edgar Fix, and was perceived as someone whose prime had completely ended.

“……”

At first, she didn’t care about such evaluations from the ‘bugs.’

Losing to Enya was nothing more than a forced concession due to suppressing her negative emotions; if she had fully unleashed her negativity, she could have easily subdued Enya.

“…..But.”

Yet, thinking about it now, it was odd that she had been suppressing her negativity.

After all, her original self was someone who would release negativity lavishly whenever the right moment came.

She had never held back to prevent her negativity from being wasted.

“But somewhere along the line…”

But now she was extremely stingy with her negativity.

She had grown to dislike the idea of any collected negativity flying away.

Why had she become like this, when she used to handle negativity so casually?

“….Ed.”

The answer lay with Ed.

Edgar Fix was the cause.

Meeting him every 49 days, she began to heal her heart and as a result, she had started to soften.

The venomous self, who used to only want to absorb others’ evils, now found herself thinking of him on days before the 49th, dreaming about having a family with him, imagining what conversations they would have and what dates they would go on…

The amount of negativity she could gather had drastically decreased compared to before.

“Kheh, kheh, kheh…”

Eventually, Isabella burst into a self-mocking laugh, her shoulders shaking.

Born with the cursed fate of Graham, she dreamt of becoming an ordinary girl living a happy family life.

She must be seriously gone mad.

Getting so lost over just one guy that she forgot her original purpose.

“Haha… what a foolish girl.”

For a moment, she had dreamt.

Of having an ordinary love, fixing broken friendships, receiving recognition from others.

She had dreamed of such a life.

It all began when she met Ed and suddenly started having such fantasies.

But such a life wasn’t meant for her.

Only someone pure like Enya, who could be honest with her feelings, had the right to enjoy that.

The life that had been given to her was one intertwined with the tragedy of the Graham family.

-Slam!

Thus, Isabella immediately stepped outside and headed for the Academy’s dormitory.

Once inside her room, she picked up the teddy bear Ed had gifted her.

However, just as she was about to tear it apart…

“…”

Her hand wouldn’t budge.

Her heart began to pound.

Every bit of resolve from earlier had vanished, her breath became rapid, and her eyes felt hot.

“Ha… ha…”

These were the first moments in her life that truly felt happy.

Only he was her salvation and happiness.

But having to tear apart the first gift he had given her felt like tearing out her own heart.

“Kheh, kheh, kheh…”

Soon, Isabella began to let out a strange laugh, unsure whether it was crying or laughing.

Her heated eyes filled with tears, and there was a lump in her throat.

Why was her emotions so uncontrollable?

“……Ah… I see….”

Eventually, Isabella understood the reason.

The sadness of having to sever ties with Ed was real, but she also realized that without ‘negativity’ in her life, there was nothing.

Indeed, it was negativity that allowed her to become the strongest student of the Academy and to have the identity of a ‘witch.’

In other words, her life had become one inseparable from negativity.

In essence, if you took away negativity, there would be nothing left of her, rendering her a useless existence.

“Ah… Adrian. I finally understand why you became that way.”

The head of the Graham family and Isabella’s father, Adrian Graham.

In this moment, Isabella finally grasped him.

Having experienced a love that tore at her heart, she realized that ultimately, all that remained for her was negativity.

If she could gain love by discarding negativity, she would lose herself in the process.

-Whoosh!

Thus, Isabella tore apart Ed’s teddy bear.

Given that she couldn’t abandon negativity in her life,

If love was something she couldn’t have certainty in,

It was better to choose one side clearly.

To fully embrace negativity, and feel pleasure in the powers and authority it brought,

Or to completely discard negativity and entrust everything to love.

One or the other.

And she…

“Ed, it’s goodbye now.”

Chose negativity.

She chose to live rejecting both herself and others, just like Adrian.

Then perhaps someday, she too could live the life of Graham, indulging in the very act of accumulating negativity.

***

The conversation with Gyro went as expected.

Gyro proved his alibi by claiming he was at the mansion when the incident occurred and brought his servants as witnesses.

He was probably at the mansion for real.

“But couldn’t the Gyro at the mansion be a fake?”

However, this world is one where magic and mana exist.

With a thought, one can deceive others with a doppelganger that looks just like them.

Thus, I demanded proof that the Gyro in the mansion was the genuine one, and Gyro grew angry, questioning how he was supposed to prove that.

“So you’re claiming all 13 students from the Empire Academy are lying?”

I then pressured him using the Empire’s status.

Yet again, he claimed that the Empire Academy students weren’t lying, but rather that someone was impersonating him to frame him.

I then cast the accusation.

“That could be possible. However, since your name has come up, confirmation is necessary. You must appear in the Supreme Court. Luckily, the Empire has ways to detect demons.”

I told him he must attend the Supreme Court as there were means of detecting demons.

If you’re truly innocent, you wouldn’t be caught even using a device capable of identifying demons; therefore, I advised him to prove his innocence and get an apology from the Empire.

If it was a misunderstanding, I promised a generous compensation.

“B-But I can’t…! Knowing there’s a faction trying to frame me, I… can’t act recklessly!”

Thus, he retreated a step.

The moment he appears in the Supreme Court, he will undoubtedly be exposed as a demon.

He must have already completed his demon transformation long ago.

“Then the Empire will have no choice but to forcibly extradite you. Even if it means waging war.”

In that moment, I created justification for the Empire to intervene in the Entica Kingdom.

An unprecedented incident where they sought to turn the Empire Academy’s top talent into a demon.

The incident I fabricated had thus given the Empire a reason to strike at the Entica Kingdom.

“I-I’m wronged! If you just give me a little more time… I can prove my innocence─!”

“The only way to prove your innocence is by appearing in the Supreme Court. I will give you two days. Respond within that period.”

With those words, I ended communication with him.

Now all that’s left is to observe his movements and see what response he will give.

If he declares he won’t attend the Supreme Court even if it means going to war, it would mean the Entica Kingdom has already been corrupted by him. If the kingdom hands him over, it means there are still forces of resistance remaining.

There’s no way they would risk the fate of the kingdom just to save one commander.

“Speaking of which…”

Anyway, that’s a different matter.

The communication device I had implanted in Isabella’s teddy bear was cut off.

There’s no way some maniac would break into Isabella’s place, tear up the teddy bear, and then destroy the device, so it must have been Isabella herself who tore the bear apart.

In the end, the whole Isabella route went through a repeat of failure.

What was destined to happen had happened.

“….Is it time to think about the next stage?”

But unlike the me who had only repeated failures, I am different now.

I know how to revert Isabella to her evolved form, Skulgraymon, and I have the ability to carry it out.

“Eldar Kingdom.”

And the solution lies in the Eldar Kingdom, the kingdom of the elves.

Soon, after resolving the Entica Kingdom issue, it will be time to head to the Eldar Kingdom.