I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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Recently, Lucas was finding stability.

After witnessing the secret meetings between Edgar and his mother, he had been tormented by all kinds of delusions, but as he grew closer to Claire, he began to find peace of mind.

That’s understandable since Claire was the only person who truly understood him.

‘But… why.’

At this point, when he needed someone to rely on, Claire was starting to distance herself again.

Using being busy as an excuse, she was avoiding meeting him and slipping away elsewhere.

‘Ed…?’

Moreover, the person she was with happened to be Edgar Fix.

His mentor and a respected friend.

But at the same time, he was like a thief who had stolen his mother’s heart.

‘Why… why in the world…’

Why was everything getting tangled up like this?

Why was everyone precious to him drifting away to Edgar Fix?

Edgar already had so much.

Power, fame, virtue, and someone to love.

He had it all.

Why was he trying to take away the mother and Claire that Lucas desperately needed?

If he truly understood his situation, if he genuinely considered him a friend, shouldn’t he be letting go of his mother and Claire instead?

Why wouldn’t he stop here?

‘…I don’t know.’

Lucas couldn’t find an answer.

Edgar, who had helped resolve his complex regarding his father and assisted him in awakening to a higher level, was a grateful friend.

Why was he not letting go of the people who were precious to him, his mother and Claire?

Was he trampling on the first feelings of love he had ever felt at the age of 19? He couldn’t understand.

“Ed, isn’t it time to stop?”

Meanwhile, Claire, watching Lucas grow more and more despondent from a distance, spoke to Ed.

Wasn’t it time to stop this?

She couldn’t bear to see Lucas in pain, so couldn’t they just call it quits at this point?

However, Ed simply responded in a dry tone, appearing unfazed.

“No. We need to push harder. If we stop here, Lucas will be someone who is forever influenced by the ratings of Lady Adella and you. He won’t accomplish anything that way.”

“……….”

Claire hung her head with a complicated expression.

It was Ed Fix saying this, so she would listen, but in her view, it seemed like it would have the opposite effect.

Telling Lucas, who had spent his life tormented by the ghost of his father, to simply abandon such tendencies in an instant was excessively harsh.

There were also ways to help him gradually regain his autonomy and self-esteem besides this method.

Ways to comfort and heal his wounded heart and mind by standing by his side.

‘Just as expected.’

However, Ed, seeing Claire in distress, felt that his objective was being realized.

That was because the one he intended to awaken was not Lucas, but Claire.

To awaken Claire, it was essential to condense her feelings like this.

The Bernhardt family, born with the traits of ‘buff’ and ‘aura,’ valued altruism as the most important quality.

“Claire, you can definitely do it.”

And Claire was naturally gifted with such altruistic talents.

Because she had a knack for reading people’s hearts, to the point where she could pick up on Ed’s intentions before anyone else.

For instance, Claire had continually kept an eye on Ed as he approached Isabella and Enya.

Instinctively sensing that there was more than mere goodwill involved, she had taken on the role of monitoring whether he was using his friends.

‘…If you two are happy, then…’

And as a result of her continuous vigilance, Claire could conclude that Ed did not have any sinister motives.

On the contrary, her interactions with Ed had a more positive effect on both Enya and Isabella, so she decided to watch this triangular relationship for now.

‘…Lucas.’

But Lucas was different.

Looking at him was like seeing a child cast adrift at sea.

The child was terrified of the water but desperately trying to act calm.

And how he was struggling to establish recognition in high society while trying to prove himself felt like watching a boy swim with all his might.

Doing everything possible to hide the fact that he had commoner’s blood, pretending to be perfect every moment.

That made her unable to stop her gaze from drifting toward him.

And, over time, this concern ultimately turned into compassion.

Compassion became feelings of love.

Before she knew it, she found herself wishing for his growth and happiness.

‘Is this… is this right?’

And her feelings were continuously condensing.

Accepting Ed’s proposal and deceiving Lucas now.

She was suppressing her desire to comfort Lucas with enormous guilt.

‘One week. How about trying to ride the fine line for just one more week?’

Thus, Ed set the D-day for a week later.

The day Claire’s emotions would explode.

***

One week later.

Lucas packed his gear with dark circles under his eyes.

Today was the day to learn how to fight demons under Ed’s guidance.

So, after finishing his preparations, Lucas moved to the designated gathering spot.

At the meeting place, Enya and Isabella were bickering with each other.

And next to Ed was Claire, sticking close to him.

As soon as Claire saw him, she averted her eyes with a look of guilt.

Seeing that, Lucas lowered his head.

‘I know. I know how far you two have gone…’

Lucas had witnessed Ed and Claire entering an inn multiple times during this time.

Thus, he assumed that they were already further along in their relationship.

The fluttering and tense memories he had felt with Claire evaporated in an instant.

Moreover, Edgar Fix was a perfect man, by anyone’s eyes.

Someone like him could never compete.

He had to continually elevate Ed and undermine himself and begrudgingly accept the current situation.

“Alright, I’ll tell you today’s training schedule. First, Enya and Isabella will be taking on the high demon, ‘Targos.’ He’s known as the ‘Demon of Fear,’ and he feeds on the fear of his opponents to gain strength. Believing in yourself is the most important thing.”

Enya and Isabella nodded.

Having learned the art of leg magic and cast aside negativity, they entered the stage of awakening.

With confident smiles, they said to just leave it to them.

Confirming their confidence, Ed nodded with a smile, causing Enya and Isabella to blush.

“And Lucas and Claire will also be facing the high demon, ‘Cassandra.’”

However, Ed immediately wiped the expression off his face and turned to Lucas and Claire with their mission.

The mission assigned to Lucas and Claire was to defeat the fallen demon ‘Cassandra,’ and it was crucial not to be shaken by the venomous words she spewed.

If they lost their mental composure, they would be enslaved by her, and the fall would begin.

“I believe you will all overcome this. You’ve become much stronger than before, and you will continue to grow tremendously.”

After conveying their mission, Ed encouraged them by patting their shoulders.

Energized by Ed’s support, Enya and Isabella moved straight to their operation point.

Lucas and Claire did the same, hiding their discomfort as they moved to the operation area.

Of course, they headed to the ‘Nest of Corruption’ that the Ed, Elena, Emperor, and Eve had decorated with all their might.

***

Upon arriving at the ‘Nest of Corruption,’ Lucas and Claire stiffened.

The entrance of the nest was filled with grotesquely twisted corpses.

And those corpses reminded them of Ed’s warnings.

The warning that if their minds broke from Cassandra’s venomous words, they would end up dead, drained like the corpses in front of the nest.

…At that moment.

“…Lucas!”

Claire jumped in excitement, calling out to Lucas.

Noticing his slouched shoulders, she wanted to say something encouraging.

“You don’t have to worry! I’m an expert at mental resistance spells…!”

“……….”

She spoke the words with the intent to alleviate Lucas’s tension.

But Lucas stared at Claire without replying.

His gaze was filled with resentment, anger, and a mix of complex emotions.

“…Ah.”

Claire couldn’t maintain that gaze for long.

Soon, she found herself turning away, uncomfortable under his look.

Lucas murmured as he faced forward again.

“…I guess so.”

Step… step… step…

With that last word, Lucas stepped into the cave.

Claire, with a complicated heart, followed his form, stepping into the pitch-black cave.

Unaware of what dangers lay ahead.

***

“I can’t believe I’m doing this again.”

Meanwhile, Ed, watching the situation through the crystal orb, muttered while looking at the ‘Demon Suit.’

He hadn’t expected that the moment would come again where he would have to put on this demon suit and make a spectacle of himself.

“This will probably be the last time.”

At that moment, Eve, checking on the creature, replied to Ed’s words.

And she added that as the onslaught from the Grand Dukes begins, there would be no time to shoot such a gag.

Ed nodded and muttered.

“…Yeah. By the time it comes, I might miss this…”

With a sigh, Ed reminisced about the previous episodes.

He recalled those hellish moments and realized that this happiness wouldn’t last long.

Given the increasing frequency of demon appearances from all over the world.

It wouldn’t be long before the main forces of the Grand Dukes would come spilling over.

‘I must sprout the seeds of awakening as much as possible before that happens.’

Thus, Ed was doing the most necessary thing in preparation for that time.

Awakening the direct descendants of heavenly beings who could use the ‘power of authority.’ In other words, awakening the Grand Duke family.

‘For Claire’s awakening, this role-playing is something I can do anytime.’

Ed steeled himself and looked at the hideous demon mask.

The ‘Cassandra’ mask that Eve and Elena had painstakingly designed over three days and nights.

“…Huh.”

Cassandra.

‘Cassandra’ was a spider-type demon that required acrobatic movements, so it needed a high level of control for natural movements.

He would have to crawl along the ground using all four limbs to mimic the movement of a spider.

Furthermore, he had to periodically emit wicked laughter to mock his opponents.

In terms of the difficulty of being in a mascot costume, this was the most challenging job anyone could take on.

“Hey, bro. It’s time.”

At that moment, Eve gestured toward the crystal orb and sent a signal about Cassandra’s mask.

Lucas and Claire had arrived at the halfway point, signaling that it was time to get ready.

Ed looked at the Cassandra mask with a complex expression for a moment, then donned the mask and began rehearsing.

He started reciting Cassandra’s opening lines.

【Piteous are the creatures bound by their desires. I am High Demon Cassandra. If you offer your desires to me, I shall set you free.】

…

And as soon as Ed finished the lines, he felt pitiful about his situation.

To think he had to say such cringe-worthy lines without hesitation, it was already starting to crack his mental state.

Moreover, he had to crawl on all fours and deliver those lines.

Not to mention intermittently letting out strange chuckles like ‘Kiheeheehee!’

‘Ugh… Where’s my suit?’

Suddenly, he missed his own suit more than ever today.