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Seven years ago, Cairo Sigmund, who made a significant contribution during the Great War, gained immense fame.

His death sent ripples throughout the Empire.

In order to honor the spirit of the war hero who dedicated himself to the Empire, a procession began.

People from all walks of life gathered at the Sigmund estate.

– Swoosh…

So there, in front of the castle gates of the rainy Sigmund estate, Ed was also in line. No, in fact, he was there to investigate Max.

Beside him was Eve, who would assist him in his infiltration.

“Master, why not sort out the titles once we go inside?”

At that moment, Eve, who had been closely sticking to Ed, spoke up.

Ed glanced at Eve and replied, “Sorting out titles?”

“Yes. I haven’t revealed my identity to anyone yet. If I just stay close to you, it’ll raise questions about my identity. How about we say we’re cousins?”

“…Cousins?”

Ed nodded vigorously.

If they were cousins, there was no need to explain the name ‘Eve Fix.’

Moreover, saying they were both interested in machines since childhood would cover Eve’s role as his secretary.

“Sure, that works. Cousins it is.”

“Yes. Then, I’ll call you ‘Oppa’ from now on. Ed Oppa.”

“…”

Ed looked at Eve, who was calling him ‘Oppa.’

She wore a nonchalant expression as if nothing was wrong.

‘…Is this really okay?’

Ed instantly shook off the thought that Eve had built this setup on purpose to remain ‘oppa and little sister.’

Even now, her expression didn’t seem to have any particular intent.

She simply called him ‘Oppa’ because it was the situation they found themselves in.

“Hey, Oppa.”

At that moment, Eve called him ‘Oppa’ again.

Ed replied with a bewildered expression.

“No, when it’s just us, you can just…”

“We need to practice beforehand. From now on, we’ll say we’re cousins in front of outsiders. If we act awkward every time, it’ll raise suspicions.”

However, Ed’s next words were cut short by Eve’s logical reasoning.

While Ed was flustered, Eve continued.

“Look at your expression. It’s clearly awkward.”

Eve’s words made Ed touch his face.

He then chuckled in disbelief.

The once adorable Fix was now critiquing expressions.

It was certainly different now that she had become a female android secretary.

“Yeah, I guess having a cute cousin is fine.”

Although it was slightly awkward, he didn’t mind.

If before she felt like a well-behaved pet dog, now she seemed like a caring older sister, or maybe a friendly younger sister.

For Ed, who had no siblings and often felt lonely, a ‘sisterly’ relationship wasn’t such a bad option.

“Next!”

Just then, the guard at the castle gate called for the next person, and the car carrying Ed moved forward.

Currently, the procession mostly consisted of noble carriages, while Ed was traveling in a limousine-like vehicle.

The driver was Gric, the head butler of Ed’s estate.

“This is Count Fix’s vehicle. Here.”

Gric pulled out a nameplate symbolizing Count Fix and showed it to the guard.

It was a design that symbolically intertwined Ed’s symbol: the gauntlet and hammer.

The guard nodded and replied.

“Confirmed. But Count Fix’s vehicle is certainly… not ordinary.”

The guard scanned the sleek lines of the car as if looking at a magnificent beauty.

Gric smirked as he grabbed the wheel.

While bowing to the guard, the glass window in the driver’s seat smoothly rose.

The limousine moved forward.

It was entering Sigmund’s castle.

***

After driving inside the grounds for a while, a spacious open area came into view.

All around the open space, carriages were lined up after parking.

Ed’s limousine approached the area to park.

The attention of the crowd began to shift toward them.

– Indeed, Count Fix’s vehicle is… extraordinary.

– I want to ride in it… I wonder what it’s like inside.

– That car is nothing. In Count Fix’s territory… there are many more incredible things.

– …Hey, have you been to Count Fix’s estate!?

– Hehe… I was invited. As you know, my brother is Count Fix’s close friend.

– Oh come on~ close friend? I heard you were just one of Count Fix’s subordinates.

– What nonsense! My brother clearly said they were close friends! Just wait!

A woman approached the limousine, striding nervously.

The group accompanying her watched with curious expressions as she approached the limousine.

As Ed stepped out of the limousine, the woman greeted him with noble etiquette.

“Hello, Count. I saw you while passing by and came to greet you. Do you possibly remember me?”

The woman who rushed over to greet Ed as soon as he stepped out of the limousine.

However, Ed tilted his head.

He genuinely couldn’t recall who this woman was.

‘…Who was she again?’

Having become a key figure in the Empire, Ed had been the target of admiration from many noblewomen.

As such, he couldn’t remember each of their faces diligently.

He simply didn’t have the luxury to keep track of such burdensome and annoying matters.

‘…Ah.’

But this woman was a bit different.

He noticed the ‘Arcen’ family emblem on her bracelet.

If it was the Arcen family, wasn’t that the family of David Arcen, the president of the ‘Little Mischievous Club’?

Thinking of the empty crown on that guy’s head, Ed smiled gently and acknowledged his greeting.

“Of course, I remember. You’re David’s younger sister, right?”

“…!!”

With a bright smile, the sister of David lit up with joy.

She then grinned, glancing back at her group with a sidelong glance.

As if to say, ‘See? I told you so!’

“Did David come along too?”

At that moment, Ed asked about David’s whereabouts.

David’s younger sister replied with a smile.

“Yes! Of course, my brother is here too. He’s just gone to pay respects with some of the other older brothers. Would you like me to guide you?”

…Other older brothers?

Ed inquired about who they were.

He learned that they were members of the ‘Little Mischievous Club’ and students from the Academy.

Since he once had been close to Max during their time at the Academy, he had gone to greet them.

No matter how trashy he acted, the guy had been desperately trying to gain his father’s approval, and now he had lost his father.

“…I don’t know if Max will welcome me, but let’s go. I truly regret the death of Count Cairo.”

So, Ed followed David’s sister as she guided him towards the Little Mischievous Club and where Max was.

During the process, David’s sister’s friends tried to flirt and strike up conversations, but Eve clung tightly to Ed, shutting them all down.

Ed secretly smiled while watching Eve chase away the annoying flies.

***

“What’s wrong with your hair?”

Meanwhile, Max and the club members gathered together after a long time.

Originally, this gathering consisted of those who had despised and disparaged ‘Edgar Fix’ the most due to the funeral.

“Haha… What is this, a badge of honor? A badge that shows I studied hard.”

At that moment, Peter, one of the club members, scratched his head and chuckled wryly.

Another club member, Cain, added,

“Actually, we are all studying something together. But the difficulty is even higher than the Academy’s subjects. You can see everyone is losing their hair, right?”

Cain looked around with a grin.

Bran, Kruga, Ben dang.

All those who had once formed a group with Max were now sitting with bright, shiny bald heads.

Max burst into laughter and said,

“Puhuh! Kikiikik… What are you all studying? Your heads are going bald from not even being able to turn them!”

Once a leader of this gathering, Max.

However, at Max’s unfiltered comment, everyone smiled sadly.

They felt a sense of disconnection between their current selves and the time when they mocked Ed together.

“How sad. Is your Academy life going well? Are your grades good?”

Noticing that the atmosphere among his close friends had changed, Max shifted the topic.

Eventually, David, a close friend of Max, scratched the back of his head and replied.

“Well… Our grades are a mess. Most of us are now at D level. We keep getting demoted.”

Originally, they had been at B level like Max.

However, focusing solely on the physics studies that Ed had assigned made them neglect their classes and training, hence falling to D level.

Max clicked his tongue and addressed the club members.

“You guys must be really struggling too. Stupid fucking Academy. How about just dropping out? You can get strong enough without it. I’m serious.”

Max said that while looking around at the club members.

Everyone showed lukewarm reactions.

Max chuckled and said,

“Right, it does seem kind of foolish to leave behind the Empire’s top academy. You guys aren’t brilliant or anything. Not even physically gifted. And you certainly don’t have the potential to grow. So isn’t graduating from the Academy your biggest career accomplishment?”

Max said that while scanning his surroundings.

Usually, at this point, someone would say, “Shut up, idiot. What’s your point?” but everyone wore uncomfortable expressions with no reply.

“…Are you okay?”

At that moment, David, a friend of Max, asked about Max’s condition.

Max smiled and nodded.

“Can’t you see? I’m perfectly fine. Chill out, man. I’m just super happy to see all of you after a long time.”

Max said that while grabbing the whiskey in front of him.

However, David took hold of Max’s hand with a serious expression.

“Max, it’s your father’s funeral. You shouldn’t—”

“Ha- you little shit.”

But Max immediately shook off David’s hand.

He then gulped down the whiskey and slammed it down, saying,

“Why has everyone turned so boring? Are you seriously worried about me? I really am okay, dude. I’m just drinking to lighten the mood. Want to join?”

“… ”

As Max poured another drink into a separate glass for David.

However, David looked at Max with a look of pity.

“Max. I know you’re having a hard time. I know how hard you tried to earn your father’s recognition. But it started to go wrong, didn’t it? You unhealthily expressed affection for the girl you admired. Anyway, it just saddens me with all that’s happening. Looking back now, I feel like I should have held you back back then… That thought keeps lingering.”

“…”

Max suddenly reminisced about the past while looking at David.

A friend he had hung out with since childhood.

He then chuckled and patted David’s back, saying,

“Ha—You little shit. That’s all in the past. I’ve overcome it all. Count Cairo? No. Anyway, my father doesn’t matter to me anymore. I’ve found a true master.”

Max said that while picking up the whiskey again.

David tried to stop him, saying,

“Max, you seem drunk. You should probably stop drinking.”

“…”

David looked at Max with a serious gaze.

Eventually, Max set the whiskey down and said,

“You’ve grown a lot, little shit. I got it, got it.”

Max said that while leaning back in his chair.

He still thought that only David and his compatible friends genuinely cared about him, smiling a bit.

But then, an unexpected name slipped out of David’s mouth.

“…Edgar Fix.”

“…?”

“You misunderstood him… No, we misunderstood him. He’s not that sly and mean-spirited. Rather, he’s someone worth emulating…”

“Fuck, what are you saying?”

Max jumped up from his chair and glared at David, looking serious.

But David remained calm and replied.

“…I’m saying this because you’re my friend. I couldn’t correct you back then.”

“…What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Being under that person’s wing, I’ve realized how incredible and admirable Edgar Fix really is. How pathetic I was, hating Lord Fix just because a girl I had a crush on fell for him…”

Max stared blankly at David.

His mind went blank, and he couldn’t think of anything to say.

Who was under whose wing?

Who respected whom?

“Now, I don’t even think of that girl anymore. That person is someone I must follow for the rest of my life. If I can help him achieve great feats, that alone would be an honor for me. I can’t imagine a world without him─”

“Shut uuuuuuuuuuuup!”

At that moment, Max slammed the table and stood up.

With bloodshot eyes, he glared at David.

“Fuck, have you lost your mind? Do you know why I turned out this way?!”

“…Max. We’re not kids anymore. Think carefully. What has he done to us?”

“That bastard…! He deserves to die─”

“…Hah. Kill him? You still haven’t changed. You’re still self-centered and emotional.”

David said that as he stood up.

Clenching his fist, he told Max,

“The reason I’m bringing this up is because I promised the late Count. He asked me to remain your good friend.”

“…Friend? The moment you defended Edgar Fix…”

“That’s why I brought it up. I’ve decided to serve him, and I can’t be friends with someone who insults him.”

At David’s continuing words, Max let out a dry laugh.

It felt like shattering even the memories of childhood together.

He was once a good guy who always stood by Max’s side and covered for him, no matter the trouble he caused.

“Hey, did you hear? Ed that bastard calls him ‘that person.’”

Max said that, glancing around as if to say, ‘You all aren’t doing the same, right?’

But the group, gathered to criticize and slander Ed, glared at him with angry expressions.

All with bald heads.

“…Now that person will become a professor at the Academy. He’s been invited to teach a subject called ‘Magical Engineering.’”

“…?”

At that moment, David spilled out again an unbelievable statement.

Now it was said that Edgar Fix would become a professor?

“But we’re planning to be even more ambitious. We’re going to propose establishing an entirely new department so that he can lecture on the principles of mechanics that explain the principles of this world and engineering that utilizes it. Because we can’t be the only ones suffering, no. Physics is an attractive field of study.”

Max stared blankly at David.

During the time he had been expelled from the Academy, David seemed to have become like a fanatic of Ed.

Spouting incomprehensible jargon and praising Ed as if reciting scripture.

“…You guys must be crazy. Do you really think Ed Fix cares about you? Do you think he sees you, the ones who hated him, as friends? You’re… either convenient slaves or obedient pets at best─”

“Friends, indeed.”

At that time, the door suddenly swung open and a group entered.

Composed of Eve, Isabella, Enya, Lucas, Claire, and Charlotte, surrounding Ed.

Ed looked around at the club members and reiterated.

“All these kids right here? They’re all my friends. Precious friends who can discuss physics together.”

Ed said that while glaring at Max.

However, David looked at Ed with a face filled with emotion at the word ‘friends.’

Max watched David and bit his lip.

It was the moment he lost even the only friend he had left.

 

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