Chapter 253: Hello, Beautiful
They walked back into the dealership to find the salesman already standing near the entrance, arms crossed and wearing the look of someone who had placed a bet and was waiting to collect.
His eyes went to Lukas first.
"So," he said with a grin. "How did it go?"
Lukas reached into his spatial ring and held out the certification card.
The salesman took it. He turned it over, checked the seal, checked the name, then looked up at Lukas with a slow smile spreading across his face.
"Alright," he said. "Very good prank. Who printed this for you?"
"It’s real," Lukas said.
"Of course it is." The salesman handed it back. "Come on. Where did you get it made? There’s a place two streets over that does fake IDs. Good quality too."
"I went to the testing center," Lukas said. "I took the written exam and the practical one too, and I passed both."
The salesman looked at him for a few seconds.
"In the time you were gone."
"Yes."
Another pause.
"What if I told you I passed because I’m a genius?" Lukas said.
The salesman pointed at him. "I’m not falling for the prank." But he was already turning to the back of the showroom, hiding a smile of his own. "Follow me. We’ll get the test drive done, and when you’re ready to tell me how you really did it, I’ll be listening."
He led them to a door at the rear of the dealership and down a set of stairs.
As they descended, Lukas glanced around. The showroom above had been empty except for the salesman, same as every other time they’d come.
"Are you the only one working here?" He asked. "I haven’t seen anyone else since we first came in."
The salesman laughed. "No, there are others. But the moment you three walked in the first time, they knew you were my customers."
He pushed through a door at the next landing. "Nobody steps in on another salesperson’s customers. That’s just how it works."
"If another customer enters and they belong to another salesman, the person would come out and you’ll be able to see it."
They continued down one more flight before the stairs opened up into a large underground cavern.
The ceiling was high, and it had a flat, open floor. In the center sat the dark blue sedan, parked and waiting under a row of fixed lights overhead.
"This is ours," the salesman said, gesturing to it. "As the dealership, we have our own cars for test drives. It’s the same model and build as the one upstairs. Is that okay?"
Lukas looked it over once, then nodded. "Of course."
They moved to the car.
Lukas took the driver’s seat, and the salesman settled into the passenger side. Melody and Akira climbed into the back.
Lukas put his hands on the wheel and pushed his mana through.
The car came alive beneath them, the hum rising through the frame and into the seats.
He pressed the acceleration button and eased them forward.
The car moved smoothly, gliding across the cavern floor. He guided it through a wide arc, testing the response, then brought it into a tighter turn.
The handling was perfect, and the suspension kept everything level without any bounce or pull. Which was impressive as the car was floating a few inches above the ground.
It felt more like flying than driving.
From the back seat, Melody made a sound that was both a gasp and a laugh.
"Oh," she said. "Oh, this is very nice."
Akira said nothing, but she was sitting with both hands on the back of the front seats, a wide grin on her face.
Lukas completed another loop, putting on a burst of speed before slowing it down as he brought it back to the center, then stopped.
"Well?" the salesman asked.
"We’ll take it," Lukas said. "Let’s go up and sort the payment."
A grin immediately appeared on the salesman’s face. He stuck out his hand. "Deal?"
Lukas shook it. "Deal."
They headed back upstairs, where the salesman led them to his office.
He moved behind his desk and pulled out a set of documents, laying them flat and sliding them across to Lukas.
"Sign where the markers are," he said, pointing.
Lukas read through each page before signing. When he was done, he handed them back and transferred the payment.
The salesman quickly sorted his receipt before opening a drawer and lifting out a key.
"Congratulations, Mr. Valentine." He held it out. "She’s yours."
Lukas took it.
The salesman led them out to the floor where the dark blue sedan sat waiting.
The moment Lukas pressed the key and the locks clicked open, Melody squealed in joy.
She rushed forward and pulled the passenger door open, dropping into the seat and running both hands along the dashboard.
"Hello, beautiful," she said quietly to the car.
Akira got into the back without a word, though the corner of her mouth was up.
Lukas settled into the driver’s seat and closed the door.
He reached out and tapped the navigation panel. The holographic display bloomed above the dashboard, casting a soft glow across the inside of the car.
He specified his search. The Golden Emporium.
The map shifted and the familiar building appeared. It was marked clearly, and a moment later a route drew itself out from their current position all the way to the destination.
Lukas studied it for a second, then put both hands on the wheel and pushed his mana through.
The car hummed to life.
He eased them forward, driving towards the dealership exit.
As they passed the salesman, who had followed them out and stood near the door, Melody turned and stuck her arm out the window, waving with her whole body.
"Thank you!" she called out.
The salesman laughed, waving back.
Then they were out on the street. Lukas merged into the traffic and before long, they were cruising along with the other cars.
It was time for Akira’s shopping.
