Chapter Eighty-Eight: Give it a little more, Louis!

In that burst of light, Louis smiled faintly, stroked the angel ornament on the hood, and said, “How much is this car? When this deal is done, I’m getting one too.”

Beside him, the driver’s mouth fell open.

What did he mean, when the deal is done, he’d get one too? Was he just here to scam money out of people?

The driver’s face turned dark at once. But, with the composure of a man devoted to his profession, he said nothing. He only took out a handkerchief and wiped the spot on the hood where Louis had just touched.

On the other side, after hearing Louis’s words, Miss Kate’s expression turned wonderfully complicated.

Louis, that hopeless fool! Leave it to Helen! Let Helen show them what she can do!

Helen took out her wand, only to discover that it had somehow turned into a lollipop.

She licked it.

So sweet.

Watching the two little troublemakers at play, Miss Kate, who had always been exceedingly ladylike, nearly rolled her eyes on the spot.

Still, her upbringing was impeccable. Though she could not quite suppress a rub at her brow in the end, her voice remained gentle and warm.

“Get in, Mr. Louis. Miss Helen.”

She said that, and then, paying the two no further mind, climbed into the car herself and took the front seat.

The driver, who had remained silent all this while, also silently rolled his eyes. He did not come over to open the door for them, and simply kept wiping the car.

Louis did not care in the least. With perfect gentlemanly grace, he opened the door for the girl and helped her into the car, then got in himself, smiling as he appraised the luxurious interior. Not bad at all.

Kate shot the driver a disapproving glance. The driver smiled, not taking it too seriously. He had served the master for twenty years; the young lady had practically grown up under his watch. It was not enough to make her truly angry over such a trivial matter.

Still, had something just slipped into that boy’s shadow? Was he seeing things?

Shaking his head, the driver put away the cloth.

The paparazzi on the other side were greatly disappointed at the sight.

So it was only some charlatan invited by the Crowley family. The police, meanwhile, had lost interest in Louis and the others as well. They had gone over to speak with the reporters.

At that moment, the driver went to the driver’s door, reached under the seat, and pulled. Out from beneath it came something like a long crank handle, which he inserted into the front of the car and turned a few times.

After that was done, the police had all mounted up again, and the driver entered the cab and shut the door. Then the fellow produced from his belt a small key shaped like a handle, bearing a double R, opened the control panel, pulled out a few levers, twisted them for a moment, and then cranked the handle beneath the steering wheel before finally starting the car.

Louis, who had just been admiring the splendid interior with bright eyes, was left dumbstruck by the driver’s ferocious operation.

Louis: “What sort of junk car is this? Why is it even more complicated than a tractor?”

Driver: “Heh. Country bumpkin.”

Helen: “The lollipop is so sweet.”

“Jim, don’t drive too fast later,” Kate said, glancing at Louis, who was staring in open-mouthed bewilderment in the rearview mirror, and at the bewildered Miss Helen. She could not help adding, “You frightened the gentlemen magicians yesterday.”

At that, Louis perked up. Damn, so this wreck could still speed?

“Don’t worry, miss. Though I’m a racing driver, I’ve long since given up racing too hard.”

With that, the driver put on his gloves, smirked slightly, glanced at the rearview mirror, and then pressed the accelerator. The car gave a few sputtering bursts and lurched into motion.

Hearing those sounds, Louis’s eyes lit up.

Not bad. That noise had some spirit to it, and the cabin didn’t shake at all. He looked out the window with growing excitement at the old men being left behind, and slowly began to look forward to things.

Before long, a few bicycles overtook the old men, and then overtook the car as well.

Seeing himself passed by bicycles, the driver seemed somewhat irritated and raced the old men on their bikes. After a short while, the bicycles were finally gradually overtaken by the car. The driver could not help but let out a breath, then shot a proud glance at Louis in the rearview mirror.

“Go slower, Jim. Don’t scare the guests,” Kate complained.

The driver gave a roguish smile and stepped harder on the gas. He overtook a few girls on bicycles, then followed behind the jogging horses of the police up ahead.

This time, Louis finally understood what was going on. He could not help leaning out the window and looking back at the train station, still not far behind, feeling a little stunned. He had spotted the roadside sign. Six miles per hour.

Kate: “Jim!”

Driver: “Not speeding, not speeding, miss.”

Kate: “Mr. Louis, please put your head back inside. It’s too dangerous.”

Louis rubbed his face hard and sat back down.

You call this speeding?

You’re racing old men.

Such a fine, wide road, and there isn’t even another car. Just drive! Step on the gas!

Can you even be happy doing this?

Can this be called happiness?

Look, even Miss Kate isn’t pleased.

She complained, “Too fast.”

Helen was unhappy too; she no longer even liked licking her lollipop.

What is this? It’s not exciting at all, and it’s nowhere near as fun as my broom.

See? See?

At this moment, Louis felt a great burden upon him.

He had Stuart ask the magic mirror a question—look, this car could clearly hit one hundred and eighty if it wanted to!

We’re not overtaking anyone yet, so let’s start with sixty.

Thinking this, Louis, seated behind Miss Kate, rolled up his sleeves, extended two fingers, and moved them with nimble precision.

You used Puppetmaster, level 7.

In an instant, the old car let out a rhythmic burst of popping sounds, and a surge of force pressed into their backs.

Kate and Miss Helen’s bodies stiffened suddenly against the seat.

Even the driver’s backside jerked up sharply.

The scenery outside the window flashed by at speed, and the mounted police were overtaken in an instant. Behind them, they lashed their horses and whistled furiously in pursuit.

Louis gave a hum of laughter and suddenly quickened his fingers.

The car abruptly surged to one hundred twenty. The driver stared in confusion, his face turning pale as he gripped the wheel and stomped the brake. But the car only went faster and faster, frightening the driver so badly that he shrank back into his seat and soaked it in fear.

Miss Kate’s face also went white in an instant, pressed tightly to the seat.

Yet Helen grew excited. In the wild wind outside the window, her eyes shone brightly. While licking the lollipop, she grabbed Louis’s arm in delight and cried softly:

“Harder, Louis!”

Clearly, this was far more fun than a witch’s little broom.

Louis glanced at the rearview mirror, then at Miss Kate in front of him, whose face had gone red and white in turns, and smiled broadly.

See? This is the sort of thing that makes the ladies happy, isn’t it?

“Harder, Louis!” Helen bounced with excitement, clinging tightly to Louis’s leg and urging him on again.

Louis suddenly intensified his efforts. Under that ferocious surge of magic, the old car shot forward with a series of crisp, rhythmic pops.

And then, in the midst of that explosive acceleration, Miss Kate and Miss Helen both blushed fiercely, their bodies tightening all at once, even the toes inside their high heels going taut!

Under that savage force of magic, a fire hydrant by the roadside suddenly burst with a loud bang and sprayed water everywhere!

With the two fingers displayed, magic +1.

In the blink of an eye, the mounted crowd behind them had been left far out of sight.

A moment later, the old car had already driven out of the city. In the howling wind through the window, a handkerchief was blown from the front window, swept into the rear window, and landed on Louis’s face.

Miss Kate’s handkerchief x1.

Holding the handkerchief, Louis chuckled.

Who said I chose one less?

Who said I didn’t choose them all?

As for how this handkerchief is meant to be used, we’ll see later.

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