I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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The office of the head of the Cruel family.

Swordmaster Illeya threw dozens of reports onto his desk and let out a long sigh.

Having just finished reading the reports on Edgar Fix, he stared at Edgar’s face on the very front page with a complicated expression.

He could only think that this was a waste of talent.

“What a shame. Such a shame.”

…What a waste.

That was the first impression Illeya had of Edgar.

He was indeed a person of great potential.

His abilities, character, appearance, practical skills, social maneuvering, and political calculations—he was a rare talent equipped with all outstanding capabilities.

If it were possible, he would want to take him as his son-in-law, a new face of this era with the most promising potential.

“…But it won’t do.”

However, he was, after all, a commoner.

Although he was overflowing with the ability to lead the Empire, ultimately, he was born into a lowly status among commoners.

No matter how exceptional his talents might be, there were always limitations.

“But, after all, my daughter has good taste.”

Fortunately, though, the silver lining was that his daughter’s judgment was not wrong.

At first, he thought his daughter was merely enamored with Edgar’s pretty face, which resembled that of a girl, but upon closer inspection, he realized that he was not only handsome but also had character and skills, along with remarkable intelligence.

Instead, Illeya smiled with satisfaction at his daughter’s ability to see beyond the limitations of social class and recognize such talent.

“But Enya, it won’t do. No matter how excellent he may be, he cannot overcome the limitations of his status.”

Illeya, the head of the Cruel family, was well aware, through his own experiences and the examples of his predecessors, that commoners with overwhelming abilities would inevitably be exploited by nobles and meet an early demise.

As evidence of this, while he was undergoing closed-door training, other noble families had already placed shackles on Edgar.

Indeed, every month at the equipment demonstration attended by three judges dispatched from the imperial family and the academy faculty.

It was stipulated that the devices he created must pass certain criteria to maintain his qualification as an academy student.

And the three judges sent by the imperial family clearly meant representatives from the Bernhardt, Elmar, and Graham noble families.

Even if the princess wanted to make a commoner an academy student, she would have no choice but to negotiate with the noble families that funded the academy’s construction.

“Getting a son-in-law will be difficult… but.”

Thus, Illeya thought.

If Edgar didn’t become too greedy for his daughter, he was open to taking him under his wing.

No, he thought he should nurture him as his right-hand man, given his talent.

If he could someday have him as a counselor and technician for Enya, who would lead the Cruel family, then the Cruel family could become the strongest family that no one could challenge.

Having sorted out his thoughts, Illeya stood up.

As he left his office, he spoke to the subordinate waiting nearby.

“Prepare the carriage. I will go to the academy.”

***

Monday morning dawned.

I hadn’t slept well while researching the ingredients of the Ungoliant spider silk I had gathered in bulk the previous night, and now I was desperately trying to open my eyes, which were glued shut like glue while scratching my messy hair.

Finally facing the morning sun, I let out a big yawn and stretched.

“Yaaawn~”

I must have had too much fun yesterday.

While studying the Ungoliant spider silk with Fix, I realized it was well past 3 a.m.

Still, thanks to that, I was able to uncover some secrets and components of the spider silk.

It was the liquid protein stored within the Ungoliant’s body.

During the process of releasing it externally, elastic protein molecules combined with hard crystal molecules, and upon exposure to air, a series of chemical reactions created solid spider silk.

Thus, I was able to analyze/apply these properties to create high-elasticity, high-strength wires.

I developed a device very similar to the web shooter from Spider-Man.

“Now, just fine-tuning the propulsion system, and three-dimensional maneuvering won’t be a problem at all.”

The Devil 1 suit was gradually being completed.

With rapid mobility utilizing three-dimensional maneuvering, long-range support via plasma beams, and close defense using the Plasma Mana Shield.

It was evolving into a combat suit with a well-balanced design.

Of course, compared to the suit I envisioned for the future, it still had a long way to go.

Still, with the technologies and abilities I possessed at present, I was satisfied with this.

“Anyway, that’s that.”

Monday again.

It was the start of an intense schedule filled with classes from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

But even such a demanding schedule had its own enjoyable aspects.

Attending classes in the company of NPCs I could only see through the monitor before was a refreshing and exciting experience.

Indeed, the beauty of those I encountered in person was on par with that of actors or idols, to say the least.

Simply sitting next to them brought a warm, indescribable thrill.

“Ugh… Where should I sit?”

However, if there was one concern, it was that Isabella and Enya were competing over me in a rather strange manner.

I worried about whether I would be able to use the Charlotte chance again this time.

Back then, I managed to slip by, but this time, it seemed even Charlotte would find it hard to step in.

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t see either Enya or Isabella letting this go as it was.

“Ugh, I don’t know.”

I decided to think about it later, as it was an immediate concern.

Somehow, everything should work out.

After a quick shower and drying my hair haphazardly, I got dressed and stepped out of the dormitory.

Now it was time to show my answers to Professor Gracia.

***

In lecture room 11, where Professor Gracia teaches.

As expected, there was a small commotion centered around me, but it could be wrapped up nicely.

Instead of asking, “Will you sit next to me or me?” we decided to just sit together.

Thus, we sat in the order of Charlotte, Isabella, me, Enya, and Claire.

Isabella and Enya sat right next to me, while Charlotte, who was overwhelmed by their presence, took the edge seat, and Claire, who had no particular fondness for me, sat next to Enya.

However, if you were to ask whether this seating arrangement was the best, I would say it was not.

Even now, Isabella and Enya were bickering with me in between.

“Commoner, it’s been a while. I was so bored from Thursday to Sunday when you weren’t around.”

“Could you stop calling me commoner? I have a proper name, you know.”

“Commoner is my personal nickname for you. You’ve been making me want to see you despite being a commoner.”

“Sigh… Edgar. Just ignore her. She’s messing with you.”

…I felt like I was being squeezed from both sides.

Isabella, pretending to strike up a conversation, was subtly leaning against me, while Enya was glaring at her with piercing eyes.

Isabella had a tendency to try to take anything she found appealing.

It seemed that as long as Enya was next to me, she hesitated to act boldly.

“…”

Meanwhile, Claire was observing us with great interest.

Taking notes as well.

-CLUNK.

At that moment.

As the classroom door opened, silence swiftly fell upon the noisy room.

Professor Gracia had entered.

“Hello, I’m Swordmaster Gracia.”

Standing at the front, Professor Gracia introduced himself in the same manner as before.

Then, without any attendance check or greeting, he immediately began the class.

“Student number one, Martina Ollet, come to the front.”

However, this time, the teaching method was different.

One by one, he called the students to the front in order, requiring us to present the assignments given during the last class.

In other words, we were to explain our flaws and present training methods and techniques to overcome them.

“Umm… I’m Martina Ollet. My flaw is that my upper body has less mana capacity compared to my lower body, so I…”

Thus, the presentations started with student number one, Martina Ollet.

Once a presentation was completed, Professor Gracia would provide feedback and give a score, then call up the next student.

“Edgar Fix, please evaluate the training method of student number seven, Mason.”

However, Professor Gracia often posed surprise questions prior to giving feedback.

Some students couldn’t respond adequately to his sudden queries, but I was able to answer fluently since I was well-versed in all the game’s TMI.

“I’d like to give it 30 points.”

“30 points? That’s rather harsh. Why did you rate it so low?”

“The weapon technique was poorly chosen. Using a spear doesn’t suit Mason at all.”

“…Why do you think that?”

“Because spear techniques are all about maintaining balance. Mason aimed to utilize his upper body’s concentrated mana for powerful thrusts, but for that to work, he must have support from his lower body. The force to push off the ground and charge at the opponent, and the ability to concentrate mana into a single point to strike—that can only happen if both powers are working together, so Mason could achieve the thrust he aimed for.”

Hearing my response, Gracia nodded slowly.

Finally, a faint smile spread across his usually expressionless face.

Having received a satisfactory answer from me, he acknowledged my response.

“Exactly. Spear techniques suit aggressive strategies, but balance is important too. It requires mobility, especially since it focuses on breaking through with a single point.”

He said this as he scored Mason.

Then he advised Mason to reconsider his weapon technique once more and began calling the next student.

Before I knew it, it was my turn.

“Edgar Fix, come to the front.”

Gracia called my name.

As I stood up, I could feel the gaze of everyone on me.

The atmosphere of the entire classroom shifted in an instant, and I felt the influence I had over them almost physically.

-Creak… Creak…

Yet, I wasn’t tense at all.

There was no pressure from being the center of attention.

Because I was gazing far beyond this moment.

I had much to achieve ahead of me to be nervous about mere presentations.

Therefore, I calmly began my presentation about how I defined myself.

“Hello, I’m Edgar Fix.”

And, as always, I started with a brief self-introduction.

That alone kept the audience’s attention riveted.

Now my name had taken on a special significance here at the Empire Academy.

“Honestly, I have many weaknesses, unlike the image I’ve shown so far. Physically, I find it hard to handle any weapon technique. My body has dozens of mana capacities scattered too finely, making it structurally impossible for me to master a distinctive weapon technique.”

Following this, I honestly mentioned my weaknesses as they were.

Not making any attempt to gloss over, I shared only the facts with the students.

“However, I am not talented in magical formulas either. It might be due to having awakened my mana after birth, but the total number of spells I can use is only six.”

And I revealed not only my physical weaknesses but also my chronic weaknesses openly.

The inevitable problem that arose from borrowing the mechanism of the Blue Dragon.

I publicized that based on ‘postnatal mana awakening.’

-Only able to use six spells?

-Then it will be difficult to learn swordsmanship, right?

-No matter how much he relies on enhancement spells, having only six spells is…

As my declaration stirred a bit of a commotion.

Some who usually looked down on me took pleasure in mocking me, flashing sneering smiles.

They accused me of being a commoner who only knew how to scheme.

Until then, I had just been lucky.

They further insulted me, claiming I was just a pathetic lowlife who knew my limitations.

Revealing their hyena-like natures that sought to pounce on even the slightest weakness.

I memorized the faces of them all.

“So I’ve been pondering. What can I do to complement my weaknesses?”

And I continued my presentation.

Now was the time to douse the mockers’ expressions with cold water.

“The first result of that pondering is this.”

CRACK!

As I finished speaking, a rift opened in the air, and a bracelet appeared.

Then, without me needing to wear it, the bracelet automatically clasped itself onto my right wrist, responding to the mana stone etched on my wrist.

-Click! Click! Whoosh…

The delightful noise of machine parts fitting precisely together began assembling the gauntlet.

Some in the audience stared at the process, captivated, while others, the hyena bunch, sneered at me feigning nonchalance.

Among them was Max, who had previously felt humiliation in defeat against me.

-I could win if we fought again. I just lost because I let my guard down that time.

Max glared at me like he wanted to kill me, boasting to his group.

But I didn’t even spare him a glance.

I simply continued my presentation calmly.

“This gauntlet, you might already know well since you’ve seen it a few times. It’s a weapon that’s more than sufficient for offensive purposes. But there are limits to this gauntlet. Concentrating mana for defense means it struggles to land a blow on long-range attackers, and even though I could form a lightsaber, I lack suitable swordsmanship to target quick opponents.”

The gauntlet had shown powerful performances before.

However, that was indeed due to the favorable circumstances.

Max had inhaled too much smoke to hardly move and fell victim to my plasma beam without understanding anything, and the Minotaurus King had just begun to rise when it was ambushed, unable to put up any fight before it perished.

In other words, if one knows the characteristics and strengths of my gauntlet, limitations are inevitable.

“So I spent the time developing this: a suit to assist my gauntlet.”

CRACK!

Once again, a rift appeared in the air.

But what emerged from the rift was none other than─.

“Woooooosh~!”

Fix!

However, he was pretending not to be a robot.

I figured it would be a hassle to reveal the AI robotic arm just yet.

For the moment, I had instructed him to act like he was made of lifeless scrap.

So Fix transformed into the shape of a metal briefcase.

To the audience, it would merely look like a yellow metal safe placed in front of me.

-Click. Click. Clunk.

Then, when everyone was off guard.

As Fix transformed, the safe began to unlock.

Gears intricately meshed apart in seconds, revealing the boots of the Devil Suit stored inside Fix.

I shoved my foot into the backless boots of the Devil Suit.

As soon as I did, the open back of the boots began to seal with a sleek black alloy.

-Squeak! Click. Squeak! Click.

And once again, Fix, having taken the form of a yellow iron vault, began to transform.

To help me don the suit.

-Click… Click. Whirrrr! Click. Click… Whirr!

The sounds of machine components engaging pleasantly, alongside electric drills.

Just standing still with my arms open, the suit began to envelop my body.

Starting with the boots, the alloy filled in my chest, shoulders, and thighs, while the open spaces between the alloys were filled with ‘carbon nanotubes’ utilizing the ‘web shooter’ to resemble a latex texture.

Thus, with Fix’s assistance, I was able to perfectly don the Devil 1 suit.

Now fully equipped, I delivered a slight warning message to the unspecified crowd that had looked down on me.

“And now that I’m wearing this suit, I’m confident that I won’t lose to anyone, barring extraordinary circumstances.”