I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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“Edgar Fix, come up to the podium.”

The princess called out Edgar Fix.

A heavy silence descended upon the hall.

He was a talent that the princess had her eyes on, a commoner who had awakened his own mana.

Everyone was holding their breath to confirm his identity with their own eyes.

“Prepare for an exclusive story.”

In this silence, the journalists were bustling about quietly.

They were already drafting sensational headlines.

All that remained was to wait for Edgar to step onto the podium and press the camera shutter.

“Haah… Sephilia.”

However, all of this was an exceptionally troublesome matter for Elena.

Ed was her second disciple.

She had intended to raise him slowly without exposing him to the public as much as possible.

He was a child with unprecedented talent in history, so she wanted to nurture him with the utmost caution.

The aftershocks that would hit Ed because of his overwhelming talent were a concern.

But the fickle disciple, Princess Sephilia, turned everything upside down.

Normally, she should have introduced Ed when it was her turn, but the princess had made the first move.

And in such a revealing manner before everyone.

– Shuff… shuff…

But the water had already been spilled.

Since the princess had given the command, there was no choice but to comply.

Edgar, who had buried himself in the darkness backstage, revealed himself.

His steps echoed silently through the hall.

Swallow.

Everyone watched the handsome boy climbing the stairs with tense expressions.

“E-Edgar…?”

The first person to recognize Ed was Enya.

When the princess had called out “Edgar Fix,” she felt a moment of disbelief, but she never expected that disbelief to be real.

The Ed she knew was not the son of Professor Schneider.

“What’s going on?”

“Didn’t they say he was Professor Schneider’s child?”

“A commoner after all… right?”

And Ed’s appearance surprised not just Enya.

The children of the Duke’s family, her long-time friends.

Lucas, Claire, and Isabella also watched Ed ascend the podium with astonished expressions.

They naturally thought he was the child of a noble due to his neat appearance and dignified manner of speaking.

Above all, they had seen him wielding a trait ability with their own eyes, and wasn’t Schneider from a family that dealt with trait abilities?

For that reason, they had easily accepted Enya’s words.

“Your Highness, I greet you.”

At that moment, Ed, who had stepped onto the podium, paid his respects to the princess.

He knelt on his left knee, placed his right arm on his left chest, and rested his left hand on his waist.

It was the perfectly trained etiquette of a noble.

This caused a stir in the hall.

– Is he really a commoner?
– To anyone, he looks like a noble.
– He must have never met the princess, how does a commoner know such etiquette?

The reason for the uproar in the hall.

It was because the posture Ed had taken was flawless.

Especially the etiquette for addressing the royal family was something that lesser nobles like barons often didn’t know.

They might never get the chance to meet royalty in their lifetime.

Yet Ed had perfectly understood and executed that etiquette.

For a mere commoner, nonetheless.

‘This is amusing?’

And the princess looked at Ed with an interesting gaze.

His calm demeanor completely altered the picture she had envisioned.

‘Hmm. I had intended to embarrass him moderately.’

Originally, she had planned to embarrass Edgar Fix.

She aimed to call him to the podium suddenly, flustering him, and make him a laughingstock for not knowing the etiquette required in front of the royal family.

After all, a commoner couldn’t possibly know the etiquette for addressing the royal family.

‘Did my sister teach him?’

But Ed’s posture was perfect.

Not just his posture, but the fact that he maintained it until he was granted permission was commendable.

Finally, the princess smiled and called out to Ed.

“Rise, Edgar Fix.”

As permission was given, Ed stood up.

The princess lightly stepped aside and pointed to the podium where she had stood.

“This is a place prepared to introduce you. I wish to hear your aspirations for having crossed the boundaries of your social class to enroll here.”

Her words meant she was asking him to give his own self-introduction.

An unexpected self-introduction was a chance to see how someone handled the spur of the moment.

In this situation where all eyes were on him, the curiosity stirred about how this unusual boy would define himself.

Edgar finally stood on the podium.

Amidst the palpable tension, he opened his mouth.

“Nice to meet you. I am Edgar Fix.”

Ed began his self-introduction with a straightforward greeting.

And he intentionally paused.

To draw everyone’s attention.

Finally, after surveying the audience, Ed continued.

“Today, I have heard many rumors about myself. That I am the child of a fallen noble. That I am a noble of bloodline possessing trait abilities. That I am the child of Professor Schneider… All these were rumors speculating about my background.”

Ed mentioned the various rumors that followed him.

Most of the other new students nodded in agreement.

A new face that made Enya smile.

A handsome boy with black hair.

Most of the new students had consumed Ed’s rumors as gossip.

“But among those rumors, the surname ‘Fix’ has never once been mentioned. To enroll here with the surname of a commoner is something no one could have imagined.”

Everyone accepted Ed’s words.

As he said, the thought of a commoner becoming an enrolled student here was unimaginable.

Ed kept pointing out facts that everyone could agree with before moving on to the next point.

“However, despite having the surname Fix, I was able to become an enrolled student at the Empire Academy. It is thanks to the grace of Her Highness the Princess.”

Ed paused for a moment and looked around at the audience.

Up to this point, everyone had a mood of agreement.

After all, he was merely stating facts.

Yet this was intentional.

So that his words could be accepted naturally.

He had only mentioned facts that everyone could easily understand.

“But just because I have received the grace of Her Highness, that doesn’t mean I will be recognized.”

And from here, it was the turning point.

Opening their ears with undeniable truths, he suddenly pointed out an uncomfortable fact.

“No, perhaps most of the new students will not acknowledge me. Even if I claim that I have awakened my own mana, possess talent for magical arts, or am good at handling machinery, even if I received the grace of the princess, deep down in your hearts, you will not be able to acknowledge me. Simply because my name is followed by ‘Fix.’”

Though he had received recognition from the princess, it was an uncomfortable truth that was inherently unacceptable.

Ed directly mentioned the instinctive discomfort that nobles would feel.

He didn’t mince his words, nor did he waver as a commoner.

In the atmosphere that felt like cold water had been poured over everyone, Ed continued.

“However, I do not consider the discomfort you feel as discrimination. Rather, I believe it is a natural emotion that you ought to feel. Because the family name attached to the end of your name is your pride.”

Pride.

Ed stated that the discomfort nobles felt stemmed from their pride.

In this instance, he had framed their dissatisfaction as stemming from “pride.”

It was now time to convince them of the reason.

“There is history and tradition in your surnames. The Cruel family that has produced seven Swordmasters throughout the history of the Empire. Duke Graham, who sacrificed himself to protect the North from the Monster Wave 170 years ago. Duke Bernhardt, who led thousands of cavalrymen to eliminate the enemy when the capital of the Empire faced the threat of being captured 230 years ago. 115 years ago…”

Ed mentioned the prominent family names.

From dukes to marquises, earls, and barons.

Each time he called out the name of a family, the enrolled students carrying that name trembled and felt the pride swell in their chests.

After mentioning the achievements of about 18 families, Ed looked around the audience and spoke.

“Everyone. The family names attached to the end of your names are the proof of history and tradition that have inherited that great will. And I respect the authority and pride derived from your family’s traditions.”

The expressions of the audience changed.

The sense of duty that had failed to fill even an hour-long video was filled by Ed’s few words.

Everyone was waiting for Ed’s next words.

Finally, Ed opened his mouth.

“Edgar Fix. But I am Edgar Fix. I am frail compared to you. In none of the Empire’s literature has the name ‘Fix’ ever been mentioned.”

Ed elevated the audience while lowering himself.

Some among the audience—no, more than half—felt their hearts twinge at Ed’s bittersweet expression.

They had become so absorbed in Ed’s words that they resonated with his feelings.

But Ed then raised his head.

He erased the bitterness from his face.

Finally, he looked around at the audience and spoke.

“However, Fix has quietly done its part on the back pages of history. We have been hammering away constantly. ‘Fix’ literally means to repair and mend.”

Ed’s voice began to gain strength.

As all eyes concentrated on him, he continued.

“Our family, Fix, has been alongside the history of all your struggles. Whether it was when we defended the North from the Monster Wave, when the capital faced the threat of capture from the alliance’s attacks, or when the Demon race mocked various small and medium cities, we have kept hammering away. All the weapons born from that hammer have been placed in the hands of great heroes.”

The atmosphere intensified.

Ed’s voice rose, and the pace of his delivery quickened.

“I am not ashamed of my family name. I am definitely Fix. I have not come here to become a Swordmaster, nor have I come to become a Great Mage. I did not come here to ride on your authority and seek fame. I have simply come here to hammer away. To compete with you, to learn the same things, to cooperate together to achieve a common goal. Through all those processes, I came here to grow and put the best equipment in your hands.”

Ed took a moment to catch his breath.

He looked around the audience.

The earlier animosity had almost disappeared.

They were beginning to accept him.

“So I dare to promise here today. I will do my utmost to place the finest weapons in your hands. Just open your hearts to me, even a little bit.”

Ed concluded his self-introduction with a light bow toward the audience.

Then, he lightly bowed to the princess, who was watching him in astonishment, and left a final remark into the sound amplifier.

“And to Her Highness, Princess Sephilia, the very essence of the Empire and the greatest name of all, thank you for granting me this glorious opportunity. With that, I will conclude my introduction. Thank you.”

Upon hearing Ed’s last words, the princess twisted her lips upward.

She had unexpectedly called him here to embarrass him, yet it only served to elevate his status further.

And Ed was causing himself to look bad by thanking her for this opportunity.

For the princess, it could only be seen as an audacious provocation.

‘Heh. Quite a bit of guts, huh?’

Yet Ed’s provocation was calculated.

Having played this game numerous times, he knew exactly what actions to take to open up the princess’s episode.

She preferred a style that treated her casually over a polite man.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

Amidst this, applause began to erupt from all around.

It was a speech that was remarkable in every aspect.

Many nobles were opening their hearts to Ed, showering him with applause.

Some were smitten by his appearance, showing interest.

There were those moved by Ed’s conviction regarding the surname “Fix,” acknowledging him.

And others found satisfaction in how he had uplifted their families by mentioning them, while stuffy nobles were impressed by his elegant etiquette and speech.

Since he had shown such excellent qualities in various aspects, the majority of the nobles were in a mood to accept Ed for one reason or another.

“······.”

And Enya was blushing as she looked at Ed.

A man who did not waver in his identity and stood firm in his convictions.

This was true ‘romance.’

He possessed the spirit of a warrior.

“Hmmm. Not bad for a commoner. He’s kind of cute too.”

“Tsk. The student representative’s oath will be overshadowed. I thought I looked pretty cool.”

“Lucas, you’re just too attention-seeking.”

Additionally, the children of the duke’s family were also recognizing Ed in their hearts.

Even Isabella, the epitome of authoritarianism.

Her cat-like eyes tantalizingly darted toward Ed.

‘Ah, I want to make him my toy. I want to make him mine and cherish him for a long time… ♥’