I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy – Chapter 16

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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‘Wow… I’m dying.’

As expected of Enya, the future Grand Swordmaster.

He was running with all his might, yet she maintained the same pace without a hint of fatigue, even wearing an unreadable smile.

Perhaps the genius of the Cruel family is different.

In any case, they arrived at the academy’s main building on time.

They caught their breath before opening the door and stepping inside.

The main hall was already packed with people.

Enya looked at him and said, “Huu. Fortunately, we’re not late. It looks like it hasn’t started yet.”

“…Well, it’s actually okay even if we’re a little late. They will play a video for about an hour at the beginning.”

“…A video?”

“Yes. A promotional video or something. To boost morale, or whatever. Honestly, I think it’s more like a self-promotion video for the faculty.”

The order of the entrance ceremony.

He already knew it all.

He was, after all, an assistant working at the forge.

Although he was a freshman here, he also did odd jobs as an academy technician.

They really knew how to make the most of him.

“…You’re well-informed. To know even that. Does your father perhaps work at the academy?”

“…Um. Yes, he does. He does, but…”

“Huhu. I thought so. You seemed unusual from the way you handled Trait-type formulas.”

Enya seemed to be misunderstanding him.

Perhaps because he hadn’t revealed his full name yet.

Come to think of it, they hadn’t even introduced themselves properly.

“Enya.”

Just as he was wondering how to introduce himself, a man suddenly called out to Enya.

It was the staff member stationed at the entrance.

“The entrance ceremony will begin shortly. Please take your seats.”

The staff member instructed them to be seated.

Now that he thought about it, they were the only two standing around blankly.

All the other enrollees were already seated in their assigned places.

The staff member turned to him and said, “You too.”

‘You too.’

The tone clearly conveyed his intention to disregard him.

Half of the staff here were nobles, so this staff member was likely a noble as well.

“…You too?”

Enya bristled at the staff member’s tone.

She seemed to be mistaken about Ed’s status.

“’You too?’ That tone is quite irritating . This gentleman is the son of a professor who will be appointed at the Imperial Academy.”

“…? No, that’s not it, I’m…”

“And he’s also my classmate. I would appreciate it if you addressed him by his name with proper respect.”

Enya pressed the staff member with a sharp voice, leaving no room for explanation.

He was grateful for her intervention, but this could easily lead to a misunderstanding.

He was just the son of an ordinary blacksmith.

“I apologize, Edgar. Please take your seat.”

But the matter was already settled.

Unable to withstand the pressure from the daughter of a Grand Duke, the staff member bowed his head to him, a commoner.

Enya’s family held considerable influence, so the staff member had no other choice.

“We’ve unexpectedly exchanged introductions, Edgar.”

This was frustrating.

She even offered a handshake without giving him a chance to explain.

Still, it wasn’t too late.

He could clear up the misunderstanding by revealing his full name.

He took her hand and said, “I should have introduced myself first, but the situation was a little hectic. To think you would hear my name from someone else’s mouth first.”

“No, it’s alright. The situation was urgent. It’s good that we know now.”

“Haha, yes. I… But, actually, my family, well rather the family name…”

“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I’m perceptive enough.”

“No, it’s not that—”

“Excuse me for interrupting, but…”

The staff member interjected again.

He gestured towards the darkening hall and spoke in a hushed voice, “You really must be seated now. Her Highness the Princess is also present.”

The Princess was here.

At those words, Enya’s expression hardened, and she nodded.

Then, she whispered to him, “We really have to take our seats now. Where is your seat? I’m in Row A, seat 3.”

“Ah, I’m in Row H, seat 17. And my last name is—”

“Huhu. See you later, Edgar Schneider.” [T/N: bruh…]

“No—”

With those words, Enya turned and walked away.

He had inadvertently become Professor Schneider’s son.

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Unfortunately, he couldn’t fully enjoy the entrance ceremony.

He had duties as an assistant at the academy forge.

So, after parting ways with Enya, he went backstage and began assisting with the “video playback” magic.

Since the video playback magic involved a combination of various mechanical devices and formulas, the “Projector Playback Technician” needed his help.

“Well, there’s nothing more to fix. As long as the mana supply is stable, it will play continuously without needing to replace the mana stones.”

The projector currently playing the video had just been improved by him.

Originally, the mana stones needed to be replaced every 20 minutes, but he had modified it to run for a full hour.

“…As expected of a Special Admission student in the technical field. Could I perhaps consult you about our products sometime?”

“Yes, anytime.”

The projection technician had been hired from outside for the entrance ceremony.

Various technicians were collaborating backstage.

He was giving them technical advice and earning a good amount of experience points.

‘The experience points are quite substantial.’

At first glance, his actions might seem like volunteer work, since he was providing technical advice without any compensation.

However, providing technical advice also required “Engineering Mind,” which earned him experience points for that skill.

He was making his rounds backstage, improving his reputation among the technicians and building connections.

“Excuse me, Technical Advisor.”

One of the staff members called out to him urgently.

It seemed that one of the sound amplification devices was malfunctioning.

It required immediate repair, but even the sound technician couldn’t figure out the cause.

“Yes, I’ll take a look.”

He put his toolkit back into his inventory and headed straight to the stage.

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In front of the stage where the video was playing, seats 1 through 4 in Row A were occupied by the children of Grand Dukes.

They appeared to be concentrating on the “Significance of the Academy’s Establishment” video, which had been playing for 20 minutes, but in reality, they were engrossed in a discussion about a different topic: Edgar Schneider.

“The youngest of the Schneider family? Weren’t they suffering from a rare disease?”

Claire of the Bernhard Grand Duke family was also showing strong interest in Edgar.

A man who could make the notoriously prickly Enya smile piqued her curiosity.

Moreover, he was supposedly the youngest of the Schneider Count family, who had been afflicted with a rare disease.

“They must have recovered. That’s why they’re showing their face now.”

Enya was convinced that Edgar was the youngest of the Schneider family.

He was handsome, wielded Trait-type formulas, and was a face no one recognized.

“So, what was he like? If he could make someone with a personality as bad as yours smile, you must have something in common.”

“…He seemed like a good person. And…”

“And?”

“…It felt like I’d known him for a long time.”

“…? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. It was our first conversation, but it felt like I was meeting an old friend.”

“Even more so than me?”

“…Were we friends?”

“Ha, that’s more like the Enya I know.”

Claire smirked, looking at Enya thinking about Edgar.

It seemed that the one-sided friend, Enya, had fallen for the youngest of the Schneider family.
To think that Enya could show interest in a man. Life was full of surprises.

“Maybe he also read *that*?”

Isabella, the second daughter of the Graham Grand Duke family, spoke up.

Her violet eyes curved into crescents, and her cat-like eyes slanted upwards.

“You know, that childish manga you’re always glued to, Enya. That ‘Bald-mo-jae’ or whatever.”

“…It’s ‘Quickdraw.’ Pronounce it correctly.”

“‘Bald-mo-jae’ or ‘Quickdraw,’ whatever.” [1]

Isabella and Enya bickered.

They had been rivals since childhood, their diametrically opposed personalities leading to frequent clashes.

“Sigh. Are you two at it again? Her Highness is here, so cut it out.”

The handsome blond young man was Lucas of the Elmar Grand Duke family.

He had been silent until now, but as Isabella and Enya showed signs of arguing, he attempted to mediate as always.

*Creak…*

A door at the far left of the stage opened cautiously.

A man stepped out.

It was Edgar Schneider, the topic of conversation at this entrance ceremony.

“Hey, look! Isn’t that him?”

Claire, who spotted Ed first, nudged Enya’s shoulder.

Enya and Isabella, who had been bickering, turned their attention to Ed.

Lucas, with his arms crossed, followed Ed’s movements.

‘What was he doing there instead of sitting in his seat?’

“Why is he coming out from there? Isn’t that door the way to backstage?”

Claire was the first to voice her question.

Why was Ed backstage while everyone else was seated, watching the video?

Isabella smirked. “Maybe he’s actually just a commoner? Turns out he’s a technician.”

Finding an opportunity to attack Enya, Isabella immediately pounced.

Enya’s frosty green eyes turned towards Isabella.

“Don’t speak carelessly. If he were a commoner, how could he be assigned a seat among the enrollees?”

“Kkuk. I’m just kidding. You’re so sensitive.”

“Guys, look!”

Claire pointed at Ed again.

He was working on the malfunctioning sound amplification device.

“It looks like… he’s fixing it?”

“…Why would a noble be fixing it instead of a technician?”

“Kkuk. See? He’s just a commoner.”

“Isabella. Shut up.”

The children of the Grand Dukes bickered, offering their opinions.

But their gazes remained fixed on Ed.

Then, as Ed took something out of thin air using his inventory, Isabella’s eyes widened.

“Oh. What? He really is Trait-type?”

“And the way he refines mana is interesting too. The mana is gathering in his chest.”

“Was machinery his hobby? His handling of equipment is expert-level. See? The unstable mana in the sound device has stabilized immediately.”

The three expressed their admiration for Ed’s skillful handling.

Enya puffed out her chest with a smug expression.

He truly was the “friend” she had chosen.

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After the one-hour screening, the predictable, ceremonial events followed: the academy principal’s address, congratulatory speeches from various invited dignitaries, and the pledge by the freshman representative, Lucas.

It was all a typical, formulaic event, but Lucas’s pledge was somewhat bearable.

His classic handsome features ignited a spark in the hearts of many female students.

However, the three princesses, who had known Lucas since childhood, were unmoved.[2]

“Next, we will have a congratulatory address from Her Highness the Princess.”

However, the atmosphere changed instantly when the Princess’s address was announced.

Everyone was excited to see the princess, renowned as the most beautiful woman in the empire.

As the Princess took the podium, everyone gaped at her.

Indeed, she possessed an extraordinary beauty, befitting her reputation as the empire’s most beautiful woman.

“I am overjoyed to see the finest talents in the empire gathered here in one place.”

The Princess began her speech.

The content was predictable, but most were satisfied just to hear her beautiful voice.

As the speech neared its end…

“Finally, I have some surprising news for you. Using my authority, I have selected a Special Admission student through the technical track.”

‘…..’

“”A Special Admission student through the technical track?“”

The students stirred, having never heard of such a thing.

But this commotion was nothing compared to what was about to happen.

The Princess smirked playfully and said, “And this student is a commoner.”

‘A commoner.’

A commoner enrolled in the academy?

The hall immediately erupted into chaos.

The Princess giggled and glanced at Elena, clearly enjoying the situation.

Elena glared back at the Princess, mouthing the words, “You just wait.”

“Silence.”

Even if the Princess was a childish disciple to Elena, she was still the Princess.

At her authoritative voice, silence immediately descended upon the hall.

The Princess continued, “I know this is a controversial decision. Many students may be dissatisfied. But I highly value the talent of this Special Admission student. He is the first commoner to awaken mana on his own.”

Unlike the previous commotion, the hall froze.

A commoner, awakening to mana, on his own?

The preposterous statement caused cognitive dissonance.

“Then allow me to introduce him. Edgar Fix, please come to the podium.”

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[1] I have already explained this in chapter 14 but I will do it again for those who have missed it. The original word was “Baldojae” but I changed it to “Quickdraw”.

[2] They also address the duke’s daughter as princess.

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