I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy – Chapter 17

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Edgar Fix, please come to the podium.”

The Princess called Edgar Fix’s name.

A heavy silence fell over the hall.

A talent recognized by the Princess, a commoner who awakened to mana on his own.

Everyone held their breath, waiting to see him with their own eyes.

“Prepare for a scoop.”

Amidst the silence, the journalists bustled soundlessly.

Provocative headlines were already being drafted.

All that remained was to press the camera shutters as they waited for Edgar to ascend the podium.

“Sigh… Sephilia.”

For Elena, this whole affair was a headache.

Ed was her second disciple.

She had intended to nurture him slowly, keeping him out of the public eye as much as possible.

He possessed unprecedented talent, so she wanted to raise him carefully.

She was worried about the backlash he might face, considering the immense impact his existence would have.

But her capricious disciple, Princess Sephilia, had overturned all her plans.

Originally, Elena was supposed to introduce Ed during her own segment, but the Princess had made the first move, revealing him to everyone in this manner.

-Step… Step…

But the damage was done.

With the Princess’s command, there was no choice but to comply.

Ed, who had been concealed in the darkness backstage, emerged.

The sound of his steady footsteps echoed through the hall.

*Gulp.*

Everyone watched the handsome boy ascending the stairs with nervous expressions.

“E-Edgar…?”

Enya was the first to recognize Ed.

When the Princess called “Edgar Fix,” she had a hunch, but she didn’t expect it to be true.

The Edgar she knew wasn’t Professor Schneider’s son.

“What, what’s going on?”

“Wasn’t he Professor Schneider’s son?”

“He really is… a commoner?”

Enya wasn’t the only one surprised by Ed’s appearance.

Her longtime friends(?), the children of Grand Dukes – Lucas, Claire, and Isabella – also watched him ascend the podium with surprised expressions.

They had assumed he was a nobleman due to his neat appearance and refined speech.

Moreover, they had clearly seen him use Trait-type formulas, and the Schneiders were known for wielding Trait-type formulas.

That was why they had readily accepted Enya’s words.

“Your Highness.”

Ed, having reached the podium, bowed to the Princess.

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

It was the perfectly executed etiquette of a well-bred noble.

The hall buzzed.

-Is he really a commoner?

-He looks like a noble through and through.

-How could a commoner know the proper etiquette for addressing royalty, having never even met them before?

The hall was in an uproar because Ed’s posture was impeccable.

In particular, even lower-ranking nobles like barons were often unfamiliar with the etiquette for addressing the Imperial Family.

They rarely, if ever, had the opportunity to meet them face-to-face.

Yet, Ed understood the etiquette perfectly and executed it flawlessly, despite being a mere commoner.

‘Interesting.’

The Princess watched Ed with intrigued eyes.

His calm demeanor had taken her plans in a completely different direction.

‘I was just going to embarrass him a little.’

She had originally intended to humiliate Edgar Fix.

She had planned to call him to the podium unexpectedly, make him flustered, and then make a laughingstock of him for not knowing the proper etiquette for addressing royalty.

A commoner like him couldn’t possibly know such things.

‘Did my sister teach him?’

But Ed’s posture was perfect.

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

The Princess smirked and addressed Ed, “Rise, Edgar Fix.”

As permission was granted, Ed rose.

The Princess stepped aside slightly and gestured towards the podium where she had been standing.

“This is a platform to introduce yourself. I’d like to hear your aspirations, having enrolled here despite your social status.”

In other words, she wanted him to introduce himself.

An impromptu self-introduction was an opportunity to assess someone’s ability to think on their feet.

She was curious how this extraordinary boy would define himself in this situation, with all eyes on him.

Ed stepped onto the podium.

Amidst the palpable tension, he finally spoke.

“Greetings. I am Edgar Fix.”

Ed began his self-introduction with a standard greeting.

Then, he paused deliberately to capture everyone’s attention.

He looked around at the audience and continued, “Today, I’ve heard various rumors about myself. That I am the son of a fallen noble. That I am a noble who inherited a Trait-type bloodline. That I am Professor Schneider’s son… These were all rumors speculating about my origins.”

Ed addressed the various rumors surrounding him.

Most of the students nodded.

The new face who made Enya smile.

The handsome, black-haired boy. Most of the students had gossiped about him.

“However, the name ‘Fix’ was never mentioned in any of those rumors. Because no one could imagine a commoner enrolling here with a commoner’s name.”

Everyone agreed with Ed’s words.

As he said, no one could have imagined a commoner becoming a student here.

Ed, having established common ground, continued, “However, I, with the name ‘Fix,’ was able to become a student at the Imperial Academy. This is thanks to Her Highness’s grace.”

Ed paused and looked around at the audience.

So far, everyone seemed to agree.

After all, he had only spoken the truth.

But this was intentional.

He had paved the way for them to accept his words naturally, mentioning only facts that everyone could easily agree with.

“However, I cannot be recognized simply because of Her Highness’s grace.”

“No, perhaps most of you enrollees won’t recognize me. Even if I awakened to mana on my own, even if I have a talent for formulas, even if I’m skilled with machinery, even if I have Her Highness’s grace, deep down, you won’t be able to accept me. Simply because the name ‘Fix’ is attached to my name.”

The uncomfortable truth that they couldn’t accept him because of his birth despite receiving the Princess’s recognition.

Ed directly addressed the instinctive discomfort the nobles felt.

He didn’t try to gloss over it with pleas for acceptance despite his commoner status; he confronted it head-on.

Amidst the chilled atmosphere, Ed continued, “However, I don’t consider the discomfort you feel as discrimination. Rather, I believe it’s a natural emotion you should rightfully feel. Because the family name attached to your names is your pride.”

Pride.

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

He framed their dissatisfaction as originating from “pride.” Now it was time to convince them of his reasoning.

“Your names carry history and tradition. The Cruel family, who produced seven Sword Masters throughout the empire’s history. Duke Graham, who sacrificed himself 170 years ago to protect the North from the monster wave. Duke Bernhardt, who led thousands of cavalrymen 230 years ago to sweep away the enemies when the imperial capital was on the verge of collapse. 115 years ago…”

Ed mentioned the names of prominent families, from Grand Dukes to Marquises, Counts, and Barons.

Each time he called out a family name, the enrollees bearing that name flinched, feeling a surge of pride in their chests.

After mentioning the achievements of about 18 families, Ed looked around at the audience and said, “Everyone. The family name attached to your names is proof of the history and tradition passed down from those great wills. And I respect the authority and pride derived from your family’s heritage.”

The audience’s expressions changed.

Ed’s few words had instilled a sense of mission in the enrollees, something the one-hour video had failed to accomplish.

Everyone waited for Ed’s next words.

“Edgar Fix. But I am Edgar Fix. I am insignificant compared to you. The name ‘Fix’ is never mentioned anywhere in the empire’s records.”

Ed elevated the audience and humbled himself.

Some, no, almost half of the audience felt a pang in their chests, seeing Ed’s bitter expression.

They were drawn into his story, immersed in his feelings.

But Ed quickly raised his head, erasing the bitterness from his face.

He looked around at the audience and said, “However, the Fix family has been quietly doing its work in the back pages of history. Continuously hammering away. ‘Fix,’ as the name suggests, means to repair and mend.”

Strength entered Ed’s voice.

With everyone’s attention focused on him, he continued, “Our Fix family has been with you throughout your history of struggles. When you protected the North from the monster wave, when the capital was on the verge of collapse under attack from the allied forces, when the demons ravaged numerous small and medium-sized cities, we continued to hammer away. All the weapons born from the tip of that hammer were wielded by great heroes.”

The atmosphere intensified. Ed’s voice rose, and his speech quickened.

“I am not ashamed of my family name. I am undoubtedly a Fix. I did not come here to become a Sword Master, nor a Grand Mage. I did not come here seeking advancement by relying on your authority. I came here simply to hammer away. To compete with you, to learn the same things, to cooperate with you to achieve a common goal. To grow through all these processes and place the best equipment in your hands.”

Ed paused to catch his breath and looked around at the audience.

The previous hostility had almost completely vanished.

They were beginning to accept him.

“Therefore, I dare to make a promise here today. I will do my best to place the best weapons in your hands. Please, just open your hearts to me, even a little.”

Ed concluded his self-introduction with a slight bow to the audience.

He also gave a slight bow to the Princess, who was staring at him with a dazed expression, and then left his final words into the microphone.

“And to Her Highness Princess Sephilia, the inheritor of the empire itself and the greatest name, thank you for providing me with this glorious opportunity. With this, I conclude my introduction. Thank you.”

The Princess’s lips twisted into a wry smile after hearing Ed’s final words.

She had impulsively called him up here to embarrass him, but she had only ended up elevating his status.

And Ed, by thanking her for this opportunity, was mocking her. It was an audacious provocation.

‘Kkuk. He has guts.’

However, Ed’s provocation was calculated.

Having played this game numerous times, he knew exactly what to do to trigger the Princess’s storyline.

She preferred those who treated her casually rather than those who were overly polite.

*Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.*

Applause erupted from various parts of the hall.

A flawless speech in every aspect.

Many nobles opened their hearts to Ed and applauded.

Some female students were simply drawn to his appearance.

Some were moved by his conviction regarding the name “Fix” and recognized him for it.

Others were pleased by his praise of their families, and some old-fashioned nobles were impressed by his elegant etiquette and speech.

He had presented himself admirably in every aspect, and for various reasons, most of the nobles were accepting of him.

“…”

Enya blushed as she looked at Ed.

A man who upheld his convictions despite his social status.

This was true “romance.” He possessed the spirit of Quickdraw.

“Hmm. Not bad for a commoner. He’s quite cute too.”

“Tsk. He’s overshadowed the freshman representative’s pledge. I thought it was quite impressive.”

“Lucas, you’re just too much of an attention seeker.”

The other children of the Grand Dukes also inwardly acknowledged Ed, even Isabella, the epitome of authoritarianism.

Her cat-like eyes curved seductively as she took in Ed’s appearance.

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

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