I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy – Chapter 19

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Yawn…”

He had overslept, having stayed up late crafting equipment.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and checked the time; it was already 8:30.

The Class Placement Competition started at 10, so he was cutting it close.

‘Huhhh…!’

But he stretched leisurely.

He was staying in the dormitory attached to the academy forge, a five-minute walk from the arena.

He had plenty of time even after showering, eating, and getting ready.

He scratched his stomach and headed to the shower.

*Shhhhhhh…*

Hot water poured over his head.

He loved this time, spacing out under the warm water.

It was strangely therapeutic.

He wiped the steamed-up mirror and saw a handsome boy staring back.

Wet hair slicked back, tied in pigtails, styled into a faux-hawk with foam – he looked good no matter what.

Being handsome was a standard rule for the character you possessed, and he appreciated that this cliché was thoroughly observed.

“Hahahaha! Ed! Did you sleep well? My son looks handsome even when showering.”

James popped his head in, offering a morning greeting.

He was used to James’s doting by now and replied with a chuckle, “Morning.”

“Yes! It’s an important day today, right? I made your favorite kimchi-jjigae, so come and eat after you’re done washing up!”

“Oh, kimchi-jjigae? Sounds good.”

Kimchi-jjigae. [T/N: Kimchi Stew]

James knew how to make it.

Because I had taught him how to make kimchi and how to cook kimchi-jjigae.

One of the hardest things about being transported to another world was missing the food from home, but he had managed to perfectly recreate kimchi jjigae using his memories.

*Bubble bubble bubble…*

As he finished his shower, a delicious smell wafted through the air.

Kimchi jjigae made with pork broth from Macbeth .

Seriously, they could open a restaurant and make a killing with this.

James was a great cook.

“Are you done washing up? Perfect timing! Come and eat!”

Heaping bowls of rice, various side dishes, and James placing the kimchi-jjigae in the center of the table.

I dried my hair roughly, put on my underwear and shirt, and went to the table.

I said, “Thank you for the food,” before picking up my spoon and taking a sip of the broth.

*Slurp.*

It was amazing.

He silently gave James a thumbs-up, and James laughed heartily, puffing out his chest with pride.

“Hmm…”

He ate his meal while preparing for the Class Placement Competition.

He was using “Hologram,” a new derived skill he gained after his Engineering Mind skill reached level 3.

Next to his bowl of rice stood a hologram of his body.

Thirty-seven mana stones were implanted throughout his body, and he was contemplating how much mana to distribute to each one.

“Khahahaha! Ed, do you see this? It’s all praise for my son!”

James, however, was unfazed by the strange sight.

He had mastered ‘Hologram’ a week ago, and James had seen him use it numerous times.

He was too busy reading the newspaper article about him.

“Hmm… to increase the output…”

“As expected! Of course. This is what a proper article should look like.”

“But that would decrease the speed. I need to compensate for this part.”

“Kuh. I should have been there. To receive applause from the nobles.”

They were both in their own worlds.

His relationship with James was more like best friends wearing a father-son skin, so it was comfortable even if they did other things while eating or didn’t respond to each other’s comments.

Like best friends sharing a small apartment.

They sometimes drank together, discussed engineering, played card games, and got along well.

“Oh? Father, I’ll be going now. It’s almost time.”

But it seems he had gotten too comfortable.

He glanced at the clock; it was 9:40.

He hurriedly finished dressing and styled his hair roughly.

He left the house, seeing James off with his usual well wishes.

His steps felt light despite his stomach being full.

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The main auditorium of the Basic Tactics Department, Building 7.

That was today’s gathering place.

On his way there, Ed received greetings from numerous nobles.

He had become a celebrity at the academy after yesterday’s speech.

There wasn’t a single noble who didn’t know “Sir Fix.”

“Sir Fix. Your speech yesterday was quite impressive. I’m Iske, the eldest son of the Brante family.”

“It’s embarrassing to be called ‘Sir Fix.’ please, call me Ed.”

Ed handled the attention and conversed with them skillfully.

“El Pandor Runterra” was a relationship-based simulation game.

He had repeatedly practiced conversations with numerous characters, so eliciting favorable responses was second nature to him.

“Huh?”

Someone gasped and pointed at someone.

He followed their finger and saw someone approaching, parting the crowd like the Red Sea.

It was the four children of the Grand Dukes.

“Hey. Move aside. You too, don’t block the way. Yeah, I’m talking to you.”

Isabella, the second daughter of the Graham Grand Duke family, was leading the way, clearing a path.

Most nobles recognized her and quickly stepped aside, having heard of her notoriety.

They didn’t want to get on her bad side and become a victim of her curse formulas.

“Haha. Excuse us, everyone.”

Lucas of the Elmar family, the freshman representative, apologized as he made his way through the crowd.

Having lost the spotlight to Ed, he seemed to be paying more attention to managing his reputation.

“Sigh. There’s too much attention. I told you I’d go alone, why are you all following me…?”

Enya, at the center of the group, was uncomfortable with the attention.

She had intended to give Ed the gift she prepared when they were alone.

“Hmm? Following? Who said we wanted to go with you?”

Isabella, overhearing Enya, turned around and spoke.

She smirked and continued provocatively, “I’m just going to see that commoner. I have some personal business with him.”

“…Personal business?”

“Yes. I have something to give him. Well, he’s kind of cute, and I’m a little interested.”

*Interested in Ed…?*

Enya’s face, which had been tense, hardened.

*Crackle—*

Their gazes clashed in mid-air.

“Interested? That’s suspicious.”

“Pfft. Interest is just interest, isn’t it.”

“I’m telling you this because it’s you. If you do anything strange to Ed, I won’t let you get away with it.”

“Wow. That’s unfair. What did I even do? I’m just giving him a gift.”

“…”

Enya stared at Isabella with narrowed eyes, scrutinizing her former friend, who had become strangely different.

‘What was she thinking, approaching Ed like this?’

Isabella chuckled and looked away.

“Anyway, I’m going. Give him your gift later or something.”

With that, Isabella walked ahead.

Enya strode forward, stood next to Isabella, glared at her, and said,

“No. I’ll give him mine first. It seems unlikely we’ll be able to meet him separately.”

Ed, having become a celebrity after yesterday’s speech, was immediately surrounded by a crowd.

It would be difficult to meet him alone.

So, spurred by Isabella’s provocation, Enya took the lead.

Isabella chuckled, watching Enya’s back.

“Kkuk. So simple-minded.”

She followed Enya.

They pushed through the crowd and finally reached Ed.

“…”

Surrounded by the crowd, the four children of the Grand Dukes and Ed faced each other.

The surrounding crowd buzzed with speculation.

‘Ed’s path to success was now open, since the children of Grand Dukes were seeking him out.’

‘This might not be a good thing.’

‘Getting the Witch’s attention is never good.’

They gossiped, churning out all sorts of dramatic scenarios.

However, Enya heard none of it.

Facing Ed, her heart pounded, and her mind raced.

‘Was it okay to approach him so abruptly?’

‘There were too many eyes on them; what if Ed rejected her gift?’

‘That would be so embarrassing.’

‘Was he angry that she had mistaken his family for the Schneiders yesterday?’

“What are you doing?!”

Claire of the Bernhardt Grand Duke family smacked Enya’s back and whispered,

“Just give it to him already.”

Propelled forward by Claire, Enya swallowed hard and nodded.

“Puhaha! That’s hilarious. You’re such a loser.”

Isabella, who had been watching from behind, mocked Enya’s uncharacteristic behavior.

However, Isabella’s taunt only fueled Enya’s determination.

She stepped forward, stood before Ed with a resolute expression, and finally spoke.

“Um, excuse me.”

“…?”

“C-could we… meet later…?”

“…”

“I-I have something to give you. You fixed my scabbard yesterday… and I caused those strange rumors by mistaking your family… so, as a thank you…”

Enya had originally intended to give him the gift right there, but she realized it wasn’t the right place.

So, she suggested they meet privately.

Even making this suggestion was incredibly embarrassing. Her heart felt like it was about to burst.

Fortunately, Ed readily agreed.

“Yes. Then I’ll come find you after the Class Placement Competition.”

Enya nodded and turned, her face burning crimson, and scurried away through the crowd.

Claire smiled warmly and followed her.

Lucas, who had been shaking hands with the surrounding nobles, followed them as well.

Isabella, however, approached Ed.

Everyone watched nervously.

She stood right in front of Ed, staring at him intensely.

The pressure was suffocating, even for the onlookers.

“Wow.”

With Isabella’s exclamation, the tense atmosphere dissipated.

The heavy air cleared.

She smiled faintly and continued, “You don’t seem afraid of me.”

Isabella’s eyes gleamed sharply as she observed Ed’s unwavering expression.

She took his right hand and continued, “I like that even more.”

She took something out of her pocket and placed it in Ed’s hand.

She smiled seductively and said,

“I’ll make an exception for you. Even if you become my enemy, you won’t be broken as long as you have this.”

Ed looked at the strange doll in his hand.

It was a small doll of a girl with disheveled hair and tears of blood streaming down her face.

“Kkuk. Good luck.”

With that, Isabella turned and walked away, following the other children of the Grand Dukes.

But her movement was strange.

Her feet didn’t touch the ground; she floated through the crowd like a ghost.

She was moving like this to catch up with her companions quickly, with a touch of playful mischief.

However, the nobles, well aware of her notoriety, quickly made way for her, keeping their distance.

As Isabella disappeared from sight, one of the nobles who had been talking to Ed spoke urgently,

“Th-that! You should throw that away immediately! You might be cursed by the Witch!”

“…The Witch?”

“Yes! Haven’t you heard the rumors about the Witch Isabella?”

The Witch Isabella.

Of course, Ed knew about Isabella’s long-standing nickname, earned through her chilling methods of retribution.

The men who had crossed her had all suffered terribly from her curses.

One noble had even gone mad, laughing hysterically and banging his head on the marble floor until he passed out.

He had repeated this for three days straight and ended up with a mental illness.

Her methods were so creepy and bizarre that the nickname “Witch” had stuck.

“I know, but it’s alright.”

Despite knowing this, Ed placed the doll inside his pocket.

As everyone stared at him with incomprehension, he said, “I can’t just throw away a gift.”

“…”

The nobles sighed at his words.

Whispers arose from the crowd.

‘Sir Fix is too kind.’

‘He must be under the Witch’s spell.’

‘No, he’s just naive.’

They criticized Ed for accepting Isabella’s doll.

*’Has the Isabella storyline already begun?’*

Ed ignored their chatter.

The important thing was that Isabella had shown interest in him at such an early stage.

Receiving this doll from her was the starting signal for her event.

Ed clutched the doll in his pocket and murmured meaningfully,

*’Isabella. I’ll definitely save you this time.’*

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