I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy – Chapter 76

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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In the club room, Ed leaned against the wall, lost in thought.

For ten minutes, he had been agonizing over what to create for the upcoming evaluation.

“Hmm…”

He had initially considered a refrigerator.

The refrigerators in this world were primitive compared to modern ones.

But their impact would be far less than the air conditioner.

Keeping food fresh was a concern for commoners and servants, not nobles.

Unless they were impoverished, nobles had chefs who managed their ingredients.

It wasn’t their concern.

‘What inconveniences the nobles?’

Ed pondered their needs. Inventions were born from addressing everyday inconveniences.

‘Transportation…?’

He considered vehicles: cars, motorcycles, trains. But they were unnecessary.

Teleportation magic was sufficient.

Nobles still used carriages for a reason: tradition and status.

‘A pen?’

He thought of simpler things. Nobles used quill pens and ink. A fountain pen might be appreciated.

‘No, too mundane.’

A fountain pen lacked the revolutionary impact of the air conditioner.

What else? A gaming chair?

An ergonomically designed chair might be appealing.

The chairs in this world were mostly wooden with some leather padding.

But even that wasn’t groundbreaking. Nobles trained their bodies with mana; back pain wasn’t a common complaint.

‘A microwave? A gas stove? A light bulb?’

He considered other options, but they all fell short.

Light bulbs were replaced by “luminescent magic orbs.”

Microwaves and gas stoves were more appealing to chefs than nobles.

‘This isn’t easy.’

He felt frustrated.

He knew so much about modern technology, yet none of it seemed applicable here.

It was all because of formulas and mana.

These two elements provided alternatives, even superior technologies, despite the lack of scientific advancement.

And the requirement of catering specifically to noble preferences made it even more challenging.

If he were targeting commoners, the possibilities would be endless.

“Sigh…”

A deep sigh echoed through the room.

It wasn’t Ed’s.

He looked up and saw David, the student he had given the *General Physics* textbook, staring at its contents with a dejected expression.

“David, what’s wrong? Is there a problem with the textbook?”

Ed approached him with a smile.

He extended his hand, and a bracelet materialized, attaching itself to his wrist and transforming into a gauntlet.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask. I’ll teach you ‘personally.’”

Kiiiing-!

A repulsor beam glowed menacingly in Ed’s palm.

David, the reluctant president of SIBALSAEGI, broke out in a cold sweat.

He remembered Max, his friend who had been reduced to a near-corpse by that same beam.

“N-No! It’s nothing! I-I just didn’t sleep well last night! Just tired! The textbook is fine! Hahaha!”

He quickly backpedaled. He couldn’t afford to offend Ed, especially when he seemed displeased.

“Hmm. Is that so?”

Ed deactivated the repulsor beam and looked at David’s arm.

“Why are you scratching your arm? Do you get hives when you’re stressed?”

David had been scratching his arm and body since he arrived.

“No… it’s… because of mosquitoes.”

“…Mosquitoes?”

“Yeah. I got bitten all night. My family doesn’t hire Dream Guardians.”

Dream Guardians? Ed tilted his head.

He understood the mosquito bites, but what were “Dream Guardians?”

“Don’t you know about Dream Guardians? Ah… I guess you wouldn’t. After all you’ve just… ahem… become a Count…”

David hesitated, glancing at Ed. Ed encouraged him to continue.

“Dream Guardians are… well… they protect you from mosquitoes while you sleep. They fight those vicious mosquitoes for eight hours straight, so they’re expensive.”

So, they were a specialized occupation, mosquito fighters?

What a strange job. Ed asked why such a profession existed.

David looked at him as if he was the strange one.

“…What are you talking about? Dream Guardians aren’t ‘just’ a job. They’re amazing people who protect us from mosquitoes!”

“……?”

David was strangely defensive of the Dream Guardians.

Was mosquito extermination that valuable?

Ed, sensing something amiss, asked about the mosquitoes in this world.

What were their characteristics? What happened when you got bitten?

David scratched his arm with a grim expression.

“They’re vicious. Probably the most hated monster in the world. They’re so small you can barely see them, but they’re incredibly fast and hard to catch. And they’re so tough, you can’t kill them easily.”

Ed started to understand.

Mosquitoes in this world were smaller, faster, and tougher than in his original world.

They were also insatiable, draining mana until their bellies were full.

And the itch from their bites lasted for half a day.

No wonder Dream Guardians were in high demand.

“And there’s also the Mana Transformation Disease. It caused chaos thirteen years ago.”

Mana Transformation Disease, a mosquito-borne illness, contaminated mana receptors, a terrifying prospect for nobles who relied on mana.

Even healing magic couldn’t cure it.

“Dream Guardian fees skyrocketed back then. If you got infected, your formula output and accuracy would plummet.”

David shuddered, recalling how the fees had increased tenfold.

Ed asked about their current rate.

Converted to current currency, it was about four million Orden per night.

“But it’s worth it. Dream Guardians use mana synthesis to attract mosquitoes to themselves, protecting their clients. They risk mana disability for just four million Orden.”

It made sense.

Four million Orden was a hefty price, but it was hazard pay, compensation for risking their mana abilities.

“…But there’s something strange about this.”

If Dream Guardians used mana, they had to be nobles. Only nobles could manipulate mana.

“Well, yeah. But some people value money more than mana. Impoverished nobles, or those who used to be nobles.”

…Those who used to be nobles.

Ed thought of Croto, Eguwa, and Arzier, the three nobles stripped of their titles and reduced to slaves.

There must have been countless similar cases throughout the Empire’s history.

“Hey, Ed. Have you never been bitten by a mosquito?”

David looked at him incredulously.

How could he avoid mosquito bites in this heat without a Dream Guardian?

“No, I haven’t.”

Ed didn’t need Dream Guardians. His quarters were mosquito-proof.

‘I’m glad I took precautions.’

Ed loathed mosquitoes.

He had installed electric mosquito nets and modified his bedroom to deploy a plasma mosquito net while he slept.

Thanks to these measures, he enjoyed peaceful nights.

“H-How? You don’t even have a Dream Guardian!”

Looking at David’s desperate plea for his secret, Ed decided on the theme for the upcoming evaluation: mosquito extermination.

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“I’ll leave it to you tonight. Please protect my bedroom.”

In the dimly lit room, Charlotte nodded vigorously, listening to the middle-aged man’s instructions.

She couldn’t afford to fail her first high-paying gig as a Dream Guardian, especially with the recent resurgence of mosquitoes.

She had to perform flawlessly to earn a good reputation among the nobles.

She needed the money for next semester’s tuition and living expenses so she could continue attending the academy with Ed.

‘Mosquitoes, you’re dead!’

Charlotte clenched her fists, her eyes burning with determination.

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