I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

---

There are exactly three weeks left.

Until the day I participate in the Iron Hammer Exhibition, invited by the Dwarf Alliance Kingdom.

Time was tight.

I needed to finish my entry piece, “The Returned Honor,” before the departure date, but currently, I was stuck on one problem.

I still hadn’t figured out how the Dark Crystal generates black Mana.

“Hmm… I managed to mix some positive emotions with Mana somehow.”

But it wasn’t without results.

After immersing myself in research all weekend, except for the four hours I spent sleeping with Fix, I successfully combined the feelings of courage and valor with Mana, rather than feelings of anger and hatred.

I had achieved the first condition to become a Holy Sword.

The problem was that the core Mana Stone of the Dark Crystal only accepted ‘Red Mist.’

It didn’t even recognize the ‘Golden Mist’ born from feelings of courage and sacrifice.

“Moreover, I have to deal with black Mana as well.”

Also, the Dark Crystal still primarily used black Mana.

It was a far cry from the magnificent artifacts of the dwarves that used to radiate divine power.

There was no way the dwarves would welcome such a half-baked product.

“Huff… What on earth is the problem? I’ve tried almost every hypothesis.”

I was growing increasingly anxious.

The deadline was approaching, yet my sword modification and research were still at a standstill.

What on earth was I missing?

“Are you looking troubled?”

At that moment, I heard someone’s voice softly piercing my ear.

It was Elena.

“… Master.”

“What’s the problem? If it’s about magic, I can help.”

Elena said as she moved closer to me.

So I briefly explained the issue I was facing.

“Well… if that’s the case, we should examine the core power Mana Stone.”

Elena said, activating her Clairvoyance.

A blue light swirled in her two eyes.

As she examined the runes engraved on the core power Mana Stone, she raised her lips in a smile.

“Ed, this is different from what you said?”

Different from what I spoke?

No way.

I had clearly drawn the runes of this magic to Elena and asked her what kind of spell it was, and she had answered it was related to emotions.

Yet now she was saying it was a different spell.

“Hehe. You look really confused. That’s understandable. If you don’t use Clairvoyance, you won’t be able to see the ‘overlapping’ spells.”

Ah. So that was it.

There seems to be a difference between seeing with Clairvoyance and just seeing.

“Then what’s the overlapping spell?”

“It seems to be a spell related to memory. There’s a powerful thought infused in it. It could be justified to say this thought spell is the main one since it’s controlling the emotion spell.”

A thought spell that controls emotion spells.

A light bulb went off in my head.

I felt like I understood what memory was infused in this cursed sword.

“It’s the memory that prevents accepting other emotions. Because it’s steeped in painful memories.”

Memory and emotion.

These two elements are closely related.

When you recall a certain memory, it inevitably brings along the corresponding emotions.

For example, when recalling a kiss with one’s ideal type.

We indirectly experience the sensations and stimuli from that time.

And that indirect experience releases hormones, causing us to feel emotions.

Just recalling a memory can evoke emotions.

“This cursed sword only accepts feelings of hatred and anger. So, that means….”

Memories that evoke anger and hatred.

Those memories had infused into a thought that controlled this sword.

In other words, if I remove that thought, I can revert this cursed sword back to its original state.

“Master!”

“Yes?”

However, I won’t just eliminate this thought.

I know every TMI about this cursed sword.

I plan to separate and preserve the thought as it is.

That way, I can use it effectively during the Iron Hammer Exhibition.

“Is it possible to separate the thought spell and the emotion spell?”

“Hmm….”

Elena pondered for a moment at my question.

Then she nodded and answered.

“Yeah, it’s possible. But there will be intense resistance.”

“Resistance?”

“Yeah. This very thought is the will of the sword. The black Mana will try to kill me.”

“… Is that alright?”

“Of course. Who am I? I can suppress it by force.”

Elena’s confident expression.

Well, even if she’s a bit clumsy, she is a Great Mage after all.

However, my order requiring consecutive tasks would still be a tough mission for her.

“Then, how about removing the thought without any damage and turning the memory into a video?”

“….”

Elena frowned at the thought.

Scratching her head, she replied.

“Um… it can be done, but it’ll take quite some time. It’s quite tricky. To put it in an analogy, it feels like picking out one grain of rice from a paper bag full of rice using chopsticks. Meanwhile, a strong wind blows, and you have to block that while counting. It’s a very stressful task.”

In other words, it’s possible, but she doesn’t want to do it.

Her face was clearly saying, “I don’t want to do that.”

However, I had to make her do it.

“Master! This is my earnest request!”

I said while firmly grabbing Elena’s hands.

Her shoulders twitched, and her cheeks turned red.

“Wh-why are you doing this! I-I have classes… too?”

“Just take a break.”

“Huh?”

“This is a major issue. If I succeed in what I asked, I can solve the diplomatic problem with the dwarves immediately.”

“….”

Elena’s gaze began to change at my words.

Eventually, she said.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. Please skip class or substitute it with a make-up assignment, and focus on this now.”

After all, I don’t attend Elena’s classes.

So even if it’s replaced with homework, it would have a zero impact.

After organizing her thoughts for a moment, Elena finally replied.

“Well, if that’s the case, I have no choice.”

In the end, Elena sighed and agreed to my request.

As she released the hands I had held, she cleared her throat and shot me a sideways glance.

Her cheeks were still flushed.

“Ahem. Then…”

But that was only temporary.

Before long, she began focusing on the core Mana Stone of the Dark Crystal.

The core Mana Stone of the Dark Crystal started to float before us.

With that, Elena said while looking at the Mana Stone.

“Ed. I will separate the thought, so please relay this to my assistant professor. Attach a suitable reason to skip class this session, and tell them to give out assignment materials.”

In the end, the class had turned into assignment work.

I nodded and then left the research room.

It’s a bummer for the students who had suddenly turned into assignments, but what can I do?

As long as it’s not me.

***

When I returned to the research room after dropping the bomb on Elena’s assistant professor, it was a complete mess.

Black Mana was rampaging everywhere, flailing around.

“Oh, you’re back?”

However, Elena’s expression was calm.

Like she was soothing a child, she was suppressing black Mana with her own Mana while working on separating the spell.

Such a foolish method would be unimaginable for someone without Elena’s bizarre Mana capacity as a Great Mage.

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“Well? About nine hours?”

…Nine hours for this mindless task.

She could use Mana for that long and still be okay; truly, Elena had a Mana reservoir that diverged from ordinary mages.

“Please work hard. After all, there’s no one but you, Master.”

I expressed my gratitude and then sat down.

Since there were many other things I needed to research.

How much time passed, I wondered.

While researching the sorting algorithms on the computer, Elena spoke up.

“Whoo! I’m done.”

Wiping her forehead of sweat, Elena set down the now-separated core Mana Stone.

As she said, the two spells that had been bundled together were now separate.

The memory spell infused with thought had been separated into another Mana Stone that I had brought.

“Thank you for your hard work. You really went through a lot.”

I said as I took a refreshing drink from the fridge for her.

Elena drained the drink I handed her and placed her glass on the table with a satisfied expression.

Then she glanced at the clock and said.

“Well, it didn’t take nine hours after all. I finished in four hours.”

“That’s because you’re the Master.”

“Hehe, don’t flatter me.”

As I praised the hard-working Elena, she seemed to brighten up and smiled slyly.

Now that we had succeeded in separating the memory spell, it was time to test if the Dark Crystal could accept other emotions.

After consuming a randomly created ‘Courage Potion,’ I generated a golden mist.

Then I placed my hand on the core Mana Stone of the Dark Crystal.

– Goowowowowow……

It works.

It started to absorb.

It was functioning as a Holy Sword, which was the original form of the Dark Crystal.

Elena smiled brightly and said.

“Congratulations. You did it.”

“Thanks to you, Master.”

We laughed heartily, celebrating our success.

Amidst feeling perplexed about how to resolve this within the remaining three weeks, we had solved everything in just one day.

Indeed, when experts from different fields join forces, the synergy is immense.

“Then, shall we check what the separated thought is?”

However, just because we finished quickly didn’t mean I was ready to relax.

If the memory thought is indeed the one I’m thinking of, I need to set the stage effectively to experience that memory.

“Right. I’m curious what memory turned this Holy Sword into a cursed sword. Let’s replay it.”