I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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The cultural impact is enormous.

A well-made work has the power to move people’s hearts, and indeed, the drama ‘Hur Jun’ achieved an astonishing 80% viewer rating in Iraq, demonstrating tremendous influence.

At that time, the First Lady of Iraq invited actor Jeon Kwang-ryeol, who played the lead role in ‘Hur Jun’, and he received a state-level reception.

In Iraq, a travel-restricted country, Jeon Kwang-ryeol, an actor who looked and valued differently, rose to the status of a popular star, garnering a warm welcome from local media and fans.

And here, we have Jeon Kwang-ryeol of the Dwarf Alliance Kingdom.

Edgar Fix.

He was bestowed with the title of ‘Savior’ in an official setting.

Moreover, the Dwarf King personally conferred it, even enacting new laws to establish the decorum and etiquette the ‘Savior’s Blacksmith’ had to adhere to, thus, the treatment towards him was astounding.

So, why is Edgar receiving such treatment, given that he has only presented a single stage and not a 16-episode drama?

It’s because Edgar planned and executed all of this himself.

From the love story of Dagran and Reina to revealing the truth and sending Reina away after punishing the villain—he was at the helm of all the scripts, the directing, and the proceedings, earning attention as a boy from the Empire.

In particular, the scene where Edgar presents the holy sword to Reina, who draws it on stage, holds the potential to be remembered forever as an immortal moment.

“And so, I bestow upon Edgar Fix the title of ‘Savior’. The Savior’s Blacksmith, Edgar Fix, receive the hammer presented by the homeland.”

Thus, Edgar obtained a hammer symbolizing ‘Savior’ along with a title directly issued by the king.

And this hammer granted the owner the following benefits:

– Free pass for all administrative procedures in the Dwarf Alliance Kingdom

– Free use of all shops and forges in the Dwarf Alliance Kingdom

– Upon notifying of a visit, a minister-level person will greet you, and you will ride in a carriage (pulled by a goat) exclusive to the Oltiga class (nobles who can become kings) into the capital

– You will receive a salute from all public officials, except a few high-ranking ones including Oltiga (nobles who could become kings)

– You can attend all official events of the Dwarf Alliance Kingdom, and upon expressing the intention to participate, a special guest seat will be prepared

Such staggering social treatment left one’s mouth agape.

“What is your name and status?”

Given that, a strange scene unfolded.

Dwarves had long welcomed representatives from the Empire with a hierarchical treatment based on status, and here, Edgar’s meal was humorously out of shape.

“Isabella, Princess of the Graham family.”

“You will be staying in Special Room 3. What is the name and status of the next person?”

“Enya Cruel, Princess of the Cruel family.”

“I will assign you to Special Room 5. What is the name and status of the next person?”

“Edgar Fix. Uhh… first son of the Fix family? Well, just a commoner.”

“E-Edgar Fix!?”

Suddenly, the staff members stared at Edgar’s face with shock.

But that lasted only a moment; they straightened their postures and all saluted Edgar at once.

They had already heard about what he did here.

Moreover, they were already aware of the official document confirming that he was elevated to a state-level figure upon receiving the title of Savior.

Showing respect to a blacksmith who had received a title was, for them, a natural duty.

“………”

However, those accompanying Edgar looked perplexed.

Nobles treating a commoner like Edgar with such respect was quite the sight.

Of course, they weren’t dissatisfied with it.

They were simply stunned at how Edgar had risen to such a unique status as a commoner, finding him both ridiculous and amazing.

“I shall personally guide Mr. Edgar Fix. Allow me to escort you to the special guest room.”

As Edgar zoned out for a moment, the staff member finished preparing to escort him.

When Edgar asked if he could take James along, the staff member smiled gently and said it was possible.

“Well then, please take care of the others.”

Thus, the staff member entrusted the remaining tasks to subordinates and guided Edgar to the special guest room.

The special guest room he was taken to was the most exclusive accommodation filled with various leisure facilities and conveniences, originally meant for kings of foreign nations or those of equivalent status.

Yet, they were willingly granting this facility to Edgar, who had received the title of ‘Savior’.

No one else as a commoner had received such an allocation.

“A commoner, how presumptuous.”

Isabella muttered as she walked to her accommodation.

But contrary to her words, her face was filled with a smile.

It was her own way of expressing affection.

“Haha. Now, entering accommodations only meant for royalty and imperial family members.”

And Elena, once again admiring Edgar’s abilities, thought joyfully about her student, whose social status was continuously rising.

It felt like just yesterday when he was hammering away in a small forge dressed in dirty clothes, and now he stood as an enrolled student and a titled blacksmith in the heart of the Empire Academy.

“Indeed, he is a man I must marry.”

And Enya was lost in her fantasies.

One day, when she marries Edgar and they visit this kingdom as a couple, they would ride into the capital in a goat-drawn carriage prepared on a red carpet.

Then, they would enter accommodations exclusive to royalty and share a glass of wine, allowing their tipsy selves to kiss…

“Hehehe…”

Enya let out a mischievous laugh as she entered her room.

There would surely be plenty of pillows prepared there, allowing her to raise the level of her fantasies even more.

“……….”

In contrast, Charlotte walked to her room with a glum expression.

As Edgar continued to grow more impressive, she felt herself drifting further away from him.

“At first… I thought we could be together.”

Originally, Charlotte had dreamed of campus life alongside Edgar.

She believed he would associate more with the fallen nobility, who were somewhat similar to her, rather than with the high-ranking nobles steeped in elitist ideals.

Especially, when they were assigned to the same team during the first evaluation, she thought of it as some destiny.

It was an incredible coincidence that he sat right next to her among the countless seats on the day of the entrance ceremony, and then immediately, they were placed on the same team for the first evaluation.

“But that wasn’t the case.”

However, he was a far more outstanding individual than she expected.

It was one thing to create a clever strategy to put Max’s faction in jeopardy, but using an incredible gauntlet to take Max down in one blow was an unexpected ability.

He was impressive not just in words, but in combat prowess as well.

From then on, he only drifted further away from her.

The seat next to him that she wanted to sit in was occupied by the Grand Duke’s daughters, while she herself remained invisible, whereas Edgar was greeted warmly by the offspring of prominent noble families.

Thus, Edgar became the center of the Academy.

No, he stood at the center of the Empire.

An academy student who played a pivotal role in inter-national diplomacy.

“What? You’re with Edgar Fix? Get real! Hahaha!”

Suddenly, she heard an echo.

The laughter of those around her who mocked her when she confessed to Edgar.

It was a natural reaction.

She had no outstanding talents, nor was her appearance remarkable, and she wasn’t someone Edgar needed.

Her relationship with Edgar was one that could easily break off if she allowed it to slip.

“Haha… such aspirations unworthy of me.”

Thus, she was now almost in a state of resignation.

Even the remarkable Isabella was showing interest in Edgar, so there was no way he’d notice her.

With complex feelings, Charlotte stared blankly at the empty space where Edgar had just been, then eventually walked toward her room.

It was a night filled with deep thoughts.

***

The next day.

Edgar and his group were invited to a banquet.

The Dwarves held a grand party for Edgar and his party, who saved them from the nightmare of forty years ago.

Drinks, food, entertainment.

It was a party with nothing lacking.

“Ha ha ha ha! Bring more beer! Let’s drink to death tonight!”

However, the Dwarves’ banquet was different from the Empire’s.

Their party had no procedures or formalities; the main goal was merely to laugh, converse, and fill their bellies with drinks.

Everywhere was filled with lively music and overflowing drinks, and even high-ranking nobles and the king partook in beer and danced freely at the joyful party.

“Whoa!”

At that moment, there was something that caught Edgar’s eye.

A makeshift furnace occupying the center of the banquet hall.

A small competition was unfolding there.

“Hey! What do you think of my work?”

“Haha! You seem desperate to lose. What’s that little cocoon you’ve got?”

“That’s your craft!”

“You rascal!”

“Hahahaha!”

It was quite an interesting sight.

As expected, Dwarves, being Dwarves, were competing in glass-making and metalworking.

“Oh, five minutes and seven seconds! Truly, no one can beat you, Bulkan.”

“Impressive. You’ve improved since last time.”

“Five minutes, huh… I can’t match that.”

Next to them, another competition was underway, where competitors were assembling firearms from scattered parts.

With dozens of different firearm parts scattered about, selecting the right ones to complete a firearm in just five minutes is a bizarre challenge that no race other than Dwarves could accomplish.

“Even so, if it doesn’t fire, isn’t it my victory? Let’s see you fire it!”

However, even if one assembled slowly, there was still a chance for a comeback.

After all, it doesn’t matter how quickly it’s assembled if it ultimately doesn’t fire.

-BANG!

“Ha! What do you take me for!”

However, Bulkan, the Dwarf, seemed to possess quite the skill, assembling quickly and putting together a proper firearm.

Once he confirmed that his mana cartridge fired harmlessly, the other competitor nodded gloomily and stepped back.

“If it looks fun, why don’t you give it a try?”

Then, the Dwarf King, who had suddenly appeared, approached Edgar.

Edgar hurried to pay his respects to the king, but he quickly stopped Edgar and said,

“Let it be. What formality is there at a party? A stiff posture is disrespectful in Dwarf culture.”

“Haha. Yes, I’ll enjoy myself.”

“Hehe. By the way, what do you say? In fact, there are many friends who are eager to see your skills.”

As the king said, the Dwarves were glancing at Edgar with interest.

It was precisely because they had invited him here after hearing rumors about Edgar.

“Sure, that sounds fun.”

Thus, Edgar willingly accepted the king’s invitation.

It wouldn’t be good to merely hide his skills from the eager Dwarves wanting to see them.

“Can I join as well?”

As soon as Edgar stepped toward the center of the competition, the atmosphere changed.

The Dwarves welcomed him excitedly as the person who had been shrouded in mystery finally stepped forward.

“Yeah! You’re the blacksmith who received a title!”
“Haha, Bulkan, this time you’re actually facing a worthy opponent.”
“Let’s see your skills!”

With that, the Dwarves inside the banquet hall began to crowd around.

Isabella, who had been sitting in a corner sipping beer, Enya, who was drunkenly dancing, and even Charlotte, with a gloomy expression, gathered there.

Then, one of the Dwarves began explaining the rules.

“The rules are simple. Just pick the parts you want and complete the firearm as fast as possible.”

“I understand.”

“However, if it doesn’t fire, it’s completely useless, so keep that in mind! No matter how quickly you assemble it, you’ll lose!”

“Yes.”

“Alright! Let’s start! Three… Two… One… Begin!”

In an instant, Edgar’s hands shot out.

Bulkan, who tried to grab the ‘trigger assembly’, showed a flustered look.

Edgar swiftly took what Bulkan was originally going for—the trigger assembly.

“Hmph, but that’s okay.”

However, Bulkan was a veteran of this game.

As soon as Edgar snatched the trigger assembly, he obtained a critical part necessary for assembling it.

“Learning through losing, that’s how it is! Hehe!”

The assembly Edgar had chosen was a firearm part known as ‘Eagle’s Eye’.

The trigger assembly was structured in a way that it was hard to operate without the parts Bulkan had taken.

Thus, Bulkan felt assured of his victory.

He had procured the critical part that Edgar needed first.

-POP! POP! POP! POP! POP!

But Edgar remained unfazed.

He swiftly gathered the remaining parts, assembling each firearm component one by one.

-Whoosh, click… click… clank! Whoosh! Clank! Clank! Zing… clickety-click… clank!

The mechanical sounds of the components meshing together rang out.

Everyone watched Edgar’s divine assembly with expressions of tension.

Never had they witnessed anyone assemble a firearm at such a ridiculous speed.

Is that truly a feasible speed?

“Hmm…!”

In contrast, Bulkan, the firearms assembly expert, had barely completed merely the main body of the firearm.

It had already been an established fact that he was losing in terms of speed.

“But that doesn’t mean it will fire! I have the critical part!”

Yet, Bulkan was still convinced he would win.

There was no way the trigger assembly Edgar took could operate without that crucial part!

“I’m finished.”

However, Edgar announced the end of his assembly with a calm expression.

Then, he opened the cylinder of the single-action revolver he had assembled and carefully inserted a single mana cartridge.

Then—

-WHOOSH!

He spun the cylinder.

The cylinder containing one mana cartridge spun rapidly.

-Click.

Finally, the spinning cylinder stopped.

Edgar pulled back the hammer of the single-action revolver.

With a crisp mechanical sound, it was loaded.

-POW!

Edgar pulled the trigger as it was.

The mana cartridge flew straight, leaving a mark in the center of the target.

Bulkan, who had been busily assembling his firearm, stared at Edgar with a blank expression.

“H-How…”

How did he do it?

Edgar responded with a smile.

He couldn’t reveal that he had overpowered skills like ‘Handiwork’ and ‘Engineering Thought’.