I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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After the gun assembly contest, the atmosphere of the party became lively.

The dwarves watched in admiration as Ed showcased a terrifying performance, lamenting that he was not born a dwarf.

“It’s astonishing how a human possesses such talent.”

The dwarves, who had been blessed with exceptional skills in mining and crafting since ancient times, had ancestors that had to dig into the earth to survive against the beasts of the icy mountains long ago.

In other words, digging into the ground and building strong fortresses to prevent the earth from collapsing was etched into the dwarves’ DNA as a survival instinct.

Thus, the dwarves who inherited that DNA naturally came to respect those who could create the sturdiest fortresses, that is, those with superior skills.

They were elevated as leaders who would protect them from the monsters of the icy mountains.

Hence, their fondness for Ed was only natural.

Having heard rumors about Ed’s skills, the stage he set moved their hearts.

And by demonstrating his craftsmanship in the gun assembly contest, they could assure that rumors about Ed were not just baseless tales.

“Ha ha ha! Your skills are marvelous! You must come visit my forge sometime! There’s much we blacksmiths can learn from each other!”

“Are you perhaps interested in discussions? If so, how about joining our research club? We analyze the skills of blacksmiths awarded titles every year…”

“Hey, I’m trying to talk here!”

So, the dwarves each expressed interest in Ed and tried to establish connections in any way they could.

Even though Ed was human, if he possessed skills superior to theirs, they could bow their heads and extend their hands at any time.

“Hehe. You seem troubled.”

At that moment, the Dwarf King appeared and pulled Ed out of the crowd.

Ed, already overwhelmed by the sudden attention, thanked the Dwarf King for rescuing him at the right time.

“No need for thanks. You and I have matters to discuss, don’t we?”

The Dwarf King said, leading Ed to a place of honor at the party.

This was a space somewhat separated from the main party venue, allowing them to speak privately.

-Swish.

And at that moment, Ed felt someone’s gaze directed at him.

It was Elena.

It was a silent cue that diplomatic discussions needed to start.

“Well then, let’s hear it. You must have something you want from us.”

Coincidentally, the Dwarf King immediately cut to the heart of the matter.

He asked about the purpose of Ed’s visit.

“…Yes. The truth is, I accepted this invitation with the intention of conveying the Empire’s position. My sole purpose isn’t just to participate in the exhibition.”

“…Is that so? Then you’re here as a messenger. Did the royal family send you?”

“Yes. However, I also have my own intentions. Even without the royal family’s orders, I would want the relationship between our two nations to improve.”

“…Hoh. So, the improvement of our countries’ relations is purely your own wish, huh?”

“Yes.”

The Dwarf King fixed his gaze on Ed’s eyes.

He stared at Ed for a long time, as if trying to delve into his true intentions.

Eventually, he spoke.

“How old are you?”

“I’m eighteen.”

“Eighteen… You’re surprisingly impressive for your age. How can you…?”

The Dwarf King stroked his beard, pondering with a thoughtful expression.

After a moment, he opened his mouth again.

“Then tell me, how did you get involved in such political matters at that young age?”

Suddenly, Ed’s eyes fell upon Enya.

She was performing a sword dance in front of a large marble statue.

It was a display meant to provide entertainment before critical national decisions were made.

Perhaps this one performance could aid in improving the relations between the two nations.

Thus, Enya was wholeheartedly showing a splendid sword dance.

After quietly observing the scene, Ed finally spoke.

“Before that, may I ask a question?”

A question?

The Dwarf King nodded.

Then Ed posed an unexpected question.

“Your Majesty, have you ever received a revelation?”

A revelation.

For the dwarves, a revelation was somewhat like ‘inspiration.’

Receiving a revelation from the God of Blacksmiths meant being assigned a masterpiece that must be created at the cost of one’s life.

The ‘Guide of Emotions’ created by Dagran could also be considered a weapon born from a revelation.

Dagran himself claimed that the moment he realized he loved Reina, he instantly knew what kind of object he needed to create.

Thus, when dwarves realize they must create an object that they would bet their lives on, they often express it as having received a ‘revelation.’

Creating that object chosen by the God of Blacksmiths became their mission.

And a dwarf who accomplished that mission usually received the title for that year.

“No, I have never received a revelation. I lost my brother… I traveled the world looking for answers, but not a single spark of inspiration has come to me.”

However, the Dwarf King had not received a revelation.

Furthermore, since he had ascended to the throne and set aside his blacksmithing duties, the likelihood diminished.

“Why do you ask about this?”

Why would Ed inquire about this?

Then, Ed spoke sincerely to the Dwarf King.

“I ask because I have received a revelation.”

“…”

A revelation.

The Dwarf King stared at Ed with a baffled expression.

That a human had received a revelation from the God of Blacksmiths.

If it were any other human, he would have scolded them for spouting such nonsense, but this was Edgar Fix.

It felt quite plausible.

“How interesting. You say you have received a revelation? What kind of revelation is it?”

Thus, the Dwarf King watched Ed with keen interest.

This friend continually revealed new aspects of himself the more they learned about him.

However, Ed began to speak of a strange dream.

“…In fact, I’ve had a terrible dream since I was a child.”

“…? A dream?”

“Yes. A dream where the Dwarf Alliance Kingdom falls.”

“…!!”

The King’s expression hardened instantly.

The goodwill in his eyes vanished at once, and anger began to blaze within his pupils.

“And also the dream of the Empire’s fall. In fact, it is a dream about the entire world perishing.”

But as Ed continued, that anger shifted into curiosity.

A dream of the world perishing was no ordinary dream.

Yet, it could also simply be a bad dream.

Such ominous dreams in this peaceful era were alarming.

“In that dream, monsters like ‘Ekaayan,’ which invaded the Dwarf border forty years ago, number in the hundreds or thousands. But they are merely of the lower class. Far stronger and more terrifying monsters swarm about. These thousands of monsters ravage the entire world, leading it towards destruction.”

However, it was too specific to dismiss it as just a dream, and it was chilling.

Edgar Fix was only eighteen years old, and until he glimpsed Reina’s memories, he might not have even known about Ekaayan; how could he have seen that in dreams since he was young?

“…Do you then consider this dream to be a revelation from the God of Blacksmiths? That’s blasphemy!”

Yet, even if it were, it was an absurd claim.

The God of Blacksmiths would grant inspiration for an object that must be made, not show such horrific dreams.

Eventually, Ed nodded his head in acquiescence and replied.

“Yes. The God of Blacksmiths does not show such ominous visions. But look here.”

Ed said and reached into thin air.

Then a crack opened in the air, and a hammer appeared in his hand.

It was the item that led Ed on the path of mechanical genius, the ‘Creator’s Hammer’ of [Eternal] grade.

“!!!”

The Dwarf King’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the hammer.

Even at first glance, it was clear that this was no ordinary hammer.

“Th-that hammer…”

Moreover, upon examining the hammer closely, its design bore resemblance to that of the hammer mentioned in legends—the one said to have been made by the God of Blacksmiths when creating this world!

“You recognize it. Would you like to hold it?”

Ed said as he offered the hammer to the Dwarf King.

The Dwarf King swallowed hard and grasped the beautifully shining handle of the sacred hammer.

-Thud!

But he couldn’t lift it.

The moment he attempted to lift it, he felt an immense weight, and his arm dropped to the ground along with the hammer.

After several attempts to lift the hammer, he ultimately found himself unable to do so.

“You probably can’t lift it. That hammer can only be lifted by me.”

Ed said, effortlessly raising the hammer.

It was as if he was lifting a mere feather.

Then Ed continued.

“No greater being, no matter how mighty, would be able to lift this hammer. The moment this hammer appeared before me, I sensed it was my fate to wield it.”

Of course, Ed’s words were a well-crafted lie.

The reason only Ed could lift the hammer was that it was a bound item.

However, just as he had inspired all dwarves with Reina’s memories, he needed a suitable message to persuade the Dwarf King.

And Ed possessed exceptional talent for such dramatics.

“Look at this.”

Ed said as he took out a piece of a mechanical blueprint and showed it to the Dwarf King.

His eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at Ed.

“W-what is this?”

“This is my mission. It can also be seen as a revelation from the God of Blacksmiths.”

A mechanical blueprint.

Of course, the Dwarf King couldn’t comprehend even a single aspect of it.

It was a blueprint containing future technology that modern humanity couldn’t even realize.

Moreover, the instructions were filled with incomprehensible characters.

The Dwarf King pointed at those characters, speaking.

“T-this… Could it be…!?”

“Yes, it’s the language of the divine realm.”

It was Korean.

However, since it was a language created by King Sejong, it would not be inappropriate to consider it as the language of the divine realm.

“…Ah, it’s beautiful. So, indeed…”

Aesthetically and scientifically perfect characters.

As all linguistic scholars of modern times praised it, the Dwarf King saw Korean as harmonious and beautiful.

“Your Majesty.”

At that moment.

Ed called out to the Dwarf King.

The Dwarf King, who was absorbed in examining the mechanical blueprint, lifted his head to look at him.

Ed said.

“The moment I received this hammer and the blueprint, I sensed it intuitively. I knew my troubling dream would someday become reality. If that weren’t the case, how could something so tremendous be bestowed upon me? Do you think, in your view, that the skills I demonstrate are ordinary?”

As Ed said this, he summoned a bracelet.

Then the bracelet wrapped around Ed’s wrist, forming a sleek black steel gauntlet.

The Dwarf King swallowed hard before speaking.

“…No. Your skills are… extraordinary. It is as if I’m witnessing the technology of the divine realm.”

“…Yes. That’s why I’ve been contemplating continuously why such immense skills have been granted to me. Since receiving this hammer and blueprint, I’ve pondered deeply. After several days of deliberation, I’ve come to a single conclusion: I must stop that dream. That is my reason.”

The Dwarf King’s mouth slowly dropped open.

If Ed’s words were true, he was no different from the God of Blacksmiths’ agent.

He was the incarnation chosen by the Gods to prevent the apocalypse!

Then Ed spoke.

“Since ancient times, dwarves have received revelations about the technologies to overcome great crises. From the technology to create underground habitats to evade the grasp of the mountain beasts, to the technology to fortify them. The technology to gather fortified habitats into cities. When monsters that dig through the earth appear, the technology to drive them away. And…”

Ed trailed off, pointing to a part of the party hall.

There stood Enya, performing her sword dance, creating a statue—Tae-Wang, the ‘Gretun Dagrian’—standing majestically.

“And when the underground city faced obliteration, Gretun Dagrian gathered all the cities above ground, drove away the beasts, and established the kingdom here. The descendants who inherited that great legacy continued the fierce will of the ‘Ironhammer’ and prospered the kingdom, and here you, Your Majesty, sit on the throne.”

Ed said, taking the Dwarf King’s hand.

The Dwarf King’s gaze upon Ed was fervent.

“Your Majesty. Did you ask why I got involved in the politics of both nations? It is because we cannot allow the crisis to linger. I have received a revelation and feel a duty to stop it. The Dwarf Alliance Kingdom is once again facing a crisis. Therefore, to overcome this crisis, humans and dwarves must join hands.”

The Dwarf King nodded.

From the moment he invited Ed here to the fact that he had gained the title of ‘Savior’ for restoring honor to his brother and brother’s wife, everything felt destined.

He truly was the Messiah chosen by the God of Blacksmiths.

“My thinking has been… short-sighted. You were seeing something much greater.”

His goal was the salvation of the world.

Then he must actively support that intention.

The Dwarf King clenched his fist and spoke.

“Very well. It may take time, but I will push for the normalization of diplomatic relations between our nations.”

Thus, the Dwarf King accepted Ed’s proposal.

Having successfully completed his mission, Ed smirked as he added.

“Thank you. However, you will need a suitable pretext to normalize diplomatic relations. So…”

Ed mentioned the depletion of ‘Emerald Mana Stones.’

And asked if helping the Empire resolve that issue would serve as a suitable justification.

“You truly… have a marvelous knack for dwarven matters. To prepare even for that. Yes, that would be sufficient justification. The Emerald Mana Stones are our most precious resource.”

The Dwarf King nodded without hesitation.

No matter how much animosity the dwarves might bear against the Empire, solving the problem of the Emerald Mana Stones would alter the conversation.

Moreover, after forty years, the events in question were not actions of the Empire out of malice but rather an accidental occurrence in the course of territorial expansion.

Of course, it was true that they needed to exercise caution, anticipating that the embers of that incident would flare up against the dwarves; nevertheless, the Empire did its utmost.

In essence, the issue of Dagran and Reina had not reached the dwarves, leading them to react to the ‘attitude’ of attempting to resolve everything with gold without punishing those deserving of punishment.

But now that Ed was about to reveal the truth, and the princess had apologized, the circumstances have lessened somewhat.

“Then, could you arrange a meeting for the morning? I would like to discuss with the involved parties how to resolve the issue of the depletion of Emerald Mana Stones.”

“Of course. What can’t I do at your request?”

Strong goodwill glimmered in the eyes of the Dwarf King.

And he was bestowing a gaze filled with respect.

He was the savior of this world, having received a revelation from the God of Blacksmiths, and there was no reason not to respect him.

He was merely treating him dismissively due to his position and responsibilities.

“Thank you. Then I shall see you tomorrow.”

Ed said, rising from his seat.

Having accomplished the most crucial mission, it was now time for the next.

‘Charlotte.’

The next mission was to find a way to preserve the Emerald Mana Stones using Charlotte’s abilities.

To create cutting-edge equipment in the future, Emerald Mana Stones would be essential; thus, it had to be achieved.

‘However, she seems rather down lately…’

Yet recently, something seemed off about Charlotte.

Though she hadn’t spoken much to him, she would always be around, but lately, she often gazed sadly out the window.

Was there perhaps some change in her sentiments?

It was even rare to see her at the party.

Ed promptly headed toward Charlotte’s quarters.