I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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“That’s just nonsense!”

Lucas shook his head and let out a small smile.

The idea that his mother, who had never even glanced at a man, might have special feelings for her 18-year-old classmate seemed utterly impossible.

“That’s just a silly thought,” he dismissed.

After all, Edgar was a guest beneficial to the family—his mother, as the head of the household, might have some positive feelings toward him.

To the extent of even taking a sip of the alcohol she usually avoided.

“Ed! I was wondering where you were, and it turns out you were tasting our house wine!”

Lucas greeted with a light-hearted joke and a cheerful smile, determined not to reveal his perplexed feelings.

“Mmm. It was the best wine I’ve ever tasted. It was aged to perfection.”

As he took a seat, Edgar lightly swirled his wine glass and smiled.

Lucas responded with an equally charming smile and nodded lightly.

“You brought out some fine wine.”

Then he glanced at his mother.

She was sporting a rare, disheveled look with a tipsy smile that he’d never seen before, her cheeks flushed.

“Well, he’s a friend of my son. A valuable guest, after all.”

Adela poured some wine for Lucas while saying that.

Lucas maintained his smile and took a gentle sip of the wine after smelling its aroma.

It was a bit bitter.

“Haha. This truly is our house’s wine.”

He smiled broadly while making an effort to hide the slight discomfort he felt.

The tighter he felt in his chest, the more relaxed he pretended to be—that was Lucas’s long-standing habit.

“The young master’s meal has been served.”

As they engaged in light conversation to calm their nerves, a maid soon arrived with his meal.

Without having to go through hors d’oeuvres—appetizers, the main course, a T-bone steak, was laid out on the table.

Lucas expertly began to slice the steak and slowly broached the main topic.

“By the way… are you here for a family matter?”

He inquired whether the visit was for a public or personal issue.

Once Edgar nodded, Lucas felt a sense of relief as he popped a piece of steak into his mouth.

It was very delicious.

“Hmm. I see. Then I hope I’m not interrupting your discussion.”

After swallowing a piece of steak, Lucas treated Edgar respectfully given his status as a count.

If he was indeed here to discuss family matters, then Edgar was not only his guest but essentially his mother’s guest.

“What’s with that cheesy way of speaking?”

But Edgar burst into laughter at Lucas’s sudden politeness.

He then downplayed his own role, stating he had merely come seeking counsel from a guardian who was a novice in estate management.

Lucas felt a lot more at ease.

“Understood, Count.”

With that, Lucas offered some playful banter to Edgar, who shot back that if Lucas used that flowery language one more time, he’d fire a repulsion beam at him. Lucas returned the jab by saying he wouldn’t just fall for that again.

‘Is he being considerate of his son?’

Adela observed Edgar and smiled warmly.

Edgar’s consideration for Lucas was clear to see, and he handled people like an adult comforting a child.

‘How can someone be so mature at such a young age…’

It was astonishing.

Though Edgar Fix was just an 18-year-old young man, his ability to deal with people felt like that of a sage who had mastered life.

It was as if he possessed an aura and mannerisms that belied his age.

He emanated an air that only someone who had reached a certain understanding of humanity through experiences could possess.

He seemed to encapsulate humanity in a single concise statement.

That mature quality resonated from Edgar.

‘He’s awake.’

Moreover, he wasn’t just someone skilled with people.

He was a knowledgeable scholar and philosopher with refinement.

It was no surprise; today, he had imparted wisdom to her.

Captivated by his sense of justice and theories on leadership, she found herself so engrossed that she didn’t notice how inebriated she was becoming.

‘A true leader is called by the times…’

Adela suddenly recalled something Edgar had said.

A true leader arises from the individuals that society needs.

It was indeed true.

She, too, had given birth to a child of a commoner and faced the scorn of all nobles, yet had ultimately proven herself worthy and risen as a woman of the East.

This notion sharply contrasted with how existing nobility regarded leadership.

They believed their status was a divine right bestowed from above, taking everything they enjoyed for granted.

As a result, many nobles were arrogant and incompetent.

They knew little more than to manipulate the mana granted by their birthright, often being no better than commoners.

While some nobles did advocate for noblest oblige, very few put such beliefs into practice.

‘I used to be like that, too.’

Indeed, she had once been just that.

Before meeting her husband, no one had been as proud and noble as she was.

However, after encountering him and experiencing a series of events, she had changed.

She had been captivated by her husband and accepted him fully.

Since then, Adela found it impossible to be satisfied with any man other than her husband.

They were all just fakes pretending to be real; nothing compared to the genuine article that was her husband.

‘But Edgar Fix is different…’

However, Edgar Fix was different.

He was not one of those fakes who pretended to be real.

He was a real man.

A true leader called by the times.

– A pang in her heart.

But her heart ached.

Every time she saw him, her husband would come to mind.

If only her husband were alive, her life could have been more fulfilling.

She could have submitted to him and enjoyed happiness as a woman fully.

‘…’

Adela tightly grasped a necklace, a memento of her husband.

Perhaps it was the wine working its magic, but today she missed her husband more than ever.

– Slurp.

As Ed and Lucas engaged in joyful conversation, Adela quietly drank her wine.

***

After dinner.

Ed decided to spend the night at Adela’s house.

The next day, Adela would personally introduce him to the items she would support him with.

So, Ed returned to the guest room to take care of a few necessities.

He was preparing blueprints to create SCVs for the villagers.

“Hmm…”

Therefore, Ed was working on 3D modeling using holograms.

Since SCVs were construction robots operated by humans, there were many complicated mechanisms to consider.

“The costs won’t add up. The production time is excessive, too.”

However, there were far too many complex procedures to create a perfect SCV.

Of course, it could be built, but it required embedded programming and application of numerous spells.

Additionally, the level of knowledge required in fluid dynamics, material science, thermodynamics, and mechanical engineering was high.

It was the worst model for mass production.

“Those kids are still at this level…”

The club members who had just begun learning physics.

Though they were being pushed hard with only four hours of sleep daily, it was unrealistic for them to grasp and apply all those mechanics.

Thus, Ed decided to devise a construction robot suitable for mass production.

Namely, a wearable robot.

‘This could be mass-produced.’

A wearable robot.

As the name implies, it’s a suit-type robot that can be worn and taken off like clothing.

With its exoskeleton reaching 2.3 meters in height and being attached to the legs, arms, waist, back, and shoulders, it would allow an average human to exert 30 times their normal strength.

‘But if I mix in some spells…’

Utilizing its powers could allow for a hundredfold increase in strength.

It’s capable of lifting things that would normally require heavy machinery—a single person could easily move them.

‘If I add various functions…’

Also, by creating different types of arm parts for welding and cutting and making a mobility device for wearables, a construction robot that outshone SCVs would be completed.

‘The power source should be similar to mine.’

Of course, operating such wearable robots would require a lot of energy.

So, I plan to implant mana stones into the villagers’ bodies to provide the necessary power.

Just like the big mana stone in my chest powers the entire suit.

‘The problem is…’

However, the issue is that commoners lack the developed mana receptors, making mana refinement impossible.

In other words, even if I implant mana stones, they can’t recharge mana themselves, resulting in a one-time use only.

‘It has to be replaceable.’

Thus, what I envisioned was a surgery to make it replaceable.

In essence, akin to Tony Stark, boring a hole in the chest to install a mana stone, allowing for easy insertion and removal.

By doing that, the usage of mana could be controlled to prevent abuse, and I’d gain a reason to persuade mana-sensitive nobles.

Mana could only be used to operate the wearable robot, thereby preventing the nobles’ fierce backlash.

‘Of course, there will still be many nobles opposed to it, but with the Princess and Elena behind me…’

Moreover, I have strong backing.

The Great Mage and the Princess.

And now, even the Empress of the East is watching my back.

As long as these individuals support me, my SCV operation will not falter.

“Alright. Let’s begin.”

Thus, having resolved most of the issues, Ed immediately set to work.

He started producing blueprints for the wearable robot using holograms.

“Fix, let’s get it done by tonight.”

“Woooooo~”

Ed’s night deepened.

***

The next day.

Adela had a simple breakfast with Ed and then suggested going for a walk.

It was to hear more details about his plans for rebuilding the territory.

Knowing what vision he held would determine how much resources she could allocate to support him.

“I’m dreaming of creating the largest industrial city in history.”

However, Ed’s vision was immense.

Creating the largest industrial city in history.

Without her full support, it was a scale that would be difficult to execute immediately.

“I will fully support you, to the extent that our family’s finances remain unaffected, I promise to provide everything I can.”

However, Adela made a groundbreaking decision.

She resolved to secure only the minimal resources necessary for territory management and to offer all the rest for support.

This was akin to a bet on the fate of the territory.

“Thank you.”

Yet, even after receiving such a colossal investment, Ed merely offered a short “thank you” in response.

If it were someone else, they would be bowing their head 90 degrees, but he answered with an unflustered demeanor.

That meant he had confidence in his ability to succeed in business.

From the very beginning, the size of his capacity was on another level compared to the other fakes.

“Well, I guess there’s much to prepare. This will be the largest scale of support in history.”

“Your kindness will not be forgotten.”

“Hehe. I’m doing this because I believe it’s worth investing, of course.”

“You’ll definitely reap the rewards.”

“That’s great. Now, without dragging it out, shall we prepare right away? Let’s finish everything by today so we can set off tomorrow.”

With that, Adela summoned all her retainers and began giving various instructions.

The retainers looked surprised by Adela’s groundbreaking decision, but soon dispersed, each carrying out the assigned tasks.

Since they were all loyal retainers, no one dared to complain about the lord’s decision.

“It’s been a while since I felt this excited. Shall we get going?”

“Yes, let’s.”

Thus, the next day.

Ed transported the largest amount of goods in history to his territory.

As Lucas watched the long line of wagons, he felt a peculiar emotion welling up inside him.

It felt like his mother was too devoted, sacrificing everything for the cause.