I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, our Isilian Kingdom would have faced a catastrophic disaster.”

The leader of the Gryphon Riders, Cassiloff II, bowed at a 90-degree angle.

He was expressing gratitude for the protection provided to the Gryphons against the Gargoil’s attack.

Edgar, releasing his suit, spoke.

“You’re welcome. I merely did what I had to.”

Chrrr—.

In an instant, the suit opened, and Ed welcomed Prince Cassiloff.

The soldiers around the prince looked startled as they gazed at Ed’s suit.

Is this what the Empire’s technology led by Edgar Fix can do?

“More importantly, shouldn’t we discuss a pressing matter? Let’s go inside and talk.”

Yet, Ed, as if it was nothing special to have saved the Isilian Kingdom and gained the soldiers’ admiration, immediately brought up business matters.

What mattered to him was solely solidifying the northern defense against Lilith’s invasion.

To do that, he needed to borrow their main troops.

“Haha. Yes. Then I shall escort you to the palace.”

With that, Prince Cassiloff began to lead the way to the palace.

Ed and the prince strolled along the path to the palace, exchanging various stories.

Mainly, they discussed business matters and various feasts or events prepared by the Isilian Kingdom for Ed.

However, Ed had other concerns.

“The weather is quite cold.”

Indeed, it was unusually cold.

Even considering it was a kingdom built in a mountainous area, the chill was abnormal.

Prince Cassiloff elaborated on this.

“…Such cycles come once every two hundred years. It’s the deathly cold. Fortunately, thanks to the Great War eight years ago, we have sufficient funds—ah, I apologize. That was thoughtless of me.”

Upon mentioning the Great War from eight years ago, Prince Cassiloff immediately clamped his mouth shut.

This was because the Isilian Kingdom had been the Empire’s enemy in that war.

Eight years ago, despite the Empire’s formidable military power, they had been swayed by the guerillas of the Clendor Kingdom and the Gryphon Riders of the Isilian Kingdom, ultimately losing the war.

They had signed a peace agreement under a massive indemnity.

And at that time, it was the Isilian Kingdom that benefited immensely from the indemnity.

“It’s alright. I understand there are circumstances for everyone. From the Isilian Kingdom’s perspective, siding with the Coalition Kingdom would have been a definite gain. It was a wise choice.”

Yet, Ed didn’t particularly care about that fact.

In truth, he had no sense of belonging to the ‘Empire’; his only aim was to ‘unify all kingdoms to save humanity,’ so he didn’t mind Prince Cassiloff’s slip of the tongue that could be insulting to the Empire.

“Anyway, setting aside past discussions, what’s the current situation of the kingdom? With this kind of cold, it seems hard to engage in activities outside.”

With that, Ed returned to the main topic, inquiring about the impact of the cold.

Prince Cassiloff spoke with a somber expression.

“To be honest, the situation is bleak. Given the weather, there’s no possibility of raising crops, and the local beasts will enter hibernation, making hunting difficult. Most importantly, despite the advancements in technology, the concern for deaths by freezing is the largest. I dread to think how many of our people might succumb to the cold this time…”

Ed nodded.

Indeed, with this cold, there could easily be those who would freeze to death while staying indoors.

Even the civilization of the Empire struggled with winter preparations, so the Isilian Kingdom, stuck in the early medieval era, was unlikely to be adequately prepared for the cold.

‘There’s no way that house can provide proper protection.’

Above all, it was the homes of the commoners.

Those houses were simply mud plastered onto wooden frames with thatched roofs.

It was a dwelling in an environment poorer than the thatched houses of the Joseon era.

“May I visit that house?”

Thus, Ed suddenly became curious about the condition of their living environment.

It didn’t look likely that it was well-insulated, and he was interested in how those living there felt about it.

“Oh, would that be alright? It’s just a mere commoner’s house, so there isn’t much to see.”

“It’s fine. I’m from a commoner background myself.”

“……”

Prince Cassiloff suddenly remembered that Ed was of commoner origin.

He had forgotten that since the noble mannerisms and atmosphere had permeated so much.

“……Yes, then shall we have a look?”

Perhaps recalling his days as a commoner, Prince Cassiloff didn’t quite understand why Ed wanted to enter such a house, but he willingly guided Ed to a common citizen’s home.

Soon, a soldier accompanying the prince entered the house first to inform the homeowner that the prince wished to see it.

Then, a middle-aged couple in their forties rushed out to greet the prince, offering to show him around anytime.

“Then I shall excuse myself.”

Ed bowed to the elderly couple in their forties as he entered the house.

As expected, the interior was dimly lit, and the walls, which were not properly insulated, were extremely cold.

The chill rising from the walls and floor circulated throughout the house, and every breath felt like the cold was seeping into his bones.

“It’s very cold.”

“….Yes. But if we turn this on, it should get a bit better.”

Prince Cassiloff said, turning on something resembling a lantern in the middle of the house.

As it activated, the lantern began to emit high-temperature air, warming up the space.

“This is the ‘Heat Emission Lantern’ developed independently by our kingdom. It’s limited to four hours a day, but while it’s on, we can escape the effects of the cold.”

The ‘Heat Emission Lantern’ was something the Isilian Kingdom had developed.

To be honest, it was garbage.

By Edgar’s standards, it didn’t even remotely pass muster.

However, he couldn’t douse the prince’s enthusiasm with cold water, so he immediately posed the next question.

“So, is this device all you have for winter preparations?”

“Um… While this device is key, we also have several other preparations in place.”

The prince explained the Isilian Kingdom’s winter preparations.

However, after hearing everything, Ed could sense that all of those efforts were not truly useful.

Of course, it wasn’t meaningless, but it was merely enough to stave off freezing to death.

‘You’re telling me they have to survive for three years in such a miserable environment?’

The temperatures seemed poised to dip to a freezing -50 degrees.

All they had to rely on were the pitiful heat-emitting devices handed out by the kingdom and crudely made fireplaces with fur clothing.

“It’s a period we have to endure without options.”

At that moment, Prince Cassiloff, sensing Ed’s expression, gave a bittersweet smile and said.

Then, looking at the glum face of the homeowner, he continued.

“All we can do is get through this period well. …Fortunately, Lord Fix has come to visit our kingdom. If we can successfully finalize a mutually beneficial contract, the kingdom may secure funds to survive this tough time. Hahaha. Now, shall we discuss the Gryphon Rider rental?”

Prince Cassiloff wrapped up the conversation positively and urged Ed to talk about the contract.

However, Ed had other business plans in mind.

“Just a moment. Is there any chance of piling on another contract to proceed with?”

And he began to broach the new business idea he had conceived.

The prince immediately showed curiosity.

“Another contract?”

“Yes. I intend to help the Isilian Kingdom survive the winter.”

“……..!”

The prince’s face lit up.

The amazing Edgar Fix was going to help the kingdom survive the winter!

“May I hear the details?”

With that, the prince promptly asked Edgar about his plans.

Then Edgar, while looking around the commoner’s house, spoke.

“I intend to completely demolish the houses and build new ones.”

“…The houses?”

“Yes. I plan to build new houses for all the commoners living in the kingdom.”

“……..”

The prince’s expression hardened.

To rebuild all the houses of the commoners.

Could that even be possible?

“…Even if our kingdom is a small nation, such large-scale construction seems impossible. To completely rebuild all the houses? There are 800,000 people living here, after all.”

Although classified as a small country in a mountainous area, it still had a population of a staggering 800,000.

Even the great Edgar Fix would think it was impossible to build houses to accommodate 800,000 people.

There was one more problem.

“And even if your words are possible, where would our kingdom find the money for such a large-scale construction?”

Money.

The funds to build structures with Edgar Fix’s technology were nonexistent.

But in that moment.

“It’s alright. I won’t charge any money.”

Edgar Fix uttered words that seemed utterly unbelievable.

He declared he wouldn’t charge a single penny.

“…Excuse me?”

“Instead, I’d like to receive it in the form of labor.”

In exchange, Edgar said he would take payment in labor.

In other words, he requested that, instead of providing comfortable housing for the people of Isilian, they would pay him back in labor.

“After all, during the three years of winter preparations, outdoor activities will be nearly impossible, right? I’d like to take advantage of the three-year gap.”

“……..”

The prince swallowed hard.

What Edgar Fix desired were a vast number of laborers.

He thought there might indeed be an intersection of interests between the kingdom and him, as he had suggested.

“Um, how many do you require?”

“All physically healthy men and women between the ages of 17 and 50 would be suitable.”

From 17 to 50.

That’s a population that could reach up to 320,000.

Edgar Fix wanted a workforce of an astonishing 320,000.

“…How long will the construction take?”

“If it’s with the technology of my engineering division, we can finish the construction in four months.”

During that time, Edgar’s engineering division, which had been erecting various structures as instructed, had piled up tremendous skills.

Currently, they were raking in money from various noble contracts in the Empire, remodelling interiors to modern styles or constructing public baths.

During that process, the civil engineering and construction technology that utilized ‘magic’ and ‘construction robots’ was advancing by leaps and bounds.

“Of course, just because the construction period is short doesn’t mean it will be shoddy. Look here.”

Edgar said as he projected a hologram.

The hologram displayed the apartment complex Edgar was envisioning.

“It’s a housing complex capable of accommodating around 10,000 people. Although it’s a standard model with the same structure and interior, it has everything you need. Leak prevention, draft blocking, good ventilation, south-facing, and it’s equipped with a boiler.”

Prince Cassiloff nodded.

He didn’t understand any of it, but he could grasp that it seemed to offer many good features.

In fact, the interior of the house as seen in the hologram looked as neat and comfortable as that of any noble household.

“Well, if you want, I could show you a house that’s currently in use. You need to know what kind of place it is, after all.”

And Edgar didn’t stop there, offering to let them experience a real, occupied home.

Prince Cassiloff agreed and immediately headed back to the palace to report this news to the King.

“…So, you want me to allow you to open a portal?”

“Yes. To allow the populace to work in the Empire, a large-scale portal is necessary…”

“Then wouldn’t that break the isolation policy upheld by our ancestors? Son, think well about why our kingdom has not been conquered for hundreds of years.”

“…But father. The world is changing day by day. The Prance Kingdom has been occupied by the Crayble Revolutionary Group and turned into a republic, and thanks to Count Cromwell’s technology, they are armed with steel tanks. Because of that, the surrounding nations are importing that technology to respond.”

“……..”

“We too must accept external technology. I believe this is a great opportunity.”

“…But if we break such long-standing traditions, what if our ancestors in heaven take offense…”

“Then why not go see for yourself? Just in time, Lord Fix is offering to show us the structures in his territory, so let’s see for ourselves and make a decision.”

“……..”

The king of the Isilian Kingdom, who valued history and tradition above all else, reluctantly nodded.

It would be problematic to dismiss his son’s opinions outright if he wanted to lend strength to the prince, who was to become the next king.

Ultimately, the king thought to himself that someday, the prince would understand the deeper meanings of their ancestors, and he decided to play along with the prince’s wishes.

Thus, the king and the prince crossed over to Edgar’s territory via a ‘temporary portal.’

“Shall we warm up first?”

And Edgar guided them to a ‘hot spring spa.’

The modern building was filled with steaming natural hot spring water.

The view of the territory visible beyond the glass walls was also breathtaking.

“Ooooooo!!!”

Finally, soaking in the hot spring, the king and the prince groaned in delight.

The warm water melted away their bodies, frozen from the cold.

-Wuuuuuuuuuuuu…

And from behind them, ‘massage jets’ began to burst forth.

The tension and cold from their muscles ceremoniously released, inducing a lazy sensation.

“Shall we sweat a little before we go?”

After thawing his body once, Edgar led them to the sauna.

The king and the prince pressed their backs against the warm floor of the sauna, savoring the sensation of all their bodies sizzling away comfortably.

The king was even snoring loudly.

“Let’s try the yellow clay sauna.”

However, the lemon-scented magic of the sauna lay in the various themed rooms.

Edgar brought them into the yellow clay sauna and seated them.

The intense heat that they had never experienced while living their entire lives in a cold region tortured them.

Yet once they emerged from that hellish heat, they could relish the heavenly air outside.

“Ah!”

Refreshing air!

The warm, fevered feel coursing through their bodies!

Edgar did not stop there; he gave them a bottle of sweet rice drink and hard-boiled eggs.

However, the king, suspicious of the unfamiliar appearance of the sweet rice drink, first cracked and devoured the usual hard-boiled egg.

As expected, the dry texture made him feel blocked in his throat.

“I thought Lord Fix’s eggs would be a bit special, but they’re really nothing much.”

In the end, the king was forced to open the sweet rice drink and gulp it down.

After sweating profusely in the yellow clay room, he had needed something to quench his thirst, wanting to wash down the egg stuck in his throat.

“Ooh!?”

However, the moment the sweet rice drink mingled with the egg in his mouth.

It was reborn as an entirely new flavor from another dimension.

The dry texture of the egg softened as it mixed with the sweet rice drink, and the sweet taste of the drink melded with the unique flavor of the egg, elevating it to a heavenly taste.

“Aaaaah…”

It was paradise.

How blissful it would be to spend his old age in such modern saunas and hot spring spas every day.

“It seems you like it here. If you allow me to open a portal, I’ll build you this structure as well.”

Yet at that moment.

An angel appeared to make that dream come true.

Edgar Fix.

A bright smile spread across the face of the King of Isilian.

“I’ll have it opened immediately!!!”

***

Having tasted the greatness of civilization, the King of Isilian accepted my proposal.

He promised to open a large-scale portal that would connect my territory with the Isilian Kingdom.

‘With this, I’ve secured 320,000 laborers.’

Thus, I was able to both secure laborers and take on the contract for the ‘Gryphon Rider.’

Now, I could command laborers of 320,000 at a base salary set at 20%.

At a glance, it seemed I was at a disadvantage for providing houses for 800,000 people, but surprisingly, I was the one coming out ahead.

The technology of my engineering division had already reached a high level, and since it would be built using construction robots, the efficiency would be off the charts.

In short, with the perfect combination of uniform standards, mass production, and systematic technique, the waste of resources and labor utility would reach insane levels.

‘Now, it’s time to move on to the next stage.’

Having secured 320,000 foreign workers, I began to devise the next step.

That was to look beyond building the northern defense and instead aim for the ‘Noah’s Ark’ project.