The Blacksmith's Declaration
I am Edga Fix.
“Edga Fix, step up to the podium.”
The princess called out my name. A heavy silence fell over the entire hall. Everyone held their breath, eager to confirm with their own eyes the identity of the commoner who had caught the princess’s attention and awakened his own mana. The genius she had singled out.
“Get the scoop ready.”
In that silence, the journalists moved with frantic, soundless energy. Provocative headlines were already being drafted. All that remained was to wait for me to climb onto the stage and start snapping pictures.
“Haa… Sephilia.”
To Elena, however, this entire situation was nothing but a massive headache. I was her second disciple, the one she had accepted. She had planned to raise me slowly, keeping me as far from the public eye as possible. Because I possessed a talent unprecedented in history, she had wanted to nurture me with the utmost care. The backlash that would come crashing down on me was bound to be enormous, and she had been worried about the storm it would bring.
But her whimsical disciple, the Imperial Princess Sephilia, had flipped everything upside down. Originally, Elena should have introduced me during her own turn. Instead, the princess had stolen the lead and exposed me to everyone like this.
Step… step…
But the water had already been spilled. Once the princess issued a command, there was no choice but to obey. From the shadows backstage, I finally stepped into view. The sound of my steady footsteps echoed through the hall as I walked forward in silence.
Gulp.
Everyone watched with tense expressions as the handsome boy climbed the stairs.
“E-Edga…?”
The first to recognize me was Enya. When the princess had called out “Edga Fix,” she had wondered if it could possibly be the same person, but she had never imagined it would actually be true. The Edga she knew was not Professor Schneider’s son.
“What? How is this possible?”
“Didn’t they say he was Professor Schneider’s child?”
“A commoner… right?”
And it wasn’t just Enya who was shocked by my appearance. Her longtime friends from the ducal families—Lucas, Claire, and Isabella—were also staring at me with stunned faces as I ascended the podium. They had naturally assumed I was a noble’s son, given my refined appearance and polished speech. Above all, they had personally witnessed me using a special trait, and the Schneider family was known for handling special traits. That was why they had so readily believed Enya’s words.
“I greet Her Highness the Princess.”
Once I reached the podium, I offered the princess a formal bow. Left knee on the ground, right arm placed over my left chest, left hand resting on my waist. It was the perfect etiquette of a well-educated noble.
The hall stirred at once.
The reason the hall had grown so noisy was simple: the posture I had taken was flawless. The etiquette reserved for the imperial family was something even low-ranking nobles like barons often didn’t know well. After all, the chance to stand before the imperial family in private was something that might happen once in a lifetime, if at all. Yet I had executed it with perfect understanding and without a single flaw. And I was supposedly nothing more than a commoner.
Interesting?
The princess was watching me with intrigued eyes. My calm demeanor had completely changed the picture she had envisioned.
Hmm. I only meant to embarrass him a little.
Originally, she had planned to humiliate Edga Fix. She would suddenly call him up to the podium, fluster him, and then turn the boy—who clearly wouldn’t know imperial etiquette—into a laughingstock. After all, there was no way a commoner would know how to properly greet the imperial family.
Did Sister teach him?
But my posture was perfect. Not only that, the way I held the position without moving until given permission was also praiseworthy. Finally, the princess’s lips curved into a smirk as she addressed me.
“Rise, Edga Fix.”
At her permission, I stood up. The princess stepped slightly aside and gestured toward the spot where she had been standing.
“This seat was prepared to introduce you. I wish to hear your aspirations—the ambitions that allowed you to enter this academy despite your status.”
In other words, she was telling me to introduce myself however I saw fit. A sudden self-introduction was the perfect opportunity to gauge someone’s quick thinking. In this situation where everyone’s attention was focused on me, she was extremely curious to see how this extraordinary boy would define himself.
I finally stepped fully onto the podium. Amid the rising tension, I opened my mouth.
“Nice to meet you. I am Edga Fix.”
I began my introduction with a standard greeting, then deliberately paused. It was to draw everyone’s focus. After scanning the audience, I continued.
“Today, I heard many rumors about myself. That I must be the child of a fallen noble house. That I must be a noble who inherited a special trait bloodline. That I must be Professor Schneider’s son… They were all speculations about my background.”
As I mentioned the various rumors swirling around me, most of the new students nodded. The handsome black-haired newcomer who had made Enya smile—nearly everyone had been gossiping about me.
“However, not once among those rumors was the surname ‘Fix’ ever mentioned. Because no one could possibly imagine a commoner with that name enrolling here.”
Everyone accepted my words. Just as I said, the idea of a mere commoner becoming a student at this academy was unimaginable. I continued pointing out facts they could all agree with before moving on.
“Nevertheless, I was able to become a student of the Imperial Academy despite carrying the name Fix. It was thanks to the grace of Her Highness the Princess.”
I paused for a moment and looked around at the audience. Up to this point, the atmosphere was one of general understanding. After all, I had only spoken the truth. But this was intentional. I was laying the groundwork so they could naturally accept my next words. I had only mentioned facts that were easy for everyone to agree with.
“However, simply receiving Her Highness’s grace does not mean I will be acknowledged.”
And here came the turning point. After opening their ears with obvious truths, I suddenly pointed out an uncomfortable reality.
“No, most of you new students probably won’t acknowledge me. Even if I awakened my own mana, even if I have talent in spellcraft, even if I’m good with machines, even if I received the princess’s favor—deep down in your hearts, you won’t be able to accept me. Simply because the name ‘Fix’ is attached to mine.”
I had received the princess’s recognition, yet the uncomfortable truth that could not be accepted by birth. I stated the instinctive displeasure the nobles would feel exactly as it was. Instead of glossing over it with a polite “I’m a commoner, so please be kind,” I charged straight through it head-on.
In the atmosphere that felt as if cold water had been poured over everyone, I continued.
“But I do not consider the discomfort you feel to be discrimination. Rather, I believe it is a perfectly natural emotion that you should feel. Because the family name attached to the end of your names is your pride.”
Pride. I framed the nobles’ discomfort as something that stemmed from their own pride. I had elevated their complaints into “something born from pride.” Now it was time to persuade them of the reason.
“Your surnames carry history and tradition. The Cruel family that has produced seven Sword Masters throughout the empire’s history. Duke Graham, who sacrificed himself two hundred years ago to protect the north during the monster wave. Duke Bernhardt, who two hundred and thirty years ago led thousands of cavalry to sweep away enemies when the imperial capital was on the verge of falling. One hundred and fifteen years ago…”
I recited the names of the great houses one by one. From ducal families to marquisates, count houses, and baronies. Every time I called out a family name, the students bearing that name would flinch and feel a surge of pride welling up in their chests.
After mentioning the achievements of roughly eighteen families, I looked around at the audience and said,
“Everyone. The family name at the end of your names is proof of the history and tradition passed down through the inheritance of that great will. And I respect the authority and pride that come from that familial tradition.”
The expressions of the audience began to change. In just a few short sentences, I had filled the sense of purpose that even a one-hour video couldn’t have instilled in the new students. Everyone waited for my next words.
Finally, I opened my mouth again.
“Edga Fix. But I am Edga Fix. Compared to all of you, it is quite shabby. Nowhere in the empire’s records has the surname Fix ever been mentioned.”
I elevated the audience and lowered myself. Several people in the crowd—no, more than half—felt a pang in their chests as they saw my bitter expression. They had been drawn into my story and had empathized with my feelings.
But I quickly lifted my head. The bitterness that had spread across my face vanished. I looked around at the audience once more and spoke.
“However, the Fix family has been quietly doing its work on the back pages of history. We have been hammering away without rest. Because ‘Fix’ literally means to repair and mend.”
Strength began to enter my voice. With everyone’s attention focused on me, I continued.
“Our Fix family has stood alongside the entire history of your struggles. When the north was protected from the monster wave, when the capital faced the threat of falling to the allied forces’ attack, when the demon race toyed with countless smaller cities—we continued to hammer. Every weapon born from the end of that hammer was placed into the hands of great heroes.”
The atmosphere grew heated. My voice rose along with it, and the rhythm of my speech quickened.
“I am not ashamed of my family name. I am undoubtedly a Fix. I did not come here to become a Sword Master, nor did I come to become a grand mage. I did not come here to rise through relying on your authority. I simply came here to hammer. To compete with all of you, to learn the same things, to cooperate toward common goals. After going through all those processes and growing, I came here to place the finest equipment into your hands.”
I paused to catch my breath and looked around at the audience. The hostility from before had almost completely disappeared. They were beginning to accept me.
“Therefore, I dare to make a promise from this very spot. I will do my utmost to place the greatest weapons in your hands. So please, just a little… open your hearts to me, even if only a little.”
With those words, I concluded my self-introduction and gave the audience a light bow. I also offered a light bow to the princess, who was staring at me with a dazed expression, and left one final remark into the voice amplifier.
“And to Her Imperial Highness Sephilia, the very embodiment of the empire and the inheritor of its most exalted name, I offer my deepest gratitude for preparing this honorable occasion. With that, I conclude my introduction. Thank you.”
Upon hearing my final words, the princess twisted her lips into a smirk. She had called me up on impulse to humiliate me, yet it had only elevated my standing even further. And on top of that, I had just thanked her for giving me this opportunity—effectively making her look like a fool. To a princess, it was nothing short of an impudent provocation.
Heh. He’s got quite the nerve, doesn’t he?
But my provocation had been calculated from the start. Having played through this game multiple times, I knew exactly what kind of behavior was needed to unlock Sephilia’s episode. She preferred men who treated her roughly rather than those who were overly polite.
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
In the midst of that, applause began to erupt from various places throughout the hall. It had been a flawless speech with no room for criticism. Many nobles, their hearts opened by my words, were sending waves of applause my way. Some female students showed interest simply because they had taken a liking to my appearance. Others were moved by my conviction regarding the name “Fix” and chose to acknowledge me. Still others were satisfied that I had praised their own families by name. There were also the old-fashioned nobles who had been impressed by my elegant etiquette and refined speech. Because I had shown excellence in so many different aspects, most of the nobles seemed to accept me for one reason or another.
“·····.”
And Enya was blushing as she looked at me. A man who carried out his convictions without yielding to his status—this was true “romance.” He possessed the spirit of a sword saint.
“Hmm. Not bad for a commoner brat. He’s pretty cute, too.”
“Tsk. The representative oath is going to be completely overshadowed. I thought mine was pretty cool.”
“Lucas, you really are such an attention-seeker.”
The other children of the ducal families were also inwardly acknowledging me. Even Isabella, the very epitome of authoritarianism. Her cat-like eyes narrowed seductively as she took me in.
Ah, I want to make him my toy. I want to make him mine and pamper him for a long, long time… ♥