Fix, My Son-in-Law...!
I stood there, staring into the distant future. I was sketching out exactly what form the Devil Suit needed to evolve into—its final, ultimate shape. The conclusion I reached was simple: I needed a computer. Every single function in the suit relied on one.
Take the auto-equip feature, for example. For the suit to equip itself automatically, it first had to recognize its user. I couldn’t let just anyone climb inside. The moment I approached, the suit would need to scan my appearance and verify that the person trying to wear it was indeed Edga Fix.
So how would it confirm that? By capturing every possible characteristic. Hair color, iris pattern, nose length, lip shape, eyebrow length, height, skeletal structure, gait, voice, shoulder width, skin texture—everything. The more data points it collected, the higher the accuracy when identifying the specific entity known as “Edga Fix.” If it only checked for black hair, I’d end up with a shameless suit that welcomed every dark-haired stranger who wandered by.
Once the scan was complete, the suit would store the data. It would look something like this.
UserInfo.hairColor = black
UserInfo.eyesColor = silver_black
UserInfo.height = 179.5
UserInfo.faceProportions = 1108
The suit would then query the database with a command like this: Hey, pull up the master’s profile.
<MASTER PROFILE>
dbms.hairColor = black
dbms.eyesColor = silver_black
dbms.height = 179.5
dbms.faceProportions = 1108
Once it successfully retrieved the stored data, the next step was comparison. It would check whether the database’s hairColor matched UserInfo’s hairColor, whether the eyesColor values lined up, whether the height and face proportions were identical. If every parameter matched, the suit would conclude that the approaching individual was indeed Edga Fix.
After confirmation, it would issue the next command: Everyone, it’s the master. Open the entry points.
The suit’s torso would then open its helmet, spread its chest plating, and part its leg armor, waiting for me to step inside. Once I was fully seated and every limb was correctly positioned, the rear panels would seal shut, bolts would tighten automatically, and the equip sequence would complete.
Even something as seemingly simple as auto-equip involved countless commands running in the background. And that was the heavily simplified version. Implementing just that one feature required considering an overwhelming number of variables. This was why I desperately needed a CPU capable of performing complex calculations in a fraction of a second.
And that’s not all.
A high-performance CPU would be involved in nearly every system. Even the military-grade processors in an F-22 Raptor could handle over a billion operations per second. But the suit I was designing operated on an entirely different level from a fighter jet. Since I intended to fly in human form, I would need to completely reinvent the four forces of flight—lift, drag, thrust, and gravity. To calculate and balance all of them perfectly, I would require an insanely powerful CPU.
In short, I needed something like Jarvis.
“Hmm… this isn’t going to be easy.”
Jarvis wasn’t something you could build overnight. Creating true artificial intelligence would require quantum-level computing power and the ability to process and learn from an astronomical amount of data. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off alone.
“Wiiiing~!”
At that moment, Fix rolled up to me. Its LCD display glowed with a message.
Master, you don’t look so good.
It was worried about me. What a good little guy.
“Huh?”
Then a chill ran down my spine. Because the high-performance CPU I needed was standing right in front of me.
“Were you… worrying about me?”
To worry, Fix would first need to read my biometric data—facial expression, body language, tone of voice, heart rate, breathing pattern, and so on. It would store those values as parameters, compare them against my baseline data in its database, and conclude that my current state differed from normal. It would then feed that data into a function containing an emotion-classification algorithm, which would return the value “worry.” That return value would be passed to another function—Fix’s behavioral protocol—which would dictate its response.
Something like this.
1. If return == 'joy' → dance
2. If return == 'sadness' → console
3. If return == 'mild_sadness' → tell joke
4. If return == 'worry' → lower audio output to 45db (Wiiiing...), reduce wheel RPM to 65, display message: [Master, you don’t look so good.]
The function would naturally return 4. Fix’s CPU would then execute that exact behavioral sequence.
“Wiiiiiiing…?”
Even now, Fix’s processor was probably running incredibly precise, complex calculations. It might be updating my biometric data in real time, running multiple algorithms to determine how to return me to a normal state. Probably in a way far more sophisticated than anything I could describe.
“Hahaha! Fix! I’m so glad I have you!”
“Wiiiing~!”
But no matter how advanced Fix’s AI was, it still couldn’t read my inner thoughts. That was why it was currently displaying a cute little face like (╹ω╹) on its screen.
I smiled at Fix and said, “Hey, Fix. I want to take a look inside you.”
“Weeung!?”
“Let’s crack open that head unit.”
“Hmm… so that’s how it is.”
In the office of the lord of Cruel territory, Irelya let out a low groan, her expression grave. She had just received a detailed report on Edga Fix. His influence had exploded after he unveiled the air conditioner at the equipment demonstration.
“A device that cools the air in a room…”
A machine that turned hot air into cool air—it was nothing short of revolutionary. Especially in an empire where summer lasted the longest of all four seasons, Ed’s invention was guaranteed to sell like wildfire across every territory.
“He’s going to become obscenely wealthy.”
The mana stones required to power the air conditioner were sold in bundles of thirty for 2.6 million Oren. Selling just a hundred units would net him 260 million Oren per month.
Of course, he did say the mysterious device belongs to the imperial family… but…
There was no way Ed would simply hand over that kind of money for free. After meeting him face-to-face, Irelya knew the boy was a nine-dan political schemer.
“He must have orchestrated the whole thing.”
Calling it an imperial product was clearly a calculated move to attach the “Imperial” brand name and rake in even more profit. He had undoubtedly struck some kind of deal with the imperial family to split the proceeds.
If that’s the case…
Ed would only grow richer with time, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the empire. At the same time, he would earn the emperor’s favor. There was no reason for the emperor to dislike someone who delivered enormous sums of money to the imperial coffers every month.
“And on top of that, he named it Graham’s Northern Wind…”
He had attached the name Graham’s Northern Wind to an object of such tremendous influence. With a single stroke of naming sense, he had elevated the Graham family’s prestige. It was the same as offering them an alliance. He had shown both his ability and goodwill; the Graham family would surely respond in kind.
“I miscalculated.”
Her hands trembled. And these were the hands of a Sword Saint. Thanks to this single invention, Ed had gained an enormous amount—close ties to the imperial family, an alliance with the Northern Archduke, staggering wealth, and the honor of being the device’s inventor.
“They say he’s become close with Isabella…”
And now rumors were spreading that this same remarkable young man had grown close to Isabella. After all, the original inspiration for the invention had been Isabella’s “hand fan.” For that prickly young lady—who was always surrounded by bizarre rumors—to personally fan commoners with her own hands? Just how close did they have to be for her to do something so endearing without hesitation?
Cold sweat broke out on Irelya’s forehead.
“I priced him too low… This is my mistake.”
Thinking back, Ed and Isabella had grown close right after Irelya herself had met with him. Had her words somehow caused him to distance himself from Enya?
If Edga Fix and Isabella were to become connected, what would happen to the empire’s power structure? If objects like Graham’s Northern Wind continued to emerge from his hands, just how far would his influence reach?
“He’s not the type to be consumed by power, either.”
There had been many commoners with outstanding talent before. But they had all fallen after overestimating their own abilities while failing to understand the complex web of noble politics. Every last one of them.
But this boy was different. He possessed both skill and boldness, yet knew exactly when to reveal them and when to hold back. He also knew how to use people’s desires to his advantage. He had a natural gift not only for ability and appearance, but for political calculation as well.
“Fix… my son-in-law…”
After considering all of this, Irelya realized how wrong her thinking had been. He wasn’t merely a male concubine. He was talented enough to welcome as a son-in-law immediately. As long as he maintained friendly relations with the emperor, he would eventually receive a peerage with the right justification.
He was a man who would soon become a noble through his own power.