Are Our Kids Studying Well?
In the lab, I examined the damaged left arm section of the suit. It was the part where Lucas’s attack had severed the power supply last time.
He really targeted it perfectly.
The suit’s left arm, where the mana transmission device had been damaged and power cut off. The complete destruction of the three-dimensional maneuver device was understandable since it was an attachable unit, but cutting the left arm’s power was a fresh shock. To think he’d exploit the suit’s weakness by driving into the joint areas like that.
As expected, mana users who can use Blue Eye are tricky opponents.
Blue Eye. Lucas, like Isabella, had awakened his at a young age. That let him see the flow of mana in real time and make strategic decisions based on it. Instead of hammering the suit’s tough outer shell, he’d gone straight for the “mana transmission device” where the mana solution flowed.
By digging a spinning dagger into the joint, he’d delivered intense vibrations that shattered the delicate tube carrying the solution. After all, the mana transmission device was basically a thin glass conduit.
Still, I learned something unexpected from it.
The device was encased in multiple alloys and designed to withstand heavy impacts, yet it turned out to be surprisingly vulnerable to strong vibrations. An unforeseen weakness. It really showed why every product needs thorough testing.
Looks like Lucas will make an excellent tester.
Lucas had a real talent for irregular attacks that used spatial distortion. Who knew what other surprises he’d uncover in the suit’s flaws later? Just like how he’d asked me to teach him while we ate Macbeth pork that evening, I’d probably learn a thing or two from him too. Today alone had given me enough insight to improve the suit even further.
“That should take care of the reinforcements.”
It was one in the morning. After diving straight into suit repairs right after dinner, I’d successfully replaced every mana transmission device in the joint sections. The same trick wouldn’t cripple the power again.
“Now then… I wonder how those kids are holding up.”
With my stomach full and the urgent problem solved, the Sibalsaegi club members suddenly popped into my head. Those bastards better not be slacking off just because I’d been too busy to babysit them.
Time to drop by the club room.
It was one in the morning, yet the Sibalsaegi members were still burning the midnight oil in the club room. Tomorrow morning was their regular pop quiz, so they had to pull an all-nighter if they wanted decent scores.
“Haa… My head’s about to explode.”
The material was simply overwhelming. It wasn’t easy for people from this world to absorb modern physics. But whenever the difficulty spiked, the unmistakable sound of Ed’s repulsor beam charging would echo in their ears.
They could practically see him smirking, palm aimed at them. In the end, they had no choice but to study through the pain.
-Smack!
Whenever they felt drowsy, they slapped their own cheeks. Some members’ faces were already bright red. Nearly fifty percent of them were even showing signs of hair loss. A few had started secretly cracking open physics textbooks during regular academy classes. Anything to keep their grades up.
This is the path to becoming Lord Edga Fix’s loyal follower! This is nothing!
Some members weren’t just desperately trying to keep up—they were actively previewing ahead. The so-called loyalist faction. These were the ones completely hooked on the carrots Ed dangled.
It made sense. The moment they became club members and fell under his protection, their academy lives had changed beyond recognition.
The first big shift was their fathers’ attitudes.
Our son! You’ve done well!
Being in the same club as Edga Fix—the rising star of the empire—had earned them massive praise from their families.
For Lord Ed!
Recently, club president David had received an even bigger reward. He’d scored perfectly on the last pop quiz, and Ed had personally visited his house as a prize. The Arsen family had reaped enormous benefits. Just the rumor that Count Fix had dined with them was enough to send the Arsen name skyrocketing in social circles.
O God! I want to get even closer to you!
The same David who once badmouthed Ed had become a complete fanatic. Recently Ed had even lifted restrictions on his gauntlet, letting it cover up to the center of his palm. David’s shoulders had been puffed up with pride ever since. He kept bragging, asking everyone, “Hey, can yours do this?” while showing off his upgraded gauntlet.
David, stop showing off.
Of course, there was one member who watched David’s antics with clear displeasure—Anthony. He’d placed second on the last test and earned the glorious title of “Contract Guide.” He’d even worn the imperial armband while directing nobles into lines. The tingling sensation of all those noble eyes on him had been intoxicating. Just showing he was part of Ed’s circle had given him a taste of real social status.
But that’s not enough…!
His role ended there. Everything from running the Sibalsaegi club to receiving the finer instructions went to David. Anthony coveted that position—the seat where he could receive direct orders from Ed, where he could stand closest to him.
Hah, acting all high and mighty over something like that.
So when David had bragged about his gauntlet last time, the two of them had ended up in a huge fight. Two guys competing for first and second place were bound to clash eventually.
Have you forgotten how disrespectful you were? You called Count Fix “trash who can’t do anything without his equipment!”
They fought by exposing each other’s past sins. Back when they’d both badmouthed Edga Fix together, they’d been thick as thieves. They knew exactly how much the other had hated him. That’s what made this mud-slinging match possible.
Hah, that’s nothing compared to you! You tried to feed Master laxatives, remember? You suggested sneaking it into his drink!
Who was the one who happily agreed to it? You went along with it too!
I was just pretending! I never actually did it! You’re the one who really tried!
What? What did I do?
You stole his writing tools so he couldn’t take notes!
That, that was…
“Anthony.”
But then a voice that chilled them to the bone cut through the air. It was Ed. He had arrived in the club room at some point and stepped between them.
“M-M-Master… T-That just now…”
“I’m disappointed. To think you even tried to feed me laxatives.”
“W-We have committed a mortal sin!”
“David. You disappoint me too. Trash who can’t do anything without his equipment? That hurt my feelings.”
“P-P-Please forgive me! I must have been out of my mind! I’ll never say such a thing again—!”
“Enough. I’m leaving. Let’s not see each other for a while.”
Ed turned away coldly. The corner of his mouth twitched upward as he left the club room.
Now, a week after that incident, David and Anthony were pouring every ounce of effort into studying to make up for it. Academy classes didn’t matter anymore. They lived and breathed physics.
The door burst open.
Ed stepped inside. Every Sibalsaegi member shot to their feet to greet him. When he gestured for them to sit, they awkwardly lowered themselves back down.
“Just stopping by. Wanted to see if everyone was doing well.”
Ed strolled between the desks, flipping through the pages they were studying. He smiled at some sections, nodded at others, giving little reactions here and there.
“You guys didn’t write anything bad about me, right~?”
He flipped through their books with a half-joking tone. A few members broke into a cold sweat, faces stiff with tension.
“Hm. Looks like nobody’s plotting to badmouth me or feed me laxatives.”
After checking every desk, Ed smiled. The entire room waited with bated breath for his next words.
“Keep up the good work. See you in the morning.”
With that, he left the club room. Many members let out huge sighs of relief, staring into space with that familiar look of existential dread.
-Smack!
But the moment of peace was short-lived. They slapped themselves awake again and dove back into their books. The test was right around the corner. Failure was not an option.
The next morning, I finished proctoring the pop quiz and gave the club members a proper shakedown. Overall scores had improved significantly, so I dangled the carrot of an upcoming reward. You had to tighten the leash and loosen it at the right times for things to run smoothly.
“David and Anthony are shaping up nicely…”
They’d shown unexpected talent. Both boys had a real knack for physics. If I pushed them harder, they might actually produce something worthwhile.
Plus their loyalty is off the charts.
What I liked most was how exceptionally devoted they were to me. Considering they were still sixteen to eighteen-year-old teenagers, with the right guidance they had the potential to grow into genuinely capable scholars.
“That aside…”
A new issue had come up. Because of the upcoming Wall of Water expedition, the empire had invited the crown prince of the Clarendor Kingdom. The empire’s navigation techniques and shipbuilding were still far behind Clarendor’s, so it seemed they’d brought the prince in for technical cooperation.
This is going to be awkward as hell.
The problem was that the empire and Clarendor had a long-standing hostile relationship. There was a high chance Clarendor would use this opportunity to make outrageous demands. After all, without their navigation expertise and vessels, even approaching the Wall of Water was impossible.
I thought they’d just call me.
Given the state of relations between the two countries, it was strange they hadn’t reached out to me. The empire had a blacksmith even the dwarves acknowledged, yet they’d extended a hand to Clarendor first. Elena probably had her reasons. Maybe she simply didn’t want to burden me with any more responsibility.
It made sense. This expedition was being carried out with an enormous national budget. Someone would have to take responsibility depending on whether it succeeded or failed.
For now, I’ll wait and see.
The Clarendor crown prince was scheduled to visit the empire in a week. I could listen to what they had to say and make my decision afterward. Still, the possibility of negotiations breaking down was always there, so it was best to prepare in advance.
I returned straight to the lab and activated the hologram. I wanted to check whether it was possible to construct a “battleship” we could use for this expedition.
“……”
The result was positive. Though it came attached to a mountain of conditions.