Despite his calculated but restrained display of competence, his keen mind and tactical acumen did not go unnoticed.
Honestly, though, it was not that he said something particularly smart, but rather that people couldn't think as he did and couldn't remember things as he did.
Not that Erik spoke in riddles or used complex jargon, but rather that his mind operated on a different plane.
He saw patterns and connections where others saw chaos, found solutions where others saw obstacles.
It also helped that most of the achievements Erik made were earned thanks to the information he got from Fischer and Van Dyke.
Everything was staged, after all.
The man often struggled to understand why others couldn't see it.