“I’m not joking, it’s really true.”
“Honestly, I don’t know well either.”
…You don’t know?
I have no idea what you don’t understand. I pulled out the blueprint again and checked it. I thought I hadn’t written anything too difficult. I put down the blueprint and asked Principal Merlin.
“What don’t you understand?”
“What is ergonomic design?”
“…It means a design optimized for the human body.”
“Why are there so many components?”
“This much is needed to implement human joints.”
I’ll simplify it more, but to really move like an elbow, quite a lot of improvements are necessary.
For now, I planned to make it as delicate as possible and slowly simplify it.
“What’s the part marked with a circle?”
“That’s where a flexible material needs to go. When shock is applied to the arm, it needs to reduce and distribute the impact to move smoothly.”
“Hm… that’s interesting. Then what’s the device attached to this forearm?”
“It’s self-defense equipment.”
“Why would you attach something like that?”
“It’s good to have at least one for emergencies.”
“Let’s take this one off.”
Scritch. Without hesitation, I made a big X over the blade protrusion device that would be attached at the elbow. Viola, who had been watching the scene, pointed at my blueprint and said.
“How can you understand if you draw the entire blueprint on one sheet? Complex items should be drawn separately for each part!”
“I see.”
“It’s not just ‘I see’… no, keep going.”
Viola, who had been shouting at me, closed her mouth after glancing at Merlin. Principal Merlin, stroking his beard as he observed Viola, chuckled and said to me.
“Haha, what Viola said is correct. If you cram everything onto one sheet, you’ll not understand anything. Take out six sheets of paper and draw the designs for the hand, wrist, elbow, forearm, upper arm, and the entire arm separately.”
If that’s necessary. I took out six sheets and drew the designs for each part on them. Since I broke down each part in detail, the new blueprint was much cleaner than before. I handed all six sheets to the two of them.
“Is this easier to understand?”
“Much better than before.”
“Still complicated though…”
Viola and Principal Merlin stared intently at my blueprint, passing it back and forth. Since it seemed they needed more input time, I crossed my arms and waited until they understood everything. It was ten minutes later when they finally took their eyes off the blueprints and spoke to me.
“Impressive. I can’t believe you can bring out such an intricate blueprint right from your mind.”
“Being able to pull something like this out of your head… it seems like it would take at least a month of racking your brain to come up with it.”
“I had been thinking about it for quite a while.”
Of course, that was a lie. I was just brushing it off out of laziness. I pulled out the blueprint for the entire arm and traced it from the shoulder to the back of the hand with my finger, glancing between the two.
“I’ll make the components myself. Merlin, you will engrave the magical circuits and runes, and Viola will wear the prosthetic and test it.”
“Magical circuits, huh?”
“I plan to try two methods. Either engrave a control magic circle like a golem, allowing it to be controlled, or fully integrate it into the body so it can move naturally.”
“Sounds interesting. But how are you going to integrate it? It’s a fake arm after all.”
It seems like he’s not asking out of ignorance but rather to see how I would answer. Nevertheless, I couldn’t refuse to answer, so I slowly started to explain what had gathered in my throat.
“How do you think the human body moves?”
“Hm. The brain sends signals, causing the muscles to move, which then move the bones, right?”
“Then how does that signal get sent?”
“Hm. I’m not really sure…”
“The signals from the brain are transmitted in the form of electrical signals along the nervous system to the body.”
Actually, I’m explaining based on faint memories as a humanities major, but I hope I’m not wrong.
“So that’s why you’re engraving lightning magic into the prosthetic?”
“Exactly.”
It seems as if Merlin, being a high mage, understands quickly. Meanwhile, Viola wore a confused expression as if she was just starting to get it. Since this is somewhere between the field of alchemy, it might be slower to catch on. I explained the principle of how the human body moves in simpler terms to Viola.
“Ah~ I see. I understand now.”
“I’m glad you do. Then I’ll leave the assistance to Principal Merlin to you.”
“Is there nothing you need help with first?”
“Nope. Once I finish the components, I can complete them with a skill anyway—”
“Oh, that skill!”
Viola quickly understood since she had seen me using the skill to dig tunnels and build structures from the cracks. So the next question came from the high mage beside her.
“Hey, what exactly is that skill?”
You look like you’re dying to know. I grabbed a suitable piece of wood from a nearby table and used the skill for curiosity’s sake.
Swish.
The piece of wood squirmed like slime, quickly taking the shape of a small figure. It was a figurine, no, a statue resembling Karina. That was the only thing I could think of at the moment.
…Am I going to get caught for blasphemy for this?
“There’s such a skill! It feels like my eyes are opening to something new.”
“What kind of mechanism does that skill operate on? I’m curious about the mechanics.”
“I simply skip the process of making something I can create myself. That’s all there is to it.”
“It’s a formidable skill, indeed. I think it can be classified as a unique skill.”
Unique?
“Oh, you’re not familiar with the classification of skills?”
“I never really cared to know.”
I know about systems in games, but I’m not sure if this world follows the same rules. It’s not that important.
“Skills are divided into Normal, Rare, Unique, and Legendary.”
Looks like they decided to follow a game system here. The world is a confusing mix of game settings and reality. I placed the Karina-inspired figurine on the windowsill and changed the subject.
There’s no need to hear things I already know.
“Right now, there’s plenty to discuss, so I’ll get back to the main topic.”
“Alright. But where did we leave off? My memory is a bit hazy.”
“Probably starting from talking about engraving lightning magic into the prosthetic.”
Viola’s suddenly modest response made Principal Merlin nod his head while stroking his beard.
“Indeed. You’re engraving the lightning magic circle into the prosthetic?”
“Yes. However, it has to be very weak. The electrical signals in the human body are really subtle, so we need to match that.”
“That’s quite a challenging order.”
“Isn’t it dangerous? How about controlling it like with a golem?”
“That has its own problems. The biggest issue is if the wearer cannot control it properly, they could end up harming themselves. Excessive force could strain the shoulder, or mismanagement could lead to accidents.”
If it’s for combat, that might be better, but for daily life, connecting a pseudo-nervous system using magical circuits would offer far more stability.
“Wouldn’t it be okay once you get used to it? And testing stuff out like this is the sure way, right?”
“You could get hurt.”
Although with Karina around, it would be unlikely for anything to go wrong, taking such risks is not something to be taken lightly. In response to my concern, Viola smiled playfully as if to say it was unnecessary worry, gently patting her uninjured shoulder.
“I’ve already been hurt enough. Let’s proceed.”
“Then I’ll create two methods: one to replicate the nervous system using magical circuits and another to use the control magic circle to command the arm.”
Since it’s just a matter of magically engraving different circles, I just had to make one more of the same thing. I declared while recalling the necessary materials in my mind.
“Well then, since we’ve settled that, I’ll start the development…”
—————–
“How does it feel?”
“It’s a strange feeling… feels too light?”
Did I use too strong of a lightweight magic? I thought while watching Viola move her arm awkwardly.
The steel prosthetic was moving so lightly that it was hard to believe it was made of steel.
At this rate, even the elderly could use it.
“Go ahead and try grabbing that cup.”
Viola, feeling awkward with the prosthetic on her arm, approached the table with a peculiar gait and gently grabbed the cup with the prosthetic.
“I’m definitely holding the cup, but it feels weird because I can’t feel anything.”
“Reproducing tactile feedback is impossible, so that’s a problem we just have to deal with.”
Reaching that point is probably a technology we won’t see until a thousand years later.
“Haha, but for a first attempt, this isn’t bad at all.”
“I didn’t think you could make it in three days…”
“It was only possible because I sped through the design process.”
Despite barely having any sleep while laboring over every component from the gears to the frame, seeing the steel prosthetic prototype with its magical circuit on Viola’s arm made all that hard work seem worth it… not that I’m going to lie down now.
I’m about to crash.
I’m so tired I feel like I’m going to die.
They say you have to sleep to live, but having done this for three days straight, I really feel like I’m about to drop dead.
“So how is it? Is it moving as you thought?”
“Well, it’s a bit awkward… but it seems like it will be okay after a couple of days.”
“Then I’ll tell Karina to give you a guest room so you can stay for two days and monitor your progress.”
“Let’s do that. It’ll be easier to check the status that way.”
Viola nodded reluctantly as if accepting. Seeing that, I pressed my eyelids hard.
“The basics are done, so I’ll leave the fine-tuning to you, sir.”
“Alright. Get plenty of rest.”
Finally, I can sleep.
I stumbled up and jumped into the bed in the corner of the workshop.
Ah, better take off my shoes before sleeping.
Sleeping with my shoes on is a violation of decency…
——————-
“Hah.”
The ancient high mage watched as the man instantly fell into a deep sleep and smiled contentedly.
‘Once, I worked as hard as he does.’
That was several decades ago.
Once a passionate young man, he had become an old man simply waiting for the day he would die. That’s why the vibrance of youthful passion seemed all the more admirable to him. He turned his attention from Johan to Viola, who was adapting to her prosthetic.
“How does it feel? Is it moving well enough?”
“It feels strange to pinch with my hand and pick things up with that… but I think I can get used to it. I’m not sure about intense activities, though.”
“It’s just the first step, so don’t rush it. Take your time in developing it, and it will be usable like a real arm.”
“Yes…”
Viola answered with a voice tinged with emotion, bowing her head. As she looked down, she saw the somewhat crude yet obedient prosthetic she had longed for. She could open and close her fingers in sequence. That simple action made tears well up in her eyes.
Many people had turned their backs on her just because she lacked an arm.
Viola grasped the prosthetic with her intact hand. The rough and coarse texture felt oddly lovely to her.
Now, she couldn’t be dismissed as merely one-armed.
Principal Merlin gazed at Viola with a satisfied expression, then turned to Johan and cast Silence Magic on him. To keep him from waking up. He then spoke to Viola in a playful voice.
“I’ll be right back from the restroom. Don’t worry; Silence Magic has been properly cast.”
He quickly slipped out of the workshop before Viola could grab him. The speed of an old man did not seem possible, as Viola stared with round eyes at the glowing crack of light seeping through the door.
And then, tears began to fall onto the floor.
In the silence-filled space, despair buried deep in her heart burst forth like a dam breaking.
There was no sound.
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