Chapter 18
Regalia’s eyes sparkled in disbelief as she looked at the woman standing before her.
“Vira? No, it’s you. Your arms and legs…”
“Hehe— It’s really me, Milady.”
Vira scratched the back of her head, clearly a bit bashful. Her movements were incredibly natural, a fluidity that even a prosthetic could never replicate, leaving Regalia utterly speechless.
This was the bodyguard who had previously lost a limb, now back with all her limbs intact. An impairment that seemed irreparable by any means was now a thing of the past.
As Regalia struggled to contain the wave of emotions swelling inside her, she tried to gather herself and cautiously asked, “…What happened?”
“I whined until the Scientist made me new limbs—!”
“The Scientist… I see.”
Regalia let out a bitter smile, as if she had never considered it before. After all, the Scientist had already healed Galm’s injuries and restored his peak strength. Thinking back on it, fixing Vira’s disability shouldn’t have been difficult for him at all.
She should have thought of that earlier and had Vira’s injuries treated. This was Regalia’s mistake. She bowed her head to the bodyguard in front of her.
“I’m sorry, Vira. It was my failure. I could have easily thought of it…”
“No, no, no—! It’s nothing, Milady! Please, lift your head!”
“It’s simply unacceptable that you had to suffer for days due to my ignorance. It’s truly an unbearable disgrace.”
“I’m fine with it! If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me for hiding away in that hospital room without even showing my face…”
As the two continued to exchange apologies, they realized that this chain of apologies seemed never-ending, and they burst into laughter. When one of them had lost an arm or a leg, it had felt so dreary; yet here they were, laughing together just because limbs had grown back. Was this the mystery of the human body?
As they laughed until their stomachs started to ache, they finally stopped to look at each other.
“I’m glad to see you’ve regained your vitality.”
“Of course! I not only got back my limbs, but I also regained my superpowers! Want to see?”
“…Even your superpowers?”
While watching Vira demonstrate her superpowers, Regalia was shocked. Vira’s powers were generated from her extremities — her arms and legs. So, when she lost her limbs, her powers had disappeared along with them.
Yet somehow, it wasn’t just her limbs that regenerated; her powers fully recovered as well. Was this more than just a simple regeneration?
As Regalia stared at Vira with a serious expression, Vira seemed to ponder something and awkwardly withdrew her powers.
“Uh… I guess using my superpowers without permission might have been a bit too much, huh, Milady?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“If that’s the case, it’s fine, but… Ah—! Now that my powers are back, I can return to being your guard, right?”
Vira beamed as she reminisced about her former status. Being Regalia’s bodyguard. The chance to return to the days when she was the close aide to the heir of Evilus Corp filled her with excitement.
However, to her disappointment, Regalia had no intention of reinstating her as her bodyguard.
“Every position for bodyguard is already filled. I can’t bring in a new one now.”
“Ah… Right? It would be a bit greedy to take a spot as the top elite among those who have been in service for years after having taken a break…”
“─That’s not it. If it’s you, Vira, you still have enough skill to take the position of bodyguard now.”
Seeing Vira’s disheartened expression after being turned down, Regalia smiled slightly. For anyone else, maybe it wouldn’t matter, but for Vira, she had complete trust.
After all, wasn’t Vira the loyal attendant who had sacrificed her limbs to save her during that attack? If her powers were back now, there was no reason not to employ her.
Just not as her bodyguard this time around.
“What do you think of the Scientist?”
“Huh? Of course, I think highly of him. He’s the one who fixed my limbs…”
“Great. From now on, you won’t be my guard, but…”
She would guard the one Regalia now cherished more than her own life.
Regalia entrusted this role to the woman she trusted most.
*
“─So, it’s settled! From today, I’m your personal bodyguard!”
While I was repairing an old machine a customer brought in, Vira suddenly popped in and declared this. I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle. A bodyguard? Just like that, out of the blue?
“Weren’t you an executive? What does an executive do standing as another executive’s bodyguard—?”
“It’s the Boss’s order! Plus, let’s not forget that, Scientist, you’re a weakling, right? Galm told me you were just a spineless guy who can’t even do basic manly things.”
“By his standards, anyone I bring in would be a weakling too…”
“Ah—! No smarting off! This is a firm decision! Do you plan to reject the Boss’s order? If you keep turning me down, I might just start crying.”
“Now that you have your limbs back and are normal again, it wouldn’t really break my heart if you cried.”
“Ah—!”
Vira let out a gasp as if she had just realized something, while I diverted my gaze back to the broken machine. I really didn’t need to refuse her as my bodyguard. It didn’t seem like she would just leave even if I did.
After all, it was the Boss’s order, right? Since the Boss sent her here, it made no difference how many times I turned her down — it wouldn’t change anything. As long as I didn’t plan to completely rebel against the Boss, there was no way I could refuse the order.
And I had no intention of going against the Boss. Even without considering that she was the one who saved me when I fell into this world, I had no reason to do so.
“Why would I betray her? I can enjoy some carefree pleasures here without responsibilities.”
The Boss was one of the few genuinely kind people in this world. Just the fact that she would give me unlimited time and budget to research as an engineer was proof of that. I should take advantage of this while I can. The moment I try to exempt myself from her care, that’s when hell begins.
“Just don’t interfere with my work.”
“Got it! Protecting you is easy-peasy.”
Vira patted her chest confidently, as if to reassure me. As I watched her with concern, I finished repairing the clock and turned my attention to the next broken item.
Since the shop was just a hobby of mine, there wasn’t much to do. Fixing things for about thirty minutes would clear out an entire week’s work.
And after finishing that work? At that point, it was freedom. Time to use however I want, without interruptions. It truly was a brief moment, but it gave me a sense of accomplishment, allowing me to relax afterward.
“─So, what now? Are you done with work?”
“Yes. What’s up?”
“Then what are we waiting for! Let’s go out right now!”
I was heading for my bed with a book prepared earlier when Vira’s interruption reminded me that an uninvited guest was present.
And from the tone of her voice, it was clear that Vira was extremely extroverted. The only reason her sociable nature had been cut in half was that she had lost half her limbs.
But now that her limbs were back, she practically buzzed with energy, eager to release the social excitement she had built up over the years.
“Why do we have to go out…?”
“Why not! Staying cooped up in this corner all day will just rot a person away! You need to see some sunlight! Get some fresh air! That’s how you live!”
“That’s what you want, Vira… I had planned to lay around in bed reading all day today…”
“Are you some kind of literary boy? Let’s go out!”
I began to feel drained.
Looking at Vira chattering next to me, I started to wonder if it was the right move to have her as my bodyguard. What kind of bodyguard is in such a frenzy trying to drag their charge out of the house?
The outside world is dangerous, especially in a place swarming with villains armed with superpowers. Who knows what could happen if I stepped out carelessly…
Ignoring her whining, I sat down on the bed, and Vira looked at me with a shocked expression.
“Aren’t you going out?”
“─Yes. I’ve decided not to step outside today.”
“Really? Then I suppose there’s no other choice… I’ll have to call Levi and Galm. They don’t know my limbs are better now, so let’s celebrate here—”
“What are you doing, Vira? Not getting ready?”
Standing by the shop door, I shrugged, looking at Vira, who was still sitting in her chair. Seriously—how could she think about lingering inside on a day like today?
Looking at her with a sense of disdain, she returned my gaze with surprise.
“…Do you really dislike them coming that much?”
“If someone hears that, they’ll misunderstand. Why would I hate it? I just felt like wasting this beautiful day inside.”
“Well— okay. If you really hate it that much, I won’t call them…”
Saying this, Vira stepped out of the shop with me.
The dazzling sun poured down on our faces.
It truly was a regret to be stuck inside, just as Vira had said.
*
Children were running around in the middle of the park.
Among those kids, a few stood out from the rest. Some had spikes growing from their legs, enabling them to run faster, while others were flying high in the air.
Superpowers. In this world where everyone is born with superpowers, seeing such sights wasn’t particularly uncommon.
“Ugh—! How long has it been since I walked on my own two legs!”
Vira stretched her limbs, extending them fully. The way her muscles trembled indicated that the newly grown limbs had settled properly into her body.
Sneaking a glance, I realized the medication had worked perfectly, and a light smile crept onto my lips. Honestly, I hadn’t really expected the same effect for the inhabitants of this world. This was a place where superpowers existed, and the organs that manifested them grew directly from the body.
I couldn’t be sure that these world inhabitants were human like me. Given their differences, I had no confidence that they would experience the same effects from the same medication.
“Looks like it stuck well.”
There hadn’t been any reports of it before, but it was possible that the regenerated limbs could grow abnormally and need to be cut off again. Of course, this was a side effect that had never appeared in humans from Earth.
As I kept staring at Vira’s limbs for what felt like a long time, she seemed to notice my gaze and flashed me a smile.
“Why are you staring so much—? Huh? Do you find my limbs that fascinating?”
“Well, it’s definitely noticeable. Your right arm and left leg are just pale as day.”
“…Did you really need to point that out?”
She was wearing clothing that seemed far too casual for a bodyguard—sleeveless tops and shorts. The outfit suited her, but it meant that her freshly regenerated pale arms and thighs were fully exposed.
In other words, it meant that the newly grown limbs were in stark contrast to the skin tone of the rest of her body.
“If someone saw you, they might think you only have tattoos on those parts.”
“Who on Earth would get tattoos like that…?”
“I don’t know. Someone who might be Black?”
“Wow…”
─Kyaaaah!
As Vira reacted in disgust to my lame joke, a scream echoed from a distance. We instinctively turned our heads toward the source of the scream, where a monster was attacking people.
Vira gasped upon seeing the scene.
“Oh— It’s a Mutation.”
“A Mutation…?”
“Yeah. It’s how we refer to animals that awaken superpowers. Unlike humans, animals have a much lower chance of developing superpowers.”
She regaled me with all sorts of theories about how the ancestors of beastfolk could potentially be Mutations and why beastfolk are discriminated against for their fundamentally animalistic roots—trivia that only the inhabitants of this world might know.
In the meantime, the Mutation continued attacking people, hopping back and forth. People were running away, dodging this creature.
The Mutation, while chasing fleeing people, finally spotted us sitting on a bench, staring in shock. The moment our eyes met, the creature charged at us like it was on a sugar rush. It was faster than most cars on the street.
“Um… Shouldn’t we stop that?”
“Yeah. We should.”
“When… exactly?”
“Now.”
In the blink of an eye, as the Mutation rushed toward us, Vira extended her right arm. A force field generated from her palm blocked the creature’s path.
Charging in at over a hundred kilometers per hour, the Mutation collided with the solid force field, crumpling upon impact, just like a car would against a brick wall.
Even while all crushed up, it wriggled as if it was still alive, an incredibly grotesque sight.
“Whoa— I just got a nice light warm-up after such a long time.”
“……This is considered light?”
“Yeah. This isn’t anything too impressive, you know? It’s not like an aerial bomb just exploded.”
At that moment, I finally understood why the Boss had sent Vira to me.
She was the elite former bodyguard of Regalia, the heir of the global conglomerate Evilus Corp.
As an ability user solely employed for her skill in protecting others, she was one of the wealthiest people on the planet.
*
Name: Vira
Superpower: Force Field
Description: Generates a force field from her extremities to defend against physical interferences. Was lost due to a nuclear heat of 150 million degrees.
End of the Chapter
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