TDAA Ch 7

After that, Siol began writing a book.

A book about alchemy. Alchemy was a subject where the basic principles constantly shifted as one delved deeper. 

At the beginning, you learned that “nothing is impossible with alchemy,” but as you progressed, you were told, “alchemy can only manipulate substances and principles.” And further on, “if you master substances and principles, anything is possible. If you can’t, it’s simply because you lack the ability.”

The theory was so complex that learning it without a teacher was nearly impossible. That was probably why Burdril became a researcher studying how to counteract alchemy, rather than an alchemist himself.

Siol intended to spread the seeds of true alchemy in the beastkin lands.

His goal wasn’t so much for beastkin to become alchemists through this book, but rather for them to understand what alchemy was and how to counter it.

“Sizool, Burdril sent another letter.”

“Ugh… why is that man so curious?”

“He probably sees you as an oasis.”

Siol, who had been sitting at the table by the fireplace, pondering how to phrase his sentences, grimaced at Eorzen’s words. Burdril’s messenger, a researcher, entered the living room and gave Siol an awkward smile.

Burdril had been ecstatic when he heard that Siol was writing a book. Alchemists were a very secretive group, and since they all belonged to the human king, obtaining even a single book was difficult. Even if he managed to acquire one, alchemy books were usually written in code and jargon only alchemists understood, making it impossible for outsiders to comprehend them properly.

So Siol tried to understand Burdril.

“But who sends five or six letters a day?!”

Siol snapped, and the messenger averted his gaze. However, he still held out the letters, showing no sign of understanding Siol’s predicament. That was only natural, as he too was one of the researchers thrilled by Siol’s sharing of knowledge.

“I can’t make any progress on my book like this!”

“I apologize…”

“Then tell Burdril to restrain himself!”

“That’s… beyond my power. I apologize.”

Siol snatched the letters and ripped open the envelopes. They were less letters and more questionnaires.

This student, who had only researched countermeasures to alchemy and had just begun learning it himself, was incredibly diligent. If his overflowing passion didn’t feel like madness, he might have seemed like a decent student. The problem was that due to his long-held, unorthodox research methods, he often had misconceptions about alchemy.

He’d ask questions like, 

‘Why does this work, but that doesn’t? Isn’t it the same principle?’ 

To explain this, Siol had to start from scratch, explaining how the two were completely different cases. As a result, Siol had to send replies twice as thick as the letters Burdril sent. As he groaned and wrote his responses, the researcher sidled up and asked,

“Could I copy what you’ve written so far?”

“…Do as you please.”

Siol handed over the page he’d been working on and sighed deeply.

Every time Burdril’s messenger came, he copied what Siol had written and took it back. When the news of Siol writing a book first spread, he had already written three or four pages, so it wasn’t a problem. But as messengers started arriving every two or three hours, sometimes he only had a few lines written.

When Siol refused, the researcher would say, “Then I’ll wait until you finish a page,” and sit down.

This is like a manga artist facing a deadline!

Remembering a manga he’d read on Earth, Siol relented in exasperation and told the researcher to do as he pleased. The problem was the researcher’s persistent gaze, constantly piercing Siol’s back. When Siol glanced back, the researcher smiled brightly. Of course, he didn’t avert his gaze. Unable to concentrate, Siol eventually had to allow him to copy the few lines he had written.

As this continued, Siol became increasingly stressed, bombarded with five or six deadlines and questionnaires a day.

“This is really too much. I need time to properly write the book. What’s the difference between this and just teaching him in person?”

Siol complained with a sullen face, and the researcher brightened.

“Then should I tell the director to come?”

“No.”

“…Okay…”

“I don’t like that man. He’s overbearing.”

At Siol’s firm reply, the researcher quietly shrank back.

These people wouldn’t understand unless he was clear. If he hesitated, he’d be swept along again, so he couldn’t let them subtly get their way.

Watching the two of them, Eorzen chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m amused because you complain but do it anyway.”

“No, well… it’s just, I decided to share my knowledge of alchemy.”

“You’re kind.”

“…I’m doing this because it will help you, Eorzen.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Eorzen smiled lightly, then changed his expression and leaned closer to Siol.

“But if you get truly tired, be sure to tell me. Burdril has no sense of moderation.”

“Hmm… I think I’ll be fine as long as I don’t have to meet him in person.”

“That guy is sending researchers over here precisely because he knows you feel that way.”

“Huh? Really?”

“He’s a cunning fellow.”

Siol looked back at the researcher with wide eyes, but he flinched and focused on copying. Siol realized he was the only one being exploited without knowing it. However, he didn’t feel angry.

It was true that he was frustrated that they were actively taking advantage of the situation, but he understood their thirst for knowledge.

“…As long as they don’t cross the line, it’s fine. If they do, you’ll punish them, right, Eorzen?”

“Of course. I’ll punish them severely.”

Just then, Eorzen suddenly turned his head towards the window.

Following his gaze, Siol saw what Eorzen was looking at. A bird with reddish-brown feathers. Flying high, its size was difficult to gauge, but it was heading straight for the castle.

Peeeet—

With a scream-like cry, the bird plummeted towards the castle as if about to crash, then flapped its wings just before hitting the ground to slow down. It carefully placed what it held in its talons in the garden in front of the castle.

It was a wolf. A giant wolf, covered in blood and unconscious.

Eorzen calmly climbed out the window and ran to the garden. The bird, now in human form, laid Ryufen’s body straight and whimpered at Eorzen.

“Captain!”

“What happened?”

Eorzen asked, examining Ryufen’s body. The blood-soaked wolf’s body was covered in torn and mangled wounds. But that wasn’t the main problem. The wolf’s left foreleg and right hind leg were missing.

“The Death Alchemist had an apprentice. He… he was there…!”

“The master key didn’t work on the weapons that apprentice made.”

“The Vice-Captain was so badly injured, I…!”

“I understand.”

Eorzen placed his hand on Ryufen’s body and muttered something, and a soft light appeared around them, then seeped into Ryufen’s body. The bleeding stopped, and the wounds closed. But the missing leg and paw didn’t regenerate.

“Where are the limbs?”

Eorzen asked sharply, and the bird flinched, pulling Ryufen’s left foreleg from the bag he was carrying. Eorzen almost snatched it from him, placed it against Ryufen’s missing limb, and chanted another spell.

This time, it wasn’t such a simple spell. Simply attaching the limb wasn’t enough. He had to connect the nerves and muscles, and ensure the bones were positioned correctly. Attaching it was easy, but if it wasn’t done properly, it would be useless.

While Eorzen chanted a long spell to complete the magic, Siol stumbled out the window. Standing before the still bloody wolf, though his wounds had partially healed, Siol stared blankly down at Ryufen.

Finally, a bright light gathered, dispersed, and then swirled like a vortex, being sucked into Ryufen’s foreleg. The limb had been successfully reattached.

“Where’s the hind leg?”

The bird’s face paled at the question.

“Where is the hind leg?”

“…It’s gone.”

“Why is it gone?!”

“It was… obliterated by the fortress defense system…”

Eorzen gritted his teeth, a sound that echoed in the air. Even he, a great dragon, couldn’t create something from nothing.

A chilling silence fell between them.

“Let’s bring him inside first. You, go get a doctor. Understood?!”

The bird transformed back into his bird form and flew down the mountain. Eorzen lifted the limbless wolf into his arms. Watching Eorzen carry him back into the castle, Siol thought,

This is my fault.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

Eorzen laid Ryufen on the bed and sat beside him, looking down at the blood-soaked wolf. His pain-stricken expression seemed to have eased somewhat, but healing the wounds wasn’t the end of it. His healing magic only mended the injuries; it didn’t restore Ryufen’s physical strength.

“Ryufen…”

I shouldn’t have let you go alone.

He murmured softly. To him, Ryufen was a longtime attendant and like a brother. Ryufen might consider him his master, but Eorzen saw him as family. It was only natural, having met as children, taken Ryufen under his protection, and spent their lives together.

He couldn’t let him die.

“Eorzen! I’ve brought the doctor!”

“This way!”

Eorzen shouted as he opened the door, and the bird and the doctor rushed in. The doctor bowed slightly to Eorzen and, taking out his stethoscope, began to examine Ryufen. He checked Ryufen’s eyes, took his temperature, listened to his heartbeat, and after a thorough examination, sighed.

“Fortunately, there are no major problems. He seems to have lost a lot of blood, but that can be resolved with proper nourishment. However, I recommend bed rest for about fifteen days.”

“His legs-”

“That’s beyond my ability to fix.”

The doctor looked at Ryufen’s missing leg with a pitying gaze.

“I suppose so…”

If there had been anything left, even if torn and mangled, Eorzen could have done something. But with nothing there…

“…I’ve seen many patients who have recently lost limbs. While crutches won’t allow for normal movement, they don’t make life impossible. So…”

“Stop. We’ll talk about that later.”

“Yes.”

The doctor, responding quietly to Eorzen’s curtness, glanced around cautiously and said,

“Judging by his current condition, I don’t think he’ll wake up until tomorrow morning. I’ll return to the clinic and prepare some medicine for him. I’ll bring crutches as well.”

“Alright. Do that.”

The doctor and the bird left the room, casting wary glances at Eorzen.

Eorzen couldn’t calm the turmoil of anger and regret in his mind. He had reasons for not being able to easily leave the castle, but they weren’t absolute. If he had known Ryufen would be in danger, he would never have sent him with such a small squad.

Anger towards the human alchemists surged within him.

He’d thought he could breathe easy after finding and killing the Death Alchemist, but he hadn’t anticipated the apprentice.

Eorzen suddenly felt something churning in his stomach. Ah. Right. He was on the verge of a frenzy. He’d recently experienced the precursors, and for some reason had felt stable lately, but a frenzy was caused by the buildup of residual magic power from spellcasting.

Using powerful healing magic had caused the residual magic power to accumulate again, triggering the precursory symptoms. He felt the magic power within him reach a critical point, just before a frenzy. Like a water glass filled to the brim.

“Sizool.”

He unconsciously called out for Siol, then realized he wasn’t around. The boy was gone. Eorzen jumped up and went to the garden where he had treated Ryufen. Siol wasn’t there either. Instead, there were numerous small footprints, as if someone had been pacing anxiously.

And the footprints led to the outer gate.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

He had been complacent.

Frankly, Nathaniel wasn’t a particularly talented alchemist. Siol had raised him diligently and taught him alchemy with the utmost care, but Nathaniel hadn’t absorbed even half of the knowledge Siol imparted. To be precise, he excelled at analysis and replication, but was very weak in creative aspects.

Having grown up under a master who believed that one wasn’t a true alchemist without developing their own unique alchemical style, Siol felt sorry for Nathaniel. On Earth, Nathaniel would have been a factory-type alchemist, assembling parts based on blueprints provided by others.

But fortunately, this was another world, and the level of alchemy here was abysmally low. In this world, where few could even handle alchemy, Nathaniel’s talent was considered excellent. Moreover, Nathaniel had a knack for handling people. That’s how he became the acting head of the alchemy department in the royal palace.

Siol had thought that level of talent was sufficient for him to live comfortably. He had been proud of him.

But perhaps, deep down, he had also belittled Nathaniel’s talent as trivial.

“I can’t believe I didn’t consider Nathaniel…!”

He knew the boy had a talent for analysis and replication, yet he hadn’t considered the possibility that Nathaniel might have replicated the fortress defense system.

No, he hadn’t considered it. He had subconsciously assumed that even Nathaniel couldn’t replicate and reproduce the complex alchemy of the fortress defense system.

If he had considered that possibility, Ryufen might not have been so severely injured.

It was his fault.

Siol ran frantically through the snow-covered mountains. The blanket that had been draped over his shoulders was long gone. The cold wind mercilessly pierced his thin clothes. Cold snowflakes landed on his skin, melted, and then froze again. Even as his whole body froze, Siol ran relentlessly, as if impervious to the cold.

The mountain path he was running on was dangerous for such reckless running. The snow obscured the path and made it slippery.

“Huh…?!”

Crash!

When Siol opened his eyes again, he found himself looking up at the sky. Snow swirled around him as his vision blurred.

How long had he been unconscious?

Siol wondered with a dazed mind. He must have hit his head when he fell, causing a concussion. A terrible headache washed over him as he tried to sit up. His whole body ached as if he’d been beaten – and above all, he was cold. His hands and feet wouldn’t move properly. He would freeze to death at this rate.

But maybe dying wasn’t so bad. If he could escape this way…

“Eat a lot, little one.”

Siol’s eyes snapped open. He couldn’t leave Ryufen like this, the Ryufen who always worried about him and tried to make him eat a lot. Absolutely not.

Siol gritted his teeth and sat up. His vision swam, making it difficult to even sit up, but the bigger problem was his numb hands and feet. Buried in the snow while he was unconscious, they had frozen solid.

“Ugh…!”

Siol tried to stand on his numb legs. But his ankles buckled, and he collapsed back onto the ground. Instinctively, he tried to brace his fall with his hands, but they were too weak, and he tumbled face-first into the snow.

Still, Siol didn’t give up. He crawled on the ground with his still-functional arms and knees.

He couldn’t freeze to death here. Not yet.

Dying was fine, but not now. Absolutely not.

Just then, Siol’s desperately crawling body glowed with a blue light. The next moment, a small wolf appeared. Shaking its shimmering blue fur, the wolf pushed itself up and kicked off the ground powerfully. Unlike his human form, the wolf’s body was warm and full of life. Even with his vision obscured by the snow, he could place his paws exactly where he wanted. Even though the ground was cold, his body didn’t lose heat. He could run harder, farther, and faster.

Siol began descending the mountain at a speed unimaginable in his human form. Reaching the alchemy research institute from the mountain was a breeze. As Siol ran towards the entrance, two knights, who had readily stepped aside last time, blocked his way.

“Show your identification.”

Siol didn’t have any. He shifted his paws anxiously. He should have asked for an ID when he offered to write the book. Back then, he hadn’t intended to ever see Burdril again, so he hadn’t even thought to ask for one.

As the knights, suspicious of his behavior, reached for their swords, a familiar voice called out.

“Who’s that little one?”

Siol whirled around at the familiar voice. Burdril, looking exhausted, stood there with a stack of papers in his arms, tilting his head.

The moment he saw Burdril’s face, Siol readily embraced a plan that flashed through his mind. His head cleared. He smoothly transformed back into his human form.

“…Sizool? Sizool! Wow! Did you come to see me?”

“Yes. Actually, I was rereading my manuscript and realized I left out an important part.”

“What? Really? Which part?”

“Well… should we go inside and talk? It would be better to discuss it while looking at the copied manuscript.”

“Yes, of course. Let’s go. If you came all this way, Sizool, it must be a very important part.”

“Yes, it is.”

Burdril waved his hand dismissively, and the knights readily opened the entrance. It was an order from Burdril, the director of the institute, and seeing his human form, they recognized him as the boy they’d seen in Eorzen’s arms a few days ago.

“Um… hey, can I apologize first?”

Burdril said, scratching the back of his head.

“I’m really sorry about last time. I have a habit of… losing my composure when I get excited. I’m usually not that bad, but when we started talking about alchemy, I just couldn’t control myself.”

“…I’d prefer if you didn’t pry about the cabin.”

“Yeah, I definitely won’t do that again. Really!”

“Then I forgive you. It’s okay.”

Thanks to that incident, he was able to get inside the institute. It was a fair exchange.

Unaware of Siol’s inner thoughts, Burdril breathed a sigh of relief. Siol was the one and only beastkin alchemist, and he was the director of the alchemy research institute, so it was important to maintain a good relationship. He had been at a loss for what to do after nearly making Siol cry and incurring Eorzen’s wrath, but now he had been easily forgiven.

Siol followed Burdril into the laboratory and glanced around. Various items from his cabin were scattered throughout the lab, and several beastkin were tinkering with them, conducting experiments. They glanced at Burdril and Siol, then quickly returned to their work. Their flustered manner suggested they had heard about Siol.

It was a relief that they didn’t feel the need to avoid his gaze.

One wall of the lab was piled high with what must have been their original research materials: cheap alchemical ingredients and tools.

This is enough. Siol thought to himself, picking up a piece of paper from a nearby desk.

“It would be easier to understand if I showed you, right?”

“Alchemy? Of course! I’m so excited. What are you going to show me? Huh?”

“Could you bring me the manuscript first?”

At Siol’s request, Byrdrill nodded vigorously and scampered back to his seat, beaming.

Meanwhile, Siol bit his index finger, drawing blood, and imbued the paper with alchemy. He channeled his magical power into the blood, drawing the runes, and further strengthening the connection between the blood and the paper. From the runic inscriptions, a mystical secret was born. Siol smiled faintly as he watched the light of the runes, which shimmered softly, revealing its presence, and then gradually subsided.

“What’s that?”

“Something interesting.”

With that, Siol stuck the paper onto a nearby laboratory wall. It adhered without any adhesive. Byrdrill’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he watched. The other researchers in the lab pretended not to be interested, but they were all focused on Siol’s movements.

“What is it, what interesting thing? Huh? Can’t you tell me?”

“No.”

Siol answered calmly and then, touching the wall, walked around the laboratory. He affixed a total of eight sheets of paper to the wall. The papers, placed at regular intervals, began to emit a faint light as the last one was attached. It was a truly mystical sight. What had been just paper moments before, through Siol’s touch, became alchemical creations, resonating with each other.

The light gradually gained direction, reaching out towards one another.

“Byrdrill.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m ready. Tell me what this is quickly. Huh?”

“Goodbye.”

“What do you-”

As Siol placed his palm on the last piece of paper he had affixed, a strange light enveloped the beastmen within the laboratory, then vanished in an instant. Just before disappearing, Byrdrill reached out to grab Siol, but Siol easily evaded him by stepping back.

“…You’re in the way.”

Siol gathered all the alchemical materials in the lab into one place. He selected the necessary items from the pile against the wall and went around the desks, gathering paper and pens, metal objects, candles, tin, and the like.

Alchemy was the study of substances and principles. In fact, if one’s ability was exceptional enough, an alchemist could create something from nothing, even in empty space. At that level, it was an ability close to creation, bordering on the mythical. Siol, though not quite at that level, was a skilled alchemist, fully capable of creating what he wanted with the meager materials available in the laboratory.

Besides, about half of the items here were brought from the cabin, meaning they were things Siol had touched. The Siol of those days was less proficient than he was now, but he was already a fully realized alchemist. The inscribed runes, the level of transmutation alchemy, was by no means low.

Siol chose a desk, swept everything off it onto the floor, and then sorted the items by material on the cleared surface. Disassembled components from Siol’s hands began to pile up neatly. If time were infinite, he wouldn’t have to go to such lengths, but Siol wanted to finish this as quickly as possible. This process was essential for saving time.

Thump! Bang!

At the dull vibrations, Siol raised his head and looked towards the door. Byrdrill was pounding on the barrier with his fists. He was shouting something, but it couldn’t be heard inside. Siol observed the scene dryly before lowering his gaze again.

It was a barrier created by a top-tier alchemist using his own blood. It coexisted perfectly with the laws of the world and would remain perfectly intact until torn apart by a comparable force.

“I wish he wouldn’t bother me when I’m busy.”

Siol muttered through gritted teeth and focused back on his work. He was too busy to be concerned with such trivial matters.

After meticulously sorting everything, he took out a piece of paper and began drawing a blueprint. He had already finished the design in his head, but a review process was essential to prevent any potential mistakes.

Bang! Clatter-Bang!

The vibrations at the door, which he thought would disappear if ignored, were instead growing stronger.

Siol irritably lifted his head to look in that direction, and unknowingly dropped what he was holding in his hand.

The sound of the dropped metal piece hitting and rolling across the floor was loud, much like the turmoil in Siol’s heart.

Eorzen was there. He was knocking on the barrier and saying something repeatedly.

Siol unconsciously pressed his hand over his heart. He felt the touch of the curse lingering near his heart.

Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t been told to stop yet. If Eorzen had ordered him to stop, whether or not Siol heard the command, the curse gripping his heart would have recognized it, and he would have collapsed, clutching his chest.

Siol rushed towards the door.

“Eorzen-nim…!”

Their eyes met. Eorzen was looking at Siol with a confused expression. He bent his knees to meet Siol’s eye level and opened his mouth to speak.

Siol, startled, slapped his palm against the barrier. The barrier separating the spaces then began to transmit sound.

“Sizool, what in the-”

“Please!”

To prevent Eorzen’s command, Siol cried out, almost screaming.

“Please, don’t tell me to stop. Don’t tell me to come out. I’m definitely not doing anything strange… I’m not making anything strange or harmful.”

“Siol…”

“It’s true. It’s just a little urgent. That’s why I’m doing this. Please just let me be until I finish. Please…”

Siol pleaded with his head bowed, sliding down to the floor.

Even he thought his own words were absurd. Asking to be left alone to do as he pleased after causing such a commotion. Eorzen, the lord of this city, would never leave him be after committing such a dangerous act.

Now he would command, ‘Stop and come out,’ and Siol would have to obey. He felt the curse gripping his heart slowly biding its time.

“Sizool. Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous.”

“Yes?”

Siol jerked his head up and asked back, then instinctively answered due to the sharp pain in his heart.

“I will, I promise! I definitely won’t do anything dangerous.”

Ice-blue eyes looked down at Siol tenderly, as always, just like usual.

“Promise me you won’t do anything beyond your capabilities.”

“I’ll, I’ll only do what I can do.”

“I’ll send you meals, so make sure you eat properly.”

“Yes, I’ll eat well.”

“And,”

Eorzen hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand. Surprisingly, his hand easily passed through the barrier. Only then did Siol realize the meaning of his opponent being a dragon, a near-absolute being of this world, the master of all spells and magic.

It meant that Siol’s spells were no obstacle to him. Yet he didn’t forcefully tear down the barrier.

He simply extended his hand and stroked Siol’s head.

“It’s not your fault. You did your best, Sizool.”

“…But… I knew. I knew the Death Alchemist had an apprentice….”

Siol confessed without realizing it. Eorzen’s eyes widened, but he soon shook his head.

“Even so, it’s the same. You didn’t know he was involved with the transport convoy, did you?”

“That’s… but.”

“Ryufen will be alright. So you too…”

He started to say something more, but then closed his mouth and just smiled softly.

“When you’re done with everything you want to do, be sure to come back to the castle.”

Siol swallowed his tears and nodded. Eorzen lowered his hand, cupped Siol’s chin, and stroked his cheek with his thumb. Tears streamed down Siol’s face. Eorzen extended his other hand, cupped both of Siol’s cheeks, and lowered his head, licking the tears away. He licked away the sticky saltiness without leaving a trace, and finally, placed a kiss on the corner of Siol’s eye.

“Eorzen-nim?”

At the faint call, Eorzen kissed Siol’s forehead one last time and retreated beyond the barrier. Watching his retreating figure, Siol clenched his fists. Now that he had permission, there was nothing holding him back.

Byrdrill, who had been hovering nearby, tried to approach, so Siol slapped the barrier again to block the sound.

It was time to focus.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

For a week, Siol didn’t leave the laboratory. He built the device according to the blueprints, inspected it, identified areas for reinforcement, built a new prototype, found potential problems again, and then, and then….

While exploiting himself like this, constantly working, the device gradually improved.

“I feel like I could do a little better…”

Siol muttered, his face etched with fatigue.

It wasn’t exactly a failure, but he couldn’t feel satisfied. This was the twentieth prototype. It boasted the best performance among all the ones he’d made so far, incorporating a level of technology unheard of in this world.

But when he pictured Ryufen’s face, he felt it wasn’t enough.

He had to create something that Ryufen, still unconscious, would be satisfied with. He had to make something better, something more perfect. This wasn’t enough, it wouldn’t do.

Just then, a thumping sound came from the laboratory door. It was the signal for mealtime. Eorzen had been sending three meals a day, every day since that day. Thanks to this, Siol, though sleep-deprived, was forced to take regular breaks for meals.

When Siol approached the lab door, unlike usual, a knight stood there holding a tray. He seemed somehow familiar. Siol took the tray from him and was about to return to the table when he heard another thump. He turned around.

“Eat it.”

Although he couldn’t hear the words, Siol knew that’s what the knight was saying.

Is he worried I won’t eat? Siol tilted his head and pointed a finger towards the table. The knight shook his head and mimed eating. “Eat it now,” he gestured.

Siol looked dubious, but feeling too tired to argue, he scooped up a spoonful of stew and ate it as instructed.

“…It’s awful.”

Siol muttered involuntarily. The tomato stew contained not only chunks of meat but also ground meat. So much meat that the tomato flavor was almost undetectable. It was completely different from the meticulously prepared meals of the past few days, which tasted like they were made by a professional chef.

Meat, meat, meat, it was all meat.

Siol’s eyes widened as he stared at the knight. The knight nodded at him.

…No way!

Siol felt tears welling up. He gulped down the tasteless tomato stew, rushed to the table, rummaged through the prototypes he had made, and found the most recently crafted prosthetic leg. It was made of a strong and resilient material. He’d been churning out prototypes for days, but he’d absentmindedly finished this one to perfection. He’d regretted it after completing it, but perhaps it was a premonition of what was to come today.

Siol bent it slightly, and it automatically flexed and extended with a click-clack sound.

It was perfect.

The prosthetic leg, which had felt so inadequate just moments ago, now seemed flawlessly complete.

Siol realized then that what had been lacking wasn’t the prosthetic’s completion, but the presence of the one who would wear it. The fear that Ryufen might die had driven him to obsess endlessly over the prosthetic’s perfection.

But now Ryufen had awakened. The owner of this prosthetic!

Siol hugged it close and ran as if he were flying. As Siol dashed out of the lab towards the main castle, the knight who had been following him suddenly transformed. It was him. The bird who had carried the injured Ryufen.

The enormous bird grasped Siol’s shoulder with its talons and soared powerfully into the air. As if carrying a small child was nothing, the bird sliced through the sky and reached the main castle in an instant.

A familiar silhouette was in the castle garden. It was the back of a wolf sitting in front of a bonfire, grilling skewers. A barbecue, first thing in the morning!

Just then, Eorzen, who was sitting next to him, looked up. Seeing Siol carried by the bird, he tapped Ryufen on the shoulder and pointed to Siol. The moment their eyes met, Siol couldn’t hold back. He struggled violently, freeing himself from the bird’s grasp, and began to fall.

Startled, Ryufen jumped up and lunged towards Siol. He leaped with his single hind leg, caught Siol’s clothes in his mouth, spun twice in the air, and landed on three legs. Throughout this acrobatic maneuver, Ryufen didn’t waver in the slightest.

“You idiot!”

Ryufen yelled, smacking Siol on the head with his forepaw. Then he shouted at the bird.

“Hey! You, you left your brains behind and dropped the kid?!”

The bird circled in the air, seemingly bewildered, then flew down the mountain. It must have fled, figuring it wouldn’t be welcomed back at the castle. Seeing Ryufen fuming and yelling, “Get back here!” Siol burst into tears.

Ryufen’s left hind leg was gone. But despite that, he hadn’t succumbed to despair or depression, and had returned to his usual self. Siol could picture Ryufen, cheerful and saying, “Well, it’s good that I’m alive!” as he’d coaxed Eorzen into a morning barbecue.

Siol, clutching Ryufen’s foreleg tightly and sobbing, suddenly burst out angrily.

“Why did you sleep for a whole week?! I thought you were dead!”

“Huh? Ah, no, I didn’t sleep because I wanted to…”

“Still! How much I… how much…”

Ryufen sighed, looking at the little one starting to cry again, and patted him on the shoulder.

“Well, anyway, it’s good that you’re alive. Let’s eat some meat.”

Seeing Ryufen’s indifferent reply, Siol was about to explode again, but seeing Eorzen approaching, he suppressed his anger.

“Eorzen-nim, I’m back!”

“Yes. Welcome back.”

Eorzen reached out and lifted Siol into his arms. Suddenly being held, Siol blushed. At first, Eorzen would only lift him as a comforting gesture when something happened, but now he would lift Siol at any time, for no reason at all.

Feeling a bit shy, Siol held out what he had been clutching to Ryufen.

“This is a present for Ryufen.”

Ryufen accepted the black metal lump but looked completely bewildered.

Siol said shyly,

“It’s a prosthetic leg I made.”

“A prosthetic… what?”

Ryufen asked, as if it was the first time he’d heard the word. Siol looked up at Eorzen in confusion. He wondered if the concept didn’t exist in the beastmen’s land. Prosthetic legs were originally created to supplement the function of a missing limb. Beastmen had superior physical abilities, so even if they were missing a limb, it might be inconvenient, but they wouldn’t be unable to walk. So, it wouldn’t be strange if the concept of a prosthetic leg didn’t exist.

“Sizool made you a new leg.”

“…This… is my new leg?”

Ryufen asked Siol, looking bewildered.

Siol asked Eorzen to put him down and went to Ryufen, taking back the prosthetic leg. It currently looked like a mere lump of metal, but it was designed to recognize its owner. Siol pressed Ryufen’s forepaw against the spot where a thin needle was installed.

“Ouch. What is this— huh?”

Recognizing its owner’s blood, the metal lump began to unfold with a click-clack sound. Parts that seemed seamlessly joined split apart and unfolded, followed by a whirring sound from within, and then a clicking sound as it locked into place.

“You made this?”

“Yes, in the laboratory.”

“…Sizool, you… you really are an alchemist.”

“What are you talking about, like it’s news?”

Ryufen stared in awe as the prosthetic leg finally transformed into a shape that perfectly fit his leg. Siol pouted and held the prosthetic leg against Ryufen’s missing hind leg. Something moist and sticky adhered to Ryufen’s leg. A slime-like substance completely enveloped his thigh, making it look as if the prosthetic leg was seamlessly connected, except for the lack of fur.

“Uh…”

Ryufen felt awkward with the prosthetic leg filling the empty space. He cautiously took three steps forward.

“Ah, but this is a bit short— huh? Uh, uh?”

Before Ryufen could finish, the prosthetic leg started moving again with a click-clack sound. The mechanical noises coming from beneath his leg seemed to bother him, and Ryufen craned his neck between his forelegs, unable to take his eyes off the prosthetic’s movements.

“It’s adjusting the length. I made it as I saw fit, but it wouldn’t do if it didn’t fit Ryufen, so I made it self-adjusting. Even if it feels a little off at first, it’ll gradually adjust as you walk.”

The self-adjusting prosthetic leg was high technology, even among Siol’s creations. By incorporating the concept of AI into alchemy, it was like a robot, constantly adjusting itself according to its owner’s needs.

Ryufen suddenly started running, kicking off the ground. It was such a vigorous run that it left scuff marks in the dirt. At first, the clicking sound continued, but when Ryufen completed a lap around the garden and returned, only a faint whirring sound remained. The prosthetic leg had successfully analyzed its owner’s running style and adjusted its length, elasticity, and other parameters.

Ryufen returned with a dazed expression.

“Ryufen?”

Ryufen kicked off the ground powerfully with the prosthetic leg and jumped. The force propelled him about 7 meters into the air, and he landed gracefully, spinning like a cat.

“This is… really… amazing!”

Ryufen shouted, pulling Siol into a hug.

“What is this! It’s like my real leg. How did you make this?! Are you a genius?!”

“Ugh… Wait… Ryufen, ugh…!”

“With this, I could go right back to the battlefield!”

He hadn’t shown it, but it seemed the loss of his leg had deeply affected him. Realizing that he could walk and run – no, rampage – again, he was more excited than ever.

“Ryufen, the meat’s burning.”

“Ah, my meat!”

Siol, who was about to be crushed in the hug, was rescued by Eorzen and staggered, groaning. Eorzen supported Siol by his shoulders. Siol shook his head, watching Ryufen hurriedly remove the skewers from the bonfire. Even this side of him, prioritizing meat above all else, was so typically Ryufen that Siol was speechless.

Ryufen transferred the cooked skewers to a plate, placed new meat on the bonfire, and returned to Eorzen and Siol.

“Here, here, eat. Today’s a day to celebrate, since I’m alive and I have a new leg.”

Ryufen stomped the ground with his prosthetic leg and laughed heartily.

“But the power source is a magic stone, so you’ll have to replace it occasionally. I only had cheap magic stones in the lab. The one you’re using now won’t last long.”

Siol lifted Ryufen’s hind leg and turned the paw upwards. He pressed the center of the paw and the middle claw simultaneously three times. Amazingly, the paw opened with a click. Inside was a small, faintly glowing stone – a magic stone, materialized magic power.

“I put a small one in now, but later, find a bigger one and put it in. If you find one that fits perfectly, it’ll probably last about three months. I’ve set it to vibrate three days before the magic stone runs out. If it vibrates, press the ball of your foot for five seconds to stop it. It’s best to replace the magic stone as soon as it vibrates.”