Chapter 68
Episode 19: The Fall of the North Gate
After the battle with Demise, I used teleportation magic to return to the base and help Selen recover. Mom, noticing we had returned, came out of her room and rushed over when she saw Selen enduring the pain of her lost left wrist.
「Selen! What happened to that injury? Celestia, heal her quickly!」
「Mom… that wound was caused by a cursed sword, so recovery magic won’t work…」
When Mom heard that it was impossible to heal, she approached Selen and apologized.
「You got hurt because you helped us with our revenge… Forgive me.」
「Ma’am, I accepted this risk from the beginning. There’s no need to apologize.」
「The pain seems severe. I’ll use magic to put her to sleep so she can rest.」
Wanting to ease Selen’s suffering as soon as possible, I moved her to her room and laid her on the bed.
「I hope the pain will ease while she’s asleep…」
「Don’t worry. Once she sleeps, she’ll forget the pain for a while.」
「You’re right. Good night, Selen. 〚Sleep〛.」
Once the spell put her to sleep, her strained expression softened, and I felt relieved. Leaving Selen’s room, I informed Mom of my plan to attack the Sparon Fortress.
「Selen is asleep under a spell, but she might wake up from the pain. Please keep an eye on her. I’m heading to attack Sparon Fortress.」
「Celestia, are you sure you’re okay? Wouldn’t it be better to rest for today?」
Although Mom suggested I rest, I shook my head and told her I’d head to Sparon.
「I’m fine. Besides, it’ll be my familiars attacking Sparon Fortress. I’ll only observe, so don’t worry.」
「Alright… Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?」
「I won’t. I’ll be back soon. I love you, Mom.」
「I love you too, my dear.」
After sharing a hug, I teleported to Sparon and summoned my familiars.
『She must be worried because I retreated earlier…』
As I thought about that, my familiars appeared. Roha, upon seeing me safe and sound, immediately spoke.
「Celestia-sama, I’m so relieved to see you unharmed. However, please allow me to say this—thank you sincerely for everything you’ve done for beings like us.」
「Everyone, listen to me. You’re not just ‘beings’—you’re my precious companions. That’s how I see you. So please, value your lives in everything we do from now on.」
「「Understood!」」
Hearing my words, all my familiars knelt and responded in unison before heading toward Sparon Fortress with Roha in the lead.
In less than an hour, they returned to me, having successfully brought down the North Gate of the fortress without a single loss.
–
Episode 20: The Saint’s Weakness
In a room within the Kingdom of Leone, three Demon Generals gathered with complex expressions.
「Demise’s presence has vanished…」
Fatima broke the silence, her beautiful face lacking its usual composure as she furrowed her brows.
「If they fought Demise, they must’ve been severely wounded. They might still be nearby. Should we teleport to the location to check?」
Though Calamity feigned calmness, his quickened speech betrayed his agitation.
「When dealing with the Saint, we must attack in numbers to ensure her defeat. Wouldn’t it be best for all of us to go together?」
Estigma muttered a strategy for guaranteed victory, his tone reflecting the fear of possibly losing had he been the one to fight her. Confronted with the reality of Celestia’s power, he desperately sought a way to exploit her weaknesses.
Suddenly, with a sinister grin, he shared his plan for defeating Celestia with the other two Demon Generals.
➖・➖・➖・➖・➖・➖・➖・➖
Having returned to the base after conquering Sparon Fortress’s North Gate, Celestia stayed by Selen’s side as she rested in the bedroom. Watching over her sleeping form, Celestia couldn’t shake the pang of guilt she felt while thinking about Selen’s lost left hand.
Determined to find a way for her to live without difficulties, she began contemplating solutions.
『Parallel Thought Butler, I’m planning to create a prosthetic hand for Selen. I’ll design a precise one. Could you research a method to connect the prosthetic with her nerves?』
『Understood. I’ll find a solution without fail.』
After issuing her command to the Parallel Thought Butler, Celestia sat by Selen’s bedside, brainstorming designs for the prosthetic.
「Mmm… ugh…」
Selen stirred awake, and though she seemed better, Celestia noticed traces of pain and asked.
「Good morning. How’s the pain?」
「Morning… It’s better compared to before I slept. I think the pain will fade with time.」
「Would you like to eat something and then rest again?」
「That sounds good. I’ll rest a bit more after that.」
After sipping some soup, Selen fell asleep again with the help of magic. Celestia, meanwhile, headed to Sparon and summoned Roha to scout the South Gate.
「Roha, I’m planning to craft a prosthetic arm for Selen. I want to make it as detailed as possible. When we take down the South Gate, could you bring back a soldier’s left wrist in good condition for research?」
「Understood. Would it be better if it’s from a female soldier, similar to Selen?」
「If possible, yes. That would be ideal.」
That night, her familiars successfully brought down the South Gate of Sparon Fortress. Along with their victory, they retrieved a left wrist for Celestia’s research.
From that day forward, she devoted herself to studying and crafting the prosthetic for Selen.
–
Episode 21: Prosthetic Hand Complete
I began by removing the flesh from the left wrist that Roha had retrieved, leaving only the bones and tendons to study their movements. Though I lacked medical knowledge, I analyzed how my own hand moved, observing the interplay between bones and tendons. Gradually, I made progress in crafting the prosthetic.
However, while I could replicate the bones and tendons, recreating the flesh was impossible.
「As long as I wear a glove, it won’t be an issue,」
Said Selen, assuring me.
Encouraged by her words, I decided to construct the prosthetic using the lightest metals available. Meanwhile, the Parallel Thought Butler, whom I had tasked with finding a way to link the prosthetic to her nerves, informed me that it would be possible by connecting pseudo-nerves in the prosthetic to Selen’s nerves.
With guidance from Butler on nerve structures, I began creating the pseudo-nerves.
During the prosthetic’s creation, I paused all support activities, and Selen quietly watched my work from nearby.
「Today, I’m assembling the prosthetic arm. If all goes well, it might be finished by the end of the day.」
「Will you attach it as soon as it’s ready?」
「Yes, if there are no issues during the functionality tests.」
「I’m looking forward to it!」
After a brief conversation, I started the assembly. I began by connecting the foundational framework and tendons. The framework was constructed using orichalcum—a luxurious choice—while the tendons were crafted from threads provided by my familiar, the Arachne Queen, ensuring all materials were as durable as possible.
*Click, clack…*
Carefully assembling the parts, I completed the prosthetic’s base within two hours. After a quick break for lunch, I resumed work.
The most delicate part was connecting the pseudo-muscle fibers to the pseudo-nerves. A single mistake could compromise the prosthetic’s functionality, so I proceeded with extreme caution. Finally, the task was complete.
「Alright, the prosthetic is finished. I’ll test its functionality now, and if everything’s fine, we can attach it.」
「It’s incredible that something like this can even be made. You might be able to build mechanical dolls too.」
「If they were lifeless automatons, I could. Maybe I’ll try that someday. Anyway, let’s start the tests.」
After running the tests, everything worked smoothly. There were no malfunctions or mechanical noises, so the metallic prosthetic was ready.
「It’s complete. Now I’ll attach it to Selen, but connecting the nerves to the pseudo-nerves might hurt, so please bear with it.」
「I’m fine. Let’s begin.」
I moved closer to Selen’s left wrist. Guided by the Parallel Thought Butler, I carefully connected the pseudo-nerves to her nerves using magic.
「Ugh… It’s okay, keep going,」
Selen said, urging me to continue despite the pain.
After painstakingly linking everything, the process was complete.
「The nerve connections are done. That must have hurt—thank you for enduring it.」
「It was nothing compared to the pain of losing my hand. Can I try moving it?」
「Yes, let’s hope it moves properly…」
Holding my breath, I watched as Selen’s left-hand fingers began to move.
「Ah… Celestia, my fingers are moving! They move just as I want them to… Thank you so much…」
Overcome with emotion upon seeing the prosthetic work, Selen began to cry. I embraced her, and together, we shared the joy of this success.
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