"A new function?"
Raon approached Ensia with wide eyes.
"What idea came to mind this time?"
A prosthetic arm was something that fulfilled its purpose just by replacing a lost hand. The prosthetic created by Ensia from House Yonaan was especially an sensitive artifact that was barely different from a real hand, so he was curious what capability she had added to warrant calling it a new feature.
"You'll know when you see it... ah!"
Ensia stopped mid-answer and gaped.
"Handsome Raon."
She exclaimed that phrase for the first time in a while, her eyes sparkling.
"No, how do you keep getting more handsome! How is a person like this! Really!"
Ensia gasped for breath like someone who had run ten laps around the great training ground, saying she completely couldn't understand anymore.
"Handsome..."
Raon let out a hollow laugh while touching his disheveled hair.
"I'm quite a mess today though."
He had worked at a general store, played with children in an open field, then went to the head of house's great training ground, so he couldn't possibly look good - he had no idea what she found handsome.
"Just! Your existence itself! The air around you! Even your breathing is handsome!"
Ensia trembled her hands like someone who had broken down.
"I need to hurry and finish the Raon Zieghart Biography too. I must let the whole world know about that face!"
She clenched her fist, saying writing the Raon Zieghart Biography took priority over other tasks.
"Lady Sylvia! How on earth did you give birth to such a son!"
Ensia now interrogatively asked Sylvia how to create such a handsome son.
"Indeed. I find it amazing too that Raon came from my belly."
Sylvia smiled softly, saying she too found Raon's face amazing.
"Is that handsome?"
Sia tilted her head as if she couldn't tell since he was her brother.
-Grrr...
Wrath trembled his fist in frustration.
-This King is far more handsome and beautiful than this guy! Humans know nothing of beauty!
The guy ground his teeth as if remembering when he lost in looks before.
"I'm really going crazy. He's so handsome I want to preserve him..."
Ensia muttered the word "handsome" endlessly along with the chilling word "preserve."
"Haah..."
Raon let out a short sigh as he looked at Ensia's dreamy eyes.
"Please stop fawning and tell me what the new feature of the prosthetic is first."
Since being called handsome didn't particularly stir his emotions, he asked about the main topic right away.
"Ah, that's right! I'll show you the new feature when we go in. It's faster to see it than explain it with words!"
Ensia opened the door to Federick's mansion as if to show them while attaching the arm to Rector.
"Come quickly!"
She beckoned them to follow and entered Rector's sickroom as if it were her own home.
"Let's go."
Just as Raon was holding his throbbing head from Ensia's fawning and about to enter Federick's mansion...
"Raon."
Sylvia grabbed Raon's wrist.
"When did you ask Ensia?"
She let out a surprised breath as if she had no idea.
"I contacted Lady Ensia immediately on the day we brought grandfather here. I asked her to make a sturdy prosthetic that even a Transcendent could use."
Raon nodded calmly as if he had just done what was natural.
"You were thinking of Father even while struggling with training."
Sylvia smiled gratefully for taking care of what she couldn't.
"It's what I should do."
Raon waved his hand, saying it was natural and she didn't need to thank him.
"I had the time to spare, after all."
Unlike Sylvia who focused only on training at the great training ground, he could move around freely which made it convenient to handle other matters.
"Still, thank you."
Sylvia patted Raon's shoulder, saying she really gave birth to a great son as Ensia said.
"Alright."
Raon smiled softly as he accepted Sylvia's gratitude. In the past, he would have refused such words until the end, but now he could fully accept them because he understood people's hearts.
"What are you doing! Come in quickly!"
Ensia waved her hands wildly from inside the room, telling them to stop chatting and come quickly. Even then, her eyes were fixed only on Raon.
"Let's go in."
Raon entered Rector's sickroom with Sylvia and Sia. Edgar and Federick were sitting in chairs waiting, as if Ensia had informed them in advance.
"It seems it's finished now."
Federick smiled refreshingly, saying they arrived right on time.
"Honey! Daughter! Son!"
Edgar jumped up from his chair and ran toward Sylvia and Sia.
"Move!"
"Dad! Come with me!"
Sylvia and Sia pushed aside the approaching Edgar, seemingly thinking Rector came first, and approached the sickroom bed.
"Father. Are you alright?"
"Grandpa. Does it hurt?"
The two greeted Rector first without even glancing at the bounced-off Edgar.
"Seeing you two makes both fatigue and pain disappear."
Rector smiled warmly as if asking if their cultivation went well.
"Yes. It's thanks to Father's concern."
Sylvia bowed her head while looking at Rector.
"I got praised!"
Sia held Rector's hand, saying she got praise from Glenn but wanted more praise.
"Ugh, they've changed already! They used to hug me before!"
Edgar sniffled as if hurt by Sylvia and Sia.
"Father, you should do your fawning at home too."
Raon sighed and entered the sickroom.
"Hm? Raon, you..."
Edgar's jaw trembled slightly as if he sensed the change in Raon's Martial Prowess from his calm gaze.
"There's a lot of dust in your hair? You should go wash up?"
He laughed, bringing up dust as if he only noticed the hair color rather than the change.
"I do need to wash up."
Raon chuckled and nodded.
'No matter how I think about it, they really suit each other.'
He could see Rimmer's image in Edgar. It was a bit regrettable that the two would have been perfect friends if they had met earlier.
"Raon. It seems you've done it."
Rector nodded seriously as if he clearly sensed his change.
"I thought you would be able to overcome that wall."
He congratulated him on overcoming the wall and applauded by clapping his one hand against his thigh.
"I thought something had changed."
Federick also drew a broad smile as if he noticed his change through Rector's words.
"You really can't let your guard down."
He shook his head vigorously, saying that whenever he came to his senses, his martial arts realm and title had changed.
"Now, everyone pay attention!"
Ensia raised her hand high after confirming Raon had finally entered the sickroom.
"From now on, I'll unveil House Yonaan's new product!"
She eagerly patted Rector's bed with her palm as if telling them to expect something.
"Huuuu..."
Rector, having met Ensia frequently because of the prosthetic, seemed accustomed to her fawning and just let out a murky sigh without saying anything.
"Nowwww! This masterpiece is House Yonaan's new prosthetic."
Ensia took out a white prosthetic from her Subspace Pouch with laughter bursting from both cheeks.
'Hm? It doesn't look that different?'
She said it was a new product with new features, so he thought the prosthetic had changed a lot, but it didn't look much different from what Rimmer used. At most, the muscles and blood vessels looked slightly more realistic.
"What changed?"
Federick furrowed his brows as if he didn't understand either.
"It might not look like much now, but you'll see soon enough!"
Ensia smiled confidently and approached Rector with the prosthetic.
"Are you mentally prepared to hold a sword again?"
She looked at Rector with corners of her mouth turned up.
"Yes. I've heard it so much my ears are about to crust over, so do as you wish."
Rector seemed to like Ensia's lively personality and nodded, lowering the clothes from his empty right shoulder.
"Then I'll install it."
Ensia brought the prosthetic to Rector's right shoulder where the ugly healed scar remained. The white prosthetic attached to Rector's shoulder like a living creature, covering his scar and emitting a soft light with a humming sound.
"This is... huh?"
Raon's eyes widened as he examined the prosthetic's condition.
'The prosthetic's color is changing.'
The white prosthetic attached to Rector's shoulder was changing color to match his skin. The eerily white arm now had the same tone as human skin.
"It's, it's identical!"
Sylvia blinked blankly.
"Father! It looks exactly like a new arm has grown!"
Edgar also gaped in surprise.
"Right?"
Ensia giggled as if she had expected this reaction.
"Now try moving the arm."
She gestured with her chin at Rector who was staring at his new arm in wonder.
"Huu."
As Rector nodded determinedly, his new right arm began to slowly rise. The arm moved smoothly - not only had its color changed naturally, but it also moved up and down as if it were truly his own, and bent flexibly enough for the back of his hand to touch his back.
"Ha!"
Rector let out repeated gasps as if surprised by the sensation of feeling in his arm again.
"How is it?"
Ensia lifted her chin as if asking for his impression.
"It's perfect. It feels like I've returned to before my arm was cut off. No, more than that..."
Rector swallowed dryly as he looked at where the prosthetic met his shoulder.
"The pain in my shoulder has almost disappeared too. How is this..."
He trembled his jaw, asking what she had done.
"Many people who wear prosthetics like this often feel continuous pain in their shoulders. I inscribed healing techniques to alleviate the pain."
Ensia smiled, saying the cool sensation at the wound site was thanks to the healing techniques.
'So those are the new features.'
Color change and healing techniques. Raon smiled faintly, feeling that Ensia had shown much consideration for prosthetic wearers.
'With those features, it certainly wouldn't be strange to call it a new product.'
He nodded, thinking he should pay her extra on top of the prosthetic's cost.
"I see..."
Rector clenched the prosthetic hand into a fist, saying he finally understood.
"I'm truly grateful."
He bowed his head to Ensia, thanking her for creating such a wonderful item.
"I'm sorry for thinking you were a freeloader. I thought you didn't do much."
Edgar apologized, rolling his eyes sheepishly as if he had been rude to Ensia multiple times.
"Ugh! You bastard!"
Sylvia kicked Edgar and approached Ensia.
"Ensia. We've received your help again. Thank you."
She held Ensia's hand and pressed her lips firmly.
"Not at all! We're not just ordinary acquaintances, and we're all here to help each other!"
Ensia waved her hand as if it really was nothing.
"And it's not over yet."
She smiled as if saying it was just the beginning.
"What do you mean it's not over yet?"
Raon blinked at Ensia's words.
"I said the prosthetic has a new feature."
Ensia tilted her head as if asking if he didn't remember what she just said.
"What? Weren't the color change and pain relief the new features?"
Raon tilted his head in the opposite direction from Ensia.
"That wouldn't be enough to call it a new feature."
Ensia grinned and snapped her fingers.
"Our House Yonaan created and installed an energy center in this prosthetic!"
She curled up her lips, saying Rector's prosthetic had an energy center.
"An, an energy center?"
"An energy center?"
Raon and Rector raised their voices simultaneously.
"Yes. I'll show you now."
As Ensia manipulated various parts of Rector's arm, suddenly blue light burst from his arm and a massive flow of mana surged upward.
"How is it? Using artificial energy center creation technology, we made an energy center in the prosthetic too! It's an emergency storage that can be used when the body's mana is depleted!"
Ensia curled up her lips, saying it was her idea.
"Th-that's amazing?"
Raon gaped.
'That's truly an astonishing idea.'
To install an artificial energy center in a prosthetic to provide a trump card - it was honestly a shocking concept. She wasn't called an Artifact Master for nothing.
"Huh..."
Rector also let out a gasp in surprise as he looked at his hand burning with blue mana. After moving his arm repeatedly, he turned his gaze to Raon as if he had made a decision.
"Raon."
"Yes?"
Raon responded, seeing Rector's serious gaze.
"Now that I have a new arm, I should test it out."
Rector took off his patient gown and rose from the bed.
"Let's have a match."
***
Seiran Island, marking the end of the southern lands. Above the lush island known as a paradise for flora and fauna due to the absence of monsters, a golden rift emerged in the sky. The celestial rift shattered roughly like breaking glass, and from the black distorted space, a man in white robes emerged.
"Finally found it."
The golden-haired, blue-eyed youth - the Gold Dragon Bartius in human form - clenched his trembling fist.
"The path leading to the Lord!"