My appearance makes me look like an injured person. Blood is dripping from the base of the prosthetic on my left arm.
“Orietta-nee-san, it’s the Captain.”
Orietta, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was wearing a gothic lolita dress with a frilled apron and was using alchemy to create a prosthetic arm. Around her were prosthetic arms, legs, and even eyeballs.
“Captain~. I’m glad you seem to be doing well~.”
I am doing well, but I am injured. Alana pulled my remaining left hand and started running, then ran with my left hand. I chased after her, scattering blood, realizing how easy it is to lose balance without one hand.
“I broke the prosthetic for my left arm… and Magic Sword Zebra. I’m sorry…”
Magic Sword Zebra, which had been embedded in Christine, vanished, leaving a third of it behind. Was that for the best? Christine’s heart was no longer beating on its own. Her manifested heart was implanted in me, and if my heart stopped, Christine would die too.
“Oh, dear. It broke? Its hardness was almost too much. I need to add some flexibility next time~.”
“It’s the prosthetic arm, not the sword. …How about this one?”
She threw something at me, and I caught it. It was a woman’s arm with beautiful skin. I could easily imagine how beautiful the owner was just by looking at the arm.
“No, Alana. That arm has an owner, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right~. It’s from Ashtal’s Wibbie~.”
“Is that so… How about this one? This is a man’s arm.”
The strong arm Alana offered was way too large for me. I could easily imagine how strong the owner was by looking at the arm, but it was too hairy, and I didn’t want to wear it.
“That’s Baron Darron’s from Ashtal too~. And it’s a right arm~. Is the Captain going to make a prosthetic for his right arm as well~?”
I won’t. I’m the type who wants to cherish and use what I have until the end. Why is Orietta taking out a knife?
“Alana, I don’t intend to take other people’s prosthetic arms. I’ll wait my turn, so it’s fine. …How long is the wait?”
“It’s a half-year wait right now~. Are you going to wait~?”
I’ll use my privilege as the hero to cut in line. I can’t go half a year without an arm when battles await me. One hand for my chest, the other for *that*.
“Is it okay for me to cut in line?”
“It’s fine~. Besides, there’s a spare prosthetic arm for the Captain’s left arm~. It just doesn’t have the ultra-vibration function~.”
Losing the ultra-vibration function, which could also serve as a replacement for an electric vibrator, was, in a way, a pain, but I’ll cover that with Godspeed. I can even go into Mode Six now.
“That’s fine, please proceed. Please attach it for me later.”
“Understood~. I’ll return to the brigade after I finish today’s work~.”
“And about Zebra…”
“That can’t be fixed~. The structure…”
After listening to a thirty-minute nonsensical explanation, Alana and the prosthetic arm went to sleep, and the bleeding from my left arm completely stopped. The conclusion was as stated initially: it couldn’t be fixed. There are no spares for this, so for now, I’ll have to revert to a used sword.
“Halberd has a spare from Priscilla~. And it should be made by Grandpa~.”
I thought they only had enough financial resources to make what they sent to the White Lily Corps… Did they borrow money somewhere again? Where will I find a way to repay it?
“Halberd is too heavy, so I’ll make do with the swords in stock from the White Lily Corps. Please make one when you have time.”
“Yes, yes~. I’ll make an even more amazing one next time~.”
I can only desperately wish for something that doesn’t put my life at risk. I’m also concerned about Sophia and Rufina, but I know what they are doing, so it’s fine to postpone that.
“Speaking of which, how is Richarda? She wasn’t with Priscilla…”
“She died~.”
“What!?”
“Just kidding~. She’s probably fixing the castle walls right now~.”
Can I slap her? Who does she think she is to joke about someone’s death? For now, I’ve asked what I needed to ask. I’ll go visit the remaining members of the New White Lily Corps later. I need to meet Queen Anneliese now.
“Captain~. If you don’t have a weapon, will you use Chōya Kiki~? A versatile torture device that’s good for both thrusting and beating…”
I hurried to the Queen, who was in the castle.
“Mikael, you’re safe!”
Yes! This is the reaction I wanted. My reflection in her teary eyes. Queen Anneliese, who rushed down from her throne, and I embraced, confirming each other’s safety, and shared a passionate kiss.
“What have you been doing until now!”
Yuma Bashar, you’re interrupting after those teary eyes. Go die. It was an intense battle, so it would save me trouble. Why are you still alive?
“I apologize for being late, Your Majesty the Queen.”
Ignored. I dislike him and don’t want to engage. I want to tell Richarda and have her make him a human pillar for the castle walls. However, Yuma also seems to be injured, so I’ll let it slide this time.
“Anyway, I’m glad you’re safe. Have you heard about the Demon Lord? That he wasn’t in Klinshberbach…”
That’s right. Shin-chan, that’s strange. I had him investigate, but it’s true that I couldn’t find anything conclusive. After all, no one has actually seen the Demon Lord himself. I’ve received reports from Iris that she couldn’t find anyone resembling him, but normally, the Demon Lord would be commanding from Klinshberbach to boost morale.
“Yes. The White Lily Corps, who breached the broken castle walls in the northwest, and the Annihilation Brigade, immediately sent people to the road leading to the North Gate and proceeded towards the castle. Additionally, after securing the West Gate with the White Lily Corps, I left some men there and headed for the castle.”
I think the encirclement was handled well. Two of the four city gates were immediately monitored and secured, and with the Allied Forces in front of the other gates, escape is impossible.
Flying, using secret passages, using convenient doors that go anywhere, using teleportation magic. Thinking about it, there are countless ways to escape.
“After arriving at the castle, I had cavalry ride along the castle moat to prevent any breakouts. If the Demon Lord tries to break through the White Lily Corps or the Annihilation Brigade, he will surely be found. He probably used magic to teleport before he could be found.”
“I’ve never heard of teleportation magic, but perhaps the Demon Lord can do it. Chancellor Himmel is currently checking the secret passages, but we must consider the possibility of him flying…”
Klinshberbach Castle also seems to be in chaos. The enemy was either killed rather than captured, or allies were caught in the crossfire, resulting in many casualties.
Seeing the numerous bloodstains on this throne, Priscilla and the others must have made it this far. Still, not finding the Demon Lord, he really wasn’t here.
“We won, didn’t we…”
Not only the Queen but also I thought the matter would be settled here, yet the Demon Lord is nowhere to be found. We can either kill the Demon Lord or negotiate for peace, but without him, nothing can be discussed.
“We won! The castle is back in our hands, and the Demon Army hasn’t even shown its face!”
An-chan asked me, so let me answer. What Yuma said is true. However, we only recaptured the castle; the area north of here can still be considered under the Demon Lord’s control. But if I say it, it might cause trouble, so I won’t.
“Let’s reorganize our forces and pursue! If we take the Demon Lord’s head, the war will be over!”
You said it… You said it, Yuma Bashar. I’ll leave the pursuit to you. No, by the authority of the Hero, you go. And then, you, who are injured, would be struck by an enemy arrow during the pursuit and perish… Namu.
“For now, let’s focus on resolving the situation. We are receiving reports of casualties one by one, and there are many things to do, such as transporting supplies and repairing the castle walls.”
Go, Yuma. I’ll handle things here with Anne-chan. Go die without any worries.
And looking at Queen Anneliese seated on the throne again, I could almost see myself sitting beside her… no, in her place. King Harmonia isn’t bad either.
“Regarding the resolution of the situation, Manon Guiyu of the Hasuhanto Trading Company, who is currently a member of the White Lily Corps, will likely be of great assistance. Furthermore, future military operations will be planned in consultation with the knight orders of each country.”
“Please… Hero Shin…”
Hearing my name, “Shin,” instead of “Mikael,” at the end, made me feel a bit distant.
