Chapter 48.1

The next morning.

“Sir…?”

Theo cautiously knocked on the door of his new workplace, the Arad Company.

“…?”

When no response came from inside, he hesitated, unsure whether to enter.

“It’s fine. You can go in,” a familiar voice called out behind him.

“Brother?!”

Theo turned, startled to see Rosie.

“What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t you know? I work here too,” Rosie replied with a grin.

“Wait… what?”

“Well, technically, I’m assigned to guard Count Jin.”

“Frost Knights do this kind of thing?”

“Count Jin is one of the North’s greatest assets, far more than you realize.”

Originally, Rosie had been tasked with guarding Arad from the shadows, but after assisting with distributing Mary’s Blessing throughout the North, he’d officially joined the company in disguise. It had simply become impractical and inefficient to guard Arad covertly.

“I’m so lucky to work for someone so extraordinary,” Theo muttered in awe.

“That’s right. So do your best. My primary role is still as a Frost Knight, but this is now your main job.”

“Of course.”

“But don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Push myself? No matter how tough it gets, it won’t compare to fighting those orcs in the Frozen Sea.”

Theo felt both surprised and happy to learn this new information. Unlike his other half-siblings, Rosie had always been someone he respected and looked up to since they were young.

Theo had worked hard to become a knight of the High Tower in part because he wanted to stand alongside his brother on missions someday.

“Let’s head in,” Rosie said.

“Alright.”

“By the way, how did the task Count Jin give you go?”

“I spoke with the people I could find right away. None of them seemed inclined to refuse.”

“As expected.”

The two entered the Arad Company building, chatting along the way.

The first floor appeared as it always did, but those in the know understood the real heart of the Arad Company was underground.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Sir? May we come in?” Rosie called out as he knocked on the basement door.

“Come in!” Arad’s voice replied from within a few seconds later.

Creak.

Rosie opened the door slowly, and the distinct smell of herbs and something more pungent wafted out, assaulting their noses.

‘What kind of concoction is he working on?’ Rosie wondered.

The smell was faintly herbal but sharper and more unpleasant, enough to make them slightly dizzy and their skin crawl.

“Perfect timing. The prototype is just finished,” Arad said, greeting them with tired eyes but an excited smile.

“Director Teo,” he said, turning to Theo.

“Director… Teo? Me, sir?”

“Who else? Is there another Theo here?”

“My surname is Shapiro, sir,” Theo replied, confused.

“In here, you’re Director Teo. Get used to it.”

“…Alright.”

“Now come here. Take off your shirt while you’re at it.”

Arad beckoned Theo forward without further explanation.

“Go ahead,” Rosie said, encouraging his hesitant brother. “It won’t be anything bad.”

Reluctantly, Theo stepped closer to Arad.

“This is a bio-prosthetic I made for you,” Arad said, pulling something out of a jar filled with a pungent liquid.

“This…!”

Though it reeked and dripped with solution, the object Arad held commanded attention.

The prosthetic arm was gray-skinned, with faintly glowing magic stones embedded at the wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Along the contact point at the shoulder, where it would attach to a body, a network of tendrils writhed like living whiskers, accompanied by intricate magic circles.

“I was worried about the size since I eyeballed it, but it looks like it’ll fit,” Arad muttered. Without waiting for Theo’s consent, he pressed the prosthetic against Theo’s shoulder.

Ssssslurp!

“!!”

The prosthetic fused to Theo’s body with a sound like liquid being hungrily absorbed. The connection was seamless.

“Aaahhh…!”

Theo stared at his new arm in shock and disbelief.

“Try moving it—slowly at first,” Arad instructed, as if hypnotizing him.

“I-it’s moving…! It moves!” Theo exclaimed, his voice shaking with amazement.

“Pinch the new arm with your left hand,” Arad directed.

“I can feel it. The sensation is a bit dull, but I can feel it!” Theo cried.

“It’s a success,” Arad declared calmly.

“How… how is this even possible?!”

“Keep in mind, while it’s functional, this arm is limited to everyday activities. The movements and sensations are too dull for you to wield a sword as skillfully as before,” Arad cautioned.

But Theo was too overwhelmed with gratitude to care.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, sir! I can’t thank you enough!” he exclaimed, tears streaming down his face.

“This is wonderful, Theo! Truly wonderful!” Rosie, who had been watching, couldn’t hide his emotions and broke into a bright smile, celebrating his brother’s recovery.

“Thank you too, brother! Thank you so much!” Theo replied, embracing Rosie as tears of joy continued to flow.

Overwhelmed with joy, hope, and gratitude, Theo couldn’t stop thinking about his fellow knights and soldiers who were similarly disabled.

He also thought of the countless injured veterans of the North, barely scraping by.

“Count Jin!”

“Call me sir,” I corrected him.

“S-Sir!”

“What is it, Director Teo?”

“Forgive me… this may be an outrageous and selfish request, but… could you make more arms and legs like this for others?”

“I understand what you’re asking, and I sympathize with your thoughts, Director Teo. But no matter how skilled I am, I can’t possibly create limbs for hundreds of people all on my own.”

“Ah…”

“That’s precisely why I told you to recruit skilled workers.”

“Oh! Of course! I’ll get right on it! I’ll scour not just the High Tower but all of the North to find anyone with the skills we need. If necessary, I’ll even kidnap them!”

“No kidnappings.”

“Yes! No kidnappings!”

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