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Chapter 34
“Talented people really are different.”
I kept my expression under control, making sure not to show what I was feeling.
I was genuinely impressed by how much progress he’d already made, but more than that, I hoped he wouldn’t become satisfied so soon.
This was a race with no visible finish line.
We had only just taken the very first step.
For now, it was better to keep my emotions in check.
“Hmm…”
As I silently examined the blueprint with a serious expression, Coby visibly grew more nervous.
After letting the silence linger for a moment, I spoke in an indifferent tone.
“You did well.”
“Th-thank you!”
Coby’s face instantly brightened.
Now it was time to shake my head.
“I can clearly see how much effort you put into it. But there’s one problem… No matter how I look at it, it’s far too bulky.”
“…I thought so too.”
“So you already realized that yourself?”
“Yes.”
His emotions swung like a roller coaster, and his expression quickly turned serious again.
Not bad.
No—better than that.
Instead of looking discouraged, his eyes burned with the determination to improve even further.
I liked that far more.
I almost smiled, barely stopping myself.
Fortunately, Coby didn’t notice.
Without taking his eyes off the blueprint, he carefully explained,
“I kept thinking about what you told me before… and I ended up using the recently invented magitech equipment called a War Mail as the base for this design.”
“War Mail?”
“Yes.”
War Mail was a relatively new piece of magical engineering equipment designed to assist soldiers in battle.
Originally, it had been invented to replace limbs lost in combat and send wounded soldiers back onto the battlefield.
In appearance, it was probably the closest thing this world had to a modern prosthetic arm.
According to Coby, before the Holy Church banned its widespread use, it had sold like wildfire.
Considering that monsters and wars were both common in this world, demand had been enormous.
But what I wanted and what War Mail aimed for only shared the same starting point.
Their destinations were completely different.
I’m not trying to build some cutting-edge robotic combat arm.
Unlike Earth, this world was filled with magic.
A world overflowing with mysteries.
There was no reason to limit ourselves to mere machinery.
This wasn’t engineering.
It was magical engineering.
“I told you before. I’m not looking for something designed for combat. At least for now, all I want is a hand that looks completely normal.”
“I understand what you mean… but with current technology, we can’t make something identical to a real human hand. The best we can do is something like a gauntlet or glove. And making it actually move like a real hand instead of simply gripping a weapon…”
He trailed off.
“That’s practically the domain of the gods.”
“Hmm…”
Even I couldn’t immediately come up with an answer.
Just attaching the prosthetic securely to the remaining arm would require numerous support mechanisms.
That was exactly why Coby had designed it like a gauntlet.
The mechanical locking device around the forearm served the same purpose.
But seeing it only made me shake my head.
That would make it no different from a War Mail.
There had to be a better solution.
Something that looked completely natural…
