"That's right! Elsa, hurry up and follow me!"
Having said that, Vain headed out onto the streets of the royal capital without waiting for a response.
"H-Hold on! Where are you going?!"
Her heart had been an emotional wreck just moments ago from the master's words, leaving her no time to process any lingering feelings. Elsa hastily chased after his back. Clarice and Serena naturally followed as well, but neither of them would tell her their destination.
"Just come along!"
"That's why I'm asking where we're going! What's the deal with suddenly dragging me out without an explanation?!"
"You'll understand when we get there."
"I hate it most when you say that!"
Even when she glanced at Clarice, the aide merely gave a slightly troubled shrug. Serena looked over at her once, placed an index finger to her lips, and simply whispered, "Secret."
Turning off the main thoroughfare and entering a quiet corner with little foot traffic, Vain finally came to a stop. Standing before them was an old stone workshop, yet for a smithy, there was no sound of a roaring furnace. Beyond the window, finely crafted metal fittings, leather straps, and even objects shaped like arms and legs were lined up in neat rows.
"...W-What is this place?"
"Alright."
"What do you mean, 'alright'?!"
Unfazed, Vain pushed the door open. Inside were an elderly man and two assistants—a man and a woman—who appeared to work under him. Laid out densely across the table were delicate metal fittings and thin plates whose purposes Elsa could not even fathom.
"Hey! I brought her."
"Is this the one? Let me have a look at her, then."
"...Eh?"
Before she could ask what he was looking at, her remaining arm was examined, felt from shoulder to elbow, and measured around the girth with a cloth cord from the side.
"W-Wait a second! Um, w-what?! What are you doing?!"
"Relax... Oho? The elbow moves with no problem."
"The remaining length isn't bad either... We should be able to fit it to this!"
"What in the world are you talking about?! Hey, Vain!"
Looking back, the man himself stood with his arms crossed, nodding with a strangely satisfied expression.
"Looks like it'll work... That's a relief."
"Hey?!...I haven't heard a single thing about this!"
"I figured it'd be a pain if I told you beforehand, so I just brought you along."
"It's countless times more of a pain right now!"
Serena muttered a quiet "Lack of explanation," but the craftsmen paid no mind, pressing their fingers against Elsa's remaining arm.
"Try putting strength into it, like you're trying to clench your fingers like you used to."
"Hah?! I don't even have fingers anymore!"
"I know that. Just do it."
Without understanding why, Elsa focused her strength as if gripping with her old right hand. Naturally, nothing happened visually. Even so, the craftsman shifted his fingers to check different spots, eventually nodding in approval.
"...It's still there. This will work!"
"What will?!"
When she finally raised her voice, Vain pointed toward the back of the table. The elderly craftsman pulled away the cloth draped over it.
What appeared—was an arm.
Of course, it was not a human arm. Crafted from dark metal and leather, it was shaped from the elbow down, with intricate joints built into each of the five fingers.
"Eh?!...A-A prosthetic arm?"
"It's called a mechanical prosthetic arm. This is just a sample, but they'll make yours from scratch to fit your arm."
Elsa stared at the metal fingers without answering. She knew what prosthetic arms were. But the one before her eyes was clearly different from an ordinary prosthetic... After losing her arm, she had once thought about saving up money to buy one in the future.
"Does this... move?"
"Sensation won't come back... You won't know hot from cold, and there's no sense of touch. You'll have to relearn how to control your grip strength from scratch, too. However, the functions that used to move your fingers still remain in your arm. If you channel that into the mechanisms inside, you'll be able to move all five fingers independently with enough training."
"...All five of them?"
"Yeah. Won't be easy, though."
Her throat suddenly went dry. Unable to tear her eyes away from the metal hand, Elsa finally voiced the question she wanted to ask most.
"...What about a hammer? Can I grip a hammer, too?"
"You can get as far as gripping it... Everything after that is up to you. Without any sensation, you'll probably drop it at first, or squeeze it too hard. Even so... once you get used to it, you can handle tools."
The moment she heard those words, the workshop back in the Razgrim domain flashed through her mind. Standing before the furnace, holding down the iron with one hand and swinging the hammer with the other. Since losing her arm, it was an image she had dreamed of countless times, only to try and force herself to forget every time she woke up.
It was fine as long as she learned to forge with one arm... Rather than counting what she couldn't do, she should look for ways she could. That was the mindset that had brought her this far, and just moments ago, her master had told her, "Shut them all up with your skill, one arm or not."
That was why, from the very beginning, she had forced herself never to consider the possibility that she might be able to hold a hammer with both hands again.
Elsa slowly raised her head.
"I-Is this... for me...?"
"Isn't that why I brought you here?"
Vain replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The instant she heard his voice, a strange heat swelled in the depths of her chest.
◇
We're finally here.
Looking sideways at Elsa, who stood frozen staring at the mechanical prosthetic arm, I let out an inward sigh. Making this alone would cost over two hundred gold coins... When I first heard the price, I genuinely thought I had misheard, and my chest still ached even now.
However, if Elsa becomes able to use both hands, she can craft more weapons and armor than before... and she can learn more from the master. If I invest the money here and now to have her work for a long time, it'll eventually pay for itself.
It's not like I'm giving her an arm out of the goodness of my heart! I'm only putting out money for future profits! I need to state this clearly so there are no misunderstandings...!
"Listen up, Elsa! I'll tell you this up front: this prosthetic is ridiculously expensive! It's over two hundred gold coins, you know?! So you're going to—"
My words broke off right there.
A large tear spilled from Elsa's eyes.
"...Eh?"
It seemed she hadn't intended to cry either. She hastily turned her face away, but once the tears fell, they wouldn't stop, streaming down her cheeks one after another.
"H-Hey, what are you crying for?! I'm still talking!"
"B-Because... why-y... Why would you... do this much for meee...?"
"Like I said, it's not for you! I'm just spending the money looking ahead, and if you can use both hands, the work will increase, and—"
"Things like that... it costs over two hundred gold coins, doesn't it?! Why would you go that far for meee...?!"
"That's what I'm explaining right now! In return, from now on, you're going to—"
No good...! She isn't listening at all.
As I tried to explain once more, Clarice quietly chimed in.
"Vain... You may see this as an investment, but to Elsa, this is an irreplaceable gift, you know?"
"...A gift, you say?"
"That's right! Something she thought would never return might be usable once again. You might be thinking about the increased amount of work she can do, but from the perspective of the person receiving it, it's completely different."
"Is that how it works...?"
I still didn't quite get it. I understood that a mechanical prosthetic arm was convenient, and I understood that she would be happy to be able to work with both hands. But was it really something to cry this much over?
Just then, the workshop door swung open.
"Your Grace, Elsa! Are you still in—whoa, what's all this?"
The master walked in. Looking back and forth between the weeping Elsa and me, he furrowed his brows.
"Your Grace... What did you do to Elsa?"
"I didn't do anything! She just started crying on her own!"
The master wore a suspicious look, but upon spotting the metal arm on the table, he immediately approached it. Gazing at the finger joints and wrist mechanism, he let out a low breath.
"...Is this a mechanical prosthetic arm?"
"What? You know about it?"
"Only by name. I've heard rumors that in the royal capital, there are ridiculously expensive prosthetics that let you move a lost arm again, but..."
When Clarice briefly explained the circumstances, the master cast his eyes back down at the mechanical prosthetic arm, then looked at me.
"Ah... It's just like the young lady says, Your Grace. To Your Grace, it might just be spending money for the future, but to this girl, it's not like that. For someone who lost an arm to be able to grip their hand again like this is something that should only belong in fairy tales, you know? Holding a hammer, holding down the iron—she'd given up, thinking she'd have to do it all with one arm forever. And now, she might be able to work with both hands again... To a blacksmith, that's something money can't measure."
"...Is that so?"
This time, I felt like I understood a little. I had simply thought that having both hands meant more work getting done. But to Elsa, it seemed this was about potentially reaching something she thought she could never do again.
Looking at her again, Elsa was still crying, but she didn't look displeased. Rather, unable to take her eyes off the mechanical prosthetic arm, she was repeatedly staring at the fingertips while weeping.
"...Well, fine. If you're happy enough to cry, I suppose it was worth spending the money. Make sure you learn how to use it properly."
"...Yeah."
Her response was much quieter than before.
After watching for a moment, the master's lips relaxed slightly.
"...Good for you, Elsa."
With that single phrase, Elsa's face—which had finally started to calm down—scrunched up all over again.
"Y-Yeah...! S-Seriously...!! I don't understaaand...!! Master suddenly talks about quitting... and Vain goes and finds something like this on his own... Why does it all have to come at once todayyy...!"
"Hahaha! Don't go asking me that! But if you can use it, maybe this time you'll surpass me with both hands, eh?"
"Y-Yeah... Definitely-y... I'll definitely learn how to use it...!"
The master patted Elsa's head with a laugh. Normally she'd yell at him not to treat her like a kid, but today, far from brushing his hand away, she wept while clutching the hem of his clothes. Clarice and Serena watched the scene unfold without interrupting.
I was the only one feeling strangely awkward.
"H-Hey?! Don't cry so much! Look around! You're making it look like I did something terrible!"
"I'm crying because you didn't do anything terribleee!!"
"Then that makes even less sense!"
Her wails grew louder again. With no other choice, I let out a breath.
"...Fine. I give up on explaining. But remember this one thing."
Elsa, who was wiping her tears, sniffled and looked my way.
"Listen up, Elsa. Just like the master, you're going to work for me for the rest of your life! Until you die!"
Elsa froze mid-motion, and Serena muttered under her breath.
"Terrible phrasing."
"I'm spending over two hundred gold coins, you know?! Quitting halfway through is strictly forbidden! If you can grip a hammer, forge! When you can't forge anymore, teach those who come after you just like the master! I expect you to work thoroughly enough to pay back more than what I spent!"
With this, my intentions should have surely gotten through.
However, large tears spilled from Elsa's eyes once more.
"Why are you crying again?!"
"B-Because... until I die... That means... you're telling me it's okay for me to stay with you forever from now on, aren't youuu...?!"
"No, I mean work?! I'm talking about putting you to work!"
"It's the same thing!"
I thought it was completely different, but it seemed useless to say anything to Elsa right now. The master let out a hearty laugh, and Clarice quietly watched the two of us.
After a while, Elsa finally released her grip on the master's clothes. Her tears hadn't stopped yet. Even so, after taking several breaths, she turned toward me and looked straight into my eyes with her tear-stained face.
"...I've decided. I've... made up my mind...!"
Her voice trembled, but those words alone were clear.
"I'll only forge for Vain... and everyone in Razgrim!! Swords, armor, anything! If it's something I can forge, I'll forge it all for everyoneee!!"
"...O-Oh."
I didn't quite get how things had escalated to that scale, but... well, having the motivation to work was a good thing! As someone spending over two hundred gold coins, having her that motivated was certainly appreciated!
"Then first, learn to use that prosthetic arm. I expect you to work properly and pay me back for what I spent, understand?"
"Yeah...! I will, I'll definitely pay you baaack...!"
Seeing Elsa looking like she was about to cry again, I gave up on trying to stop her. The master chuckled with satisfaction, while Clarice quietly watched over Elsa. Serena gave a small nod as well.
I looked at the mechanical prosthetic arm on the table once more. Over two hundred gold coins. I still thought it was ridiculously expensive. But if Elsa could use both hands, the things she could make would increase. She could absorb more of the master's techniques, too.
Having thought that far, the words Elsa had sobbed earlier snagged on my mind just a tiny bit.
I'll only forge for Vain, and everyone in Razgrim.
...Well, whatever. It probably didn't have any deep meaning behind it anyway.
For now, getting this girl to stop crying came first.