I signaled with my eyes, and the maid nodded silently, carefully pulling the blanket back over her.
There was nothing robotic or cold in the gesture; she handled the girl with genuine affection.
...I’m not the type to handle sentimental scenes well. Better to just get this over with.
"Alright. I’ve seen enough to know what I’m dealing with."
As I straightened up and spoke, Lucia leaned forward, seemingly unable to help herself.
"S-so... Cecily... can you save her?"
Her voice trembled, a fraying cord of hope and fear.
I’d heard she had been turned away by countless doctors and technicians who told her it was impossible. That mountain of despair was what made her eyes waver so unsteadily.
"Yeah. I'll fix her," I answered shortly, without a hint of hesitation.
Lucia let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief, as if a crushing weight had been lifted from her chest.
Sebastian and the maid, however, remained stoic. They weren't quite ready to believe me.
I couldn't blame them. A shady "Repairman" from the slums shows up and claims he can do what the best medical minds couldn't. Who would take that at face value?
But it didn't matter. It was going to work—because I was the one doing it.
"I’m going to begin the procedure now. But... this isn't something I want an audience for. Only one person stays."
My "Repair" was something that defied logic. I didn't need the details leaking out. If it became a problem, I could always crush the rumors, but I preferred to keep my life as hassle-free as possible.
"Understood. I shall remain. Are there any objections?"
Sebastian stepped forward, his voice low and firm.
He’d likely been given specific instructions by Gordon. His words were directed at me, but they were a command for Lucia to follow.
Lucia opened her mouth, looking as though she was about to shout, “Me too!” But she held it back, pressing her trembling lips together and nodding firmly.
She’s got guts.
The maid gave a modest bow. "As you wish."
If anything went sideways in this room, the only ones capable of responding were the maid or Sebastian. Between the two, the old man definitely had the higher combat rating. It was a logical choice.
"Alright then. You two wait outside."
I jerked my chin toward the door. Lucia looked back several times, her expression clouded with worry, before the maid finally escorted her out.
The door clicked shut.
Only the old butler and I remained. That, and the tiny girl sleeping in the bed.
"Now then—if there is anything I can do to assist, pray tell."
The room fell silent once the others were gone. Sebastian's inquiry was quiet, his back straight as a spear, his voice perfectly level.
"Yeah. Start by taking everything out of this."
I handed him the Compression Box I’d brought in the trunk.
"...This, sir?" Sebastian's eyebrows twitched. "The entrance sensors scanned this box... but I saw no equipment inside that could be utilized for medical treatment."
<Organic compounds... just water... and some metal scraps... What is he planning to do?>
Ah, there it is. The old man finally let his guard down enough for a "Speech Bubble" to pop up. It seemed even his iron mask had its limits when faced with my lack of gear.
"Don't worry about it. I'll put it to good use."
I gave him a slight shrug.
Sebastian paused for a heartbeat, then cast his doubts aside. He reached for the box and began unpacking with efficient, practiced movements.
Two twenty-liter tanks hit the floor, both filled with liquid. Then came a dozen arm-sized boxes and several smaller cases, which he lined up on the side table. Finally, he pulled out a series of palm-sized vials. The contents were hidden, but each bore a different label.
To anyone else, this probably looked like a collection of groceries and vitamins. To me, they were the necessary "materials."
Once everything was set, Sebastian gave me a look that said he was finished.
"Good. I’m starting the 'Repair' now." I narrowed my eyes, giving the old man a final warning. "Keep what you see to yourself."
"I am well aware. I shall not even inform my Master."
His response was immediate, yet I sensed a faint tremor of hesitation in his voice. Yeah, right. He’s definitely going to tell Gordon.
That was fine. I’d factored that in.
"I see." I let the corners of my mouth curl into a slight, cold smile. "Just make sure you don't give him the wrong report."
For a second, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
I laughed and shrugged as if I were joking, brushing off the tension. I wasn't trying to threaten him, really—just offering a bit of friendly advice. Dealing with corporate types and their endless games of mental chess was a pain in the ass.
At least with the Speech Bubbles, I knew exactly where I stood.
"Alright. Let's do this."
I stood by the bedside and hovered my right hand over Cecily.
To be honest, the theatricality wasn't necessary. For me, a "Repair" was an act of pure will. But when you have an audience, performance matters. Looking like I was performing some arcane ritual would prevent people from digging too deep later.
The moment I held out my palm, a panel manifested in my vision. It was made of light, invisible to anyone but me.
[Target: Cecily Rainburg] [Damage Rate: 73%] [Repair?: Materials are sufficient]
...This is worse than it looks. The internal erosion—the stuff you couldn't see from the surface—had reached a critical stage. It was a miracle she was still alive, even with the Brainwave Control.
I moved my hand slowly, tracing the air above her missing limbs as if I were directing nanomachines.
"I’m beginning the mending. Sorry, but you need to pull all the cords."
Sebastian froze.
It was a reasonable reaction. Cecily was currently being kept alive by the Life Support System. The second those connections were cut, the pain would normally throw her into a cycle of waking and blacking out—a living hell. A normal doctor would have worked piece by piece, keeping her stable.
But my "Repair" was an all-or-nothing blitz. I couldn't start until she was disconnected.
I didn't explain. I just stared Sebastian down.
A flicker of doubt crossed the butler's eyes, followed quickly by resignation. He walked to the machinery behind the bed.
His fingers blurred across the controls. The panel lights dimmed, and the connections began to sever one by one.
Twitch!
The girl’s body jolted.
It was a raw reflex. A final surge of pain screaming through her nerves. Fortunately, she fell into a deep coma almost instantly as the last connection was broken.
Sebastian moved fast, pulling the final cables and straightening up to face me. I gave him a curt nod.
In the corner of my eye, the panel was glowing.
I answered the prompt in my mind: OK.
[Starting.]
A flow of pale particles erupted from my palm, clinging to Cecily’s injuries.
The particles began to knit skin, weave flesh, and assemble bone. They mapped out blood vessels and sent them racing through new tissue.
I heard Sebastian let out a sharp, muffled gasp. "...Oh..."
It started with the fingertips. Then the knees. The wave of regeneration began with the smallest missing pieces before cascading into her left side.
The hollowed-out sections of her body were filled in before his very eyes. From her scalp, silver hair—the exact shade of Lucia's—began to sprout, lengthening until it fanned out across the pillow in a lustrous sheen.
It took ten, maybe fifteen seconds. That was it.
The girl on the bed now had flawless, healthy skin. Her breathing was steady and peaceful. She looked as if she had never been injured in her life.
And there we go. Repair complete.