"What?! The Grim Reaper’s been taken down?!"
In the heart of the Holy City, Granfloze, stood the Cathedral—the central organ of the Chryscles Holy Church and the very place currently overseeing Wolka’s recovery. It boasted a solemn, magnificent presence that rivaled the Royal Capital’s own castle, the pride of the kingdom, and it utterly overwhelmed the hearts of all who visited its hallowed halls.
And for good reason. This Cathedral served as the Holy Sanctum, the residence of the four Saints who reigned at the pinnacle of the city—the Incarnations of God.
To step into the sanctum where these incarnations resided, one would have to deceive the eyes of over a hundred devout worshipers, slip past a stalwart knight corps capable of spotting a mouse, and finally defeat three of the Holy City’s most powerful Holy Knights.
From a room deep within that sanctuary, a loud voice—one that could not be described as saintly by any stretch of the imagination—came ringing out.
"Whoa, seriously? How many years has it been since anyone actually bagged one of these things? Ah, right, last time it was those bastards from the Seven Flowers Canon back in the Capital. I remember them rubbing our noses in it for ages, claiming nobody here in the Holy City could pull it off. They can all rot for all I care."
Using language that was anything but saintly, a girl skimmed through a report with an air of frantic excitement. The solemn, gorgeous vestments draped loosely over her delicate frame indicated her extremely high status within the Church. At the center of the tiara adorning her snow-white hair sat a finely detailed crest fashioned after a snow crystal.
The snow-white girl continued, baring her teeth in a grin that was, to say the least, decidedly un-saintly.
"And the ones who took it down were an A-rank party... Hey, hey, our adventurers aren't half bad! Alright, I'm definitely gonna rub this back in those bastards' faces later. Hey, were you listening, Heavenly Sword?"
"Yes. I was quite surprised... It has been four years since the Seven Flowers Canon’s victory."
Beside the snow-white girl stood another, the one addressed as the Heavenly Sword. She was also clad in magnificent, flawless vestments, though her tiara bore a crest shaped like a sword. Compared to her companion, her demeanor possessed a grace and purity far more fitting of the title of Saint.
"No need to use titles for people like them," the first girl scoffed. "They barely managed to kill a monster that even our A-ranks can take down, and it took seven of them to do it. Then they let it go to their heads."
"Hakua-sama, the Life Reaper is not a monster that an ordinary person could ever hope to defeat..."
"Shut up, shut up! I am absolutely going to rub their noses in this."
The snow-white girl—Hakua—returned her gaze to the report.
"Hmm, the party is Silvery Grey, huh... Wait, is this—"
"Is that not Lord Wolka's party?!"
The Heavenly Sword’s blood pressure spiked instantly. Hakua made a face of immediate annoyance as the other girl pressed in close, ignoring her entirely.
"Oh, Lord Wolka, you were safe...! Thank goodness. It seems we can dismantle the search party I organized the other day."
"I didn't organize anything. I rejected your request right to your face. Has your memory been altered or something?"
Hakua let out a massive sigh.
"Good grief... This is why I told you that you worry too much. He's a man; he can handle himself if he doesn't come back for two weeks."
"Hakua-sama."
The Heavenly Sword sharply cut off Hakua's exasperated words.
Hakua looked at her. The other girl's eyes were like the edge of a sheer cliff, drenched in a fathomless sorrow and regret.
"I have already left Lord Wolka to die once before. How could I possibly not worry?"
"..."
This time, Hakua gave a small, weary sigh.
"You’ve really got it bad, don't you?"
"I am merely praying for the tranquility of Lord Wolka's journey."
"And that man probably hasn't noticed in his wildest dreams—that he's somehow found favor with the world-renowned Saint."
"..."
The smile the Heavenly Sword returned was so fragile it looked as if it might crumble at any moment. Hakua decided that pushing the subject would only ruin the mood further.
"Fine, fine. Then when he gets back, you'd better bless him with everything you've got. After all, killing a Life Reaper is a legendary feat. The Holy City has to issue a proper reward. Merit-based rewards and punishments—that’s how we do things."
"Yes! By all means, let us hold a triumphal parade involving the entire Holy City—"
"That’s too much, you idiot! Seriously, you always go overboard."
Chuckling at the Heavenly Sword, who had recovered her spirits in an instant, Hakua continued reading through the rest of the report.
"Still, a Life Reaper, huh? Just how dangerous a dungeon were they crawling through to—"
The words were abruptly swallowed back.
Silence filled the room.
"Hakua-sama?"
"Ah... no, I just thought the name of this dungeon looked familiar. Wasn't it the one that was conquered recently?"
"Such a thing..."
"Ah, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this."
Hakua suddenly straightened her posture and began scrutinizing the report, leaning forward. She read from the first page to the very end of the second with an intensity that suggested her gaze might pierce through the paper itself.
"............"
She pulled back and sucked in a thin breath, letting out a low groan.
She looked at the report again.
She groaned again.
The Heavenly Sword tilted her head in confusion.
"Hakua-sama, what is the matter?"
"Hey... Heavenly Sword."
Hakua looked as if she were holding a ticking bomb, her expression one of pure, unadulterated regret. It wasn't a look directed at the report, but at the Heavenly Sword in light of its contents.
"Listen, I'm going to give you a heads-up. You need to listen to me calmly. I mean it. Stay really, really calm. Okay? I'm dead serious."
"I understand."
"No, you don't."
"Even if you say that, I am always calm..."
"Yeah, yeah, right, you're exactly that kind of person, dammit."
Another pause. Hakua scrunched up her eyes and let out a long, conflicted groan before finally steeling herself—or perhaps just giving up.
"That Lord Wolka... uh... he was seriously injured. He lost an eye and a leg—"
"............What?"
"Yikes!"
"Listen, Heavenly Sword, I get how you feel! I know you can't just sit still! I know you want to fly over there right this second! But still, no normal person literally tries to bolt out the door the very second they hear the news! Look, we aren't in a position where we can just leave the Holy City whenever we want, and it's pretty far, so if you're going, you have to pack your bags properly, right?! If you don't pack food and clothes, you'll embarrass yourself even if you do see him! So just calm down for a second! Hey, seriously, I'm begging you! If you're going, at least let me adjust the duty schedule! Seriously, it’s a disaster if you just vanish without notice, it’ll destroy our entire schedule! Uwaaaaaah, dammit! Someone stop this woman!!"
It is said that the Holy Sanctum of the Cathedral was considerably noisier than usual that day.
This was an event from two days ago.
"Well? Does it feel strange?"
"Yeah. It feels disgusting."
"Hehe, everyone who puts on a prosthetic says the same thing. Just bear with it; this is the best we can provide in a town of this size."
I had finally begun my rehabilitation.
Since it was called "rehab," it meant practicing walking, and that meant the prosthetic for my left leg was finally finished. I immediately borrowed a room in the church and tried putting it on while listening to the Old Sister's instructions.
Honestly, it looked pretty rough.
The design was incredibly simple: a socket for my "stump"—the term for what was left of my leg—with a somewhat thick rod attached to the bottom. It had a very utilitarian, almost primitive appearance. I recalled seeing something similar in a manga or anime once. I suppose if the goal is just to support the body against the ground, every world eventually settles on this crutch-like shape.
The look didn't bother me. The problem was how it attached to my body.
A slime.
...It was a slime.
Apparently, the inside of the socket was coated with a slime-based material that would suction onto the skin when mana was applied. I was highly skeptical at first, but once I tried it, the suction power was incredible. There was no sign of it slipping, even when I lifted my leg.
However, it was still a slime.
Which meant—it felt incredibly squelchy.
"Ugh..."
"Wo-Wolka? Are you all right?"
"Yeah. But this... it’s going to take some time to get used to."
I must have had a pretty sour expression, because Master was already slipping into overprotective mode. I couldn't let her worry over something as small as putting on a prosthetic, so I forced myself to look composed.
"Now then, Liesel-san, we'll just be in the way here. Why don't we sit over there?"
"Mm. Liesel is a worrywart."
"Uuu... but..."
Yulitia and Atri were also in the room. I didn't think putting on a leg was a spectator sport, but I was grateful they were there to babysit Master.
Looking at them now, our party dynamic felt perfectly clear: Yulitia was the kind, reliable eldest daughter; Atri was the steady, composed middle child; and Master—who simply couldn't shake her childish aura—was the youngest. If Master ever heard me think that, she’d definitely throw a tantrum.
"Of course, we didn't use that material just for fun," the Old Sister continued, returning to her explanation.
One of the biggest issues with prosthetics is the physical load on the stump. Every time you walk, the skin rubs and presses against the socket, which causes pain and swelling—sort of like the worst blister imaginable from a pair of ill-fitting shoes.
The slime prosthetic alleviates that load. Because it suctions perfectly to the skin, there’s no friction, and the material acts as a shock absorber. Putting it on only takes three steps: insert the leg, tighten the belt, and apply mana. It was designed to be easy to put on for daily tasks and just as easy to take off.
"However, this is strictly for daily life. Do not go thinking you can return to adventuring with this."
Since it relies on suction, intense movements like running or jumping aren't recommended. The prosthetic itself is made of lightweight materials to ensure it doesn't outweigh the slime's grip, making it far more fragile than other models.
Also, the squelchiness was revolting.
...Truly, truly revolting.
Still, beggars can't be choosers. If I didn't learn to walk on my own, returning to normal life would be a pipe dream, and I’d never be able to support my comrades on their journey toward a happy future. If getting used to this slime was the first step, I’d take it gladly.
"Wolka..."
"I'm fine. I can't stay in bed forever."
I gently patted the head of my Master, who looked like she was about to burst from anxiety.
For the first time in over two weeks, I stood up using my own strength, without anyone there to catch me.