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“I’m sorry to break this to you so soon, but try to gather everything you need as soon as you can, the scent of blood tends to lure other monsters. I’ve cast a protective barrier, and killed all the nearby monsters I found, but always better safe than sorry.”

I thought she had abandoned us during the Tyrannoghavial fight, but apparently she was just helping us elsewhere. She’s right though, there are monsters powerful enough to prey on Clamp Boars around here, so we have to be careful. Let’s hurry and gather everything we need.

“First we should get Natalia’s arm back though.”

I started wondering how she’d do that, and saw her approach the fallen Tyrannoghavial and put her hand on its head.

“Here we go!”

And she lifts it effortlessly. I have to give it to dwarves, they really are strong.

“Well, let me get right into it then.”

I start to uncoil my nerve threads from the Tyrannoghavial’s snout and wind them back into my body. I finished soon enough, so I let Mir open the beast’s mouth and take out my arm.

“Woah…”

My arm feels numb so I had already expected it, but it was cracked all over, and multiple fingers were crushed. A predictable outcome for coming in contact with such sharp fangs, and then firing an incendiary round point-blank. There isn’t a single scratch on Black Hawk though, that thing really is ridiculously strong.

“Oh my, you really went all-out again.”
“I’ve been wondering for a while, do you enjoy seeing me suffer?”
“Not at all. Not to mention that it’s always been your fault you got to such a state.”

Damn, she has a point. The only reason I struggled against those reviving monsters was because I didn’t notice the Shaman Ape’s necromancy, my incompetence controlling my nerve threads during my fight against Danny caused that shameful display, and my arm got damaged because I was careless.

I give up on trying to argue, and we pull out Mir’s sword. Because of the explosion, it had broken in two.

“Please forgive me, Natalia!”

Letting go of the monster’s head, Mir bows deeply to me and apologizes for some reason.

“You got so hurt trying to save me!”

After some time, it finally clicks in my head.

“Ah, but I’m an automaton that can’t feel pain, and Mistress can fix me up, so don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Considering the time it would take for Ophelia to fix me, and the risks to Mir’s life and time of healing, I think this was the most optimal outcome. I didn’t do that out of some sense of self-sacrifice.

“I’m the one who should apologize for destroying the new sword you had just obtained.”
“Not at all! That’s a sword I got from a monster anyway, so it doesn’t matter!”
“But it fits so well with your own fighting style…”
“I’m telling you, it’s fine!”
“But-”
“No no.”
“But but!”
“Stop it, you two. You could spend the rest of your lives repeating that so just take it as a fair trade.”

Seeing the argument go on between us, Ophelia decides to step in.

“If that’s what Mistress thinks, then I won’t continue.” I couldn’t disobey my Mistress after all.
“…Okay then.” Mir didn’t look satisfied either, but had no other choice.
“Natalia, let me fix your hand before you work again, come over here.”
“Okay.”
“Hmm, there isn’t any serious damage, this is an easy fix.”

I extend my arm to Ophelia and she examines the cracks, then takes out a test tube with some liquid inside.

“Don’t move.”

She pours the unknown liquid on my body. Then I feel magic flowing into my arm from her hand. Thanks to that magic, my arm begins to glow, and an instant later turns into a brand new one, without a single scratch.

“Was that alchemy?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Natalia’s body is built mainly with alchemy.”
“Ohh…”

Mir nods impressed. I try opening and closing my hand, then move my fingers around, feeling it around.

“That’s incredible. It feels like nothing ever happened to it.”

That was my first time being fixed up, and I hadn’t expected it to be done so quickly and perfectly. I had thought the entire arm would be changed.

“Alchemy seems so useful. I wish I could use it too.”

If I could do that, then I would be able to fix myself without having to rely on Ophelia to fix me up, or create my own weapons. Atelier Natalia: Automaton Alchemist¹.

“…”

Huh, why is Ophelia looking at me so oddly now²?

“Anyway, let’s just get to work on those materials.”

Saying that, Ophelia goes to the Clamp Boar’s carcass. Did I say something strange? Had I been somehow inconsiderate?

“Mir needs the Clamp Boar’s tusks, so make sure to take those, but its bones are pretty much worthless. The hide is useful to make clothes, and the flesh is sold as meat too.”
“Got it.”

Mir listened to Ophelia as she worked on the dead monsters. She grew up in a smithing shop, so she’s probably familiar with those materials.

“As for the Tyrannoghavial, its bones, scales, and fangs are all valuable materials, so try to get as much as you can.”

I feel bad letting Mir do everything, so I join her. I decide to test out the new attack I thought of during the earlier fight too, so I form the magic blade on my hand. With it, I somehow managed to cut off the scales. At least we’ll get something this way.

“You know, somehow you struggle with the easiest stuff, but then you do something complex without effort.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh nothing, forget I said anything.”
“?”

Whatever then. I focus on breaking the Tyrannoghavial down again. Their size and shape are completely different from those of a fish, but I somehow got most of the scales off without damaging them.

“Ah, take some Tyrannoghavial meat too.”
“You can eat that?”

I knew there were places where crocodile meat was eaten frequently in my past life, but it wasn’t anywhere near where I lived. I don’t necessarily have an aversion to it, but I’m not drawn to it either.

“You’ve already eaten it.”
“Huh?”
“The first meal I made for you had Tyrannoghavial meat in it.”

Ah, that was it! So that’s what Tyrannoghavial tastes like. I always wanted to try eating that meat again, so this is perfect, we should take a lot back. I’m definitely drawn to it.

“Ah, let me have some of those teeth and scales.”

While I threw everything we got into my magic storage, Ophelia stops me and takes some of the fangs and a strip of skin with many scales on it. I’m curious to see what she’ll do, so I look her way and watch as she activates alchemy on the broken sword and the materials she just took.

When the light was gone, a long sword with a slightly yellow blade and a green scabbard appeared.

“I guess we can call it a Ghavial Sword. Mir, your sword is fixed, and it got a bit stronger too.”

“Whah-? No way, you’re too kind!”
“If your equipment isn’t the best it’ll affect the entire party, you know?”

Her words are a bit harsh, but the tone of her voice is kind, I can almost see her smiling even. Mir also notices that, so she looks a bit indebted as she picks up the Ghavial Sword. At least things ended well.

“Mistress, my magic storage is completely filled now.”
“Time to go back then.”

There’s still around half of the Tyrannoghavial’s body left, and while it feels like a waste, we have no way of carrying more. Reluctant to leave, we head back to Bamel.

1. Robinxen: I’d play the every living daylights out of a game like that.
2. Robinxen: Why indeed.