CH 49

Aftermath

“Mr. Ajifu!! What happened to your leg!?”

In the main floor of the Adventurers Guild in the royal capital, Ms. Eily’s voice echoed.

“Ah, a Giant Spider got me. I couldn’t finish the quest because of it. Can you file it as a failure?”

“This is the first time that you’ve failed a quest, Mr. Ajifu. And by a Giant Spider… Was there more to this quest than what was on the surface?”

“No, I already killed the Giant Spider, so the orcs are the only ones remaining. I just happened to make a mistake.”

I had now known Ms. Eily for three years.

“I’m very sorry, Ms. Eily.”

“Stop that!”

Bang.

Woah! That was a surprise.

She was always so calm. But now, she had hit the counter angrily.

Everyone around us grew silent at once. They were looking in our direction with surprise.

“Ah, oh, sorry. But I send Adventurers away from this counter every day. And the only thing I hope for is that they return safely. You train hard, Mr. Ajifu, and you’re an honest worker. That’s why I never worried about you. And yet…”

Ms. Eily held a hand to her mouth and then left the counter.

It seems like I was making women cry a lot lately. As I scratched my head awkwardly, a kind-looking and short old man came up to me.

“Is there trouble, Mr. Ajifu?”

“No. I just happened to misplace my foot on location.”

I said as I pointed downward.

“Ah, is that so? That’s very…”

Not only was he a former A-Rank Adventurer and great sorcerer, but he was highly-regarded for his management of the guild. The Guild Master of the Royal Adventurers Guild.

Appearances really weren’t everything.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I’m still thinking about that. By the way, do you know of any craftsmen who make artificial limbs?”

“Unfortunately, I do. Every single one who is working in the royal capital, including their apprentices. I can introduce you to a veteran who specializes in legs.”

So there was such a demand that he became quite knowledgeable about them. Indeed, that was sad.

“Actually, I would prefer someone new. Someone who likes to make odd adjustments.”

Once my business at the guild was finished, I had to go to the sword school. This would be the hardest part.

“Oomph.”

I dismounted from Hyuga in front of the gate and led him to the stables. As someone who used a crutch, I was grateful that he followed me without having to be pulled.

I went inside from a different door than usual, and then rang the bell.

“Yeees!”

Came a woman’s voice from the back.

“Ah, Mr. Ajifu. What can I do for… Mr. Ajifu! Your leg! What happened!?”

It was Ms. Mishun, who was instructor Raynard’s younger sister.

She seemed quite young when I first arrived in the city, but had become quite alluring recently.

Even after she married, she would still come to help at the school and train.

“I bungled the job. Is the instructor here?”

“I-I’ll call him at once! Brother! His leg! Mr. Ajifu!”

Uh, who’s going to understand that…

“You did it, Mr. Ajifu. You really went and did it…”

“I was too green. I came here in order to learn from you, and now this happens. I am terribly sorry.”

I bowed my head.

“I see… And did our teachings benefit you, Mr. Ajifu?”

“I was able to save a girl’s life. I have no regrets.”

This time, I said it while looking straight into his eyes.

“I am relieved to hear that, at the very least. But what will you do now?”

“I mean to test various things out. However, I will not be able to come here as regularly as before.”

“Indeed, indeed. Things will not be easy for you now, but if there is anything we can do, then let us know. I will try and help.”

“Thank you. And I will, if the time comes.”

I bowed my head once again.

“I’ll explain it to the others in the school as well. Please come with me.”

When we arrived, the others surrounded us.

“You clumsy bastard!”

“Mr. Ajifu!? I can’t believe it!”

“Are you alright? What are you going to do now?”

“What were you fighting?”

“Wait a minute, I’ll explain. To put it simply, it was against a Giant Spider, and when I kicked its head in order to save a girl, it bit off my leg.”

“What!?”

“Are you stupid?”

“Yes, he is stupid.”

“I knew that.”

“That’s typical Ajifu.”

“So, did you even save this girl?”

Jirido asked with a serious expression.

“Of course, I did.”

I said proudly.

“Then that’s fine. Come back when you have a prosthetic leg. I’ll help you train.”

“Aye, thank you.”

I said as I firmly put a hand on his shoulder.

That’s right. I had to think about how I would fight with a prosthetic leg. There was so much to do. And I would take it on one at a time.

And so I visited the prosthetic limb workshop that the Guild Master introduced me to.

It was in a back alley that was behind another back alley. A place that no one would be able to find if they didn’t already know about it.

There was a mountain of junk piled there, and at a glance, you couldn’t tell what kind of workshop it was.

Hmm. This was not good. They should start from the basics of crafting.

“Is the owner here?”

“Yes! Just wait one moment!”

Said a slender young man with brown hair as he came out of the mountain of trash.

“Well, do you mind if I give you some advice?”

“Yes, what is it?”

The young man looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Keeping things in order isn’t just a matter of appearances. Is this a mountain of trash? No! This is supposed to be the fruit of your continued testing, your ideas and your failures! Why do you allow the experience and ideas to be buried under this heap? Ideas aren’t just born, but can be layered! They can be born from trial and error and…”

I suddenly came back to myself and saw that he was looking at me dumbly.

Damn it! I was suddenly lecturing as if I was back in my factory days!

I worked so hard to become young again, and yet my heart is cursed to be that of an old man.

I would be no surprise if the owner was fed up with me.

However, with glittering eyes he shook my hand with a firm grip.

Oh!? So he understood then?

“If you feel so strongly about it, you must want to help?”

“Huh?”

I tried to remove my hand, but his grip was tight and he would not let go.

“You will…help me, won’t you?”

“WHHHAAT!?”

Ultimately, I ended up helping him clean up until sun down.

I had wanted to go to church…

The owner’s name was Rones, and even after we had finished cleaning up, I had not been released from the workshop.

“So, why did you come here, Mr. Ajifu? Though, I am grateful that you helped tidy up here.”

“You finally ask! Just look at my leg! I came here so you could make me a prosthetic leg!”

“Ah, a leg, huh?”

Upon hearing this, he suddenly looked like he had lost interest.

I could understand why. After all, it was just a block of wood that you attached to what was left of your leg.

“But I have a specific one that I want you to make.”

And then I explained to him the structure, which involved a flat spring. To be honest, I would be as good as a scarecrow if I used an ordinary wooden leg. I didn’t think that I’d be able to move.

Of course, I was basing this design off the atheletes I had seen on tv. However, I had no actual knowledge of prosthetics, and my memory was not clear.

And so my plan was to give this idea to a craftsman in this world and have them make it.

After hearing my explanation, Rones started to look interested as he said, ‘Hoho. With that structure!’

“Even if I order this, I will need a temporary leg to live in the meantime. So I would like to ask you to make that first.”

“Very well. I will make it right now.”

“What? Now!?”

“I need the cooperation of the wearer when making it. Will you help me?”

“What!?”

The temporary leg was not completed until the morning of the following day.