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Chapter 17: Unknown Familiar
Time flew by as we searched for an engineer with capabilities beyond complaining.
The afternoon suns were already in the sky.
“Hah! You’re way too slow, Ben.” A few children ran past us.
An adult boy trotted after them. “Don't run too far, or we'll get in trouble.”
A strange veil clouded his face: an unreal black fog out of shadows. The rest of him was almost translucent black, as if a curse lay on him. But his voice was enough to tell me about the smile on his face. It sounded homely.
“Do you see that too?” I asked the others.
“What?” Hale looked around.
“That boy over there.” I nodded over to him.
“What's—oh, the scar?”
“Scar? No, I mean . . you can see his face?”
Hale looked at me, puzzled. “Did Miru smack you?” He looked up at Miru behind me, who merely shook his head.
“Never mind . . .” I couldn’t keep my eyes off him as we trudged to the next store, though I felt too embarrassed to ask further questions.
We crossed the border to the city outskirts. Buildings gradually lost quality, all but one.
A small cathedral’s clock tower towered over the poor huts. The fancy ornamented building stole all attention. The noisy sandstone-like marble brimmed with wealth. More children ran around. Some also played tag, and a few drew on a wall with chalk.
We entered another mechanic’s shop.
The bell on the front door jingled again. A little girl with a tray of food in her hands came in.
“Hello, Mister! Mum asked me to—oh, hello.” The girl eyed us nervously.
We greeted her back.
“Is that homemade herbs baguette?!” Selina pushed her way through to the girl.
“Yes.” Her voice cracked. “W-would you like some too?”
A broad grin appeared on Selina's lips. “I'd love to, little one.” She snatched a piece and took a bite.
“Haha, I haven't had this many customers in a long time. As always, thanks for the food, Xenia.” A grandpa-age man strolled in from the backroom of the shop.
The name reminded me of someone, someone who liked the name. I just couldn’t tell who.
“Greetings, Sir.” Nita took the lead. “We are looking for compatible spare parts for this young gentleman's prosthesis.” She pointed at me.
“Prosthesis is good.” He chuckled. “There is not even more than a quarter left. But that will be a lot of spare parts.”
“Money isn’t a problem.”
The old man eyed me. A shiver of disgust ran down my spine, and my stomach readied to empty itself.
He examined my shoulder through a magnifying monocle. “But the compatible parts do.”
“Please, Sir,” Hale said. “We’ve combed through half the city already.”
He laughed heartily and came closer. “I can imagine. I've never seen anything like this before. What are the hoses for?”
I tried not to look at him in disgust. “I once attempted to install a tactile sense. After that, I had used them for piston force amplification, however—”
“However, the Pistons couldn't stand up to it,” the old man finished.
“Ye . . .”
Like cats, the others always turned to us as we talked.
“What kind of cooling system did you use? Ventilation, I suppose?”
“Yes, unfortunately, I didn’t have many tubes.”
“I see. Have you ever tried coolant?”
I looked at him cluelessly.
“Come, I'll show you something.”
—
I landed in heaven. This little workshop was heaven. Dozens of types of Jade Mint in various thicknesses. From wood to sheet metal and steel, all full of joints, pistons, tubes, gears, gaskets, and casings.
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The uncomfortable feeling near the old man also lessened. I still felt sick when he slapped my fingers to stop me from goofing around, but I ignored it. He had quite the charm if you forgot his age.
Behind the Shelf with all the Jade Mint was another one but with all sorts of different chemicals. I suppressed the urge to steal some of it. I was used to stealing from others, but I would feel too bad here.
“Here.” He tapped a glass with light blue liquid. “This preserves a moderate temperature better than any normal ventilation system. I’m currently experimenting with which Jade Mint mixture may suit its characteristics to create an even stronger version.”
“Oh, then overclocking with more powerful Jade Mint could work.”
“Correct. Big machines have enough room for a proper cooling system, but a small prosthesis? The tight space heats up in no time.”
“Not to forget that it could also function as a weapon. I’ve heard of acid Jade Mint before. This seems like an interesting alternative.”
“Oh, yes! Someone may even use an Ice Gift.”
“Gift?”
“Don’t you know? Well, people call it many different names, after all. Hopefully, a general term will soon be introduced as more people learn about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I forgot.” He laughed, embarrassed. “I’m talking about the chemical reactions from Gifted people and Jade Mint to achieve magic-like powers.”
“Like conjuring fire?”
“So you know an Ignis Gifted?”
“Gifted? What do you know about that?!” I blurted out.
“Hm?” He crooked a brow. “Didn’t your friends tell you about it? Some of them are Gifted, after all.”
“You can tell?” I looked back to the door behind us but the others were gone. “Well, they're pretty secretive about it, and every time I ask, something interrupts.”
“Ah, don’t worry, lassie. I’ll fill you in on what I know while we work.”
“Lassie?”
“Let’s clarify some essential reactions with Jade Mint. First and foremost, we have regular enhancements like strength, speed, and endurance. Like overclocking a machine, Jade Mint can also overclock a body. And the consequences take a toll. However, like with everything, that too can be minimized.”
“I know, I know. What about it healing fatal wounds? What’s with the senses? And how the hell can something like fire appear out of nowhere?”
He stifled a laugh. “Easy, little one. One thing at a time.”
The old man picked up a small prosthesis. “This is one of my prototypes for children's prostheses.”
“Why do you have something like that? I thought children couldn't have a prosthesis until they were fully grown.”
He looked at a portrait of a little boy. “I’m aware of that.” He laid the picture face down on the desk. “Better than anyone.”
A nasty lump formed in my throat. “I wish I hadn't asked. I’m such an idiot.”
—
The old man told me more about Jade Mint. The senses could be stimulated just like anything else by the right mixture. For example, if you wanted to tap into the eyes, you needed Smooth Jade Mint and a lot of vegetables. Vegetables such as carrots and spinach contain vitamins and substances that naturally improve vision. The greater the concentration of these substances mixed with Smooth Jade Mint, the greater the effect on the eyes.
Unfortunately, mixtures were not his specialty. He was an engineer, after all. He recommended I talk to an alchemist to learn more about such things.
The only thing he could pick up was that not everyone had the compatible properties to benefit from more than the regular buffs. So the few with a Gift that allowed additional powers were called Gifted. They also have a better natural resistance to side effects.
However, there were rumors that these Gifted ones were not special because of their blood but because they discovered secret methods and did not share them. One of the most common theories was that tattooed people were among them.
While he was telling me all this, I was, of course, taking notes for my journal.
[Relation Record]
I met a nice Grandpa with his own little engineering shop. He knows a little bit about Jade Mint and has some talent in terms of engineering. And also, he looks like an old perv. He seems pretty kind.
—
“Aight, this may work.” The old man examined the piece he had just sawed.
“Let’s try it.” I held my shoulder out to him.
He clicked the skinny prosthesis into its new anchorage. “Looks good. And you're sure you don't want screws in it?”
I checked its motor functions. The base, now out of reinforced black steel, was many times lighter and sturdier than my last alloyed wood one. The same applied to the pistons and gears. Some casing parts were missing, but we designed the base for comfortable installations for future parts.
[Prosthesis Status]
New Prosthetic Arm obtained. Base Durability higher, but it's still without a Casing.
Potential Slots: 5 Finger Slots, 1 Palm Slot, 3 Forearm Slots
Shoulder Slot: Main Engine and Double Jade Mint Cartridge
“Yes, for sure. The arm is still primitive but very receptive to improvements and new features. I already have a few ideas.”
“As you please, we won't keep your friends waiting any longer.”
“Friends? Where they—friends?”
We came back to the main shop room.
The others chatted in the corner of the room, cramped around a little table. Nita sat on Miru’s lap, who sat awkwardly straight. Beside sat an annoyed Hale while Brenda stood behind them. The little girl was the only one with a bit of space. And the food was entirely gone. Not even crumbs remained.
“And then he got detention, so he broke into sleep in the same room with her,” the little girl said to the others, and they all laughed.
Nita noticed me. “Hey, Hercu, you've been quite the mama's boy, huh?” She grinned wickedly.
“Haha, that’s what Mom said too.” The girl chuckled.
I tilted my head. “What are you talking about?”
“Xenia here knows you. Well, from stories. She is the daughter of one of the nuns' mothers from the orphanage across the street.”
My heart dropped to the floor.
“Can we stop by there for a minute?”
Immediately, Miru stood behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.
Nita held up a hand. “Let him go. I’m interested.” She smiled.
Miru let go, and so I jogged outside. The cathedral struck even brighter with the orange-tinted suns.
A woman in nun's robes was hanging laundry across a small orchard. I recognized her immediately.
It felt awkward to run with the light prosthesis, but I didn’t care. Now only one thing counted.
“Anna?” My voice became insecure, even though I was more than sure of who she was.
With wide eyes, Anna faced me. She mustered me from head to toe, her gaze stuck on my missing arm.
She gulped. “Alva?”
I didn’t hold back my smile. “Hey. Long time no see.”