69novels Chapter 211
Chapter 211
The entrance sign was small and low.
Even if someone stumbled upon this place, they wouldn’t think it was the main branch of the [Tuning Workshop].
The doorway was barely tall enough for Danya’s head to pass under.
“...Ugh!”
Irritated by the fact that it didn’t touch, Danya tilted her head upward as she walked in.
I also had to lower my head slightly as I entered. Inside, a woman wearing a look of utter indifference glanced at us from behind the counter.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a generous figure.
She looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties—an archetype you’d expect as the receptionist of a guild.
However, instead of the characteristic friendliness of such people, she exuded an air of annoyance, laziness, and calmness. She seemed endlessly cold and aloof.
“Ian... that woman looks scary... Is she the receptionist?”
Danya whispered nervously, her tail drooping.
The woman, whose nonchalant demeanor could intimidate even Danya, was none other than Loreal, the founder’s daughter and the current owner of the Workshop.
It was only natural to gaze in awe at a figure renowned as the continent’s foremost alchemist.
She, too, gave me a once-over from head to toe.
Her gaze lingered briefly on my hand—or lack thereof—before her bored expression remained unchanged.
She casually spoke.
“...This isn’t a place for kids.”
“We’re here to shop.”
“The tourist spot is in the building ahead. This place isn’t easy to enter.”
“Considering how easily the door opened, I’d beg to differ.”
“...You’re a cheeky kid, huh?”
“Thank you.”
“...”
Loreal glanced at me momentarily before nodding toward an empty chair. It seemed like an invitation to sit. Rising lazily from her seat, she stepped behind the counter and placed two teacups down. �
—Clatter!
The tea was set down so roughly it wobbled as though it might spill but miraculously didn’t.
The liquid level stopped just below the rim, held by surface tension.
If intentional, it was impressive.
Danya sniffed the tea suspiciously before taking a careful sip, her eyes widening.
“...It’s delicious!”
At the same time, she whispered to me softly enough that only I could hear.
“No poison, it seems. Want me to test more?”
“Thanks.”
As Danya said, the tea was exceptional. One sip was enough to discern its high quality.
Watching us, Loreal frowned.
“...Can you keep your flirting outside my shop?”
Ignoring her remark, I extended my arm—specifically, the arm I no longer had.
“I’m looking to purchase a functional hand. Preferably made with the best materials available.”
There are various ways to restore a lost limb.
One could approach it from a healing perspective—seeking reconnection surgery at a major hospital or treatment from a renowned physician, as my master suggested.
Alternatively, one could focus on regeneration by appealing to an overwhelmingly holy being like Aria or by leveraging my own extraordinary regenerative abilities.
But those options all focused on restoring the original hand. Tuning, on the other hand, was different. It was about upgrading the specs of the hand itself.
Loreal, glancing at my arm, answered bluntly.
Like stepping into a game’s item shop, I found myself mesmerized as I gazed at the hands.
‘Each one of these costs more than 10 billion Krone...’
These “tuned body parts” came with jaw-dropping prices, but they were worth every coin.
The reason for their value was simple.
“...This one has perfect cold resistance and enhances fire-elemental power. The amplification rate is roughly 40%, and the mana circuit is meticulously crafted to be one-tenth the thickness of a human hair...”
The creations of the continent’s greatest alchemist, who seemed half-obsessed with her hobby, were extraordinary.
‘Each component is a new material she’s invented herself...’
These absurdly expensive items were essentially the final tier of equipment, only attainable by those with limitless wealth.
Then, suddenly—
“...?”
I stopped in my tracks.
A strange sensation enveloped me, as if something were pulling me in.
Leaving Loreal, who was enthusiastically explaining her works to an utterly fascinated Danya, I followed the pull to one of the tables.
There lay what seemed to be the unfinished skeleton of a hand—thin and delicate, almost like bones.
I found myself inexplicably drawn to it.
“...”
As I stared blankly at it, Loreal approached.
“Oh, that? It’s a new material I made recently. I tried to preserve the characteristics of human tissue while designing it to have a positive effect on internal mana circuits. It should enhance overall magical ability by roughly 20%. The problem is, since I prioritized its compatibility with the body, it’s...”
Gone was her cold demeanor. Now, she resembled an excited teacher bragging about a cherished hobby.
“...Only compatible with human biological tissue on the exterior. I’d need to... find a human hand to harvest.”
“Eek!”
Danya, who had been listening intently, yelped in shock.
“Of course, I’m joking. Human hands are too soft and difficult to preserve for processing like this.”
Loreal’s attempt to reassure Danya only seemed to alarm her further.
I, however, was focused on the item before me.
“This one.”
“Huh?”
“If you were to sell this as is, how much would it be worth?”
“Sell... this skeleton as it is?”
“Since it’s just sitting here unused. If you were to sell it, how much?”
Loreal tilted her head, tapping her lips thoughtfully before responding.
“The materials cost around 7.5 billion Krone for 25 grams. The crafting wasn’t particularly challenging, though.”
“Do most of the functions of your crafted hands come from this skeleton?”
“Strictly speaking, yes. But I also design the exterior muscles and such to ensure user comfort, which exponentially increases the cost.”
So, this tiny skeleton was the key component.
25 grams of material costing 7.5 billion Krone.
‘If that’s the case...’
There was no need to hesitate.
“I’ll take this.”
The core of a 10-billion-Krone item was right here. Taking it was the logical choice.
“...What?”
Loreal turned to me with a thoroughly flustered expression.