Volume 6 Chapter 2 Auroora No. 217
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Eggs are carefully broken open, separated into yolks and whites, and placed into clean glass bottles. The process is similar to cooking, but this is alchemy. Since no dirt or foreign objects can get in, it’s a bit tricky.
Whether it’s cooking or alchemy, I think it’s the right job for me. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. If it’s for Ms. Nina, I’ll do my best.
Also, I’m using my editor skill to record Ms. Mahal’s work as she prepares the culture medium next to me.
Maybe it will be helpful later as a guide. I gathered the materials for the homunculus myself, so I have some idea of how it works.
Still, I’m glad it’s the cold season. One of the main reasons things go wrong is probably bacteria getting in.
Even though I’m using barrier spells to protect everything, it’s better if there are fewer germs in the air.
Some of the special magic plants used in the culture medium are clearly there to keep things fresh.
If I could set up a super clean room or clean the tools really well with heat, making homunculi would cost a lot less.
But this time, I’ll follow Ms. Mahal’s method. I don’t want Ms. Nina to be part of any experiments.
* * *
Many alchemy tools use a lot of magic power, so they need magic stones replaced often. I get why Ms. Mahal uses expensive, high-capacity magic crystals.
Fancy magic tools are decorated with precious metals and jewels. I thought they might have special functions, but most of it seems to be just for looks.
The work itself is surprisingly simple. It’s just separating and taking out materials.
Ms. Mahal just measures and mixes them. It looks easy, but I’m sure there are lots of tricks to it.
Pii-Pii will focus on filling magic stones carefully.
If I use the magic tools this much at once, I’ll never have enough magic stones, no matter how many I have.
If I use my magic bag, which can stop time, properly, I can keep intermediate materials fresh.
With some clever thinking, this kind of work could be done much faster.
For now, I’ll do what Ms. Mahal told me to do.
Ms. Mahal’s skills are amazing. As expected of a dwarf.
The way she moves her fingers quickly and accurately, relying only on experience and instinct, is like a pianist. She makes it look easy, but it’s probably impossible for a normal person to do the same.
Even I, who has been training under Mr. Zenom, can tell how skilled she is just by watching her work.
Learning and using the techniques she’s seen, making them her own──that’s what craftsmen do. Being creative is important, but perfectly copying the master’s work is also key.
Neither is better; surpassing the master is best, but most apprentices can’t even copy and end up with a worse version.
The hardest part, connecting Ms. Nina’s cultivation device, was done by Ms. Mahal while I was at Schulz’s place.
The artificial fluid used to fill the tank must have needed a lot of purified water.
Ms. Mahal has been slowly collecting it every day while using up magic stones, showing that dwarf craftsmen are truly dedicated when it comes to creating things.
* * *
After lining up the bottles filled with different liquids behind the cultivation device, Ms. Mahal connected them carefully with thin glass tubes. It’s a very delicate task that could be frustrating.
The glass tubes crossing in 3D have a strange beauty that could be mistaken for art.
If an earthquake happened, it would be a disaster, but it seems the royal capital doesn’t have that problem.
Once the mithril wires for magic power were done, it was finally time to turn on Ms. Nina’s life support system.
The external artificial heart, much bigger than the one inside Ms. Nina’s body, started working. Given its size, it seems much more powerful.
The magic stone slots are also many, allowing switching and replacement even while it’s running. As long as it’s checked every day, there’s no need to worry about running out of magic power.
Once Ms. Nina’s body is fully regenerated as a homunculus, this life support system will stop, and Ms. Nina’s own organs will take over.
Through a long glass tube from the pump, artificial blood is sent into Ms. Nina’s neck, and the sleeping homunculus’ cells start to wake up. Ms. Nina’s face, which looked like a wax figure, starts to turn pink, and the tissue below her neck begins to regrow from the cut part.
”The life force of homunculi is truly amazing. You could say the body itself is almost immortal.”
The alchemists of this world first tried to create clones to copy humans. While they could grow various monsters from pieces of flesh in a flask, they failed with humans.
Since mammal cloning has worked on Earth, if research had continued here, I think it would have succeeded eventually. But they chose a different path.
They found ancient writings and brought back the artificial lifeform homunculus. Since homunculus cells are almost immortal, they could be grown easily even with basic equipment. The downside is that the materials are very expensive, but the Hero Bureau’s budget was unlimited back then.
The secret method of copying souls is said to be based on technology found in ancient ruins. They probably use it without fully understanding it.
By the way, the goblins and gigas from Schulz’s collection are also homunculi made by an ancient civilization. They were used as war tools back then, so they were probably even more immortal than now. After all, they are said to have almost destroyed the world.
* * *
Now, Ms. Nina floating in the glass tank moves slightly, and tiny bubbles rise up all at once──surprised, but gently approaching.
The delicate glass tubes shake with even the smallest movement, making me worry they might break.
Ms. Nina’s eyelids seem to move a little. Just that makes my heart beat faster, and my chest feels tight.
”Ms. Nina, are you awake?”
When I call out, she slowly opens her eyes. She still looks sleepy, like she’s not fully focused yet.
But she is alive. Ms. Nina is alive and moving.
There’s nothing happier than something so natural. Ms. Nina also said it: everything in daily life that seems ordinary is actually a miracle.
”Keep talking to her, make her feel at ease.”
Even though I was suddenly told that, I didn’t know what to say.
”Ms. Nina, can you hear me? It’s me, it’s me… uh, it’s okay, so don’t worry.”
The words that came out of my mouth were embarrassingly silly.
”What are you doing, really? Hey, do you understand your situation? You’re probably shocked because you can’t move, but don’t be scared. I’ll fix your body up nicely soon, so just relax and sleep.”
At Ms. Mahal’s loud voice, Ms. Nina’s gaze shifted.
After looking at Ms. Mahal, her clear blue eyes slowly turned toward me.
At that moment, Ms. Nina and I made eye contact.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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