The next day after my first break in a long time, I spent a peaceful and fulfilling time doing the work of the weapon shop as usual.

　It's always busy to work at the weapon shop, but there's no need to pay attention to demon attacks or crumbling rock walls, and there's no need to be nervous about negotiating with demons, so it's a lot easier than the official duties of the knights.

　As I was closing up shop for the day, Alexia, who had told me to go home first, popped up.

The first thing to do is to say, "Luke, do you have some time to spare after this?　I won't take too much of your time.
What's wrong with ...... oh, you mean the case?
'It's about the example. A union member brought one of the prototypes to me earlier, and I thought you might like to try it out lightly.

　Alexia's business was immediately apparent by looking at the package in her hand.

　The size of the case, which looked like it might contain a musical instrument or something, was the same container I had used when I brought my prosthetic hand in the past.

　So, I could naturally imagine the business Alexia had brought with her.

　She had come all the way back to request a test of the prototype for the development of a prosthetic limb with a built-in weapon that the Green Hollow Technicians Union had received orders for from several knights.

It's still too early for that. It was yesterday, right?
I only brought the story to Luke-kun yesterday, but the story itself was given to me while he was hiding on the fourth level, and everyone seemed to have had the idea even before that.

　No wonder the prototype was completed so quickly.

　The proposal to me was just a request for cooperation as the person in charge of testing the prototype, and the work itself had begun much earlier.

　If I refused to cooperate, there would be no point in waiting for my response before starting to work on the prototype, as it would just be more work to find someone else to help.

''Sorry, Garnett. I'm going to go out back for a bit.
Oh. The only thing left to do is lock up, so I'll make sure it's done right.

　I leave the work of closing the store to Garnett and take Alexia to the backyard.

　Even though the backyard is a narrow piece of land between the building and the back hill, it's not on a busy street, so it's just a good space to try out the weapons we're planning to display in the store.

'I'll get right to it, but could you replace the prosthetic hand with this one?
Should I just use [Analysis] or 'Right Eye' to see how it works for now?
'Hmm ...... Since you're here, let's save the story-breaking for later. Try it out and be amazed.

　Alexia took out an artificial limb from the case on the ground and handed it to me.

　There were still two more in the case, so today's test will be for three prototypes.

　I immediately attached the first prosthetic limb to my body and Alexia explained to me how to use the weapon in preparation.

Hmm, it's pretty heavy. The weight seems to be unbalanced, especially from the elbows upwards: ......
First of all, it's a piece of equipment inspired by the Agat Ram puppet. There is a switch on the inside of your wrist, so please operate it with your left hand while bending your right wrist inward. Oh, and don't point the outside of your right arm at your body, as it's dangerous.
There's [restoration] so you can heal from an accident, but you don't want to be in pain. ......

　Immediately after he operated the switch as instructed, he heard the sound of a spring mechanism operating inside the elbow and wrist, and the double-edged sword barrel shot out from the outside of his wrist.

　It was composed as if the entire right arm was a hilt, passing over the back of the hand from the outside of the wrist, with the tip of the sword extending straight to where the fist was headed.

It's a full-blown sword. I thought you'd be able to get away with a knife or similar blade.
That's because the prosthetic limbs are based on Agat Ram's doll. It's true that it's difficult to make a weapon that is too advanced for the original, but if the volume allows, you can make most things out of it.

　For now, he waved his right arm as he wanted and checked the comfort of the sword that was planted in his arm.

''It's strange because the angle is different from ...... normal swords.
It's a new and innovative weapon, and we'll just have to get them used to it. The only thing we can do is to think of it as a new and innovative weapon and get people used to using it. It is assumed that veteran knights will use it, and that's probably fine.
You could make it a little lighter and shorter, and make it built to feel like a fist strike, but with the assumption that it's going to be a stabbing experience.
'Sounds interesting, that. Shall I add it to the optional options?

　Alexia quickly writes down every single comment I come up with in my notebook so that I don't miss a single one.

　Once she shows me how seriously she takes her work, I want to help her as much as I can.

　Of course, it's only to help out as much as it doesn't interfere with my other work.

It's a good thing that the weight is skewed ahead of your hand when you bring out the sword ...... It might be an advantage to have some momentum when you swing it, though. Also, it's heavier than a normal arm when stowed away, too.
It's a good thing ...... is a structural convenience. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
...... But I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be able to test a weapon like the Night Ripper. You never know what's going to happen in this world.

　He looked down at the prosthetic limb with the blade protruding from it and muttered sullenly.

'Next time, I'd like a prototype here, please.
Okay, here we go. Here it is: ...... Whoa, a stocked crossbow!

　The second prototype was a built-in crossbow, where the top of the prosthetic opened like a door on either side and the folding bow deployed.

'This one is awesome too. How do I load it?''
There's also a built-in cocking lever that you can use.
'The lever is ...... this one?　Wake this guy up and then knock him over here ......, hard!　It's pretty hard to just hook up for one shot!
As expected, the auxiliary reloader didn't seem to fit in. We'll need to make some improvements in that area, so I hope you'll give it everything you've got for today.
Don't be absurd!　My left arm (here) is not my dominant arm!

　--So, Alexia and I worked diligently on testing the prototype until the sun went completely dark.

　Using the armor we plan to process as stock, we repeatedly wielded the weapon from various angles to confirm its power and strength.

　Of course, collecting data on the load on each part and the strength of the parts was a top priority.

　Even if a part is damaged, you can restore it with the【Restore】repair function to continue the test, so you can collect data while breaking it without worrying about it.

　Garnett, who joined us halfway through the test, also worked with us to find out every single problem with the prototype.

　Currently, the performance of the prototype was still not at a level where it could be used in an actual battle.

　When used roughly, the mechanical load can even damage the prosthetic hand, and if the sword barrel is stored in a distorted state, it can interfere with the internal structure and interfere with the movement of the fingers, among many other problems.

　The fact that the weight of the weapon is reducing its usability as an arm, and the fact that its strength is diminished due to its complex structure, are factors that cannot be ignored.

　But this is fine for the prototype.

　This is the process of finding out what the problems are at this point in time and accelerating future development, so you should feel free to use it up and give a meaningful report back to them.

It's getting dark, so I guess I'll just call it a day.

　To be honest, this was a fun time for me.

　It was like the days when we were noisy as senior and junior adventurers, and it made me feel nostalgic somehow.

''Thank you for today. You have tried out the one for white knuckle fighting and the one for long distance fighting, do you have any overall impressions or anything?
Yes. ......

　I seriously consider the answer to the question I received at the time of parting.

　It may be a known problem for the engineers, but it is not meaningless to have it pointed out to them by a third party.

　It's not a problem that only people in the inner circle feel is a problem, but one that needs to be addressed objectively and with priority.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it's not just an ordinary weapon. Swords have to be shorter and lighter, and crossbows have to be smaller and less powerful and harder to carry complex functions with .......
''That's true, isn't it? Even if we improve it through technological development, if we use the same technology to make ordinary weapons, the difference between the two won't be reduced after all.

　If you compare the pure performance of these weapons, they are inferior to conventional weapons.

　This is the only fundamental disadvantage that can't be helped.

''But even with that in mind, the high level of portability and concealment are advantages that cannot be ignored. It's not just success that pushes ordinary weapons aside to become a mainstay. As a mechanical engineer, I see a lot of potential in this direction.

　The expression on Alexia's face as she said this was full of enthusiasm and drive that overflowed from the bottom of her heart.

　The reason why this guy originally became an adventurer was not only because he wanted to obtain rare materials with his own hands, but also because he had a desire to try out prototype weapons in actual battle.

　I'm sure that the current Green Hollow and the Ark of the Elements is a tremendously ideal environment for Alexia - it makes me strangely happy to think so.