Chapter 400 – Phantom Mana.

The room fell into silence as the night gave way to the dawning day, and the first rays of sunlight streamed in through the window. A bandaged figure gazed at another person’s missing arm, severed at the elbow, with nothing left but a pitiful stump. However, in his vision, there was something more there, a blue phantom of the missing limb.

‘Is the mana storing what was once his hand?’

As Roland contemplated, his eyes flashed with a blue hue. He employed the same skill he used to predict his enemies’ movements, but this time, to his astonishment, it provided him with unique insights into this world. It was the first instance of him using this ability on a person with a missing limb, and it unveiled something intriguing. Although Bernir’s arm was missing, the mana that reflected his body portrayed the limb as a complete, bluish phantom.

‘Does mana also store a person’s information like some sort of storage device? Is this perhaps how divine healing spells can work?’

He wasn’t entirely certain about this theory, but it seemed to make sense in his mind. There were divine spells capable of restoring limbs, but their mechanisms remained a mystery. Initially, he had assumed they used a person’s DNA to reconstruct the limb to its original form, but perhaps there was an entirely different method at play. If the mana within a person stored all of their information, it would provide an alternative explanation.

Two main types of healing spells and potions existed. The first type amplified a person’s regenerative abilities to aid in wound recovery. Some monsters could restore limbs and even brain matter, representing one variation of this type. The second type consisted of divine spells that could magically revert an injured person to a previous state. As he examined the mana phantom, he contemplated the possibility that this state might be stored within mana itself.

This idea was a novel concept to him, as he had previously thought of mana as more of an energy source that circulated throughout the world. It was a resource that appeared on almost all living beings’ status screens and was consumed when casting spells. The notion that mana might possess storage capabilities could open up new avenues for his research, particularly in the field of prosthetics.

Magical prosthetics were not a novel concept in this world; however, they were typically only accessible to magic casters. These prosthetics relied on a person’s ability to manipulate mana and could only be operated by individuals who could use magic. Such individuals were not really using their lost limb, but rather replacing it with something akin to a mage hand. Over time, they became accustomed to moving the prosthetic as though it were a natural extension of themselves. For regular individuals, replicating this feat was impossible.

This new discovery offered a glimmer of hope in Bernir’s situation and opened up the possibility of developing prosthetics for individuals who couldn’t manipulate mana. If the information for the lost hand was stored within the mana itself, it might be feasible to connect that data to a replacement arm. While this endeavor would require extensive research and development, it held the potential to create a device that could replicate the functions of the lost hand and even restore the sensation of touch.

This revelation ignited a spark of inspiration within Roland and gave him some hope. However, there were some glaring problems with all of the theories that were rushing inside of his brain. He realized that the theory he had stumbled upon might not be a new discovery and that other mages could have attempted it before, possibly without success. Bernir was not the only non-mage that required a replacement limb, it seemed like a lucrative endeavor which meant that this feat would not be an easy one.

“Uhhh… Is that you boss?”

“Ah? Are you awake?”

“Aye…”

Roland snapped out of his thoughts upon noticing that Bernir had finally regained consciousness. His wife, Dyana, was outside the room, taking a break from watching over him. Roland’s first instinct was to call her back in, as she was likely anxiously waiting for her husband to wake up.

“I should probably call Dyana over, she just went outside. I’m sure she’d want to know that her husband has woken up.”

“W-wait…”

However, before he could turn to leave the room, Bernir made an attempt to sit up. There was a problem, though – due to his missing right arm, the attempt was awkward. He tried to push himself up as if his missing limb was still there but ended up falling back onto the bed. As he looked at the missing part, he began to recall that day’s events.

“Aye… that’s right, me right arm… that monster took it…”

“Yeah… I’m sorry, It’s because of me if you didn’t go back…”

Bernir saved Roland’s life by bringing out the experimental rail cannon but also suffered for it dearly. If he had just retreated back through the escape tunnel, his arm would be still intact but on the other hand, Roland’s might have not been here.

“Nah, I made a decision, now I have to live with it and I’d do the same thing if I … uhg…”

As Roland replied, he let out a weak chuckle, but soon his laughter turned into labored panting. The divine energy had healed his injuries and restored his bones and organs, but the debuffing effects still lingered, making his body weak and in pain. He knew that recovery would take some time, and Bernir needed to be patient until his health was restored.

“It’s going to take some time before that cursed energy leaves your body, just rest.”

“Aye, that might be a good idea…”

Soon he was drifting back off to sleep with his breathing becoming more regulated. Without being able to do much he decided to just visit the other patients instead. Both Armand and Lobelia were here as well, with only the guild master missing. Considering that he had the highest level it wasn’t strange that he had woken up the fastest and gone on his way.

‘I wonder what he did with my axe…’

Roland made his way over to Armand’s bedside and observed the arrangement of the patients. It was clear that all the people he knew were placed together, and there didn’t seem to be any outsiders among them. It was evident that the church was giving them preferential treatment or keeping them under close surveillance. Given their involvement in the encounter with the cultists, it made sense that they were being closely watched and treated by the church. There was also one empty bed that had the residual mana signature of his favorite baldy to confirm his theory.

‘How did that baldy leave though? Did he talk himself out of it?’

The absence of the guild master indicated that he had been allowed to leave, possibly after being interrogated and determined not to be a significant threat. Since some time had passed since the incident, this seemed like the most likely scenario. It also brought a problem to the forefront, he had not really been interrogated yet and he was not sure how it would turn out.

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It was concerning that his pendant, which he had worn since Edelgard, was missing. It had been destroyed along with his armor, which also had a similar masking enchantment on it. Although he could potentially create new runes on metallic objects that were here, it was not necessary anymore. During his treatment, the church personnel likely had enough time to inspect his status screen, possibly discovering his real name and true class, Runesmith Overlord.

‘It might be unwise to lie to the church, I have no idea what they might do and also…’

The absence of Agni from the room was noticeable, but the fact that Elodia wasn’t in distress likely meant that their canine companion was safe. Roland would have to inquire about Agni’s whereabouts later when he had a chance to speak with his wife or other individuals in the room.

‘I still have some things that I can bargain with, so not everything is lost…’