I'm Not From Magrid
I skimmed over the jobs offered to Camilla.
Lena's options seemed tame by comparison.
Fanatic: Acquire absolute protection through loyalty to master, debuff immunity, sacrifice ability, and other effects
Interrogator: Lie detection, interrogation including torture, info gathering/sharing abilities, and other effects
Test Subject: 100% increase in prosthetic arm/leg output, mana circuit amplification possible, body modification resistance, and other effects
Sex Slave: Provide special buffs to partner during sexual service, unrestricted ability boosts during service, and other effects
Madness Warden: Surveillance boost via madness, combat power increase on danger detection, fear absorption, and other effects
...
Forget Test Subject—Sex Slave popped up for this one too.
I didn't want to read any more.
Plus, the number of options was way higher than Lena's.
I could put it off for now.
While I hesitated over the messages, Lena asked Camilla.
“Camilla, is there a place called the Magrid Duchy? I've never heard of it.”
“How can you be Lena-unnie if you don't even know Master's hometown?”
“Theo-nim's hometown is the Magrid Duchy? He never told me... When did he say that?”
Lena had this naive side that fell for nonsense easily.
The conversation unfolding was absurd.
Who decided to rewrite my hometown?
“Say what? I've never heard of this Magrid Duchy either—what are you talking about?”
Camilla looked shocked at my words.
“Eh? Master isn't a descendant of the Magrid Duchy? Then how did you make this?”
“What special qualification do you need to make a prosthetic? I just made it.”
“No, I mean... I've never seen prosthetics like these before! Look!”
Camilla wiggled her fingers using mana, showing off like it was a prize.
A grin wouldn't leave her face.
Shhhk—
She bent her wrist and elbow at grotesque angles.
She was pulling unnecessary stunts too.
“He-het! You added the functions I mentioned!”
She was even playing around—seemed she'd gotten used to it fast.
“Don't do it all at once. Take it slow.”
“No way! I can do it!”
“You need an adjustment period...”
Before I finished, Camilla shot to her feet.
Thud—
“Ow!”
She face-planted right into the floor.
“Ah, this is driving me nuts. That's why I said take it slow...”
Camilla's body shook.
Blue light flashed from her prosthetic hand on the floor.
Shhhk—
She crawled like a spider, then stood straight in an instant.
“This... this is insane! Whoa! Look at this! Can just anyone make prosthetics like these?”
Camilla was a bit excited.
Lena watched, intrigued, and asked.
“Theo-nim! Is that really possible? The prosthetics I knew could only do basic movements... That's just a new arm!”
“Hmm... I didn't know either.”
I hadn't expected it to feel that natural.
The mana circuit resonance was better than anticipated.
Mana circuit fusion rate has increased.
Target's physical abilities have greatly improved.
Caution: Target is experiencing manic satisfaction.
'Even with mana circuits, can she adapt this fast?'
I was baffled reading the messages.
Thinking back to my hunter days, Camilla's adaptability was jaw-dropping.
No matter how advanced the prosthetics, adaptation usually took at least three months.
But Camilla skipped that like a monster.
Even though her body wasn't fully recovered.
SS-rank lived up to the hype—something was different.
“And... the prosthetic leg is no joke either!”
Shoooo—
Mana burst explosively from the prosthetic leg.
Camilla's body rocketed upward.
But it didn't go as planned.
Crack—
“Urk!”
“Camilla! Be careful! You okay?”
“Ugh... I'm fine! Lena-unnie! He-he.”
She'd jumped in place and smacked her head on the ceiling.
Distance sense and power control were off.
She nearly punched through the ceiling but twisted mid-air and landed silently.
She seemed adapted already.
Insane adaptability.
“Look at this! It's even better than before! How could someone not from the Magrid Duchy make prosthetics like these? Even old dwarves couldn't!”
Camilla's sparkling eyes were overwhelming.
At this rate, her loyalty would spike again, so I stated firmly.
“I don't even know where the Magrid Duchy is, and I'm not a descendant.”
“Then... you surpassed the Magrid descendants? Ehehehe! As expected of my Master! I knew it!”
Camilla was twisting things weirdly.
The more we talked, the more I felt dragged in.
So I quickly asked what I was curious about.
“But the Magrid Duchy must be famous for magi-tech, right? Where is it?”
Getting the Magi-tech Engineer job naturally sparked curiosity.
Might be worth visiting if the chance came.
But Camilla's response was a bit disappointing.
“It's already gone! That's why only descendants are left.”
“Gone?”
“Yes! Most legendary items on the market were made there! A duchy like that couldn't survive to now.”
I nodded at Camilla's words.
Only two fates for a duchy that made superior items.
Either build an empire with them or get torn apart and absorbed by others.
The Magrid Duchy Camilla mentioned seemed to have suffered the latter.
Or forced into it.
'A kind of lost technology?'
According to Camilla, the Magrid Duchy was a relic of the distant past.
Yet no one had surpassed the performance of items made back then.
Probably because it was a closed society passing knowledge apprentice-style.
'A bit disappointing.'
I felt a twinge of regret.
Wondered how it might have evolved if it had survived.
But Camilla's next words blew that away.
“I thought you were a Magrid descendant because you have that.”
She pointed at the item on my finger.
The family crest provided by Baron Sellevan.
“This?”
I picked up the Mistain family crest from the workbench.
Sealed content exists.
View contents?
I'd checked it earlier.
The revealed data was a map of the area around Sellevan Barony.
The crest projected the map onto the workbench with mana.
Like a modern projector.
'Just a local map?'
I figured that's what a family crest would show.
But Camilla said otherwise.
“You know how to activate it? You're really not a Magrid heir? Hidden birth secret? Maybe... a prince...”
“Cut the nonsense.”
“Ehehet, but that map's a little different, right? If it's a Magrid legacy I know.”
Following Camilla's words, Lena and I examined the map.
Jacob's map helped again.
“Theo-nim! It's subtle, but really different! This northern forest path... was there one?”
“Northern forest— you'd have to have been there... Ah, beyond that mine?”
“Yes! But the northern forest is forbidden. Is this map from before that?”
A forest path missing from Jacob's map.
It was there.
And all paths in the northern forest pointed to one spot.
“The descendant's legacy is there! No doubt! If it hasn't been looted yet. He-het!”
Camilla clapped, thrilled.
I asked her.
How a younger girl than Lena knew this.
“Because I killed... no, had honest talks with people who had similar ones! They told me!”
“Ah, I, uh, see? They were nice people?”
“Yes! They said they'd give me all the treasure without asking! But they were all braggarts who couldn't even activate them!”
I let out a sigh.
Lena subtly held back a sigh too.
But I couldn't ignore the info from Camilla.
'Why is this the Sellevan family crest?'
Baron Sellevan's words came to mind.
Tales of ruling the continent in the past.
Might not be lies or boasts.
Maybe they were one force that devoured the Magrid Duchy.
'Either way, I should check it out.'
How the baron got it didn't matter—it was in my hands now.
Might find Magrid magi-tech legacy.
Or treasure at least, so worth a visit.
“Let's go sometime. Lena, you okay with that?”
“Of course. Better than joining the war?”
“Ooh! Master! Take me too! Please? Don't leave me behind!”
“Got it. We'll all go. But you have to be fully recovered by then.”
Camilla nodded like a hyper kid at one word.
Looking at her, I sighed first.
What job should I even assign this Camilla?
'Fanatic's a no-go... Test Subject or Sex Slave? No sane person picks those. Should I show her?'
No clear answer.
Soon, I'd share some system messages with her and let her choose.
As I organized my thoughts, someone knocked on the workshop door.
“Mage Theo! It's me! Stein! You there?”
Stein, the 2nd-class alchemist I'd forgotten amid the war, had come.
“Ah, long time no see. Stein.”
I opened the door to her bright smile.
But she looked exhausted.
Dark circles down to her jaw.
“Uh, looks like... you haven't been well?”
Couldn't even greet properly seeing her.
Her half-closed eyes looked ready to drop asleep.
“The war... I thought I'd die making potions. When did you get back? I waited so long!”
Stein must not have heard about Iron Mask or my exploits.
She'd holed up making potions the whole war.
This was the lot of a typical crafting 2nd-class mage.
Reminded me of following slave traders, crafting slave rings.
Tears welled up.
Should treat Stein better.
At least Baron Sellevan kept secrets well.
Even from close aide Stein.
“You waited for me? Why?”
Pushed aside pity, got to business.
No promises with her.
But Stein looked confident.
“What about this magic book?”
A magic book in her hand.
2nd-class.
“Liberation of Binding? What's...”
“A spell that scatters target's bindings! Decomposition magic!”
“Decomposition magic...”
The book in Stein's hand.
From a crafter's view, highly tempting.