Danmachi: Strongest Familia

There was no trace of mockery in Renata's voice, though Naaza hesitated briefly before lifting the thick sleeve of her robe.

A prosthetic arm, nearly indistinguishable from a real limb, was revealed to Renata's intrigued gaze.

For a moment, the alchemist in Renata stirred with fascination, though only a spark. She ran her hand along the prosthetic, admiring it as if examining a fine piece of art.

Seeing genuine appreciation in Renata's eyes, Naaza didn't pull her arm away.

"Well, have you had your fill of staring?" she teased lightly as Renata finally let go.

Unexpectedly, Naaza felt a certain warmth toward Renata. Though they had started as adversaries, she found herself feeling a sense of ease around this woman. Perhaps it was because, unlike others, Renata didn't look at her prosthetic with discomfort or pity.

Apart from her God Miach, Renata was the first person who had made Naaza feel comfortable enough to reveal her imperfection.

"You don't seem to like your prosthetic very much," Renata observed. "But why? It's such a beautiful arm."

"It's only a substitute," Naaza replied, her tone slightly bitter. "Nothing more than a replacement for what's missing."

"A substitute? Incomplete?" Renata tilted her head, giving Naaza a knowing, slightly condescending smile—not toward Naaza herself, but rather toward the dismissive words she had just spoken.

This time, Naaza didn't bristle. On the contrary, she found herself strangely eager to hear what Renata would say next. Even God Miach had only ever offered comfort about her prosthetic. Renata, however, seemed to hold a firm respect for it.

"Sure, perhaps at first you had to wear it out of necessity, but after all these years, haven't you come to appreciate its advantages?"

As Renata spoke, Naaza watched in silent anticipation. With a flourish, Renata lifted the hem of her cloak, letting it fall away to reveal her own arm—a prosthetic arm, gleaming and bold.

[Note: Renata prosthetic arm.]

Naaza stared, surprised to see that Renata, too, wore a prosthetic. The red-and-white design was stunningly unique, radiating an elegant yet fierce aesthetic.

Looking at its striking color scheme and stylish craftsmanship, Naaza instantly knew that its creator was someone of extraordinary skill. In a strange way, discovering that Renata was also "one of her kind" made Naaza feel an unexpected kinship.

"Is your arm...?" Naaza found herself reaching out, her fingers lightly touching the prosthetic.

Its surface was cool and smooth, calming her, an entirely different sensation than the lifelike texture of her own prosthetic. In creating hers, Airmid had focused on mimicking real skin as closely as possible.

"This prosthetic?" Renata replied. "No, I chose to have this one. It's the product of advanced alchemy, and it's far more than just a simple prosthetic."

Renata went on to explain her prosthetic's capabilities in detail, letting Naaza marvel at its remarkable functionality.

"You don't understand the real value of prosthetics if all you want is a substitute," Renata continued with a slight smirk. "My arm was designed for utility, not realism."

As she spoke, Renata's left hand opened, revealing a hidden syringe filled with various solutions. While Singed had only developed a few of these potions so far, it was clear that this prosthetic offered a wide range of capabilities.

"If you want, I could make a new prosthetic for you, one that's much more practical than your current one."

Renata offered this as part of her broader vision: if they wanted to dominate the market against the Dian Cecht family, prosthetics would be essential. She wouldn't mind making Naaza their first client.

"No, I'm fine with mine," Naaza replied, reluctantly pulling her hand away from Renata's prosthetic. Despite her words, she knew she wasn't entirely sincere. Her familia, the Miach Familia, had limited resources, and she didn't want to add financial strain to her family over something like this. In her mind, prosthetics were a luxury.

"It's very affordable. For the sake of our alliance, I'll give you a discount you wouldn't believe," Renata said, her voice laced with temptation, like that of a devil.

Naaza quickly covered her ears, afraid that she might actually give in if she listened any longer. "…I'll think about it."

"I'll hold onto the discount for you," Renata replied, amused. "Whenever you decide you need a new prosthetic, you know where to find me."

"Thank you," Naaza murmured softly, her words nearly inaudible.

——

Back at their familia's residence, Renata laid a stack of newly acquired prescriptions on the table, a small smile playing on her lips. Singed picked them up, his grin also widening.

Though he'd always known Renata was capable, he hadn't expected her to return with so many prescriptions so quickly.

"A successful first negotiation. You truly have the mind of a capitalist," he commented with a touch of admiration.

"These will be enough, right?" she asked. "You know we're on a tight schedule."

"Leave it to me," Singed replied, his eyes gleaming as he eagerly scanned the pages. With these formulas, he could finally skip the time-consuming process of analyzing each ingredient.

"Oh, and by the way," he added, "if you get the chance, bring me a few demi-humans. I'd like to study how their biology differs from humans."

"Hold off on that," Renata shot back, lowering her voice in warning. "We're still in Orario, and we don't need you causing problems for Sol-sama."

Though Renata had seen her share of experiments back in Zaun, she knew all too well that Singed's moral boundaries were flexible—perhaps nonexistent. Having grown up in Zaun herself, she had witnessed countless human experiments, and even orchestrated some herself. Life in Zaun had taught her that human life held little value.

As for Singed, Zaun's most gifted alchemist, morality was nothing more than a vague suggestion.