Chapter 214: A Surprise for the Captain

Liam had barely finished reviewing his squad’s reports when he received a request to stop by the administrative department.

They needed his signature on some documents related to upcoming missions. Although he could have signed them from his office, he preferred to review the details personally before approving them.

After all, his hunters were preparing to face increasingly dangerous dungeons. He didn’t want an administrative mistake to turn into a problem during a mission.

Once he finished the paperwork, he decided to stop by the guild’s research laboratory to consult James about some reports related to dungeon energy.

However, when he reached the hallway leading to the laboratory, he heard a metallic noise coming from one of the side rooms.

’What are they up to now?’

The door was slightly ajar. Liam approached, intending to knock, but stopped when he saw what was inside.

James was leaning over a workbench, surrounded by tools, blueprints, and several metal components.

In front of him lay what appeared to be a mechanical arm, with carefully assembled joints and a structure extending from the elbow to the fingers.

Liam blinked.

That didn’t look like equipment for dungeon research.

It looked like a prosthetic limb.

"Wow..."

James immediately raised his head.

"Liam!"

The researcher stepped away from the workbench and hurriedly covered part of his work with a cloth.

Liam watched him silently for a moment.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No, no. Well... that depends on what you saw."

"I saw a mechanical arm."

James sighed.

"I suppose that answers my question."

Liam looked at the workbench again. Even from the doorway, he could make out the tiny joint mechanisms and the connections running throughout the metal structure.

"Is it a prosthetic?"

James remained silent for a few moments before nodding.

"Yes. I’ve been working on it for a while."

Liam immediately felt that he understood the situation.

"Is it for Captain Armstrong?"

The researcher’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Exactly."

Liam discreetly pointed toward the arm.

"I don’t know many people in the guild who need a prosthetic that size."

James put a hand to his forehead.

"I should have closed the door."

"Probably."

They exchanged a glance and ended up laughing.

However, Liam looked at the prosthetic again, his expression growing more serious. Several months had passed since the war, but he still remembered exactly what had happened.

Captain Armstrong had lost his left arm while protecting the other hunters.

Although he had survived, that injury had changed his life.

"How did you come up with the idea?" Liam asked.

James leaned against the workbench.

"The idea wasn’t mine. Jane came to see me a few weeks ago and asked me to look into the possibility of building something that could help her father."

Liam lowered his gaze slightly.

"So it was her idea..."

"Exactly. She wants to surprise him, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention anything."

"Don’t worry. I won’t say a word."

James nodded in relief.

"Thank you. Although I should warn you that it’s still a prototype. There’s a lot I need to test before I can determine whether it’ll work as we hope."

Liam looked at the metal arm again.

"Do you think he’ll be able to move it normally?"

"I can’t say for sure yet. I want it to respond to the user’s movements, but making a prosthetic that’s precise, durable, and comfortable all at once isn’t easy."

The researcher pointed toward the various components scattered across the workbench.

"I’m trying to combine conventional mechanisms with some of the energy principles we’ve been studying. If I can get the system to respond properly, it could give him greater independence."

Liam listened attentively.

Captain Armstrong had dedicated his life to protecting other hunters. Even after losing an arm, he had returned to the guild and continued fulfilling his responsibilities.

If that prosthetic could make things easier for him, it was worth trying.

"I hope you succeed," Liam said.

James smiled faintly.

"So do I. Jane is really excited about the idea, so I want to do everything I can to make it work."

"Then I won’t distract you any longer. Have a good day, James."

Liam said goodbye and left the laboratory, taking the secret he had just discovered with him.

◇◆◇

As he walked back toward the meeting room, Liam couldn’t help thinking about the captain.

He remembered the man he had met during his first days at the guild: strict, demanding, and always ready to point out his subordinates’ mistakes. Back then, Liam had thought it would be impossible to earn his approval.

Over time, he had come to understand that behind that attitude was someone who cared deeply about his hunters.

The war had shown just how far he was willing to go to protect them.

’I hope that prosthetic works.’

Liam knew that getting an arm back wouldn’t erase what had happened, but perhaps it would allow the captain to regain some of his independence and adjust more easily to his new life.

And from what James had told him, Jane was determined to help her father in any way she could.

That made him think of his own family.

Ever since Lionel and Liana had been born, each day seemed to bring a new responsibility. Sometimes, Liam was still surprised when he remembered that he was now the father of two little ones.

Before, his main concern had been making it back alive from his missions. Now, he also thought about what his life would look like in five or ten years, the things he wanted to teach his children, and the future he wanted to build alongside Lydia.

He couldn’t control everything that would happen, but he could do his best to protect the people he loved.

With that thought in mind, he finished reviewing the remaining documents and decided it was time to head home.

◇◆◇

When Liam opened the apartment door, he heard a cheerful voice coming from the living room.

"Look who’s home!"

Lydia was sitting on the sofa with Liana in her arms. Lionel was lying on a blanket spread across the floor, kicking his legs as he watched a colorful toy.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Long. Lots of paperwork, several missions to organize, and an unexpected visit to James’s laboratory."

Lydia raised her eyebrows.

"Did something happen?"

Liam set his things down on a chair.

"Nothing serious. I just discovered that James is working on something pretty interesting."

"What is it?"

Liam remembered the promise he had made to the researcher.

"I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise."

Lydia looked at him suspiciously.

"A surprise for whom?"

"If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise anymore."

"How convenient."

Liam smiled and approached his children.

Lionel recognized him and began waving his arms excitedly.

"Hey, champ!"

He carefully picked him up and kissed his cheek. The little boy responded with a babble before wrapping his tiny hand around one of Liam’s fingers.

Liam smiled.

"Have you been good today?"

"More or less," Lydia answered for him.

"What does that mean?"

"It means your son decided that getting his diaper changed was the perfect opportunity to practice his leg movements."

Liam looked at the baby.

"That sounds pretty familiar."

"Oh, really? Then you can handle the next diaper change."

Liam opened his mouth to protest, but ended up sighing.

"Fine."

Lydia smiled triumphantly.

A few minutes later, Liam was standing in front of the changing table, trying to keep Lionel from moving around too much while putting a clean diaper on him.

"Stay still, little guy. I promise this will be over soon."

Lionel giggled and kicked the diaper Liam was holding.

"Why do you always do that?!"

From the living room, Lydia started laughing.

"Looks like someone’s losing his battle!"

"This isn’t a battle! It’s a war!"

"Then I hope you win, sub-captain!"

Liam finally finished the job with a sigh of relief and picked up his son.

"All right. Mission accomplished."

When he returned to the living room, he found Lydia smiling as Liana tried to grab a lock of her hair.

He sat beside her and gazed at the little ones.

For a while, neither of them said anything.

They had been through difficult times, and they would still face many challenges in the future. Liam would continue working as a hunter, and so would Lydia. Their responsibilities wouldn’t disappear simply because they were parents now.

But this was their life.

A home to return to, a wife with whom he could share his worries, and two little ones who could bring a smile to his face even after the most exhausting day.

Lydia rested her head on his shoulder.

"Are you tired?"

"A little."

"Then get some rest while I make dinner."

Liam kissed her forehead.

"Thanks, darling."