In the heart of the resistance stronghold, where the clanging of hammers melded with the howling winds, a strange silence filled the infirmary. Nerar awoke, but his awakening was far from ordinary; he felt a new weight upon his face—an emptiness on one side, and a piercing clarity on the other.
Romelius stood by the window, watching the clouds collide against the city's edges, while Nerar felt the black patch covering his lost eye.
Nerar (in a quiet, low voice):
"Romelius... do you believe one sees the truth better with a single eye? I feel as though the world has become clearer, as if the other eye was merely distracting me with irrelevant details."
Romelius (turning with a sharp, confident gaze):
"It isn't about vision, Nerar; it's about focus. The human eye processes thousands of unnecessary images per second. Now, your brain is forced to process half the data, which means double the analytical precision. I've fitted that patch with a special carbon fiber weave to protect the remaining optic nerves, so utilize this technical advantage your injury has granted you."
Nerar: "But I was an engineer; I relied on dimensions and angles. How will I measure distances now?"
Romelius: "Distance is simply the time it takes for light to reach the eye. Train yourself to estimate shadows and wind speed, and you'll find your depth perception returning within 48 hours. Now, enough talk of disability; your comrades are waiting outside, and they've prepared a welcome fitting for a warrior returned from the front."
Nerar stepped out, leaning on a simple wooden staff. The moment he entered the Great Hall, cheers erupted.
Pecos (jumping from behind the table holding a massive platter):
"Oi! Look who's back! Nerar the Great 'Pirate'! Had I known a black patch would make you look this handsome, I might have considered closing one of my own eyes too!"
Darius (approaching and clapping him firmly on the shoulder):
"We've missed you, Nerar. That patch makes you look like an elite soldier who has fought a thousand battles and won them all. This place lacked your engineering mind."
Nerar (laughing softly): "Thank you, friends. Pecos, keep that platter away from me; I don't want to lose my other eye to your chemical cooking experiments!"
The new soldiers of the Liberation Army—Enil, Batter, and Lizard—gathered around him.
Enil (in admiration): "So you're the genius Ortinus talked about? They say you can dismantle a gravity bomb with your eyes closed... well, it looks like you're halfway there now!"
Batter: "Welcome to the worst place in Aetheria, Nerar. If you need any raw muscle to move your heavy machinery, my arms are at your service."
The Question of the Absent and the Total Brilliance of Romelius
Nerar sat among them, feeling the warmth of companionship. He looked around, checking the faces, then asked seriously:
Nerar: "Darius... where is Miron? I haven't seen him since I woke up."
Darius: "He went on a scouting mission with Mers. They're trying to find a vulnerability in the 'Black Heart' system."
Nerar (anxiously): "Miron is brilliant, but he can be impulsive. I hope they return safely."
In the meantime, Romelius joined the session. As the soldiers discussed tactics, Romelius noticed Batter was holding his sword incorrectly, and Enil was struggling with a transmitter.
Romelius (addressing Batter sternly):
"Batter, adjust your grip fifteen degrees upward. Your sword is heavy steel; if you continue with that grip, you'll tear a ligament the first time you parry a gravity strike. The balance must be in your wrist, not your shoulder."
Shocked, Batter adjusted his grip and found the sword felt lighter and more lethal. Romelius then turned to Enil, who was frustratingly tapping the communication device.
Romelius (handling the device with expert precision):
"Enil, the problem isn't the 'Crystal Flow' algorithm. The palace is using electromagnetic frequency interference generated by the 'Black Heart's' pulses. If you swap out the thermal capacitor and use a low 'C-major' tone as a carrier frequency, you'll bypass the encryption because the stone undergoes a 'cyclic dormancy' at that specific note."
A total silence fell over the table. Enil and Lizard stared at Romelius in pure shock.
Enil: "Wait... how do you know all this? About swords, medicine, frequencies, and even crystal physics?"
Romelius (smiling calmly as he sipped his tea):
"Science is indivisible, my boy. To heal a body, you must understand chemistry. To understand chemistry, you must grasp physics. And to survive a battle, you must be an engineer, a duelist, and an explorer all at once. Specialization is for ants; humans should encompass everything."
Lizard (whispering to Batter): "This man isn't just a doctor... he's a walking encyclopedia and a fighter who reads the enemy's moves before they even think of them."