We made our way to the workshop at the Delant base.

　The workshop was located in a building a bit farther away, and when we stepped into it, we saw many disassembled armor inside.

(Wow.........)

　It looks like a little armor shop.

　The 'Sword of Fire' equipped by the Arun soldiers was disassembled into sword and hilt, gears, magic stones, and other parts, the movable shield was divided into three parts, and the armor was disassembled, and several of them were placed on the work table.

　In front of them sat a group of workers with aprons and a magnifying glass in one eye, servicing them.

(Precision work....)

　The image of a watchmaker in a previous life.

　Also, the space in the back seemed to be a forge, and as I approached it, I could feel a strong heat wave.

　Tons.

"Merle.

　As I was looking at various things, Illtimina tapped me on the shoulder with her finger.
　Hmm?

　Her fingers indicate a workbench near the doorway of the forge.

(Ah.)

　That bald-headed adventurer was sitting there.

''Oh, what's wrong?''

　Mr. Garun also noticed us.

　As he lifted the magnifying glass, we said "Hello" to him.　

''I heard that Garun-san was going to fix the 'Thanatos Magic Armor' and I was curious to see how he was going to do it, so I came to take a look.

　I tell him honestly.

　Mr. Garun looks a little surprised.

'Isn't that so?'
Is it safe to watch?
I don't mind, that I don't mind.

　He nodded.

But a man cannot really fix the magical armor of Thanatos, that I'm sure.

　He added with a chuckle.

(Huh?)

Is that so?

　Even Kirt, who had been expecting it, was surprised to hear back.

"It is the fruit of ancient magic technology, that it is. There is no one in this world who can fix it, isn't there?

　Mr. Garn said.

　On the work table in front of him was Garun's black armor, which had been disassembled into several parts.

　Each part of the armor had many large dents created by the battle with the storm dragon.

''Then what are we going to do with this armor?''
We'll fix it, that we will.

(What...?

　Garun says simply, and my eyes are glazed over.

　I mean, you just said you couldn't fix it, right?

　Everyone looked puzzled, too.

　Amidst the gathering of such gazes, Garun-san put the magnifying glass to one eye again and picked up one of the parts.

　Cooch, click.

　Using a tool, remove the clasp on the armor.

　Clang.

　With a loud sound, the black armor rolled onto the table.

(Huh...?)

　I suddenly realized.

　The black armored part was heavily indented, but the thin silver armor inside it was intact.

　The black armor and the silver armor.

　Garun-san disassembles the parts of the armor into its two parts one after another.

　...........

(After all, the black armor is damaged, but the silver armor is all intact.

　It's possible that

Is this silver armor the only Thanatos magical armor?

　I whispered to myself.

　Kilt-san, Illtimina-san and Frederica-san looked surprised.

　Garun-san laughed.

''Very well, that I understand.''

(So, I knew it?)

That's right. The black one is just the exterior, and all a man has to do is replace the exterior part, that he does.

　He told me this without stopping his work.

This armor of Thanatos magic armor is a family heirloom that has been passed down in a certain family line. It's a great way to enhance your physical abilities. I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who have been in the same boat for a while now. It's so-called double armor, that it is.

(Heh, really?)

That makes it weigh more than 100 kilos, that it is. It's hard to walk when you don't usually have the strength to do so.

　He chuckled.

　I see.

(After all, Garun-san, even without the blessing of armor, you must have quite a bit of muscle power.

　His arms, visible through the sleeves that are rolled up to work, are very thick.
　The neck is also like a log.

　I'm sure anyone can tell that his or her entire body is well-trained.

　If it weren't for that, I guess I wouldn't be able to become a 'Golden Mark Adventurer' after all.

''.........''

　I can't help but stare at my thin arms.

If I don't use 'divine energy', I really have the same muscle strength as a child. ........well, well, I'm certainly still a child.

　But as a boy, I'm kind of sad.

(Eat a lot more, work out a lot more!)

　Yeah, let's do it!

　It was me, unintentionally, renewing my resolve.

　From then on, Garun-san continued to handle the tool with his thick fingers, dividing the double armor into two parts and attaching the new, new armor with familiarity.

　Click, clank.

Hmm, you're a handy fellow.

　Mr. Kilt muttered in admiration.

'What, I'm just used to it, that I am.

　Mr. Garun said humbly.

As a warrior, I have been wearing this armor for a long time, that I have. As a warrior, I hope to wear this armor when I die.

　As he spoke, his eyes were very calm as he stared at his beloved armor.

　.............



　Fairy swords.

　Fairy Iron Armor.

　The lost dagger "Marl's Fang", the current "Marl's Fang, No. 2", the travel clothes, and the bracelet of the magic activator.

　The white silver cuirass that housed the spirit of the earth.

　I was able to survive because of these equipment.

(We are all important.)

　Sullenly, I touch the equipment with my little fingers.

　Gachan.

Hmm, this is something, that it is.

　While I was deep in emotion, Mr. Garun finished his repair work.

　The shiny black armor is now on the table. Perhaps to make some final adjustments, Garun-san quickly puts it on.

　Click.

　I put on my black iron helmet.

　Instantly, something like a wave of magic power could be felt buzzing from the armor.

　Garun-san opens and closes the fingers of both hands to acclimate and lightly flexes them. Then, with one hand, he grabbed one of the legs of the work table in his hand.

　banging

Wow...!

　The heavy-looking table was lifted lightly.
　Great power!

　So this is the power of the Thanatos magic armor........

　Thud.

"Mm.

　Returning the table, Mr. Garun nodded with satisfaction.

(Hmm?)

　At that moment, something moved in my pocket.

(The Divine Armor (Koro)?)

　Place it in the palm of a small hand and take out a rainbow-colored sphere.

　Von Von.

　A flicker of something appealing.

　..................



　Somehow, I thought I knew how it felt, and I gave Kolo the divine energy as he wanted it.

　Pah!

　The iridescent sphere shatters and collects on me as particles of light.

''Nuh-uh?''
What?
"Sir Merle!

　I heard the surprised voices of the three sisters.

　Garun-san also lifted her helmet and looked at me with her eyes wide open. No, everyone in the workshop was looking at me.

　Voon.

　Standing there was my figure, dressed in 'rainbow-colored armor' like a full-body exoskeleton.

　Ultimate God Body Mode.

　I, in the form of a divine dog, spread my hands to the left and right as if I were boasting.

　Kirillin.

　The armor rubbed like artificial muscles, making a clear metallic sound.

'Well?'
..........
'My armour is as good as it gets, isn't it? Isn't it cool?

　I laughed behind my dog-shaped helmet.

　Everyone was taken aback.

　The next moment everyone laughed uproariously at my little rivalry with Kolo.

"Mm, that's a beautiful piece of armor, that it is.

　Mr. Garun nodded vigorously.

　Ahem.

　I'm stretching my chest a bit.

　The people in the workshop were also attracted by the interest and gathered around, staring at the 'rainbow-colored armor' that looked like a reinforced exoskeleton. They looked like they wanted to examine it, so I said, "Here you go," and they immediately started measuring it and checking its structure through the magnifying glass.

　Garun-san, too.

''I envy you that it is so light and more powerful than some armor, that I can't help but envy you.

　I muttered.

　From then on, it somehow turned into a discussion of armaments with all the people gathered.

　Wai Wai Gaya.

　We all sat in a circle, with me and Mr. Garun in the center, and talked about it.

　The three sisters watched from a little distance.

　And then.

I knew Merle was a boy.

　Illtimina-san murmured calmly, and the other two sisters nodded with a wry smile.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　We finished dinner and before bedtime, we decided to go to the bath.

'It's a shame I couldn't get in there with Merle...'

　The baths in this military facility are separate for men and women, as a matter of course - Iltimina-san had her hands on her cheeks and spilled her breath.

　I chuckled and

What ... what are you talking about, sister Irna?

　Solstice is turning bright red.

　As her sister takes her away, Ms. Illtimina walks down the corridor, occasionally looking back at us with regret.

　Ms. Kilt chuckles.

I'll see you later.

　pong

　He put a white hand on my head and then followed them.

''...........''

　I touched the head that was being stroked with my hand and started to walk around to the men's bath.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　We changed in the changing room and went to the bathroom.

　Since this is a military facility, there are several other Arun servicemen in the room as well.

　It seems a strange sight to be the only child among the well-trained physical men. I have a feeling that you all are looking at me, too.

(Well, if you care, you'll lose.)

　I sat down in the washroom chair, carefree.

　Jabot-jabot.

　Wash your head, wash your body, and rinse off the lather with hot water.

　Phew, refreshing.

　After cleaning myself, I poured some hot water over myself to let my body adjust to the temperature of the water and slowly sank into the tub.

(Ahhhh, that feels so good~)　

　My fingers and toes felt numb.

　And as I soak in the comfort of it.

"Oh, Merle.
This is a surprise, that it is.

(Hmm?)

　Turning towards the direction of the voice, two of Arun's proud 'Golden Mark Adventurers' were soaking in the hot water in good company.

　Oh, unusual.

''Gelfonberg-san, Garun-san,''

　Chapo, Chapo.

　I approached them as I stirred the hot water.

'There were two of you, weren't there?'
Yes.
I just happened to meet you in the hallway and came with you, that I did.　　

　That's right.

　Mr. Gelfonberg looked left and right.

'Where are the flowers of your beautiful companions in bloom, my dear?

　............

(Does that mean Illtimina and the others?)

There's a women's bath.
Oh, really? I'm sorry to hear that.
..........

　No, no, no, of course not.

　I'm a bit dumbfounded.

　Garun-san is also laughing.

　Both of them are very fit and well-trained.

　Garun is muscular, and his arms are thicker than my thighs. And with a number of scars etched into his body, he had the air of a heroic warrior of the past.

(............)

　I'm going to try to sneakily make a power hump in the hot water.

　........ugh.
　It's so thin, I'm somewhat sad.

　I'm working out even with this........

　Gelfonberg-san, on the other hand, also had a very well-trained body, even though he looked slender.

　Mr. Hidden Macho.

　He doesn't look like a piece of muscle armor like Mr. Garun, but he feels supple like a large carnivore of the cat family.

(After all, he's a 'Golden Mark Adventurer'.)

　It's a body that feels like that.

　And as I looked closely at him, I noticed that he was somehow not looking very good.

　I don't know.

Feeling very tired...?

　It was.

'Mr Gelfonberg, are you all right?'
Hmm?

　He scowls.

'You look like you're very tired...'

　And I'll be honest with you.

Yeah.

　He nodded approvingly.
　Then he smiled, embarrassed.

To tell you the truth, I tried too hard in my 'reward time'. Well, the three of you don't know how hard it is.
..........

(Gosh, reward time is an adult thing, right?)

　Ughhhh.....

　Not only because of the hot water, my face turns red.

　Garun-san chuckled.

''Mister Guelph, this is not a story to be told to a child, is it?
No, no, he's a great guy.

　Miss Gelfonberg laughs briskly.

'Mahr, all three of your companions are women too, and I don't think it's a bad idea to know these things at your age.

　I continued.

(Really?)

　I was puzzled, but he held up one finger and said, "Listen, Marle," he said.

"Listen, Marle.
..........
'The most important thing in a harem is to love those beautiful flowers equally, above all else.
..........
'If we didn't do that, we'd all fade away so quickly. We give them joy and sorrow, good and bad, equally. That's the most important thing.

　...

　Gelfonberg-san, you have a very serious face.

　The silver eyes in his handsome face are gazing very seriously at my face.

　It's enough to make me a little nervous.

　He let out a breath.

It's just, this is so hard.
..........
'If you can't, make sure you're clear on a firm ranking,'

　Rank?

'We're going to position them like the royals and the royal family, like the main room, the side room. We'll tell them which flowers we love more. It will give the other beautiful flowers some grief, but it will cause the least amount of hurt.

(...haha)

　I'm not sure what to say.

　I couldn't help but listen, but I don't know how to answer that.

(Me, I don't have a harem.)

　The three of us are family.

　And I like Illtimina-san alone.

　As if he noticed my expression, Gelfonberg laughed and added: "If you are going to love just one flower, be careful.

'If you intend to love only one flower, be careful. Don't be kind to the other flowers.
..........
Never say or do anything thought provoking. You will cause not only your beloved flowers but also many other flowers to wither and bring about a lot of misfortune.

　He's smiling.
　But there's a serious light in those silver eyes.

　He says.

'Marle, you look so sweet.

　............

'There are so many flowers blooming around you. But please don't make the wrong choice.

　crackling

　As he announced that, he closed one eye as if to loosen the air he had just been in.

(............)

　Flowers around me........

　Mr. Gelfonberg's story was as if I could understand it or not.

　But I think he certainly spoke for me.

(.........hmmm?)

　He laughed as I was troubled.

"Well, it's not good to think about it too much. Let's just love them with sincerity...
Yes.

　I nod vaguely.

　Mr. Garun nods with a look on his face that I can't decide if he understands or not.

　Then.

Or is it Merle?
Yes?
If you have time tomorrow, could you arrange a meeting with a certain man?

　Huh...?

It's not every day that you get to meet up with a jingo. What do you think?

Well...

I'm fine.
'Oh!　This can't be put down.

　Mr. Garun's expression brightened and he bowed his head.

　Mr. Gelfonberg chuckled.

''You really are a warrior, Mr. Garun.

　He sounded both impressed and sarcastic, but strangely not sarcastic.

　Mr. Garun was laughing pleasantly, "Ha ha ha.

　I laughed along with him.

　The three of us, three men, were talking to each other, naked, just like this.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


Okay, after you.
Yes.
I'll see you tomorrow, that I will.

　Eventually, the two of them said they'd still be there, so I was allowed to get out of the bath first, just me.

　I wiped my burning body with a towel, changed in the changing room, and went out into the hallway.

　I sit on a couch that was placed in the corridor and wait for about five minutes, and then

Here you go, Merle.

　From the other side, Iltimina, Kilt and Solstice came in.

'Mmm, the water was very hot.
It's true.

　All three of them are fresh from their baths.

　Their white skin is slightly reddish and their wet hair is shining with more luster than usual.

　They also smelled of soap.

　Even their breath seemed to be very hot.　

(............)

　I should be used to seeing them, but the three of them look different today.
　Why is that?

(...maybe it's because I heard Mr. Gelfonberg's story.)

　Or so I thought.

　As I cocked my head in my mind.

"?　...Merle?　What's wrong?

　Ms. Illtimina asked me curiously.

　She always notices my oddities right away.

　...............

　As I stare back at her, Illtimina-san looks somewhat uncomfortable and adjusts her own wet hair with her fingers.

''So, that.........Marle?''

　Anxious voice.

(............)

No, it's nothing.

　I replied and shook my head.

　I don't know what I'm feeling right now.

　As it is, I somehow look at Kilt-san and Solstice.　

　..........

''Wha, what?''
What's up, Merle?

　After being stared at, Solstice seems to be somewhat impatient, and Kilt-san asks her with concern.

(............)

　I let out a breath.

No, it's nothing.
..........
..........
..........
Well, let's go back to our room, shall we?

　He smiled at that and started walking down the hallway.

　The three of them look at each other.　

(For now ... we're still in this relationship, right?)

　I mutter that in my mind.

　Iltimina-san, Kilt-san and Solstice quickly followed my back.