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44. [Altora] Life’s Greatest Chance – 2

Angelina held up a finger towards Altora.

「A one-on-one match between Mr. Pervert Swordsman and Geli’s golem. If Mr. Pervert wins, Geli will join the party.」

「What?」

「An adventurer should speak with his fists. After all, there’s no reason to follow a swordsman who loses to a scholar. Much less a pervert!」

It would not be in my favor, Altora thought.

Golems are puppets used by alchemists. He had heard that as long as there’s soil, they can be created in abundance. They are the worst match for an uncontrollable [Sword Saint] – the swarm type.

「…Fine.」

However, Altora had no other choice than to accept it. If he doesn’t, Angelina will leave. If there were to be rumors that he was intimidated by single combat with a scholar of all things…

「Alright, let’s go.」

They moved outside and stood facing each other about 10 steps apart. As a crowd of curious onlookers gathered, Angelina put her hand on the ground and concentrated her mind on her small palm.

「Mud Infant, activate.」

It took less than a blink of an eye.

The soil rose and formed a humanoid figure. The texture is similar to pottery. It looked like a short and stout doll with a rather large lower body.

「What a handsome man. If you are ever reborn as a human someday in the far, far future, promise to be Geli’s husband, okay?」

「Ko!」

Only one golem.

「Huh? Just that one little chibi?」

「What do you mean chibi! 1983 is Geli’s husband in the next life!」

「O-Oh?」

Even though it’s only temporary, the golem is also a life. As such, Angelina developed a theory that since it is possible that it could be reincarnated as a human in the distant future, she will be able to get married at that time.

「I-I don’t know if a golem can turn into a human, but let’s begin」

I can do this, Altora thought.

「I was thinking that there would be a group of stone giants. If I can just smash this small thing and target the caster, it’ll be easy!」

「Geli is ready.」

「I’m good too. Hey Eria, give the signal!」

Altora commanded Eria, who was eating meat at the side, as he unsheathed his sword.

「Understood. …Ready.」

Eria did as she was told and held up the meat in her right hand and swung it down with force.

「Begin.」

「Here I come! Golems are known to move slowly!」

「–[Jump], activate!」

「Huh?」

The small golem disappeared from Altora’s sight.

「W-Where did it go?」

「Mr. Pervert.」

As Altora was looking around, Angelina pointed her finger “up”.

「Up? Shit!」

Altora jumped back in panic. What came crashing down with a thud was indeed the golem that had just disappeared.

「It can reflect the skills of the person who created it. That’s a golem’s greatest feature.」

「You mean the golem can use skills!?」

「Here I come again. [Jump], activate.」

The golem jumped up again. Its small shape with a strong lower body was effective.

Altora did not let the golem out of his sight this time.

「Ha, that’s what happens when you reveal the story information! [Sword Saint], acti… huh, my legs!?」

He couldn’t move.

Both of Altora’s ankles were firmly grasped by golem arms sprouting from the ground.

「Husband 1984, nice job. Boom!」

「Keh!」

The golem hit Altora directly in the back.

Angelina crouched down and looked at Altora, who was unable to move as he was weighed down by the golem.

「How about it? Do you raise the white flag, Mr. Pervert?」

「Shut up! There’s no way I’ll lose to a pervert who wants to have a relationship with a golem!」

「……Oh.」

「Huh?」

「By the way…」

Angelina stood up, then touched the ground again.

「[Mud Infant], activate」

The soil rose. The golems that were formed instantly were almost the same in shape, but were even larger than Altora’s party member, Gordon. They appeared one after another and pushed the crowd of onlookers aside.

「KoKoKo!!」

They were exactly the “swarm” of golems that Altora had imagined.

「Geli can of course create an army of golems.」

「O-Oi?」

「And her skills are reflected in all of them.」

「W-Wait! Calm down!」

「[Jump], activate.」

The giant golems jumped, shaking the ground. A shadow so big as to hide the sun whirled over Altora’s head.

「Eek!」

「Too bad, Geli is just a plain woman who isn’t loved by humans, right?」

「I-I didn’t say that— Gyaaaaaaaaaaa!!」

Altora disappeared under the golems.

「…The real problem is that there is no husband in this life.」

「Don’t worry. You will have a good encounter someday.」

「Eria-chan is a nice person. Oh right, Geli has a request…」

◆◆◆

「Ha!」

「Altora has awakened. Good morning.」Eria.

Altora woke up in a room in the inn where the Divine Silver Sword is based. Apparently he was carried here while unconscious. He was made to understand that it was already evening outside and that he had been sleeping for quite some time.

Sitting up, Altora winced at the pain in his back.

「Ouchh….Oh right, where’s Angelina!?」

「She is leaving town.」

「Damn! My chance to turn it around!」

In frustration, he banged on the wall next to his bed and there was a bang back from the room next door.

「Don’t be so noisy, loser!」

It seems that the results of the duel had already been spread.

「Tsk… Huh?」

He suddenly felt a strange feeling.

It seemed like something was missing from the room.

「Oi, Eria.」

「Yes?」

「Where is Marge’s luggage?」

Marge’s luggage and equipment were stripped by Gordon when Marge was exiled in the dungeon. Without a chance to explore a dungeon after that, the luggage was supposed to be gathered up in the corner of the room.

All of that was gone.

「Angelina wanted something that Marge carried on his person. Since we wouldn’t use it anyway, I gave it to her.」

「You gave it away!?」

「Because we are friends who ate from the same plate.」

Apparently, the reason Angelina didn’t leave until now was because she was building friendship with Eria over dinner. Altora felt like his head was spinning.

「But why the heck does Angelina want Marge’s luggage?」

「She said that there is a possibility that she can track him with a golem that has been specialized for the sense of smell.」

「……What!?」

Altora jumped out of his bed.

He whipped his aching body and forced himself. As he ran up the tallest belfry in town and looked around–

「–Found her!」

「Good boy…. Follow Marge-san’s scent.」

「Ngo!」

「If there is a future in which you and Geli are reincarnated as dogs, then you will be my husband.」

The corners of Altora’s mouth curled into a grin.