Jhin turned his head — the [Elemental Armament] was standing right behind him, making a request.
"There's no need to wash me, is there? Can't I just have you dispel the magic and then summon me again, and I'll be clean once more?"
"But wouldn't that mean I die covered head to toe in filth?"
"Now that you put it that way, you do have a bit of a point."
Hosing down the war-armor wasn't any trouble anyway, so Jhin led him out of the house: "If we do it inside, I'm afraid the mud will clog up the floor drain, so I've brought you outside. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not, as long as this grime can be washed off."
"Ohh~ as expected of my fine war-armor — so reasonable and understanding!"
"This is all thanks to my master's merit."
After the man and his armor stood outside trading a few mutual flatteries, Jhin waved his hand and called forth a water elemental that congealed into a stream of water, washing over the armor without pause: "Take a sniff — do you smell that garbage stench on yourself? If you do, I'll go inside and fetch the body wash."
The armor lifted its arm up to its featureless face and gave it a sniff: "There's definitely a smell, but there's no need to go to all that trouble. Just rub me down with the deep-forest wild boar fat we rendered earlier and that'll do."
"You've got a point there — in ancient times they maintained their armor with oil too, and this isekai boar fat of mine even carries the fragrance of plants and herbs. Doesn't that completely blow the alternative away?"
"You are quite right."
Jhin took the boar fat out of his storage space, pulled off the scarf wrapped around the armor and soaked it in the fat, then gave its whole body an essential-oil treatment. Looking at the war-armor before him, glittering and giving off that distinctive herbal fragrance, he nodded with satisfaction: "You're practically brand-new now."
The armor placed its left hand behind its back and its right hand against its chest, performing a gentlemanly bow: "Then, master, I shall take my leave."
"Mm, thank you for your hard work today."
Jhin waved his hand and dispersed the [Elemental Armament]. Just as he was about to head back into the capsule house, the grass on the ground, still smeared with mud, called out to stop him.
"Oi, big bro, you got us all covered in black mud, and now you just want to up and leave like that?"
"Hm? Then shall I rinse you off with some water again?"
"Don't give us any of your lousy water — you bring more water around here and our roots are gonna rot through!" the grass cursed and grumbled: "And just now you trampled to death the little sweetheart of my third uncle's second brother-in-law's older sister. Let's settle that score first!"
"What's there to settle? Why don't you mention that it ran under my foot itself?"
The grass instantly flew into a rage, thrashing its body about wildly: "What, a blade of grass's life isn't a life?"
"Can't be bothered to deal with you. Rinse or don't, suit yourself."
Jhin flung out a ball of water to wash the mud off the ground, ignored the whispering of the surrounding trees, and walked into the capsule house.
Megumin came walking toward him, both cheeks flushed red, looking just as if she were drunk.
"Jhin, what were you doing out there?"
"I went out to give the [Elemental Armament] a bath, and chatted for a while with the little grass on the ground too."
"You don't have anything else to do right now, do you?"
"Nope. Why?"
Megumin kicked off the slippers on her feet, rose up on her childlike feet, and spread her arms toward him: "Hurry and let me ride on your shoulders — I'll be the one to form the head!"
"But! I refuse!"
"Eh~ why? I even went and took off my slippers on purpose." She lifted her right foot to show him her jade-like foot.
The art style of Jhin's face turned firm and sharply chiseled: "I, Jhin! Just love saying NO to those self-important types!"
"Then I'll put my slippers back on."
"Wait!" Covering his right eye, he solemnly put forward his demand: "If you let me hold your feet, then it's not entirely out of the question!"
Her ten toes wriggled twice like rippling waves, and Megumin reluctantly nodded in agreement: "Then crouch down. You're only allowed to touch the feet, okay!"
"But of course. If I touch anywhere else, you can clamp me to death between your thighs."
And so, with the tender, two-toned popsicles gripped in his hands, Jhin walked into the living room. Pecorine was still pestering Kyaru, trying to touch her cat ears, but unfortunately the other party's defense was flawless, and she had no chance whatsoever to make contact.
Hmph, in this department I'm leagues ahead of you, Pecorine. As for why — it's because I've already touched Sis Tail!!
Like a general returning in triumph, Jhin, "spoils of war" in hand, swaggered around the living room a couple of times, until he sensed a scorching gaze, at which point he finally halted his patrol and looked toward the source.
It turned out to be Kokkoro, sitting on the sofa and staring fixedly at him.
"Kokkoro, do you want to combine and form the head too?"
Kokkoro first nodded, then shook her head: "I… I actually want to let master form the head."
Imagining for a moment the scene of himself riding on the little guide's shoulders — that picture was too beautiful, and far too criminal — Jhin shook his head like a rattle-drum: "That won't do. You should be the one to form the head after all."
Having said that, he mercilessly cast aside the two-toned popsicles in his hands and used his substitute to lift Megumin down off his shoulders.
Jhin! Why are you dissolving the union between us!?
Faced with the accusing eyes of his former comrade-in-arms, Jhin gave a cold little smile.
I've already grown bored of playing with your popsicles. My popsicle radar tells me that she's the stronger candidate for combining!
Wh… what!?
Megumin's eyes bulged as her gaze swept toward Kokkoro's feet — those were, just as she'd anticipated, perfect jade-like feet, the insteps spotless and flawless like finely carved white jade, the pearly, tender-white toes slightly curled, the tips drawn gently inward together, revealing soft pink soles without a single wrinkle on them.
C… curse it, her jade-like feet are actually superior to mine!?
"Me… Megumin!? Why are you suddenly kneeling on the ground and crying?" Kokkoro put on her slippers and walked over to her side, gently patting her on the back.
"I, I've lost to you!" Megumin, eyes brimming with tears, finished shouting this at her and then ran back to her own bedroom.
"Never mind her — she just hasn't gotten over the blow yet. Let's hurry up and combine!" Without giving her any say in the matter, Jhin had Kokkoro ride up on his shoulders, then peeled off the extra slippers for her.
Gripping the new popsicle, he was like a robot that had just been fitted with a powerful new energy source, a sharp gleam blossoming in his eyes: "Ohh ohh ohh ohh! I feel power surging endlessly out from within my body!"
Pecorine was drawn over by this loud shout, and she came walking over together with Kyaru: "What is it you're playing at? Count me in too."
"Heh heh, terribly sorry, but right now Kokkoro is the pilot best suited to me!" Jhin pulled a stern face and refused them cold-bloodedly.
The key essential element in forming the head is the jade-like feet — that big pudding of yours can't claim even half an advantage!
If Kyaru were willing to let me touch her cat ears, though, then I might just consider letting myself ride on her.
Just as he was standing there pondering his conditions, Pecorine shot Kyaru a meaningful look, and the two of them came up to either side of Jhin, one on the left and one on the right. Pecorine put her strength into hoisting him up, and then he was riding on their shoulders.
In order to keep their heights uniform, Kyaru even cast a levitation spell on herself.
"Oi oi! Forcing a combination on me like this is a foul!" Jhin protested loudly while keeping his body balanced, but unfortunately the two of them paid him no mind at all.
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: A Martial Arts Master Will Never Be Humiliated
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone