The sky has turned orange. The guards, adventurers, and villagers looked at the corpses of the goblins lying around.
"This armor is great, boss." Among the corpses, Trish walked. "But my sweat makes this thing stink."
"Without a capable user, the armor won't be able to reach its full potential." Lance approached the woman with a proud smile. It was his first time witnessing his mech in action, rather than just on recordings or in demonstrations. He never had the chance to do so, even in his previous life.
The young man felt immeasurable satisfaction.
He halted just inches from the female warrior. "I hope we can still work together after this…"
Almost simultaneously, the armor parts collapsed. Metal plates and frames were scattered on the ground, leaving only the helmet and shoes that Trish was still wearing.
"Sorry." The female warrior removed the helmet from her head.
"No problem." Lance widened his smile. "We'll make some adjustments."
***
That night, the villagers returned to their homes, although some people took turns patrolling. They ensured that no live goblins remained.
Ruth, Lance's mother, poured broth from a stew into a small plate. As she drank it, she raised an eyebrow. "This is delicious, miss Hawke."
Smiling, Trish stirred a large pot. "When I was little, my favorite activity was cooking with my mother after practicing with my father. Maybe that's why I have so few friends in the past. I rarely socialize because after practice… Sorry, I ended up telling you about myself."
"She's just like you, Ruth." Felix, sitting in the kitchen's corner, commented. "Her sense of humor, her love of cooking, and having few friends. Hell, your friend is just a bastard who left you after you got pregnant."
"Shut up, Felix. This is not the right time to mention it. I'm still angry with you for not saving Lance." Ruth snorted. "If you're still running your mouth, you won't get food."
Lance's uncle raised his hand. "Jeez... Alright. I will shut my mouth."
Ruth then smiled at Trish. "As a child, I was teased for being so skinny. That's why I don't have friends and have difficulty socializing. Honestly, I use humor to mask my awkwardness from other people, but after a while I got used to it. Are you like that too, darling?"
Trish stopped stirring the stew but said nothing.
Ruth widened her smile at seeing that. "But you have something different from me. Your chest and buttocks are plumper and more beautiful than mine."
The female warrior blinked, unable to respond to Lance's mother for the second time.
A few seconds later, Ruth laughed. This triggered Trish to laugh too.
"Ah, you are here." Eve entered the kitchen of her father's second house. "I am looking for you."
"Have you finished treating the injured?" Trish asked, pouring the stew into bowls. "The food will be ready soon."
"You have protected this village." The witch approached the female warrior. "You should rest, not cook."
Trish shrugged. "This is my way of relieving stress…. What are you doing, Miss Moryet?"
"You're hurt." Eve kneeled down and brought her glowing staff to the back of Trish's thighs. "There's a big bruise here."
"It's okay. I'm used to this." Trish scratched her hair. "But thanks, anyway."
Ruth spoke to his brother. "Look, Felix. Your nephew has more than one caring potential wife. Why can't you find just one like them?"
Felix could only grumble, while Trish and Eve's faces turned red.
***
Lance's bowl was still full of stew. In the dining room, he was silent.
"We are done eating, Lance." Cecil informed her friend. "Only you haven't touched your food."
Ruth, who was about to remind her son, choose to remain silent. She signaled Felix to go with her. However, before doing that, the uncle whispered something to Cecil.
Cecil gasped a bit after Felix said that Ruth had basically approved Trish and Eve as future daughters-in-law.
The uncle left the room giggling, catching Eve and Trish's attention.
Gathering her resolve, Cecil scooped up the stew and shoved it into Lance's mouth. That prompted Eve to flinch, and Trish to scratch her head while looking away.
"I can eat by myself." Lance sighed and took the spoon.
"But I always fed you when we were little, when you were sick and your mother was busy." Cecil glanced slightly at the two girls.
"That was a long time ago." The young man started eating his stew. He raised his eyebrows just like his mother when the food entered his mouth.
Seeing that slight gesture, Trish couldn't help but smile. "You should eat a lot after this success, boss. Think of it as a small celebration before the big one…. Well. I'm not sure if they'll celebrate this or not."
"Yes, you should be proud of what you did," Eve added. "Without that armor, I'm sure this village would be finished."
"I'm thrilled with this success. I'm also happy that the armor performed beyond my expectations." Lance twirled his spoon. "It's just that…. The palace will hear about this. They will come for us, and probably demand that we build battle-ready powered armor soon. Animosity between our kingdom and Zashrend is heating up, isn't it?"
"Why do you think that far?" Cecil rubbed her face.
Eve leaned towards Lance. "Don't worry, I'll explain to them that this project will still take time."
"Yeah, just enjoy this victory first." Trish put her palms behind her head.
Lance remembered how fed up he was with the superiors. They can only make demands without wanting to know the challenges Lance faces.
He didn't wish for something similar to happen again. He really enjoyed constructing the mech at his own pace.
But is there anything he can do? Should he give them something to take their minds off the mech? For a while, at least.
Lance's chin dropped. He recalled something that was common in his world. But not in this realm.
He then devoured his meal fast.
"Hey, take it slow or you'll choke." Cecil warned.
Trish added. "That wasn't the celebration I meant."
Lance stood up after finishing his meal. "I'll draw something in my room. Good night."
Before the three girls could respond, Lance walked away.