Recovery

There, at the very top of a majestic and half-destroyed tower, in the heart of what seemed to be a fascinating literary world according to Echidna's words, a victorious young man stood up amidst the rubble...

"RECOVERED!!"

Indeed! I am back to life!

<"Finally!">

And right on the spot, retaking her usual form as a small black serpent made of smoke, Echidna celebrated my miraculous recovery right from my shoulder.

(Hurrah!!)

(Congratulations!!)

(Yeah!!)

At the same time, the straw dolls—both those still in the middle of their regeneration process and those that miraculously remained in perfect condition—joined the chaotic celebration with childish enthusiasm.

("Mama!!")

Ah, hello everyone! After spending long, endless hours immobile on the ground like a corpse, I am finally back on my feet!

During the entire time I lay stuck there, unable to move a single muscle, quite a few things happened. For instance, Echidna had to revert to her usual snake form purely due to a lack of energy after such a display of divine power. Or the fantastic discovery that, as long as even a tiny fragment of a straw doll remains, it can fully regenerate!

Which, to be completely honest... was a colossal relief!!

You know, I was deeply worried that they had all sacrificed themselves permanently to protect me at that critical moment.

However, due to the burns from the black armor's flames, it seems the vast majority is severely incapacitated for now, leaving only a small group truly available!

Though, picking up on what might have caught your attention the most in this scene...

("Mama...?")

Yep... As you can see, the most ridiculous and drastic change of all occurred within the black armor.

"Is it really the same one...?"

That thing spent almost as much time (while I lay helpless on the ground) agonizing from Echidna's divine punishment trapped in that pillar of sacred light, only for a small, almost cartoonish and adorable silver armor to emerge once the light vanished, lying motionless on the floor...

<"I can assure you it's the same one... Though why it took on that form is quite interesting...">

Let's be frank: at first, I genuinely thought that creature had died, but it suddenly stood up and, like a newborn baby looking for its parent, began transmitting its will in a childish manner.

("MAMA!!")

...Calling me mama.

"...."

BUT I WANT TO CLARIFY ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT I AM A MAN!!

...So... If that's the case... Why on earth does this kind of thing keep happening to me?!

I AM NOT A WOMAN!!

"Hey, Echidna... Could you help me shove this off of me...?"

But the worst part was that, due to my complete lack of mobility at the time, I couldn't even push it away.

<"Why should I?">

And to top it off, neither the straw dolls nor Echidna lifted a single finger to intervene.

<"My intervention no longer seems necessary...">

The reason why Echidna flatly refused to help me? According to her, it was because she had apparently already punished the armor by purifying and cleansing all its "impurities"...

<"Besides, it looks quite amusing to watch.">

I heard what you said loud and clear, you damn snake!!

(Welcome!)

(Hello...)

(Do you have a name?!)

Meanwhile, regarding the straw dolls... Well... Apparently their reason is that, while I was unconscious... As you can notice... they became friends with the little armor!... Ha... You know what, I can live with that.

("Mommy~!!")

I couldn't really blame the innocent straw dolls, and with Echidna having a (credible?) excuse, I had no choice but to resign myself and accept my tragic fate...

"...Ahahahaha... Yeah, yeah... You are very cute..."

....However, there is still one thing that my pride cannot accept under any circumstances.

(Mama!)

(It's mommy!)

(Mama, mama, mama!!)

I flatly refuse to accept that the straw dolls have now caught the bug and started calling me mama too!!

<"My, my... Congratulations, mama~">

Shouldn't you all know full well by now that I am a man?!

("Ehehe~")

I AM NOT MAMA!!

"Ugh~"

Unfortunately, none of them seemed to understand my desperate pleas. And well, that was basically everything that happened during all this time I was out of commission...

So, changing the subject radically, now the only thing left for us to do is obtain the king's long-awaited "treasured treasure" so we can get out of this place once and for all.