What kind of a golem had bones!? If it was a bone golem, it should only be made of bones. Alternatively, if it was a flesh golem made of a mixture of bones and flesh, it should have been covered with disgusting, rotten flesh. But this guy was neither! I scrutinized it closely and realized something. It wasn’t a golem!

I murmured, “Are you…”

[Kuha!]

Its steel arm extended like a certain pirate king candidate’s[1] and shot toward me. As I had suspected, this wasn’t a golem, but a living being! Golems couldn’t freely transform their bodies like that. However, it could maintain its steel body and stretch its arm. What was its identity? Did it really have bones underneath all that steel…? No, now wasn’t the time to leisurely think about it.

“Lotte, dodge!” I shouted urgently.

She trumpeted, [Leave it to me!]

Lotte dodged the steel arm in an instant. At the same time, her wings produced a raging whirlpool of black flames. Apparently, she had gotten stronger from the trip to the Panan continent. Was it because she spent more time with me? Or was it because she participated in battles? Regardless, I may need to reconsider how I was letting Plene grow.

Lotte warned,...