Chapter 7

**Living Armor -2-** is the seventh chapter of the *Delicious in Dungeon* manga.

## Summary

As the rest of the party hold off a number of Living Armors in the other room, Laios thinks about his revelation that Living Armor are actually living creatures and therefore able to be killed. While he dodges the attacks of a Living Armor, he tries to figure out what it is and therefore how to kill it. He concludes, given it looks hollow and having eliminated the other two options, that it is likely a creature that can stretch its limbs is hiding inside and controlling the armor. To figure it out, he exploits its one known weakness: its desire to protect the egg case.

When the Living Armor moves the shield with its egg case out of the way of Laios' attack, he takes the opportunity to pull off its head with the attached tassel. Retreating behind a pillar, he looks inside the helmet to find... nothing? He worries that his assumption that they did have senses was just them mimicking adventurers when the Living Armor attacks. However, it hits the pillar next to him instead, confirming to Laios that there is something in the helmet that helps them to sense things. Noticing a gap in the rim of the helmet, he uses his broken sword to pry it open, with a soft-bodied organism spilling out. He figures out that the reason why cutting a Living Armor to pieces doesn't kill it is due to it being made up of a colony of said organisms.

Realizing it is looking for its head, Laios throws the helmet at the Living Armor. It tries to reattach the head but it is unable to. Laios uses this as a distraction and body slams the monster to the ground. Holding it down, he dismembers it while musing on how it moves and works, but he suddenly remembers something. Grabbing the shield from the defeated Living Armor, he runs back to the room where the rest of the party is still holding off the group of Living Armors. He throws the shield away from his party, and the Living Armors give chase, leaving his party behind.

Laios brings the party into the room with the defeated Living Armor and shows the party what they're actually made of (which disgusts Marcille a little). He excitedly explains his theory of how they move, work and reproduce. Laios then asks Senshi if they can cook the monsters inside, which Marcille and Chilchuck object to very strongly. Senshi, however, is keen to give it a go and starts thinking about how to prepare it. Laios points out that they appear to be like mollusks in structure, which gives Senshi an idea. He gets the party to pull out the fleshy parts and begins to dissect the creatures. He boils some in soup, stir-fries some, and places the head on top of the pot of soup to steam. He then grills the Living Armor that are still stuck to the outer armor.

With the Living Armor all cooked, the party turn to Laios to eat it first, given it was his idea and that their complete lack of knowledge of how deadly it could be. Laios eats a Grilled Living Armor and makes a sound, scaring the rest of his party, but he's just amazed at how good it tastes. Senshi then eats one as well, finding it okay. Chilchuck, still a little wary, decides to try the stir-fry instead as it contains medicinal herbs just in case, and finds it interesting but not bad. Marcille tries the soup, which tastes like mushrooms. The steamed helmet, however, tastes a bit musty.

As the party clean up their meal, Laios thinks back on his initial fear of Living Armor and how weak and tasty he now knows they are. Chilchuck suggests he take the sword of the Living Armor he defeated, given his is now broken. As Laios holds the sword, thinking about the egg case, two little antennae pop out of the hilt. He rejects Marcille's offer to check the sword for curses, bringing the sword with him.

The party then proceed onwards, without most of them knowing of the new addition to their party.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Chilchuck
* Marcille
* Laios Touden
* Senshi
* Laios' sword monster *(Debut)* / *(Unnamed)*

## Dishes

* Living Armor Full Course Meal
	+ Living Armor Dwarf-Style Stir Fry
	+ Steamed Living Armor
	+ Living Armor Soup
	+ Grilled Living Armor

## References

1. ↑ Harta Volume 17. Retrieved October 28, 2020.