'....What time is it anyways?'

Mars raised his head a little and looked out the window and saw that the sun had risen about an hour ago and laid his head back down on the bed again and closed his eyes again.

'Nothing like sleeping in...'

Mars laid in complete bliss for about 5 minutes before he sat up in the bed and swung his legs out over the side.

'...Toilet, where was it again?'

Mars quickly put on some clothes and quietly left the room where the girls were still sleeping and steeped out in the hallway and quickly found the toilet. After he finished his business he walked back to the room when he opened the door, he saw that Mary was sitting up on her bed and gave her a quick wave as he walked back to his bed and waved Mary over. Mary looked a little confused but still came over and stood in front of Mars, then Mars embraced her before they both fell down onto the bed, Mary struggled a little but eventually quietly accepted her role as a body pillow with a smile on her face as Mars hugged her and slowly drifted back to sleep...

When Mars awoke again he found that Mary right in front of his face, he was so close he could count her individual eyebrows. She was breathing quietly as she was still asleep, Mars half wanted to play a prank on her and half just wanted to watch her sleep but as he was struggling to make a decision she quietly stirred as her eyes trembled for a moment before they opened and stared into his eyes for a short moment before she gave a wonderful smile and warped her arms around him and hugged Mars tight.

"Good morning"

"Morning Mary"

"Oh... so you are awake"

Mars turned his head and Chloe standing next to his bed watching him and Mary with slightly envious eyes, Mary also looked up at Chloe before she gave a teasing smile and hugged Mars a little closer, Chloe gave a sigh and looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall of the room and said.

"There's about 10 minutes left until breakfast is over, well I have already eaten..."

"s.h.i.+t..."

Mars looked at Mary again and asked her.

"Want to go grab a bite to eat?"

"Okay..."

Mary unwrapped her arms from Mars and sat up on the bed before she walked over to her bed and began putting on some clothes, Mars followed her example and sat up in the bed before he discovered he was still wearing clothes from when he visited the toilet earlier.

"Well then let's go"

"Yes Mars"

"Want to join us Chloe?"

"...Sure"

A few days pa.s.sed with Mars and the girls doing absolutely nothing but eating and sleeping, resting their tried bodies from the road. On the 4th day of relaxing Mars was summoned to the lord's manor by Alex, following after the butler that had summoned him Mars wondered what Alex wanted now. Soon he arrived at the lord's manor and stepped inside and was met by Emma that looked like she had been waiting for him, she gave a smile and spoke briefly with the butler before she walked over to Mars and gently took his hand before she proceeded to half dragging him after her.

"Come my dad is waiting."

Mars followed after Emma with a wry smile on his face, it sure looked like him saving her from bandits had a big impact on her since she treated him like this. After walking for a few minutes Mars and Emma arrived in front of Alex's office where Emma knocked before she called out.

"Dad I have brought Mars."

"Bring him in."

Emma was about to open the door but then she remembered she was still holding Mars' hand and blushed before she let go and then she opened the door and walked into her dad's office. Mars followed after her and stepped into Alex's office, Alex sat behind a solid wooden desk with a deep frown on his face that eased a little when he saw Mars and his daughter.

"Oh good you're her Mars... Would you be willing to help me out once more?"

Mars walked over and sat down in a couch before he answered.

"That depends on what you need."

"Well the truth is that I have just received word that a convoy of armored, and armed vehicles are heading to this city and will arrive within a couple of hours... Now I don't know what their intentions are so you would just be an extra insurance in case something goes wrong..."

Mars thought for a moment before he gave a nod.

"Sure... I want to have a look at the earthen tribe anyways."

Alex gave a sigh of relief before he thanked Mars, the two of them then proceed to talk about Mars' reward. Mars suggested that he be paid less if nothing happened and after awhile Alex agreed to this and soon the talk turned less serious with them talking about less important idle talk getting to know each other until about an hour after a butler knocked on the door and informed that the caravan from the earthen tribe had arrived.

"Well then let's go."

Mars was the first to get up from his seat before he waited for Alex and Emma to walk in front before he followed on Alex's left side a few steps behind him. Soon they stepped out of the manor and out into a courtyard where a convoy of 6 vehicles were parked, the vehicles were armed and armored and frankly look like something from mad Max with their gritty looks and armor spikes. Alex stopped a few meters from the vehicles and soon the doors all opened at the same time and a group of about 15 dwarfs stepped out of the vehicles, most of them were armed guards that carried what looked like a.s.sault rifles with big drum magazines attached to them. Mars noted that the rifles had a large caliber and most likely was able to bring down a big magic beast in a few rounds. The rest of the dwarfs were dressed in suits and carried no weapons, Mars figured they were diplomats while the rest were simple guards, with a.s.sault rifles that is. Alex stepped forwards and shock hands with the lead dwarf and spoke with him briefly but Mars didn't focus on that but on the guards, a few tense moments pa.s.sed before Alex showed the dwarfs into the manor. Mars followed after Alex but still tuned out most of the conversation Alex and the dwarf had as they walked into the manor and eventually arrived in a meeting room where Mars stood behind Alex and eyed the dwarven guards for the best part of an hour before Alex called out to him.

"Mars?"

"...Yes, what is it?"

"Solomon is trying to talk with you."

Mars looked down at the dwarf that had been talking with Alex for the best part of an hour already and bowed slightly.

"Sorry my mind was elsewhere."

The dwarf gave a smile.

"I don't mind... you name was Mars right?"

"Yes that's right."

"You seem very interested in our rifles, would you like trying shooting one?"

Mars looked over at Alex that gave a nod then Mars also gave a nod.

"Sure, if the situation arrives."

Solomon went back to talking with Alex and Mars once again tuned out the conversation as he watched the guards with a hand on the hilt of his sword...

After the meeting Alex, Mars and Solomon with his guards walked out behind the manor where a shooting range was located. Normally the range was used by knights practicing their archery but after the servants put up some new targets it was ready to be used with high caliber rifles, Solomon called over one of his guards who handed his rifle to Mars that took in in his arms. The living G.o.d immediately checked the how much ammunition that was in the magazine by quickly releasing the magazine and looking down into it, before he put it back and pulled the bolt back to check for a round in the chamber. As he did that the guard as well as Solomon looked more and more stunned as they had a.s.sumed that Mars had never used a rifle before, Mars took a stance with the rifle raised and took aim before he slowly squeezed the trigger and fired off a round towards the target a few seconds after the shot landed Mars gave a frown and mumbled.

"It pulls a little to the left..."

Then he proceeded to fire off burst after burst at the targets until the magazine was empty, then he lowered the rifle and looked over at Solomon and the guard that both were stunned at his performance and asked.

"What?"