"I will now take my leave," Lord Momonga said, his tone as unwavering as ever.

  Antikythera's digital cameras panned over him, analyzing, considering. Does the ruler of Nazarick not wish to oversee the terraforming? Or perhaps he deems it beneath him.

  A gnce at Demiurge confirmed his suspicions. Their thoughts aligned. Good. Antikythera had feared he might have misread their lord’s intent. The automaton bowed.

  "We will see to it that the local field is turned into the poisonous wastes of Helheim in short order, my Lord. Rest assured, you have chosen the best for such a tremendous task."

  "I trust you. Umu."

  And with that, Lord Momonga disappeared in a blink. The oppressive weight in the air lifted instantly, his overwhelming aura of death and despair fading with him. Truly remarkable. Antikythera, a mere machine, had never once contempted fearing death—until his Lord's presence made him aware of the possibility. A fascinating revetion.

  Now that their master was gone, the guardians allowed themselves to rex, their rigid professionalism fading into a more subdued atmosphere. Organics, truly fascinating. Did their intense servitude strain them? Or was it simply Aura and Mare being young? Even Shalltear seemed to adopt a calmer air—

  "Uwaaaa!" The vampire squealed. "His presence was so intense!"

  —or perhaps not.

  "I accidentally got wet."

  Antikythera tilted his head. Can something like that truly happen by accident? Before he could process the thought, Albedo’s scowl cut through the moment.

  "Haaaa? You slut! You can't even control yourself for a single meeting?!" The succubus pointed at Shalltear, her expression a mixture of irritation and smug superiority. "And you call yourself a Floor Guardian?"

  "What does that have to do with anything, you infertile bitch?!" Shalltear snapped back, rising to her feet and pointing a sharp cw at Albedo. "Is it my fault you can't get wet? Why are you taking your frustration out on me just because you can't even feel aroused?!"

  "Should. We. Stop. This?" Cocytus rumbled, his massive arms crossed over his armored chest.

  "I don't think we need to," Demiurge answered, adjusting his gsses. "In fact, we may even need to encourage the birth of Lord Momonga’s heir. Should he ever leave us, having a successor would be ideal."

  "Lord. Momonga. Will. Not. Leave. Us." Cocytus’ voice held a rare edge of aggression.

  "I know," Demiurge replied smoothly. "But wouldn’t a heir put our minds at ease? Don’t you want to be an uncle, Cocytus?"

  "Hm... That. Does. Sound. Nice."

  The insectoid warrior lifted his hands, moving them through the air as if imagining himself as an uncle. A strange sight.

  "Demiurge," Antikythera interjected, tilting his head at the archfiend. "I will now check on the production line of my floor. Afterwards, we should begin pnning for the rger terraforming efforts beyond the tomb."

  "Yes," Demiurge nodded. "We must also consider the possibility that whatever force brought us here could disrupt Nazarick’s operations."

  "I agree." Antikythera’s internal processors whirred, heating up as he analyzed variables. Droplets of liquid nitrogen formed along his metallic forehead as his body worked to expel the excess heat. "Several matters need addressing. Weaponry won’t be a concern for now—my factory ensures that—but other resources may pose a challenge."

  "It's best to consult Albedo," Demiurge suggested.

  The two turned to her—though at the moment, she was occupied, prevented from attacking Shalltear only by Cocytus’ intervention. Her mouth was stretched far wider than natural, while Shalltear’s tongue shed out a few feet toward her rival.

  "It would be best to prepare a list for her," Antikythera reasoned. "If this world cks the same resources as the Nine Realms, several of my pnned operations will become impossible."

  "We still aren’t certain of that," Demiurge pointed out.

  "I conducted a preliminary ecological scan." Antikythera’s tone sharpened. "This world is cking in magic."

  "Concerning," Demiurge muttered. "We should conduct tests—perhaps opening a portal to Hell. If the ck of mana is a local issue, drawing power from another pne might resolve it."

  "A reasonable first step," Antikythera agreed. "However, we also need to assess material resources. The first task I will assign my floor’s nurses is to kill a creature outside. If they drop coins, our economic system remains intact. If not…"

  "Then Nazarick will be forced into a defenseless state." Demiurge completed the thought.

  Albedo must have overheard, as she turned to them with a raised eyebrow. "The tomb will not be defenseless," she stated coldly. "What are you two discussing?"

  "Specution," Antikythera answered honestly. "With the diminished magic of this world, we may be unable to produce high-quality weapons, scrolls, or potions."

  "Can’t we just grow potion ingredients?" Aura scratched her head.

  "That would severely limit us," Antikythera pointed out. "Many essential ingredients come from monster parts."

  "I'll make a note to research alternative recipes," Demiurge offered, his usual composed smile in pce. He turned back to Albedo. "Antikythera is right. Not only are we in an unfamiliar and potentially hostile world, but we may also ck the resources necessary to sustain Nazarick."

  Albedo frowned, then nodded. "Agreed. Shalltear, return to your brides. I need to assess Nazarick’s overall functionality. If necessary, we may need to begin rge-scale resource harvesting."

  "I hope it does not come to that." Antikythera shook his head. "Well, I shall be off. My floor needs me."

  "As shall I," Demiurge nodded to the others. "I must inspect my own floor’s state after our relocation."

  The two guardians departed, leaving Albedo with the remaining Floor Guardians. Aura and Mare exchanged uncertain gnces before turning to her, their expressions bordering on panic.

  "We don’t know how to check our floor…" Mare admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

  "Just make sure your animals are still there," Albedo reassured them before shifting her gaze to Shalltear. "Request Kyouhukou to inspect the second and third floors. As an Area Guardian, he can compile a report on your behalf and submit it to me."

  "Do I have to?" Shalltear’s face twisted in disgust.

  "Have your brides do it," Albedo sighed, shaking her head. She then turned to Cocytus. "Ask Nigredo for help, Cocytus. I’m sure she’d be delighted to assist you in inspecting your floor."

  "I. Can. Handle. It. Myself," Cocytus stated firmly. "There. Is. Little. To. Check. Beyond. The. Ice. Prison. And. Dungeon."

  "Good. Then I expect a full report soon."

  Albedo turned away, her mind already shifting to the next concern. If Antikythera was right about the magic depletion… then Nazarick’s future in this world might be far more complicated than any of them anticipated.