บท 139: Chapter 23
Ramiris, in her eagerness to show how useful she could be, slightly outdid herself on the first day of her new job. She had even worked throughout the night to overshoot her own estimates. By morning, the vast dungeon of Nazarick had undergone a transformative change, with new corridors, chambers, and defenses magically constructed overnight.
The absolute torrent of information coming in his direction could only be dealt with the help of Omniscience, even after being neatly converted into easy-to-understand files and packages. Despite claiming it would take an entire day just to create one floor, she also rearranged the ninth and tenth floor, greatly expanding upon both.
It would have been easy just to confirm her changes and be done with it so he could expedite the process, but Momonga couldn't leave it to chance and went to double-check everything himself within his mind. He of all people knew that changes on paper were one thing, but changes in real life were another.
The first eight floors were left untouched for now, to be changed at a more convenient time due to needing to coordinate with dozens of native citizens of Nazarick. The newly constructed ninth floor was the first major change, resembling two massive cities with clear skies and surrounded by bountiful grasslands.
The current floor ten was the former floor nine, having been bumped down an entire level, and now served as the inner elite city of Nazarick. It had most of the extremely important or useful recreational and production facilities, including some smaller factories. Momonga noted that if entire floors could be shifted around, more floors could be pushed above the current first few floors to act as a buffer, laden with barriers and expendables before even reaching Shalltear.
The former throne room on the tenth floor had been reshaped into the innermost palace, with all their living quarters moved there and expanded according to the wishes of their occupants. Momonga couldn't help but notice that Ramiris had sneakily constructed a small chocolate stand within her own quarters, which would construct and deliver her enough supply to not have to rely on Buku to get her fix of the delicious treat.
'I guess I can let her have it for a good job,' Momonga chuckled before moving on.
Additionally, on the same floor was a greatly expanded treasury and a massive research complex, both wholly separated from the castle portion of the floor. However, it was unclear if such an arrangement would do much if Pandora and Veldora set off a nuke, either by accident or intentionally. Both rivaled the castle in size and mass, packed to the brim with testing equipment and resources auto-generated on the fly as needed.
'I'll just have to trust they have at least some common sense,' he decided, internally sighing as he flew through the mental landscape. Worrying all the time about Pandora's and Veldora's antics for days on end wasn't productive, and for the most part, both had at least some sense of safety drilled into them. Despite Veldora's occasional immaturity, he also was creative and ingenious when wanted to be. Momonga had to admit that the dragon had matured quite a bit since he was set free and genuinely wanted to contribute to the nation's betterment - in his own style of course. The regular explosions in Pandora's previous research facilities suggested that he wouldn't fare well with Tempest's comparatively more normal scientists, but those were sent to Dwargon weeks ago and thus wouldn't be burdened with possibly broken safety regulations.
As for Pandora's Actor, besides his theatrics and chuunibyou tendencies, he was dedicated and always prioritized the best interests of Nazarick, albeit in his own eccentric way like his reptilian friend.
There was one last thing he needed to check before accepting the current changes in the great tomb before Ramiris' next flood of requests and suggestions in a few hours; his personal quarters. The trio of concubines had clearly cooperated to expand his living space so everything they wanted was there, even Shion had been involved. All three practically lived in his quarters most of the time, but with the changes, it would pretty much be their personal wing in Nazarick's inner sanctum from the sheer amount of space taken up.
'At least it seems Shion's wishes were taken into consideration.' He noticed a massive training room primarily specializing in large blades, bulky weights, and highlighted objectives on the walls. There was even a body pillow and plushie production machine, which he was mildly concerned about, but decided to save some sanity and pushed it out of his mind. As Momonga walked through the newly expanded quarters, he couldn't help but be impressed by the attention to detail.
Albedo and Shalltear in particular often neglected to include his third concubine in their decisions and antics, pushing her around due to Shion being a lot weaker than them in terms of raw power. Even so, she was no pushover and the second strongest Kijin, Benimaru, was a far cry compared to her.
But then again, Shion spent every free moment she had training to become stronger, refusing to shy away from physical conflicts with her much stronger fellow consorts. Partly to grow the bonds between them and partly to train herself, of course.
'I should talk with them about this…' he thought, feeling a sense of responsibility towards Shion's well-being and overall happiness within Nazarick.
Momonga stopped the thought. All relevant parties knew dealing with women wasn't his strong suit, and the three could masterfully put aside their differences when it came to obtaining something from him or growing their combined influences.
Albedo, as the ringleader, could expertly get the other two to carry out her plans, especially when it came to preventing him from overworking. She oftentimes used Shion as a distraction, forcing him to get involved, or used Shalltear's kerai to fill his office with sheer numbers. If she went herself, she blasted her succubus abilities full force while working to assist him, and eventually, he would cave.
Shalltear, as it turns out, had been tutored by both Pero and Buku on how to play up her cuteness when she wanted something. He just simply could not ignore the porn game-inspired actions and obviously practiced moans and groans.
The trepidation in Momonga's mental state only grew when he saw that Shion had also started making her own advances. While her approach was still a far cry when compared to the succubus and the vampire, her unbreakable stubbornness for hours upon end was enough for Momonga to give in and give her whatever the kijin woman wanted. Usually, it was either gifting her new weapons or letting her train far harder than there was any reason to, although sometimes she just wanted a head pat or two.
After one final glance at all the proposed changes, he confirmed every single one. In a vague sense, Nazarick was an extension of himself and through that connection, Momonga could feel the great tomb changing. This distinct sense of knowing the new layout permeated his very being, growing and reinforcing.
Considering that he already knew what changes would take place, there was the need to check if other tomb denizens became aware of the changes. If all went well, they could proceed with further changes to streamline efficiency, enhance grandeur, and strengthen defenses within Nazarick without having to worry about causing chaos for those who worked within the uppermost floors.
"Did you feel the tomb change? If so, how much and do you still know your way around?" he addressed the maid standing by the door of his office, who was ever-eager to serve.
"Yes, Lord Momonga. I am unsure what happened, but I know the layout of the Great Tomb of Nazarick has changed and I understand how to navigate through the new layout." The maid replied with a bow.
{ Did you sense the changes? } He messaged Pero next. If the maid knew, his friend likely was aware of the changes.
{ Sure did. Our new helper put in my quarters everything I wanted. I guess I owe her one. } Pero messaged back in a chipper tone.
{ That's good. But if you have ideas for bigger changes, you can run them by me or Albedo. }
{ I'll keep that in mind, buddy. I could set up some more production facilities to match the growing demand; provided, only if we can afford it, of course. }
{ Increasing production is fine, but you should know that Nazarick's reactor is limited. }
{ Oh, I don't mean producing stuff out of thin air. Hear me out, ok? } Pero switched his tone to sound like a door-to-door salesman, Momonga internally chuckling as he walked down the hallways, ensuring everyone knew of the changes.
{ I'm listening. } Momonga spoke flatly. He was far too familiar with his friend's methods, so it was easier to listen to the sales pitch and then point out flaws rather than try to shut down ideas right away.
{ So here's the deal; we're getting a lot of fruits and dairy products from Eurazania through trade and regular 'gifts.' The staff has a very high potential to create luxury goods if properly utilized, particularly those used to working in the kitchens. And we both know luxury goods have a massive markup on the price- }
{ Get to the point. } Momonga interrupted his spiel.
{ In short, I want to take a bunch of liches, teach them that aging spell you used in Ramiris and produce greatly aged cheese, alcohol, and other products en masse. We would take the market by storm and dominate it through cheaper, higher-quality products. }
{ Do you need Nazarick for that? I mean, it could easily be done outside. We've got more than enough land and there's been an influx of refugees into the cities. }
{ Have to keep our trade secrets. Don't worry, half of my company's profits after taxes will go into our guild's budget, meaning we make even more money than we can make by just sitting on it. }
{ I guess if we have space, you can set up the production. }
{ That's where Ramiris comes in. She bragged that she could make a Jura-sized floor inside if she went all out, complete with respawning resources. }
'He should take everything that Pixie says with a grain of salt. She likes to exaggerate things, although she might be right on that one. The upkeep of floors alone without active production is negligible, and the reactor has become much more potent over time as living beings keep being added. Maybe adding Milim to the guild wouldn't be that bad of an idea… though I better leave that decision for after Hinata is dealt with.'
Adding someone as volatile as Milim to the ranks of Nazarick would surely be a risky move, but she has become a lot tamer as of late. The upside was that her seemingly limitless power would give a tremendous boost, conservative estimates supplied tens of times their current capacity, to Nazarick, which would be an immense help in dealing with forces opposing Tempest.
After giving the blessing for Pero to proceed and sending a message to Buku to prime Ramiris beforehand, Momonga could finally conclude his work day. Trying to work through the night would only lead to his three consorts interrupting his work and nagging him, and he had already signed off on most of the paperwork.
He teleported to his quarters together with a maid, discovering the trio of consorts exploring the upgraded living space by shifting around chairs, inspecting tables, and in general running around the place. They were even thoroughly claiming the territory as theirs with their magicule-fueled auras as if they were territorial beasts laying claim to a territory against other females.
Shalltear was first to take notice of his return, given her excellent senses as a vampire, and quickly rushed over. "Lord Momonga, my beloved, you're finally here!" She gave him a radiant smile, proudly displaying her elegant fangs.
No matter how many times he expressed the wish for her and others to address him casually, more often than not she reverted to such unnecessary formalities. By this point, he had given up since she was far more comfortable with it, and he was not one to violate the history-tested saying of "happy wife, happy life."
"Momonga's back!" Shion shouted from somewhere deeper in the quarters, followed by a clattering of metal. She emerged from one of the newly created doorways moments later and charged in his direction, all but pouncing into his embrace.
Shalltear gave her a dirty look at the sheer audacity to act like this, and then promptly clung to Momonga as well by pushing Shion aside a bit.
Albedo was last to show up. Unlike her peers, she kept her composure and approached Momonga seductively, swinging her hips in a way befitting her succubus nature.
"You're finally here, my love! I must admit I didn't have a lot of faith in the fairy's capabilities, but it seems I was mistaken. She changed our quarters according to our exact specifications," Albedo spoke with a grin as she squeezed between the other two women and pressed her body against Momonga's skeletal frame dead center.
'Why does it always have to end like this? It's not like I'm showing any of them favoritism over each other.'
The competition for his attention had only grown fiercer as time went on and the days became busier. The three women did everything from improving their wardrobe, especially lingerie, to inserting themselves in every situation they could, all to attract his attention.
The only thing he found positive in their competition was that they didn't try to copy each other, but instead emphasized their own individual, positive traits.
Albedo used her natural elegance as a weapon, and this was further amplified by the many enchanted dresses from her wardrobe. They made her look not only more regal and suited to stand by his side in official events, but also accentuated her natural beauty many times over. Some would call them skin-hugging, but she preferred to call them embracing her natural body shape.
Shalltear, on the other hand, placed more emphasis on her youthful charms since she wasn't designed for sex appeal as much as Albedo. Wearing lighter dresses, playing up her cuteness, and speaking in a higher pitch voice - especially when excited - were her go-to repertoires for catching his attention. It was almost borderline childlike at times, but she knew when to stop.
Shion stood out the most. Unlike the other two, she mostly wore suits that often were buttoned down to show plenty of cleavage, and made sure to show plenty of skin below. She was the bluntest of the three regarding her feelings and, as Pero put it, 'was more like one of the bros'. Whenever she accompanied Momonga, Shion usually gave the impression of a bodyguard rather than a consort due to her massive claymore and preference for suits.
"Yes, Ramiris has done an excellent job. I think she has passed her initial test with flying colors."
"Are you planning to reward her?" Shalltear asked, staring upwards at him with those oh-so-puppylike eyes. With her having two examples in the form of Momonga and her father on how a Supreme Being should act, she suspected that Ramiris had done enough for her efforts to be acknowledged.
During her brief stint as the temporary supervisor of the finance department, Shalltear tried her best to emulate this behavior, with varying degrees of success. For most parts, kobolds were too terrified of her, so any compliments were met with confusion, and oftentimes bonuses were confused with dismissal notices.
Not that she had anyone else to blame for that. In her early zealousness, Shalltear had built a reputation as a sadistic and easy-to-anger monster who was only held back by her father, Lord Peroroncino.
"I think I should. I wish to encourage her to work just as hard in the future. There are a lot of areas Nazarick can be improved to fit our current needs that she could be utilized for," Momonga said.
He carefully tried to peel off the trio. As much as he enjoyed their affection, such intimate actions were better left when there weren't prying eyes.
"Should I call her in, Lord Momonga? Or do you prefer to deal with her tomorrow?" Albedo inquired, reluctantly letting go of him and taking a seat nearby.
"I could do it now, if none of you mind, that is."
"The needs of the Great Tomb should come first," Shalltear declared, also letting go while simultaneously pulling Shion off Momonga.
"We still have plenty of time. I want to thank Ramiris for the training area," Shion agreed, pouting as she was overpowered.
The moment Albedo sent the request, Ramiris popped in right in front of them, thoroughly enjoying her almost limitless use of Spatial Manipulation.
"Heya! You called, boss?"
It only took one glance for Albedo to reveal the appalling dishevelment of Ramiris's appearance. The fairy was covered with brown spots, especially smeared around the regions of her mouth and hands. Albedo immediately recognized the distinct smell of chocolate. She guessed that Ramiris had been heavily abusing the chocolate stand that was recently installed in her quarters, sure it was the fairy's own doing.
"Ramiris. You could at least present your presence less unsightly. Also, you would do well to remember how to address Lord Momonga properly."
Albedo gave a contemptuous sneer whilst handing her a napkin. The fairy hastily accepted the offering, and she quickly cleaned herself up.
"Ehehe, sorry. I was… testing some properties of my work."
"You're not even putting effort to cover up that gluttonous nature of yours. Pigging out like that is bad for your petite figure," Shion remarked, not even attempting to follow social cues and completely forgetting Ramiris was a spiritual being, and thus could not become fat unless she wanted to.
"I have a fast metabolism, you know! And don't call me petite! This form of mine is still in its infancy stage." Ramiris put her nose in the air with a scoff and crossed her arms, her napkin disappearing midair.
"You're certainly right about that last part," Albedo remarked. She was pleased to see that even Shalltear of all people understood where she was going with her words, and the vampire stifled back a laugh.
"I wish to express my gratitude for the job you have done," Momonga said, choosing to not address the previous exchange, internally sighing and noting to ask Ramiris to tone down on the chocolate.
"Sure thing boss," Ramiris saluted with a smile. "What's next?"
"You are testing our patience. Show Lord Momonga some proper respect," Shalltear growled, taking a step toward the pixie, aura flaring. Her ring had noticeably disappeared, and the others had taken theirs off as well.
"Shalltear, Albedo, it is fine. She is addressing me as her superior. You both could learn from her casual demeanor. There is no need for titles all the time."
'Father says that as well all the time, but Lord Momonga is the supreme ruler of the Nazarick. But he also has taken me as one of his consorts…'
{ Hey Albedo, do you think we should finally agree to be more casual? I kinda want to call Lord Momonga by a nickname when it is just us present. } She messaged. For the sake of convenience, Shion was also included in the conversation.
{ That little pest is too casual for my liking, but I see your point. Perhaps we should be more casual in a private environment. } Albedo replied.
{ If you two weren't such stuck-up bitches, we could have done so long ago! } Shion shouted at both.
{ Continue running your mouth and see where it leads! } Shalltear screeched back, subtly raising her fist at the kijin.
{ I'm not afraid of you bloodsu- }
{ Enough! } Albedo shouted with an overwhelming presence, employing her Overseer of Nazarick, which gave her authority over all servants connected to the skill, which meant almost everyone within Nazarick. It was part of the reason why she had been assigned as prime minister, given that even the uppermost echelons of Tempest were Nazarick's natives.
More often than not, it was the only method to stop Shalltear from going too far. As much as she wanted to slug Shion with her world item staff, Momonga's wishes to get along trumped her selfish desires.
{ Both of you, calm down. Our beloved is catching up on us! } She subtly motioned at Momonga, who was staring at them as the flames in his eyes intensified.
{ Fine. Then we agree to try being more casual? } Shalltear asked.
{ I'm for that. } Shion agreed.
{ Then it's settled. }
"We decided to take upon that offer. From now on, we shall address you on a first-name basis; unless you prefer a nickname," Albedo announced their mutual decision with a radiant smile, the other two following shortly after.
'This is not blasphemy. I may not be on the same level of intimacy that the other Supreme Beings have with my beloved, but as his head consort, I can at least be a little greedy…'
Albedo felt her mind swaying back and forth, but sooner or later, she began mustering all the courage she had to utter the next line.
"I would love to call you darling or Momo."
"Me too!" both Shion and Shalltear exclaimed enthusiastically in near unison.
'It worked!? They listened!' Momonga's joy was crushed by the emotional suppression just as quickly as it rose. 'I don't know what happened, but it worked. It finally worked.' He didn't let his natural undead state win.
"Ahem. I am happy to hear it. But for now, let's return to the topic at hand."
Momonga returned his attention to Ramiris, who was observing the exchange with an amused expression.
"Sure thing, boss. What part of Nazarick should I tackle next?"
"Let's see… The next most pressing matter is to make the first three floors much harder to navigate for any invading force. Make looping and winding corridors, create dangerous traps and barriers, and anything you can think of to complement undead soldiers."
"Sounds easy enough. It won't take much time. What about the rest of the floors? If I start early enough, I can remake the remaining eight floors in one go before noon and maybe add another floor," Ramiris smugly replied, much to the irritation of the three wives.
She may be keenly aware of her vice of being boastful now, but it didn't mean she wouldn't indulge her desire to oversell her abilities. Making Momonga happy also would increase her chances to get whatever she wanted, thus ensuring she could rise to the rank of a floor guardian soon enough.
Obviously, gunning for the highest position a servant could acquire; becoming the Guardian Overseer was not feasible, so it was best to settle for the next best thing.
"There is no need to rush things, but I suppose I could list all the necessary improvements. And if you have the time, create a new first floor dedicated just to barriers and debuffs. " Momonga motioned for everyone to sit down and took a seat.
Shalltear and Albedo sat down beside him, with the vampire feeling more daring than usual, deciding to sit down right in his lap.
'What the hell! How am I supposed to react to this!' Momonga instinctively clamped his legs together, even without his energy body being activated at the moment, as the vampire wiggled in for a more comfortable position, settling on his right leg bone. Her two peers shot her death glares that didn't fail Momonga's notice.
'Calm thoughts. Like this. At least emotional suppression is not letting me down.'
"For the fourth floor, you should create seven additional areas for each elemental type we have available in this world. Ensure that the elemental spirits summoned fully understand their duties, that they are easily replenishable if need be, and that enough magicules are pumped into them to reach the peak of the evolutions you choose."
Momonga was aware that in theory there were eight elemental types, but time elementals had never been observed, not even in a lesser state, so there was no point in creating an area that would not be occupied. The others, however, had to be catered to.
"The fifth floor will see massive changes, you should add massive corpse storage facilities in its northernmost section in case the war goes in our favor, immediately capable of holding millions of human bodies."
"Wait! Wait! Full stop on this one," Ramiris crossed her forearms, surprised. "Just how many people do you plan to kill? I know it's war and all, but even I know the fifth floor can easily hold a hundred thousand corpses."
"As many as is needed until we have dealt with our enemy. We will show no mercy to the Luminism church and the kingdom of Falmuth," Momonga replied, quickly firing back a counter-question. "Do you have a problem with that, given your dependence on us for defense? Reports suggest they've mobilized hundreds of thousands in total." 'Of course, the hundreds of thousands include the supply trains, but she doesn't need to know that.'
"Umm… you know it's likely not…" Ramiris started to say and noticed the glares of the three women. She shrunk down in her seat and added quietly, "It's fine as long as you don't kill every single human. I still have a job to do."
"We will kill as many as necessary, but we will not indulge in mindless slaughter," Momonga asserted.
"That… alright. What about the remaining floors, boss?" Ramiris quickly switched the topic, though she had to take more than a few moments to remove her anxious and conflicted face.
"The sixth floor can be expanded the most, to take upon the information of creating a Jura-sized floor you gave to Pero. Obviously, it doesn't need to reach that scale, and if possible, add not only forests but also farmlands, rivers, and maybe a tropical jungle area or two. Even one-tenth of the expected scale should be more than enough."
"That's easy." Ramiris nervously laughed. 'I should not run my mouth. How the hell will I create a country-sized floor? Oh well, better do my best and hopefully the Chief will accept my excuses.'
"The seventh floor doesn't require extensive changes right now. If you can create an additional massive floor to house pop monsters, then floor eight also doesn't require any changes."
"Got it. So changing the first six floors and adding another floor for pop monsters. Anything else?"
"Hmm, not at the moment. Maybe you have your own requests or suggestions?" Momonga asked.
Ramiris stood up on the sofa to reach his eye level and with a bold smile said, "You know, since there are more floors now, there is a need for more floor guardians. Maybe I can get one position. Ohh, and I wanted to ask what I should do when there is no need to change the Tomb's layout?"
'Showing how eager I am for work should let their guard down. Eh, Albedo is looking at me with such suspicion. I am a Demon Lord, you know. I should be at least a floor guardian.'
"I don't think that is necessary. As an architect of Nazarick, you can get equal standing with floor guardians when the raise is earned. Sebas and Pandora's Actor both are not floor guardians but are considered of equal status," Albedo remarked flatly.
'I understand how important her work is, but such arrogance. She has been a servant for a day and already makes demands to be promoted.'
"I agree, you will earn the status in due time. But to recognize your efforts, I allow you to pick what you want to do when your prime duties are fulfilled," Momonga nodded in agreement with Albedo.
"In that case, I want to join the research team. I am quite a skilled magitech engineer, you know! Buku can attest to that. She fought the magi soldier I rebuilt. I could make a floor for that too, so it doesn't get in the way of others."
Ramiris lit up in excitement. With her new position, she could easily observe every nook and cranny of the Great Tomb, and what was going on in the budding research department had piqued her interest. Reading it in manga was one thing, but being the driving force behind the real-life creations of manga's greatest technology was another.
"In that case, you can report to Pandora and request to participate in your field of expertise. He would be grateful for any assistance."
Ramiris shot up in the air and was ready to fly off, but for a moment hesitated. She wasn't dismissed yet after all, and she was already on thin ice with the others, particularly Albedo.
"If that is all… I should… You know." Ramiris pointed at the door, and Momonga responded accordingly.
"Of course. But remember to rest." Momonga waved away the fairy.
''Don't worry boss, I will. I've got my living space to enjoy." Ramiris saluted and shot out the door.
"Her attitude needs some adjustments," Albedo starkly remarked once the pixie was out of their quarters.
"Don't be too harsh on her. She's a Demon Lord, and if her current power level is any indication, one of the stronger ones. I think we can let her be a bit more casual as long as she's doing a good job," Momonga replied.
"As you wish, darling." Albedo leaned into him.
Shalltear also leaned back and looked up.
"It's time to test out our new quarters."
"Ahm, yes." Momonga nodded in agreement.
He had a long night ahead of him if the more unique storage rooms located conveniently around the main bedroom were anything to note about when he had first verified the suggestions.
Editing by aidan_lo
Proofreading by aidan_lo, nate051499j6, FantasyTroll, alassandro, Cakeeight, Aurodium, LightFlan, atharv, and Sluethen.
AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2WmGKVU3XG2) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).
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