The sun slowly dipped below the horizon as the moon rose into the sky.
Under the cover of night, a luxurious carriage traveled along the road toward the Kingdom.
Zach sat at the reins, occasionally glancing back with a lecherous grin.
After coordinating with the bandits, he was already indulging in pleasant fantasies of how he would toy with Solution.
Inside the carriage, several "people" were engaged in conversation.
A beautiful woman with golden curls sat beside a strange, pitch-black creature. Opposite them were a lovely girl dressed in gothic lolita fashion and the upright Head Butler, seated with perfect posture.
They could hear Zach's laughter outside, but no one paid it any mind. After all, he was already a dead man. If he wanted to laugh, he was free to do so.
After setting up a small soundproof barrier, Herohero felt the air inside grow somewhat heavy. Disliking the atmosphere, he decided to start a conversation.
He might not match Naohara-sama or Momonga-sama, but he felt he should contribute in his own way.
"Shalltear, are you and Aura on bad terms?"
Recalling how the two had begun arguing the moment they met during the previous Guardians' gathering, Herohero asked with genuine curiosity.
Now that Aura was Naohara-sama's daughter, that technically made him her uncle. As an uncle, he felt it was only right to try mediating things.
He actually had a fairly good impression of Shalltear. She was undeniably beautiful and highly capable.
It was not affection, just a simple appreciation. Compared to Solution, however, his preferences were obvious. He favored blonde, mature women.
On top of that, Naohara-sama had once quietly told him that Shalltear's chest was fake, which dampened his interest even further.
A flat-chested loli?
He preferred voluptuous older women.
With that thought, Herohero casually let his gaze drift toward Shalltear's chest. Seeing its impressive size, he found himself wondering how much padding she was using.
From beginning to end, he had never believed Shalltear truly liked him.
As Peroroncino's friend, he knew her character settings were a chaotic mix of all sorts of strange fetishes.
That lovestruck look she had shown him before was probably nothing more than desire for his body, for things like slime and tentacles.
Unconsciously, he glanced at Solution beside him. In all of Nazarick, perhaps only this "daughter" of his genuinely cared for him.
"Well… I actually think our relationship is pretty good."
Shalltear, who had just been lost in a fantasy of being entwined by tentacles, came back to her senses. After composing herself, she continued.
"Besides, my creator, Peroroncino-sama, and that shorty's creator, Bukubukuchagama-sama, are siblings."
"From that perspective, Aura and I could be considered sisters as well. I just don't know what she thinks."
Shalltear spoke honestly. She and Aura argued often, but in her view, that was simply one way close relationships expressed themselves.
After all, Peroroncino-sama and Bukubukuchagama-sama also argued frequently, yet that never diminished the deep bond between the two Supreme Beings.
As creations of those two Supreme Beings, Shalltear felt that her dynamic with Aura was much the same.
Incidentally, Mare being designed as a cross-dressing younger brother also seemed to be Bukubukuchagama-sama's deliberate choice, likely mixed with some rather peculiar personal taste.
"In that case, Shalltear, you could also be considered Naohara-sama's child."
"So, what do you think? Want me to put in a few good words for you?"
After a moment of thought, Herohero made the suggestion on a whim. The logic seemed sound enough to him.
"Well… I suppose that wouldn't be impossible."
"If I acknowledge Naohara-sama as my father, wouldn't it make it easier to climb into his bed and receive his discipline?"
That earth-shattering remark completely stunned Herohero. He had only suggested becoming a daughter, yet she had already skipped ahead to getting into bed.
Sebas, standing to the side, was equally shaken. Shalltear's words had gone far beyond his understanding.
Father and daughter? Bed? Discipline? What kind of bizarre knowledge was this?
"Of course, Herohero-sama, I wouldn't mind you either. Or if two Supreme Beings wanted to join together, that would be fine as well."
"Ahem…"
Her next line hit like a bomb, shattering what little composure Herohero had left.
Three people together? Male, female, male?
For a split second, the image even struck him as oddly stimulating. Alarmed, he immediately activated [Black Heart]. A flash of green light washed over him, restoring his calm.
"Shalltear-sama, that would damage the friendship between the Supreme Beings!"
Sebas could no longer stay silent. As a butler serving the Supreme Beings, he could not allow her to continue down this path.
"Sebas, don't spout nonsense. I'm clearly safeguarding the bond between the Supreme Beings!"
"Think about it. If I successfully share a bed with all Three Supreme Beings, wouldn't that naturally strengthen their connection?"
"I would willingly sacrifice myself to become the link that binds them together. Such a noble act, and yet you dare slander me, Sebas!"
Shalltear rebutted him without hesitation. Her reasoning sounded coherent at first glance, impossible to refute, yet the more one thought about it, the more wrong it felt.
Sebas stood there, stunned. How could she say something like that so casually?
Solution, who had been quietly watching, blinked. Her expression did not change, but she silently took note.
After thinking it over, she even gave a small nod. There was, in a way, some logic to Shalltear's argument.
"What status do the Supreme Beings hold? The Three would not care about such trivial matters."
"Besides, serving Naohara-sama together with that shorty, or serving Herohero-sama alongside Solution… that doesn't sound so bad. It even feels a little exciting."
"And it would strengthen the bonds between us Guardians as well. Two birds with one stone."
Herohero was at a complete loss for words. As expected of a Guardian created by Peroroncino, she was as perverse as her creator.
When it came to matters of lust, her mind worked frighteningly fast.
Sebas also fell silent. He felt as though his once-pure heart had suffered a devastating blow.
"Oh, right. Since Sephis and Aura are both Naohara-sama's children, if I were to climb into Naohara-sama's bed, wouldn't that put me above them?"
Shalltear laughed, revealing her cute little fangs. The words themselves, however, were not quite so cute.
Solution silently watched Shalltear sink deeper into her fantasies, wondering whether she should inform Sephis.
Herohero let out a sigh and said nothing. Whatever Shalltear wanted to do was her business. It was simply how Peroroncino had designed her. There was little point interfering.
Listening as she grew more and more animated, he began to regret ever bringing up the topic.
Sebas, noticing that Herohero did not step in to stop her, recalled Demiurge's warning before they set out.
"Sebas, Momonga-sama once said that if there is no explicit opposition, it means tacit approval. You must be especially mindful."
The words echoed in his mind. In the end, Sebas lowered his head and abandoned any further attempts to argue. If the Supreme Being had chosen silence, then it was not his place to persist.
In this exchange, Shalltear claimed a complete victory.
...
After an unknown amount of time, the moving carriage suddenly came to a sharp halt. Chaotic noises erupted from outside.
"Finally couldn't hold back any longer?"
The cheerful mood inside vanished instantly. Shalltear fell quiet as well. Their pleasant conversation was over.
Herohero exuded a chilling aura, a faint glimmer passing through his slime-formed body.