After a brief round of sorting, the seven items were quickly distributed, with each of them receiving two. The remaining one was entrusted to Herohero for safekeeping.
Momonga already possessed a World-Class Item himself. The red orb embedded in his chest looked ordinary, even like a weak point at first glance, but it was in fact a genuine World-Class Item. Anyone who attacked it without knowing its true nature would suffer a powerful counterattack.
Herohero, as an Elder Black Ooze, the oldest lineage among slimes, naturally possessed terrifying corrosive power. Its strength was enough to corrode even Divine-class weapons. However, his own defensive capability was relatively low, so he was given three World-Class Items. (PS: Low defense does not mean low resistance.)
Naohara, on the other hand, was an all-rounder who balanced offense, defense, and speed. His reliance on World-Class Items wasn't as high, so he only took two.
Momonga received three World-Class Items: the Millennium Rod, the Wheel of Good and Evil, and the Red Orb he already had.
Herohero obtained Ragnarök, the Fusion Heart, and the Demon Gate.
Naohara chose the Ring of Ouroboros and the Eternal Seal.
"That should do it. Even if all the NPCs rebel at once, we'd be able to wipe them out without much trouble," Herohero said, finally relaxing after seeing everyone fully equipped.
"Hey, Blackie, when did you become this cautious?" Naohara asked with curiosity, looking at Herohero now that he had loosened up.
The change in Herohero's personality surprised him. If they hadn't just been chatting earlier, he might have suspected someone had hijacked his account. This level of caution was even worse than Momonga in the original storyline.
Momonga, standing to the side, perked up his ears as well (did bones even have ears?). He was just as curious.
"Naohara, Momonga, we barely escaped that grim society we came from. Being cautious can only help. I don't want to suddenly die for no reason someday, like—"
"Blackie, we should talk about the NPCs now!"
Just as Herohero was about to continue, Naohara cut him off. Herohero seemed to recall something and promptly closed his mouth.
Momonga looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression. It felt like there was some secret he didn't know about, but neither of them seemed willing to explain.
He didn't think too deeply about it, though. Everyone had their own secrets, and while he was curious, prying into other people's affairs felt rude to him, so he chose not to ask.
"Ahem. I think you should summon Albedo and the others now, Momonga," Naohara suggested after a brief silence.
"Huh? Why me? You and Herohero could do it too," Momonga said instinctively, trying to pass the responsibility off to the two who seemed more reliable.
"Come on. You're the Guildmaster, aren't you?" Naohara said helplessly. "From the NPCs' point of view, you're the highest authority in Nazarick. You carry far more weight than we do."
"Naohara's right. Guildmaster Momonga, you're better suited to give orders to the NPCs than us," Herohero added in support.
"Well… that may be true, but you know I'm basically just a mascot of a Guildmaster," Momonga protested weakly as he looked at his two friends. "Leading people or giving orders is something I really can't do."
"That won't do, Momonga."
"You need to remember this. You're the Guildmaster of Nazarick, unanimously chosen by all of us. Don't think you're not up to it. The reason all forty-two of us chose you wasn't random. It was because only you could hold Nazarick together. Everyone trusted you. You've managed Nazarick for all these years, and you've done an excellent job. You're more than qualified. So don't let everyone down, Guildmaster!"
Naohara looked at Momonga with unwavering determination, placing both hands firmly on his shoulders as he launched into an intense barrage of encouragement.
Today, he was determined to give him a proper wake-up call. Otherwise, how was he supposed to enjoy slacking off in the future?
"Guildmaster, Naohara is absolutely right. Please don't let us down."
Herohero also spoke up in support of Naohara. After all, this was something he didn't want to handle himself, so pushing it onto Momonga was the better option.
"Ah… alright. I'll give it a try."
Momonga, still a little overwhelmed from being talked up so forcefully, nodded almost reflexively.
"As expected of the Guildmaster. Then let's not waste any time," Naohara said, nodding as well. He raised his right hand to his ear and activated the communication magic.
"Albedo, you may come in now."
"Wait, I'm not ready yet—"
Momonga tried to stop him. He hadn't prepared himself mentally at all. Couldn't this be just a little slower?
"My lord, what are your orders?"
Before Momonga could finish, Sebas, Albedo, and the others had already entered the hall. With no chance left to say anything, he could only fall silent and force himself into a dignified posture.
Thankfully, as a skeletal undead, nothing showed on his face. For the first time, Momonga truly felt that choosing an undead race had been a great decision.
"Sebas."
Momonga's voice rang out low and steady, carrying a faint but undeniable authority. It made both Herohero and Naohara pause in surprise. They hadn't expected him to pull it off this convincingly.
"At your service," Sebas replied.
He stepped forward and bowed respectfully before Momonga.
"Seems fine for now… but it still needs further observation," Momonga thought to himself as he watched the NPC's response.
"Go and investigate the environment outside Nazarick."
After a brief moment of consideration, Momonga decided to send Sebas out first. Since they had transmigrated, the area surrounding Nazarick must have changed as well. Letting an NPC scout the surroundings would help them decide their next move.
At the same time, it would allow him to observe the NPC's autonomy. Could Sebas actually leave the Great Tomb of Nazarick? In the game, NPCs were unable to leave the tomb and could only act within the base. This was a good opportunity to test that limitation.
"Your servant obeys."
Sebas turned and left immediately after receiving the order, without the slightest hesitation.
"As for the Pleiades, you are to proceed to the first floor for now and assist Sebas with his investigation."
"Understood."
The maid squad, which had been standing quietly in the corner, bowed and slowly departed. As they left, one of the maids with blonde hair couldn't help but glance back at the figure who had been standing silently beside Momonga the entire time. Only after that did she reluctantly turn and leave.
"Herohero-sama, it's really wonderful to have you back."
Herohero seemed to notice her gaze and looked in her direction.
"Solution?"
He watched the departing maid with a complicated expression.
She was an NPC he had created himself.