Tenth Floor Conference Room.
This was the only place in Nazarick, aside from the private chambers, where Momonga could exercise his Guildmaster authority to completely seal it off. Even Albedo and Sebas, despite their high-level privileges, were barred from entry, and no method of eavesdropping would work here.
It was an exceptionally secure location. For Momonga, it was the perfect sanctuary where he could finally let down his guard.
"Whew, it's finally over."
"Momonga, you're pretty good at sneaking off. You actually left me and Blackie behind."
With no one else around, Momonga let out a long sigh and slumped straight into his chair. No one knew how tense he had been just moments ago. If it weren't for the natural composure granted by being undead, he would have exposed himself long ago.
He had to play the role of a supreme ruler while constantly watching the guardians' expressions, adjusting his words at every moment.
Momonga felt this was more exhausting than any job he'd ever worked.
Seeing him like this, Naohara complained halfheartedly, then quietly began listening as Momonga vented his frustrations.
Not long after, a visibly uncomfortable Herohero arrived as well. When he saw the state the two were in, he froze for a moment, then said nothing. He silently walked over, sat down beside Naohara, and joined in listening to Momonga's rambling.
The three stayed like that for a while. One talked, two listened. Occasionally, they would interject with a comment or two, sharing their own thoughts.
"Yeah… saying it all out loud really helps. Thanks, Naohara, Herohero, for listening to me go on for so long."
After pouring out everything that had been weighing on him, Momonga immediately felt much better. Looking at the two friends who had patiently listened the whole time, he spoke with a hint of apology.
This was a space the guardians could never reach, so Momonga had nothing left to hide. His entire body visibly relaxed.
"It's fine. Listening to a friend's troubles and helping them sort things out is part of our responsibility as companions."
Herohero had already recovered from the slight irritation he felt earlier when the other two slipped away. Compared to the immense pressure Momonga had been under, his own little grudge barely registered.
Besides, he hadn't truly been angry. He just wanted to complain a bit.
"Blackie's right. For us, who dumped all this work on you and went off to slack, this really is nothing."
Naohara patted Herohero on the shoulder and spoke to Momonga with some embarrassment. After all, if the two of them hadn't wanted to take it easy, Momonga wouldn't have been under so much strain.
"And Momonga, you don't need to worry so much. Have some confidence. From what I saw earlier, the guardians' loyalty isn't an issue at all. Your skull face doesn't show any emotion, and your tone carried plenty of authority. You did fine."
Seeing his friend's agitation, Naohara recalled the events from earlier and offered some reassurance.
Herohero nodded his head, which was formed entirely of slime, in agreement with Naohara's assessment.
He had watched everything unfold from start to finish, and from his perspective, there was nothing to worry about either.
If anything, Momonga had done far better than expected. (PS: Herohero is a slime and doesn't actually have eyes, but he owns a paid item that allows him to clearly perceive his surroundings.)
"If you both say so, then I feel a lot better."
"But Naohara, you finally admitted it. So you really were thinking about slacking off the whole time."
Momonga nodded in satisfaction. His friends' words had greatly eased his previously jumbled state of mind.
Then he suddenly remembered what Naohara had just said, and his mood instantly took a hit.
So that's how it was. No wonder the two of them were so in sync. Turns out they were both thinking the exact same thing.
"Ahem, don't worry about those minor details."
Naohara scratched the dragon horn on his head and glanced to the side, looking a little guilty.
In that moment, he really hadn't been able to hold it in and just let it slip. Now his head was starting to ache from it.
Herohero's face showed no emotion, but he slowly turned his head away as well, clearly unsure what he was supposed to say.
"Idiot, Naohara. You just blurted it out like that. Now what? You deal with it. I'm not getting involved."
Herohero opened a Message channel and immediately signaled Naohara to get moving. Whoever said it should be the one to clean it up.
"Uh… alright. Actually, this was all Herohero's idea. I was completely led astray by him."
Under Herohero's relentless pressure, Naohara turned back toward Momonga, about to say something, only to instantly sell out Herohero, who had been planning to quietly sit back and enjoy the show.
They had both agreed to it back then. There was no way he was taking all the blame alone. If they were going down, they were going down together. Don't blame me, Blackie. Friends share both fortune and disaster. Now that trouble's here, you can't just watch from the sidelines.
"Naohara, you bastard!!"
Herohero had just nodded in satisfaction, thinking the other guy finally knew how to read the room. Who would have thought that in the very next moment, he'd be dragged straight into it too? He shot a glare at the innocent-looking Naohara and spoke through clenched teeth.
"What's wrong with what I said? Blackie, don't think about running away. Let's take this head-on together."
Naohara patted Herohero firmly on the shoulder, ignoring the murderous aura coming off him, and spoke loudly with a resolute expression.
"Ahem. You two, stop right there. I was just asking. I never said I was here to interrogate you."
Seeing his two friends immediately turn on each other, Momonga hurried over to smooth things out.
The small irritation he'd been feeling vanished without a trace. Watching their antics, he nearly burst out laughing.
"Well, I'll just say it straight. We're basically two useless freeloaders. Momonga, whether the two of us can keep coasting depends entirely on you."
Seeing that Momonga wasn't angry, Naohara instantly came up with a plan. He darted over, hooked a thick arm around Momonga's shoulder, and spoke solemnly with a serious expression.
Beside them, Herohero's slime-formed head mimicked human features, producing a polite smile as he wrapped an arm around Momonga's other shoulder and quietly looked at him.
His expression clearly said, "I have no objections. Naohara's absolutely right."
"Tsk. So you two really feel no shame dumping all the work on me like this? Doesn't your conscience hurt at all?"
Momonga looked at them with a baffled expression. Their behavior nearly left him stunned.
"Not at all ×2~"
Naohara and Herohero exchanged a glance and replied in unison.
Herohero: "I'm a slime. I don't have a conscience."
Naohara: "Conscience? What's that worth? Want me to dig one out? As a Dragonoid, even losing a heart just takes a few minutes. It grows back pretty fast."
Momonga looked at the two utterly unrepentant and even smug figures before him, his head throbbing. The worst part was that each of their arguments somehow made sense, leaving him completely unable to refute them.
"You two…"
"Looks like we'll be relying on you from now on, Guildmaster! ×2"