Worried that erasing the rifts in the Underworld too quickly would be too shocking, Vera only needed to work less than two hours a day.
Zoe's robot army had already grown up enough that she no longer needed to watch them every day. Things could now move along in an orderly fashion on their own.
With their busy work suddenly finished, the three girls obediently stayed at home for a few days. But soon enough, they couldn't sit still anymore.
They transformed into the "Inspection Group of the Mechanical Empire," wandering around the Underworld every day. Officially it was to understand the people's situation, but in reality, it was just to enjoy the thrill of authority.
After all, the changes in the Underworld were plain to see, and the people had already come to regard Zoe and the others as gods.
When word spread that the gods themselves would be inspecting, anyone who didn't have urgent work immediately dressed neatly and rushed to meet them, offering their most precious gifts and showering them with the most exaggerated flattery in history.
It felt so good that even Acheron and Vera eventually got caught up in it. Surrounded by cries of "My lord is amazing! My lord is our god!", they slowly lost themselves.
But where there is joy, there is also worry.
Because the three "lords" came to Emiya's little shop to eat every day, and always promoted it in the most exaggerated tones afterward, his shop's popularity instantly exploded.
Even though Emiya cut the shop's opening hours from six down to four, the little clerks were still utterly worn out.
Pascal the robot was practically worked until he was smoking.
As time went on, the situation only grew worse. Day and night, a line of customers stretched endlessly outside Emiya's shop.
Of course, some sharp-minded people saw business opportunities, launching "queueing services" and "buying services," raking in money by the bucketful.
With no other choice, Emiya hastily drew up a pile of rules for the shop. He also kicked the three lords out to the snowy plains for sightseeing. Only then did the chaos gradually settle down.
Time flashed by, four months passed.
All the rifts in the Underworld had been erased, and Rift Trees had been planted to stabilize space.
During this period, the robot army tore down and rebuilt the residential districts into neat rows of three-story houses. They also solved long-standing problems like water supply and cooking for every household.
The Underworld looked vast, but its population was actually far smaller than the Overworld's.
Because the living environment had been so harsh, most people never made it to adulthood. Even those who survived often suffered work-related illnesses and died young.
Even counting the convicts undergoing reform through labor, the new warm and comfortable homes had less than half their capacity filled.
But the Underworld was not meant to be their final home.
Once cities outside Belobog were established, these people would move there as the first batch of residents. Only then would they truly begin to live like normal humans.
Mining would be completely taken over by robots. Residents would only need to farm diligently to ensure food on the table. When that time came, the population would naturally grow rapidly.
With the residential district settled, Zoe's own manor reconstruction plan officially began.
Originally, she had planned to use robots to completely transform Rivet Town into a six-level underground steel fortress.
But the resources required far exceeded expectations, and it would take far too long.
In the end, following Emiya's suggestion, Zoe gave up using robots and instead hired residents with high pay to rebuild Rivet Town.
In this payment, money was secondary, plant seeds were the truly precious part.
To put it bluntly, how many seeds they had would determine the quality of life in the future. But Zoe didn't say that outright, she simply let the residents choose whether they wanted seeds or money.
Zoe was only a guide. Where they could eventually go depended on their own choices, not just this step, but every step in the future.
———
Three months later, high walls rose around Rivet Town, planted with all kinds of flowers, trees, and greenery.
As promised to Acheron, Zoe cultivated three types of peaches, fuzz peaches, nectarines, and honey peaches, each planted in the most fertile land at three corners of Rivet Town.
It happened to be peach blossom season now. Bright petals scattered with the wind, forming a unique landscape.
During their free time, the robot army had cleared a 300-square-kilometer stretch of land behind Rivet Town, releasing into it all kinds of animals caught on the snowy plains.
To help them truly live and thrive, Zoe specially researched plants suitable for the animals' diets and built a complete ecosystem for them.
Leaning under a vibrant tree, Emiya watched the three girls laughing and playing on the grassland with all sorts of lively, adorable animals. Unconsciously, a smile spread across his face.
But soon that smile froze, because while the girls were indeed having fun, they were also seriously choosing that night's ingredients.
Before long, six rabbits, a two-headed dog, a one-horned ox, and a snow wolf were chosen as the "lucky guests." The three stunningly beautiful women personally sent them on their way.
That night, the animals would enter the warm pot and oven, turning into fragrant dishes to welcome long-missed friends.
"Emiya, what are you thinking about?" Acheron could always read his mind in an instant.
"I was just sighing... If you're too weak, no matter how desperately you resist, in the eyes of the strong you'll only seem... cute." Emiya's fear of being just a rabbit in the strong's eyes was what kept him from firmly holding Acheron's shoulder.
"What's there to fear? Even if the sky falls, the three of us will hold it up together. Even if we die, we'll be companions."
Acheron gripped his hand tightly. Zoe climbed up onto his shoulder, while Vera silently dragged the prey behind them.
They never thought the road ahead would be smooth. They weren't arrogant enough to think they could defy the Aeons and remain unscathed. They hadn't even imagined living long lives.
The only thing they were sure of was that their family would walk one road together. No matter what happened, there was no reason to fear.
As long as they lived happily in the present and kept good memories in their hearts, then even if the future was eternal darkness, they would never be lonely.
"I can't be as carefree as you three yet... I'll try to learn faster!" Emiya knew his mindset had problems, but correcting it would take time.
Today was the first day of moving into Rivet Town, also the true beginning of the Mechanical Empire's proper path.
To celebrate, every resident of the Underworld and every Silvermane Guard received a gift from the Mechanical Empire.
All the friends Emiya's family had met since arriving in Jarilo also took time from their busy schedules to gather in Rivet Town, witnessing this historic moment together.
Almost everyone no longer doubted that they were walking the broad road of prosperity, and that hope had truly arrived for Belobog and its people.
Only the Landau family and the Builders didn't see it that way, especially after watching the footage Sampo brought back.
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