Agung let out a dry, defeated laugh, shaking his head as Maki's sharp wit sliced through his "Imperial" bravado. The Red Queen of μ's certainly hadn't lost her touch; she knew exactly how to keep his ego from ascending to the stratosphere.
"Cheap love, huh?" Agung countered, his eyes twinkling with a mix of exhaustion and genuine affection. "Maki, I'm literally remapping the geography of Numazu and the global economy just to keep everyone under one sky. If that's 'cheap,' I'd hate to see your definition of an expensive date."
Mari leaned in, her elbow on the table and her chin resting in her hand, watching the exchange like it was her favorite soap opera.
"Ufufu! She's right, you know? A quadrillion dollars is just paper, Agung. What we want is the *effort*. And since you've been so 'busy' in Hong Kong, the board has decided your punishment."
Dia set her tea down with a click that resonated through the silent hall. "The Marine Park project is non-negotiable. But as Maki-san suggested, we are letting you off the 'hook' for the official rotation tonight—on one condition."
| Requirement | Description | Status |
| The Nursery Shift | You are the sole caregiver for all 16 children tonight. | MANDATORY |
| The "Zero Magic" Rule | No manifesting "auto-nannies" or sleeping charms. | STRICT |
| The Morning Report | Every child must be fed, dressed, and happy by 6:00 AM. | CRITICAL |
"We are going to have a 'Mothers' Night Out' in the new Izu villa," Mari added, her grin turning positively predatory. "All twenty-one of us. Since you have 'Infinite Stamina,' surely handling five rambunctious boys and eleven demanding princesses for twelve hours is child's play compared to 'watering' three monster girls, right?"
Agung's eyes went wide. He looked at the 16 children—Aoi was already organizing a "fort building" mission using the expensive silk cushions, and the younger girls were currently testing the structural integrity of a manifested crystal vase.
"Wait, twenty-one of you? Leaving me alone? With all of them?" Agung gulped again. "Without magic?"
"Consider it a 'grounding' exercise," Maki said, a rare, genuine smirk gracing her lips. "If you can survive one night as a full-time father to sixteen children without using a single golden spark, then maybe we'll believe your love isn't just a byproduct of your mana pool. If you fail... well, I've heard the Hong Kong penthouse is still vacant."
Agung looked at the sea of tiny faces, then back at the twenty-one women who were already starting to discuss which cocktails they were going to order at the villa. He realized that the "monster girls" in Hong Kong were a walk in the park compared to the "Moms' Strike" happening right now.
"Fine," Agung said, rolling up his sleeves and loosening his tie. "Go. Enjoy your night. But don't complain if you come back and find the Grand Hall has been converted into a permanent indoor playground."