{{Bandur!}} he shouted once the other was in transmission-range.


    {{T-The map! It suddenly disappeared. And then when I tried to reach you... what is going on, Sev?}}


    Severin was too worked up to stop and explain. Instead he asked, {{Did you notice any other changes?}}


    {{Wha-? Other than map and communication? What do you mean? What else-}}


    {{Your class? Your skills? Our tools?}} Severin almost began shouting; the more he thought about all the possible ways the System could screw him over, the more upset he became.


    Instead, he started shouting instructions to his [Employees].


    “Oh, shit!” were the words that involuntarily escaped him. He turned around and at full speed followed behind the others, who by now had all passed him by.


    ““No, it’s still working. We pretty much confirmed as much on our end. Still, that’s good to hear.”


    With this concluded, Severin turned his attention to the old woman. “What about you?”


    “Well, there was no opportunity for me to check the Class-Orb Removal Device, but everything else seemed to be working as usual. So I would be surprised if that machine wasn’t as well.“


    Phew


    A collective sigh of relief.


    “


    “What about the portal station? Has anyone checked that one?!”


    “No need to worry about that,” Severin gave the immediate all-clear. “If that one was down, we would already know about it.”


    “The [Princess] would already be up our- she would be standing in front of us demanding an explanation. The fact she isn’t means everything is still working,” Bandur added to his boss’ explanation when he noticed the girl’s incomprehension.


    “Then that means…”


    “That means things might not be as dire as we first thought. Inconvenient, yes. But nothing we can’t handle.”


    “


    “What about them?” ““I…” Severin was momentarily taken aback; that  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.But at least in Bandur’s mind, there was no question about it. “I’m sure we will,” “Why? What makes you say that?” Mylana asked “Because nothing indicates otherwise. We just went through everything. And the only things not working are critical-


    ““What do you mean?”


    “I mean that without the System, there would be no minimap to begin with. No special store. No telepathic connections. Those things only exist within the System itself.


    But granted skills and abilities? Those are now all part of us.


    As for those machines out there, for all we know, those aren’t actively powered by the System either. And that’s what hibernation implies, doesn’t it? The saving of energy. For all we actually know, everything directly powered by the System isn’t currently working. All but the defensive systems, that is.”


    “But... but even if you were right- and that is a big if- the supplies are just as important!”


    “For us running the Emporium? Sure, maybe. But for the System? Who knows?


    If its existence is directly bound to Savr-”


    “Severin!”


    “-to Severin and his well-being? Then, from its perspective, there is nothing more important than his survival. It called him its host, no?”


    “Wha-What exactly are you saying?”


    “Nothing. Nothing definitive. Only that we should be prudent going forward. And that we should expect the worst. At this point, we don’t even know how long we’ll have to manage.”


    All this was hard for Severin to accept. But even if he thought the probability of Mylana''s theory being correct was low, he couldn''t just pretend it was zero. And he said as much,


    “


    “Bandur?”


    “O


    ““Uhm. We’re still fully stocked. Got a new batch just before you called for me.”


    “Well, that’s at least some


    “If anything, that would only make it worse, girl,” Mylana explained. “Best case, the demand would remain the same. But now everyone would come shopping at the same time, only making more work for us.


    Worst case, this rush would lead to panic purchases and cause an actual raise in demand of our products- the last thing we would want in a situation like this- because people fear there might not be enough for everyone. And they would be right.”


    “Oooh.”


    ““Yes. Thanks Bandur.” It was impossible for Severin to hide his annoyance. “But I would prefer not to. Not until absolutely necessary.”


    ““How is turning them away any better th-”


    “No, no, you misunderstand. I don’t mean to refuse them. Give them something else to do. Give them a reason to stay away for a while.”


    “Right! Issue another request with the Society or something like that.”


    “Or use that stu- that event of yours as a pretext! These people will do anything for one of those black cards!”