"That's likely for the best." Lahabrea and Mettaton were bound to incite one another the more they came into contact, and promises or no, the city had a way of influencing the mind. Though the Ascian was likely incapable of hurting the robot at the moment, even an attack wouldn't exactly go over well. Lahabrea could bleed his frustrations out elsewhere, on people Emet-Selch had no stake in.

The criticism over his careless overabundance of Bonds gets a tilt of his head.

"Why trust the information they give without testing it?" he says with a steady frown. "Is the limit truly three, or is that only what they tell us in order to keep our power manageable, weaker than their own?"

That, and after being captured and tortured, the thought of amassing enough magic to defend himself next time (because there would always be a next time, when it came to humanity- even now, he believed that) was appealing- and surely his soul was capable of supporting any number of smaller, lesser entities?

"Unfortunately," Emet-Selch admits with a shrug, "their advice seems to have been true. Or at least my combination- three beasts and a mage- wasn't sustainable. Still, it was worth the attempt- I haven't noticed any long-term ill effects."

Not that it mattered, "Though if you're intending to remain at the base strength this world gives you, you've nothing in that regard to concern yourself over."