Do keep in mind that the MC promises to listen and conside Hermes's request, which he did. The promise has been fulfilled from his side. He did not promise to follow along with it, however :)

As it was before with the other mechanics, it will be up to the player to decide how much time and effort to dedicate to this task, if any at all, and how to approach it.

And yes, Kota is bottomless in that scene. He dresses like that when it's just him at his place with friends, we picked it based on our research of what lounge wear people were in Japan back in his time. Though I admit I don't recall the specifics off the top of my head, Nemo knows this part better.

I'm very mad, DS3 is the best fromsoft game followed by elden ring and then bloodborne! Maybe bloodborne can come second but but DS3 is the best, this isn't a question it's just fact. 

I replayed from the beginning, so it took me a bit of time, but I do love the main story development. Hermes going senile is an easy explanation for the way he talks about his old man, which could be Zeus, but also Poseidon and how he seems to get father figures confused. Might be why he had this whole weird confusion about Clemént or not? Old crazy men all overlapping in his memory? I'm a little curious how things are going to play out, bc retrieving the god's ichor that made the realm, would not JUST set Asterion free, it would unravel the realm itself, wouldn't it? No more magic hotel, no more immortal coil. Or is the realm's magic wholly it's own? Or are the seven monsters just seven of the twelve and the rest of them would still uphold the realm? I guess this is what Hermes meant with opening up negotiations. 

The thing I'm a bit sad about is the lack of time for side quests. And I mean in the hotel, not the Hinterlands stuff. I barely even managed to recruit Robert ("we could use some help with some contract stuff" he says to the demon *laughing so hard*) and have a talk with the characters maybe three times or so and get just a bit started on Asterion's project. I think spending a day with Themba before and after Pedro comes in would be quite different and I feel sad that I missed out, bc I was trying to get the gym project done first and left Themba in R&D. Having Khenbish cook up some food to help with the explorer stats could come in handy before the main story progresses to the monster hunting and Nikos's scouting mission, too.
It's only been a couple of months or so, apparently, so I guess not everything is possible to do, but I hope that we can still have some time later to get to at least most of the extra content there. At the end of ch19 it just goes back to the title menu and we can't really try things out without going back to a save point or replaying and trying some different projects in the limited time breaks we have. There was a lot of dedication given to the Hinterland intermissions and Pedro and Oscar's story, but I think doing Kota's personal quest line or just getting to build that swimming pool while still finding the shades and hints in the explorations isn't boring either and I'd love some more time for it within the scope of the mainstory rather than having to tack it on, esp since it changes the flavor for the conversation scenes or the talks we have with Kota and the others noticably.

To reply to some other things, I also think that the gold armband is a promise of the master to protect Asterion from being in the valley against his will and that it comes with the responsibility to protect him from whoever else might try to force it. In that regard Asterion isn't easily forced by anyone other than his designated Master anyway and not that easy to trick either, so I don't think it's a big oversight or unfair. With power comes responsibility, and consequences. Not leaving himself any wiggle room was the master's way of showing sincerity after all that gained Asterion's trust here.

I also kinda look forward to Pedro's reaction to finding out that they can just conjure anything he might want/need. Or mostly anything, with the material restrictions there are. But a set of drums or a musical theater stage or soundproof studio room shouldn't be a problem. Although there is a point to him fulfilling his promise and finally being able to BUY something for his boyfriend, the way he really wanted to.

I'm really sad we have to kinda choose between the troubled peacock and the slightly traumatized snake boy. (Having to live rough in the valley, with magic contract or not *is* traumatizing, it's why Asterion hates it so much after all. And Argos running around with that pelt? yeah, there's a reason he broke down in sobs after getting just a couple hugs.) Technically the hotel should be large enough to accomodate both. Or at least have an outbuilding for Nikos to visit and stay, if he wants to go back home or to school. (Because I do not think Pedro is safe to leave alone and Oscar is not well equipped to care for him, money or not. At least not for a while. And he has to do that video game night with Themba, that was precious.) (Also, the paths were you don't get Themba and all that side business stuff is just not there? I can only ever play artist paths, bc I love Khenbish and he needs the help as much as the designated lounge manager does, but Themba brings so much story bits and helps Asterion make some peace with the past, that missing him is just not a viable option anymore.) So yeah, having both Khenbish and Themba AND Nikos and Pedro are just my greedy little heart wanting them all, bc if even just one is missing it feels like failure more than closure. Or in Themba's case, like missing a chance for Asterion to make peace with what happened and find the connection to the people he lost back then.

All in all great update, please gimme me more hotel business days to play more than one side quest in full and maybe a codex to help figure out how many notes or clay tablets and what not we are missing or looking for and I'll be perfectly happy and set to wait for ch20.