Albedo was feeling ecstatic; her plan was working better than she could have predicted. She'd intended to display her love for her master so that any of the natives would think twice before trying to vie for his attention. After all, it was one thing to compete for the position of first wife with Shalltear -and Albedo fully intended to monopolise Momonga's attention whilst she could- but to compete with an outsider? The thought was enough to sour her otherwise joyous mood.
Ah~ Momonga-sama. That you'd be so compassionate towards my feelings that you'd declare your love for all others to see. Albedo merrily thought, paying only the barest attention to her surroundings where the lizard and flower were looking through numerous bookshelves. That cat-spider-creature should learn its place. If it believes it can simply leach off Momonga-sama's greatness then I will see to it that she's put on a rotation between the Five Worsts once Momonga-sama's use for her has expired.
"Hovlan. His name was Hovlan." The sound of the lizard's voice returned Albedo from her plotting. Whilst her mind had been occupied planning out the fate of the grovelling woman, the party had entered a second room, where they had been attacked by crazed Mongrels.
"Was. He. Your. Kin?" Cocytus asked as Lann stared at the corpses.
"He's not from my tribe, but we're both hunters, so we'd cross paths from time to time. He used to talk about wanting to try his luck in the Maze and one day he just disappeared. I thought he was long dead." Lann answered in a quiet voice.
"It seems he decided to join these cultists instead. Not surprising given that someone would rather live as a cultist than in a damp cave. Even their diet seems to have improved." Camellia licked her lips as she gestured at a partially devoured corpse of a Mongrel that the others had been feasting on before the party entered the room. "What would you taste like, I wonder? I've eaten crocodile and heard that human tastes like veal, would you be a mixture? Or perhaps it'd depend on the cut?"
"I don't think they'd just attack us or… that." Lann responded, unable to look at the remains of the Mongrel's "meal". "Something's wrong with them. It's like something's eating them from the inside out. The demons must have done something to them to turn them rabid."
"Demons are creatures of extreme emotions." Albedo spoke, her voice drawing Lann's attention from the dead Mongrels. "Pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth are all magnified in demons. It would be characteristic for a demon to invoke such emotions in creatures they wish to control, in much the same way succubi can drive their targets mad with lust."
"Then, is there something we can do to help them?"
Albedo shook her head. "Once a demon's marked its prey, it's not so easy to remove the hold. None of us are powerful Priests with access to strong healing magic and even if we were, it'd take time. Killing them so we can stop this happening to others is the best we can do."
Albedo did not truly care what happened to these creatures however her master had put her in command of this group and so she would dedicate herself to the group's success. Even if she could see no use for such weak creatures.
"Alright." Lann spoke with grim determination. "Then let's keep going."
The stairs before the group led down to a lower level of the Maze, one that had an ankle-deep layer of water covering it.
"It looks like the quakes must have opened a part of the Maze into an underground stream or something. Hope we don't need to do any diving 'cause I never learned to swim." Lann joked, trying to put the situation with the Mongrels to the back of his mind.
"I thought lizards were excellent swimmers. Or are you the clutch runt?" Camellia asked with a casual tone.
I never had to deal with nobles last time I was on the surface, is this what their humour is like? I hope her socks get wet. Lann thought, not letting the woman's comment sting and wishing minor revenge on the posh half-elf.
"There are creatures up ahead". Aurora commented, moving down into the water and towards the sole door forward. "Rabid Mongrels by the sounds of snarling."
Lann winced. More of his kind he'd have to put down. It's for their own good. He assured himself as he joined the armoured woman in the water, a few paces from the door and nocked an arrow in preparation.
The insectoid, Cotsuka, moved to near the door as well, standing to the side and slightly behind Aurora so as to not block her movement. The water around his feet began turning to ice as he walked and stood ready.
Finally, Camellia joined in the water, her pleasant countenance gaining a hint of disdain as she walked through the water and to near Cotsuka and Aurora, staying slightly behind the two with magic and rapier at the ready.
The small gang of Mongrels beyond stood little chance against the two level 100 NPCs, even holding back as they were; the fight finished in mere seconds.
The room the Mongrels were guarding appeared to be the origin of the water, one of the walls had been broken in and a constant stream was pouring in.
"It looks like the city's aqueducts." Camellia noted, eyeing the leaking hole. "It must have been damaged when the demons attacked. Barring any other way out, this is one possible passage back into the city."
"We. Would. Need. To. Clear. The. Rubble... The. Amount. Of. Water. Beyond. Is. Unknown."
As the group continued to discuss the viability of escaping through the aqueduct, an unknown voice from further in let out a blood-curdling screech.
"Idiots! Don't just run at it! [Bless]." Damn Water Elemental! Couldn't you just stay in your corner?! Gillisar, one of two Hands of Hosilla was currently struggling to direct the rabid Mongrels who'd been placed under his command to fight a water elemental that had been lurking through the Maze after it poured in with all the water.
Another Mongrel charged at the elemental, pulling back its fist and landing a punch on the creature. Its fist connected and passed deep into the elemental's liquid body, the momentum carrying the bruiser along with it.
Several other Mongrels stabbed at the sentient water as their ally was dragged inside its watery body and began thrashing, struggling for air.
Finally, allies. Gillisar thought as the door to the room burst open however instead of seeing fellow cultists or even additional Mongrels, what was present was a large blue insectoid creature.
Cocytus spared a moment to observe the creatures in the room: a water elemental and five- no, six humanoids. His allies were a short distance behind him as after the Guardian Overseer took the vanguard previously, he now had that honour.
The elemental is the strongest foe, yet the caster is the commander. Hmm. Cocytus pondered which foe to engage between the enemy leader and the strongest enemy. Seven foes, I will prove myself here, that Momonga-sama was right to include my presence.
Cocytus moved into the room, making space for the others to pick their targets and in a flash swung his halberd through the elemental, dispersing it and killing the Mongrel that had been inside. At the same time, he looked towards the commander and activated a skill [Ice Pillar], causing a pillar of ice to form under the cultist and crush him against the ceiling.
"This area looks like a dead-end." The Mongrel Lann spoke, walking around the area into the rooms of the immediate vicinity. "There was another door back where the first deranged Mongrels were fought were."
"Quite the unfruitful deviation. If we are returning, perhaps we should take a moment to inventory these cultists' possessions, something may prove useful to use after all, no?" Camellia suggested.
"Very well, as you do so I shall send a message to Momon-sama to inform him of our progress."
Finally, Camellia thought to herself, a chance to put my skills to use. Those two may be monsters in combat but they do not seem the type capable with locks. That may even be the reason that wizard split the teams as such. It is a shame I did not get the chance to speak with him directly; he is clearly powerful and commands the respect of these monsters, and gaining his protection would allow me more freedom to perform my rituals. For now, though, I will content myself with dredging through this filth, so long as I can ingratiate myself to those two.
With a final click as the tumbler sets into place, Camellia withdrew her lockpick and lifted the lid of the chest. "Potions and scrolls, perhaps your lover could make use of them?" Camellia offered the rolled-up scrolls and corked potions to the armour-clad woman, giving her best friendly smile as she does so.
"Yes, thank you. I'm certain he would be very interested in studying them." The woman, Aurora, replied. "I've informed Momon-sama of our progress so far. He believes to have found where the leader of the Maze is located."
"Then. Should. We. Make. Haste. As. To. Not. Keep. Momon-sama. Waiting?" Cotsuka responded, his frosty tone making differentiating between statement and question difficult.
Aurora shook her head. "Momon-sama instructed us to "Look carefully, rare items could be hidden anywhere.""
… Perhaps I should reconsider my options.