Momonga walked through the Mausoleum on the first floor, Veres trailing in step behind him. As they came up the last flight of stairs leading to the outside world, the two froze. Before them was a menagerie of high level NPCs who typically served on much higher floors.
The Seven Sins who served as Demiurge's lieutenants, several insectile monsters from the frozen waste of the fifth floor, and even a few beasts who served under Mare. As one they all turned towards the two masked intruders, then knelt.
The two were surprised, they had expected the Guardians to take security seriously, but this seemed a bit much. They were pulled out of their stupor when Demiurge sauntered up before immediately kneeling as well.
"Masters. What are you doing in such a dangerous place without bodyguards?" The demon asked, a devilish glint in his eyes.
'Mu! What do we tell him? If we're not careful he'll insist on an escort. I want us to be alone!' Veres was pulled out of her inner ranting by Momonga's steady voice.
"I trust I don't need to explain to you Demiurge?" Momonga said with a surprising amount of confidence.
'Explain my ass! What the hell is he talking about? It's not like this is part of some elaborate plan.' Veres was glad her illusionary face was masked, she was sure it might have shattered from how far her jaw would have dropped in sheer confusion at Demiurge's response.
"Ah. So that is what you intend. However, it is still unacceptable for me to allow our esteemed rulers to go about without a guard. Please allow this humble servant this luxury." Veres turned to Momonga's large frame in hopes of gleaning something from it, only to be disappointed when he recoiled at Demiurge's response. It seems as if he had been bluffing and was now scrambling to come up with a coherent reply.
"We, well. Very well. However, only one may accompany us, we don't wish to be disturbed." Momonga carried on, hoping to appear confident to his subordinates. Veres was just happy to be in the back, able to follow his lead.
As the exited Nazarick, they took to the skies. Flying higher and higher, the two finally stopped side-by-side many thousands of feet above the ground. The two gazed in pure wonder at the beautiful landscape that spread out beneath them.
"This world is amazing!" Veres exclaimed in excitement.
"Mm. Blue Planet would love it. It's like box of jewels, there for the taking." Momonga proclaimed while reaching out, as if to grasp at the gems in front of him.
"Well, do you think this girl could get those jewels?" Veres asked, turning to Momonga. Momonga looked over at her, her coy tone half serious, half joking, telling him all he needed to know. He could only give a ghostly smile at her antics, happy to see her attitude returning to normal. To have his closest friend by his side would make facing the unknown infinitely more bearable.
"Definitely. Anything for you. I'd be happy to give you the world, as long as you stand by my side." Veres teared up at his heartfelt response, full of emotion and dedication. She rushed to embrace him, glowing in the feeling of his large frame as he returned her hug.
Both of them had forgotten Demiurge, who had a soft smile on his frog-like face. He knew that the two were truly meant to rule beside one another. And in that moment, he knew all of Nazarick existed to help them succeed, together.
Refusing to disturb them, he quietly waited and watched as the two embraced. He dedicated all of his great intellect to finding a way for them to unite as one. He labored over what that union would take to work physically, and what that would mean for the future of Nazarick.
Ruling the world was an obvious step. His Masters deserve nothing less, and what better gift could Momonga give his love then the whole world? There were other, complications, he would need to investigate though.
Eventually, the two separated. Veres refused to let go of his arm, if only to keep that tenuous contact, and was surprised when Momonga didn't pull away. She stuck close to his side as he looked down on Nazarick, taking note of the surging land that frothed like the sea.
"Hoh. Mare is quite good. It's good to see him thinking it through." Momonga said, his voice tinged with respect.
"Hm? Oh, he must be using some skills on top of his magic to make it go faster. It's impressive. to see all that ground move so quickly." Veres said, her attention now focused on the efforts of the dark elf.
Momonga glided down to the young boy, Veres still on his arm. Mare seemed to panic for a moment as he was caught off guard by their arrival. He soon eagerly approached the two, his posture making Veres think back to his creator's, at times, strange personality.
'Ah, that's right. I forgot that both of them were unrepentant perverts, Buku was just better at hiding it then Pero. I can't believe she actually went through with it though. Did she really have to go through with making him the ultimate trap?' Internally, she could only sigh in exacerbation at the antics of her past friend.
"Ah, Momonga-sama, Veres-sama. Is, is there something I can do for you?" He asked shyly, curling into himself now that he had their undivided attention.
"No, we just cam here to thank you for a job well done. You have really out done yourself in helping to keep Nazarick safe." Momonga proclaimed proudly. He patted the small boy's head while gazing out to the transformed landscape, now much more suitable for hiding his precious home.
"Here, as a reward. Keep it safe." He extended a hand to Mare, a small ring in his palm.
"Momonga." Veres said warningly. She would trust his judgement, but was still uncomfortable in giving up a Ring of Nazarick, even to a Floor Guardian.
"Ah~ah. Thank you Momonga-sama!" Mare eagerly proclaimed. A look of consternation planted itself on both Players' hidden faces as he put the ring on his left ring finger, radiating pure joy.
"Um. But, why are you two dressed like that Momonga-sama?" He asked curiously.
"Because Mare, our Masters do not wish to disturb our important work." Albedo said suddenly, gracefully landing atop the wall they were on.
"Eh? Uh, of course! To be expected of our Overseer, you were able to read our intentions very well." Momonga was clearly caught off guard, the stumbling in his speech obvious signs.
Suddenly, Momonga felt a chill run down his back. Looking at Albedo, he could see her gaze fixed on where his arm was linked with Veres'. She still had that smile on her face, but he could feel a profound sadness radiating from her. Thinking quickly, he thought of a way to hopefully raise her spirits while also making her job easier.
Pulling away from Veres, he stepped towards Albedo. She was quite surprised when he extended his hand, a flash of magic producing a small ring. She stared in mute shock at the gift she was being offered. To think she was so valued by her beloved Master…
She daintily picked up the ring, before putting it on in the same place as Mare. Eyes wet with tears, she grasped her hand close to her breast, cherishing the feelings in her heart. Eventually gaining back her confidence as a woman, she stepped forward. She came up to Momonga's armored frame and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Momonga looked down at her, unsure on what to do.
"Thank you, Momonga-sama." When he heard that whispered thanks, voice full of emotion, he had no choice but to hold the now quietly crying NPC to his chest. He had no idea that his actions could have such a profound impact on their psyche. The guilt at how he tampered with her emotions came back, crushing his soul.
He looked back at Veres, who stood stock still. There was no emotion in her posture. No hint at what she thought about Albedo's painfully obvious feelings, now on full display. He felt a slight fear creep into his undead heart. If she was obviously upset he could apologize and make amends, but her lack of a concrete reaction made him uneasy about what she really felt.
He didn't think she would be happy about what he did, but he would be devastated if she went to the extreme and started to resent Albedo for his mistake. Or worse, left him out of disgust.
Eventually, Albedo pulled away from him, a truly radiant and wholesome smile on her perfect face. He was taken aback by how beautiful she was when she used a real smile.
"Now, it's time for me to head back. I'm sure Sebas is quite upset with us having gone out without an escort. Veres, will you go back with me?" Deciding it was time to leave the fragile atmosphere, he bowed out of the situation, now eager to return to the mundane work on his desk.
"No, I'll stay out a bit more." She replied, tone completely neutral. That scared him more. However, there was nothing he could do then. So, a flash of magic later and he was gone, back into the Tomb. Veres looked at the Guardians before sighing in resignation.
"You two have been given quite the hefty responsibility. Don't make us regret it. Demiurge, I am confident that you can be responsible with one as well, so here." Veres said, turning to the NPCs. She handed a ring over to the demon, her motions lacking the fanfare and emotions Momonga's presentation had.
"Thank you Veres-sama. I will keep it safe." He said with a small bow. Veres nodded in return, confident that of all the NPCs he was intelligent and capable enough not to miss-use it. She then focused on the other two, as Albedo had moved over to be in front of Mare.
"Mare, we have been given a gift by our Lord. A sign of his favor and interest. We cannot disappoint him if we wish for him to show us his love in the future." The succubus said to the boy in a weirdly supportive and conspiratorially suggestive tone.
"I-I don't quite get what you're saying. But, but I want Momonga-sama to praise and love me more, s, so alright!" He said with an unusual amount of passion.
Hidden eye twitching at the innuendos, intentional or not, Veres tried to also bow out of the situation. The feelings of the NPCs were of some concern to her, but it's not like Momonga was the type to abuse his power or use someone like that. She just thought it was best to get away from the NPCs and their strange thoughts.
She still wanted to stay out though. Not for any particular reason, just to enjoy the freedom of it.
"I think it's time for me to depart as well. If I am needed, I will be in the mine." She said, eager to get away from the progressively stranger atmosphere as Demiurge put his two cents in on the Guardians prospective relationships with her (hopeful) love. She ignored the courtesies thrown her way by the NPCs as she headed off.
She then teleported to the mine's entrance and dispelled the ranger guise. They had been able to see the familiar entrance design from the air, so she knew where to go. It was rather unassuming to see; the entrance was just a small(ish) hole in the ground with very little above ground to distinguish it.
As she entered into it, heading deeper and deeper in to the crust of the earth, she took note of the appearance of it. She was mildly worried that there weren't any visible jacks or braces. For such a deep mine shaft to not have supports wasn't supposed to happen. She figured that it could only have stayed up so far with magic, so it should be safe to traverse for now.
She noticed the walls seemed to be pocketed with marks, evidence of the fighting that had apparently taken place. More than once some low level undead or demon would come out of the shadows and attack her. Skeletons and Imps were of no concern, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this would cause a headache in the future.
Eventually her paths crossed with some NPCs that served under Cocytus. They were quick to genuflect before her, reacting the same as they had in the presence of a Guardian. This helped alleviate some of her concern about Spawn and Mercenary type NPCs rebelling.
"What has been happening in here?" She asked to the monstrous beings.
"We are patrolling the recently liberated dungeon Veres-sama. After Lord Cocytus regained control of the central areas he sent out teams to clean up any remaining rebellious spawns, as well as try and find all the Mercenary guards." The large, praying-mantis-like one in the middle said.
"They couldn't have been overwhelmed that easily. Their average level is so much higher then almost all of the spawns in here. Plus, there were quite a few" Her concern was returning.
"Yes. Normally that would be the case. However, the spawn system reset, so many of the higher level enemies that you, the Supreme Beings, fought when clearing it out the first time showed up. They are all still rather weak overall, but when we first showed up Lord Cocytus did have to put down a level eighty Minor Pit Lord that had spawned.
Our relief force hasn't suffered any serious losses with a Floor Guardian leading us, but many of those stationed here were forced to fall back to more defensible areas and find safety in numbers. We have already confirmed some losses with the defenders reporting seeing several NPCs fall in battle." The NPC gave a rather detailed description of the situation.
It made sense, if they were caught unawares by a couple of the stronger monsters that had been here before it would take time. They also needed strength to deal with them. That wasn't present in large amounts before being transited to the new world.
"Very well, I have held you for long enough. It is time you return to your patrol. Where is Cocytus, so that I may speak with him?" She asked.
"Ah, we were just finishing our patrol, so we can escort you to him on our return path Veres-sama." The insect said.
"Fine, which way do we go?" she said exasperatedly, resigning herself to another escort.
"It is this way, Veres-sama." It gestured down the path she had been taking instead of down one of the many side tunnels.
She strode down the path in front. There was no way the NPCs would let her follow them, and she didn't want to be led around. They continued on, swatting aside the low-level masses with ease as they passed. Eventually, they heard the sound of pitched fighting down a side tunnel and the group raced to see what was going on.
They came into a large, cavernous room with many side tunnel entrances. YGGDRASIL was all about in-depth submersion and quasi-realistic processes. This meant that the mine needed to be run similar to how one might operate in real life. This meant there were real time processes, limits on how much could be mined based off its size, and the need for a logistical system to support the operation. This room served as a local nexus for the undead spawns used for mining.
Within the room a battle between some mid-tier monsters surrounded by low level pop-up spawns was taking place. Veres recognized them as being spawn defenders and a rapidly failing goblin. The goblin was a Redcap Mercenary, who had been placed there by the guild as a sentry. It wasn't particularly strong, but they had a lot of summon scrolls for them, so they were used rather effectively to provide an early warning system and slow a few invaders down.
The other monsters were mid-level demon spawns. The mine had originally been overrun by demons under the control of a minor raid boss, and these were some of the most common minions they fought. They looked like scaled satyrs and were a reasonable balance between offensive magic and physical strength. They were all about level 60, and there were three of them.
It was clear to Veres and her escorts who was on their side, made all the more obvious when two of the demons broke off to fight the newcomers while the other finished off the half dead goblin.
Veres was a level 100 Player and was escorted by five NPCs over level 70. It was an absolute slaughter once they engaged the demons, not even taking two minutes to mop up all of their assailants. The only excitement had been when Veres used an active racial skill for practice, and nearly destroyed the ceiling when it caused a demon to explode, overwhelming half the room in blue, iridescent flames.
While her escort secured the room and checked the surrounding passages for more monsters, Veres made her way over to the goblin Mercenary. It appeared to be on its last legs and might even die if it wasn't healed.
"[Heal]." She didn't take long to decide to save it. She wasn't particularly attached to the goblin, but felt it was a waste to let it die when she could easily save it. In game, she probably would have left it to save mana and time. But now it was a real, feeling creature and she felt that it was a waste to let it die so easily.
She couldn't recognize the looks of pure amazement and respect that appeared on the monstrous faces of the NPCs present. For a Supreme Being to bother saving such a lowly servant was a sign of how kind their rulers really were.
"Well, are we going to go? I think I want to head back to Nazarick soon, so I want to find Cocytus quickly." She asked, her tone clipped and forceful. The NPCs soon regained their bearing and fell in behind her as she headed back towards the main tunnel.
*Yay! Almost to Carne village. For relationships, Veres/Momonga is the main focus and will remain so. I don't think it's fair to Albedo for her to be programed in love with Momonga and not be able to reach for him, so she will eventually find a way. It will take a while though. Don't forget to comment, I always appreciate the feedback and it has given me a few ideas.*