Everyone nodded their heads expect for Layla.
"Split up? What do you mean split up? Have you never read one of those horror classics? Whenever they go to split up they start to get picked off one after the other by the killer!"
Everyone stared at the elf, having no idea what she was talking about.
"We will be in pairs," Sylas pointed out, glancing at Quinn.
The cat girl was already staring up at him with her big eyes, and that three shaped grin.
"Alright… But I still don't like it!" Layla assured them.
"Anyways, as I was saying. We will split into groups and go question the maids. If we are quick enough we can catch most of them before they leave the dining room so we don't have to risk wondering the manor with the killer about.
"Yea, I don't if that's gonna work," Barric said.
"And why's that?" the demon asked.
"Because it looks like the maids have already left to their duties," the King literally pointed out.
The whole party turned to see that half the maids were already missing and the other half were almost done clearing the table from dinner.
"Damn it all…" Sylas cursed before turning back to his party. "Well in that case it looks like some of us will have to brave the labyrinth that is the manor. Any volunteers?"
Everyone stood silent, Quinn making a face.
"Seriously? Fine, I will go back into the halls the manor, but my partner will have to be-"
"Me!" Quinn shouted, interrupting the demon.
"Someone, who hasn't been eliminated yet," Sylas finished his sentence.
"Awwww…" Quinn pouted.
"We will come with you, Sylas my man," Barric assured him.
"In that case, will you guys help me find out who ate the last of the cake?" Quinn asked Layla and Lucy.
"Well… I would normally say yes, but we have to try and figure out who the killer is so we can actually win the game," Layla said.
"Oh… Yea… True, you do have to do that," the cat girl looked sadly into the distance. "It's alright, I shall find the culprit myself I guess," she pouted.
"I hope you do, and bring them to justice," Hana encouraged the cat girl, raising her fist and flexing as she squeezed it.
"Alright, let's get going, we will look through the manor while you two question the maid's here," Sylas reassured them of the plan, pointing at Layla and Lucy.
"I'm sure we'll be able to handle it," Lucy nodded, and with that the party finally split up.
Meanwhile a certain little mouse maid and her Master had already made their way back into the main section of the manor.
"M-master, I'm s-scared," Skippy said to her Master James, clinging tight to his arm.
"It's alright darling, we are just playing a pretend game," he assured his little maid.
"I know, but Master Rauly said that the killer could pretend kill us! I don't want to get jump scared!" she whined.
"Don't worry darling, I won't let anything jump scare you," her Master assured her once again.
Though almost as soon as he had said it, his maid's wondering tail happened to brush against a vase on a small table, sending it falling down to the floor with a loud CRASH!
"EEP!" the mouse squeaked, and jumped into her Master's arms, who promptly caught her since he was very used to this kind of thing.
"Skippy, Darling, you have to relax, we can do this, we are just playing a game," her Master continued to assure her.
The klutzy mouse hugged him tight and opened one eye to see what had made the noise.
"Skip! It's alright, it's just a vase… that you knocked over." her Master pointed out.
"Aw gods, I hope the Master doesn't disqualify us for this!" Skippy worried out loud.
"I'm sure he'll understand it was an accident," her Master assured her as someone down the hall watched them.
The someone approached, listening to them and watching them all the while, while remaining perfectly silent. Finally they were right near the couple and spoke.
"Good evening, do you need some help?" they asked, causing the mouse maid to jump yet again, though there want really anywhere else for her to go since she was already in her Master's arms.
"EEP!" she squeaked again, her Master flinching at the sudden voice behind them before spinning around with his maid in his arms.
Behind them was Starla, one of the elf twins that had helped dress the guests who lacked the proper attire, which happened to be pretty much all of King Barric'a party.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, I just heard the vase break and came to take a look. Are you both alright?" the elf asked kindly.
Skippy nodded, while her Master spoke up.
"Yes we are, thank you. Though we aren't sure what to do with the broken vase," Master James said.
"I-I'll clean it up! I just don't know what to throw away the pieces, also I hope Master Rauly won't be upset with me," Skippy explained.
"It should be fine, he knew things might get rowdy during the games. If you insist on cleaning it up yourself, I can lead you to a broom closet," Starla assured her.
"I'd like to yea," Skippy nodded.
The pair followed the elf maid through the labyrinth like manor, until finally they came upon the promised broom closet.
"Here we are!" she said, opening the door for the mouse maid and her Master.
"Thanks! Though I think we're gonna need help getting back to the vase. This manor is kinda huge…" Skippy said, pulling a broom and dustpan from the closet.
"I can lead you back, it would be no problem," Starla nodded with a smile.
"Thank you again for this, we'd like to be the best guests we can and clean up after ourselves," Master James said.
Starla waved him off.
"Just doing my job sir, and I admire to see your maid doing the same," she praised.
Skippy blushed a bit.
"Thank you ma'am, but you shouldn't admire me. I'm not much of a maid and I'm very clumsy," she admitted, looking away.
"Skippy…" her Master said, touching her shoulder.
"Oh I've noticed," Starla said to both of the guest's surprise.
Skippy's lip tightened and her eyes began to glass over.
"But I still admire you and I can tell your Master does as well. Even if you are a bit clumsy, you still do your job and you enjoy it. That's what truly counts," the elf went on.
Skippy's tight lip softened to a smile, but her eyes remained glassy and wet as tears started to run.
"T-thank you Miss… I…" she trailed off, lost for words.
Her Master hugged her from behind and stroked the top of her head.
"She's right you know Skip," he whispered to her.
The mouse took a deep breath and wiped her face.
"Thank you again Miss, I'm ready to go back to the vase now," Skippy said, standing tall, still shorter than everyone else, but feeling the tallest she had ever felt in her whole life.
The elf maid promptly began to lead them back to the broken vase, but on their way back the maid paused.