Overlord: Blue Citadel Alternate

After settling the Nemu and Enri at the Shining Golden Pavilion, an Inn which only nobility and royals were rich enough to afford to live or eat within, it was clear Vertum paid in advance.

The Swords of Darkness then broke into two pairs that night.

Peter and Ninya with Vertum for the tour and a night out on the town, Peter acting more like a guardian, while Ninya told Vertum information he probably already knew from reports from his Overlord companions.

Vertum had paid for extra rooms, allowing Lukrut and Dyne to stay at the Inn to watch over the girl's room. Money was money and despite the status gap, they were adventurers nonetheless. If they were to raise in rank, they'd want the business despite the minor discomfort from their guests.

Though given little information, Vertum made sure that they were aware of the strange person in the alleyway. This was the whole reason behind the precaution, but at the same time, it seemed as if the persons who have gone missing or who've been killed, were taken right off the street.

Though he was sure there was an low-likelihood that they would be targeted, he had no idea what the intentions this person had... Other than something deadly for Nfirea.

The three were making their way down the main avenue that bisected the population center connecting the Main West Gateway with the Eastern Entrance.

Ninya remained humble, but she seemed to enjoy giving information about E-Rantel, as it was practically her current home. As a member of the Adventurer's Guild, this was where her party was currently stationed. Though it was likely they could move about as they pleased as long as it was convenient.

Stopping in front of a wide two story building, the girl dressed as a young man gestured toward it. "This is the Adventurer's Guild. It acts as a lodge where we can gather information, socialize and take on job requests."

Vertum looked over the facility, then over towards the neighboring buildings. It seemed to be elevated on a greystone foundation, much like many other buildings here. The exterior walls were white, there was wood trim around the windows and between floors.

Based on the fact that the majority of the buildings here were made of stone, with uniform architectural laws, it represented the idea that this Kingdom was at one point indeed prosperous. That is at least true for the time that this City was built.

His eyes drifted back over towards Ninya, "Sounds like a Nifty place to be."

Blinking at the word 'Nifty,' Ninya hesitantly nodded, she didn't know the word though she could only assume with the context it was a good thing. The Word nifty itself originated from 1865 on Earth, so it wasn't weird for someone in a medieval world not to recognize the word.

"What does that even mean...?" Peter asked curiously, quite sober for the time being as he didn't have a lot to drink earlier.

"Capable, smart, kind. It has multiple meanings," Vertum smirked as he c.o.c.ked his head, smug over his own vocabulary.

"Nifty..." Ninya tasted the sound of the word on her tongue before taking out her diary and an enchanted quill pen that didn't need ink, etching down the word and its given definition.

Vertum raised a brow and went to glance over her shoulder, only for the girl to close the diary.

"H-hey," Ninya pouted at him as he wasn't supposed to be peaking at her book.

"Sorry," Vertum simpered, enjoying the sound of her pouting voice and the expression her face made. She was definitely cute, and he was slowly beginning to wonder just how her friends believed she was a guy. His eyes shifted to Peter, judging his deductive intelligence.

Peter made this confused face at the expression Vertum seemed to be giving him, before Ninya pulled the two of them along by their sleeves.

"Next is the Cemetary," Ninya started, "Where adventurers like us will take advancement tests in order to increase our ranks." Her blue eyes seemed to reflect the glow of the lanterns as they were being lit by the patrol officers.

As they came closer to the Cemetery, after leaving the Guild Building, they slowly came to a stop a distance away. From where they stood, facing the gate from down the street, there was evidence of a large number of undead within the walls.

"That is an unusual build up..." Uttering to herself, she looked to Peter who nodded in agreement. She then looked to Vertum, raising a brow.

"I rather not get anything on me tonight," Vertum chuckled lightly at this and shook his head. He could smell the undead from where he stood. It was definitely not his cup of tea, at least not for the time being. If the person who had been watching earlier wasn't in there, he probably would've charged right on inside.

However it would ruin his chances of getting rid of the boy, Nfirea, who was likely going to end up threatening his influence over Enri and the Village. That and his experiment still hasn't concluded, it was currently unknown and unchecked if she was carrying his child, and there would have to be six weeks until morning sickness occurs.

"Ah... I see..." Ninya exclaimed quietly, partially wanting to see him tear the evil imbued creatures apart as a dragon, since there was no light for the guards to see.

"If the Guild or the City needs us to take care of them, I'm sure we'll be called upon." Peter assured as he scratched the back of his head of short hair.

"Yeah..." Ninya shrugged.

Vertum followed the two as they began to walk away from the cemetery. He was quick to pick up on Ninya glancing every now and then over her shoulder, at least up until the place was out of sight and out of mind.

Soon enough he found himself escorted to the front of a massive building, it was larger than the Adventurer's Guild facility. He even raised a brow at the majestic appearance, though it wasn't as big as the main Castle or the massive ViP Villa that was very much like a castle itself.

"What is this?" He'd inquire.

"This.. This is the Magic Caster's Guild of E-Rantel," Ninya threw both of her hands in the air, directed towards the building. "I learn most of my magic here."

Nodding slowly, his lips remained parted as she told him the name of the place. There were a number of stories that made up the building. It even had a flight of steps leading up to the entrance and it seemed open to the public for the most part.

"You'd probably have to register with them at some point, probably..." Ninya looked to him with her brows creased downward. She seemed worried in some manner or another.

"Right... All Magic Casters of the Kingdom have to be registered, don't they..." Vertum clicked his tongue on the top of his mouth before shaking his head.

Peter stroked his chin slightly as he nodded his head slowly.

"So that building over there," Vertum was pointing off in the distance towards the Villa, "Is for the Royal family and their associates I assume?"

Blinking up at his assumption, Ninya was curious, "Yes... How did you know?"

"It's unlikely they'd stay in a actual fortress itself, right?" Vertum yawned out before pausing as he picked up a scent from the breaking of a decanter of Solution in the direction of the potion place. The scent couldn't be confused with anything else except for Zolue Solution itself, but within the next few seconds after identifying the scent, blood followed.

It didn't smell like Nfirea, but rather his grandmother, who was probably stabbed. The blood l.u.s.t was likely the cause of that little bout, but he was getting curious, did they take the boy?

Ninya and Peter both noticed that he was momentarily distracted. So she decided to speak up since Vertum seemed most attentive when Ninya spoke compared to Peter. "W-what's wrong?"

Vertum turned his head and looked to Ninya for a few seconds before shrugging, "Spaced out."

Ninya was rather interested in the words he used, especially ones which seemed alien to her, though it was mostly because he was a Dragon. Perhaps it was some sort of vocabulary only they had?

"Spaced... Out?" She'd inquire, a small yet faint smile across her lips.

Vertum wasn't amused, but he also wasn't annoyed. Medieval times was the epitome of vocabulary development for humanity on Earth. "Taken by thought," It appears to have been another word which related in the twentieth century, "Mentally remote."

"I see..." Ninya however had understood the context behind the word, but she had never heard someone use. This time though, she didn't seem as if she was going to write it down.

After that little episode, Vertum kept them walking around the City for the next few hours until the sky was no longer lit with vibrant strands of pink. The world had been taken by the night.

The old woman was clearly dead and the door was left open ever so slightly, while the lights were off. He was definitely not going to go in there, and he wasn't going to alert them.

Ninya and Peter hardly noticed this, their sense of smell not being as intense as his own, so they just continued on down the street.