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Overlord: The Power of Two
Book 1
Chapter 3. Attack on Carne Village
Great Tomb of Nazarich
Floor 9. Chambers
"My lord, please wake up."
A pair of eyes slowly opened when he heard someone speak to him. At the moment of doing so, his vision did not find the small ceiling of his tiny apartment. On the contrary, he looked at the ceiling of an immense Victorian-style room. Its colors predominate dark, as well as it was illuminated by some small black candles.
Also, instead of a single bed that was kept in a tiny closet, and that with much effort, he was lying on a King Size with the finest of fabrics.
Turning his face, he saw one of the Pleiades, Narberal Gamma, one of the strongest NPCs, and Blade remembers her best because she was the creation of the original Nine members of the guild; Nishikienrai.
"This is really real," Blade said out loud.
"Real?" Narberal repeated confused.
"It's nothing, ignore what I said. Good morning," the Vampire greeted as he slowly sat up in bed and raised a hand to begin rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleep, the Pleiade simply responded by bowing her head.
"Good morning, my lord. I will be attending to all your needs for today," the aforementioned said.
Blade, getting out of bed, stretched out her arms, "I need a set of my clothes," she asked rubbing her neck.
"Of course, my lord, do you have any preference?" the maid asked with a bow.
"Surprise me," Blade asked.
Floor 9. Living Room
After having changed, as well as having breakfast (or rather what it could consist of, which was meat of dubious origin). Even though Blade knew it couldn't be an animal, the moment he ate it, his taste buds enjoyed it.
"How much have I really changed?" Blade thinks.
He couldn't help but remember that being a Vampire, or rather a Vampire Lord, he had all the qualities that one has, as well as his psychology feels that he has changed. But the question is, why has he changed so much? And why are he and Momonga different?
Ignoring that, after finishing breakfast he learned from Sebas that Momonga is outside with Albedo supervising the progress of camouflage in Nazarick.
Wanting to try something, Blade was in the living room while floating in front of him was the Remote Viewing Mirror Item: A magic mirror that allows the user to see and observe any known or unknown place. Much like a computer screen, the user can manipulate the perception of the image, enlarging or minimizing the view by using specific hand gestures to move through what is shown in the mirror. However, a low-level anti-seeking magic is enough to hide from the mirror's sight.
It took a lot of work but he finally got a little control. All around Nazarick he found was forest, and more forest, until he finally saw evidence of civilization. If he had to describe it, he would say that it was a town that once existed in the Middle Ages.
He could identify that the town must be one of peasants and farmers by the wheat fields, the humble houses with thatched roofs, and very few made of wood.
"It doesn't pose any threat," Blade admits, he was about to continue searching until something caught his attention.
They could make out that among the town there were knights galloping around, as well as others on foot. He could also make out what he assumed were the villagers running around.
"Hm, is it a festival?" Blade asks the man next to him.
Sebas approaches the Vampire to also look at the mirror, "I don't think so sir. It seems that is not the case."
Vlad zoomed in further to get a closer look at the village, which couldn't help but narrow its gaze at the revelation of the situation: The Knights were actually killing the villagers left and right, and the villagers were unable to defend themselves.
The Knights didn't care who they were; men, women, and even children. They killed them cruelly, and coldly.
"Why? Why? ... why does this seem so... normal to me?" Blade thinks, bringing a hand to his eyes. In the past he would feel horrified by seeing such a situation and even full of fear, but now... he didn't feel much, just... annoyance.
"Sir, we should intervene," Sebas said.
Blade looked at him again, for an instant he felt that when he saw Sebas he was seeing the reflection of his friend, Touch Me. One of the original members of the guild, and former Grand Master of the same before giving it to Momonga.
"Of course we will," Blade told Sebas, turning his gaze back to the mirror, seeing a scene that caught his attention.
There were two girls; the first one between 16 and 18 years old, and the second one a girl of 9 or 10 years old, probably. Both with expressions of terror on their faces.
The two of them ran desperately from some knights who were chasing them. The two of them reached the beginning of the forest, outside the village, but unfortunately it was obvious that the knights would soon catch up with them.
Especially when the little one stumbled, falling to the ground, to which the older one went back for her. Once on the ground, the knights caught up with them, the older girl protected the girl with her arms, protecting her from the edge of the sword's steel, inflicting a deep cut on her back.
Seeing that, Blade could no longer tolerate sitting.
"... Sebas, inform Momonga that I'm going to leave for that village. If they need me, they know where to look for me," Blade said seriously.
"At your service."
"It's time to see if my power that I got from Yggdrasil is really enough to face this New World," Blade whispers. One of his rings had a reddish blood-colored glow.
"[Teleportation]."
Carne Village
If Carne Village could be described in one word, it would be; Simple.
It was just a village of no more than 200 inhabitants, and the village itself had no real importance other than its location along the border. The villagers' predominant livelihood came from the forest and their agricultural crops. This was because the village received almost no visitors, except for a few doctors who sought herbs and the tax collector who came once a year.
With no relevance or economic value to anyone, not even the bandits, there was no need for soldiers to protect the place…something that all the locals would now regret.
Because soldiers of the Baharuth Empire stormed into the small village and massacred indiscriminately. Pleas fell on deaf ears, and heart-wrenching screams could be heard among the villagers.
The eldest young girl, Enri Emmot, ran away from her home while tightly holding her little sister's hand.
Both her father and mother were already dead, the last thing they did was shout at her to run and that was what she did, yet the armored knights continued to follow them at a fast pace.
When her little sister stumbled, Enri could only watch in pure horror as the men attacked her and the only option she could think of to save her was to jump and take the attack herself and she did so without hesitation.
Enri cried in pain and fear, feeling the burning sensation that the cut on her back produced. She hugged Nemu very tightly.
She did not want to die, she was really afraid of death, but if she had to die, at least it would be so that Nemu would survive. If she could make it so that when the sword passed through her body, she prayed that it would be enough for Nemu to hide in her corpse so that she could survive.
She looked back and saw the knight raising his sword, ready to deal a final blow that would undoubtedly kill her. She closed her eyes tightly, hugging her sister with all her might, preparing for the impact.
"What is that?"
Slowly, Enri opened her eyes, and raised her head to see her pursuers staring dumbfounded at something behind her, turning her head, she saw what she could only describe as a handsome man, tall and with elegant bearings in his clothes.
Blade stared blankly at the knights, staring at the one who had severely cut the girl, and was about to kill her.
Without saying a word, the Vampire unsheathed his sword, "Penetrating Slash. Level 2]".
The blade of the sword turned purple, brandishing the weapon towards the knight. His sword completely cut his chest, killing him instantly.
"Hm, how weak," Blade mocks. He had only launched the simplest of his attacks, barely reaching Level 2. He just wanted to test how powerful he was, he never thought that his movement could pierce the armor and split the knight in two.
"He's a monster!" the second knight says in fear.
"Monster? Says the guy who doesn't hesitate to attack those weaker and defenseless. Willing to kill a poor girl and a child," Blade declares, reaching for his other hand.
The knight immediately drops his weapons to begin to flee, "[Suicide Bat]."
Blade summoned a bat of blood-red energy, which spluttered and launched itself at the knight, which entered his armor and exploded in his guts, killing the soldier in the process.
"At least I've already proven that my Suicide Bat is still effective both in the rays of the Sun, and with the dark cloak of the Night," Blade said to himself.
The aforementioned was so focused that he hadn't turned to see those he saved. Enri, who was in intense pain, still hadn't understood what she had just witnessed, but she believed that at this moment her best chance of survival would be to not attract his attention.
"Sister." Nemu spoke below her and Enri hugged her younger sister tighter, apparently the man or whatever it was heard her, as she noticed that his eyes turned to look at them.
Blade took out a Potion from his trench coat, "Here, drink it. If you don't, you'll die."
Enri, frightened by such a threat, takes the potion of dubious origin and drinks it. But to her surprise it turned out to be a healing one, healing her back immediately.
"You two should stay here until I clear the village. [Barrier] This should be enough, stay inside," Blade explained to the sisters, who were enveloped in a purple dome, "I will also leave this with you, if necessary you can use it to summon a goblin army. Use it if you feel like you're in danger." he said as he threw two small horns at Enri's feet.
Blade barely took a step, Eri came out of her surprise, "Wait! Thank you so much for saving us!" she thanks on her knees.
"Thank you," Nemu also knelt down.
"Please, please tell me your name!" Enri shouted wanting to know who her savior was.
Blade turned her head, "My name is... Vlad Alucard," she introduced herself turning to face them, "And I am at the service of Ains Ooal Gown," she finished by bowing elegantly, then leaving at great speed towards the village.
Enri and Nemu were shocked to hear such a response. While all that was happening, from above everything that happened was witnessed by Momonga, and Albedo. The duo received Sebas' report, so Momonga immediately left for where his friend was.
He didn't understand of why he came here. This village had no strategic interest, nor economic, nor anything of use. Nor would there be any value that would save this village, but he let it go because upon hearing his last comment, a great idea occurred to him.
"In the service of Ains Ooal Gown," the sorcerer repeated with a glint of excitement in his eyes.
"My lord, excuse my ignorance, but because Lord Vlad gave an object from Nazarick to an inferior life," Albedo spoke with disgust.
"It is of no importance," Momonga answers, receiving a quick bow from the guardian supervisor. And he really did not care that Blade gave two Goblin horns to that girl, since horns are very common objects in consolation prizes in Yggdrasil challenges, in Nazarick there must have been hundreds of such objects with little value, and even he considers them of no importance.
The villagers of Villa Carne had gathered in the center of their town, forced by the Knights. In addition, they separated the most "attractive" women and young girls from the men, elderly gentlemen and children... surely they separated them to do something unspeakable to them.
But it was everyone's surprise when a man appeared, beginning to kill the knights left and right. Blade managed to leave with his two swords attached to them.
"Damn it," said a knight attacking Blade, but as soon as his sword collided with Blade's back. Not only was the Vampire's clothes intact, but the steel of the sword bounced off, breaking it in the process.
"But what…?!", his words were cut off when Blade simply without turning around, launched a stab through the helmet of his attacker.
For Blade, the way he would kill them was simple: Quick death for those who had the courage to face him, and slow death for those cowards who try to abandon their companions.
"Wretches, kill that thing immediately!" shouted the one who should be the captain of the knights.
"Someone like me cannot die in a place like this!" exclaimed the man in fear and shock, "Move and buy time for me, be my shield!" he ordered with contempt.
"Captain Belius…", one of his soldiers muttered in disbelief of what he had just heard.
Blade frowned. He knew immediately who that coward was, remembering him as the murderer of the parents of those young girls he saved. Bringing his swords together, he summoned his double-edged weapon, walking slowly towards the individual.
The Vampire assumed that this guy must be some son of a noble, or with high connections because he began to beg and offer amounts of money to be attacked, but it was easy to deduce that the knights are not so stupid to accept.
The moment he raised his weapon, Belius let out a horrified roar, losing consciousness, collapsing on the floor.
"Don't think I'm done with you," Blade thought as he approached the fainted man. He forcefully stabbed his sword into his right knee. That caused Belius to not only wake up, but to scream in pain.
Blade continued with each limb, making sure that each cut was as slow and painful as possible. Despite listening to his pleas, Blade continued torturing at every moment. Concluding by putting a foot on his chest, beginning to dive deeper, until crushing him completely.
Blade slowly looked at the Knights, who were extremely terrified by his presence. The aforementioned was about to attack them but then a loud voice resounded.
"Vlad Alucard. That's enough."
The aforementioned, along with the rest of the surviving knights and villagers, reached their gaze to find the two figures of Momonga and Albedo.
Blade knew that Momonga had to have arrived earlier when he rescued the young girls because he used the name he gave them. Everyone present saw that the sorcerer, and his armored companion landed on the ground.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Ains Ooal Gown," Momonga introduces himself.
Blade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at what he heard, but remembering his goal to make the name of the guild resonate everywhere, so that more players who might have come from Yggdrasil to this new world could find them and help them, he remained silent.
"We will allow you to leave alive. In exchange, send a message to your superior master: The next time you attack this place, you will beg for your death," Momonga warned them.
They didn't have to think twice before the knights ran in terror and fled the place. Momonga, with Albedo, watched as they fled, while Blade walked to stand in front of the villagers who were still on the ground.
"Do not fear, we have come to save you," Blade speaks to calm them down.
Though the fact that he heard him do so surprised the villagers, "You're umm, why have you helped us?" It was a middle-aged man who spoke up.
"I saw that this village was being attacked, so I came to help them," Blade replies.
"While I'm happy to help them, our services aren't free. Perhaps with information," Momonga proposes.
Looks of relief began to flood the faces of the villagers. Momonga, and Blade knew immediately that this place works like their world: someone who acts for reward is less suspected than someone who does an altruistic deed.
"This World has no virtuous heroes like Touch Me," the duo thought.
The next hour Momonga, along with Blade had been asking around the previous lord, and his wife. Who was also the village chief. The duo began to practically interview the village chief, who was willing to give information, extracting everything they could from the old man, along with getting a rough map of the continent. As well as Blade asked for an amount of money, which the village chief was able to gather was about 500 copper coins.
It wasn't much but it was good to start with, thought the Vampire. As well as they found out about the high value of a single Yggdrasil coin, because it was made of gold.
Summing up with the information he gave them; This village is called Carne Village, they were located on the shores of the Great Forest of Tob, a huge forest south of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, which is at war with the Baharuth Empire, the possible origin of the recently seen soldiers, and both bordering the Slane Theocracy, which is also a more conspiratorial possible origin of the knights.
The duo immediately knew that they had to first focus on getting to know the kingdom where the Tomb of Nazarick is located: Re-Estize.
They also learned that the closest city to the village, two days away on foot, would be the city of E-Rantel. They also learned about the Adventurers.
That it is a job that exists in this New World. They are people who receive and resolve the requests accepted by the Adventurer's Guild. The main roles of the adventurers include hunting monsters, providing protection to important figures or those who request it, collecting rare materials, etc.
Momonga and Blade did not have to ask much as they remembered the endless anime, manga, and stories of fantasy worlds and how the Adventurer's Guild was always present.
Once they concluded the questions, and got all the information they could, the duo allowed the village chief and his wife to join the rest of the village. A few minutes later, the villagers had gathered to bury their loved ones.
Albedo had left to inspect the surroundings, so Momonga and Blade watched the funeral from behind a tree.
Momonga knew he could revive the villagers, but he also knew it would cause trouble if rumors spread about the existence of a Sorcerer capable of resurrecting the dead. So he preferred not to.
Although his gaze now turned to look at the Vampire, "Do you want to revive someone?" Momonga asked, not offering it, but simply wanting to know the answer.
Blade did not answer. But there was no need, Momonga followed his friend's gaze, noticing that she was staring at the two young girls he saved earlier, who were crying inconsolably.
"… You want to revive those two's parents, right?" Momonga guessed.
"Yes," Blade confessed, "…But I also know that if we revived people it would only create an even greater cloud of interest around us, and perhaps a dependence on our protection… not to mention that in order to use the resurrection spell properly they would have to be stronger to withstand the process…", he added seriously.
Momonga nodded in confirmation, "If we attract the attention of dangerous individuals or those stronger than us, all of Nazarick will be in danger… Our entire guild, our creation…", he added calmly.
Blade felt defeated. Momonga looked at his friend with great curiosity. In reality, in his opinion, he felt no sense of pity or sadness, and he even had no personal interest in saving this place…but Blade did…
Could it be something related…to his Avatar?
The funeral was over, and the rays of dusk could be seen in the sky. Momonga, Blade, and Albedo walked through the village, watching the villagers helping with the reconstruction.
They had recently buried their loved ones, but that was life and they had to move on if they wanted to survive, so they quickly got to work.
"Albedo. We are done for today, let us leave," Momonga said.
"As you wish."
A villager walked past the three of them, greeting them cordially. As he walked, Albedo stared at the villager. The sorcerer and Vampire knew that Albedo's gaze under his helmet was one of contempt and disgust.
"Do you hate humans?" Momonga asked.
"They are so weak. Inferior scum that must be crushed like vile insects," Albedo replied without hesitation.
The duo fell silent for a few moments. Not long ago they were humans too.
"I won't ask you to stop hating them. But you'll have to control yourself and act kindly in front of them. Appearances are important," Momonga explains.
They were about to leave, until they noticed the village chief talking to someone. Both seemed somewhat worried, as did the rest of the villagers around them.
Blade walks towards them without thinking.
"Is there a problem, Chief?"
"Oh, Lord Alucard. They've seen a large group of soldiers on horseback heading this way..."
"I see. Don't worry, have all the villagers go to some shelter. Mayor, come with us to check the situation. If the knights returned, we'll take care of them," Blade gave them a reassuring smile, achieving relief and happiness from the villagers.
It seems that not everything is over for our protagonists.
END OF CHAPTER 3
Thank you very much to everyone who has come this far.
Very soon I will launch a vote on my profile that will be decisive for the future of history.
Take care and hope to see you soon