The second my foot hit the ground outside of the Kingdom, the gate closed and I was introduced into the dangerous world of Demons. My spells were equipped, my stats were full, and I was ready for the worst. I decided to stop hiding behind the walls, and walked out into the field, deep into the tall grass left unmanaged because of the roaming Demons.
Now... where should I go first?
Going straight to Hecate wouldn't be as smart. I needed to rank up so I had more health, more mana, and a better chance of defending myself. In the distance, past a few small hills, I could see some Demons out in the wild, just talking to themselves.
They really did act like Humans... did that mean they knew I was here? Otherwise, they would have no reason to act like Humans. I observed them closely. By all means, I wanted to avoid them and kill other smaller monsters to stay safe out of view from big problems like groups of Demons.
While traversing the city's streets on our mission to repair the gate, I remembered seeing a guild running and tons of remains from monsters within. I didn't want to look at it for too long because guilds and stuff like that always bored me in some anime I watched. I had no interest in looking at the 'S-Rank Missions!' on that damn board.
I would do what I wanted when I wanted. As a Hero, I wanted to free up the load of the Demons as efficiently as possible... just as the Demons had learned it, I wanted to learn Illusion Magic. But... I guess that wouldn't work, considering their Illusion Magic just looked like us. How do I make the illusion look like Demons?
I needed somebody who knew that type of magic. I had no idea how magic in this world looked, but with Sieve being the last standing Kingdom, I officially lost my chance to learn it. I was hopeless with my limited knowledge, which could only be used to raise stats. I also could use healing... Healing!
I could start a business for healing! I didn't want money for it, I just wanted to barter for other tips. Could I heal the Demons if they needed it...? I had to be careful they didn't hurt me or rob me of Yggdrasil's Bone. It was the only thing worth value. Luckily, I had the skills from it saved, but I still wanted to keep it.
I sucked down all fear in my body and got up in the field, rustling the grass and wheat around me. The Demons spotted me and drew their swords and other weaponry. I put my hands up, telling them I would surrender. Did they speak my language?
I had to try it!
"Hey there! Can you understand me?" I asked them.
"What do you want?!" They yelled out to me. They were aggressive, but they could understand me. Hopefully, I could defuse this situation by talking.
"I was exiled from the Kingdom... I have no affiliation with them anymore, and I want to learn about this world now that I've been kicked out. I can heal and raise your stats for a limited time, is that worth anything to you guys?" I asked them. They seemed hesitant at first, but the two manly-looking Demons broke away to reveal a young child, wiping tears away from her eyes and a scratched knee she kept rubbing.
"Hey there! Hey, don't worry about your injury, I can help you, okay?" I told the little girl. She nodded... even this one knew illusion magic? How early did you learn it?
I kept my distance to let the Demons know I didn't have any intention of hurting them. It made me feel incredibly guilty that I contributed to the murdering of so many, but I wanted to pay them back as much as I could by securing Hecate. I didn't want to kill any of them...
I held out my left hand and said the skill out loud to increase its potency. "[Heal]" I said. The Demons looked at me in confusion but in bright, blue light, the Demon girl's knee was encased and revealed to be completely healed with absolutely no evidence of an injury at all.
"Amazing... you're better than our doctors. Hey, why are you doing this for us?" One of the Demons asked me.
"I'm looking for information, and I was hoping to get some from you, but you don't give information to strangers. I want to be known amongst you guys and respected... so, could you tell me some information?" I asked the Demon. He nodded. I figured referring to them as Demons would be derogatory, and wouldn't get me anywhere, so I wanted to stay neutral.
"Yeah, no problem. What would you like to know?" The Demon asked me. I was beyond thrilled. This would count as one of my first interactions... and it was going well!
"I want to know how to learn different types of magic... and how it works. Do you know anything about it?" I asked.
"I'm not entirely sure... but there's a Mage in our village that knows. Would you follow us back home?" They asked me. I was hesitant at first, jumping into enemy territory that fast... I wanted to express that, but I also didn't want any distrust to emerge between us.
"I don't have any money, I couldn't pay for a room," I told them. It was getting late, so I could use that excuse.
"It's fine! We have more sick at home... if you heal them, we can strike a deal." He told me. I nodded. I guess I was really stuck...
I had to get uncomfortable to get the information I need. As a Hero, I can't be afraid... that's unbecoming of me. I needed to get into that village and meet that Mage. "Deal. That works, as long as I can work for my keep." I explained. The Demons nodded, and the little girl thanked me. She couldn't be older than eight years old...
"Alright then, let's go. You got a name?" One of the Demons asked me.
"Yeah, it's Anima. Nice to meet you guys." I told them.
"Great. My name is Jerry, this is my son Albert, and this is my daughter Claire." Jerry told me. They even had Human names like my world had. They were really good at disguising themselves.
We walked down through the forest and reached a dirt path. Once we cleared the forest by the Kingdom, the Demons looked like they lived civilized lives, just like the Kingdom did. They had order, or what looked like order. They had a building similar to the ones where I lived, it wasn't a castle, but something different.
They had walls, just as the Kingdom did... but they were see-through. Just fences, at most. They were closer to glass panes reinforced by steel beams. Inside the city, it was very organized. No dirt on the street... but the thing that bothered me was that everybody in the village looked exactly like the Demons beside me. They were all using Illusion Magic?
"Welcome to our city... we were able to build this fairly recently, so the buildings are up to date with Hecate's old ones. This is Gaia." Albert introduced me to their city, which was kept up in surprising conditions.
"Mommy is at home right now. You should come to meet her after you're done talking to Old-Man Henry!" Claire told me. That must've been the Mage...
"You got it! As long as your Dad says it's okay." I told Claire. Jerry nodded and walked right into the city. Nobody guarded the gate at all. What an interestingly open city. It was an entirely different feel than Sieve at this point.
"I came from Sieve and I must say... it looks a lot more friendly. Does this Kingdom belong to one big family? Do you all know each other?" I asked Claire. If I directed my questions at her, it would sound a lot nicer.
"Dad says not to call this a Kingdom... it's a city. Sieve and Hecate were the only Kingdoms left on Olympia." Claire told me. She then explained Olympia was the country they lived in. It was a whole new feel I had to learn here. Gaia was a city, Sieve and Hecate were Kingdoms, noted.
"Albert, take Claire home. I'll deliver Anima to Old-Man Henry." Jerry told his children. They both nodded and split off from our location, going west in the village.