After learning about Kathy's story, it's not my style to leave a kid alone in this dangerous forest, but still, I can't trust this kid yet. Siah said to his thoughts
"Hey, do you know the exit to this forest? I've been lost, you see..."
"Ahh, that's given; after all, this forest is known for its deception magic."
"Deception magic?"
"Yes, it's magic where it creates the illusion that you're stuck in the forest; many adventures have died in this forest because of that."
"Damn, what a trade-off. Anyway, you know a way out here, right? After all, you lived here."
"Yeah, the magic doesn't work on us now; it's been a while since we got used to it to the point that it won't work on us anymore."
"Okay, then, lead the way."
Hours later, Siah is carrying her on his shoulders while she's holding on to his head. "Hey, why the hell am I carrying you now?"
"I'm exhausted from those hours of walking; what do you expect for a 12-year-old?"
"Oh, you're 12 years old. That's new to me." Speaking of which, my appraisal didn't work on her as well. Is this because of the forest? No, because I even pulled out my helicopter earlier; it's because of her, isn't it? For my appraisal to not work... Just who is this girl?
"Hey!" she shouted, pulling Siah's hair. "What are you daydreaming about? I told you to turn left!"
"Ahh, my bad," as he turns left and walks a couple minutes, he's out, finally! He saw the outside!
"Waaaaa! A place where there's no trees!" Siah shouted in enjoyment.
"Woah! Calm down a bit, will you? I almost fell."
"Ah, my bad. By the way, you said earlier that you're 12 years old, noh? But the way you act and the way you talk are so mature, it's as if I'm talking to an adult."
"Hmp! Don't compare me to you humans; we demons know morality."
"Oh, big words. Meh, it doesn't matter for now; let's rest first."
Siah then pulls out a picnic blanket from his item box and some food and water. "Here, eat some," Siah says, giving Kathy the snack.
"Those weird weapons, this weird food, and your power—is this how human civilization has become?" Kathy said with a spectacled look.
Siah giggled. "You'll know it sooner or later, so why break the fun?" Siah then took out his scouting robots from his item box and let them fly.
"Nom, nom, what are those? And this food! It's delicious, nom, nom."
"Can you chew your food first?"
"Sorry, sorry, anyways, this food is delicious! Give me more!"
Siah smiled. "I'm glad you like it," he said, and he bought another snack. The snacks he bought were mostly some normal snacks, such as crackers, dried fruit, cookies, and junk food.
As she ate, she asked something: "What were those earlier? Those you took out of your weird power?"
"Oh, hmmm, I guess it's okay to tell you; you don't know them anyway. Those are scouting robots that are shaped like animals and insects; they gather information and a map to this place."
Siah, take out his map that has been scouted so far. The geological map is now big; they've scouted more than 20% of the world so far; it's like a small satellite for us.
"We're currently here, in this forest next to the demon forest, and currently we're in the small Bangar kingdom. I plan to cross the Bangar kingdom and go to the Saytan kingdom; there, we can find our way to the Dungeon City of the Holy Empire."
To explain it briefly, the demon forest is between the empire, which is on the west, and the kingdom of Lara, which is on the east.
The Demon Forest is in the middle, sitting between an empire on the left and a kingdom called Lara on the right. Now, below the Demon Forest, there's a Cursed Forest. It's sandwiched between Lara, the Empire, and another place called Bangar Kingdom on the south.
We don't know what's hiding to the southwest of Bangor Kingdom yet—that part's a mystery for excitement! On the southeast, there's the Saytan Kingdom, and right next to it is the Holy Empire, where a hero was summoned.
PS: If you still don't get it, please comment on this paragraph for me to explain more.
Let's go back to the topic...
"Are you an adventurer?"
"Oh, how did you know?"
"Well, that's because you want to go to the dungeon city, which is known to be a city full of adventurers."
"An easy guess, huh. Well, you're right, I'm planning to participate in the tournament of becoming an adamantite adventurer," Siah said, pulling out his ID card.
"Ohhh! An adamantite adventurer, huh. Those adventurers participate in the hero's party as well."
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that."
Kathy looked at him and said, "Hey! Not because of my past, you pity me! It's all in the past now! I didn't even experience it since I'm still twelve."
"Ahh, you're right!" Siah giggled. "Sorry about that."
"Hmp! You should be!" They both giggled.
Half an hour later, "that should do it; let's move," Siah said, and he put the picnic blanket in his item box.
"There's still 11 days before the tournament; it's also getting dark; we should find an inn," Siah said to his mind before proceeding to take out his hover bike.
"Another weird thing you take out; what's that?"
"It's a vehicle," Siah said and hoped for. "Come here already." Kathy walked towards Siah, and Siah lifted her and put her on the back.
After that, he also gave her a helmet. "What's up with this?"
"It's a helmet to protect you in case we crash."
"What!?"
"Hold on tight!"
"Wait." Before she could finish her sentence, Siah immediately accelerated the hover bike. Shocked and scared, she immediately clung to Siah's back.
In just a few minutes, they are now at the entrance of one of the cities in the Bangar kingdom. Again, Siah puts the hover bike into his item box before going inside the city.
Right now, Kathy is puking. "I feel dizzy; I feel like my soul is leaving for a moment. Oh, mother, please rescue me from this wicked man."
"Hey! Who are you calling wicked?"
Kathy glared at Siah. "You bastard! I told you to wait because I'm not ready yet!"
"Ahh, I didn't hear you," Siah said, whistled, and walked towards the toll gate. "Hey! Don't leave," Kathy said, running towards Siah.
"Halt! Give us an ID!" The guard said. Siah pulled out his Adventurer ID.
"An Orichalcum adventurer!" The guard said in shock. "I'm very sorry for troubling you, Mr. Siah, but may I know the reason why you're going inside the Bangar Kingdom?"
"I plan to go to Dungeon City; I'm participating in the adamantite test."
"Ohhh, that's reasonable; you can now enter. Sorry for the inconvenience."
Siah nodded. "It's good that they didn't notice Kathy's horns; the necklace was really a great help."
They found an inn in the inner city with "one room with two beds."
"How long are you staying, sir?"
"Just for the night."
"That should be 5 silver coins."
Siah paid for it and followed the receptionist to the room. "Here is your room, and here is the key. Thank you for staying."
Siah just smiled, and the receptionist left as they entered. "You can calm down now, Kathy."
"I'm not nervous!" She stuttered.
"Well, if you say so, let's have dinner first before we rest."
"..."
"She's been silent for a while now, huh?" Siah thought to himself.
"Here, it's called chiken curry; in my place, people love this, so hopefully this can make you calm down," Siah said with a smile.
"Thank you," she replied.
It's a given that she will feel nervous; in her life, it's the first time she's in the town of humans; she's also with a human she just met; she's cautious and also scared.
"Hey, Kathy, just so you know, I'm your guardian now, and I won't betray you, I promise," Siah said with a serious face.
"Thank you; you're the only human I can trust; you're all I have. I'm just scared that you might betray me."
Siah sat down beside her bed. "Like I said, I won't do that; you have my words, and I'm a man who keeps his words," Siah said with a big smile as he patted her head.
Kathy smiled brightly. "Thank you again, Siah; I'm glad I met you."
After the drama, they both went to sleep, exhausted, as they kept walking for hours just to find the exit to the cursed forest.
In the night, Siah found Kathy on his bed. "She's scared," Siah thought to himself, because the way she grips my T-shirt, it's like I'm leaving her.
"Don't leave, please," she murmured while sleeping. Siah patted her head and went back to sleep.
In the morning, they eat their breakfast and continue their travel towards Dungeon City.
A week later, "We're here! The dungeon city!" Siah shouted.