“What do you mean sealed away? And what world was this hero from?”

Looking a bit startled at my rather sudden enthusiasm at the conversation Helimos pauses for a second and thinks things over.

“Well, it is just an old story that the seniors in our clan like to tell to the newbies so I don’t know how much is true. Supposedly there is a gate on the brimstone continent that leads to the underworld. The story goes that long ago a great hero was brought to our world by a god. This hero fought back against the tide of demons and pushed them back to the gate after many long years. Ending with the demons being sealed behind the gate by the hero's' chains of holy light so that they could never cause chaos in our world again.”

His golden eyes gleefully glowed in the dim staircase as he nerded out over the story. Looking more like a child than I do.

Rose who had clearly heard this story a thousand times already immediately rained all over his parade.

“Not that anyone has verified this story. You need to make it past The Sea of Trees just to make it to the brimstone continent and those few who do make it past never return.”

I decide to ignore Helimos’ pouting as I try and figure out what this all means.

… Lucadon asked that I revive the demon population.

I didn’t know that most of them had been sealed away, if that story is even true of course. I know history distorts reality better than most, considering my memories of earth. But is opening the gate what he was really looking for? Not making new demons? I just didn’t know.

I feel my thoughts going in circles as I try and work the mystery out but eventually I just give up.

Well, I am far from being able to cross the sea of trees on my own so I should probably stop thinking about it for now.

“You know, there is actually something I was wondering about myself.” Jen, joining in the conversation begins. “That horse golem as you call it, I can sense mana being generated from it. It is almost like the thing is a real living creature. How is that possible?”

It seems like Jen is more curious about me than the other two, and knows the best times to ask. Her ability to read the room far exceeding that of the two village idiots with her.

In the end I decide to humor her, while leaving a few things out of course. My magic will eventually be recorded on my guild badge when I get one so keeping it completely secret is a waste of time. Though I will do everything in my power to keep them from learning of my light magic.

“I use mana cores from the creatures I defeated to make constructs of earth aligned materials. This horse for example has a Class 2 core inside of it.”

I can feel now that I have reached Class 2 myself, that I am able to use more elements when making golems, but they don’t need to know that.

This finally has Jen gushing about something.

“incredible! I have never heard of such a unique magic!”

I guess she gets excitable like the rest of the group… Just in her own way.

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Before she can pepper me with questions about it though I ask one of my own.

“Actually, Do you think I can get it into the city?”

This is a real concern for me. The thing is strong and a rather large mass of Class 2 spirit wood so I would like to be able to keep it with me. However, reality is cruel it seems.

“Well, I am not sure where you would put something so large. You would need to leave it at a stable which might be expensive.”

This might make things difficult, I need money but have nothing to sell besides some wooden weapons and a few mana cores that I am willing to part with. I can disconnect my bond with the golem spears well enough but the thought makes me kind of uneasy, leaving something that used to be connected to me in someone else's hands.

I can probably mooch off these three for a while until I can make money from being an adventurer.

That is if they will really let a 15 year old become a Silver rank. Another thing I am worried about.

But as these small possibilities run through my head, my last bit of hope is crushed.

“But I doubt they would let you into the city with it unless you have a silver rank emblem of your own.”

Jen concludes with an apologetic look.

Damn.

…

..

.

After another two weeks of trudging through the forest I can finally see a break in the endless pillars of wood ahead. We made it out of the forest!

I can see a vast expanse of tall grass with the sun shining down and a big blue open sky. Oh it is so nice to see a sky not obscured by those towering trees anymore! It feels like a weight has been lifted and I can breathe again. Though that might also be an effect of my solar regeneration spell, or whatever it has been upgraded into after my ascension, being affected by the large increase in light.

We walk for a bit, and we end up coming across a few adventurer parties making their way into the forest early in the day. The others wave to the young Class 1s heading to level up or complete other quests but don’t interact with them much as they are escorting me.

I begrudgingly ended up leaving my horse in the forest and taking the core out of it for safekeeping. I plan to come back for the wood if and when I get my silver rank badge.

I also left the demon monkey golems as well as the normal monkey golems in the forest to head back to the second ring. I am going to have them hunt in secret among other things I have planned. Their invisibility spells are carved into their bodies and they should generate enough mana to keep them running most of the time.

Eventually we make it to a busy clearing with a few structures here and there surrounded by high walls. In the center of the clearing is what looks like a mixture between a bus stop, a train station, and a tram. The large wooden platforms are floating above a single metal rail that runs through the station and out of the area which is populated with all kinds of stands and shops.

I guess right next to the entrance and exit of the forest is a really good place to sell shit.

We hop on one of the passenger platforms, this one having seats compared to the others which I am assuming are for cargo transport. I see a few adventurers loading up a large orc onto the platform behind us and tagging it like a piece of luggage at an airport.

The whole situation is so surreal after living in the forest like a feral child for the last year.

I look over at Alice who is invisible on my shoulder as we sit down in one of the free seats. I really hope no one notices her like Helimos did.

With that fearful thought I try and make myself relax as I settle in my seat.

Eventually the platform takes off after a warning from an attendant at the station. It is surprisingly fast despite my not feeling any wind from the rather open air design. Probably some sort of magic shielding.

It takes about an hour of riding the platform before we can see the first signs of civilization appear on the horizon.

The Draconic Empire of Esmaladia, a nation that spans across several thousand miles and borders much of The Sea of Trees. Much to the chagrin of other nations.

The city we are heading to is called Carrion and it is the furthest city to the east in the empire, right next to my own kingdom of Alcott. And I can’t believe my eyes when I see the towering walls made of pure, heavily enchanted steel. Several towering gates begin to take shape over the horizon as we get closer to the end of the rail.

We enter another small station that stops right outside the gate, more shopkeepers trying to hawk their wares at us like feral dogs. The group simply ignoring them all.

Hopping off the platform I follow along as the others lead me to a gate with a few adventurers heading in with most heading out. The hustle and bustle seemingly less than it was at the other end of the magic tram. The morning rush hour starting to wind down.

Just as we make it to the gate, the guard there stops us and asks for our badges.

I can feel myself getting nervous. Even if my weird merged flesh does not seems to sweat anymore, I feel the urge to wipe a bit of sweat from my brow.

Rose takes over and after showing her badge explaining that they found me in the forest and for privacy's sake can’t say much more as it is part of their quest. This is also something I requested of them. If word gets out that a young girl with blue hair was nearly murdered by her parents in The Sea of Trees, then I can only see it getting back to my parents.

It takes them accepting all responsibility for me before the guard lets me through the gate as well.

Finally, I step foot into the city, and the sight takes my breath away.