"Go ahead, please, dryad,"
We quickly assembled into battle gear and said our goodbyes to the giants. At some point, Satou made a deal with the dryad to teleport us closer to Muno City. He must have already given her some magic because she never asked for any.
"Alrighty, here we go!"
The dryad cheered as soon as everyone was inside her fairy circle. The journey that would have taken us ten days was done instantly. The horses were startled by the sudden teleportation, but the city's walls were in sight. A large field recently harvested field stands between us and the city.
"Where... where are we?"
"In a forest near Muno City," Satou answers as miss Karina looks around. "Look, you can just make out the walls in the distance. Let's head straight for the city."
"Very well, come along, everyone,"
Miss Karina quickly moves forward enthusiastically. But her actions unexpectedly cause Pochi and Tama to panic.
"Karina, wait!"
"You mustn't act on you own, ma'am,"
Pochi and Tama look back at Satou after calling out to miss Karina.
"Yes, let's go,"
With Satou's go-ahead, we all start to follow after miss Karina. I'm starting to get a little nervous. I have defeated demons before, and I am a lot stronger now, but my hands are still shaking. I hope it doesn't have that hallucination skill. If Satou hadn't stopped me before, I might have killed Pearl.
I take a deep breath and try to calm down. This demon is weaker than the one from before. As long as we take it out quickly, it should be okay. Looking around, I make a silent prayer for everyone's safety. But with Satou here, I'm sure everyone will make it out alive. But before we even begin the fight, there is something I need to say to miss Karina.
"Miss Karina," I move up closer to her. "When we get to the city, don't tell anyone I am a hero until the demon is dealt with."
I don't want the demon to know what I am until it is too late. I have already hidden my holy sword in storage and practised taking it out a few times to ensure I can do it quickly.
"But why? If the people know a real hero has arrived, then it will raise everyone's spirits,"
"Because the demon might try to escape or hurt your family if it learns about me,"
"She's right. It is best to keep quiet for now," Raka backs me up as miss Karina's face pales.
"Okay, I will keep silent on the matter,"
The gates to Muno city were sealed shut when we made our approach. I'm not sure if it is because of the goblins or the fact their army was dispatched, but the gates are closed. Only a few guards were keeping watch, and they were surprised to see us approaching. Maybe they just keep this gate closed because people rarely use it.
"Open the gate! Baron Muno's daughter, Lady Katarina Muno, has arrived! Open the gate at once!"
Raka called out as soon as we were close enough. Since miss Karina is quite shy and has trouble dealing with men, it is probably for the best that Raka calls out for her. After hearing that, the guards looked even more surprised and were slow to respond. It took a whole ten minutes for them to open up the gate. Even then, it wasn't the main gate that opened up. A side gate next to the main gate slides open, allowing several soldiers to exit. They were heavily armed and not looking happy to see miss Karina's return. Pearl, Nana, and Liza looked ready to draw their weapons at a moment's notice when a few more guards with bows took aim from the city's wall.
