It takes almost two hours for her to stop. She is still sobbing but it's just the hic-up here and there. Finally I ask her why she freaked out like that.

"B-because *hic* t-the overlords w-with black *sniff* horns will take me from m-mommy *hic* if I went into the f-forest at n-night." She said in a nervous voice while trembling and her young pink lips quivering.

She continued to tell me about how the overlords with horns rule this forest and they kill anyone who comes into their territory. At first I didn't believe that any of the people and servants I knew would do that so I asked her if she knew where they were stationed, or located. She said she didn't and that the people paid tribute to these overlords yearly. She said it would be time for tribute soon, so I asked her if she knew where they would pay tribute. I want to know exactly who these 'overlords' are. And if they are the servants of ours or what?

I don't see why we would need tribute from a tiny poor village. The people disappearing when they ended the woods at night probably has to do with that giant wolf pack, so I am not worrying too much about that, but it never hurts to double check.

Eventually I remember, "I don't know your name child, I am Sentan Michael Zavron. What is your name?" She sniffles and looks at me in a weird way. I give her a slightly confused face, she points at me bravely "What do you mean c-child you look the same age as me! I am Myla!"

I look at her strangely, she is totally right but mentally I am much older than her. I'm not like those light novel protagonist I've read who think they are older because they have all those years before they came to their world. I am the age of whatever my body is and considering I don't have any sexual thoughts yet I am really an 8 year old. As I am thinking this Myla looks at my face and freaks, "Hii! I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean t-to be r-rude! Wah!" She backs away in terror hugging the tree fiercely. Look at this it's my first adventure and I terrified a girl to the point of tears two times in a row.

I walk up to her and squat down and close my eyes and while patting her shoulder "Haha don't worry about it Myla. I don't mind at all, but please calm down or I'll be angry for real." As soon as I finish my sentence, utter silence. Huh, I open my eyes only to see two black terrified teary eyes looking at me. Wow that worked better than I thought it would. "Now can you take me to the tribute area."

She nods her head fiercely and points in a direction. I look in the direction. Well, I don't know exactly where it is it seems I have a need to bring her along. "Myla I need you to come with me so you can show me the way, I'll give you a piggyback ride along the way."

As I look at her I see her eyes sparkling with some tears still in her eyes, "Really?" What's with the dramatic change in emotion jeez. "Of course" I say as I smile.

She stands up and her messy shoulder length brown hair sways. She looks funny. "Okay let's go! I'll show you the way." I lower my blade to my lower back and she sits on the sheath and holds onto my neck. "Hold on tight." I hold onto her little white legs and launch myself towards the direction she pointed towards.

"Ahhhh! It's so fast! Hahaha!" She yells in glee as I travel on the tree branches. Well, I hope this makes up for me terrifying her twice.

I don't know why I don't run on the ground. It probably has to do with my parkour training. Running on the ground would feel boring and this way I get some training on my leg eye coordination. Now that I think about it I might've gotten a little addicted to training. Well, whatever nothing bad will come out of it.

After 30 minutes of quick paced tree hoping we finally reach the tribute area. It's a small stone temple with a horn statue in the center surrounded by stone pillars and a large stone platform. What the hell is this?

Myla looks at me then at the platform. "T-this is the tribute area. It is where we must give food, F-fifty copper tablets, and occasionally some p-people." I look at her. They take their necessities and a majority of their money since poor people only make 1 bronze coin in a years time. And what the fuck is with the taking of people. Wait. "Myla the people they take is it always girls?"

She looks at me and starts to think. She says, "Now that I think about, it is. They take away 5 girls every time. My mommy says it's because they didn't listen to their parents. But the horned lords are mean a lot. They hurt my friends sometimes and sometimes I don't see my friends again. My mommy says they left the village. I am never here when the tribute happens. My mommy say it's for adults."

I hear a rustle nearby and I cover Myla's mouth. I then see 10 pink skinned humanoid things with little stubs of horn coming out of their head. "What the hell are those things?" Identify.

*

Lesser Demons.

Evolved from a regular monster ork. Became a weak demon of the ork type. Weak as hell compared to you. Why did you bother me with this mosquito?

*

Huh? Lesser Demon? Apparently my Identify skill has quite the personality. But at least now I know the Idiot Horned Lords Myla was talking about earlier.

For sure I have not seen them before at the estate so I can kill them. But, let's wait and see what they do. I want to observe their actions to see if they deserve a quick death or a slow one.