"Hail! Do you have business in the Capital?" A man standing at the bow of the ship opposite us asks glancing up and down our odd looking ship.

"Mm, we came for the Hero summit."

"Yeah? You and every other merchant here? But what exactly sets you apart from all the other ships we are sending away?" The guard again shouts between our two ships.

"I am a hero?" I hold the silver emblem in the air so it can properly catch the rays of the light.

"That, yeah that'll do it." The man laughs before saying a few words to the men on his ship.

They grip ropes and raise the sail carefully maneuvering the ship next to us.

It was actually really impressive, I didn't know you could control a sailboat that well. Rotating that well would be impossible if not for our thrusters but they had done it with nothing but wind and skill.

Rou and Aqua look at them with awestruck eyes.

"Third Class General of the Karesh Navy, Scott Garvis, at your service. Hero from..." He squints his eyes across the gap between our ships. "Is that Calistor?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be damned, I didn't know they got one. You must be new?"

"That's right. I suppose word doesn't spread very quickly?"

"Ah, I'm sure the big wigs all know but heroes pop up and die so often they usually get disregarded unless it's from your own country."

"Makes sense. Speaking of do you all know anything about the heroes from the other countries?" I ask turning to the crew.

"Hmm..."

"Well, there is the ‘Silver Hero' of course!"

"Oh yeah, you guys know about our Hero?"

The crew thinks about it a moment. Honestly, all I have ever heard is the name. Do they know more than me?

"But you know that's just what we call our hero right? It's not like it's their name or something."

"Wait what?"

"Yeah, Silver hero is second only to the Gold hero."

"Gold Hero?"

"Mm, the original hero. The Hero God. The names may change but all countries have a story of him. He can be nothing less than a god. And in our darkest times, he will return to do right. Our silver hero is a bulwark until the Original needs to return."

This country prays to Damien?

Jesus. That's heavy, I wonder if he was around when that started. I know I wouldn't be thrilled about a religion forming around me. Although maybe he was an egotist, perhaps he loved it. Adoration from millions. I am sure its many people's dream.

"Ah, I shouldn't be spouting mumbo jumbo. My apologies Hero! We will lead you right away!"

"Thank you." The man turns to me straightens his back and fires off a firm salute. I follow the action and he goes into ease before turning back to his men and commands them to set sail.

I do the same before pulling my Cultural adviser aside.

"Hero is ranked above General for the Karashi military. We are technically the commanding vessel right now." Clove explains pushing up invisible glasses and smiling smugly.

"Interesting, what exactly does that mean?"

Rou answers this time. "Nothing really, there are obvious commands you can't make but if a fight were to break out right now you would be expected to take the lead."

"It's actually more to reduce liability for the military. If a hero comes up to them and says ‘hey help me attack this thing' and then damages a city by accident, it can't be the soldier's responsibility. The hero was the one who was at fault in the situation."

I see I can still imagine that could be misused though. Hell, I am thinking of dozens of ways to misuse it already.

It's almost like this world was designed for demons like me and Damien.

That reminds me, I definitely need to thank Damien if I ever figure out the key to the stone in the world tree.

I feel like I'm close to figuring it out. I'm just missing something.

That one piece that brings everything together. That tiny bit of knowledge that is still beyond me.

If I can master demonization I know for sure I can figure out what that stone is.

But, easier said than done. It's not like they write books on it.

No, rather Damien just wrote the wrong book.

Not that it hasn't been helpful.

"Woah!" Mirna shouts from the bird's nest with El. "Captain Captain! Look!"

She points in the direction of the piers in the distance. Behind it lay a blue and gold city surrounded by marble walls.

It reminded me of a skyline in my world. Large towers of different shapes and sizes spike up throughout the city. It wasn't New york level. Maybe more like downtown LA, a few clusters of towers sparsed between medium and small buildings. Wealthy looking buildings sat beside crumbling shanty towns.

It didn't feel like the Capital in Calistor. Everone here talked to each other. Every corner seemed to be a street market. There was a bustle that Calistor's Capital could never have.

We have to change Calistor. This country is a good ideal. Reaching this level would be a start.

"Lets go check out shops!"

"No, no food!"

"Ingredients! We can make everything here better anyway!"

"Master, can I get a new collar?"

"Oh is yours too rough Alice?"

"Ah, Rou. The opposite actually, it no longer chafes, it has become far too worn in."

"I shouldn't have asked..." Rou says setting her face into her palm.

"We will have time for all that after. I want to hurry and check in at the Summit first."

"Mhm fine."

"Captains right! Let's go meet the other heroes and their parties."

Oh, I forgot about the other hero's parties. I doubt I am the only one with one.

Do they all have Harems too? It seems like the logical first choice.

I can't wait to ste… meet them.