I responded in the orcish demon tongue. *“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”*

  The guards exchanged glances, before one of them sighed and slowed his speech. “There. Is. A. Toll. Human. One. Silver. Piece.”

  Oh.

  I reached into my satchel and produced the fee.

  The guard took the money and closely inspected it. He then lowered his rifle and stepped aside.

  I rode past the guards and into the city across the bridge.

  I looked around and noticed that while this city was nothing to write home about, it was leagues above anything I saw on the main demon continent.

  Except for the orc capital.

  Demon sentries in matching uniforms were posted on every other corner. All armed with muskets.

  Traffic had a flow to it, not like the sporadic mess they had in Col-Rava.

  Even the demons here carried themselves with respect and order. The buildings, while plain, stretched to three or even four levels.

  There was even basic industrial infrastructure here too—factories with thick smoke stacks that poured a thick smog in the air.

  It wasn’t overwhelming though.

  Some of the stuff they have here is more advanced than what we have in the empire.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” the dragon said.

  “Humans have industrial capabilities, they simply do not need them in every settlement. A single dragoon could wipe out an entire demon unit, you yourself are proof of that.”

  Even so, it’s still impressive.

  And it only builds my anticipation for what the federation has.

  “Agreed.”

  — — —

  I continued up through the peninsula but soon faced a unique problem.

  Because of how organized the peninsula kingdoms were, I ran into fewer monsters.

  Fewer monsters meant less meat to sell for food, which meant I was burning through my money faster.

  By the time I reached the border region, I was flat broke.

  I could continue through to the mountain pass, but it was colder up there and that meant fewer edible creatures.

  Plus I’d be eating more food to compensate.

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  I looked down at Elise.

  “Welp, it's time to sell ya, girl…”

  I turned back to the nearest demon settlement which was a large border village.

  The buildings here were smaller and thicker than the ones down south. And the demons were bundled up in layers of clothing.

  I rode Elise through the narrow and snowy streets up to a stable house. The doors to the building were open and inside there was a demon tending to a war hound

  He looked over his shoulder as I entered.

  “Another human?” He mused softly.

  I blinked.

  “You speak imperial?”

  The demon nodded as he stepped away from the hound. “A little. You’ll be surprised by the number of humans that come through here to enter the federation.”

  He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Though they never tend to return.” He gestured a palm towards me.

  “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

  “I’m looking to sell my mount.”

  The demon’s gaze drifted down to Elise as he approached. “Really? That’s a fine mount. Why do you wanna sell her and how much are you looking to get?”

  “I need food and lots of it. I’m willing to trade her if you have any, as much as I can get.”

  The demon scratched under Elise’s chin as he looked into her eyes. “Food huh? I guess I’ll be willing to make that trade.” He stepped back and gestured towards a pen.

  “Put her in there and we’ll head back to my farm.”

  I guided Elise into her new pen, she looked a little confused as I dismounted but she stayed in place.

  I closed her inside and followed the demon without so much as a glance back.

  As I followed the demon to his farm. The dragon spoke.

  “You’re actually doing it? You’re selling that fox for a meal?”

  Why wouldn’t I? I’m not taking her into the federation with me. And even if I did, I fully intend to die right after that.

  So either way it’s pointless to keep her, might as well get some use from selling her.

  The dragon hummed.

  We soon reached the demon’s farm where two children played in a large wheat field.

  Past the field and into a storehouse, the demon began to prepare two bags of food.

  Jars of pickled vegetables and dried meats.

  As he prepared the food, he spoke.

  “It doesn’t take a genius to know where you’re headed, kid. But I have to ask, are you sure whatever you’re looking for in the federation is worth it?”

  I nodded.

  “Yes.”

  The demon shook his head as he continued to pack the bags.

  “I don’t know if I believe that. Nothing can be worth going through that mess.”

  He paused for a second as if he remembered something.

  “The air there is so thick with smog it hurts to breathe. Soldiers are everywhere, stubby men with more muscles than a war hound. And the skies are dominated by airships.”

  He sighed deeply.

  “Everything about that place is an abhorrence to nature, to the gods.”

  I crossed my arms and stepped closer. “It sounds like you’ve been there.”

  The demon looked up to meet my gaze.

  “I have, once. I was there as a soldier, where my unit and I were trained on how to use those guns.”

  He gestured outside.

  “During my time there we were watched like wild animals.”

  His voice hardened.

  “We couldn’t eat without permission, use the bathroom without a guard, or even leave the base without those armored hounds roaming the perimeter.”

  He placed a hand over his heart.

  “By the time I left that place I had lost a piece of myself.” He looked outside. “And I’d say I’m one of the few lucky ones. If you see what they do to those they don’t welcome…”

  He trailed off as he gripped the bags.

  Then he turned back to me. “Crazy idea, but what if you worked here for a few days? Really mull over if you wanna go there or not.”

  I raised my palm and shook my head. “Not interested. If the federation is as bad as you say it is then there’s only more of a reason for me to go.”

  “But why?”

  “Because what I’m facing at the end of my journey is far worse than anything the federation can throw at me.”

  The demon stepped forward. “I doubt that, I really do.” He extended his hands to give me the bags. “But I won’t stop you.”

  I took the bags and slung them over my shoulder.

  “There’s enough food in those bags to last you a month if you ration it right. The demon placed a hand on his hip as his tail swayed behind him.

  “And look, when you get to the border do not touch the fence. There will be a pack of iron hounds on you faster than you can blink.”

  “Got it, thanks for the heads up.”

  I turned to leave.

  “Wait,” the demon said.

  I looked over my shoulder. “Hm?”

  He raised both his hands. “One more thing, if you’re ever at risk of capture you should just kill yourself. Dwarves are especially cruel to humans.”

  I gave a thumbs up.

  “Will do.”

  The demon watched me leave with a deeply conflicted expression. Honestly, as I thought about my situation from his perspective I found myself amused.

  That aside, I resumed my journey through the mountain pass. It wasn’t as bad as I had originally anticipated.

  It got cold, yes.

  But there was never a point where I couldn't bear the temperature. There was always a space for me to rest at night. Whether it was a literal cave or a hole in the ground.

  But as I pushed further north it only got colder, until snow was the only thing I could see for miles.

  I kept my arms crossed against my chest as I continued my push north. The air whipped around me with a bitter chill.

  Eventually, the weather began to calm and was replaced with a thick, permanent smog. The smell of it hit me first and punched like a prime boxer.

  The scent of coal and… magic?

  My gaze drifted down from the hill I sat atop and landed on a fence. But it wouldn’t be a stretch to say it was more like a wall of twisted steel and barbed wire.

  Equally spaced apart along the fence were massive concrete towers that stretched high into the sky.

  Each one had floodlights that pointed down at a specific point on the land beyond the wall and slowly tracked along a set path.

  And finally, I saw them.

  Large metal hounds the size of an elephant. Each step they took shook the ground as they whirred with a loud click followed by a boom.

  Drrrr—boom. Click, chink.

  One step.

  Drrrr—boom. Click, chink.

  Two steps.

  It was heavily armed and armored, alongside a maw packed with sharp, steel teeth.

  And cannons mounted on its shoulders.

  So this was the federation.