These Demons Do it for Free

Chapter 67

I followed Meha into a small room behind the counter.

The little room, once used as a storage space, now stood empty, showing only remnants of its past.

Still, a few boxes that could serve as makeshift chairs were left scattered, and Meha and I settled ourselves onto them.

“What’s going on? Did you change businesses?”

I noticed earlier that they seemed to be selling drinks.

With Meha in a maid outfit, was this really turning into a maid café?

“No, it’s still an academy.”

“Then what about those people over there?”

In response to my question, Meha provided an unexpected answer.

“They’re here to rescue a demon mage.”

“A demon mage?”

What a peculiar notion!

Well, I suppose someone might come looking for one.

As I’ve said repeatedly, there’s no one better at finding people than a demon mage.

This place felt more like a private investigation agency than an academy.

However, from what I could see, those gathered didn’t look like they were here to find people or objects; they looked ready to charge into the Abyss at any moment.

Meha provided a clear answer to my confusion.

“A new monster called an Evolver has been discovered on the first layer.”

Evolver.

Just from the name, I could sense what kind of creature it was.

“They have an incredibly strong resistance to other attacks, but interestingly, they’re weak against demon magic.”

Ah... that’s right.

The evolved bugbear.

The creature we defeated was now dubbed an Evolver.

It was a fitting name.

“Do you know about it, Roman?”

“Of course. It was the first one we caught. I found out it was weak against demon magic because of my presence.”

“Really?”

Meha’s tone rose a notch.

Her eyes sparkled more than before, eager for the story.

‘Now that I think about it, I never mentioned it to Meha.’

I had told Hecate, so I assumed Meha would know, but it seemed Hecate hadn’t informed her separately.

As I shared the story about the mutated bugbear, now called the Evolver, Meha responded enthusiastically, adding little comments here and there.

“How fascinating! I’ve been to the Abyss for quite a while, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a bugbear undergoing such a mutation.”

That was... indeed quite intriguing.

For Meha, who had seen so much, this must have been something special.

“Roman, what were you thinking?”

“Oh, I was just wondering where you got that outfit.”

“This?”

Instinctively trying to avoid the question, I was met with Meha twirling in her maid outfit.

“Dan gave it to me.”

“Dan?”

“Yeah. From the potion shop.”

That guy... what’s his angle?

Plus, it looks like it fits her perfectly, which is suspicious.

“Roman! Meha! Stop lounging around and help out!”

§@@@@

“It’s over...”

Just as I began to contemplate the significance of that name and whether I should discuss it with Seir or Lerajie, Hecate interrupted my thoughts.

“Roman, stop thinking.”

“Excuse me?”

“You shouldn’t be thinking of demons.”

Suddenly?

After all, wasn’t it Hecate who had relied on demon power to translate and uncover the nature of this potion?

“It’s different. I did a preliminary translation alone and figured it out through a one-time deal with a summoning demon, not a contract demon. Demon magic has a lot of precautions.”

As I was unable to keep up with Hecate’s words, she asked a somewhat distant question.

“You know that thinking of a demon’s name connects you to it, right?”

“Of course. It’s one of the basic principles of demons.”

When you speak of the devil, it’s sure to appear.

It was perfectly analogous to the saying about a tiger.

“As you know, a demon’s true name carries power. Just like what the nominologists say, names have a certain significance. A demon’s name is especially strong, and simply thinking of a true name makes them react.”

Just thinking of a contract demon’s name is enough to have them reach out to you.

“That’s fatal from the perspective of demon mages.”

“...How so?”

Wouldn’t it actually be convenient to extract information with a simple snap?

“They read your thoughts, see what you’re looking at, and know what you’re trying to do.”

There’s definitely a feeling of invasion of privacy.

But if they are truly my allies, that wouldn’t be so bad.

If they understand my situation more accurately, they can provide me with opinions that would be more beneficial to me.

In fact, Seir recommending Lerajie to me was in the same vein.

“Roman, I know you’re special. You’re someone who doesn’t demand compensation from demons. You’re someone favored by demons. I was surprised the first time I saw you. I’m sure there are many secrets hidden within you that we don’t yet know.”

Hecate’s voice was low and cautious, echoing more solemnly than ever.

This wasn’t the casual chatter of a clumsy academy head but the advice of a seasoned demon mage who had accumulated experiences and knowledge about demons over generations.

“But Roman, don’t trust the demons.”

She said it.

Demons are not your absolute allies.

They cannot be.

“They don’t lie, but that’s why they deceive people even more. Remember this. They are beings who will never side with anyone. A weapon without a guard can easily inflict wounds on the wielder.”

“...I’ll keep that in mind.”

Honestly, even hearing that, I couldn’t help but lean more towards Seir and Lerajie than Hecate.

They were the ones who breathed new hope into my life in this world and supported me in being here.

But...

‘There’s no need to ignore her.’

Why do they not demand compensation from me?

Is it simply a price difference caused by our different dimensions?

Or is there something hidden that they haven’t revealed to me?

‘This brings unexpected heavy concerns.’

It was indeed something I had to think about seriously.

As I was about to express my gratitude to Hecate for her hard work and advice, she was making a lighthearted smile, her palms pressed together and spread wide.

“What’s with those hands?”

“Tuition fees.”

“...I already paid the entrance fee.”

“Hmm! This is a special class from the academy head’s vision!”

Was she really just trying to get money from me?

§

The next day.

It was the morning I was about to leave for the inn where Leif and Ray were waiting.

“Come here─!”

A customer arrived at the Telema Academy.