After finishing dinner, with Leif and Ray returning to their lodgings, I took some time for my last evening training session before bed.

Surprisingly, the Telema faction had everything one might need. Though it wasn’t often used, there was even a dedicated training room. Located in the building’s basement, it had been left neglected and was essentially being used as a storage area. However, after not being used for so long, it had now returned to its intended purpose.

Apparently, Hecate had cleaned and organized it herself while I was in the Abyss. The image of the faction leader scrubbing the floors with a rag because they couldn’t afford to hire someone… I found it somewhat touching.

Anyway, for demon warlocks, training mostly consisted of mental exercises. Using demon magic always required payment. Paid training wasn’t really practical.

However, I wasn’t the only one in the training room.

"You’ve definitely gotten faster."

"Right?"

"Yeah. From opening the contract gate to firing the magic bullet, it took you a total of three seconds. That’s 0.5 seconds faster than last time."

Next to me, as I practiced shooting magic bullets, Mea was observing. It’s much more efficient to have someone watch you train than to do it alone.

Not only was Mea timing me, but she also taught me various tricks for controlling mana, something I had previously learned through trial and error on my own. Thanks to her guidance, my seemingly stagnant progress had started to improve significantly.

"Not bad," I said, satisfied, glancing at Mea.

She sat in a chair beside me, her legs dangling in the air, too short to reach the floor. Bored with her legs not touching the ground, she swung them back and forth, in sync with her speech, slowly at first, then a bit faster—like a dog wagging its tail.

"What are you looking at?" Mea asked, noticing my gaze and stopping her leg movements. She shifted her position, pulling her knees to her chest and placing her small feet on the chair. She then brought her hands forward, wrapping them around her legs as if shielding her feet.

"Nothing."

"...What do you mean by ‘nothing’?"

"Well, I can kind of sense what you’re thinking. Just a feeling, really. So, it’s nothing."

One of the effects of the mark. When she’s nearby, I can instinctively sense what Mea is thinking. Right now was one of those moments.

"By the way, how long are you going to keep speaking so formally?"

"Why?"

"I mean, I’m your master now, right?"

"...Please don’t say that out loud."

I knew she was older than me, and as an elf, I understood her sense of age was different from that of humans. Still, it felt... awkward. Maybe it’s different for other species, but we humans are such a visually dependent race.

"How’s the team coming along? Did you recruit anyone?"

"Did Hecate tell you?"

"Yeah, she mentioned you were heading back into the Abyss."

"Yes, Master."

Well, as long as it’s just between the two of us, I guess it’s fine. I didn’t force her into this. I have a clear conscience.

"So, did you manage to recruit anyone? Priscilla and Jake, you said?"

"Priscilla and Jake? The ones I know?"

"Yes."

Surely it’s just a coincidence. It has to be.

I hadn’t mentioned Jake to Mea yet. All three members of her team were mages, all people I had some kind of connection with. Trying to assemble such a team on purpose would have been difficult.

"So, they’re all seniors, then."

"Yeah, so we’ll mostly stick to the third level. Maybe the fourth if we get the chance."

The third level, huh? I wonder how long it’ll take us to reach that.

"It won’t take too long."

"...Wait, are you reading my thoughts through the mark too?"

"No, the mark’s control is one-sided. Unless Roman actively sends his thoughts, they won’t flow backward."

So, she was just reading my expression?

"If it’s you, Roman, we could go to the second level right now."

"Really?"

"Yes. For a demon warlock, you might lack a variety of spells or a strong finishing move, but you make up for it with utility. In terms of support, you’ll manage just fine on the third level."

I understood the part about lacking means. Since I’d focused on demon magic, I had only learned the basics of general magic, and I hadn’t expanded my demon magic through contracts with a variety of demons.

"By the way, how many demons have you contracted?"

"Me? Hmm, want to guess?"

Since forming the mark, Mea had mentioned that her natural insight allowed her to roughly guess which demons I had contracted with. Her asking me to guess suggested that I might be able to do the same.

I closed my eyes and focused on the sensation of my mana. The first thing I felt were two connections—Seir and Leraje.

And between those two, like a faint star shining in the distance, there was a third presence.

‘That’s Mea.’

The connection created through the mark with Mea.

And from that faint star, there were several more paths branching out.

"Five... no, seven?"

"Right. Seven. That’s about average for demon warlocks."

In other words, Mea’s personal arsenal of demon magic included at least seven spells. That was over three times the number I had.

"Two of them don’t even have names, though. They’re more like familiars than real demons."

"Wolves?"

"No, the wolves are the children of a demon that governs Feast. Does Roman not have any familiars yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Having at least one familiar is useful. You can send them in as vanguards or use them for scouting. In my case, I prefer to contract with unnamed demons to serve as my familiars. Want me to teach you?"

"I probably couldn’t use them even if I knew how."

No way would Seir or Leraje tolerate some lowly, nameless demon. I could just imagine Leraje shutting them down with a haughty, ‘How dare a mere familiar stand in my presence!’

Seir might be lenient, but Leraje? Not a chance.

"If that’s the case, you could always learn the familiar spell from general magic. I could teach you."

"That might be a good idea."

It looked like our evening training would continue for a bit longer.

"Ugh... Did we forget anything?"

"No, I told you, we’re good. Let’s go already~"

In the pub on the first floor of the inn where Leif and Ray were staying, the scene that greeted me as I walked in was Ray whining for them to leave and Leif half-ignoring her, carefully rereading the paper in her hands.

"What’s going on?"

"Oh, you're here?"

"Welcome."

The innkeeper gave me a disapproving look, clearly annoyed that I hadn’t ordered anything, but I casually ignored it and joined the others at their table.

Leif handed me the paper she had been looking at.

"Roman, could you double-check this?"

"What is it?"

It was a supply list Leif had put together.

A few stamina potions, some mana potions, signal flares, spare clothes, blankets, some spices like salt, pepper, and herbs...

"Looks like everything’s accounted for."

"Really?"

"Yeah, everything’s fine."

"See? I told you~"

"Well, I guess we’re good to go, then."

Leif rolled up the list and stood, while Ray grumbled.

"You never listen when I say it’s fine."

"That’s because you’re always so careless about these things. You’re not very reliable when it comes to supplies..."

"What? Come here, you—"

Clearly, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Leif quickly ducked behind me, and I stopped Ray by grabbing her small head.

"Alright, enough messing around. Let’s get going."

"I wasn’t messing around."

"Then let’s pretend you were."

Ray clicked her tongue and pushed my hand away.

"You messed up my hair."

"It was already like that."

"Didn’t we agree to buy the potions from the place Roman knows?"

"Yeah. I’ve only met the guy once, but it’s better than going somewhere unfamiliar."

It was a potion shop run by one of Mea’s former teammates.

While Leif carefully packed the potions according to her list, I casually started chatting with the shop owner.

"Mea’s heading back to the Abyss soon."

"Is that so? Is she going alone?"

"She formed a team."

"...Will she eventually join you?"

"Who knows. We’ll see."

"Look after her, will you? She’s had it rough."

The shopkeeper handed me a potion.

"Consider it a tip."

"What’s this?"

"Amplification potion. It’s expensive, you know. Handmade."

"...You’re an alchemist?"

"What did you think I was?"

"I thought you were a martial artist."

The shopkeeper chuckled as if he had heard a good joke, though I had been serious. I mean, with those muscles, how could he not be a martial artist?

"Do you know how grueling alchemy can be? I once spent all night stirring a cauldron during my apprentice days. Muscles are essential for survival as an alchemist."

That was a pretty convincing reason.

"Anyway, good luck out there. If you find any rare materials, bring them back. I won’t rip you off."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

"Roman, I’ve got everything."

"Let’s settle the bill."

With the potions bought and other supplies checked off Leif's list, we slowly but surely made our way through our shopping, or rather, our supply run.

By the time we finished, both Ray and I were completely drained, as if we’d just returned from a battle in the Abyss.

"We’re done, right? This is the last of it?"

"Well, there’s just one more thing I want to check..."

"Leif, no."

No more. Seriously.

"How about we stop by the alliance as a last stop?"

"The alliance? Why?"

"I thought it’d be a good idea to register as an official team, like Mea did."

Ray tilted her head.

"Do we really need to? Mea's team seemed hastily put together, so it made sense for them to register with the alliance, but we’re not in that kind of situation."

"Still, I think it’d be better if we registered properly. It would give us peace of mind, and it would feel like we’re really a team."

Did we have to? I wasn’t sure, but there were quests that could only be taken by registered teams. So, there was no harm in doing it early.

"Alright, let’s go ahead. Maybe we’ll even pick up a decent quest."

We weren’t desperate for money, but some quests offered rare items as rewards. Plus, registering would help in future promotions.

The alliance was conveniently located along the way. We hadn’t walked far when we overheard an unexpected conversation, causing us to stop in our tracks.

"So, who is this Roman guy, anyway?"

"I’m telling you, my younger brother took the test, and he said the Heavenly Sword, the Storm’s Grace, and the Grand Duchess—everyone was watching that guy."

"Are you sure he’s a demon warlock? How’s that possible?"

"Honestly, I think something else is going on."

Ah, this again.

It seemed word of what had happened during the exam had already started to spread. I guess there had been plenty of eyes on us. It was only natural people found it strange that I, of all people, was the center of attention.

As I stood there, frozen, Ray elbowed me in the side, her voice laced with laughter.

"Pfft, should I lend you my hood? Huh?"

I couldn’t refuse.

"Yeah, lend it to me."

At least we had an easy name for our team now.

We’ll call ourselves "The Hooded Ones."