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…”

Hecate mumbled with a subdued voice, pressing her forehead against the counter bar.
She looked exactly like a slime in that moment.
But what drew my attention even more was the large object squished against the bar table.

“Roman.”
“Yes?”
Hecate suddenly called my name.
I flinched slightly.

“Take a break and come to the workshop later. I have something to discuss.”
“Ah, yes. What about Meha…?”
“By herself? No, it’s fine if she comes along. That too.”

Her voice was serious, yet her posture still showed her head buried in the counter, lacking any weight.
In any case, what Hecate meant was that it didn’t matter since Meha had received my mark.
If she had something to say, it was likely about the book and potions I had entrusted to Hecate.
Given what we knew so far, it would be about the items left behind by Cordelia, a member of the first expedition.

In that case, it wouldn’t matter if Meha went along since she had been there when we discovered them.

“Meha can come with us, right?”
“Yeah. Sounds good.”

I returned to the room, unpacked my things, and after a refreshing shower, I dressed comfortably and went downstairs.
Hecate’s workshop was a separate place from the basement used for training.
It was a room located towards the back of the first floor, about 15 pyeong (approximately 500 sq. ft.).

I could have gone in first, but I entered with Meha, who had been waiting outside.
This was my first time entering Hecate’s workshop.
Though the entire academy building functioned as Hecate’s domain, the workshop itself was something special.

“Wow…”
Bookshelves filled with all kinds of books lined both walls.
The desk at the front was covered in flasks and notes, possibly an experiment table.
There were also taxidermied specimens placed around, showcasing her identity as a demon mage.
The room felt so dense that it made the 15 pyeong space feel like a tiny room.

This is what a true mage’s workshop looks like.
While the academy struggled, barely holding on by selling alcohol, it managed to preserve the legacies of the past.

“Hmm? Oh, is this your first time, Roman?”
“Isn’t it?”
“Really?”

Hecate grinned mischievously, much like a city mouse boasting about its urban landscape to a country mouse.
Yet, ironically, that city mouse wasn’t even the genuine article enjoying all the perks of the city.

“Hmm. How do you feel? Doesn’t it fill you with pride to have joined our academy? Doesn’t it inspire a deep respect within you?”
It did up until she said that, but now it felt a bit forced.
“Hecate, enough.”
“Ah… okay.”

With Meha’s intervention, Hecate quickly reigned it in, pulling out a box containing Cordelia’s relics.

“I found this.”
“Oh, now I feel the respect building up.”
“Right? Hehe, well, it’s something like this.”
“Hecate, explain.”
“…It’s gotten a bit too cold lately, Meha.”

As Hecate floundered with her attitude, she opened the box.
Inside was a book that hadn’t been there before.
“It’s a translated version.”
“A translated version?”
“I had quite a bit of trouble with this one. Not only did it use archaic magical language, but it was also encrypted. What puzzles me more is where the contemporary text on the first page came from.”
“I’m more amazed that you managed to translate it all in such a short time.”
“Really?”

Hecate’s face relaxed at my half-hearted compliment.
She shrugged her shoulders and propped her large chest with her arms, saying,
“The knowledge of demons is limitless! Those who commune with demons to uncover the truths of the world—aren’t we demon mages that very thing?”
“Academy head, you’re surprisingly scholarly.”
“Surprisingly? I’m always serious!”

I took the translated version and flipped through its contents.
“Honestly, you probably won’t understand everything, even if you read it. I translated it, but I don’t fully grasp the content either. There might be some errors.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“But I’m confident about what this reagent is.”

As I briefly closed the translation and looked at Hecate, she held up a vial containing the reagent and spoke in a heavy tone.
“Cordelia named this Solutio. Its meanings include…”
“Solution, answer, liberation, or something like that.”
“Yeah. But while translating the book, I gave this potion an additional temporary name.”

Vesin Serum (為神血淸).
The blood of ancient heroes used to create gods.

§

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.