These Demons Do it for Free-Chapter 74

Lief was handling the mana concentrator with remarkable skill, as if she had already worked with it before, pulling levers and blowing in mana, producing sounds of clinking and clattering as the concentrator began to resonate.

As the machine whirred, the concentrator rattled.

Then, a crystalline substance emerged from the outlet beneath the concentrator where Lief had been supporting her hands.

“What’s that?”

“The concentrator doesn’t just gather mana. It’s somewhat like creating mana crystals.”

The mana crystals produced in this manner would later be processed into potions through various catalysts and reagents.

“Leave that for now. I’ll handle it later. After all, you both lack the tools and reagents to process this.”

Just then, Costin, having finished getting a rough idea about the prestigious serum, spoke up.

“Roman-san.”

Suddenly, he addressed me by my full name?

“Yes?”

“Are you perhaps… a descendant of the first expedition team?”

“Me?”

The only officially recognized descendants of the first expedition team were from the Grand Duchy, right?

Seven expedition members.

The first expedition, caught somewhere between history and legend, had lost many records over the long passage of time.

The only ones documented were Lobard, the founding king who established Les Lemen, and Cordelia, who helped him build the city and was subsequently promised privileges to establish the Golden City.

Aside from those two, the other five expedition members had neither descendants nor apprentices.

So how could I possibly be a descendant?

“Perhaps. But that’s the most reasonable inference.”

“I just got lucky.”

“Lucky? You happened to acquire the progenitor's legacy? That’s hard to believe.”

“Well, one could say I was fortunate.”

“Hmm... I suppose you’ll find out when you study it.”

Costin seemed to have realized that the prestigious serum was something extraordinary after just a brief glance.

His words hinted at that right away.

“There should be research data, right? Alchemy is a discipline that has developed through inference and experimentation. The progenitor surely wouldn’t have overlooked that.”

“It’s with the Telema school.”

“The Telema school?”

“Yes.”

“I see. You probably entrusted it to Hecate Clay. That’s not bad, but unless you’re an alchemist, it’s hard to uncover everything.”

Hecate had said something like that too.

So when Lief mentioned the Golden City, she brought the prestigious serum along.

“Was that the original intent?”

That’s right.

Lief had mentioned there was a teacher in the Golden City.

Afterward, the teacher added that she wanted Lief to be under her protection, but that wasn’t particularly important.

“So, you never intended to send Lief away from the team from the start.”

“Of course.”

The thought of sending Lief away from the team never crossed my mind.

How could I give up a walking water purifier, a living oxygen generator?

If I, as a human, entered into a toxic contract with demons, Lief, as a high elf by birth, would be forced into blind devotion to spirits without pay, insurance, or time off.

I might be deceitful, but Lief was no slouch either.

Unlike borrowing the power of demons, spirit magic ultimately relies on the caster’s mana, which is disappointing, but Lief offsets that with her half-high-elf racial traits.

However, if I were to accompany Lief, I’d have to bear the risks as well.

But that was a problem that applied to both Ray and me.

Should I give up such an extraordinary talent because of fear?

In a situation where we might have to go to the ends of the Abyss?

That would never do.

And frankly, beyond such calculations, I had grown fond of her.

The months spent together filled with warmth were enough to overshadow the loneliness of my past as a slave.

It was thanks to the two of them.

“All I ask is for this one thing.”

The only thing I would leave to Costin was the prestigious serum.

Lief would continue to stay with us.

Until Lief finds her mother somewhere beneath the Abyss.

Until Ray grows strong enough to take her revenge.

Until I finish preparing to return to my hometown.

“...Alright. But I have conditions as well. If you refuse that, then there will be no negotiations. I will fulfill my duty as Lief’s protector and Neza’s sister.”

“At that time, that serum will never see the Golden City.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a negotiation.”

The prestigious serum was both a commissioned item and a bargaining chip.

After all, neither Hecate nor I had found out how to use it.

As it was called a serum, we had discovered how to administer or transfuse it to a target, but that was it.

We couldn’t even grasp the side effects of just randomly injecting it.

So, the only option was to entrust it to someone who could discover the proper usage.

And for that person, the research itself would become a reward.

“That’s quite a dilemma.”

Costin clicked his tongue.

The legacy of the progenitor was an irresistible temptation for her, who had risen to the position of tribe leader with the aim of reaching the pinnacle of alchemy.

She was the leader of the Elixiristae tribe, who believed in the Elixir of immortality.

“You’ve won.”

In the end, Costin couldn’t let go of the prestigious serum.

“I’ll personally go get the research logs from the Telema school. I can’t afford to wait even a moment longer.”

“Sure.”

And that was how the negotiations concluded.

§

The purpose was all achieved.

We left the Golden City feeling buoyant.

In this mood, Ray impulsively spent all her money at the second floor of the Golden City, buying gauntlets and greaves.

So, with a sense of satisfaction shared by Ray, Lief, and me, we headed towards the Telema school when suddenly, Lief let out a sigh.

“Ah…!”

“Why? Is there another problem?”

“Weren’t we supposed to receive supplies that would help with the upcoming expedition from the Golden City?”

We had planned to use Lief's connections to receive some helpful materials from Costin.

“...Let’s turn back.”

We had to gather what we needed.

§

Finally, dawn broke.

Three days had swiftly passed.

And it was the departure day for the expedition.

The main base of the first level of the Abyss.

We stood at the location where Viola had notified us in advance.

Exchanging brief glances with Arthur, who had arrived earlier, I checked the faces of those gathered here.

The number was around 40.

Surprisingly, for an expedition meant to cover the entire second level, the number wasn’t that high.

'Is it a select few?'

While the numbers were few, the quality of each individual was extraordinary.

Among them, there were those presumed to have come for observation, like us or Arthur, but such individuals were quite rare.

Perhaps one out of five?

“Everyone has arrived!”

A booming voice echoed.

A voice that was solid and fitting for the description resounded throughout the area.

At the same time, a woman appeared on the platform.

It was Viola Peruntier.

Standing confidently with her hands on her hips and her legs spread shoulder-width apart, Viola was fully visible from below, thanks to her position on the platform.

Viola radiated satisfaction at the fact that no one had been late.

“As expected of the selection I made!”

With one compelling statement, Viola captured the attention of the audience in an instant and proceeded with her speech without hesitation.

“As you all know, the objective this time is to search for and close off the hidden paths that the filthy Abyss-worshippers have presumably opened in the second layer!”

What followed didn’t hold much nutritional value.

It was mostly filled with insults directed at the filthy Abyss-worshippers or self-assured statements about how this expedition wasn’t a big deal.

While most people listened attentively to her speech due to Viola’s overwhelming reputation as a pioneer, not everyone was captivated.

“Hello, you’re Arthur’s friends, right?”

The one offering a warm greeting was a woman with a gentle demeanor.

I hadn’t expected anyone to interrupt Viola’s speech, so I momentarily stumbled over my words.

“Oh, hello.”

“Pfft, don’t worry too much. Our captain tends to talk a lot. But her skills are solid as well.”

Ah, she must be from the Frontier Guild.

I shot a glance at Ray, who was supposed to play the role of a bridge between us, but she simply shrugged her shoulders.

'You haven’t met them before? What did you do during the training?'

'I got beat up.'

Okay.

That makes sense.

Of course, the shy Lief clung to Ray to avoid these social butterflies.

“Ah! I talked too much about myself. Umm… Do you know who I am?”

“I’m sorry, but not at all…”

“Arthur wouldn’t say something like that.”

The one who provided justification for my ignorance immediately scolded me.

“It’s not a good attitude to lack interest in other explorers. It’s good to keep track of master-level explorers and named ones from large guilds.”

It was utterly reasonable advice, revealing a side of her as a senior.

However, it didn’t resonate much with me, probably because of Ray.

That person was a lionkin.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

'A lionkin… smart?'

Was that even possible?

In essence, Ray was the only sample of beastfolk I had.

My understanding of beastfolk had been tainted by her.

“She’s Ruslan. An expert level and a martial arts faction.”

While my brain froze in surprise at the appearance of a wise lionkin, a soft voice provided me with information calmly.

“I’m Lyudmila. Lyudmila Illyin. As you can see, a pure human. A mage, a typical supporter. My rank is also an expert, just like Ruslan!”

Lyudmila’s explanation didn’t stop there.

Her verbosity likely reflected not just Viola but also her own self-introduction.

Still, her words contained certainly useful information.

They belonged to the Frontier Guild along with Arthur and…

“That kid.”

The girl standing close beside Arthur.

“Deina Colleen. She’ll probably be in your team.”

“With us?”

“Yep. Your team will consist of Arthur and Deina. The two of you will be under the direct supervision of our guildmaster.”

“Lyudmila and I will take charge of a different team.”

Viola had split the expedition into four teams.

With the aim of dispersing around the central meeting point to cover all areas.

One team led by Viola herself.

One team led by Ruslan and Lyudmila, both veterans of the Frontier.

Then what about the other two?

“See over there?”

The person Lyudmila pointed to had a look that was simply unforgettable at first sight.

An armor covering their entire body.

However, unlike the plate armor typically worn by martial artists, they were clad in scale armor.

The design was reminiscent of Eastern styles rather than Western ones.

“Grant Dexcard of the Conquorus.”

“Is he a ghost warrior?”

“...You know that, huh?”

Hmm, sorry about that.

But the name Grant Dexcard was quite famous.

Unlike the two experts, Grant Dexcard was a master-level explorer.

While I couldn’t memorize all master-level explorers as Ruslan mentioned, I knew a fair number of renowned masters.

While there were only dozens of master explorers, most of them remained hidden away in the depths of the Abyss and didn’t show their faces in the city, making it challenging to remember all their names and faces.

However, I could match Grant Dexcard’s name with the image in my mind even on our first meeting.

How should I put it?

It was as if I recognized a similar face even though it was our first encounter.

“I have some connections there.”

“I know. Blair Dexcard. Grant’s younger sister, right?”

“You know her.”

Well, since she’s my classmate, she’s also Arthur’s classmate.

It’s only natural that a large guild like the Frontier would keep tabs on their personnel.

Especially since Arthur was called the next guildmaster, and thus it’s expected that other guild members would be interested in anything related to Arthur.

“And the last team is…”

“Then!”

Just as Lyudmila was about to reveal the final team,

Viola’s voice drowned out Lyudmila's.

“Let’s move out!”

§

“We’ve started.”

“What’s the headcount?”

“42 people. The overall commander is Viola Peruntier.”

The figure wearing a hood and thoroughly wrapped in a long robe had likely applied a transformation magic to distort their voice, making it difficult to gauge their gender or age.

Listening to them, the one calmly turning the pages of a book spoke up.

“Viola. Her return presents a rather fine offering.”

“Do you think we can catch her?”

“Are you doubtful? Of those fakes?”

“…The pioneers are the pinnacle of the current generation. Although they may lack in comparison to the first expedition team, it wouldn’t be wise to underestimate them.”

“Having stepped back from the front lines, she hasn’t set foot in the Abyss for years.”

“…It wouldn’t be too late to wait until Jegan completes the revival and secures reliable information.”

“Hmph, what does a Jegan who was defeated by a bunch of rookies matter?”

Thud.

The man closed his book with a sound filled with irritation.

“And there’s no time to wait.”

He carefully secured the book into a holder and stood up.

With exaggerated gestures, he spread his arms wide.

As if to embrace someone, he declared:

“The saintess will be returning soon.”