These Demons Do it for Free

Chapter 19

“You’re saying there is a way out?” “Yeah.”

The people around me responded with mixed reactions to my bold claim.

If I hadn’t already shown them teleportation magic, they would’ve probably dismissed it as nonsense. But I had already demonstrated the ability to manipulate space. Still, their doubts remained, because spatial magic was unheard of in most places, especially down here in the underground, where space itself was already distorted.

Moving within the underground might be feasible, but getting outside was another matter entirely.

But I was confident.

After all, I had already received confirmation.

Seir said it was possible. And if Seir said it could be done, it would work.

For an ordinary demon warlock, one use of teleportation would have left them trembling. Considering the rarity of spatial magic, the cost for even a single instance would be enormous.

Objectively, my abilities as a mage were below average. I’d just started building up magical power, barely able to manage a few basic spells.

The stronger a mage, the lighter the price for their contract with a demon. That’s what Seir had told me. As a mage’s rank rises, so does the worth of their time. The day of a great mage is not the same as that of an apprentice.

So, if I were to value myself, as an apprentice at best, how much would my time be worth?

“The risk is too high.”

Arthur spoke with a heavy tone.

“It’s better than staying here.” “...Maybe we should wait a bit longer. Rescue could come from outside.”

We could still manage for now. Arthur made that suggestion just as Amaia and the brown-haired guy, who had gone to scout the area, returned with grim expressions.

“It’s no use. The space is completely sealed.” “...Not a single crack.”

The worst had come to pass. We were trapped.

From now on, we’d be stuck breathing the limited air in this enclosed space.

Food and water weren’t the immediate concerns.

Water could be summoned by Leif’s spirit magic, and we could last about a week without food if needed.

But air—that was different.

Air was something no amount of magical energy or manipulation of mysteries could overcome. It was a limitation tied to all living things.

“Miss Yousglimpt?”

“Ah, yes!”

At Fiona’s call, Leif answered, clearly on edge and standing at attention like a nervous recruit.

“Do you have a contract with a spirit of air or wind by any chance?” “Ah... no.”

Leif’s head dropped in disappointment.

“That’s fine. Given the size of this area, we have a bit of time.” “You’ve forgotten? I’ve burned a lot of magic already. You might want to reconsider how much air we really have.” “And don’t forget about the corpse explosion.”

We were trapped with no clear idea of how much air we had left. We might run out of air at any moment.

If that happened, we’d just have to accept it.

So, there was only one choice.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get everyone out safely.”

My words left the others in a somber mood. Even the brown-haired guy, who had been so hostile toward me, frowned and turned away.

Only Alejandra looked at me with clear interest, as if she had been waiting for something like this. I was starting to understand why Fiona acted so wary whenever Alejandra’s name came up—it was like a cat lowering its tail around a predator.

“Let’s gather the others.”

Arthur’s voice carried an air of resignation. He moved to round everyone up, with Alejandra and Fiona following suit.

As for me, I wasn’t as influential as those three, so I just waited.

“Do you really have to do this, Roman?” “Huh?”

But if someone was willing to use their power, gained at the cost of their life, for the sake of others—didn’t that mean they had earned it?

'If only my master were here...'

“Fiona.” “Huh? What?” “They’re calling us.” “Oh... let’s go.”

Her steps felt heavy. She wondered if the others felt the same way.

“Is there really a way out?” “...Yes. I think so.” “You think?”

Theresia tilted her head, but Fiona didn’t say anything else.

However, their march didn’t last long.

“Looks like everyone’s here.”

Arthur’s voice made Fiona glance around.

Including Instructor Davenport, there were 16 of them left.

Out of the original 45 trainees, subtracting the 9 who left early, only 36 remained. Not even half had survived.

'So many...'

Before, she had felt bitter about the large number of casualties. Now she felt like there were too many left.

If Roman were to make 30 round trips with his teleportation spell...

Even if the cost was just one year of his life each time...

'That’s 30 years.'

Roman had hinted that his price wasn’t lifespan, but whatever it was, it would be a heavy toll.

“We’re going to escape from here.”

As Fiona’s thoughts grew heavier, Arthur continued speaking.

“Did you find a way?” “As expected of Arthur Carlyle... Large guilds are on another level...” “Maybe some secret magic of the Alexandria school...”

Those who had only recently joined the group started muttering excitedly about the possibility of escape.

“No. Neither I, nor Alejandra, nor the Grand Duchess could find a way out.”

Arthur’s words left them puzzled.

If not them, then who?

Davenport was too injured to help. Theresia, the future head of the Blastoma school, perhaps?

Who was going to do it?

“I will.”

Roman stepped forward, standing beside Arthur.

From here on, it was Roman’s job to explain.

“I’ll use teleportation to get us out. One by one, back and forth. So, right now, deactivate all your passive magic defenses or any other spells. If our magic overlaps, the accuracy will drop.”

Despite Roman’s explanation, there was still a lot of confusion.

Could they really trust him?

Wasn’t there a risk of getting stuck in the middle of a teleport?

And what if he suddenly demanded a steep price or something?

Their distrust of demon warlocks was clear, and it made Fiona feel like they were insulting her.

She raised her hand, about to speak, but someone else acted faster.

“I’ll go first.”

Alejandra swept her sleepy gaze over the doubters, then smiled at Roman.

“It’s fine, right? If I go first.”