These Demons Do it for Free

Chapter 47

Hecate’s expression shifted slightly, her curiosity piqued by my comment. Before talking about the mutated creatures from the exam, I exaggeratedly looked around and asked, "By the way, where's Mea? I thought she just stepped out for a moment."

"...She went to the alliance," Hecate replied after a brief, meaningful pause, as if questioning whether I was trying to change the topic.

"She had to give testimony regarding the last training session and also handle some work related to the recent examination."

"Oh."

Now that I thought about it, this faction was in a precarious position. If they were removed from the regular factions, all their financial support from the city would be cut off. Without a sustainable business model or active income from explorations like other factions, Telema would be hit hard.@@@@

Like any company that survives solely on government grants and support funds, it was a delicate situation. My exclamation, filled with worry and sympathy, triggered an automatic defensive reaction from Hecate.

"It’s fine! Since you joined, we've filled up the numbers, and with the money you gave us last time, we’ve managed to cover some of the urgent expenses!"

The minimum number of members required for a faction was eight. Originally, there were five members. With me, it made six. As for the remaining two, we could figure out something. If worse came to worst, I could borrow Ray and Leif's names just to fill the slots.

They probably already filled those two empty spots with ghost members just to meet the minimum requirements.

"Mea's points from your training also helped a lot. It feels like everything's thanks to you, Roman."

"Well, you're not entirely wrong. I’ve basically provided the required number of members, operational funds, and evaluation points."

"Oh, by the way, Mea mentioned she’s planning to descend into the Abyss again."

When in doubt, change the subject. That was Hecate’s way of dealing with things.

Her skill at shifting topics so smoothly was a testament to her leadership as the head of the faction.

"I heard Mea didn’t join a guild, though."

"Yeah, so she’s probably going to form a new team."

Since she mentioned having business with the alliance, it seemed like Mea intended to gather some independent explorers like herself.

"But it’s not easy for a demon warlock to find a team."

I had made Mea promise not to reveal anything about me. Though Hecate had figured some things out, I didn’t want any further mention of me to spread. If Mea didn’t clarify her ability to offset the costs of her skills, she would be held back by the bias against demon warlocks.

"She’ll be fine."

"Why’s that?"

Hecate smiled confidently and shrugged.

"Mea's skill level isn’t just at the senior level. If anything, she’s more like an expert."

I see. That made sense. Even though Mea was technically in the same senior category as Priscilla and Jake, the gap in skill was significant.

Still, having an expert didn’t necessarily mean much in terms of faction strength.

"But aren't there plenty of experts in most factions? Holson said the real measure of power is how many masters they have."

That’s what I was about to say.

In front of Ray’s innocent question, Hecate’s head drooped like a willow branch.

"...Yes, well... Our faction is still a small one without any masters."

"Cheer up! Now that you have Roman, you’ll get one soon!"

Before that, I thought Hecate could probably become an explorer herself, but I suppose she had her reasons.

"Enough about Mea. So, what were you saying earlier? Something about things being 'complicated'?"

"Ah, right..."

I began explaining what had happened to us.

As I spoke, Hecate's expression grew more serious. By the time I finished, she was covering her mouth with her hand, her face darkened.

"This... This is a real mess."

"Your registration is confirmed."

Mea had completed the registration of her team. While it wasn’t mandatory to register a team like a guild, it was recommended for safety reasons. Keeping records could prevent most shady dealings from happening.

Of course, now she still needed to recruit members. But by posting a recruitment notice on the alliance's job board, Mea had achieved her goal for the day.

'Maybe I’ll listen in for a bit before I leave.'

It was currently a busy time, filled with chatter from newcomers.

The explorer profession had high turnover rates. Many died, and many joined.

"Is that enough?"

"Of course. The top talent is either the demon warlock, the spirit summoner, or the beastfolk battle mage. That’s for sure."

"...Are you joking?"

One of the men reached for his sword, looking like he was about to draw it. Mentioning all three classes commonly considered low-tier was akin to saying, "I’m messing with you."

But the man was serious.

"Calm down. I was the examiner for this round. You’ll see I’m right soon enough."

Showing his credentials as the examiner, the clan members seemed reluctant but willing to let it go. The gold coin likely didn’t hold much value for them anyway.

"Well, good luck to you. It’s tough finding people for clans, isn’t it?"

"You too. If you’re willing to sell this kind of information, you must be desperate for money."

"Not really. This is more like paying back a favor."

The man, Jake, thought of the three people who had saved him and smirked.

They were so capable, yet they were still independent. They were likely holding off on joining a group to increase their value. Since he owed them his life, he felt he should help out a bit.

As he scanned the pub, wondering where to spread the next bit of gossip, Jake suddenly sensed someone behind him and turned reflexively.

‘No one?’

"Down here."

Jake’s head lowered at the soft voice that came from below.

A dark elf. A very small one.

"...Do you need something?"

"You were talking about Roman, weren’t you?"

"Are you...?"

Jake vaguely remembered hearing that demon warlocks had their own factions... Before he could finish that thought, Mea spoke.

"I’ve found one team member."

"...What?"

A team member? Me? While Jake was still processing, someone else seized the moment.

"Me too! Can I join as well?"

"Hmm."

It was her. Mea gave Priscilla a dissatisfied look.

The woman who had tried to seduce Roman. To Mea, Priscilla was nothing more than a scheming snake.

"What about your faction?"

"Well, ever since that day, I’ve been a bit isolated in the faction... No one wants to work with me. Couldn’t you please...?"

Though the situation had been difficult, Priscilla had ended up as the failed leader of an expedition that had lost six members. Explorers lived with death constantly looming over them, so many were superstitious about working with those considered unlucky.

Even mages, who claimed to be seekers of truth, were prone to such beliefs. In martial circles, it was even worse.

Mea could sense Priscilla’s desperation. It reminded her of Hecate’s struggles with the faction’s reauthorization. Priscilla’s connection to Roman also played a role, but ultimately, she was someone Mea had met before. Despite coming from a large faction, she was now willing to join a newly formed team, which was already a sign that things weren’t normal.

"...Fine. I’ll accept you."

"Thank you! I’ll do my best!"

Priscilla, pleading earnestly, and Mea, reluctantly accepting her—this power dynamic played out before Jake’s eyes, causing him to stifle a laugh.

Wasn't she from the Blochstorm Faction? What could possibly make her so desperate...?

‘Roman, just who are you? After Frontier, Alexandria, and the city guards, now you’ve even got Blochstorm?’

Terrifying. It was terrifying just thinking about how far Roman’s web of connections stretched.

In the end, Jake, 90% unwilling and 10% willing, handed over his name to Mea.

Thus, Priscilla Rwanston and Jake Muren were added to the team Mea had created, Chosen. And the recruitment notice that Mea had posted disappeared from the job board within a day.

The reason? "Recruitment complete."