These Demons Do it for Free-Chapter 75

Ray expressed my thoughts aloud.

“Since we’re supposed to operate as teams according to the plan, it can’t be helped. Given that the Abyss-worshippers are certain to intervene, even the most skilled explorers can’t ignore the worst-case scenarios.”

In contrast, Lief surprisingly seemed unfazed by the situation.

If anything, she appeared eager.

It seemed she preferred sticking with us over getting tangled up with awkward strangers.

“Well, that’s true.”

While it was a bit disappointing to miss out on the chance to expand our network, this arrangement wasn’t too bad.

Still, a slight feeling of regret lingered.

‘It would definitely be nice to have connections with the Conquorus side.’

One of the five major guilds, the Conquorus.

Alongside the Frontier, they were competing at the forefront of Abyss exploration, boasting the remarkable explorer Viola Peruntier as their leader, similar to how the Frontier had its pioneer.

Moreover, even though I wasn’t affiliated with Conquorus, my classmate Blair Dexcard was a direct brother to Grant Dexcard, who led the Frontier team over there.

Although Blair was only a member of the school, we were at least acquaintances through connections.

There was plenty of opportunity to strike up a conversation.

‘There will be other chances later.’

This expedition was a long one.

While we might not have many chances to meet, I wondered if I could seize even a single opportunity to talk.

‘First, I need to take care of our team.’

In our case, not only was there the rookie gathering led by Viola, but there was also the team managed by the Frontier, meaning there were effectively two teams moving together.

While I had a connection with Arthur from the Frontier, solidifying that bond would be beneficial.

It would certainly make things easier when we ventured into the depths alongside the Frontier later.

“Arthur, could you introduce us now?”

Just then—

“Watch out—!”

“Don’t mistake your position just because you’re a senior!”

The moment I approached Arthur, a girl named Lyudmila, who had been glued to the side of Arthur, pointed a finger at me, indicating Arthur.

But what returned to this Lyudmila was a reprimand from Arthur like thunder from the sky.

“Deina! Mind your words.”

“Wha—? But, senpai…”

“Roman, I’m sorry. She follows me too closely. I’ll apologize on her behalf.”

Arthur pressed down on Deina’s head, forcing it down as he lowered his own.

“Hey, it’s fine. What’s the big deal?”

“Hmm, that’s the way it should be.”

…That last comment came from Ray.

While I, the subject of the reprimand, didn’t mind, the situation turned amusing as Ray appeared to be enjoying the scene of Deina being forced to apologize.

“Geez! Senpai!”

“Be quiet. This isn’t just us here.”

“Ugh…”

Deina pouted, gazing up at Arthur with eyes full of grievance.

‘That’s it.’

‘That’s right.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

Lief and I exchanged glances, viewing Ray with affectionate eyes.

As Ray looked bewildered by Deina’s satisfaction at the forced apology, her expression shifted.

“So, then. You’re Deina Colleen, right?”

“Hmm! It seems you do know my name. Arthur-senpai must have told you.”

“No. I heard it from Lyudmila.”

Deina’s mood soured immediately upon hearing my response.

‘Her emotions are quite transparent.’

What a fun character.

“Let’s introduce ourselves, shall we? We’ll be on this expedition together for a while.”

When Arthur glanced at Deina, she spoke reluctantly as if she were forced into it after seeing him nod.

“...I’ll skip my name since you already know it. I’m a mage, just like senpai. Unfortunately, unlike senpai, I’m just a regular conjurer without any bloodline enhancement.”

A conjurer?

That was quite a rare class.

While similar to a necromancer, conjurers were notoriously scarce due to their challenging prerequisites.

I thought they would be in a neck-and-neck competition with the number of demon mages?

While anyone could become a demon mage, they might avoid it due to the risks, whereas conjurers were often unable to pursue their desired path even if they wished to.

‘Just by looking at her, I figured out why she was brought along.’

Being a conjurer didn’t mean one had to play a single role.

However, most would typically associate a conjurer with one image.

An investigator.

They call upon the souls of the deceased and extract knowledge and experience from them.

Even if their target is dead, they ensure that their information is not sent beyond the afterlife.

In fact, it becomes even easier for them to obtain information by killing their targets.

‘So, if they see Abyss-worshippers, they’ll just kill them and extract information using conjuration?’

That was a rather drastic but effective method.

Given the deployment of such extraordinary power as the pioneers, it was indeed the most efficient approach.

Having grasped Viola’s plan, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“I feel like we’re not going to have much to do.”

“Well… that’s true?”

Ray spoke as if she already knew.

Since she was an experienced member who had dipped her toes into the Frontier, she probably sensed that our turn would not come once they stepped forward.

Combat?

There were plenty of stronger people around.

Interrogation?

Just kill them and extract information from their souls.

What can we do?

Should we just bring popcorn?

“It’s not necessarily that simple. We’ll likely be tasked with battling the Sentinels.”

“We?”

“Master wants us to prepare for potential attacks from Abyss-worshippers, and bringing us along is primarily to gain experience. Moreover, I’ve heard that you’ve caught a Sentinel already, haven’t you?”

“A Sentinel? That demon mage?”

Arthur seemed to know, while Deina looked shocked, her eyes widening.

Upon further inquiry, capturing a Sentinel during our novice days was basically a guarantee of our mastery level.

Indeed, even Viola, leading the front line, had accomplished that.

It was proof of their verified potential.

In terms of martial arts, it was akin to the Seven Dragons.

For Deina, it must have felt like her senior, who just returned from a training camp under the Martial Arts Association, had befriended some strange outlaws, and those outlaws had surprisingly killed a renowned swordsman, gaining the title of a dragon before her.

“Others were also involved, but I’d say I can handle that role well enough.”

“Hmm… that’s true.”

So, it would be me, Ray, Arthur, and Deina.

Would we be the ones capturing the Sentinels and closing off the hidden paths while Viola watched from the sidelines?

“I have a feeling things are about to get unexpectedly busy.”

“So do I.”

“Me too.”

With the ominous sensation of it becoming a reality, we pressed on.

Until we entered the second level.

§

Abyss, Level 2.

The Great Labyrinth.

As we entered the second level, we expanded our light magic to secure visibility.

“Shall we begin?”

Viola said as she stretched and casually tapped the wall beside her.

Though it was a light touch, the impact was anything but light.

Boom!

It sounded like a grand pipe organ had been played.

She hadn’t struck a bell.

The walls weren’t made of metal or magnets.

She merely touched a rock wall, yet such a resonating sound emerged.

“Good. Nothing here.”

After that simple touch, it seemed like Viola had concluded some assessment.

She took a stance, and a lance I’d never seen before appeared in her hand.

At the same time, her clothing fluttered.

There was no wind.

It was the tremor produced by the energy radiating from her body.

And then it exploded.

KABOOM!

The energy emitted from the lance pierced through the wall.

The wall, now cleanly breached, resembled the cross-section of this labyrinth.

Punching through the labyrinth’s wall to clear a path.

It was a straightforward thought, but when attempted, most would give up due to the wall’s hardness and the depth of the path not yielding easily.

Viola accomplished this feat as if it were a casual stroll after dinner.

“This should be enough to come through.”

Just as she finished that statement, a colossal roar, filled with rage, echoed throughout the labyrinth.

“Who is it?!”

The furious shout reverberated as if to shake the entire maze.

Yet, the target of that fury, Viola, stood with her arms crossed, nonchalantly waiting.

“Roman, you asked on the way, didn’t you? Whether 40 people could search through the entire second level.”

Oh, I remember that question.

To be exact, I had directed it at Lyudmila rather than Viola.

But the keen-eared Viola had apparently caught wind of it.

Lyudmila had mentioned that there would be an explorer with excellent detection abilities included in each team for this purpose.

Though our team didn’t seem to have one, I had wondered if Viola had deemed it sufficient based on her intuitive prowess as a pioneer or if they were relying on the variable that was Deina, a conjurer.

Yet, Viola had prepared something entirely different.

“We’ll be using a guide. The best guide on the second level.”