I Will Become the Length
They saw it.
The demon's power, the mage descending a salvation rope.
His blood was red.
Together with them.
Roman Sun casually waved his hand, as if nothing had happened, calming his teammates. He wiped the dripping blood from his fingers with the back of his hand.
It was nothing.
Soon after, Roman washed lightly with the water Leaf had summoned with Undine, then mechanically checked the next number.
Twelve.
The first in the row near the end was Juan of Alejandra's team, the brown-haired classmate.
He had a twisted expression, as if his lifespan had been shaved.
“…Twelve, Juan Blasco.”
Amaya was the one who spoke the number and name.
Of the survivors, only Roman, Arthur, Alejandra, and Fiona had greeted him and exchanged names while together.
Including the brief time they had traveled together, that included Amaya and Juan as well.
That was why.
Unlike Amaya, who casually shouted her name while giving the number as a joke, starting from number four they began seriously stating their numbers and names.
As if to remind them that you must remember who granted the favor.
As if to say that when the time came, come find me and receive the repayment of the grace received today.
Starting with four, then five, six, they introduced themselves one after another.
Some spoke of the guild they belonged to, others told of their academies and dormitories.
Some even listed their plans for what they would do after leaving.
That was because they had no guilds or academies like Roman.
Juan had not done so much as that.
But like the ones who went before, he spoke freely about his affiliation.
“Alexandria Academy, affiliated with the Ice Department, so you can find me there.”
“Remember.”
Roman said only that.
Before, too.
Even to the freshman who had openly asked what he wanted in exchange for today’s grace, Roman demanded nothing.
Even though that freshman was from a major academy like Celsus, from which one could gain quite a lot, just as Juan and Alejandra could.
*Different vessels…*
Juan muttered bitterly to himself.
She must have been right.
Alejandra.
The woman Juan served.
The successor who would become the next head of the Alexandria Academy.
When Alejandra first showed interest in Roman, Juan had been jealous of him.
That a lowly demonologist dared to steal Alejandra’s time and mental energy.
But now Juan acknowledged it.
Roman had value enough to receive Alejandra’s interest!
“You are someone I acknowledge.”
Just as Juan was about to continue in a lowered voice.
“Enough nonsense and hurry up and go.”
I will say what needs to be said.
Ray does not hold back.
“Is there no one waiting?”
“…We’ll talk after it ends.”
At a place where Fiona, who was at least equal to or better than Alejandra, was waiting, Juan himself could not drag out the time.
With that, Juan went out, and what remained were the three.
Leaf, Ray, and Fiona.
While Roman was gone outside for a short while, Fiona did not waste the time.
“The two of you.”
When Fiona’s lips parted, Leaf and Ray’s heads turned toward her.
It looked like young meerkats all at once moving their necks to look at the boss mongoose.
Two people like that, yet Fiona’s expression remained the same.
The composure that did not falter at even the slightest thing.
Fiona had always been like that.
The somewhat awkward appearance she had shown Roman had been the exception.
“Are you planning to stay with Roman’s team?”
The answer to Fiona’s question came immediately.
“…Yes.”
“That’s right.”
Leaf’s tone had a hint of wavering, while Ray spoke as if it were a given fact without any fluctuation.
To Leaf, it was probably not certain whether Roman would continue to be with her and Ray, who were only temporary team members from the training center.
Ray, on the other hand, was straightforward.
“So, I hope you don’t plan to pull us out. One redhead is enough for that kind of thing?”
“Fine.”
Fiona did not heed Ray’s warning-like intimidation.
There was no reason to.
Me? I am a grand duchess?
The third in the succession order of the family that rules Res Limen?
However, considering Roman’s team and the amazing magic he had shown in the battle against the sorcerer, Fiona proposed.
“What about all three of you?”
There was no immediate reply to this question.
Instead, another person asked back.
“Next? Ray’s turn?”
§
Now, only four remained including me, a sparse gathering of people.
The emptiness of having few people made the atmosphere heavier than before.
I asked Ray, who had come toward me for movement, in a small voice.
“What happened?”
“No? Nothing in particular…”
Ray, don’t lie.
Your ears and tail were telling the truth right now.
*Something happened.*
The chance of something happening between Leaf and Ray was low, so it must have been related to Fiona.
Was she offered a scout position?
Ray’s magic, Arjentus, was ironically a magic that dispelled magic.
From Fiona’s standpoint, who would be going to the city army after the training center, Ray would be attractive as a mage specialist.
*What to do…*
Deep down, I had wanted to take this team straight into the Abyss.
The balance was good, and each member’s abilities were high.
Both Ray and Leaf were the type to be quickly recognized as promising and receive massive support and be raised as ace no matter which guild they went to, their personal histories or personalities or classes just making them stand out.
With two such people on my team, going deep into the Abyss as my target would have been much easier.
But I could not voice that, because I knew it was the better choice for the two of their futures.
Could I support the two of them as much as a major guild?
Offering them a safe, guaranteed path to success, appealing to their sense of obligation, and asking them to come with me — was that really right?
No.
Each of them had their own paths.
Ray had her revenge against her uncle who killed her family and turned her into a slave and against the demonologist.
Leaf probably had something to do with her half-elf bloodline, though I did not know the details.
*The old team. A connection that would generously help when needed in the future. It is correct to be satisfied with that much.*
Like the people I saved today.
“But Roman, are you really okay?”
“If it’s about your body, no need to worry. You know it. It’s not at the cost of your lifespan.”
“You… No, fine. I won’t say. Besides that, isn’t it better to receive the reward for being saved? Even if they make you hand over a hundred gold each, I would happily do so.”
“Do you know how big a hundred gold coins is? The only ones who have that kind of wealth are the three great lords.”
“Three great lords? What is that? Earlier they were talking about three great heavenly things or something.”
“I didn’t know that. Fiona, Arthur, Alejandra.”
With those three, a hundred gold coins was basic; even if they asked for a thousand, they would probably hesitate and then accept.
For the others, it would not be easy.
It was a sufficient burden even for people like Juan and Amaya.
*And deciding to set a price is the judgment of the lower ranks.*
If you demand a reward, that’s the end.
From then on, the grace disappears, and only the transaction remains.
Even if you go later and ask for help, the reaction will be, ‘But you already paid then, right?’
In the end, the world is connections.
All matters in the world revolve around connections and budget.
This isekai is even more so than the modern Earth.
On Earth, they try to wrap it up as if connections are not everything, but here, openly flaunting connections is the daily reality.
I would face many conflicts and exchanges as I descended into the Abyss in the future.
There would be competition over ruins, and there would be times when I would ally with others to hunt powerful monsters.
What I would need there would not be money but connections.
Although nothing is impossible with money, there are clearly things that cannot be done with money in the Abyss.
There, violence becomes the law in a society where law and currency do not rule, but rather in an extremely closed environment.
However, connections are different.
If I am the savior of the grand duchess, the city army would help me.
If I am the savior of Arthur, the Frontier Guild would give me a place.
*Unless a price is paid, there will always remain a lingering sense of debt in the hearts of those who received the grace.*
Of course, there are those who come out with “you don’t owe me anything,” but it does not matter.
I will not be like that with the real important connections, like Arthur and Fiona.
As for Alejandra, I am not sure.
Anyway.
*It has to be spent carefully. It will be used over and over again. It cannot be covered with just a few coins.*
“I rested enough. Let’s go.”
“…Uh.”
As always, I tried to place my hand on Ray’s shoulder.
But the sensation on my palm was not the fabric of Ray’s rough cloak.
“Why, wh-what.”
You already grabbed it?
“No. Just… Then we’ll go.”
After dropping off Ray, Leaf’s movement was quick.
Leaf seemed thoughtful.
Unlike Ray, who bursts out at any moment, Leaf seemed to be groaning inwardly alone.
Even when leaving, Leaf had not spoken a word.
With that, the final.
“Fifteen. Fiona McManus. Lives at the Grand Duke’s residence.”
“…Grand Duchess, isn’t it not necessary?”
I already knew everything.
At my words, Fiona smiled faintly and said.
“It has meaning. Probably, everyone will remember this number for their whole lives. Me too.”
Fiona stopped in front of me and turned around.
The space with the traces of destruction still intact.
Was she trying to engrave this place firmly in her memory?
To never forget the enemies of the world that targeted her, the transgressions of the Abyss worshippers?
“I have a lot to say… but the timing is not right. It would be better to finish quickly and rest, Roman. Let’s go. Outside.”
“Yes, as you command, Grand Duchess.”
As I, who had been looking back beyond my shoulder with the thought that it was finally over, awkwardly followed the etiquette, Fiona laughed out loud for the first time and gracefully extended her hand.
“I grant permission. Guide me.”
My hand was placed over hers.
And we turned our backs on the underground forever.
§
[Contractor.]
‘Yes, Lady Seir.’
[Did you take care of it?]
‘Of course.’
Looking up at the black sky that had turned dark, I answered Seir’s question with a good feeling.
The round stone in my pocket.
That was the core that controlled the space of this underground level.
I did not know if it had always been there or if the Abyss worshippers had used it to remodel the underground level… but I thought it was probably the latter.
I had taken it from beneath the sorcerer’s feet.
If I took it out, I did not know what would happen to the underground level, so I had brought it with me at the end.
Through real combat experience, I had made magic.
I had built connections by granting grace.
I had taken the last spoils.
It seemed there would be a smile because I had gained too much from this test.
*And I won the bet too.*
Now, if it really just ended like this, there would be no better outcome.
But, perhaps this was the limit of my stamina.
No, maybe I had already passed the limit of stamina.
The long string of tension that had been tautly pulled suddenly snapped.
‘Ah…’
My vision darkened.
The sight of the chief running with Arthur was the last landscape before my eyes fully darkened.
§
“Roman?”
“In the healing room.”
“Then, since Roman’s teammates also came, shall we begin the main discussion.”
Fourteen of the sixteen underground survivors, excluding the unconscious Roman and Instructor Davenport.
At the gathering of those fourteen, Arthur said.
“From today’s events, Roman’s name will be buried.”