The Return
I followed Mea into the small back room tucked behind the counter.
In the past, this cramped space had served as a storage room, but it now stood empty save for the faint traces of what once was.
Still, a handful of boxes that could double as chairs sat there. Mea and I dropped down onto them, our backsides meeting the cardboard.
“What happened? Did you change your job?”
Earlier, I had caught a glimpse of drinks being served from somewhere. Was this actually turning into a maid café?
“No. We’re still Thelema School.”
“Then what?”
Those gathered out there—who exactly were they? Mea’s unexpected answer surprised me.
“People who came to find a demonologist.”
“A demonologist?”
That sounded like some kind of bizarre rumor.
Well… maybe it was possible. After all, no one could search for people better than a demonologist.
Thinking about it, a fortune-teller might suit them even more than a magic school.
Yet no matter how I looked at the crowd, they didn’t look like people or objects seekers. Their looks screamed they were ready to dash into the Abyss at any moment.
Even with my doubts swirling, Mea gave a clear answer.
“A new species of monster called Evolver was discovered on the first floor.”
Evolver.
The name alone painted the picture of some powerful foe.
“It has incredibly strong resistance to other attacks, but oddly enough, it’s weak to demonology.”
Oh… right.
That evolution bugbear we caught. Had it earned the name Evolver?
The name fit like a glove.
“Do you know about it too?”
“Of course. It was the first monster we took down. I figured out its weakness to demonology myself.”
“Really?”
Mea’s tone lifted a notch, her eyes sparkling with fresh curiosity.
“By the way, I never told you about this.”
I had assumed that since I told Hekate, she would have passed it on to Mea. Apparently not.
Mea listened intently as I explained the variant bugbear and its new name, adding small enthusiastic interjections.
“It’s strange. I’ve walked the Abyss for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a bugbear evolving like this.”
That was… truly fascinating.
Mea had seen plenty of things.
“Roman, what are you thinking about?”
“Uh, nothing. Just… where did those clothes come from?”
“This?”
Her instinctive dodging reply made Mea stand up, the maid outfit she wore swaying as she moved.
“Dan gave them to me.”
“Dan?”
“Yeah. The potion shop guy.”
That old man… what was his angle?
And the sizing looked perfect, which made me suspicious.
“Roman! Mea! Stop lounging around and help us!”
§
“It’s over…”
Hekate rested her forehead on the counter table with a weary sigh.
She looked exactly like a slime—flabby, drifting, and utterly spent.
Yet my gaze kept drifting to the massive form still pinned and gently squished against the table.
“Roman.”
“Yes?”
Hekate suddenly called my name.
A jolt ran through me.
“After you rest a bit, come to the workshop. I have something to discuss.”
“Oh, sure. Mea is…”
“By yourself, no. You can come along too. It’s okay either way.”
Her voice was serious, but her posture still bent over, heavy with meaning.
Whatever she meant, I suspected it had to do with Mea’s contract mark and how she was tied to me.
Most likely, her words would involve the books and potions I’d discovered—the remnants left by Cordelia, a member of the First Expedition.
Since I had found them with Mea at the time, she should be fine joining.
“Mea, will you come with me too?”
“Sure. I’m in.”
I returned to the room, packed my things casually, showered, and changed into comfortable clothes before descending.
Hekate’s workshop lay in a separate basement area from the training room on the first floor.
It was roughly fifteen paces, located toward the back.
Even though I could have entered alone, I went in together with Mea, who was already waiting outside.
It was my first time visiting Hekate’s workshop.
Though the school itself served as her domain, the actual workshop felt distinct.
“Wow…”
Shelves packed on both walls brimmed with every kind of book imaginable.
The desk in front resembled an experimental table, buried under vials and notes.
Everywhere, stuffed dolls and figures scattered around to show the demonologist side of the place.
Despite the room’s size, it felt as if it were crammed into a cramped storage space.
This was truly a mage’s workshop.
It was the legacy of our predecessors, preserved through hardship while the school declined and they sold their own liquor to survive.
“Hmm? Oh, Roman, was this your first time?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Hekate flashed a sly grin, like a city mouse showing off the sights to a newly arrived country mouse.
Yet she wasn’t the real city mouse who actually enjoyed every benefit.
“Heh heh. How does it feel? Does the pride of entering our school surge? Does respect pour out?”
Earlier she had sounded genuine. Now the sudden words made me feel uneasy.
“Hekate, stop.”
“Ah… yeah.”
Hekate quickly straightened under Mea’s rebuke and pulled out Cordelia’s relics, still muttering.
“I figured this out.”
“Oh? Respect is already born?”
“Well… yeah? Heh heh. Anyway, this much is fine.”
“Hekate, explain.”
“…I’ve become too cold lately, Mea.”
Still chattering, Hekate opened the box.
Inside sat a new book I hadn’t seen before.
“It’s a translation.”
“A translation?”
“I worked really hard. It wasn’t just written in ancient runes—it was encrypted too. Even more puzzling, the modern text on the first page seems to come from nowhere.”
“The school leader who translated this in such a short time is way more impressive.”
“Really?”
Her relaxed smile widened as my honest lip service registered.
She shrugged, crossed her arms under her ample chest, and spoke.
“Demons’ knowledge is infinite! They explore the world’s truths through their dealings with us. That’s exactly what we demonologists are!”
“Principal, you’re surprisingly scholarly.”
“Surprisingly? I’ve always been serious.”
I flipped through the translation, the book swaying in my hands.
“It probably won’t be completely clear even after you read it. I translated it too, but I don’t understand every part perfectly. There might be some mistranslations.”
“I’ll read with that in mind.”
“But I’m certain what this serum does.”
I set the book aside and met Hekate’s heavy gaze as she held up the vial.
“Cordelia named this Solutio. The meaning is…”
“Solution, answer, release… something like that.”
“Yes. But while translating the book, I gave it an additional name.
Wisin Serum.
The blood of ancient heroes created to make gods.”
§
Just as I was about to ask if I should discuss this with Seir and Leraje, I suddenly stopped.
“Roman, stop thinking.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t think about demons.”
Right now?
After all, Hekate had used demons’ power to translate and discover the serum’s true nature.
“Different. I did the first translation myself, then figured it out through a one-time deal with a summoned demon, not my contracted one. There are many things to watch out for with demonology.”
Confused, I trailed Hekate’s words until she added a distant question.
“Do you know that thinking of a demon’s name summons them?”
“Of course. It’s one of the basic principles.”
“Speak of the devil, and it is sure to appear.”
The saying perfectly matched “tigers come when you call their names.”
“You know the true names of demons carry power. As scholars say, names have special significance. Demon names are especially potent—they react the moment someone thinks of their true name.”
“Even calling a contracted demon’s name brings them to you.”
“That’s deadly for demonologists.”
“…Is that true?”
It seemed too convenient to just read thoughts and see what you were looking at.
“They read your mind, see what you see, and know what you intend.”
It felt like a violation of privacy, but if they always had your best interests in mind…
They would give the most helpful advice.
That was exactly why Seir had recommended Leraje in the first place.
“Roman, I know you’re special. A person who asks for no price from demons, beloved by them. I only saw that side of you once. There are many secrets hidden within you.”
Hekate’s voice lowered, measured and careful.
This wasn’t the sloppy school leader I knew. It was the veteran demonologist who had studied demons across generations and centuries.
“But Roman. Don’t trust demons.”
“They don’t lie, so they don’t trick people either. Remember—they are never anyone’s ally. A knife without a guard can wound its own wielder.”
“…I’ll remember.”
I honestly felt more drawn to Seir and Leraje than Hekate, but she was right.
They had given me new hope in this world and made my place possible.
But…
“I still can’t ignore them.”
Why did they not ask for a price? Was it simply because we came from different worlds?
Or was there some hidden motive I didn’t know?
“What a heavy worry to drop on me.”
It was worth thinking about seriously.
As I thanked Hekate for her efforts and advice, she smiled the gentle smile I knew and spread her palms upward.
“What’s that gesture?”
“Tuition.”
“…You paid the entrance fee.”
“Heh! This is a special lesson from the principal’s secret techniques!”
She wasn’t actually trying to charge money, was she?
§
The next morning.
As I prepared to leave for the inn where Leaf and Ray waited, an arrival came to Thelema School.
“Hurry over here—!”