Chapter 40
Branding.
Just as Devils engraved their seal on their pact-bearers, it was a symbol of subjugation that a Devil Sorcerer imprinted on a lower-ranking Devil Sorcerer.
Although I was practically a novice as a Devil Sorcerer, I knew to some extent what branding meant to Devil Sorcerers.
I didn't have to look far; I had nearly been the target of branding myself.
Malebris, the Devil Sorcerer who had tracked Rei.
He had declared he would brand me and make me his slave and said that I would be an experimental subject before ultimately becoming a sacrifice.
A state where one was alive but couldn't be said to be living.
That was what branding was.
At least, that was what I knew about it.
"Just to make sure."
So I asked.
Wondering if there was something about branding between Devil Sorcerers that I didn't know.
"Is this branding you're talking about the same as what's done to slaves?"
Mea nodded.
"...I heard that branding establishes a hierarchy between Devil Sorcerers and builds a system of control, something like that."
I wasn’t sure if I should believe Malebris' words, but…
Judging by how he had boasted to me, there must be a similar mechanism.
And my guess was confirmed by Mea's answer.
"That's all correct."
She's asking me to do that to her?
I couldn't understand.
I had lived as a slave, not knowing when, where, or for what reason my life might be taken.
The slave brand imprinted on me was a terrible curse that could instantly kill me, a slave, at the master's will.
Now, all its magical abilities have been removed, leaving only the slave tattoo as a trace on my body.
But it still gave me stress, like having a gun pointed at my head, not knowing when it might go off.
The reason I covered the slave tattoo was not only to hide my slave background but also because it was unbearable to be reminded of the past every time I saw it.
I couldn't understand why Mea was asking me to do such a thing to her voluntarily.
However, Mea calmly explained her reason, "Branding isn't one-directional. It goes both ways. The only aspect that’s one-directional is control."
My thought that it was the same thing was immediately shattered by Mea's following explanation.
"So if the subject decides, it's possible to take on the object's problems."
"By problems, do you mean the price?"
"Usually, yes."
Now I could understand why Mea had asked me to brand her.
In fact, thinking about it, it wasn't such a difficult problem.
The negative perception I had of branding, stemming from my own bad experiences, had caused an unconditional aversion that prevented me from realizing it.
"Your Patron Devils are undoubtedly higher in rank than mine. I can feel it. The two Archdevils lurking beyond you, Roman."
It was a far-fetched thing for a Devil Sorcerer to recognize another's Patron Devils.
Even Hecate, whom Mea herself acknowledged as a superior Devil Sorcerer, couldn't do it.
But somehow, it felt like Mea could do it.
Is it because she's a dark elf?
I just naturally accepted it.
"So, Mea wants to divert the price from her existing pact through my branding, is that it?"
"Exactly."
"What about Hecate?"
Seir and Leraje had said that Hecate's Patron Devil was of an extremely high rank.
If two Devils said so, it would be fair to say that Hecate also has the rank to brand Mea.
"...The price wouldn't disappear."
In the end, avoiding the price through branding was nothing more than transferring that price through the brand.
Someone must always pay that price.
"But you're different, Roman," Mea spoke with conviction.
As if she knew what kind of being I was better than I did myself.
"You are loved by devils. You enjoy infinite gifts from Devils who take lives and souls in exchange for sweet power. You could probably disperse even my price with just a single breath. In fact, you've already done so."
That must have been the decisive factor.
Who would have thought that one act of kindness, helping Mea sleep properly because I felt sorry for her, would snowball to this extent?
"If I brand you, won't Mea have to obey my orders?"
"Will I?"
When asked like that, I had nothing to say.
"Isn't that unknown?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Pardon?"
"If that's what you want to do, that's fine."
That was the resolution with which she spoke.
Mea's request wasn't an impulsive decision made in a fit of anger overnight.
During the two weeks, we were down in the Abyss, this was the conclusion Mea had reached after pondering, analyzing, and observing during that time.
It was a request made with the thought that she would be willing to give her all in exchange for me taking away her price.
"...Was this what you talked about with Hecate?"
"No... I didn't tell Hecate."
That made my thoughts even more complicated.
I don’t know if I should agree to this or not.
I silently pondered to myself.
Mea also left my contemplation undisturbed without saying anything during that time.
Mea's price was dreams.
A very nasty price that took away dreams, forcing the pact-bearer into a hellish loop of nightmares.
Is that price, which prevents proper sleep, really worth dedicating the rest of one's life to avoid?
That's probably not the whole picture.
The exploration journal she kept with almost obsessive meticulousness.
Judging by how she prioritized checking it over anything else when she woke up, she probably also offered her memories while sleeping as a price.
If that was the case, it was understandable to want to avoid the price even at the cost of being branded.
If you're going to forget anyway, if all the experiences and emotions you'll accumulate as you live will disappear, what meaning is there in living?
"...Alright."
"Huh?"
"I'll accept it. Mea's request."
As if she hadn't expected me to agree right away, Mea's eyes widened.
"But I don't know how to do it, so could you teach me the method?"
"...Yes!"
§
It was around dawn.
When Mea came out of Roman's room and went down to the first floor.
The first thing Mea saw when she came down to the first floor was the side profile of Hecate, sitting at the counter and drinking the alcohol she had secretly hidden away, which was now almost gone.
"Hecate."
"...Congratulations."
At the sudden congratulatory words, Mea pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.
"So does this mean Mea will be leaving here too?"
Excluding the ghost school members, the real number of people remaining in the Telema School was only five.
Even among those, apart from Hecate herself as the school head and Mea, the others weren't very interested in the affairs of the Telema School.
Even now, they were in a state of possibly losing their official school status, and if Mea left too, the Telema School would truly be unable to avoid becoming an unofficial school.
"No, I decided to stay with the school."
"...Why? If you don't have to think about the price, your strength could be considered Expert rank."
"That's exactly why. Roman doesn't want someone's protection."
Roman's goal was to increase his level.
And all the level increases he had achieved so far have been accomplished through life-and-death struggles.
With Mea's strength, his journey would become much safer.
However, the psychological comfort provided by Mea's presence would become a stumbling block hindering his growth.
Roman knew this well.
So, he rejected Mea's offer to follow him.
Promising Mea that they would one day explore together once he was an equal level to her.
"Hecate."
"Yes?"
"I'm thinking of going down to the Abyss again."
But Mea didn't want to just wait for Roman to reach her level.
"Alone? Your former team members have retired or..."
Died.
Some while exploring the Abyss, some while caught up in conflicts.
They disappeared, buried in the flow of time.
"I'm going to contact other school members."
"I see. Even if the others don't, Alkaine would probably go with you."
"And about that thing Roman found... it’s that, right?"
The book Roman had discovered and brought back.
The book couldn't be deciphered because it was in code except for the first page. Roman had entrusted it to Hecate.
And as soon as Hecate saw that book, she discovered several facts.
Among them, the most important was who had written the book.
Who had modified the ruins to create a space that absorbs mana, and hidden their records in that magic?
Hecate had the answer to that.
Or rather, even before that, Mea had already half-guessed it.
"That's right. Wollstonecraft. It’s her handwriting."
The first Grand Duke, the great Robard, and the founding lord who established Res Limen formed the first Abyss Exploration team to challenge the endless chasm of mysteries.
A member of that team and the mother of alchemy who built a unique society of alchemists separate from numerous magic schools.
Cordelia Wollstonecraft.
The book Roman had discovered was written by her.
And Mea, who had half-guessed this fact, couldn't help but be even more shocked.
The device created by that Cordelia Wollstonecraft, Roman had broken through by overloading it with an enormous amount of mana.
When she realized this, Mea could be certain.
"Roman is special."
"I know."
"Hecate, even you..."
"Mea."
At Hecate's words, Mea closed her mouth tightly.
"Even if we're in decline, I'm still the school head. I've never forgotten that fact. And I never will."
Those who have fallen have their own pride as fallen ones.
Saying that, Hecate emptied the remaining glass of alcohol.
§
"I'll join. Considering Mea's situation, and the fact that I've entrusted you with decoding that cipher."
Wondering how much the admission fee would be, Roman opened his money pouch.
The pouch, filled to the brim with silver and gold coins, even showed platinum coins here and there.
Roman roughly grabbed a handful and placed it on the counter.
Along with 1,000 lupe silver coins, 10,000 lupe gold coins made a tinkling sound as they displayed their brilliant luster.
"Is this about enough?"
Roman's voice didn't reach Hecate's ears.
All her senses were captivated by those golden treasures.
Her eyes, ears, nose, and hands focused on their radiance and she bit each one to check if they were real!
And having realized that they were real and that the amount was a whopping 88,000 lupe, Hecate could no longer contain herself and shouted.
"M-me too!"