It was practically synonymous with death for a human to come into contact with mana. Once a human started to be consumed by mana, the only ending left was to gradually lose their sanity and die.
But Ezekiel was no different.
If he were to touch mana directly, it would be extremely dangerous.
However.
Ezekiel had a method to avoid contact with mana. He encases the absorbed mana in ice, allowing him to handle it without being consumed.
Of course, whether he could highly develop this technique to manifest the magic of the demon race was another matter… but for now, it was fine. This was enough for him.
“Master, you’re already handling mana…!”
Arcne’s eyes widened in surprise.
The reason why demons could form strong bonds with one another was that they all shared the ability to manipulate mana.
And yet, here was a human, not even a demon, handling mana while risking his life. It was hard not to see it as a scene that expressed a fondness for the Demon Realm.
“A human manipulating mana….”
“Is it okay to drop the suspicion now?”
The demons who had gathered because of the attention soon realized what needed to be done after putting aside their doubts.
The Goddess and her husband stepped into the street.
Manners were the priority.
“Goddess, Lord, may you prosper this city…!”
“I’m touched. Truly touched…!”
“I can’t believe I’m seeing this!”
Various voices erupted, but they all shared one thing in common: positive evaluations aimed solely at Ezekiel.
“Han-shin, is this enough of an answer for you?”
Ezekiel confidently faced Han-shin.
His opponent was a mighty figure known as the Demon God. If they were to battle at full strength, victory was not guaranteed.
However, Ezekiel had proven himself brilliantly, and with Arcne standing firmly beside him and capturing the public’s hearts, he knew Han-shin couldn’t simply act against him.
From that point forward, everything went as Ezekiel had expected.
“…I’ll keep an eye on your tricks, consider this a warning.”
Muttering that under his breath, he turned his back, accompanied by his subordinates. It was fortunate that many demons had witnessed this. For a while, Ezekiel would not be bothered.
The task of inspecting the city resumed afterwards.
Of course, Arcne was still there, arms crossed tightly.
“We now share the commonality of being able to handle mana. That means our compatibility has improved, right?”
Her voice was excessively cheerful.
It cannot be hidden that she was in love with Ezekiel.
“I once mentioned that when your chill combines with my mana, a magnificent masterpiece would be born… and you remembered! I’m so touched, I could even lick the soles of your feet!”
The motion of her tongue sliding over her bottom lip was excessively lewd. Ezekiel tried hard to ignore it and replied.
“I want to take a closer look at the dimensional portal.”
“The dimensional portal… Atra has many wonderful places. Is there a specific reason you’re so interested in just the portal?”
“Of course, I intend to check everything, but the portal is just the priority. Don’t misunderstand.”
“Ugh….”
“Ice crystals prove their worth only when intricately shaped all around. The same principle applies to my city design. I need to inspect every corner of the buildings.”
Of course, there was a significant reason Ezekiel was showing interest in the dimensional portal.
‘I sensed the Emperor’s aura yesterday.’
It was a structure that could be the key for Ezekiel to return to the continent and he feared he might feel the Emperor’s presence nearby again, hence he absolutely had to go.
“You really put a lot of effort into this…”
He had merely made an excuse to head to the dimensional portal, yet Arcne looked genuinely touched at his words.
“From managing mana to city planning, you think of me that much… The longing you had when you tried to save me in the past still resonates with me…”
And at that moment.
Arcne’s hand moved at an unimaginable speed. Ezekiel thought it was an attack and hurriedly tried to raise an ice barrier.
“…”
Fortunately, it was not an attack.
She simply grabbed Ezekiel’s hand and brought it to her own chest.
“Um, Master….”
Her sunset-colored eyes were shimmering. She was breathing heavily, staring at Ezekiel.
“So, about today, could you also explore and design my body, down to all the corners? Wherever your hand touches will surely become my erogenous zone. Definitely….”
She rubbed the tips of his fingers against her breasts. The level of lust was tongue-twisting.
‘Am I really going to get devoured?’
Ezekiel suddenly thought. To satisfy this lust, wouldn’t he have to deal with it for at least three days?
After all, it wasn’t something he could just engage in right now.
“Not yet, let’s visit the dimensional portal first.”
Knowing that a conversation wouldn’t get through to her, Ezekiel decided to move on. Arcne followed closely like a magnet.
‘I hope I feel the Emperor’s aura again.’
In fact, Ezekiel was worried.
Since those who treasured him had such kind hearts, he was concerned they might rashly execute a rescue operation. It would cause damage to spread.
But if the Emperor came, it would be a different story.
Not because he liked the Emperor.
His bittersweet feelings toward Arcne, along with his complex emotions regarding the Emperor, he simply thought this was the best way to minimize the damage.
The incorporeal Verd, a being that could be said to be the continent’s greatest power. He could wrap things up without causing significant harm to humans.
As he was thinking, they arrived at the entrance of the dimensional portal.
“I want to concentrate alone. Stay here.”
“Yes, my Master.”
The biggest worry was how to shake her off, but surprisingly, Arcne complied readily. It seemed that her earlier emotional moment had a considerable effect.
Ezekiel quickly approached the dimensional portal to inspect it.
It was described as a ‘door’, but it was a towering structure that could encompass an entire city. The level of technology and size was truly astonishing.
‘I could send an entire army through this.’
If the Demon Realm utilized it, it would be an incredible threat, but if the continent used it instead, it could serve as a phenomenal weapon.
Ezekiel closely studied the usage, structure, maximum capacity of the dimensional portal, and so on.
Then, he suddenly asked the nearby guard demons.
“How is this dimensional portal typically used?”
“Ah, Lord, it’s an honor to meet you.”
Perhaps it was because he was wearing the couple’s attire given by Arcne, the guards immediately showed him utmost respect.
“Due to its enormous size, it’s not used to transport living beings. It can move an entire city at once.”
“…A city?”
“Yes.”
The guard nodded respectfully.
“For instance, we once transported a whole city of elves from the Great Forest to the Demon Realm. It was said their beauty warranted it.”
“They stole an entire city under the guise of beauty?”
It was like plucking a flower and placing it in a vase. They had taken a city they liked straight into the Demon Realm.
The manner of usage was as absurd as the size itself.
“…So what happened to the elves in that city?”
“All were either killed or made slaves. There are various uses for slaves. Males are fast and are forced into labor, while females are used for sexual pleasure.”
“Name that city.”
Ezekiel’s tone became rather serious.
While Arcne might be considerably outside the bounds of common sense, she didn’t view evil acts as mere amusement.
But the story he just heard was different.
They were treating other races cruelly to satisfy their own selfish desires. This couldn’t be overlooked.
“It’s the city of Han-shin. He loves collecting, not just elves but other races too, handling them in that way.”
Han-shin, there it was again. The one Arcne had mentioned once before. He was said to exploit humans as slaves for construction.
But hearing it from the guard revealed a more sinister truth. Han-shin’s city was a patchwork of cities from various races across the continent, pieced together like a pizza.
‘I must make sure to punish this guy.’
Just as Ezekiel was thinking that, his thoughts couldn’t continue for long.
“…!”
He suddenly felt an enormous energy.
Ezekiel quickly shifted his gaze but the guards remained completely unperturbed. It seemed this energy was handled in such a way that only Ezekiel could perceive it.
He couldn’t mistake it.
It was the very aura he had sensed yesterday.
But today, it wasn’t just an aura he could feel.
A telepathic message struck his ears.
—Tomorrow, I will personally arrive.
Finally, the day of the Emperor’s arrival was set.
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