Demon Lord Valetta threw the pearl high into the air, as if it were nothing to
her.
Jaekiel moved quickly, positioning himself at the spot where the pearl
would land, and grabbed it just in time.
Valetta looked at Jaekiel with an intrigued expression, as though she had
expected him to act this way.
Jaekiel asked first.
"Immortality?"
"As expected, you can't help but be curious. But I haven't lied. You'll gain
immortality the moment you swallow it."
Jaekiel stared at the red pearl, about the size of a fingernail. Inside, a dark
red energy swirled, as though a liquid was contained within.
At that moment,
Thump, thump!
Someone began to pound on Jaekiel's heart. It was the Sun Water Spirit.
For some reason, a vision of the girl appeared in his mind. She was shaking
her head vigorously.
'Don't eat it?'
The girl nodded. Then, she opened her mouth and pointed at her fangs with
her index finger.
Jaekiel immediately understood what the girl was trying to convey.
'While it's true that I gain immortality, I'll need to periodically take the life
of a creature and consume its blood… So that's what was hidden.'
In simple terms, it was a pearl that would transform him into a vampire
among demons. He would live forever, but only by killing humans and
living off their blood.
Jaekiel also believed that the Demon Lord would never freely give away
something so valuable. However, he didn't know exactly what treachery
was hidden within.
That question was cleared up thanks to the Sun Water Spirit.
"Are you telling me to become a vampire?"
Jaekiel asked, turning toward the Demon Lord.
"Living by killing other humans, huh? That sounds like something straight
out of the Demon Realm."
"You must know that the value of your life is far greater than any ordinary
human's. So what does it matter if insignificant things die for that?"
Valetta grinned.
Suddenly, that smile reminded Jaekiel of the attitude Akne had shown him.
It was a look that completely regarded all humans, except Jaekiel, as
nothing more than garbage.
'Indeed, the Demon Realm is just not for me.'
Jaekiel felt it.
But at the same time, he wasn't stupid.
If he acted as though he accepted the Demon Lord's offer, he could easily
obtain countless pieces of information from the Demon Realm. In other
words, he had the opportunity to become a spy.
"…For now, I understand."
Jaekiel said this as he pocketed the pearl.
He thought to himself that perhaps he could exchange it for a few drops of
Sun Water later when he returned to the Emperor. Either way, he would
never consume it.
Valetta wore a satisfied expression.
"Yeah, yeah… You couldn't help but accept, could you? Good thinking. It
would be such a pity for a human with your talents to live a short life."
Afterward, Valetta flipped her palm and motioned with her finger for Akne
to rise.
"I will also grant the Snow Ghost the lordship of the city of Atra in the
Demon Realm. You two are to whisper love and put effort into managing
the city. It is an order."
"…Demon Lord! I am truly grateful! Thank you so much!"
Akne nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.
The fact that she would marry Jaekiel and manage a city in the Demon
Realm seemed to bring her immense happiness.
Meanwhile, Jaekiel was thinking.
'Lord of a city in the Demon Realm… '
It seemed like the perfect opportunity to play the role of a spy. Where else
could he obtain information from the Demon Realm so directly? It had
worked out quite well.
He wasn't concerned about his life in the midst of it all.
One of the Demon Gods, Akne, seemed to have an interest in Jaekiel, and
he had easily passed the test presented by the Demon Lord, so things should
be fine for now.
In the meantime, the Demon Lord spoke again.
"There's something I need to explain about the Snow Ghost's authority in
detail."
"What is it?"
"Since your time in the Demon Realm has been too short, access to
information will be restricted. As the years go by, you will gradually gain
more authority."
The Demon Lord spoke calmly.
"In other words, access to the records is forbidden."
It was a clear message to quickly abandon any thoughts of being a spy.
"Snow Ghost, should I make it clearer? For the first few years, I mean that
you should just be a kept man, indulging in lust and living with her all day
long."
At this, the Demon Gods burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHA! So you'll just live off her!"
"Can a human handle Akne's lust? Will he be found as a pile of wood the
next day?"
"The Spider Goddess won't be a virgin for long, either."
It was a clear warning not to act foolishly, but Jaekiel didn't show any
emotion.
As expected, the Demon Lord was still not letting her guard down. Acting
hastily would only raise suspicion.
So, for now, Jaekiel spoke differently from his true feelings.
"I wouldn't go to the records, even if you pushed me."
The Demon Gods' eyes narrowed at his rudeness, but Jaekiel quietly left the
area.
"My dear, my dear!"
Akne quickly followed him, and when she stood next to him, the familiar
scent of flowers wafted.
"We've been recognized as a married couple in the Demon Realm, and now
we'll cultivate the city together… Ah, I'm so happy…!"
Her face was full of ecstasy, her eyes glazed over, and her cheeks flushed,
resembling someone in a state of climax.
"Let's go! I'll show you the city!"
The Emperor had tried many times to send spies into the Demon Realm, but
had failed. There weren't many talented individuals, and the Demon Realm
was too tightly guarded.
'I'll do it myself.'
Jaekiel thought to himself, firming his resolve.
'For the Sun Water I'll receive later.'
How could he visit the archive containing important information about the
Demon Realm? It was Jaekiel's concern.
However, unexpectedly, it was solved right away.
It was by Spider Goddess Akne.
"The Demon Lord has still restricted your authority, hasn't she? She is
indeed a meticulous person, but…"
Akne, hanging upside down using the spider webs stuck to the ceiling,
spoke. She was very close to Jaekiel, who was just sitting.
"…I am here for you, My Lord. If there is any record you desire, just tell
me. Use me as your tool."
Her smile, as she spoke, was incredibly lascivious.
Madness, possessiveness… it was all reflected on her face.
Swish.
Using her hanging motion, Akne tried to kiss Jaekiel, but he quickly leaned
back to avoid it.
"Oh my, My Lord… Are you still shy?"
"Finish what you were saying. Do you think you can disobey the Demon
Lord's orders like this? You are a demon, after all."
"Hm… This city that I will build with you is more important to me than the
Demon Realm. So, um, what I'm trying to say is…"
Thud!
Akne quickly turned her body and landed on the floor.
She placed her butt on Jaekiel's thighs while sitting sideways, pulling his
neck towards her with both hands.
She exhaled on Jaekiel's neck as she spoke.
"…You will do everything you want and grow this city strong with me. So
that one day, we can rule the entire Demon Realm."
Though she spoke as if it were no big deal, the plan in Akne's head was
truly enormous.
'…Is she suggesting that she wouldn't hesitate to betray them?'
Akne's ambition was beyond what Jaekiel had imagined.
She intended to give her body, mind, and the city—everything—before
making herself the ruler of the Demon Realm. It was a thought that would
lead to immediate execution if discovered.
'This is troublesome.'
His thoughts became complicated.
Akne's madness was serious, and she had already committed many sins, but
he certainly didn't wish for her death.
After all, Akne was indeed the princess Jaekiel had desperately wanted in
the past.
The conclusion came quickly. He would make sure Akne wouldn't be
executed by the Demon Lord.
It was at that moment…
Swish!
The spider webs restrained Jaekiel's neck and limbs. In an instant, his body
was spread out flat.
Akne grabbed Jaekiel's chin and asked.
"…My Lord, now that I think about it, I'm really disappointed. Why did
you avoid my kiss? I've gathered an enormous amount of virgin energy for
you. All for you. Just to make you happy."
Her face was consumed by madness. It reminded him of a spider devouring
a male after mating.
Jaekiel responded calmly.
"Let me go. We agreed to look at the city first."
"Oh, right. I forgot about that."
Akne immediately hugged Jaekiel again.
She rubbed her cheek vigorously against his chest. So much that the powder
from her cheek stained his shirt white.
"I'm sorry. I can't even remember what I said… But whenever I'm with
you, I instinctively desire you… Ah, what should I do…?"
Jaekiel sighed inwardly.
How he ended up in the Demon Realm was still unclear to him. There was
so much to think about and so much to do.
A major meeting was being held in the Imperial Palace.
The topic of the meeting was simple and clear.
Who would go, and how to rescue Jaekiel?
Three of the Imperial Princesses were present.