When Serena mentioned that Himari was an old friend, most of the doubts faded from Asmodeus’s mind. He no longer hesitated and instead began to think of how best to use the cute little creatures to help his people.

’Though we cannot let the monster live...’

Not Himari, but whatever was causing the corruption in the first place.

He couldn’t help but worry that if the Empire discovered the trick to these small creatures, then they might use them aggressively.

"However..."

Serena’s voice lingered in Asmodeus’ mind with a strange heaviness.

It was rare to hear her sound this way.

Normally, when he called her through telepathy, Serena’s voice carried warmth, teasing, longing, or the faintly smug confidence of a lovely woman who knew how much he adored her. Yet when she spoke moments before, it was a little like the time she revealed her past as an Abyssal.

’I have to spend some time with her after this is over...’

His many wives took so much time to deal with that he rarely had a moment to himself; if not for his time-related domain, he might’ve died several times over.

’On that subject... where are the Arbiters?’

Asmodeus couldn’t help but expect Ein and Zwei to have been attacked by now. If the Abyssal damages the world order and balance, he believed their creator should have sent them down to monitor things by now.

[I hope you can be gentle with her if she’s done something wrong... for my sake, darling.]

It was rare for Serena to ask him to do anything; she would let him deal with things his own way, even if something horrible might end.

Asmodeus glanced toward the woman guiding the little ones around the harbour.

Himari still didn’t know he knew her name. She knelt beside a damaged wall, coaxing three of the small purified creatures to press their soft bodies against the cracked stone. Each time they released that strange blue-pink light, the wall mended a little more, leaving behind faint, crystal-like veins that glowed warmly through the stone.

[Yeah, I’ll do my best, Serena.]

Thankfully, Baltimore was starting to recover from the horrific event.

[Thank you, darling.]

Her voice softened, but it retained a subtle hint of sadness, or maybe he mistook nostalgia for sadness.

What made him love Serena was that she didn’t force him to do anything. If he wanted to tell her, he could; if he kept it a secret, she wouldn’t blame him.

As her voice faded from the mental link, he stopped hesitating and approached Paul.

The man looked exhausted.

His armoured robes were stained with blood, soot and burns from the chaos, and yet he stood still with his back straight. Though using his spear to keep stable, he continued to give orders despite almost collapsing.

"Paul, you don’t have to force yourself like this."

"Ngh, but Your Majesty, this is what keeps me going, haha."

This was how Paul was, no matter how hard the adventure or battle, he would continuously push himself.

Maybe that’s why Asmodeus admired him so deeply.

"Forget it, I know what you’re like. Instead, let me help you, as the Emperor, I won’t allow you to say no!"

"Ack! That’s overbearing!" Paul chuckled, then shook his head and smiled. "I would love nothing more than to work together with you, My Liege."

"Tsk, should have just accepted from the start then."

Asmodeus nudged the injured mage, sending him flying. He then pointed toward the lower harbour and called out in a deep, enveloping voice.

"My Dear Subjects, forgive my tardiness in aiding you all."

The people all turned to glance at him, many guessed his identity, but those who had never met him or travelled to the Demon Empire had no idea.

"Who is that?"

"W-What?! How do you not know he’s our Emperor!"

"Forgive me for asking more of you after such a tragic event," Asmodeus scanned the knights, soldiers and various people who stood helping clear the debris. "Please follow my instructions and hold on a little longer. I have called for aid to be delivered; soon, the Black Dragon Knight Order shall arrive."

"First, seal the drains and have the craftsmen divert them all towards this point." He pointed to a huge section of the docks near the defensive wall. "They don’t need to be completely sealed, but limit the amount of water and filth as I plan to construct something to avoid such tragedies again."

"Yes."

"Second, gather the priests and water mages. The black fluid is dangerous, but once purified, it becomes something useful. I know it seems unsightly, but look at this." He squatted beside some freshly cleansed sludge and showed a cut on his forearm.

"Watch this."

"Y-Your Majesty!?"

Asmodeus then rubbed the sludge onto his wounds.

The people all shouted in horror before the sludge shimmered a beautiful rainbow colour, then seeped into the wounds, healing even the old, darkened scars he had kept from before turning into the demon emperor.

A cool, tingling sensation spread through his forearm, like a slight burn followed by the icy chill of winter.

"Wow..." Even he couldn’t believe it.

Paul glanced toward the faintly glowing pink veins spreading across the repaired dock, then the perfectly healed wound on Asmodeus’s arm.

"That substance is safe?"

"I am not sure about the specifics, but all those who have taken even a slight amount of demonic blood will be fine. For humans... we need the mages to work hard and examine it first, right?"

’Luckily, all the people in Baltimore and my Empire have taken in demon blood.’

Paul nodded, letting the slime flop between his palms.

"For now, it’s under control." Asmodeus looked toward Himari and the little ones before addressing the people of Baltimore. "But nobody should drink or eat it for the moment, just until we know it’s safe."

Paul’s lips twitched as he glared at Asmdoues.

"...You think someone would?"

"This is Baltimore."

Paul’s lips twitched despite the exhaustion. "Fair point."

"Third, anyone touched by the black water goes to the priests first, then the little ones if Himari says they can help."

"Himari?"

Asmodeus paused.

Though he knew her name, it felt a little strange to call her out so directly.

"Hm?" She turned, still holding one of the plump little creatures against her chest.

"Can your little ones help with wounded people without causing trouble?"

"Mhm! If they are purified, then they should only eat the bad things inside the body." She looked down at the creature in her arms and poked its soft head. "Right?"

"Kyu!"

"See?"

"That does not reassure me as much as you think."

Paul gave a tired chuckle.

"And craftsmen," Asmodeus continued, pointing toward the damaged dockside. "Mark every repaired structure. I want to know which parts were restored by normal labour and which were touched by this life energy. Do not rely blindly on miracles. Test the foundations before anyone lives inside those buildings again."

Paul nodded approvingly.

"That will calm the guilds as well."

"It had better. I don’t need carpenters starting a holy war against flying squid."

"They may complain anyway."

"Then tell them I’ll pay triple wages for emergency work."

Paul blinked.

"That will calm them."

A port city half-ruined by monsters was now being repaired by the same creatures, wobbling through the air like happy mana-filled dumplings.

Yet Baltimore accepted the impossible faster than Asmodeus expected.

Maybe disasters had trained them.

Maybe Paul’s presence helped.

Or maybe people wanted hope badly enough to accept it in any shape.

...

Hours passed, and Asmodeus returned to the Citadel overlooking Baltimore. He’d heard that Ygrenne was present, but due to her pregnancy, she couldn’t leave her room. He planned to visit the demon knight, but the desk work was piled too high.

"Do I really have to help you?"

Asmodeus sighed, his hand resting on a massive pile of documents.

"Come on, your highness~ I only took this position because you asked me." Paul rubbed his hands together after requesting to see his wives.

Asmodeus stared at Paul silently.

The former adventurer avoided his gaze with the shameless confidence of a man who knew exactly how much chaos he had survived today.

"You mean you want me to finish your paperwork while you go reassure your wives?"

Paul coughed into his fist. "My Liege, morale is important."

"You have three children already."

"And they require a living father, come on, you must know how I feel! What about your lovely Velmina, or the charming Nyxielle and Seris Rae?!"

"It is a very sincere excuse."

Asmodeus clicked his tongue but still sat behind the desk. Reports about damaged drains, wounded citizens, purifier activity, suspicious merchants, and emergency food distribution covered every inch of polished wood.

This wasn’t even half the work; there were reports about bandits and other issues from the south and east... it was quite tiresome. Outside the citadel window, Baltimore glowed faintly as Asmodeus waved towards the door.

"Go, enjoy the time off, brother... I will deal with everything."

"Thank you."

"Leave before I change my mind."

Paul bowed and slipped away.

Asmodeus picked up the first report.

Then he stopped for a moment.

He took a deep breath, as several arms grew from his back, each one a little eerie and large, almost twice the size of normal, as the arms hovered in the air.

"I didn’t think I could turn them into hands..."

This ability normally created several swords attached to tendrils, but thanks to his focus on desk work, they became quill pens.

’Now I can work eight times faster!’