The Author's POV

"Tsk."

Coming out of the Duchess's room, I clicked my tongue.

'I tried at least.'

Lowering my head, I looked at the three other tubes in my hand before putting them away.

Moments prior, I tried to negotiate for a devil fruit, but I was flat out rejected by her.

In the end, all I could do was leave with my head lowered.

'I can't be too impatient.'

I could've negotiated for a devil fruit before, but the Nectar was far more important to me. While I wasn't completely healed, I felt far more refreshed than I had in a very long time.

I even had a very good night's sleep for once.

Plus…

'It's not like there won't be an opportunity later.'

"You're back?"

"Yeah."

As I made my way back to our residence after secretly escaping the estate, I was greeted by the sight of Melissa tinkering with an odd substance. Nothing unusual.

Already used to this, I found a chair not so far from her and took a seat.

"Have you found what you've been looking for?"

"Not really."

Melissa shook the test tube in front of her and quietly observed it.

Though faint, I caught sight of a couple of bubbles on top.

…Just what sort of potion was she making?

"When are we going to leave?"

"When the time comes."

The only way back was through Kevin, so until the designated time, we'd be stuck here for a bit more.

"Thankfully, I'm already finished with what I needed to do, so I guess we can take it easy until the time is right if that's okay with you?"

"That's fine with me."

Melissa nodded her head without a change in expression.

It seems like she was enjoying her stay here.

"That's great."

I stood up from the seat.

we make the most out of it. We've got plenty of

about five months on our trip over here. While it wasn't

over here, and that was the fact

that on earth; consequently, the amount of time we had over here was significantly greater than the five months

"It's perfect."

thought there wasn't enough time, but given

out several bottles, each of which contained a substance I was familiar with, then I

"…I can only try."

be able to rank up due to the lack of mana in the air... I no longer relied on mana alone. I

Demonic energy.

***

was tastefully decorated, lit up by the bright moon that hung high in the night sky. There was complete silence in the room as the white curtains that led to the balcony ballooned outward like the sails of a ship and moved in an odd wavelike pattern

"Pftt…"

the

his request, Priscilla found herself

for not telling me he'd erase

though she did comprehend the reason he acted in the manner

and what was done was already

right bet in

he was

of being on the opposite side

only was his strength extremely

a single day. In a single day, he managed to do what

at it from the sloth house point of view, then they were

main target of everyone, the House of

forces, but they were also the house with the greatest advantage during

others, they

think about

Prince ranked entities was enough to prove just how

"Huh."

gazed at the moon outside. She then brought two fingers to her

"Huh?"

to realize that she had nothing in her

ask the other

***

chains hung in the air. The world around him was devoid of any light as darkness restrained every inch

face and the only movement that could be seen was the very slight contraction

figure appeared

"It's been a while."

strikingly similar to that of the chained

was none other than

at his other self, who showed no reaction to his appearance, Ren calmly sat

just stared at him for

was as though he was trying to check if he

eventually let out a sigh and spoke

are you going to be like

"…"

response. Nonetheless,

is that really all there is to it? Do you have no goals that you want to achieve

"…"

it because there's something wrong

hand, several tubes

straight ahead,

but... if it truly helps you and your