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 have time, it's best we make the most out of it. We've

originally assumed that we'd only have about five months on our trip

only realized later that I had grossly underestimated something over here, and that was the fact that one day

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

"It's perfect."

Earth was, I originally thought there wasn't enough time, but given the time I had, maybe… just maybe—by

my hand and pulled out several bottles, each of which contained a substance I was

"…I can only try."

of mana in the air... I no longer relied on mana alone.

Demonic energy.

***

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 as

"Pftt…"

sudden laughter broke the silence in the

when she rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable to

deserves it for not telling me he'd erase

bitter about it. Even though she did comprehend the reason he acted in the manner that he did, it

the past was the past, and what was done was already

had made the right bet

was on my

the thought of being on the

extremely terrifying, but

him was a single day. In a single day, he managed to do what she had deemed to be

sloth house point

with the succession war, and the House of Envy being the main target

of their forces, but they were also the house with the greatest advantage during the upcoming World

others, they

about it, the scarier this

ranked entities was

"Huh."

outside. She then

"Huh?"

she had nothing in her hand. Immediately her

forgot to ask the other human for another

***

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

only movement that

figure appeared

"It's been a while."

strikingly similar to that of

was none other

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

anything and just stared at him

trying to check

let out a sigh and

when are you going

"…"

no response. Nonetheless, he

it? Do you have no goals that you

"…"

because there's something wrong with your

his hand, several tubes

straight ahead, he

you. I won't ask anything in return, but... if