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.

best we make the most out of

have about five months on our trip over here.

I had grossly underestimated something over here, and that was the fact that one day here wasn't actually the

the amount of time we had over here was significantly greater than the five months we had

"It's perfect."

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

pulled out several bottles, each of

"…I can only try."

due to the lack of mana in the air... I no longer relied on mana alone. I could use my

Demonic energy.

***

silence in the room as the white curtains that led to the balcony ballooned outward like the

"Pftt…"

sudden laughter broke the silence in

rejected his request, Priscilla

telling me he'd erase my

Even though she did comprehend the reason he acted in the manner that he did, it would have been

the past, and what

right bet in

was on my

shuddered at the thought of being on the opposite side of

his strength extremely

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

the sloth house point of view, then they were the biggest

houses busy with the succession war, and the House of Envy being the main target of everyone, the House of Sloth was the one that gained the most from the

were also the house with the greatest advantage during the

the others,

I think about it, the scarier

managed to fool seven Prince ranked entities was enough to prove just how scary of an individual

"Huh."

gazed at the moon outside. She then brought two fingers

"Huh?"

nothing in her

the other human for another

***

The world around him was devoid of any light as darkness restrained

a lifeless look on his face and the only movement that could be

appeared before

"It's been a while."

were strikingly similar to that of the chained

was none other

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

at him for an unknown period

was as though he was trying to check if he was still alive

a sigh

going to be

"…"

response. Nonetheless, he

you have no goals that you want to achieve before dying…

"…"

because there's something wrong

hand, several

straight ahead, he

anything in return, but... if it truly helps you and