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.

make the most out of it. We've

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

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

of a day on this world was significantly different from that on earth; consequently, the amount of time we had over here was significantly greater than the five months we had originally

"It's perfect."

there wasn't enough time, but given the time I had, maybe… just maybe—by the time I returned, I'd be

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

"…I can only try."

to the lack of mana in the air... I no

Demonic energy.

***

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

"Pftt…"

sudden laughter broke the

rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable

deserves it for not telling

in the manner that he did, it would have been nice if he had

the past was the past, and what was done was

had made the right

was on my

at the thought of being

his strength extremely terrifying,

single day, he managed to do

looked at it from the sloth house point of view,

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

were also the house with the

the others, they

more I think about it,

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

"Huh."

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

"Huh?"

that she had nothing in her hand. Immediately

to ask the other human

***

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

face and the only movement that

figure appeared

"It's been a while."

that of the chained

none other than

showed no reaction to his appearance, Ren calmly

didn't say anything and just stared at him

to check if he

eventually let out a sigh and

going

"…"

received no response.

you want to die, but is that really all there is to it? Do you have

"…"

it because there's something wrong

his hand,

ahead,

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