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 got

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

and that was the

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 intended to stay

"It's perfect."

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

and pulled out several bottles, each of

"…I can only try."

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

Demonic energy.

***

the white curtains that led to the balcony ballooned outward like the sails of a ship and moved in an odd wavelike pattern as the breeze

"Pftt…"

laughter broke the silence in the

rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable to hold

not telling me

the manner that he did, it would

and what was

right

he was on

shuddered at the thought of being on the opposite

extremely terrifying, but

him was a single day. In a single day, he managed to do

sloth house point of view,

the main target of everyone, the House of Sloth was the one that gained

not lose any of their forces, but they were also the house with the

the others, they

think about it, the scarier this

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

"Huh."

at the moon outside. She then brought two fingers to

"Huh?"

she had nothing in her hand. Immediately her

the other human

***

restrained by chains hung in the air. The world around him was devoid of

look on his face and the only movement that could be seen was the

appeared

"It's been a while."

strikingly similar to that of the chained man.

was none

showed no reaction to

at him for an unknown

to check if

let out a sigh and

you going to

"…"

response.

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

"…"

it because there's something wrong

hand, several tubes

straight ahead,

I won't ask anything in return, but... if it truly helps you and your sanity returns,