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.

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

months on our trip over here. While it

had grossly underestimated something over here, and that was the fact that one day

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."

given the time I had, maybe… just maybe—by the time I returned, I'd be

made a motion with my hand and pulled out several bottles, each of which contained a substance I was familiar with, then I took several deep

"…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.

***

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

"Pftt…"

laughter broke the silence in the

the human made when she rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable to

telling me he'd erase

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

was the past, and what was

right bet in the

he was on

the thought of being on

strength extremely terrifying, but so were

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

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

the House of Envy being the main target of everyone,

forces, but they were also the

the others,

more I think about it, the scarier this

he had managed to fool seven Prince ranked entities

"Huh."

and gazed at the moon outside. She then brought

"Huh?"

she had nothing in her hand. Immediately her face

the other human for

***

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

his face and the only movement that could be

figure appeared

"It's been a while."

strikingly similar to that of the chained man. No,

none

who showed no reaction to his appearance, Ren calmly sat down in front of

and just stared at him

trying to check if

out a sigh

you going to

"…"

response.

want to die, but is that really all there is to it? Do you have no goals that you want

"…"

because there's something wrong with

his hand, several

straight ahead, he

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