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

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

grossly underestimated something over here, and that was the

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

"It's perfect."

wasn't enough time, but given the time I had, maybe… just

bottles, each of which contained a substance I was

"…I can only try."

be able to rank up due to the lack of mana in the air... I no longer relied on mana alone. I could use

Demonic energy.

***

silence in the room as the white curtains that led to the balcony ballooned outward like the sails of a ship

"Pftt…"

the silence

rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable to

for not telling

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

and what

right bet

was on

thought of being on the opposite side of

his strength extremely terrifying, but so

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

one looked at it from the sloth house

main target of everyone, the House of Sloth was the

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

the others, they weren't

think about

that he had managed to fool seven Prince ranked entities was enough

"Huh."

at the moon outside. She then brought two fingers

"Huh?"

she had nothing in her hand. Immediately her face

ask the other human for another

***

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

only movement that

appeared before

"It's been a while."

features were strikingly similar to that of

none other

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

at

trying to check if he was still

eventually let out a

you going to be

"…"

response.

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

"…"

something wrong with your

hand,

straight ahead, he

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