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.

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

about five months on

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

on this world was significantly different from that on earth; consequently, the amount of time

"It's perfect."

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

of which contained a substance I was familiar

"…I can only try."

the air... I no longer relied on mana alone. I could use my time to train with my

Demonic energy.

***

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 odd wavelike pattern as

"Pftt…"

the silence in

rejected his request,

telling me he'd erase my

reason he acted in the manner

the past was the past, and what was done

had made the right bet in the

he was

the thought of being on

only was his strength extremely terrifying, but so were his

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

sloth house point of view, then they

war, and the House of Envy being the main target

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

the others, they

I think about it,

Prince ranked entities was

"Huh."

at the moon outside. She then

"Huh?"

that she had nothing in

the other human for another

***

hung in the air. The world around him

the only movement that could

appeared before

"It's been a while."

similar to that of the chained man. No,

none other

at his other self, who showed no reaction to

and just stared at him for an

he was trying to check if he was still alive or

let out a sigh and spoke

are you going to

"…"

no response.

there is to it? Do you have no

"…"

because there's something

hand, several

straight ahead,

that may potentially help you. I won't ask anything in return, but... if