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.

the most out of it. We've got plenty of

about five months on our trip over here. While it

later that I had grossly underestimated something over here, and that was the fact that one day here wasn't actually

earth; consequently, the amount of

"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, I'd be

out several bottles, each of which contained a substance I was familiar with, then I took

"…I can only try."

in the air... I no longer relied

Demonic energy.

***

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 odd wavelike pattern as the

"Pftt…"

the

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

for not telling me

still bitter about it. Even though she did comprehend the reason he acted in the manner that he did, it would have been nice if he had informed her of

the past was the past, and

the right bet in the

he was on my

thought of being

only was his strength extremely terrifying, but so

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

it from the sloth house point of

the House of Envy being the main target of everyone, the House of Sloth was the one that gained the most from

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

the others, they weren't

more I think about it, the scarier

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

"Huh."

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

"Huh?"

realize that she had nothing in her hand. Immediately her

I forgot to ask the other human

***

chains hung in the air. The world around him was

face and the only movement

figure appeared before

"It's been a while."

that of

none other

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

anything and just stared at him for

was as though he was trying to check if he was still

let out a sigh

are you going to be

"…"

received no response. Nonetheless, he

really all there is to it? Do you have no goals that you want to achieve before dying… like, perhaps killing

"…"

there's something

hand,

ahead,

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