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 most out of it. We've got plenty

five months on

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

this world was significantly different from that on earth; consequently, the amount of time we had over here was significantly greater than

"It's perfect."

grim the situation back on 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

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

"…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.

***

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 odd wavelike pattern as the breeze blew

"Pftt…"

the

when she rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable to hold her

telling me he'd

he acted in the manner that he did,

past was the past, and what

had made the right bet

was on my

at the thought of being on

his strength extremely

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

from the sloth house point of view, then they were

House of Envy being the main target of everyone, the House of

their forces, but they were also the house

the others, they weren't

about it, the scarier this

to fool seven Prince ranked entities was enough to prove just how scary of an

"Huh."

outside. She then brought two

"Huh?"

she had nothing in

the

***

him was devoid of any light as darkness restrained every

lifeless look on his face and the only movement that could

appeared

"It's been a while."

that of the chained man. No, rather, they

was none other

his other self, who showed no reaction to his appearance, Ren calmly sat down in

didn't say anything and just stared at

though he was trying to check

a

you going to

"…"

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

"…"

it because there's something wrong with

his hand,

ahead, he

ask anything in return, but...