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

that we'd only have about five months on our trip

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

length of a day on this world was significantly 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

and pulled out several bottles, each of which contained a substance I

"…I can only try."

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

Demonic energy.

***

the night sky. There was complete silence in the room as the white curtains that led to the balcony ballooned outward like

"Pftt…"

the silence in

when she rejected his request, Priscilla found herself

telling me he'd

Even though she did comprehend the reason he acted in the manner

past was the past, and what was

the right bet

he was

the thought of being on the opposite

strength extremely terrifying, but so were his

day. In a single day,

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

the succession war, and the House of Envy being the main target of everyone, the House

but they were also the house with

others,

about it, the scarier this

managed to fool seven Prince ranked entities was enough to prove

"Huh."

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

"Huh?"

to realize that she had nothing in her hand.

to ask the other human for another

***

him was devoid of any light as darkness restrained every inch of

on his face and the only movement that could be seen was the very

appeared before

"It's been a while."

to that of the chained

none other than

no reaction to his appearance, Ren calmly sat down in

anything and just stared at him for an

was trying to check if he was

a sigh and spoke

are you going to be

"…"

received no response. Nonetheless,

there is to it? Do you have no goals that you

"…"

something wrong with your

his hand, several

ahead, he

you. I won't ask anything in return, but... if it truly helps you and