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.

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

we'd only have about five months on our trip over here.

over here, and that was

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

"It's perfect."

but given

of

"…I can only try."

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

Demonic energy.

***

up by the 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

"Pftt…"

the

rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable to hold

not telling me he'd

in the manner that he did, it would have been nice if he had informed her of it

and what was done

had made the right bet in the

was

of being on the opposite side of

only was his strength extremely

day, he managed to do what she had deemed to be

one looked at it from the sloth house

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

forces, but they were also the

the others,

more I think about it, the scarier this

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

"Huh."

the moon outside. She then brought

"Huh?"

to realize that she had nothing in her hand. Immediately

I forgot to ask the other human for another

***

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

his face and the only movement

appeared

"It's been a while."

to that of the chained man. No, rather, they

none

at his other self, who showed no reaction to

stared at him for an unknown period of

he was trying to

eventually let out a sigh and spoke

going to be like

"…"

received no response. Nonetheless,

to it? Do you have

"…"

something wrong with

hand,

straight ahead,

anything in return, but... if it truly helps you and