In his room, Dio rested for a while. Once the lingering effects on his mind and emotions had faded, he tested his earlier theory.
As expected, just as he could extend the duration of Time Stop, he could also briefly shoulder DIO's will to force another activation during its cooldown if he wanted to.
That consciousness, along with the pain of forcibly activating Time Stop, left him unable to muster the mental energy to use it again for quite some time.
The difference was that The World did nothing this time. That consciousness faded away on its own.
Dio guessed that this depended on how far he pushed past Time Stop's limits. In other words, extending its duration actually exacted a greater price than forcing another activation during its cooldown.
It might also have been because he had not activated the ability repeatedly in rapid succession.
In other words, he could force another Time Stop during its cooldown at the cost of temporarily extending that cooldown!
Of course, that also meant he could use this limit-breaking ability no more than once per battle.
But in a battle where every second counted, it was no exaggeration to say that one extra Time Stop meant one extra life.
By comparison, the aftereffects of forcibly extending its duration were far too severe. Not only did the pain intensify dramatically, but the invasion of DIO's consciousness was also much worse.
Who would use something with side effects this bad? From now on, I'll only use Time Stop Rampage to bypass the cooldown at most. Otherwise, one day I'll use my ability and turn straight into DIO...
Dio silently complained about the ability and decided to pay more attention to his mental state from now on, unknowingly raising a flag for himself.
His repeated experiments with Time Stop Rampage had left him exhausted in both body and mind, even more so than fighting an entire battle last night.
Time Stop itself consumed plenty of stamina, never mind the additional pain and mental pressure. Dio decided to ease off his training for the day.
Besides, obtaining the Arrowhead Fragment would require a long-term plan. Otherwise, where in this vast world was he supposed to look...?
I should take that item to the Twelfth Prince first...
That was what Dio was thinking when, as if summoned by the thought, a sound suddenly rang out-
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on Dio's door. He went over and opened it to find Mumuzawa's maid standing respectfully outside. As soon as he opened the door, she said:
"Hello, Mr. Dio. Her Highness would like to speak with you. Are you available right now?"
Everyone had witnessed Dio's work as a guard and his professionalism over the past few days.
Whether out of respect for the strong or gratitude for saving their livelihood-namely, the Twelfth Prince-the attendants who had previously barely acknowledged the security guards had become considerably more respectful.
Of course, that applied only to the strongest security guard in their eyes: Dio.
Even Drobada had joined in, teasing him about being the strongest person on this trip. Dio neither agreed nor disagreed.
He was a little sensitive about that word. As everyone knew, in anime and manga, "the strongest" was a debuff. People with that title tended to die abruptly, sometimes even laughably.
For example, the strongest Nen user fifty years ago, the strongest sorcerer of the modern age, the strongest mage of ancient times, and so on.
"All right. I'll get ready and come over."
After that polite reply, Dio turned and closed the door.
He briskly changed out of the bespoke suit he had soaked with sweat during his experiments. He only had three of these suits in total, all gifts from someone else. Then he grabbed the item he had brought back from the venue last night and strode out.
Since he had decided to take a day off training and make some long-term plans for the future, there was no point staying cooped up in his room.
After walking down the long corridor, he reached the prince's quarters, guarded by two attendants.
Dio nodded to them. They returned a salute and reached out to open the door.
The first thing he saw was Mumuzawa, still sitting quietly in her chair.
She had changed into the reddish-brown court gown she had worn on the way here. As gentle and quiet as ever, she held knitting needles in both hands and knitted without looking down. The warm midday sunlight spilled over her, gilding her in gold.
Surprise and delight lit up Mumuzawa's eyes when she saw Dio enter. In a soft, unhurried voice, she said:
"Good afternoon, Mr. Dio~"
"Good afternoon, Your Highness."
Dio nodded in polite response and followed Mumuzawa's gesture to sit in a chair beside her. As he did, he handed her a box.
His movement caught Mumuzawa off guard, and her gaze followed his outstretched hand-
A well-defined hand with five long, slender fingers.
Mr. Dio has such lovely hands, too...
The thought suddenly surfaced in Mumuzawa's mind. A moment later, she snapped out of it as though waking from a dream, hurriedly shook off that strange thought, and looked again-
That hand was holding an old-fashioned wooden box out in front of her, inviting her to take it.
"Ah! It's the Ancient Knitting Needle I bought at the auction!"
The moment Mumuzawa saw the box, things she had forgotten came rushing back!
It was the item she had purchased at last night's auction, as well as the original reason for her trip. Yet afterward, she had barely given it any thought.
After last night's incident ended, she had been busy rushing to catch the airship. On top of that, she had been thinking about Mr. Dio and had completely forgotten it!
"...You actually remembered, Mr. Dio. Thank you so much!"
Firmly swallowing a flood of words that would not have suited royal etiquette, Mumuzawa gratefully accepted the wooden box. Her gaze grew even softer as she looked at Dio.
Even she had forgotten about it, but Dio had remembered. Didn't that mean he actually paid close attention to her affairs?
I knew it. Mr. Dio really does care...
Sweetness melted through Mumuzawa's heart like honey. She completely missed the hesitation that flashed through Dio's eyes as he sat beside her, followed by something deep and unreadable.
With a gaze as calm as still water, Dio looked at Mumuzawa, whose eyes were practically sparkling, and said:
"I was only doing my job. What did you want to see me about, Your Highness?"
At his words, Mumuzawa immediately snapped out of her blissful daze and remembered why she had called him here.
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as if to encourage herself. Then she looked earnestly at Dio and said:
"Mr. Dio! You might already be tired of this subject..."
"But please teach me that supernatural ability!"
"At least... even if you tell me I don't have the aptitude and can never learn it... then I can give
"up..."
After getting all that out in one breath, Mumuzawa closed her mouth and watched Dio nervously, waiting for his answer.
Dio was not surprised at all. In fact, he had expected this. He gave the reply he had already prepared:
"I can..."
"...Huh? Really...?"
Mumuzawa's eyes widened at his answer. She looked at Dio and was just about to cry out in delight when he finished his sentence:
"But this won't be me teaching you for nothing..."
"It'll be a deal!"
Before you continue