Chapter 373: You Really Know How to Pick Your Moments
After chatting with the girls for quite a while longer, Steven finally stepped out of the tent. His departure would come tomorrow—there were still a few matters he had to discuss with Patriot before leaving.
Things like those troublesome Collapsal creatures… and, of course, asking the old man to keep an eye on Talulah while he was gone.
He knew full well that with Patriot's rigid personality, getting a straight "yes" wouldn't be easy. But if he offered to help tune up Yelena's and Patriot's health in return, well… that might change things.
Still, before dealing with that, there was one more matter he'd nearly forgotten—something better handled first.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he tore open a swirling black portal and stepped through, reappearing in his own wooden cabin.
Talulah was still buried under paperwork and responsibilities, sorting out issues with the Infected. There was no way she could sneak off like before to rest here.
And honestly? That was a relief.
Because if Talulah had come back with him—and had walked in on the sight currently before him—Steven was pretty sure he'd be missing at least half a pound of flesh by now.
Right there, standing in the middle of his cabin, was Surtr—wearing nothing but her underwear, hair dripping wet, clearly fresh from the bath.
And not just any bath—his newly built one.
If Talulah's dragon temper ever saw this scene? The house wouldn't survive the explosion.
Surtr, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed by his sudden appearance. She simply gave him a polite nod while towel-drying her long, flame-red hair.
"When I woke up and didn't see you around, I figured I'd help myself to your bath," she said nonchalantly. "Gotta hand it to you, though—you really know how to live comfortably."
She spoke like she owned the place, explaining what had happened after he'd left.
Most girls, waking up in a stranger's bed, would probably panic—or at least feel awkward. But Surtr clearly wasn't "most girls."
She only vaguely remembered drinking with Steven, getting a bit too carried away, and blacking out after that. Still, since she'd lost consciousness while with him, there was nothing to worry about.
That was trust—trust born between two fellow wanderers.
"I'm just curious," she said with a small smirk, holding up the massive greatsword that had been leaning nearby. The blade, Laevatain, was wrapped in a fluffy bath towel like it had been bathing alongside her. "How did you even manage to pick up Laevatain without my permission? She's not exactly… friendly."
That was also why she wasn't alarmed in the slightest. As long as her sword was near her, nothing could go wrong.
"She's got a worse temper than you do," Steven said lazily, half-smiling. "But since I wasn't trying to hurt you, she didn't really have grounds to object."
He decided not to mention the sword's cowardly tendency to behave when it sensed danger—it was better to spare its dignity.
"Still," he continued, eyeing her with mock disbelief, "you've got some nerve. Waking up in my bed—a total stranger's house—and the first thing you do is take a bath? You weren't worried I might… get any funny ideas?" He teased her with a grin.
Of course, given the setup of his bath—it was heated by magma stones beneath the floor—it wasn't so much a bath as it was a private hot spring.
And for someone like Surtr, who'd spent most of her life wandering and fighting… the temptation of a real soak must've been impossible to resist.
She clearly hadn't considered one thing—what if he actually did get any ideas about her?
After all, if nothing else, her looks alone were more than enough to test a man's self-control.
"Oh? Are you implying I should pay you back with my body?" Surtr teased, one finger pressing lightly against her lips. "I know I'm beautiful, but sorry—that's off-limits. And for the record, the only reason I didn't assume you'd try anything is because I trust you. Are you planning to betray that trust, Steven?"
She said it so openly—so casually—that the Minecrafter couldn't help but laugh even more.
"No, no, no," he waved his hands in mock defense. "If I'd really wanted to, I'd have pounced long ago. Out here in the middle of nowhere—you think you could've even run if I did?"
"Heh~ I think it's more like you just don't have the guts," Surtr shot back, smirking. "Anyway, got any ice cream? After a hot bath, a cold sundae is absolutely essential to cool down—basic law of the universe, really."
She extended one slender, pale hand toward him with an air of entitlement, as if asking for ice cream from someone else's fridge was the most natural thing in the world.
Steven blinked for a second, then chuckled, rummaging through his inventory. He pulled out a chocolate sundae and handed it over, watching her eyes light up instantly.
"You could at least pretend to be polite, you know?" he said, grabbing another sundae for himself. "Or do you just barge into everyone's house half-dressed and start demanding dessert?"
Surtr grinned, spoon already in her mouth. "It's different with you. I dunno, being around you feels like there's no need for all that useless social fluff. I just say what's on my mind. If you don't like it, well…"
She paused mid-bite, resting the spoon against her lips.
"…then I guess that's your problem. I'm just being me."
After that, she tilted her head, glancing toward the window. "By the way, where is this place? It's even more remote than where we were before."
Steven shrugged. "Where else? My home. Once you're done eating, if you want to head out, just let me know—I'll send you back."
"No need. Just point me in the right direction, and I'll walk."
"Yeah, no. That's not happening." He cut her off flatly.
Normally, he wouldn't have cared, but this was Surtr. Her sense of direction was probably as bad as Zoro from One Piece. If he just pointed her somewhere, she'd probably still be wandering in circles outside his house come next season.
"That's discrimination against travelers!" she declared with mock indignation. "And for the record, I wasn't lost last time—I was just… taking my time to appreciate the scenery!"
The serious tone lasted about two seconds before she broke into laughter herself.
"Alright, alright," Steven said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm setting out again tomorrow anyway. Time for the next leg of my journey."
He leaned back slightly, looking at her with a small smile. "What about you? Any plans for your next destination? If it's another country, I might be able to give you a hand."
He wasn't joking this time, the invitation was genuine.
After all, among wanderers like them, a shared road was worth more than any contract.
Honestly, he didn't doubt for a second that if he didn't help her, Surtr might end up wandering around this frozen Ursus frontier for who knows how long.
"Huh? You can really do that?" she asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Well… not gonna lie, I am getting a little bored of Ursus. So for my next stop, I was actually thinking—maybe I'll head over to Kazimierz! You know, check out that whole Major scene—"
Halfway through her sentence, she noticed something strange.
Steven's smile had frozen on his face. His expression screamed 'please don't'.
"What's wrong? —Oh, wait." She blinked, realizing something. "Didn't you just come from there? Come on, tell me—what's Kazimierz like these days? The big cities, the skyscrapers, the Major—fun, right?"
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. The idea of seeing a land of shining armor and roaring crowds had clearly taken root in her mind.
But Steven just turned to look at her with that stiff, unreadable smile. He hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Whether it's fun or not… that's up to you to find out," he said at last. "But if you're asking me—the Kazimierz I saw was… boring. Painfully boring."
He shook his head slightly, as if shaking off the memory.
His trip there had been a mix of minor surprises and major headaches. Sure, the sight of those Silverlance Pegasi had been impressive—but everything else? Just trouble, politics, and disappointment.
Still, that was his experience. Maybe Surtr would see something different—something worth remembering. A new perspective might make that land feel less empty.
"I see…" she said thoughtfully, spoon tapping her empty sundae glass. "But I still wanna go. Like you said, right? You can't decide if something's fun until you experience it yourself."
Her grin widened, her crimson eyes glinting with mischief. Seeing Steven wear such a conflicted look for once—it only made her more eager to dive headfirst into it.
"…Alright then," Steven sighed, a helpless smile creeping back onto his face. "We'll rest up tonight. Tomorrow, once I wrap up a few things here, I'll take you there myself. Way faster than any train or airship could manage. 'MC Logistics—at your service!'"
He struck a mock salute, imitating a delivery man's slogan.
Surtr couldn't help it—she burst out laughing. Just like that, the heavy mood from before vanished completely.
If this was her choice, then he wasn't about to stop her. In fact, he was a little curious to see how she'd fare—and maybe, when they met again, she'd have some stories of her own. Maybe she'd even change his opinion of Kazimierz.
"Oh, but there's one thing I should warn you about," Steven said suddenly.
"What's that?"
"The Major? Yeah, don't get your hopes up."
"…Huh?"
"They're, uh… permanently canceled," he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"…What do you mean, canceled?"
"Well…" he said, forcing a smile that was way too innocent for his words. "Let's just say… I kinda bankrupted the company that ran them."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
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