After a satisfying al, Steven leaned back comfortably in his chair, sipping hot water at a leisurely pace.
The only thing that left him sowhat dissatisfied was the fact that vanilla Minecraft didn't have many seasonings. He had to ask Alina just to get so salt, let alone hope for a proper spicy hot pot.
Could a clear broth pot even be called hot pot?
Steven had no intention of starting a war over it, but honestly, a pot without spice just lacked a certain sothing.
anwhile, Talulah, who had also eaten to her heart's content, glanced at Steven while watching Alina clean up the dishes.
She was genuinely curious about how Steven managed to produce all these ingredients. His pockets seed like an endless void, always capable of pulling out new things that piqued her interest.
"You went to find the Guerrilla Fighter nearby today, didn't you? Did you find them?"
Knowing that asking wouldn't really change anything, Talulah still decided to bring it up. Steven had been out wandering all day, and judging by his deanor, it didn't seem like he ca back empty-handed.
Not to ntion, the mont he walked in, she had keenly detected a faint, unfamiliar scent lingering on him—a fragrance that only ca from other won.
Had he actually been out flirting?
Would Steven really do sothing like that?
"When have I ever failed to accomplish sothing I set out to do?"
Steven patted his stomach, debating whether to obtain the Farr's Delight or Pam's HarvestCraft, and absentmindedly responded to Talulah's question.
Ever since he arrived in this world, there wasn't a single thing he had attempted that he hadn't succeeded in. After all, having the bigger fist really did make all the difference.
"And? Did you get into a conflict with them?"
Talulah moved closer to Steven, curious about what kind of impression the guerrillas had left on him.
After all, Steven looked like an ordinary person at first glance, which would normally make running into the guerrillas an awkward situation.
"Heh, I can chat and joke around even with the Royal Guard. As long as no one actively provokes , I'm easy to get along with. Or what, were you hoping I'd pick a fight with them?"
Steven rolled his eyes at her. Why did she sound like she wanted him to get into a fight? If there were no benefits to be had, why would he go looking for trouble?
Kicking back, eating hot pot with friends, and not even having to do the dishes afterward while watching cute girls handle the cleanup—wasn't this the ideal life?
"Huh… You actually managed to stay out of trouble? That's surprising. You didn't run your mouth and piss them off?"
Given Steven's tendency to stir up chaos wherever he went, Talulah found it hard to believe that he had simply observed the guerrillas without causing so kind of trouble.
"Nah, I just fought with Patriot, that's all."
Steven casually straightened up in his chair. Since they were already on the topic of the guerrillas, it was the perfect opportunity to bring up the commission he wanted Talulah to handle. Plus, there was sothing else he needed to ask her.
"—See, I knew there was no way you'd just leave without starting a fight—"
Talulah froze mid-sentence.
"…Wait, what did you just say?"
"Patriot?"
Talulah initially sighed with a "figures" expression, but then she suddenly froze. It was as if she had just processed the very strange na Steven had casually ntioned. Her eyes widened in shock as she reached out to grab his sleeve.
The na "Patriot" from the Guerrilla Fighter—there was no way she didn't recognize its significance. Did he just say he fought with the legendary Sarkaz warrior, who was practically a household na in Ursus history?
Talulah knew exactly what Steven ant when he said he "fought" soone. And judging by his current relaxed and carefree deanor, there was no way he lost. Otherwise, how could he be sitting here so nonchalantly?
"Huh? What's wrong? I just had a little fight, got to know him, and then sold them so grain and wool. In a way, I guess you could say I supported their cause."
Steven nodded casually, as if he were talking about sothing completely trivial. anwhile, Talulah sat there frozen, her entire body as stiff as a board.
What do you an 'just had a fight'?
She knew this guy was strong, but wasn't this a little too outrageous?
"…You won?"
"A small victory, a small victory. Let's not get cocky."
His words were modest, but the smug expression on his face told a completely different story.
Talulah had the strong urge to roast him for being so full of himself, but right now, she wasn't in the mood. Inwardly, she was forced to reevaluate this guy once again.
Was Steven even human? Or was he so kind of ancient legendary monster in disguise?
But then again, his mindset was clearly similar to her own. She honestly couldn't figure him out at all.
However, there was one thing she was absolutely sure of—if she could get this guy to join her cause, her plans could move forward much faster. Maybe she wouldn't have to struggle as much. Maybe, just maybe, she could actually see a glimr of hope instead of just burning herself out like a moth to a fla, lighting the way for those who would co after her.
"Be honest with —how many more secrets are you hiding from us?"
She jabbed her finger into Steven's side, confirming that he did indeed feel like a normal human and not so kind of monster in disguise. Then, rubbing her forehead, she asked him in a resigned tone.
She knew she'd probably get so vague and evasive response, but she just couldn't let it go.
"Oh, I have plenty. Curious? Heh, well, I'm not telling you."
Steven chuckled and, just as she expected, gave her an infuriatingly smug answer.
"What would it take for you to spill, then? My dear, beloved Steven~?"
Her previously frustrated expression instantly transford into a sickeningly sweet, over-the-top grin.
Steven had never seen Talulah act so fake before. The deliberately high-pitched, cutesy tone of her voice made half his body go numb on the spot.
And then, when she grabbed his arm, shook it gently, and gave him a big innocent-eyed look while swaying her body like a little girl throwing a tantrum—
Steven's entire being froze. He was so stunned, he didn't even have the energy to laugh.
"…Are you numb?"
Expression completely deadpan, Steven stared at her with a blank, fish-eyed look.
"…A little."
Talulah's forced, exaggerated grin imdiately faded, and a shiver ran down her spine.
She had only done that on a whim, just to see if Steven—who was known for giving in to softness but not to force—would fall for it. But the mont she started, she instantly regretted it.
Her face quickly flushed red, but she forcibly suppressed the urge to cover her face and run away. Instead, she quietly sat back in her seat. However, her little fists trembled ever so slightly, making Steven find the whole thing even funnier.
"If I don't want to say sothing, asking won't get you anywhere. Let's talk about the Guerrilla Fighter instead. I actually need your help with sothing."
Steven waved his hand, steering the conversation away from that awkward mont before finally bringing up his actual business.
He had to admit, Talulah's reaction earlier had been quite amusing. The sheer impact of it had been so strong that he didn't even know how to react at first.
But if he kept teasing her about it, she was bound to blow up. And since he wanted to keep ssing with her in the future, he figured he should cut her so slack for now. A slow and steady approach was the way to go.
"What kind of help?" Talulah folded her arms and shot him a look. "Just so you know, I learned from a certain soone that I don't do things without getting sothing in return. If you want my help, you better show so sincerity."
She stretched out her hand toward him, clearly enjoying the fact that he was the one asking for a favor now. But the thought that this whole embarrassing ss was his fault quickly soured her mood again.
"I need you to help calculate a fair exchange rate for food and minerals in the tundra. Also, a general price table for things like warm clothing and supplies would be useful."
Steven rattled off his request like an unreasonable client piling demands onto a contractor. Talulah was the most knowledgeable about this stuff, so he trusted her to handle it properly.
"Oh, and one more thing—help set a fair price for trading minerals in exchange for these kinds of weapons."
As he spoke, he pulled a Desert Eagle from his pocket and set it on the table before looking at the girl in front of him.
"As for paynt… I just hope soone doesn't act like an ungrateful little brat. Soone should be well aware of how many favors she owes . If she insists on talking about compensation now, I might just have to ask her to repay her debt with her own body."
Steven tapped his finger on the table, making it clear he expected a reasonable answer.
And sure enough, as soon as he said that, Talulah imdiately backed down. She shot him a resentful glare before reluctantly turning her attention to the gun he had placed before her.
And then, she froze.
"—Okay, now this is unfair. I asked you for one before, and you refused. But now you're turning around and selling them to the Guerrilla Fighter?!"
Talulah's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Steven.
This double standard was absolutely unacceptable! Why was he fine with selling to a bunch of guerrilla fighters but refused to even let her see one?
She knew exactly what Steven was planning by asking these questions, but she just couldn't understand why he was treating her differently.
They were friends, weren't they? Why was she getting worse treatnt than a bunch of strangers?
"They can pay. What about you? What can you offer ? Are you gonna warm my bed at night?"
Steven leaned back with a smirk.
"If you're up for it, I'll give you ten of these per night. That's a damn good deal, don't you think?"
< >
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