"Kazimierz, huh?"
Steven rubbed his chin thoughtfully, watching Gavial leave before quietly muttering to himself.
He hardly had any impression of this country.
The only familiarity he had was from overhearing casual chats among elite operators like Blaze, who briefly ntioned it as a land famous for knights.
To be honest, Steven was intrigued.
After all, strictly speaking, he could sowhat qualify as a knight himself.
Moreover, heavy armor was precisely the sort of thing he was incredibly fond of—how could he justify not taking a look?
Besides, he rembered Outcast ntioning sothing called "Kazimierz Major," apparently a renowned spectacle in Kazimierz.
In Steven's impression, it's the kind of event where two formidable individuals dressed in splendid armor dramatically throw down their white gloves before engaging in an honorable duel.
Of course, this impression mostly ca from movies and literature, but that didn't dampen his anticipation.
Having firmly decided he would definitely visit Kazimierz to witness these Kazimierz Major, Steven glanced at the gradually darkening sky, sighed slightly, and then flopped onto his bed.
Even though he'd been gone nearly a month, Kal'tsit had kept his original room for him.
He wasn't sure if she'd sent soone specifically to tidy up, or if Gavial or Frostleaf had done it instead. Either way, the room remained spotless.
"Everything's fine, except it's just a bit too quiet."
Abruptly sitting up from the bed again, Steven took a careful look around the small dormitory—one even less cozy than his own little wooden cabin—and shook his head regretfully before leaving once more.
Going to bed so early obviously didn't match his habits. Since there was still ti, he figured he could go catch up with Blaze and her group.
Walking along a route etched clearly in his mory, he headed towards their usual gathering spot. Before he even reached the trading post's door, the scent of cheap alcohol wafted out, greeting him.
Steven didn't even get a chance to knock—soone inside must have sensed his arrival, pulling open the door and dragging him straight inside.
["Welco back to Rhodes Island, Mr. Steve!"]
A sowhat cheap-looking, hand-drawn banner hung across the ceiling.
Judging by the repeatedly revised nas on it, they seed quite experienced in throwing similar makeshift welcoming parties.
The sa elite operators were gathered again.
However, unlike before, Ace and Scout, the two older n, were nowhere to be found.
As a result, this so-called elite operator gathering had unintentionally beco sothing akin to a girls' night.
Of course, there were also so newcors.
Next to Pith, Steven spotted a young girl with a slightly confused expression, clearly out of place among this group of female drinkers.
More precisely, she was another big, white cat just like Blaze.
"Do you guys really do this every ti soone returns? I'm starting to suspect your real intention is just using it as an excuse to drink."
Shaking his head helplessly, Steven glanced down at Blaze's small hand gripping the collar of his shirt.
"Hmph, who says it isn't? As long as we make it back safely, it's definitely worth celebrating. Knowing your personality, I figured you wouldn't sit still. Now, what about those goodies you promised us earlier? We're all waiting!"
Blaze flashed Steven a hearty smile.
Indeed, this was sothing their group always did—after all, no one could guarantee they'd always safely return.
"Alright, alright, I haven't forgotten about you guys. Seriously, what era are we in, still drinking this cheap liquor and eating these tasteless snacks?"
With impressive flair, Steven cleared off the cluttered table filled with diocre alcohol in the trading post.
He proudly took two massive wooden barrels out from his pocket (Inventory).
"Do you know what this is? This is honeyed apple cider, and so rich, flavorful eggnog with a strong kick!"
"This is the good stuff we should be drinking. Oh, and don't forget the snacks."
From his pocket (Inventory), one dish after another appeared like magic—a dazzling array of desserts and ats.
The lavish display was enough to leave even Outcast–who had previously accompanied Kal'tsit to aristocratic gatherings—stunned.
Where did he manage to get all this?
This spread was just too luxurious—at least, Outcast had never seen such an extravagant sight.
For a mont, the elite operators froze, even pausing their drinking.
"What're you all staring at? Drink up! This ti it's my treat. You've already treated so many tis before, haven't you?"
After placing the final snack on the table, Steven smiled warmly at everyone around him.
Drinking was always more enjoyable with good company, and he'd been looking forward to this day for a long ti.
"Are you sure this isn't so illusion created with Arts or sothing? Honestly, I've never seen anything quite like this."
Blaze poured herself a cup of eggnog. Enjoying its aroma—far superior to the previous cheap liquor—she picked up a small piece of cake.
"Seriously, did you raid so Ursus noble's pantry or sothing?"
The elite operators present were already accustod to Steven pulling impossible things out of nowhere, but even they couldn't figure out how he managed this entire banquet.
And it all looked freshly made, too.
"Ah, who cares about all these details? Isn't drinking supposed to be about having fun? Anyway, you're not paying or responsible for it, so just enjoy it!"
Steven lifted a bowl and generously filled it for himself, not bothering to offer further explanation.
Explaining would just make things more complicated.
"I guess you're right. We'll just take advantage and enjoy this with you, then. Our sincere thanks to you, Mr. Steve, for your generosity!"
Hearing Steven's words, the elite operators stopped hesitating and happily dug into the feast.
Like Steven said, drinking was all about happiness. With better drinks and tastier food available, who cared about their origins?
Since all of this is taken out by Steven; if sothing happened, he would take responsibility for it anyway.
With all worries cast aside, the atmosphere of the gathering grew lively again.
They gathered around Steven, drinks in hand, forming a circle that suddenly made him feel like he'd been cornered by aunts and uncles at a family holiday gathering.
He couldn't help but nervously anticipate soone asking, "So, are you married yet~?"
"Ahem, by the way, where are Ace and Scout? How co I only see you ladies here? I had so genuine vodka ant for real n to share with them."
Steven quickly tried to shift the topic, but before he could even stand, several of the female elite operators firmly pressed him back down onto his chair.
"They stayed behind in Ursus for a mission. They'll probably co back later. But that's not important right now."
Outcast smiled warmly at Steven despite clearly using a surprising amount of force to pin him down to the seat.
Of course, Steven could easily break free, but he recognized these people weren't trying to harm him. Rather, they seed to have sothing they needed to say.
"So, what's the issue then? You gotta say sothing at least—honestly, aunties, the way you're holding down like this is giving a lot of psychological stress."
Steven gave an awkward smile.
Whatever it was, they'd better speak clearly, because having them smiling silently at him like this was really unsettling.
"Actually, it's nothing major. We've heard that you seem quite accomplished in dical matters—enough that even Dr. Kal'tsit and Dr. Warfarin sotis seek your advice."
To Steven's surprise, it wasn't Outcast who answered him, but Pith, the elite caster beside her.
Ti had left noticeable marks on this Liberi woman's face, giving her a kind of distant great-aunt vibe.
"Yeah, I guess that's true in a sense. Why? Do you guys have sothing you need to treat? If that's the case, I might even give you a special discount."
Steven scratched his head in confusion.
Such things couldn't be hidden forever, but he was still curious as to why these elite operators were suddenly asking him about it.
Usually, they were among the highest-priority people on Rhodes Island, whether it ca to dical care or other privileges.
They shouldn't be at a point where they'd need him personally.
Sure, they were all infected, but from appearances alone, none of them looked like Frostleaf, who'd been in critical condition.
"It's not about us, actually. There's... a rather special elite operator I think you should et."
Pith appeared slightly embarrassed as she turned towards the quiet girl next to her. Since Steven arrived, the girl had barely moved, silently enjoying the small cakes with tiny bites.
"This is Rhodes Island's youngest elite operator, Rosmontis."
Pith introduced her briefly and then turned her gaze along with Steven toward the exceedingly gentle-looking Feline girl.
The white-haired cat-girl shyly glanced at Steven before carefully taking out a peculiar data terminal resembling a notebook from her side.
After ticulously scrolling through a list and confirming a na, she finally nodded toward Steven while linking the green eyes on her expressionless face.
"Hello, Mr. Steve. It's nice to et you."
"Tsk, I think I already know what you're about to ask of . But you see, how should I put this... Don't you guys realize that fixing people's brains is precisely what I'm worst at?"
Steven looked helplessly at the emotionless girl in front of him, giving a resigned smile.
This was definitely a textbook example of being entirely out of his area of expertise.
< >
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