"You're already here, so why bother with a gift? More than that, you should know there's sothing else I want from you."
Zofia waved off the gold nugget handed over by Steven, leaving it in Maria's care instead.
She clearly thought it was just so decorative trinket—how could she have guessed that he'd casually hand her sothing made of solid gold?
But to Zofia, the gift wasn't the important part. What she really wanted from Steven was sothing else entirely.
"I know what you're about to say. But let's hold off until these guys finish their part, yeah?"
Steven flashed a cheeky grin.
Of course he knew—Zofia didn't give a damn about the gift. What she really wanted was information, specifically anything about Margaret.
And as it happened, that was exactly why he had co.
The communication device was already strapped to his waist. Judging by the ti, Kal'tsit and the others should be arriving at their destination any minute now. It was the perfect mont to make the call.
"Ah? Oh, right—well then, we won't get in the way. Zofia, we're glad you're alright. When you're feeling better, swing by the bar—we owe you a drink!"
The old craftsman and his crew took the hint and made their exit.
They had only stopped by to check on Zofia's condition, and now that they knew she was fine, there was no reason to linger.
As for the business involving Margaret—it clearly tied into so shady, mysterious organization.
Steven wasn't talking, and none of them were foolish enough to stick around and pry.
Once the three burly n left the hospital room, the space suddenly felt much roomier.
It was then that Maria, who had been quietly observing everything, noticed sothing about the black-haired boy in front of her.
He looked... oddly familiar.
"Ah! Wait a second—weren't you the one I bumped into in front of the bar earlier today? Your chest... is it okay? I left in such a rush, I didn't have ti to properly apologize... I'm really sorry."
She blinked in mild surprise, then gave him a graceful and polite apology.
It was clear she'd been raised well—there was a natural elegance to her deanor, the kind you'd expect from a noble.
"It's all good, really. You're Nearl's little sister, right? Man, I never would've guessed. That girl's got this intense, knightly vibe going on... and you? You're like the complete opposite—so gentle and sweet. You two don't look alike at all."
Steven chuckled as he dug into his inventory and pulled out his communication device, dialing up Kal'tsit's number while casually sharing his first impression of the blonde girl.
Honestly, if soone hadn't told him this delicate, golden-haired girl was Nearl's sister, he never would've believed it.
Sure, both of them were Kuranta and shared the sa golden hair, but that was where the similarities ended.
Nearl was like the blazing sun—radiant and commanding, lighting up the battlefield with her presence.
anwhile, Maria was more like the gentle little bird next door—soft-spoken, shy, and kind.
It was almost impossible to imagine they were siblings.
Then again, Zofia was a whole other personality altogether.
The three of them were like night and day and dusk—completely different shades from the sa family tree.
As Steven pondered this strange disparity, the communication device finally connected.
"What is it?"
A cold, clinical voice flowed from the device—Kal'tsit.
Both Zofia and Maria exchanged a surprised glance.
For a mont, they had expected to hear the voice of Margaret—their sister, their niece. But this... this wasn't her.
That was definitely not Margaret.
"Ahem. Is Nearl there? I've got sothing I need to discuss with her... privately. Mind passing the communication device over to her?"
With both Zofia and Maria present, Steven figured now wasn't the ti to start another argunt with Kal'tsit. Instead, he got straight to the point.
Normally, he wouldn't have missed the chance to trade a few words with her, but today wasn't about that.
"Nearl? Don't tell you've gotten yourself tangled up with that ss going on in the K.G.C.C again?"
Kal'tsit's tone sharpened the mont she heard Nearl's na.
She already had a good idea what Steven had been up to.
Knowing his personality, there was no way he'd co to Kazimierz and stay out of trouble.
And since he'd gone straight into the heart of the Grand Knight Territory, the one thing he couldn't avoid... was anything related to her—the Radiant Knight, idol of half the nation.
So, it was only a matter of ti before Steven ca looking for Nearl.
Kal'tsit had been prepared for this.
She just didn't expect that "soday" to turn into "two days after he disembarked from Rhodes Island."
"Uh… why're you making this sound so serious?" Steven scratched his cheek, trying not to sound too defensive. "I'm just doing a favor for her family, alright? They wanted to talk to her, that's all. Can you just hand her the communication device?"
No way he was going to admit that he'd rolled into the Grand Knight Territory guns blazing, trash-talking half the Kazimierz elite. Kal'tsit would probably explode if she knew. Better to leave that part out.
As far as he was concerned, he was just delivering a ssage on Zofia's behalf. That was it.
"…Fine. Wait a mont. I'll go get her."
He heard the rustle of movent from the other end.
Kal'tsit had likely been working in the d bay or buried in paperwork in her office—as usual.
Finding Nearl would take a minute.
"Oh, by the way—Specter's with you, isn't she?"
Kal'tsit used the lull to sneak in another question. One that had been on her mind for a while.
The mont the dics told her Specter had gone missing, she had a pretty good guess where the girl had ended up: following him off the ship.
"She is. She's doing well, actually. Skadi's keeping an eye on her. No major issues."
Steven nodded reassuringly.
Honestly, Specter was in far better shape now than she had been back on the island.
At least she wasn't randomly threatening people with a chainsaw anymore.
"I figured as much," Kal'tsit muttered, her voice a little tight. "Look, if you're gonna stir up trouble, fine. I've given up trying to stop you. But don't drag them into it, alright? Their identities are sensitive. If sothing happens to them, it won't be easy to fix."
Her voice held a weary note, like soone who knew it was hopeless but still had to say it.
"I an… that warning's kinda late," Steven replied with a wry grin. "And besides, I'm not the one dragging them in. Those two have the talent for it on their own. Still, you don't have to worry. They're my companions. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility. I've got their backs."
To his credit, he didn't hesitate.
Despite everything, Kal'tsit's instincts weren't wrong—Steven might be a walking disaster, but when it ca to his own people, he was fiercely loyal.
"…Then that'll have to do."
Kal'tsit let out a quiet sigh.
There was nothing she could do from here, and she knew it.
All she could do was believe in his words and hope nothing spiraled too far out of control.
"I'll be heading to Kazimierz soon myself," she added after a pause. "Amiya and I need to speak with the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi. We'll et again then."
She didn't say try not to make a ss until then, but the implication hung heavy in the air.
While casually chatting, Kal'tsit finally spotted the three she was looking for, leisurely walking through Rhodes Island's corridors. She raised a hand, signaling the dazzling golden-haired woman at the front—radiant and regal, like a sun brought to life.
"Nearl. There's a call for you, it's from your family."
"…Huh?"
The valiant knight, who had been laughing along with the two Sarkaz girls beside her, paused mid-step.
With a curious look, she made her way over to Kal'tsit and accepted the communication device handed her way.
"A call… for ?"
She stared at the device, puzzled.
As soone who had co from the Grand Knight Territory of Kazimierz, Nearl certainly recognized what it was.
But still… a call from family?
That didn't add up.
As far as she knew, no one in the Nearl family had access to Rhodes Island's communication network—much less knowledge that she even worked here.
So why did Kal'tsit say it was from her family?
And more importantly… Kal'tsit wasn't the type to joke about sothing like this.
Before she could think further, a familiar voice rang from the other side of the communication device:
"It's really your voice—Margaret! Can you hear ? It's , Zofia—your aunt!"
The voice was so familiar, so overflowing with emotion, that Zofia herself nearly sat upright from her hospital bed in sheer excitent.
Unfortunately, the wound on her side imdiately reminded her of reality, forcing her to lie back down.
Still, that didn't stop her from reaching insistently toward Steven, gesturing for him to hand over the communication device as soon as possible.
"Wha—Aunt Zofia?"
Nearl froze.
Even though it had been a long ti since she last heard that voice, she recognized it imdiately.
Steven, watching the whole scene unfold with mild amusent, took a look at the two won—clearly overwheld by the reunion—and silently handed the communication device over to the excited knight. Then, with the tact only an experienced troublemaker could possess, he turned and walked out of the hospital room without another word.
This was a family matter now.
No need for an outsider to linger awkwardly while emotions overflowed.
As he stepped out and gently closed the door behind him, he caught a final glimpse of the two won inside—tears streaming down their cheeks, voices thick with emotion, their reunion painting a picture as beautiful as it was heart-wrenching.
"…Man, what kind of charm does that Nearl girl have, seriously?"
Steven scratched his head, genuinely bewildered.
How could one person have so many people missing her, worrying about her, crying over her? It's unreal.
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Steven paused outside the door.
With a subtle flick of his fingers, he made two small gestures in the air. Instantly, all the bugs and surveillance devices hidden within the room powered down, one by one.
In a place like this, you could never be too careful. Letting a private family reunion get spied on? That would be way too tasteless.
As for what kind of consequences this little disruption might bring?
Steven wasn't worried in the slightest.
In fact, he was kind of hoping the people from the Armorless Union would co knocking.
He'd love to see their expressions when they realized the mysterious knight they'd been desperately trying to find was none other than… him.
< >
Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
sdrive.google/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
< >
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