Before heading out to enjoy the show, Steven had one very important thing to take care of—
He needed to change his clothes.
The tattered rags he was wearing weren't even worthy of being called cloth. And now that they were also stained with the blood Gladiia had coughed up earlier, there was even less of a reason to keep wearing them.
That said, instead of throwing them away, Steven carefully stored them in his inventory.
Even the most useless gear could serve as a keepsake, right?
Fortunately, the village elder worked fast. Just as Steven finished stripping off his ruined clothes, the old man arrived with two fresh sets—one for him and one for Gladiia.
The fabric felt rough, almost like burlap, but Steven didn't mind in the slightest. Without hesitation, he put on the new clothes.
As long as he wasn't walking around completely naked, it didn't make much of a difference to him.
But as he picked up the remaining set—the one meant for women—he found himself at a bit of a loss.
Could Gladiia, with her current level of intelligence, really manage to change her clothes on her own?
And if she couldn't, would it really be okay for him to help her?
That just felt… inappropriate.
Luckily, Steven's concerns were unnecessary.
The moment Gladiia saw him finish dressing, she instinctively followed suit, hugging the women's clothing close to her chest and trying to put it on by copying his movements.
"You need to take off your old clothes first."
Shaking his head, Steven turned away, unable to keep watching.
To his surprise, Gladiia actually seemed to understand his words. Without hesitation, she began removing her old outfit.
The moment he saw her starting to undress, Steven immediately averted his gaze, doing his best to ignore the sounds of rustling fabric behind him.
As long as she could manage on her own, that was all that mattered.
Otherwise… he really wouldn't know what to do.
Only when the shuffling noises finally stopped did Steven turn back around.
Gone was the sharp, sword-like presence she had before—an aura that had made her seem like a warrior fresh out of battle.
Now, dressed in a plain, long-sleeved linen dress, she looked like nothing more than an ordinary girl from the village next door.
The moment Steven turned around, Gladiia rushed to his side and latched onto his arm, a bright smile of pure happiness spreading across her face.
Steven could more or less guess what was going through her little head.
With her current level of intelligence, she probably felt that wearing matching clothes with her family was something to be happy about.
That was the simplicity of a child's mind.
The fewer desires one had, the easier it was to find happiness.
Accepting his role as her temporary father figure, Steven helped straighten out her sloppily worn clothes before picking up her discarded garments, which still carried traces of her warmth.
One of the perks of having an inventory was that he could store just about anything without worrying about space—whether it was the clothes she had just taken off or that strange-looking trident-like spear of hers.
No matter what it was, he could carry it with ease.
And take it out anytime he needed it.
These things all belonged to her.
When Gladiia eventually regained her memories, Steven would have to return everything to her properly.
"Dad, hungry."
Standing obediently beside Steven, Gladiia watched as he finished packing up. Then, with a shy smile, she touched her stomach and softly voiced her needs.
"Thinking about food right after waking up just… you really are like a child."
Steven covered his face and sighed in amusement before glancing at the half-eaten piece of bread nearby.
In the end, he decided against giving it to her—her stomach had been through enough already. She needed something easier to digest.
"I'll go find some coal. I'll roast some potatoes for you later. In the meantime, take this."
Steven pulled a carrot from his inventory and handed it to the girl beside him, ruffling her head as he did so.
It wasn't just head pats.
That kiss earlier had netted him nearly 500 points—enough to make him waver for a moment.
If a mere kiss was worth that much… then if things progressed further, wouldn't he be rolling in points?
But of course, Steven knew better.
It was just a fleeting thought.
He wasn't the kind of person who'd stoop so low as to exploit her amnesia for something like that.
Some things had to be done with principle.
Glancing at a nearby mirror, Steven adjusted his clothing.
The reflection staring back at him was that of a tall, sharp-featured young man.
For some reason, it left him feeling a little emotional.
After all these years, his appearance hadn't changed a bit.
At this point, could he even call himself human anymore?
Seeing his real face again—rather than some pixelated blocky figure—Steven couldn't help but chuckle.
Wasn't this a good thing?
Who cared whether he was still human?
Plenty of people chose to abandon their humanity just for a chance to live longer.
And the longer he lived, the more interesting things he got to experience.
So why waste time contemplating something as pointless as the meaning of life?
Turning away from the mirror, Steven was about to take his little burden out for a stroll—
But just as he reached for the door, it suddenly swung open from the other side.
Standing there was the one person he was most familiar with in this village—the old village chief.
Only this time, there was a grim expression on the elder's face—one Steven had never seen before.
"Pack your things and come with me. I know a hidden path out of the village."
The old man's voice was tense, almost urgent.
"Hah? I came here to rest, not to be kicked out this quickly."
"There's no time to explain. The Inquisition is already at the village entrance!"
The moment those words left the old man's lips, he grabbed Steven's arm and tried to drag him out of the room.
And that name—Inquisition—was one that Steven had been very curious about for a while now.
"So what?"
Steven didn't resist, allowing himself to be led in the opposite direction of the village entrance.
Gladiia followed closely behind, clinging to him like a baby duck.
Despite the old man's apparent frailty, his grip was shockingly strong.
His fingers clamped down on Steven's arm like an iron vice, making it slightly uncomfortable.
Even so, Steven merely smiled and continued asking questions.
"Isn't it obvious? You're an Ægir! If the Inquisition finds you, it'll be big trouble!"
The old man's voice was full of urgency—
But in the next instant, his body staggered forward as Steven suddenly stopped moving.
It was as if he had just run into an immovable mountain.
With confusion in his wrinkled eyes, the village chief followed Steven's gaze—
Only to see a beam of light shining directly at them from ahead.
The bright glare engulfed both Steven and the old man, forcing them to squint.
'Well now… looks like trouble has arrived.'
Shielding his eyes from the blinding light, Steven finally made out the figure standing in the middle of the road—
A small, slender girl, holding a long sword.
Holy hell, this 'Inquisition' group, they even recruit children as their workers?