"Does my presence trouble you, Mr. Steven?"
Seeing the strange, conflicted expression on Steven's face, the white-haired old man paused, clearly puzzled by his reaction.
"No, no, this has nothing to do with you, Elder. It's my fault. It's all on me."
It's my fault for being too damn impressive.
Steven let out a regretful sigh.
He still couldn't figure out how these high-ranking guys always had such sharp instincts.
Aren't bigshots supposed to be short-sighted?
How else would they clash with the protagonist in a classic story?
If this old man was going to be so polite, then even someone like Steven—who loved stirring up chaos—couldn't just pick a fight for no reason.
"That's good to hear. My name is Carmen, one of Iberia's Saints and the highest-ranking commander of this operation."
Carmen gave Steven a gentle smile.
Time had carved deep lines onto the old man's face, yet his once-handsome and powerful features still remained faintly visible.
But Steven didn't care about any of that.
He didn't even care about this old man's status.
What he did care about, however, was how to make himself seem weaker.
With everyone treating him so respectfully, how was he supposed to find any fun in this?
So, Steven simply nodded halfheartedly.
"Then, Your Excellency Saint, are you planning to escort me and my daughter to the Inquisition?"
He finally asked the important question.
After all, Steven had been looking forward to seeing what the Inquisition was like.
Carmen shook his head gracefully, exuding the kind of elegance that only an old gentleman could.
"I don't believe that will be necessary. A friend of mine has already told me about you and the Abyssal Hunter accompanying you. Since neither of you have violated Iberian law, there is no need for an Inquisition trial."
Steven's eyebrows twitched.
A friend?
There was only one person he could think of who knew about his situation.
"Your friend… would that be a certain green-haired, cat-eared, age-defying granny?"
Carmen blinked, momentarily stunned.
But then, as the words clicked together, realization dawned—
And he burst into hearty laughter.
"Pfft—Hahahahaha! Mr. Steven, you truly have a sense of humor!"
For the first time in many years, Carmen laughed so openly that even Dario and Irene seemed a little surprised.
The Saint's usual caution had visibly loosened, his guard lowered by several degrees.
The overly polite tone from before was gone, replaced by something more natural.
"Yes, you're absolutely right—it was that green-haired, cat-eared lady."
It was the first time he had ever heard someone describe her like that.
Carmen just couldn't stop smiling.
"She assured me that neither you nor your companion are involved with the Church of the Deep. In fact, she even told me you helped us eliminate one of their hidden strongholds in this village. If anything, I should be thanking you."
"They came after me first. No need for thanks—I wasn't doing it out of goodwill."
Steven waved his hand dismissively.
Now that Kal'tsit had explained things for him, it was clear that there wouldn't be any chaos to enjoy.
Which was a shame, really, he had waited so long for the Inquisition's people to show up,
And this was all he got?
The elder who called himself Carmen simply smiled as he watched Steven's bored expression.
Now he finally understood why even someone like Kal'tsit would call him a strange person.
Looking at him now… she was absolutely right.
From his demeanor and speech, one really couldn't tell that Steven was some terrifying humanoid monster.
If anything, he was almost like a carefree tourist.
But the killing intent hidden beneath his skin?
That was something even the sharpest disguise couldn't fully erase.
These two contradictory auras somehow coexisted within one person—
And now Carmen understood exactly why Kal'tsit had described him that way.
"If you really want to thank me—"
Steven scratched his head, completely unaware of the elder's internal analysis.
Instead, he seriously made a small request.
"Then buy me a pork chop rice."
His tone was so casual that it took a second for the others to process.
Then, in the midst of Carmen's and the two Inquisitors' confused expressions,
Steven patted his stomach and stated matter-of-factly:
"Come on, I'm already at the Inquisition's place. If I don't do anything, wouldn't that just be a shame?"
"Hah? Do you even hear yourself right now?"
Irene had been holding back this whole time, but this was just too much.
She had expected Steven to demand something outrageous, after all, someone with his level of skill could easily use this situation to bargain for resources from the Inquisition.
But pork chop rice?
Seriously?
What did he think the Inquisition was?
A family restaurant? A street food stall?
"Mm. Actually, if possible, make that four—no, five portions. One for my daughter, two for me, and the rest for takeout."
Steven raised five fingers, his expression completely dead serious.
Carmen blinked, then, his lips curled into a smile.
"Of course. That's what you deserve."
The elder nodded slightly, his gaze filled with intrigue.
This young man...
Now this is interesting.
It had been a long time since Carmen had met such an amusing person.
After the great calamity, every child born into this country had grown up under a shadow they could never escape.
But Steven?
He was different.
"Just so you know—once I eat, I'm leaving."
Steven mentally sighed at how patient these old folks were.
Whether it was Kal'tsit or this old man, neither of them had been cooperative with his usual antics.
Not like Irene—that little Iberian songbird was way more fun to mess with.
"That is your choice."
Carmen kept his gentle smile, looking every bit like a kindly old grandpa from next door.
But then, his gaze subtly shifted to another part of the village.
"However, it seems that not everyone wants to let you and your companion leave so easily."
A distant clash of steel echoed through the air.
Low, unnatural deep-sea growls followed close behind.
Trouble had arrived.
But, once again, Steven was the first to charge toward it.
Not only that—
He even shouted mid-run:
"LEAVE THIS TO ME!"
The frustration of missing out on two fights had been eating away at him.
Right now?
Steven just wanted to let loose.
And if a bunch of sea monsters were coming straight to him for a beating?
That was just perfect timing.
He was itching for a fight.