Of course, Steven had no intention of actually taking out Redstone.
He came to this world for entertainment, not to start an industrial revolution.
Whether these people used Originium for electricity or nuclear power had absolutely nothing to do with him.
They could use whatever they wanted—he wasn't going to interfere.
As for Oripathy? That was even less of his concern.
Like Warfarin had said, it was their choice.
If they decided to rely on Originium as an energy source, then they also had to bear the consequences.
Steven didn't have some chosen hero complex just because he was a transmigrator.
Taking it easy and enjoying his life was way more comfortable than dealing with some massive save-the-world headache.
Why go looking for trouble?
Besides, Redstone wasn't something he could just casually show to people.
If he actually revealed it, the impact would be way bigger than the potato incident.
At the end of the day, potatoes only brought an agricultural revolution.
At most, they solved a food shortage.
But Redstone?
That would completely shake the foundations of industry.
An infinite energy source—a mineral that never ran out—would be world-breaking in any civilization.
Steven wasn't dumb enough to hand over something that dangerous just to show off.
He had given potatoes to Iberia's Inquisition because even a crumbling government could still handle farming. And even if the secret got out, no one was going to start a war over potatoes.
Like he said himself—he basically hired an entire Iberia to farm for him. Sure, he had to give up some profits, but the Inquisition also took on all the risks.
But Redstone was different.
If the world found out what it could do, the global balance of power would shift instantly. A world war wouldn't even be out of the question.
Just look at how far a certain country was willing to go for oil—that was all the proof he needed.
That kind of chaos?
No, thanks.
Steven loved watching drama unfold, but he had zero interest in being the one to start it.
Who knew what kind of crazy people would start coming after him?
He had no intention of becoming the world's next biggest entertainment piece.
So as long as he didn't need to use Redstone, he had absolutely no plans to show it off.
"Now do you finally understand how dangerous that thing in your pocket is?"
Warfarin let out a sigh.
"My advice? The next time Rhodes Island stops for supplies, go dig a hole and bury it somewhere. Or, better yet, hand it over to the lunatics in the processing station—you might even get some Lungmen dollars for it."
She had seen Steven staring off into space for a while and assumed he was finally realizing just how dangerous that Unstable Originium Shard really was.
Honestly, the fact that he had been carrying it around this whole time without getting infected was already a miracle.
This only made Warfarin even more curious about his body's resistance to Originium.
The only ones with that kind of immunity were the Abyssal Hunters.
So this guy… was he really an Ægir?
Her curiosity burned.
Warfarin was dying to taste Steven's blood.
Only that would give her the answers she sought.
Unfortunately for her, Steven wasn't about to give her the chance.
"So your job is to research a cure for the disease caused by Originium and treat those already infected?"
Steven didn't seem to care much about the explosion risk Warfarin mentioned. No matter how dangerous something was, once it went into his inventory, it had to behave.
What interested him more was this "Oripathy" she spoke of.
"That's right. At least, that's my goal—to find a cure for Oripathy. It's also what most of Rhodes Island's medical operators are striving for."
"But if I remember correctly, you said earlier that just coming into contact with Originium carries a risk of infection, right? Aren't you afraid?"
"So what? In the end, when we're on duty, they are patients, and we are doctors. We just have to do our jobs."
Warfarin's expression was calm, completely different from how she had recoiled when Steven was holding the Unstable Originium Shard.
Steven actually found her words believable.
Back in his own world, there were plenty of doctors who also risked their lives fighting on the frontlines against deadly diseases.
To be honest, he had a lot of respect for the medical profession. If he hadn't been isekai'd, he might have even considered studying medicine himself.
But there was no "what if" anymore.
Even so, with his current abilities, playing doctor wasn't entirely out of the question. A splash of milk, a healing potion, or a golden apple—he could probably make even the Grim Reaper retire.
"You're asking all this… but it doesn't really have anything to do with you, does it?"
Warfarin narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I don't see any Originium crystals on your body. Or… is it that someone you care about is infected?"
She was curious. This guy had clearly never even heard of Oripathy before. So why was he suddenly so interested?
That Ægir girl he brought along didn't show any symptoms either, so Warfarin could only make a simple guess.
"No, I don't have anyone I care about. Well… not at the moment."
Steven shook his head casually.
He wasn't denying that someone he knew had Oripathy.
He was denying the entire concept of him having anyone he cared about.
To be honest, after living for so long, he didn't even care much about himself.
"I was just curious. Hypothetically speaking—just hypothetically—if someone actually could cure this so-called Oripathy… then…"
His fingers rubbed together in a classic "money" gesture.
"Would it make a lot of money?"
A sly, merchant-like grin spread across his face.
Steven wasn't that interested in money itself.
But the chaos this would bring?
Now that was something worth watching.
Becoming a wandering miracle doctor, saving the sick and treating the infected, sounded like the perfect setup for a drama-packed adventure.
A full-health character strolling through chaos with a half-dead look, acting all mysterious? Peak character design.
And on top of that, it guaranteed he'd have stories to hear wherever he went.
"If you really had a cure for Oripathy, forget anything else—Rhodes Island would treat you like a god and worship the ground you walk on."
Warfarin let out a sigh.
She wasn't taking Steven's words seriously.
But for some reason, his comment seemed to have reminded her of something unpleasant.
"Why's that?"
"Because at least two-thirds of Rhodes Island's operators… are infected with Oripathy."
The response didn't come from Warfarin.
At the doorway—where the brown-haired girl had slammed the door open earlier—stood Kal'tsit.
Beside her, the girl who had introduced herself as Amiya stepped forward, answering Steven's question.