"So… you saved her?"
The fire in Skadi's eyes had yet to fully subside, but it was no longer directed at Steven. Instead, it had shifted toward those Seaborn creatures as she nodded slightly, seeking confirmation from him.
Perhaps she should be thanking him—if not for this man, given Captain Gladiia's current state, there was no way she would have made it here safely and in such good health.
"Yeah, not only that," Steven sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration. "She's been nothing but trouble for me. A bunch of guys calling themselves the 'Church of the Deep' even came knocking because of her. It's been a real headache, you know?"
He wasn't lying.
Ever since he'd met Gladiia, he had been dragged into an endless string of troubles.
If not for her, he might still be out there doing some wilderness survival routine instead of dealing with those Seaborn creatures.
At least they wouldn't have had their eyes on him.
If it weren't for the fact that he had also gained quite a few WAP (World Acknowledgement Point) thanks to her, Steven might have seriously considered just leaving her here at Rhodes Island.
After all, he had already saved her multiple times—didn't that make them even?
"Anyway," Steven continued, suddenly pausing as if something had just come to mind.
"Judging from your tone, you must be her companion, right? When are you going to settle the bill for me taking care of her?"
"Huh?"
Skadi blinked, clearly caught off guard.
She had been seriously listening to his story, even feeling a bit grateful, only for Steven to suddenly hit her with… this?
"I took care of her for days," Steven explained matter-of-factly. "She ate my food, used my resources, and I was the one who healed her serious injuries. She's obviously got no money right now, so as her companion, you should be the one paying for her expenses."
He sounded so serious, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
Steven wasn't the type to do things for free—at least, not in a world where no one had given him a reason to do so yet.
"Let's do the math." He started counting on his fingers. "They say life is priceless, but I'm a practical guy, so I'll be generous. We'll call it… 100,000 per rescue, yeah? I pulled her out of the ocean once, and then I saved her again from those Church of the Deep people—that's already 200,000 right there."
He nodded to himself, satisfied with his own calculations.
"Then there's the cost of treating her injuries. Now, that was expensive. Equivalent exchange and all, it should be at least a million, but since I'm such a kind person and hate seeing people die in front of me, I'll give you a discount. Throw in all the other miscellaneous stuff, and I'll settle for 700,000 total."
Steven patted Gladiia on the shoulder and turned back to Skadi with a bright, innocent smile.
"Everything I just said is 100% true. If you don't believe me, you can ask her yourself. I'm not trying to scam you or anything."
Just in case Skadi did try to weasel out of it, Steven made sure to grab Gladiia as his witness.
The young woman, looking adorably confused—like a bunny staring at headlights—tilted her head before obediently nodding in confirmation.
Then, her gaze settled on Skadi.
For some reason… this person looked really familiar.
Had they met before?
"B-But… I don't have that much money."
Steven's entire speech had left Skadi utterly stunned.
She had listened to his explanation, processed every absurd sentence, and even confirmed the truth of his words with Gladiia.
Now, staring blankly at him, she felt her vision darken.
Skadi.EXE has stopped working.
Where was she supposed to find that much money to pay him?
Even all the bounty money she had earned as a mercenary barely covered her daily expenses and Specter's treatment.
But this man had casually thrown out a bill of 700,000. Even if she sold herself, it wouldn't be enough.
After all, in Terra, everything had value—except for manpower and slaves.
Those were dirt cheap.
Steven grinned as he watched what might be the only normal Abyssal Hunter on Rhods Island teeter on the edge of a breakdown.
She was actually considering paying him?
Her face was cold and distant, but she seemed… almost too honest and straightforward.
Were all Abyssal Hunters like this?
Meanwhile, Gavial, who had been watching the scene unfold, finally couldn't stand it anymore.
It was one thing for Steven to extort her, but did he have to scam everyone he met? Was he obsessed with money or something?
The worst part was—she could tell that Steven didn't even need the money. He just seemed to enjoy watching people struggle to come up with cash.
What kind of messed-up hobby was that?
"Miss Skadi, don't worry," Gavial finally spoke up, cutting in to rescue Skadi. "Even if what he says is true, you don't have to pay. I'm sure Dr. Kal'tsit and Amiya wouldn't just sit back and ignore this situation."
She shot Steven a glare.
This guy did all sorts of good deeds, but when it came to moments like these, he acted like a total jerk.
Well… maybe not a jerk, but definitely not a good person either.
"Well, someone has to take responsibility, right?" Steven shrugged, his previous tension completely gone now that he wasn't at risk of being accused by an angry 'family member.'
No fun? Then he'd make his own fun.
This was a reasonable request for payment. No one had the right to complain.
"Dad, are you selling me off?"
Just as Steven was about to tease the overly honest Abyssal Hunter a little more, a soft, trembling voice interrupted him.
Gladiia, who had been quietly standing beside him the whole time, finally spoke.
Her expression—eyes filled with tears, lips quivering, looking as if she were a helpless little kitten about to be abandoned—completely shattered Steven's playful mood in an instant.
Oh, right.
She had only regressed mentally to childhood, not become an idiot.
She had heard everything.
"Uh…" Steven coughed awkwardly, quickly shifting gears. "Actually, I was just helping you find your teammate. And this money? It's just to buy you more food. Be good now, lie back down—I'll start your treatment soon."
Teasing a beautiful girl was fun, but teasing a helpless innocent child? That was crossing the line.
With his mood thoroughly dampened, Steven turned his attention away from Skadi—who was still in shock over the supposed 'debt'—and looked toward the green-haired crocodile doctor standing nearby.
"So, after all that examination, what's the diagnosis? Can her amnesia be cured? If not…"
Reaching somewhere—no one knew exactly where—Steven suddenly pulled out a massive, half-human-sized metal drum filled with a creamy, milk-scented liquid.
He rubbed his forehead and muttered, "Then I guess it's my turn to step in. I refuse to be a single dad any longer. If we don't fix this, she's gonna have me wrapped around her little finger forever."