Back to Steven's side of the story—after returning home safely, he heated a pot of water, took a quick bath, and comfortably lay down on his pink wool bed.
There's nothing better than crashing into bed and falling asleep after a long day. Well, maybe playing on your phone for a bit first, but clearly, the technology in this world hasn't progressed enough to make a smartphone. So, Steven could only close his eyes and immediately drift off into dreamland.
Another dreamless, peaceful night passed. When Steven opened his eyes, it was, as usual, six o'clock the next morning.
There was no helping it—Minecrafter just had such a consistent routine.
He stretched lazily and sat up in bed.
Outside, apart from the howling cold wind, the usual sounds of early-rising operators and patients on Rhodes Island were absent, leaving Steven feeling a bit out of place.
It was as if he had returned to his once-lonely life in Minecraft.
Fortunately, it was just a feeling.
After a quick wash, Steven took out a carton of milk and paired it with a grilled steak.
He sat down to enjoy his breakfast, safe from the outside cold thanks to his underfloor heating.
At the same time, he was thinking about what he should do today—like maybe heading back to the village from before to trade for some local specialties.
Steven was quite confident in his baked potato skills. This simple and unpretentious food was precisely the sort of thing that would be in high demand in a remote, desolate village.
Actually, using more storable food like carrots might be even better, but then there was the risk of his exclusive crops being stolen.
"Maybe beef or pork would be a good idea? Meat might be more popular than starchy food, and I wouldn't have to worry about them reviving raw meat."
Looking down at the half-eaten steak in his hand, Steven suddenly thought of a better option.
This way, he could also disguise himself as a hunter, which would make it easier to gain favor with the villagers.
As for what he could trade from the villagers, Steven didn't really care. Some local specialties would be nice, but if not, gathering intel would be fine too.
At the very least, he could ask about things like that Collapsal or the mines.
This village seemed to have been around this area for quite some time—they should know if there were any mines nearby, right?
With his mind focused only on mining and leveling up, Steven quickly pushed the matter of the so-called "Stray Collapsal" to the back of his mind.
There was no way he would brave the harsh winds to wander the snowy fields just to search for that creature.
He was merely curious about it. There was no real grudge between him and the monster, and Steven had no desire to deal with it unless it conveniently delivered itself to his door.
If that happened, Steven might consider studying its anatomy and seeing what kind of loot it would drop.
And just as Steven decided what he would do for the day, there came a steady knocking on the large iron door at the entrance of his home.
Frowning, he glanced at the skylight and the heavy snow falling outside.
Steven couldn't help but wonder who would visit him in such terrible weather.
Could it really be like he thought—the Collapsal had come straight to his door?
Opening the door with a sense of curiosity, Steven did not find a terrifying monster baring its fangs and claws, eager to devour him alive. Instead, standing before him was a somewhat familiar girl, and behind her, another young woman dressed in an elegant, sharply contrasting formal outfit.
"Uh... Aren't you cold dressed like that?"
Before the visitors could say anything, Steven spoke first, throwing out a rather blunt question.
The wind and snow outside were intense, yet this girl was wearing such thin clothing. Was she not afraid of catching a cold? Or was this the legendary "fashion over function" mentality?
"Eh? Mr. Steve, we've come to visit you."
Since Steven had not put on his peculiar pumpkin head, Alina didn't recognize him at first.
If not for his familiar voice, she might have thought he was someone else living with the pumpkin-headed man
After all, yesterday, Steven's pumpkin head had looked almost like it was part of his body—so lifelike it was hard to believe it was just an external helmet.
"I know, but she still hasn't answered me. Isn't she worried about catching a cold and getting, uh, the runs?"
Steven nodded, showing no intention of hiding his face. The pumpkin helmet was just for fun anyway. Even if someone saw his face, what could they do? Accuse him of being a murderer or something?
What he cared about more was the answer to his question.
"I have a strong constitution. There's no need for you to worry about me, sir."
The girl behind Alina—Tallulah—couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. Steven's out-of-the-blue question left her unsure of how to respond.
"Well, you'd better be careful. If you don't keep warm in such cold weather, your stomach will be the one to suffer."
Steven, who had learned this lesson the hard way, nodded seriously.
Since becoming a Minecrafter, he didn't feel the cold much anymore. But back when he was just a regular gamer, catching a chill often meant his bathroom would bear the brunt of it.
"..."
"Can we talk about serious matters, Mr. Steve? I'd like to get to know you properly and also express my gratitude for helping my friend return yesterday."
Her smiling face nearly broke under the strain of keeping composed. Tallulah took a deep breath before finally stating her purpose for the visit.
"Oh, then come in. It's quite cold outside. You might be able to handle it, but I'm not sure about Alina. Girls need to take extra care to keep warm."
Steven stepped aside, allowing the two girls to enter. Only then did he notice the strange black horns on the lightly dressed girl's head—horns that defied any animal Steven knew of.
If he had to describe them, these branched, antler-like horns reminded him of the kind seen on dragons from Western tales.
After all, when he wore the Ender Dragon head, the horns on it looked somewhat similar.
"So, what brings you here? Is it just a verbal 'thank you'?"
His small matchbox-like room offered little in terms of seating. Other than his small bed, there seemed to be nowhere else to sit. After a moment's thought, Steven performed a little "magic trick," pulling two wooden stumps out of thin air and setting them down as makeshift chairs.
As for himself, he naturally sat back down on his bed, looking at his unexpected guests with a curious expression.
Just as he had pointed out, Alina's hands were empty. As for the girl with the strange horns, she was even more extreme—she was holding a long sword with a rather peculiar design.
This didn't look like a visit to express gratitude. If anything, it seemed more like they had come to violently collect a debt.
"No, actually, it was my own decision to meet Alina's... somewhat strange neighbor. And now that I see you, it seems you're even stranger than she described."
Under Steven's puzzled gaze, the sword-wielding girl set her sword aside. After examining him with a subtle and curious expression, she finally stated her purpose for the visit.
She didn't bother hiding her confusion over Steven's odd behavior.
It was clear to her that the black-haired, black-eyed young man before her was definitely not a local of Ursus. However, even with the thorough education she had received, she still couldn't determine Steven's race based on his appearance.
A race without any distinguishing features... The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like only the Aegirians from the records fit the description. But that was a race from the coastal nations—what was someone like that doing in Ursus, a landlocked frontier region?
Moreover, Steven's appearance seemed closer to the Yan people from Ursus' neighboring country.
But more than his appearance, what truly piqued the girl's curiosity was his calm demeanor—even when facing someone armed.
This either meant he was a carefree, naive person with no sense of danger, or he had the strength to easily handle her if needed.
The girl preferred to believe it was the latter.
After all, the confident composure he showed was even more apparent than the old man she held in high regard.
"Am I? I think I'm pretty normal. Oh, right, would you like a cup of hot water? My place is small, so I don't have much to offer."
Steven scratched his head. Being called a weirdo didn't bother him; after all, they were only speaking the truth. He had never denied it—he was, indeed, a bit of an oddball, inside and out.
He walked over to the brewing stand in the corner of the room. After igniting the blaze powder inside to heat the three bottles of clean water on top, Steven turned around and gave the cautious girl a smile.
"I don't think I caught your name yet. But before that, can I ask you a question?"
"You can call me Talulah. As for your question, go ahead."
The girl named Talulah frowned, suddenly worried that Steven might ask another bizarre question like the one he said earlier.
Fortunately, this time, his question was slightly more serious.
"Are you a dragon?"
<+>
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