Steven had no idea why, but the moment he answered Talulah's last question, her attitude toward him suddenly improved significantly.
Not just her—even Alina, who had already been acting gentle and kind, now looked at him with an even softer expression.
What the hell?
Had these two finally realized how handsome he was? Were they swooning over his overwhelming charm?
"Putting aside whether or not we make a deal, at the very least, I'd like to get along with you as a neighbor, Mr. Steve. However, there is something I'd like to ask of you."
Retracting the appreciative gaze she had just given him, Talulah blinked a few times, her expression returning to normal as she made her request.
"You want me to keep your Infected status a secret, right? Yeah, I already figured as much. I may be a fake barefoot doctor, but I still have some professional ethics, you know? Besides, if your infection ever worsens, you can always come to me—I happen to be quite good at treating this stuff. Just so you know, though, I won't be giving any discounts."
Steven cut her off before she could even finish, making it clear he understood what she wanted.
Honestly, compared to some scumbag doctors out there, he figured his medical ethics were far superior.
After all, when he said he could cure Oripathy, he meant it—no tricks, no scams.
"Mhm, thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Steve. It means a lot that you understand. If our identities as Infected were exposed, it would undoubtedly cause us a great deal of trouble."
Talulah's smile remained unwavering, her trust in Steven growing stronger.
His words and actions made it clear—he was not the type to break his word lightly.
"Alright, alright, drop the 'Mr. Steve' thing. You're making me sound like some stiff, old-fashioned guy. Just 'Steve' is fine. Not too hard to pronounce, right?"
"Then, Steve… Why don't you go into the village yourself and talk to the villagers about what you need? I'm sure your potatoes will be very popular. As for what you can trade them for, well… that's up to you."
Talulah had no intention of being overly polite about it. She quickly adjusted the way she addressed him and got straight to the point.
If not for their conversation helping her understand his character, she would never have allowed an outsider like him to simply walk into the village.
After all, who could guarantee he wasn't hiding some ulterior motive?
But now, Talulah was willing to trust him—just as he was willing to trust the Infected.
"Perfect. You two heading back now? Not much point in me staying home any longer, so I might as well go trade for some stuff. Hmm… how about I walk you two back while I'm at it? The snow's getting pretty heavy out here."
As he spoke, Steven casually grabbed a backpack from the corner of the room and slung it over his shoulder.
Then, after securing his signature glowing pumpkin helmet onto his head, he finally turned back to the two rather frail-looking girls.
Though, considering how Talulah could effortlessly lift that massive black sword, she was probably far from being a delicate girl.
But that had nothing to do with his decision to act like a gentleman, right?
Besides, he was planning to go to the village anyway—this was just on the way.
Talulah nodded, then picked up the cup of hot water that Steven had set on the table for her.
Though it had long since cooled, she drank it all in one go before standing up alongside Alina.
The two of them then followed Steven out the door.
The wind and snow outside were still heavy, and Steven couldn't help but wonder how these two had managed to make their way through such a storm so early in the morning.
But when he turned his head for a glance, he saw something peculiar—a faint, invisible heat seemed to surround Talulah, causing the snowflakes that got close to her to evaporate instantly before even touching her.
Not only that, but she even had enough energy to extend this effect to Alina, shielding her as well.
For her, this wasn't a treacherous snowy mountain trek—it was no more than a leisurely autumn stroll.
No wonder she could dress so lightly while still looking elegant. With an ability like that, she'd never need to turn on a heater in the winter.
"Just a little alternative use of Originium Arts."
Talulah, noticing Steven's gaze, smiled and offered an explanation, as if answering his earlier question.
Steven had to admit—he was a bit envious of her ability.
Originium Arts didn't seem as useless as he had initially thought.
At the very least, it was quite handy for everyday situations like this.
Meanwhile, he himself had no way to deal with the snowflakes falling on his head or the chilly wind blowing against him. It didn't actually bother him physically, but still—he had to admit, he was losing major style points here.
"Actually, now that I think about it, I have an even bigger question."
Steven smacked his lips as if something had just occurred to him. The envy in his eyes faded slightly.
"Hmm?"
"So, yeah, this is super convenient for winter and all, but… don't you get insanely hot in summer? This thing doesn't have a built-in temperature control system, right? Wouldn't you overheat?"
"Huh?"
Talulah's smile froze mid-expression. She genuinely hadn't expected Steven's mind to work the way it did.
What kind of person would even think to ask that? Was this really a normal question?!
"Pfft~ Well, Talulah really isn't great at dealing with summer, actually."
Alina, who had been mostly quiet, suddenly covered her mouth with a giggle before playfully spilling some of her friend's secrets to Steven.
The more she interacted with him, the more interesting she found him to be.
Compared to the boys in the village, he had more energy, more imagination—qualities that she had only ever seen in Talulah, another outsider like him.
"I knew it! There's no way something this convenient wouldn't have at least some drawbacks."
Steven nodded in satisfaction, his glowing pumpkin-head helmet making the scene look even more ridiculous.
"What are you laughing at?" Talulah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "At least we don't have to trudge through this snow, while a certain someone is out here suffering in the cold."
"If he were willing to say a few nice words to me, I wouldn't mind expanding my field a little—let him enjoy the warmth as well."
Talulah was not someone with an overly serious personality.
On the contrary, having lacked much interaction with her peers for a long time, she genuinely enjoyed the current atmosphere of playful banter.
It felt just like the teasing that happens between close friends.
"Ahem! Lady Talulah, you are so kind, so adorable, and oh-so-beautiful! A magnanimous person like you surely wouldn't hold a grudge over such trivial matters against someone as ordinary as myself, right?"
"Surely, you wouldn't be so cruel as to leave a weak and pitiful young man like me to suffer in the freezing cold, right?"
Steven had no sense of shame whatsoever. The moment Talulah finished speaking, he had already assumed the posture of a sycophant, pouring an over-the-top stream of compliments on the girl before him.
"You… don't you feel even a little guilty saying all that?"
Talulah was completely taken aback—this was a first for her.
She had never met anyone like Steven before.
At first, he had given off the air of a mysterious and reclusive master, someone with profound knowledge and hidden depths. Even putting personality aside, the natural pressure he exuded made her feel no less intimidated than when standing before that old man.
And yet—just look at him now.
His behavior was so unpredictable that she truly couldn't make sense of him.
"Why would I feel guilty? I'm just stating the truth. Now hurry up and put a shield on me too! I wanna see what it feels like to have my own personal heater."
Steven showed not the slightest bit of embarrassment. Instead, he eagerly urged Talulah to share her ability with him.
Something this cool and convenient—he had to experience it firsthand.
Come to think of it, he hadn't actually seen many people use Originium Arts before.
Those Iberian Inquisitors? They mostly relied on their lamps.
Rhodes Island? Even worse—they hadn't even fought him before, so he had no idea what they were capable of.
The only real display he had witnessed was from that operator named Frostleaf, who had frozen an entire room when she was on the brink of death.
But someone using Originium Arts as creatively as Talulah? That was a first.
"Tch, you really have no shame, huh?"
Talulah let out a helpless sigh, but she didn't actually refuse him.
After all, he had already flattered her so much—even if his words were mostly just exaggerations, it wasn't like she could just take them back.
She didn't even make any noticeable movements—she simply stepped slightly closer to Steven, and just like that, the warm aura surrounding her expanded, enveloping him as well.
The chilling wind and falling snow? Completely blocked out.
Feeling warm and cozy all over, Steven scratched his head through his pumpkin helmet.
This ability… was seriously convenient.
And the cool factor? Completely maintained.
"Hey, is this something you can teach? How long would it take to learn?"
Following his philosophy of "If someone else has it, why shouldn't I?", Steven immediately turned toward Talulah with a serious expression.
Time and cost didn't matter.
He just really wanted this effect.
At the very least, he'd never have to worry about heating in winter again.
Talulah responded with a roll of her eyes—she had no intention of answering that question.
But before their playful conversation could continue, the lighthearted atmosphere came to an abrupt halt.
All three of them stopped in their tracks, their expressions turning serious as their gazes locked onto a group of figures standing at the entrance of the village.
Clad in heavy military coats and windproof masks, these men clearly weren't locals.
"Oh? Now they don't look like villagers."
Steven squinted at the well-equipped group, and a sly grin spread across his face.
He had a feeling that things were about to get interesting.
<+>
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