When it came to treating Oripathy, Steven's methods hadn't changed—just the usual routine.
First, he had Alina drink as much milk as possible.
Then, depending on her condition, he would give her a healing potion.
After that, it was up to fate.
Fortunately, Alina trusted him completely, as if she had no doubt that he would never do anything to harm her.
simply gazed at his face, her expression calm.
Even when the milk caused something inside her body to surge, washing over her insides with an almost unbearable sensation, she bit down on her lip, refusing to let out any sound that might make Steven worry.
By the time he took out a strange-looking potion—one that emitted an eerie pink glow—she was already on the verge of losing consciousness from the pain.
If it had been Talulah instead, the moment she saw the color of the potion, she definitely would have had major doubts about what exactly she was being given.
Thanks to Alina's cooperation, the treatment process went by quickly.
Practically in real-time, Steven could see her once-pale complexion regain a healthy flush, and her dry, cracked lips return to a soft, hydrated state.
Gone was the sickly, frail girl from before.
Now, she looked just like an ordinary girl next door, someone who had never suffered from illness at all.
In reality, Steven had already cured most of her Oripathy symptoms with just the milk treatment.
Given that her infection had only been mild to begin with, this one session was probably enough to keep her free from the disease's torment for a long time.
If it weren't for the fact that Talulah would no doubt make a big deal out of Alina's sudden recovery and pester him endlessly, Steven would've completely cured her on the spot.
But something told him that Talulah was hiding something important.
If she found out about this, it might become even more troublesome than dealing with Rhodes Island.
For now, Alina had him around, so she didn't have to worry.
He figured he might as well wait until he finished his business in Ursus before curing her fully.
Once he did, he'd just leave immediately—so even if Talulah wanted to come after him with questions, she wouldn't get the chance.
"It's only natural for Talulah to be curious sometimes. Even I, after witnessing your incredible techniques firsthand, can't help but feel an urge to uncover the secrets behind them."
Wiping the sweat from her forehead—sweat that had come from enduring the pain of the treatment—Alina tilted her head slightly and looked at Steven with a mix of awe and contemplation.
She knew exactly what kind of disease she had.
Oripathy wasn't something that could be cured so easily.
Her parents had died from it.
The Infected Patrol Squads despised people afflicted with it.
And yet, with just two mysterious potions from Steven, she now felt as if she had been reborn.
The crushing fatigue that Oripathy had inflicted on her body was completely gone.
In fact, she felt even healthier than she did before she got sick.
If Steven were willing to share these potions with the world, they would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar.
"No, no, don't even start. It's already exhausting enough dealing with just her. I don't need you adding to the trouble."
Steven shook his head.
Talulah was already like a living embodiment of "one hundred thousand whys." She had an endless supply of questions and absolutely no hesitation in asking them.
The woman had perfected the art of being shamelessly inquisitive, and it was downright exhausting.
In that sense, she was actually quite similar to him.
But just because they were alike didn't mean he could handle it.
"But Mr. Steve, isn't that precisely what you like about her? At the very least, you don't dislike her, do you?"
Alina tried to sit up, but Steven immediately pushed her back down, pulling the blanket over her once more.
"I wouldn't say I 'like' her, exactly. I just find her interesting. She's got a good heart, and I don't dislike people who have the courage to be themselves."
Steven waved his hand dismissively.
There was no way he could ever be into someone like Talulah.
Her personality was… well, a little too stubborn for her own good.
On top of that, she was an idealist—one of those people who would go to great lengths for their cause.
Just like that time when she forced a kiss on him.
If he ever actually fell for a girl like her, he'd be in for a world of trouble.
"So you see it too, Mr. Steve?" Alina sighed, shaking her head. "With the way Talulah is, it's only a matter of time before she runs into serious problems."
Having spent far more time with Talulah than Steven had, Alina understood her flaws well.
Talulah was, without a doubt, a good person.
She was also a noble idealist.
But that was exactly what made her most vulnerable—idealists like her tended to back themselves into a corner.
If her beliefs were ever shattered, she would start to question herself.
And if no one was there to pull her back, she might end up taking things to a dangerous extreme.
"Not my problem." Steven shrugged. "Anyway, you should be feeling a lot better now. Rest up for today. I'm gonna go see what exactly she's trying to keep hidden from everyone. I'll check in on you tomorrow—don't forget that favor you promised me."
Whether Talulah ended up going off the deep end was up to her.
Her choices were hers to make.
He had no interest in steering someone else's destiny.
She could walk whatever path she wanted. He wasn't about to play the role of a guide.
"But I wanted to ask you for a favor, Mr. Steve—"
"Nope. You don't. You're fine now. Don't even try the whole 'final request' thing on me."
Alina opened her mouth to speak, but Steven was already shutting her down.
He didn't know exactly what she was about to say, but he'd seen this situation way too many times before.
This was the classic setup for a death flag.
And he wasn't about to accept a flag like that.
Accepting this kind of request was a guaranteed way to end up with some stupidly dramatic burden—and worse, it practically guaranteed Alina wouldn't survive.
As far as he was concerned, people who made final requests never lived long afterward.
So, without hesitation, he nipped it in the bud.
Standing up, he casually folded his chair before making his way toward the door.
"You're right, it was selfish of me," Alina murmured, watching his retreating figure. She shook her head apologetically. "Asking you to do something like that would only trouble you further… I'm sorry."
"Yeah, yeah, just focus on getting better. Besides, she's not dumb. It's not like she's gonna screw up that easily."
Steven waved his hand without turning back. "And if she ever does need help, well… as long as she's willing to pay, I wouldn't mind handling things for her."
With that, he left Alina's room.
Talulah's little secret had piqued his interest.
Forget whether or not her idealism would lead her into trouble—just the fact that she had gone to a mobile city alone was intriguing enough.
Steven had never seen one of those so-called mobile cities before.
Aside from Rhodes Island's mobile fortress, he had no real concept of what they looked like.
Kal'tsit had mentioned that they were built as a means to survive Catastrophes, but he still couldn't fully picture them without seeing one firsthand.
So, he had already been thinking about visiting a mobile city at some point.
And now, thanks to Talulah, he had the perfect excuse.
At this point, there was no avoiding it—he was going to the mobile city. The only question was, in what manner should he make his entrance?
Bringing along his signature pumpkin head would be a little too flashy. But sneaking in like some random nobody? That sounded too boring.
Maybe… he should create another disguise?
He'd always liked the idea of playing a blind swordsman wielding a cursed blade.
And if any fools decided to get in his way, well… it'd be the perfect chance to let [Yamato] taste some fresh blood.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind spending $5 monthly to see till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 161: Just a Traveler[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/arknightcraft-124696787[3]
https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/arknightcraft-124696787
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/arknightcraft-124696787
[4] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl