Von raised an eyebrow, glancing between Mia and the trembling girl. "What exactly are you planning here?"
"I was thinking about letting her stay on my ship," he said casually. "Maybe she could help with some chores or gather information. Could be useful."
"Chores? Is that your excuse? Or are you saying she's your type?" Mia crossed her arms, skeptical as ever.
"My type?" Von hesitated, stealing a glance at the girl. She was still pale and shaky from the attack, clearly in no state to joke about appearances. Though she was undeniably cute, now was definitely not the time to mention anything about her looks—or her... more noticeable attributes. His mind drifted briefly, but he pulled himself back to the present. "Look, that's not the point. She needs help. We can't just stand here talking while she's like this. Let's find somewhere safe to sit and let her calm down."
Mia sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, but you're paying."
"Aye, captain," Von smirked before turning to the girl. "Hey, it's okay now. We won't hurt you. If it's too hard to walk, you can lean on me."
The girl nodded shyly, barely touching the edge of Von's jacket with her fingertips.
"You can hold on properly, you know," he said gently. "It's a tough jacket. It can take it."
She still hesitated, but the slight contact seemed to reassure her. Von didn't mind. For now, getting her to feel safe was the priority.
Mia led Von and the girl to a small café near the mercenary guild. It had a cozy, familiar feel that reminded Von of a place back on Earth. The menu was a mystery to him, but he settled on what seemed like the local version of a café au lait and a sandwich. Mia, as usual, just ordered a drink. It took a bit of gentle persuasion to get the girl to decide on something, and eventually, she went with the same order as Von.
"So, what's your name?" Von asked, breaking the silence.
"Um... Ruby," the girl replied quietly.
Von blinked. "Oh, shoot. I didn't even introduce myself, did I? I'm Von."
Before Von could say anything more, Mia interrupted, "Enough of that. So, Ruby, what can you do? Got any skills that would be useful on a ship?"
Von winced. That was a bit blunt.
Ruby hesitated. "Um... what kind of skills would I need?"
"Exactly what I thought," Mia said with a knowing smirk. "But I'll spell it out for you. This guy here—" she jerked a thumb at Von, "—he doesn't need help in combat, but he's pretty much useless with everything else. He could use someone to handle supply runs, manage information, talk to clients, deal with the guild, coordinate landings with port authorities... that sort of thing."
"I... I don't really have experience with any of that," Ruby admitted softly.
Mia sighed. "Figured as much. In that case, there's not much left for you except... well, being a maid. Cooking, cleaning, and maybe, you know, 'helping him out' when he needs it."
Von choked on his drink. "What?! Mia, seriously? Helping me out? That's what you think I'd want?!"
Mia raised an eyebrow. "You're the one bringing her along, aren't you?"
Von shot an awkward glance at Ruby, whose face had gone from fear to stunned confusion. Great. She probably took it the same way he did.
"Look," Von stammered, "I think she's cute, sure, and maybe we could be friends or something, but I wasn't thinking about... that!"
Mia rolled her eyes. "Wow, you really are naïve, huh? I'm starting to think you are one of those sheltered rich boys."
Von groaned. "Unbelievable."
"Doubtful," Mia replied with a sharp glance. "So, is that the new standard? A girl boards a guy's ship, and everyone assumes they're together?"
"In an equal partnership? Not always. But you and Ruby aren't exactly on equal footing here, so yeah, people are going to jump to conclusions."
Von frowned. This whole situation was starting to feel like a bad setup from some adult game. Nothing like this ever happened in Astria Online.
"Wait, wait," Von protested, shaking his head. "I'm not that kind of guy. I'm not gonna make weird demands or anything. Give me some credit here."
Mia shrugged nonchalantly. "Doesn't matter what you think. People will see it that way whether you like it or not."
Von let out a frustrated sigh. He glanced over at Ruby, who was now blushing and staring at the floor. Her face was flushed with embarrassment, making the situation even more uncomfortable.
"Girls, please, don't do this to me," Von thought, mentally pleading. He wasn't that guy. He'd helped Ruby because it was the right thing to do, not because he expected anything in return. But no matter what he said, it would probably just sound like empty protests. Best to let his actions speak for him.
Mia turned her attention to Ruby. "What do you want to do, Ruby? You were hanging around that alley, after all. Not exactly a safe place for someone like you."
Ruby fidgeted. "Well…"
"Did you do something? Commit a crime and run to the Third Division? Or maybe you don't have any guardians?" Mia's blunt question seemed to hit a nerve, and Ruby's eyes filled with tears.
Von winced. "Mia, come on, you're making her cry…"
Through her quiet sobs, Ruby explained her story. It wasn't an unfamiliar tale in this part of the galaxy. She had grown up in the Second Division, in a regular family. But tragedy struck while her parents were working on an oxygen infrastructure project—they died in a horrible accident.
Ruby continued her story, explaining how her parents had taken the blame for the accident, resulting in all their assets being seized. As a student, Ruby had no way to work or earn money, and without the means to pay the high taxes of the Second Division, she was forced out. The system had abandoned her, and she ended up in the dangerous and unforgiving Third Division, where survival was a daily battle.
Von listened intently, shock written all over his face. "That's insane," he said. "Is there really no safety net for situations like this?"
Mia, ever the pragmatist, shrugged. "Does it matter? What matters is that she has nowhere to go now."
Von nodded, realizing the gravity of Ruby's situation. "Yeah... not many choices left, huh?" He knew that if Ruby didn't find some kind of shelter, the next time she was dragged into an alley, there wouldn't be anyone there to save her.
Ruby bowed her head, her tears still flowing. "Please... I'll do anything. Just let me stay with you. I'll help however I can. I just... don't want to be alone anymore."
Without hesitation, Von nodded. "Of course. You don't have to worry anymore. You can stay with us. Now, eat your sandwich—you've got to be hungry after everything that's happened."
"Yes..." Ruby whispered, her voice filled with relief as she finally took a bite of her sandwich.
Mia, watching the whole scene unfold, crossed her arms and shot Von a disapproving glare. "You know, bringing her aboard isn't as simple as you're making it sound."
Von raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on. My dear senior, surely you can help me figure out the details of bringing Ruby on board."
"Seriously?" Mia asked, her skepticism clear.
"Seriously."
Mia sighed. "It's gonna cost you, you know."
Von blinked, confused. "Wait, what? How expensive are we talking?"
"You'll have to go to Nexus Prime's Resident Administration Bureau to figure that one out." Mia said.