Kal'tsit was trying to convey something with those words, and Steven understood her meaning very well.
But as he said himself—what did any of that have to do with him?
Sure, he had a bit of goodwill toward Outcast and the other elite operators, but that didn't mean he was going to turn into a savior of the world because of it.
Steven didn't consider himself as a hero.
Besides, Outcast and the others chose this path themselves. There was no reason for him to interfere with their decisions.
He respected those who sacrificed their lives for noble causes, but that didn't mean he wanted to be one of them.
Living for others was exhausting, after all.
"I just want… you to understand what Rhodes Island is trying to do," Kal'tsit said.
"And let me guess, you're hoping I'll hand over that medicine for you to research, right?" Steven shrugged, directly stating Kal'tsit's ultimate goal. No matter how tactfully she phrased things, if he didn't have that miraculous milk, he doubted she'd be treating him so politely.
"Yes, that's right. Rhodes Island needs that medicine. The people of this land need that medicine. And I… need that medicine."
Kal'tsit didn't try to deny it any further. Instead, she steeled her gaze and admitted her intentions to Steven.
"If you'd been this straightforward from the start, I might not have treated you so harshly. Honestly, you're a lot easier to listen to when you talk like this."
Steven chuckled lightly, offering a brief critique of her newfound directness. If she had always spoken so plainly, he might have even considered becoming friends with her.
"So—"
"No deal."
Steven waved his hand, delivering a harsh conclusion.
"However, since your attitude just now satisfied me, I don't mind telling you this: Even if I handed over that stuff for you to study, you still wouldn't be able to figure it out."
"That medicine is unique to me. It can't be replicated, and as for spreading it across the land to cure the so-called infected… that's pure fantasy."
This time, Steven wasn't trying to mislead her. He didn't know how many infected there were in this world, but it clearly wasn't a small number. Furthermore, based on what Blaze had told him, there were deep-seated conflicts between the infected and the uninfected.
Even if he had a cure, spreading it to everyone would be nearly impossible.
Unless he conquered this world first.
But that would be far too much trouble.
Steven had no interest in playing a nation-building conquest game. He considered himself a survival game player. That kind of slow-paced strategy game wasn't his style. If anyone wanted to play that, they'd better call a Paradox Interactive fan.
Since he couldn't fulfill that prerequisite, revealing the existence of his milk would only make him a target, which wasn't worth the risk.
"Believe it or not, that's the truth. Maybe I can improve my method of treating Oripathy, but obviously, this land needs far more than just that."
"Unless I see something worth fighting for, you're better off thinking about how much you can pay me for treating individual patients."
Having said everything he wanted to, Steven stood up and walked past Kal'tsit, who remained standing in place, deep in thought.
Of course, she knew everything he had pointed out. That was precisely why she was so desperate for someone to break this stalemate.
"Oh, by the way, about earlier—since that girl blackmailed me, I demand compensation for my mental distress. Should I put it on your tab, or would you prefer to pay in cash? If not, a few Originium shards will do. I can use them to experiment—maybe make some fireworks or something."
The previously tense atmosphere shattered. Just moments ago, Steven had walked away with a solemn demeanor, only to return, utterly destroying the mood he had set.
"Can't you be serious for once?" Kal'tsit said, looking at the boy holding out his hand, asking for money. She couldn't help but sigh with a wry smile.
"Hey, can seriousness be eaten for dinner? Or are you offering me money to be serious? If neither, why should I work so hard? Also, don't change the subject—do you have the stuff or not?"
Steven clapped his hands, unconcerned about whether he was being inappropriate. If he were truly out of line, he might as well have demanded Kal'tsit sit on his lap and drink with him.
"This is extortion."
Kal'tsit sighed, no longer in the mood to argue. At least his antics had distracted her from her earlier frustration.
"Hey, you're slandering me. How is this extortion? I'm just asking directly. So, are you giving me some Originium or not?"
"…Fine. Go find Closure, the one who ran off earlier, and tell her I sent you. Ask for whatever you need."
Kal'tsit agreed, not knowing what Steven wanted Originium for, but figuring it was best to just go along with his whims.
If anything, indulging him might save her some headaches in the long run. After all, he had suddenly discovered a way to cure Oripathy before—maybe letting him do his thing would yield unexpected results.
"Now that's what I call straightforward! If you'd been like this earlier, I wouldn't have needed to give such a long speech. Don't worry—since you gave me something, I'll give you a discount if you ever need me to treat infected patients."
Steven grinned widely, finding Kal'tsit increasingly pleasant as her manner grew more direct.
"Oh, right—one more thing I forgot to ask."
Just as Kal'tsit watched him turn to leave, he suddenly doubled back.
"Go ahead."
Feeling a bit exasperated by Steven's antics, Kal'tsit didn't want to waste any more words.
"You guys have a leader named Doctor, right? Why haven't I seen them around? I'm pretty interested. Think you could introduce me?"
Steven had finally remembered that he should probably get started on the main quest. After all, he had already wandered around Rhodes Island for a while without meeting the main character, which seemed odd.
"…I don't know how you learned about that person, but unfortunately, if you want to meet them, you'll probably have to dig them up yourself. Incidentally, we'll be passing through Ursus soon—want us to drop you off?"
Kal'tsit narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze filled with a mix of confusion and curiosity as she looked at Steven. How had this boy, who didn't even know what Originium was, learned about that figure?
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