Chapter 218: Being Handsome Gets You Peeped On
Gladiia left without a sound.
Just like that, the number of Abyssal Hunters on Rhodes Island went from three to two. And with that, Steven lost his last excuse to wander around Specter's hospital room like a bored tourist. After all, his "adopted daughter" was gone. Without her, it was unlikely the remaining two would start a fight. And since he wasn't particularly close to either of them... well, his visits naturally dropped off.
That said, just because he wasn't looking for them anymore didn't mean they wouldn't come looking for him.
Case in point: Skadi.
"I told you, I have no idea why she left so suddenly," Steven muttered, pressing a palm to his forehead in exasperation. "She didn't tell me anything, and if she did, I still wouldn't be able to tell you. So... sorry?"
It was barely past dawn when he opened his door and found the orca-themed warrior girl standing there like a stone statue. Stubborn didn't begin to describe her—Skadi was the kind of person who once locked onto a thought, wouldn't let go no matter how unreasonable it was.
Her logic: Gladiia was with him before she disappeared, so he must know something.
Which, granted, wasn't technically wrong... but also not entirely right either. It wasn't like Gladiia had told him where she was going. So how could Steven be expected to explain that she'd run off after planting a kiss on him like it was some kind of stealth attack?
Yeah. Not a conversation he wanted to have.
"She wouldn't just leave without saying anything. You definitely said something to her."
And there it was again—Skadi's unshakable resolve. She was firmly parked by his side, clearly not planning to move until he gave her an answer.
Steven let out a slow sigh and raised his hands in surrender. No point in arguing with her when she got like this. Without saying anything more, he simply walked around her and headed off to wander the halls of Rhodes Island like he always did.
She'd learn the hard way eventually—being this stubborn was a surefire way to suffer later.
Luckily, other than following him like a lost puppy and pestering him for Gladiia's whereabouts, Skadi didn't try anything particularly outrageous. So Steven decided to treat her like a ghost—annoying, persistent, but ultimately harmless.
Hands in his pocket, Steven roamed aimlessly through the corridors. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was fear of confrontation—but ever since he changed that Catastrophe's course the other day, Kal'tsit hadn't shown her face once, which is a miracle in itself.
Though... someone else had taken up the habit of bothering him regularly.
Warfarin.
That tiny, eccentric researcher had developed the charming hobby of trying to "night raid" his room every few days, hoping to sink her tiny fangs into him and extract some of his blood for her experiments.
Which... yeah, no.
Her little vampire cosplay routine never amounted to anything except waking him up in the dead of night. And getting lightly bopped on the head for her troubles.
Honestly, her baby-sized canines didn't even come close to piercing his skin. He almost felt bad for her. Almost.
Eventually, his feet took him to the deck. There, standing in the brisk morning air, Steven looked out toward the horizon and narrowed his eyes.
Then... he smiled.
On the distant skyline, he could make out towering skyscrapers bathed in a sea of neon—the kind of light pollution only modern civilization could create. It glimmered even brighter than the breaking dawn.
"So... it's finally time, huh?" he muttered.
It had been days—weeks, even—but now they were nearing Kazimierz.
He'd heard stories about this place—how absurdly developed its economy was, how flashy and commercial its cities had become. Judging by the skyline, it wasn't just talk.
Rubbing his chin, Steven let out a quiet chuckle.
Then, with a sidelong glance, he rolled his eyes at the very quiet, very sneaky, suspiciously silent presence that had materialized behind him.
A certain small orca.
"You're not going to take care of that little shark of yours?"
"She went wild all night and only just fell asleep."
Ah. That explained the shadows under her eyes.
Steven raised an eyebrow as he noted the dark circles beneath Skadi's usually clear gaze. She looked downright exhausted.
So the "little shark" had run her ragged, huh?
Well.
Couldn't say he didn't see it coming.
Apparently, getting tormented by Specter all night wasn't enough for Skadi—now she had to come torment him in broad daylight too.
"Maybe... take a nap first?" Steven offered, casting a sideways glance at the dark circles under her eyes. "We're almost at Kazimierz, right? Don't you have a mission to run?"
Abyssal Hunters had tougher bodies than most, sure—but even knowing that, Steven couldn't help but worry she might just keel over in front of him.
But Skadi merely shook her head, firm and unwavering. "I'm not leaving until you tell me where the Second Company Captain went."
She was absolutely exhausted—that much was visible at a glance—but she refused to back down.
She'd been clinging to Steven for days now, and she clearly wasn't letting go anytime soon.
Her stubbornness was starting to win him over.
"Okay, okay, stop! I don't want you dying in front of me, alright?" Steven finally relented, holding up both hands like he was surrendering to an unreasonable child. "Get some sleep, and I'll tell you everything once you wake up. Deal?"
He couldn't help it. This kind of determination... even he had to admit it was kind of touching.
It felt wrong to keep Gladiia's secrets from her any longer—especially when this girl was clearly breaking herself trying to protect her comrades.
"I'll sleep after you tell me," Skadi insisted, crossing her arms and giving him that orca-eyed stare.
Seeing genuine concern on Steven's face actually warmed her a little inside, but she wasn't about to budge. She was in this for the long haul.
"Fine, fine," Steven sighed. "You really think too hard about this stuff... Where else could she have gone? Obviously, Iberia. She said she wanted to look into Specter's situation—maybe clean it up a bit. As for why she didn't bring you? Probably because someone had to stay behind to take care of the 'little shark.'"
He rubbed his forehead as he spoke. Gladiia hadn't told him this directly, but it wasn't hard to figure out.
That girl cared about her companions too deeply to just vanish for no reason.
Considering the mess that was Iberia—its murky politics, the lingering threat of the Church of the Deep—it actually made sense for her to go alone.
Bringing Skadi, bless her soul, would probably have complicated things.
After all, the orca girl wasn't exactly known for her subtlety or tactical finesse.
"Is that... all?" Skadi asked, still not fully convinced.
She wasn't dumb. Just a little dense. And even she could tell Gladiia wouldn't have vanished without a bigger reason.
Steven gave her a long, considering look... then sighed again.
"Well... it also has to do with Ægir."
At the mention of that word, Skadi fell silent.
She knew. Of course she knew.
The name carried a weight she couldn't ignore. If Gladiia had left without warning, and it involved Ægir... then it was serious.
Serious enough that Gladiia didn't want to involve them. Not yet, anyway.
"She said she'd tell you both when the time was right," Steven continued. "After she's done with Specter's situation. So just hang in there until then."
He hadn't expected Skadi's instincts to be this sharp.
No wonder she could hold her own as a bounty hunter even with her... unique personality.
When brains didn't cut it, raw intuition got the job done just fine.
"So... what do we do now?" Skadi finally asked, quietly.
She knew better than to push.
She'd accepted Gladiia's judgment—but with no clear goal in sight, she suddenly felt adrift.
"What do you mean, 'what now'? Just go with the flow. Right now, you need sleep. Worry about everything else later."
Steven waved Skadi off with a sigh, steering the dazed Abyssal Hunter back toward her room.
"She's not just your squadmate, you know—she's my daughter. If something really happened to her, I'd be more panicked than you."
Once he'd finally managed to get the persistent girl to rest, Steven let out a breath of relief.
Without that orca shadow dogging his every step, even wandering around felt more relaxing.
Eventually, he made his way to the infirmary, but instead of walking straight in, he paused at the doorway and cautiously peered inside—scanning for a certain menace.
He'd developed a mild trauma thanks to that bloodsucking vampire. Every time she saw him, she tried to take a bite. It didn't hurt much, sure—but it was really annoying.
Thankfully, she seemed to be off handling some other chaos today. The room was peaceful, with only one familiar figure inside: a green-haired girl, softly humming an unknown tune while sorting through paperwork, her long crocodile tail lazily thumping the floor in rhythm.
That tail told him everything. She was clearly in a good mood.
Turns out, animal tails really do double as emotional barometers. Who knew?
"What's got you so happy?"
Steven strolled in with zero hesitation, flopping down into the seat across from her and propping his feet up.
Gavial didn't even look up.
She was long used to this guy popping up out of nowhere.
Everyone on Rhodes Island knew Steven liked to loiter around like a bored ghost.
You could run into him literally anywhere.
Still, most folks didn't mind his presence.
If anything, it was usually a good sign.
He liked to meddle, sure—but that meant when something went wrong, you could actually ask him for help.
Take little Lisa, the so-called "Sunshine of Rhodes Island"—for some reason, she loved Steven. Word was he once retrieved her protective charm after a bird stole it and flew it into a tree. Classic.
Honestly, Steven was kind of a softie when it came to kids. Most of the little ones on the island adored him.
Gavial, for her part, figured the guy was just addicted to playing the good dad.
"Well, thanks to someone's miracle drugs," Gavial said, finally glancing up, "the mortality rate among our wounded has dropped significantly. Isn't that something to celebrate?"
She tapped the stack of reports in front of her for emphasis, her expression proud.
She wasn't exaggerating. Those three mysterious healing potions Steven had handed out as "prizes" were borderline divine medicine. After Kal'tsit authorized the use of a diluted version for emergency surgeries, success rates skyrocketed.
Even in cases of massive blood loss, a drop of the potion would instantly close wounds. It was borderline absurd.
No wonder Gavial—and the entire medical department, really—had been over the moon about it.
To them, every extra life saved was a victory worth celebrating.
"Yeah, it's great and all..." Steven scratched his head. "But lately I've had this weird feeling. Like someone's watching me. Especially when I'm near the infirmary... You got any idea what that's about?"
He wasn't too bothered, just curious.
The potions he'd handed out were theirs to use however they wanted. But the spying? That was new.
Finding the culprit wouldn't be hard—he could track them down if he really wanted to—but there didn't seem to be any hostility behind it. Just curiosity. So he figured he'd ask around first.
"Oh, that," Gavial chuckled. "That's probably the two from Rhine Lab. You're kind of... mysterious, you know?"
She gave him a pointed look, clearly amused.
"Don't worry. It's not malicious. Just scientific curiosity, I think."
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