Chapter 270: When These People Start Getting Nasty, There's No Bottom to It
Steven understood everything Sona was saying—and in fact, he felt genuinely pleased.
To stay calm in a situation like this… maybe this little red squirrel wasn't just courageous, but had a natural knack for leadership too.
"Good. Then go ahead and take your time planning it all out," Steven said with a yawn. "I support you, but I can't do much more than that. If you need someone to throw punches, sure, you can count on me. As for those two over there? If you can convince them to help, I won't stop you."
He stretched lazily, then raised his hands in a "not-my-problem" gesture and turned toward his room, walking away like a proper hands-off bystander.
Sure, this seemed like a decent side story that could earn him a fair amount of points—but nothing was worth sacrificing his quality sleep over.
Let the squirrel figure things out. When she was ready, he'd swoop in and do his bit.
How much effort he'd put in… well, that depended on his mood.
Honestly, at the moment, he was leaning toward just dismantling the entire K.G.C.C outright. But still—that could wait.
This arc was clearly just getting started. The fun still needed time to ferment. Watching the K.G.C.C's schemes unfold, observing the little squirrel's rebellion—wasn't that going to be way more entertaining than finishing it all in one go?
He was already at the door when he suddenly paused, still facing away, but speaking with surprising seriousness.
"Don't go playing the hero just because you think you shouldn't involve us," he said. "Sometimes, asking for help—even if it means owing someone—can be the thing that saves your companions' lives."
"I hope you understand what I mean. You said it yourself—the K.G.C.C isn't just after you. They're targeting anyone close to you. They won't let a single one go."
Leaving those words behind, Steven stepped into his room and flopped right onto the bed.
Even if the Admin of this world himself showed up, he wasn't about to give up his sacred sleep. After the chaos of the day, he was absolutely spent.
Besides, he had a new round of Major to attend the next day.
With a faint grin and a twinge of anticipation, Steven closed his eyes—and soon drifted into deep, uninterrupted sleep.
. . . . . . . . .
When Steven finally woke up, the red-haired little squirrel was already gone.
But it seemed she hadn't completely ignored his advice. That much was obvious from the little note she'd left in Skadi and Specter's room—just an address written on a small slip of paper.
"So she's gone, huh? Didn't even try to stick around?" he muttered, munching on a piece of bread for breakfast.
He glanced at the two Abyssal Hunters, who had just woken up and still looked dazed.
He wasn't sure whether they simply trusted the girl, or if this was just how they normally were. Either way, they didn't show an ounce of what he'd expect from experienced "Hunters"—no tension, no suspicion. They were acting more like two clueless tourists.
"What's there to stick around for? Whether she stays or goes is up to her," Skadi said, blinking slowly like the question itself confused her. "We rescued her, but that's about as far as our responsibility goes."
Steven finally understood what true emotional detachment looked like.
This was the textbook definition of "not my problem."
Looking at the two Abyssal Hunters, it was obvious—they saved her simply because they felt like it. Whatever came after—what to do, what consequences might arise—wasn't their concern at all.
It was the kind of confidence that came from absolute strength.
But at the same time, it was also the kind of carefree attitude that even he couldn't help but envy.
Maybe this was what people meant by "simple minds, simple lives." No wonder she never seemed too troubled by anything.
"So," Steven asked, tapping the little note Sona had left behind on the table, "are either of you thinking about checking out this address? She might run into more trouble."
It wasn't close by—at least not within walking distance. If they were going, they'd have to set aside some time for the trip.
"That's her business. What's it got to do with me?" Skadi replied, rubbing her eyes, her voice tinged with cold indifference. "Didn't we already do enough by saving her?"
It was blunt, maybe even heartless—but also entirely true.
"No, I mean…" Steven raised an eyebrow, then gestured at the note. "We probably can't keep staying here anymore. You two head there, and at least you won't be sleeping under a bridge tonight."
He wasn't trying to guilt-trip them or make some moral plea. He was being practical.
Because he knew all too well—once the K.G.C.C decided to target you, they weren't just sending assassins. No, those people were experts at playing dirty.
"Hm?" Skadi frowned slightly, still not quite catching on. But a few moments later, she got her answer.
A knock came at the door.
When Steven opened it, he was greeted by the sight of the front desk receptionist, her face awkward and apologetic.
"I'm so sorry, but… we're going to have to end your stay. We received an order from headquarters. Please vacate the room immediately. This establishment can no longer accommodate you."
Her words were polite, but firm. She clearly hated delivering the message, but it wasn't up to her. She was just the poor soul sent to pass it on.
As for why the higher-ups gave this order—she didn't know, and didn't want to know. All she wanted was to deliver the message and not get yelled at by three scary guests.
Tensing, she closed her eyes and braced herself, already prepared for a storm of complaints or maybe even anger.
But to her surprise, none of that came.
Steven simply exchanged a glance with Skadi and Specter, then nodded casually.
"Got it. We'll pack up now. Don't worry, we won't make things difficult for you."
His tone was calm, even gentle.
He'd seen this coming from the start.
After all, this inn belonged to the K.G.C.C.. Getting kicked out? Yeah, that only took one call from upstairs.
And honestly, considering what they'd done lately, it was a wonder it hadn't happened sooner.
Steven had personally sent a Platinum and a Lazurite from the Armorless Union to the hospital. Skadi and Specter had sent another one packing too.
If he were the K.G.C.C, he'd be pissed too.
So now they were being punished—not directly, but through the usual sleazy backdoor methods.
Because unless the Union was willing to send in someone of Darksteel rank, there wasn't much they could do to the three of them directly. Not in a straight-up fight.
So what did they do instead?
Cut off resources. Block off exits. Make them pariahs in every inn, every shop. Turn daily necessities into impossibilities.
Steven knew what this meant: it wasn't just this hotel.
Every single place in the Grand Knight Territory was probably given the same order. It didn't matter where they went—they'd be refused service.
And not just lodging. Food. Supplies. Even transportation.
Leaving the Grand Knight Territory might not even be an option anymore.
After all, when it came to being disgusting in subtle, suffocating ways…
The K.G.C.C was an absolute pro.
So, of course, Steven had no intention of making things harder for the poor receptionist girl—she was just a cog in the machine, after all.
Instead, he started calling out to Skadi and the others, signaling it was time to pack up.
And this was precisely where the note Sona had left behind finally came in handy.
The K.G.C.C's reach hadn't extended deep enough to infiltrate the lives of Infected people—at least, not yet. So heading to her place? At the very least, they'd have somewhere to sleep.
In fact, this was probably exactly what the K.G.C.C wanted—it'd make it even easier to catch them all in one net.
Stuffing most of their everyday supplies into backpacks, Steven and the two Abyssal Hunters stepped out of the inn together.
"So what now? Want to use this chance to take care of the mission Miss Kal'tsit gave us first?" Skadi asked casually.
Between the two of them, she was clearly the one less bothered by all this.
She'd never liked the city in the first place, and now she had the perfect excuse to leave and go do something useful.
"Not a bad idea," Steven replied. "You could take her and go handle the mission. As for me... I think I'll stick around and have a little chat with those guys who've been tripping us up."
He stretched with a yawn. Honestly, he didn't really care where he slept—or if he even did.
As a Minecrafter, sleep wasn't exactly a need, it's just something that he did because he wanted to.
Plus, if Skadi could finally get to the mission she'd been obsessing over, that'd be a win too.
Of course, there was one loose end: the clueless little shark who still didn't seem to understand what was going on.
"You taking her, or am I?" Steven asked, poking a finger into Laurentina's soft, squishy cheek. She immediately lunged to bite him, but he pulled his hand back just in time. "In her current state, we definitely can't let her go alone."
"Hmm... Laurentina, what do you want to do?" Skadi turned to her with an even tone. She clearly wasn't sure either, so she just tossed the question right at Laurentina.
"Me?" Laurentina tilted her head. "If I said I wanted to go to the little squirrel's place, would that be okay? I've got a feeling... that using her as bait might draw in just the kind of blood-soaked slaughter I've been craving lately."
As she spoke, she traced her finger slowly along her lips, her eyes gleaming with the kind of dangerous anticipation that perfectly fit her character.
"Alright then, you go with him," Skadi said without hesitation. "I trust you'll take care of her, Mister Steve?"
"I'll make sure she stays alive. Beyond that... don't get your hopes up."
Steven shrugged, his tone casual as ever.
<+>
Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
<+>
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 321: On This Land, None Have the Right to Judge Me[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/137777087[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/55713?view=expanded[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/55713?view=expanded
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/137777087
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/137777087
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/55713?view=expanded