Arknightcraft Modpack

“Cooked ones…”

“Well, alright then. Mr. Steve, what do you need in exchange?”

Talulah found Steven’s explanation reasonable. It seemed likely that the potatoes’ exceptional growth was due to some unique method or enhancement he had used, as he claimed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have planted them so casually outside.

Of course, if she knew that Steven was planning to move all the potatoes underground later, she might not have thought so.

“Hmm, if I said what I really want is Originium, could you provide that?”

Removing the somewhat cumbersome Jack o’Lantern from his head, Steven scratched his chin and looked at the girl before him. Unlike Alina, who looked like a typical villager, Talulah was dressed more like a noble from a town.

“Originium?”

Talulah’s brows furrowed slightly at the mention. Originium was not something to be taken lightly. While it was indeed valuable, it also carried significant risks.

It wasn’t something individuals typically needed; rather, large corporations or organizations were the usual users.

But the boy before her wasn’t even an Infected, let alone someone who seemed to have any use for Originium.

And to come to a poor village like this, hoping to trade for Originium? It seemed like he was misunderstanding something.

“Mr. Steve, that doesn’t seem like something villagers here would have, does it? And private Originium transactions without authorization are strictly prohibited in Ursus.”

Narrowing her eyes, Talulah couldn’t help but suspect this might be a test from Steven.

“Huh? Trading this is illegal?”

Steven scratched his head, looking troubled. As someone who prided himself on being a law-abiding citizen, he would never intentionally break the rules.

“Not only is it illegal, but it could easily draw the attention of Infected patrol squads. Surely, Mr. Steve, you know what Infected are?”

Private Originium trading not only undermined national interests but also carried the risk of spreading Oripathy. Most nations on this land had laws prohibiting it, and Ursus was no exception.

Yet this guy seemed completely unaware?

Talulah grew increasingly curious about Steven’s identity.

“Of course, I know. Infected are people afflicted with Oripathy, right?”

Steven nodded. In fact, he knew much more than that. He was perhaps the only person currently capable of completely curing Oripathy, though he had no intention of revealing this fact.

Similarly, he was aware that the two girls in front of him were deliberately hiding their own Infected status.

As Kal’tsit had said, it seemed the people of this world were universally plagued by this strange disease. Even in remote border villages like this, such cases were unavoidable.

The people of Terra truly led lives of hardship.

“Then you should also know the dangers of Originium. Why would you want to trade for something like that?”

Talulah knew her question might be prying too much into Steven’s personal business, but she felt it was necessary to gauge whether he could be trusted.

After all, Originium was a highly sensitive subject.

“Probably for research? You could say I’m sort of a field medic. Have you heard of Rhodes Island? I’m an intern operator there, and I happened to need some Originium for research.”

Steven shamelessly invoked the banner of Rhodes Island. Claiming to be a temporary operator seemed reasonable enough; Kal’tsit would likely welcome it without complaint.

Besides, researching EMC points was still research. No one ever said a doctor had to strictly study medicine, right?

“You… a doctor?”

Talulah gave him a skeptical once-over. His appearance and demeanor made it extremely difficult for her to associate him with the medical profession.

If anything, he looked more like a butcher.

“Yep! For example, even though you and Alina have done a great job hiding it, I could tell at a glance—you’re both Infected, right?”

Setting down the now-empty water bottle, Steven casually pointed at Talulah and Alina, revealing something they hadn’t even disclosed to each other.

This revelation left Alina, who had been watching with a calm and gentle smile, unable to stay composed. She had hidden it so well—how on earth had this guy noticed?

Moreover, Talulah is also an Infected?

As Alina met Talulah’s gaze, she could see the exact same shock and disbelief reflected in her eyes. Talulah seemed equally stunned to learn that she was also an Infected.

“Alina, why are you also…”

“My father worked in the mines before he passed away. I often brought him meals there. It couldn’t be helped, could it?”

Alina sighed and answered Talulah’s question helplessly. She knew that if she didn’t explain, Talulah’s nature wouldn’t let the matter rest.

But because of this, Alina couldn’t help casting a slightly reproachful glance at Steven. If he hadn’t brought it up, she could have kept it hidden for much longer.

After hearing her answer, Talulah could only sigh quietly. Just as Alina said, for commoners like them, there were countless ways one might end up contracting Oripathy.

This was precisely why she didn’t want to distinguish between the Infected and ordinary people. She wanted to fight for fairness for them, for the justice they deserved.

Taking a deep breath, Talulah had no choice but to accept the reality. After all, with Oripathy, once you were infected, there was no turning back.

Shifting her focus back to Steven, Talulah’s expression grew even more peculiar.

His ability to immediately recognize that she and Alina were Infected seemed to align with what a doctor might possess, but she couldn’t shake the intuition that he was bluffing.

Not that his intentions were impure, but the way he discerned their condition was anything but the methods of a typical doctor.

Steven, catching her gaze, could only laugh awkwardly. He couldn’t very well tell her he saw brackets next to their names with their conditions clearly listed, could he?

By the way, Steven was quite intrigued by the state displayed next to Talulah’s name: [Black Snake (Unawakened)].

He had assumed that once it awakened, she’d become something like the dragon maiden he imagined. But after hearing Talulah’s reaction, he was less certain what this “state” truly entailed.

Could it be some sort of bloodline inheritance? Like awakening her powers would allow her to single-handedly punch gods and kick armies?

Given how big of a reaction they had to him mentioning their Infected status, Steven decided it was best not to bring up her “state” as well.

Talulah likely wouldn’t want others knowing about something like that anyway. After all, who would willingly share such personal struggles unless absolutely necessary?

“Come on, don’t look at me like that. Even if I hadn’t mentioned it, you two would’ve told each other eventually. I just helped you get to know each other better earlier. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Steven spread his hands helplessly. Talulah’s silent stare was starting to make him uncomfortable.

“You’re right, Mr. Steve. But even so, we really can’t provide you with Originium. There’s none in this village. Also, Mr. Steve, aren’t you even a little afraid of us? Knowing we’re Infected, most people would have a hard time staying as calm as you.”

Talulah was genuinely curious. Despite knowing their identities as Infected, Steven was treating them as ordinary guests with surprising friendliness. In a country like Ursus, that was a rare attitude.

“Huh? What’s there to be afraid of? Infected are still people, aren’t they? Why should I be scared? If anything, it’d make more sense for you to be wary of me. I’m a grown man; why should I be afraid of you two girls?”

Steven scratched his head, genuinely puzzled by Talulah’s question.

It was just Oripathy, after all. Not to mention that treating it was as easy as a bucket of milk for him, even without a cure, Kal’tsit had assured him that as long as the Originium wasn’t active, the Infected were no different from ordinary people and weren’t contagious.

Why would he be afraid? It wasn’t like he was going to be sharing a bed with these two girls.

“Is that really how you see it, Mr. Steve?”

Talulah looked directly into Steven’s eyes. Her silver pupils seemed as if they could peer into his memories. But soon, her delicate face softened into a genuine smile.

“Then I think we could become good friends. Just as Alina said, Mr. Steve, you really are a good person—just a bit peculiar.”

Talulah extended her hand toward Steven for the first time, formally acknowledging him. She hadn’t seen any hesitation in his eyes or his response, which meant that in Steven’s mind, there was no difference between the Infected and ordinary people.

“Wait, hold on. You’re giving me a ‘good guy’ card while also saying I’m weird? Do you think that’s a compliment or something?”

Steven rolled his eyes. How could someone smile so sweetly while roasting him? What kind of evaluation was that?