After reluctantly agreeing to give Warfarin some so-called compensation, Steven finally managed to escape from the clutches of the two medical operators.
Given how ridiculously effective the medicine he had provided was, it wasn't just Warfarin and Gavial waiting for him—there were surely many more doctors who would have loved to "get to know" him better.
Fortunately, his identity was still classified information.
Otherwise, if the entire Rhodes Island medical team found out that he was the creator of that potion, they would likely all come knocking on his door.
Leaving the landing platform, Steven—who had long since gotten familiar with the ins and outs of Rhodes Island—didn't even need Kal'tsit to give him directions. He simply started walking on his own toward the medical ward where his so-called " daughter" was staying.
Kal'tsit didn't bother stopping him.
This guy might enjoy wandering around, but at least he followed the rules, well, most of the time.
Still, he wouldn't force his way into restricted areas, though Kal'tsit couldn't guarantee he would always behave.
After all, there were plenty of instances where the Rhodes Island security system had logged his late-night excursions. The problem was, the moment he stepped outside, he would immediately disappear from the monitors.
Given the level of mystery surrounding Steven, this sort of thing was nothing unusual. In the end, Kal'tsit chose not to expose him.
As long as he didn't do anything harmful to Rhodes Island or the infected, she was willing to turn a blind eye.
Besides, Steven had always claimed that while he followed the rules, he was by no means a bad person. In fact, in some ways, he was far kinder than most people struggling to survive on this war-torn land.
At the very least, Kal'tsit had heard that during Steven's time on Rhodes Island, Ceobe, the island's most famously dim-witted Perro, had received several "anonymous" pumpkin cake donations.
And as far as she could tell, there was only one person on the entire island who could make that kind of thing—Steven.
Though this alone didn't prove he was some kind of saint, it at least reassured Kal'tsit that he wasn't prejudiced against the infected.
But setting all that aside—
As soon as Steven reached the room where he remembered Gladiia and the other two Abyssal Hunters were being treated, he was greeted by the sight of a door that looked like it had been repaired multiple times—so much so that it was now barely holding together.
From inside, he could hear what sounded like an all-out demolition job—objects crashing to the floor, furniture being shattered, and the roaring whine of a chainsaw.
Steven really couldn't understand it.
Knowing full well how much trouble these three Abyssal Hunters could cause, why on earth would Warfarin and the others give them back their weapons?!
Shaking his head with a hint of regret, Steven strode toward the room's entrance. Without hesitation, he pushed open the barely intact door.
Before he could even greet Gladiia—
A chainsaw came hurtling toward his face, its deafening roar accompanied by a gust of wind.
If that thing actually hit him, Steven wasn't sure if his face would be disfigured, but it would for sure hurt as fuck.
Fortunately, it wasn't moving so fast that he couldn't react.
Steven wasn't in the mood to dodge, so instead, he simply tilted his head slightly and reached out, grabbing the chainsaw's handle mid-air.
The once unstoppable chainsaw ground to an abrupt halt, its jagged teeth still spinning frantically at the tip—but no longer able to move even an inch closer to him.
The white-haired girl in the nun-like attire, who had been wielding the chainsaw, only now realized who had arrived.
Her originally blood-red, frenzied eyes immediately shrank, as if her instincts had detected danger.
Without hesitation, she quickly let go of the chainsaw.
Unfortunately, she was still a step too late.
Just as she tried to retreat from Steven's proximity, she suddenly realized that, at some point, he had already closed the distance between them.
Before she could react, his hand lightly swept across her, and her vision instantly went black as she lost consciousness.
With the most uncontrollable one finally subdued, the chaotic battle that had turned the medical ward into a war zone became much clearer.
Steven's eyes quickly landed on Gladiia, who was currently pinning down Skadi.
At some point, she had changed back into the stylish black cloak she had worn when he first met her.
The fitted white inner lining complemented her figure perfectly.
If not for her slightly dazed and innocent expression, Steven might have thought she had regained her memories.
But he had to admit—she looked incredibly dashing in that outfit.
No, "dashing" wasn't enough to describe her.
She had transcended the image of a young girl entirely.
At this moment, she exuded the elegance of a noble princess, or perhaps, more fittingly, a true lady.
She had shed all traces of youthful immaturity, radiating an allure that was both captivating and untouchable—like a perfectly ripened apple, tempting yet out of reach. Her natural aura of cold detachment, like an icy mountain peak, only intensified the sense that she was as untouchable as a sacred snow lotus.
This contradictory blend of temptation and reverence harmonized perfectly within her. If she still had her past awareness and memories, suitors would likely line up all the way to the neighboring mobile city just to court her.
Unfortunately, reality was not so kind.
Her otherworldly elegance was rendered meaningless by the purity in her innocent, childlike eyes—eyes as clear and untainted as those of a newborn.
They erased any impulse to defile or disturb her, leaving only an overwhelming sense of protectiveness.
Steven covered his face with a helpless sigh.
"Is it just me, or is my daughter's charm value a little too high?" he muttered to himself in self-mockery.
His arrival had not gone unnoticed.
The two still engaged in their "battle" quickly turned their attention to him.
Without a shred of hesitation, Gladiia—who had just been pinning Skadi down—vanished in an instant.
Like a swordfish slicing through the ocean at full speed, she turned into a blur and launched herself straight at Steven.
The moment she was less than a meter away, her arms had already spread wide as she leaped toward him.
Watching the entire scene unfold, Steven could only let out a bitter chuckle. Resigned to his fate, he spread his arms open, catching the human cannonball that was Gladiia.
He barely had time to register the warmth of her body against his before the sheer force of the impact struck him.
The collision was real, and the momentum forced him to take two steps back to absorb the shock. Only then did he lower his gaze to the girl who had nestled herself firmly in his embrace.
"Dad~"
That same familiar, childlike voice.
Gladiia—despite her tall, striking figure—clung to him like a dependent fledgling. The juxtaposition was amusing, though Steven himself found it difficult to laugh at the situation.
The initial impact might have been absorbed, but now there was nothing stopping him from fully experiencing the sensation of her body pressing tightly against his.
And she was holding on tight. So tight that he could distinctly feel every bit of her nearly flawless curves.
"Alright, alright, Gladiia, be good. See? I'm back now," Steven sighed.
Reaching up, he removed the oddly shaped triangular hat from her head. Then, with a gentle smile, he ruffled her soft hair and spoke soothingly.
Steven's words had an unexpected effect.
The moment he spoke, Gladiia's expression shifted—her eyes turned red, brimming with emotion.
It was the kind of look a child gives when they've finally been reunited with a long-awaited parent, the bottled-up grievances bursting free all at once.
She looked just like a kindergarten kid who had waited too long for their father to pick them up.
Seeing this, Steven felt even more helpless.
So this was what it felt like to become someone's emotional support, huh? He wasn't sure how to feel about it.
With a resigned sigh, he watched as Gladiia simply buried her face into his shoulder, silently crying. She didn't say a word—just held on tight, trembling slightly.
There wasn't much Steven could do at this point except let her cling to him.
As he supported her weight, he gently stroked the top of her head with his palm.
"There, there. Alright, that was my bad this time. Next time, I'll make sure to let you know, okay?"
Having fully accepted his new role as her 'father,' Steven found that it wasn't such a bad thing.
If nothing else, at least this meant he had gained a real family member.
But Gladiia wasn't letting go anytime soon. She simply tightened her grip around him, pressing her small face even harder against his chest.
Clearly, she wasn't about to let him off that easily.
What made things even more difficult was the sheer force she was using.
Even with his inhuman strength, Steven could feel the pressure around his ribs, making it slightly harder to breathe.
If it were anyone else—someone without his physical endurance—they'd probably pass out from this embrace alone.
Left with no other choice, Steven adjusted his hold on Gladiia's tall frame, preparing to shift her into a more comfortable princess carry so he could place her on a nearby hospital bed.
But before he could do so, he finally noticed something—
There was still one more Abyssal Hunter in the room.
And she was staring at him.
Hard.
Steven turned his gaze to Skadi, who was now watching him with an unwavering intensity.
"Uh… is there something on my face?" he asked hesitantly.
He truly didn't understand why she was looking at him with such a… resentful expression.
If it were Specter attacking him, that would make sense—she was mentally unstable to begin with, and a crazy person's actions didn't need to be explained.
If it were Gladiia clinging to him like this, that also made sense—her attachment to him as a father figure was clear.
But Skadi? He barely knew her. Why was she looking at him like he owed her something?
Had he borrowed money from her and forgotten to pay it back?
"...No," Skadi finally replied. "I was just thinking… now that you're back, does that mean you'll be the one covering the compensation fees?"
Her voice was calm, but the subtle grievance in her tone was unmistakable.
Steven blinked.
Compensation?
As if to confirm her words, Skadi's gaze became even more pitiful.
"May heaven have mercy on me," she murmured. "I've already been working myself to the bone as a bounty hunter just to cover the medical expenses for Gladiia and Specter. But every time Gladiia remembers her 'dear father,' she goes berserk… and then Specter joins in too. And since I can't stop either of them, all I can do is stand by and watch them tear everything apart…"
She sighed, shaking her head.
"The end result? I now owe Rhodes Island a debt so massive I've become completely numb to it."
Steven: "…"
"Ah… that…"
There was really nothing he could say to that.
All he could do was awkwardly pat her on the shoulder and mutter,
"You've really had it rough, huh?"
<+>
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