After Steven put away that bizarre-looking carrot, Yelena finally returned to normal. However, her gaze toward Steven had now become rather strange.
That thing didn't look normal at all—so why did it have such an overwhelming attraction to her?
Yelena was well aware of how unnaturally she had just behaved. And right now, the only one who could provide her with an answer was the young man standing before her.
She needed an explanation.
"This is what you wanted to test? I don't know where you got it from, but… can you let me see it?"
She wasn't sure why a mere carrot could trigger such an almost instinctive attraction within her. Even now, she still had a lingering urge to take a bite out of it.
"Forget it. The side effects of this thing are way too strong. If you eat it, I'm afraid neither of us will be able to handle it."
Steven waved his hand and firmly rejected her request. Was she kidding? Everyone knew how terrifying rabbits could get when they were in heat. He had absolutely no intention of drugging his own friend.
"At the very least, can you explain what exactly that thing is? Why did I completely lose control of myself the moment I saw it?"
Yelena rubbed her temples in confusion. Now that Steven had put the carrot away, its lingering effects were gradually fading, and her rationality had fully returned.
"If I told you it was just an ordinary carrot, would you believe me? I swear I'm not lying. It's just that, for some reason, the carrots I grow seem to have an especially strong allure for people of your… species."
Steven's eyes darted away slightly. Honestly, he hadn't expected it to be this potent either. After all, Yelena wasn't weak—far from it. And given how much suffering her Oripathy had put her through, her willpower should have been extremely strong as well.
Yet even with all that, she still couldn't resist it. That just went to show how terrifying the effect of this carrot really was.
Suddenly, Steven felt relieved that he had given potatoes to Iberia instead. If he had handed them something like wheat seeds instead… wouldn't the entirety of Iberia be filled to the brim with babies and pregnant ladies right now? The mere thought of it was horrifying!
"I'm not that well-read, but don't try to fool me. There's no way a carrot like that exists."
"Ugh, it's not that important. All you need to know is that you shouldn't eat this thing, and I won't randomly use it on others either. As long as you get that, it's fine, okay?"
Steven rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. What was he supposed to say? That this thing was basically a super-aphrodisiac? If he told her that, who knew what she'd think of him?
Besides, for people who weren't rabbits, this carrot probably was just an ordinary carrot.
He'd test it out later on Talulah and Alina to be sure.
"Well, if you put it that way, what else can I do? I guess I just have to take your word for it."
Seeing how insistent Steven was, Yelena decided to drop the subject. He already had so many mysterious things on him—one more or less really didn't make much of a difference.
More importantly, there was something even more crucial that she needed to seriously discuss with Steven.
"Actually, the reason I came here… I have something I want to ask you for help with."
"No, to be more precise, it's not really asking for help. It's more like another trade request."
Yelena pursed her lips, looking somewhat hesitant about bringing up this request. For a moment, she remained silent, as if struggling with how to say it.
This piqued Steven's curiosity. From her expression, he could tell that this matter likely had little to do with her personally. But when it came to the Guerrilla Fighter, he had already provided them with food, warm clothing, and even weapons. By all accounts, that should have been more than enough.
So what else could they possibly need?
"I'd advise you to just say it straight. Otherwise, if you start with something like, 'I have a request, but I don't know if I should say it…' I'll just tell you, 'Then don't.'"
Steven gave her a curious look. He then saw her grit her teeth, lower her head, and finally voice something that he had almost completely forgotten about.
"I just wanted to ask… Do you still have any of that special medicine you used before to ease my Oripathy? I know it's probably incredibly rare, but… it's really important to us."
As she spoke, Yelena's ears drooped.
No one understood better than these infected individuals just how precious medicine that could treat Oripathy was. For those whose fates had been sealed by their infection, such medicine was their last hope of survival.
After all, no one could accept death so easily.
Yet even in the mobile cities, even among the nobility, the price of such medicine was astronomical. It was completely beyond the reach of the penniless guerrilla fighters.
And yet, they were the ones who had the closest contact with the infected.
The Yeti Squad could endure it—they were infected themselves and had long accepted their fates. But the Sarkaz who had followed her father's campaign were different.
No matter how powerful they were, many of them had still fallen to Oripathy. Some had been forced to leave her father's ranks forever because of it.
Even the man she had always viewed as invincible, the so-called undefeated leader of the infected guerrillas—she knew the truth. At some unknown point, he too had contracted Oripathy, the incurable disease.
His occasional, inexplicable coughing fits made that much clear. The Originium was already eating away at his throat.
Under these circumstances, Steven—who potentially held the key to treating Oripathy—had become her last and only hope.
After all, no one knew better than she did just how dire her own condition had been before. And yet, even in that state, Steven had pulled her back from the brink of death.
Her father had also realized this. Perhaps, if Steven hadn't demonstrated his overwhelming power, he might have seriously considered forcing him to stay with the guerrillas.
After all, who wouldn't want a battlefield doctor on their side?
But because Steven's abilities were unfathomable even to him, he hadn't dared to bring up the matter of Oripathy medicine right away. He had chosen to wait for the right moment.
But Yelena didn't want to wait.
She couldn't bear to keep watching her comrades suffer from infection. She didn't want to stand idly by as the infected around her succumbed to Originium's corrosion.
She had already seen it happen too many times in the Guerrilla Fighter, powerless to stop it.
That was why she had decided to bring this up directly with Steven.
It was obvious that such a rare medicine would come at a great price. If she wanted to trade for it from Steven's hands, it would all depend on his mood.
Yelena was well aware that Steven had a kind of friendly affection for her—just as she did for him. And precisely because of that, she couldn't deny that she was somewhat leveraging this bond by making this request.
Even if that wasn't her intention, once she had spoken the words, there was no way to guarantee that Steven wouldn't see it that way.
As for Steven, after hearing her request, the smile on his face faded, replaced by a slightly troubled expression.
"Well, this is…"
"Please, as long as I can trade for that medicine, the Guerrilla Fighter—no, I—am willing to offer anything I can."
Yelena grasped Steven's hand tightly. She knew how excessive this request was, but she still hoped that Steven would understand her.
"You know, the way you're saying this, I really don't like it. A trade is a trade—why are you bringing emotions into it? That kind of thing can really damage a friendship, you know?"
Feeling her cold, trembling hands gripping his own, Steven simply shook his head.
If he agreed outright, it would mean that Yelena was begging him. That subtle shift in their dynamic—from equals to someone pleading for help—would inevitably alter their relationship as friends.
And he didn't like that.
"Alright, sit back down. If we're going to trade, let's do it properly. I'll be the businessman, and you just be the customer. For now, let's put our friendship aside—we're breaking up for five minutes."
Steven firmly pressed the overly emotional Yelena back into her chair, speaking with a strangely childish yet serious tone.
And all she could do was play along with his request, watching him expectantly as she waited for his answer.
"Alright, now you're the buyer, and I'm the seller. Let me put it this way—I have the medicine you need. It's available in unlimited supply. The only question is, how much are you willing to offer?"
Steven tapped his fingers on the table, putting on the demeanor of a ruthless businessman.
"…The Guerrilla Fighter doesn't have much. Other than the minerals we've plundered from the mines, what else could we possibly offer? Do you need protection from the Shieldguards or the Yeti Squad? The only thing we have left is a bit of insignificant military strength."
"Then let's say minerals are all you have. That's fine. If you can provide minerals, I can provide you with a steady supply of medicine. Pay up, get your goods—it's that simple."
Steven clapped his hands together as if it was the easiest deal in the world.
"…Huh?"
Yelena was momentarily stunned. She had braced herself for a tough negotiation, for some impossible price she might have to pay. But now, just like that, the deal was done?
Wasn't this medicine supposed to be an extremely rare and precious resource? Why did it seem like, to him, it was no different from potatoes and bread?
"You said emotions shouldn't interfere with this trade…"
She muttered quietly to herself, her gaze toward Steven growing more complex.
"And who said I'm doing this because of our friendship?"
Steven smirked.
"Have you ever considered the possibility that while this stuff might be incredibly valuable to you, to me...."
"It's just… whatever?"
<+>
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