Walking alongside Talulah on the way back to the village, Steven refrained from teasing the already frustrated girl.
Instead, he silently observed their surroundings.
"When are you leaving?"
The one to break the silence was Talulah, who had been walking with her head down the entire time.
Judging from her tone, her mood was still sour.
After all, unlike Steven, Patriot wasn't her friend—he always spoke his mind without hesitation. And that had hit Talulah hard.
Of course, beyond that, Talulah couldn't deny that part of her felt reluctant to part ways with this boy—who, despite his constant teasing, had been by her side all this time.
"Huh? Probably in the next few days. I still need to handle the village relocation. Even though the guerrilla fighters managed to defeat the Infected Patrol Squad, this place isn't really viable for living anymore."
Steven scratched his head.
Sure, the guerrilla fighters had won a battle, but the real problem was that this would inevitably draw Ursus's attention.
This wasn't some urban legend about a headless horseman—the higher-ups wouldn't just turn a blind eye to the guerrillas.
And since the guerrillas would be retreating within the next few days, the smartest choice was to relocate the villagers to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Otherwise, if Ursus's military forces arrived to investigate, there was no telling what they might do to the people here.
"…On the behalf of these villagers, thank you."
Talulah cast a grateful glance at Steven.
This entire mess had a lot to do with her, and she had been thinking about how to handle it.
But now that Steven was stepping in, at least she didn't have to worry about the villagers' safety anymore.
On this matter, she trusted him completely.
"No need to thank me. I'm not doing this for you—I'm doing this for Alina."
Steven waved his hand dismissively.
Compared to Talulah, he was more concerned about Alina.
After all, that village was basically her home—her place of belonging.
There was no way she would just abandon the villagers to fend for themselves.
But if she stayed behind and got discovered as an Infected, who knew what kind of horrors she'd have to endure?
"More importantly, what about you?"
"If you leave with the guerrillas, that means you won't be able to stay in that village anymore."
Steven glanced at Talulah's exhausted face.
These past few days had been relentless, hitting her one blow after another.
Honestly, the fact that she was still standing at this point was nothing short of a miracle.
"I was struggling with how to protect them before, but now that you're here… well, I guess I'll just have to trouble you with that."
Talulah forced a weary smile.
She knew she had already owed Steven far too much.
But for now, it seemed like she had no choice but to keep owing him.
"What about Alina?"
Steven didn't press further—he just casually dropped a name that made Talulah's entire body tense up.
Seeing her legs go weak, he instinctively caught her by the waist, letting her lean on his shoulder for support.
Yet, surprisingly, Talulah didn't blush or protest at the close contact.
She naturally let herself rest against him, before raising a hand to her forehead in frustration.
"Aren't you planning to travel? Can't you take her with you?"
Her gaze wavered, as if she didn't even believe her own words.
Steven snorted.
"First of all, do I seem like the type who enjoys traveling with someone else?"
"Second, do you think she'd even agree to go with me?"
His chuckle made it clear how stupid he thought her idea was.
Locking eyes with Talulah, he looked at her as if she were a complete idiot.
"You should know better than anyone…"
"Between the two of us, who's the one that actually needs her care?"
"Do I look like someone who needs a personal therapist hovering around, constantly talking me through my issues?"
"On the other hand, a certain someone here—if she doesn't have someone by her side to keep her in check, would end up overthinking things until she completely loses herself."
His mocking tone was as sharp as ever.
Yet this time, Talulah didn't argue back.
After all, what he said was true.
With her current mindset, there was no way Alina would leave her behind.
That gentle girl had always been this way.
Even if following the guerrilla fighters meant facing extreme dangers, she wouldn't care.
"Can't you just convince her to stay in the village? I don't need her taking care of me—I can find my own answers."
Talulah weakly poked Steven's waist with her finger, trying to see if he'd help her out in this matter.
Though, she knew that this was pretty much impossible.
"Sure, go tell her yourself. If you can convince her, I won't say a word. You know me—I don't really care either way."
Steven shrugged, causing Talulah—who was leaning against him—to shake a little.
He really didn't care.
As long as they made their own choices, he wasn't going to interfere.
It wasn't his problem.
"Damn it! You know she's even more stubborn than me! How the hell am I supposed to convince her?"
Talulah, frustrated, jabbed his waist a little harder—only to hurt her own finger.
Seeing that her attack was useless, she gave up and just punched him lightly instead.
"See? Not my problem."
Steven nodded seriously, as if he had expected this outcome.
"Honestly, I think it's better if someone keeps an eye on you. Even better if they can give me regular reports on you. Alina seems like she'd be great at that."
He was completely serious.
If Alina stayed with Talulah, she could hold her back if she ever did anything reckless.
Then, when necessary, he could teleport over at the last minute.
"You two are always teaming up to bully me."
"Bully? Come on, be honest with yourself."
"I am being honest."
Talulah rolled her eyes, pressing her hand over her chest.
She knew they both truly cared about her.
If they didn't, none of this would be happening in the first place.
And that made her feel even more guilty.
If possible, she wished they would just stop helping her—it would make her feel less burdened.
But unfortunately, Steven's help was something she couldn't refuse.
And Alina? That wasn't her decision to make.
That kind-hearted girl would never abandon her.
"Think about it this way," Steven said casually. "Alina is an Infected. If she follows you, at least she has some protection. But if she stays in the village and gets exposed, who's going to help her?"
Talulah was still poking at his waist—completely ignoring the fact that her finger might break if she kept it up.
"Oh please," she muttered. "As if you'd actually let her fend for herself if she was alone. I know what kind of person you are."
Steven gave her a side glance.
Damn.
This girl was just like him—absolutely terrible at keeping things to herself.
Some things were better left unsaid, but she just had to say them out loud.
"Anyway, just do what you want to do."
Steven turned his gaze toward the village in the distance.
The warm glow of lamps and fires flickered ahead.
With a small smile, he said,
"I just hope to see you grow. And one day, I hope you'll give me a real answer—one that actually satisfies me."
"When that time comes…"
"I wouldn't mind going all-in with you."
"Whatever you want to do, I might just support you."
"That is—if you can convince me first."
Talulah fell silent for a moment.
Then, as if trying to lighten the mood, she said,
"What if I decide I don't want to try anymore?"
Steven grinned.
"Even better. You can slack off with me."
"If it comes down to it, just be my wife."
"You might be bad at a lot of things, but at least you're cute. I can afford to keep you around—money's not an issue."
"And hey, we can bring Alina along too. Just thinking about it makes me feel pretty damn good."
Talulah froze for a second.
Then, realizing what he just said—
"You bastard! So it's not just me? You've got plans for Alina too?!"
She playfully punched him again, pretending to be angry.
But for some reason…
She suddenly felt a lot lighter inside.
Maybe, just maybe…
If she had enough of it all… If she can't bring herself to push forward anymore…
Settling down with him is not so bad.
If she can't fix this cruel Empire by her generation… then she would leave it to the next one… and support them whatever way she can.
<+>
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