Chapter 204: Do You Just Enjoy Playing Dad That Much?
Chapter 204: Do You Just Enjoy Playing Dad That Much?
Skadi fell silent after hearing Steven’s words.
She knew that as just one Abyssal Hunter, there was no way she could safely return to Ægir on her own.
Steven wasn’t wrong.
And more than that—while the so-called "god" he spoke of might have only been a suspicion to him, for Abyssal Hunters, it was an undeniable truth.
The fact that he even knew about it only further proved that he wasn’t lying or making things up.
“No point overthinking it. Let’s go.”
“We’ll loosen up a bit and have a good meal. Even if you don’t join the swivel chair-racing, at least get some good food, right?”
Seeing her lost in thought, Steven patted her on the shoulder and started walking toward Rhodes Island’s deck.
By now, things should be just about ready.
Beside him, Gladiia slowly opened her sleepy eyes and leaned closer, her gaze unreadable from Steven’s angle.
Then, as if remembering something, she hugged his arm tighter without a word.
The only one who didn’t immediately follow was Specter.
But leaving her behind would feel a little too much like isolating her, so Steven helpfully grabbed her by the collar, dragging her along like a cat.
Meanwhile, Skadi kept staring at Steven with anticipation.
She knew he wouldn’t tell her right away, but that didn’t stop her from feeling eager for answers.
Along the way, more and more Infected emerged from the medical ward.
Many of them were patients Steven had never seen before, even among the ones who liked to wander.
Looked like Kal'tsit’s advertising work had been pretty effective.
Leading the three Abyssal Hunters, Steven continued forward—until a familiar figure appeared ahead.
Just as he spotted her, the girl also noticed him.
Like a puppy seeing its owner, she instantly transformed into an orange-red projectile, launching herself straight at Steven.
“Brother Steve~~!”
Steven smiled bitterly as he caught the incoming human missile before setting her back down.
“What did you do this time?”
Ruffling her thick brown hair like a dog’s fur, Steven sighed before questioning her.
He had met this little pup before.
Their first encounter?
She had scammed him hard—sneaking into Gavial’s stash of alcohol, which nearly got him whacked by her staff.
Later, he learned a bit more about her tragic past through Gavial and stopped minding it too much.
But what really made them familiar was a different event:
Steven had been fed up with Rhodes Island’s terrible food and went to the kitchen to see if he could do something to make them better—only to find the same little pup scavenging for food.
Both had come with less-than-honorable intentions.
Yet, the naive and enthusiastic Perro girl cheerfully shared her stolen honey cakes with him.
From that moment on, Steven’s view of her completely changed.
This must be what people mean by a “dumb, sweet, and innocent” type, right?
A girl this naïve and airheaded somehow survived long enough to be rescued by Rhodes Island—well, that was just pure luck.
Steven didn’t mind her at all.
In fact, he actually liked her—especially since this silly little puppy was always so friendly toward him.
That was why, back then, he had shared some of his homemade honey-glazed roast meat with her, along with a large slice of cake—a little repayment for the half a honey cake she had given him.
That decision?
It turned out to be a mistake.
Because after that, this Perro girl—Ceobe—became even more attached to him.
To her, Steven was both a generous food provider and a kind big brother—a simple, straightforward impression that made complete sense in her mind.
And honestly?
Steven didn’t hate it.
If anything, he preferred dealing with people who didn’t have complicated thoughts.
So, for a long time after that, Steven got into the habit of bringing this little puppy food at night—and giving her head pats to relax himself.
“Hehe! It’s just ‘cause I haven’t seen Brother Steve in a long time!”
“Sister Gavial said that if you miss someone, you should say it out loud!”
Ceobe puffed up her tiny chest, tilting her head up with pride—her expression practically begging for praise.
“That’s nice to hear.”
“But, I’d rather hear your real reason.”
Steven chuckled, his hand continuing to ruffle her soft brown hair.
He knew this little pup wasn’t the type to think about things like missing someone.
She was way too enthusiastic—which meant there was probably something else going on.
“Ehehe~~ well, I’m kinda hungry.”
“They said there’d be food at the competition, but I’m already starving! And Brother Steve always has good food, right?”
“If you feed me now, I’ll go steal some honey cakes for you later! So, can I have something?”
Her long, fluffy tail swayed behind her, making her look even more like a puppy begging for food.
Steven laughed.
“I knew it. You don’t think about things like ‘missing someone’.”
“If you’re hungry, just say it next time. I like your usual straightforwardness better.”
Saying that, he reached into his pocket (Inventory) and pulled out a freshly baked honey cake.
If he remembered correctly, this was her favorite kind of snack.
It was honestly a miracle she hadn’t turned into a chubby little ball with how much she loved high-calorie sweets—probably only because she wandered around even more than he did.
Ceobe happily took the honey cake, her face lighting up as she immediately started munching on it beside him.
“But you can’t say that, Brother Steve.”
“I really did miss you.”
Her voice, though still cheerful, carried a hint of seriousness.
“Because, you know… sometimes, when someone disappears from here…”
“You never get to see them again.”
She paused, then added quietly:
“I used to have friends like that.”
“So, getting to see you again makes me really happy.”
Even as she continued eating her honey cake, her slow-thinking mind finally managed to put her true thoughts into words.
“Yeah, yeah, hearing that makes me even happier. With a mouth this sweet, no wonder you love honey cakes so much.”
Steven chuckled, his eyes curving into crescents.
The simpler a person was, the closer their words were to their true feelings—and that was something he genuinely liked.
Ruffling Ceobe’s fluffy hair again, he subtly glanced at the exposed Originium crystals on her body.
He remembered Gavial telling him once—this little pup’s Oripathy symptoms were severe.
Yet, despite that, she still managed to live with such carefree optimism.
Maybe that was why most people in Rhodes Island had a soft spot for her.
Because, really—who wouldn’t love a little pup that was always happy?
Steven, personally, was more of a cat person, but even he couldn’t resist an adorable dog.
So, in the end, he simply gave in and joined the “Why Not Both?” faction.
Of course, he wasn’t just looking.
Steven was already thinking about an excuse to drag this little pup to the infirmary and force-feed her some milk or something.
Because, honestly?
There were very few people left in the world who could make him happy just by being around.
And like Ceobe herself had said—with her condition, there was a real chance that this would be their last time meeting.
Steven hated tragic endings.
He was the kind of guy who preferred the “good things happen to good people” type of story.
“It’s really just for my own peace of mind.”
“If Kal'tsit knew I was treating someone just because I liked them, she’d probably grind her teeth into dust.”
“She’s been dying to make me heal everyone in Rhodes Island.”
Steven shook his head, muttering to himself.
Just then, he noticed Skadi giving him a curious look from behind.
“What’s with that look?”
“Never seen someone tease the neighborhood little sister before?”
Steven raised a brow, confused.
Since when did this musclehead get so curious about people?
“I was just thinking… you’d probably make a great father.”
“No wonder Second Company Captain relies on you so much.”
“At least when it comes to dealing with kids, you’re pretty good at it.”
Skadi stated it as a fact, recalling the gentle smile on Steven’s face as he patted Ceobe’s head.
Now, she could understand why he cared so much about Gladiia.
Seriously, how much did this guy enjoy taking care of daughters?
Shouldn’t a guy his age be more into romance instead?
“Of course. Who doesn’t like being a dad?”
“If you want, you can call me that too—I wouldn’t mind another daughter.”
“Plus, there’s lots of perks to being my kid.”
Steven grinned, jokingly.
Taking care of daughters was genuinely fun—he couldn’t help it.
“Then… if I call you Dad, will you help me return to Ægir?”
“Yeah, no. Talking to you is boring.”
Steven rolled his eyes, turning away.
She was actually considering it?
Ugh.
Just as expected—muscleheads were immune to teasing.
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