Chapter 232: The Pitiful Part-Timer
Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
Chapter 232: The Pitiful Part-Timer
After an exchange that could only be described as absurd, Steven finally got what he wanted—Centaurea’s wallet.
Despite her delicate and petite appearance, the contents of the wallet were surprisingly substantial.
Quite a bit of cash, actually.
If Steven didn’t go overboard with spending, this little haul could fund a few months of low-key living even in the Grand Knight Territory.
“No wonder they say crime pays, huh? So, how much does Armorless Union pay? Mind sharing? That shouldn’t count as classified intel, right?”
He grinned cheerfully as he flipped through the bills before slipping them into his pocket.
The wallet itself—small, worn, and clearly treasured—had a photo of a much younger Centaurea tucked inside. Steven handed it back to her without hesitation.
He was only after money, not memories.
Centaurea looked at him, sighing in resignation.
“Trust me... if you were in my position, the only thing you’d be thinking about is how to escape this abyss. You wouldn’t care how much one mission pays.”
Steven’s casual attitude baffled her.
He’d gone through all that effort just to take some cash from her? Was that really worth it?
And what was so “fun” about this, anyway?
“Says who? There’s a saying, right? ‘Your passion is your life.’ If you hate it so much, why not just quit and do something else?”
Now that his original goal was achieved, Steven lounged comfortably on the spot like a man without a care in the world.
He looked at Centaurea with an expression that said life is beautiful and I'm the main character.
“With your looks, you could easily be a small-time celebrity, right? And if that’s not your thing, this is Kazimierz—where knight tournaments are king. With your skills, earning a living wouldn’t be that hard.”
He gave her a once-over, not in a lecherous way, but as someone genuinely sizing up talent.
She was nimble, precise—her earlier arrow had been genuinely impressive. And her appearance? Top-tier. Not just beautiful, but with a lazy elegance and noble bearing that seemed effortless.
So why be a killer?
Wouldn’t it make more sense to just... switch jobs? Live a better life?
But Centaurea only rolled her eyes in response. Her expression darkened, and the bitterness in her tone grew heavier.
“Have you ever considered... that I used to do the job you're describing?”
Her voice was flat. Emotionless. But the exhaustion behind her eyes told the rest of the story.
“I was this close to earning a knight title. Just one step away. But I ended up jumping out of one fire pit... into another that was even deeper. One that burned so hot, it scorched away any path I had to go back.”
She wasn’t even sure if she was revealing classified information anymore. Maybe she didn’t care. Somehow, after all of Steven’s strange antics, it was easier to talk to him.
Maybe... she just needed someone to talk to.
And somehow, this bizarre man had won her trust. Or at least, enough of it that the words just started to slip out.
The Armorless Union was nothing like her old Knightclub.
Back then, she was a product—a brand to be polished and sold.
But here?
She was a tool. Something to be used and thrown away. Her life wasn’t her own anymore.
“Still,” Steven said with a laugh, “it’s not the end of the world, right? Worst comes to worst, you could always do what I do—steal from the rich, give to the poor. Become a hero of justice, wandering the land righting wrongs.”
After hearing the girl pour her heart out, Steven didn’t say much at first. He simply chuckled, then pointed to himself with exaggerated pride and started talking up the "prestige" of his occupation.
“…So that’s your excuse for robbing pocket change from a poor girl?”
Centaurea finally cracked a smile at his antics, playing along with a teasing tone.
Steven cleared his throat dramatically. “Ahem. Let’s be accurate here—you’re not some helpless little maiden. You’re a cold-blooded killer. I personally witnessed you kill someone not five minutes ago. I’d say what I did was more like… a just punishment. You know, balance the karmic scales. That’s not robbery—that’s justice.”
Centaurea couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. But her eyes still held a trace of melancholy.
“Yeah… I am a murderer now, stained with blood. So whatever punishment comes my way, I probably deserve it. But what can I do? Right now, I can joke around with you, pretending to be normal. But once we get out of this ruined place…”
Her voice trailed off, and her golden eyes grew dim.
Once they left the ruins, she'd no longer be just a tired girl venting to a stranger. She’d return to being Platinum of the Armorless Union. The mask would come back on.
And Steven? He’d become a target.
The moment the organization found out he had intel on the K.G.C.C, there’d be no second chances. No matter how strong he was, above her were two Lazurites—and even beyond them, the Darksteels. Could he really walk away unscathed?
“You think too little of me,” Steven said with a smirk. “I’m always like this. Doesn’t matter if I’m here or anywhere else. The question is whether you can stay true to yourself.”
He paused, then added with mock sympathy, “But hey, I get it. You’re a pitiful office worker stuck in a hellhole of a job. You even signed one of those soul-crushing, iron-clad contracts, huh? Must suck.”
Centaurea blinked in surprise… then gave a bitter smile.
“Pitiful…? Yeah. That sounds about right. All I want now is to escape this nightmare in one piece. I don’t even hope for freedom anymore—just survival. But who knows what comes after? Who can say what the future even means to someone like me?”
Maybe it was the strange atmosphere. Or maybe it was just that Steven didn’t treat her like a weapon or a threat. For whatever reason, Centaurea found herself speaking more and more freely, like she was chatting with an old friend—even if she didn’t even know his real name.
And why not? In all likelihood, Steven wouldn’t be escaping the Armorless Union’s reach anyway.
So why not talk?
Why not pretend, just for a moment, that she wasn’t trapped?
“…Sigh,” Steven suddenly said. “Watching a beautiful girl slowly turn into a corporate drone… it hits a little too close to home. You know, I almost ended up like that once too. Just another salaryman crushed under the weight of capitalism.”
He gave a theatrical sigh and glanced upward.
“I think someone’s trying to clear the rubble above us. Sounds like rescue—or reinforcements. So… any idea how you plan to play this?”
Centaurea blinked in confusion, then her expression turned sly.
“…What plan? I’ve been unconscious this entire time, remember? Blown away by the shockwave. Didn’t hear a word that the spokesman said. Didn’t see a thing. Totally. Out. Cold.”
Centaurea gave Steven a playful wink, her golden eyes twinkling with a rare softness. She knew that falsifying her report carried risks—but for some reason, she found herself genuinely wishing this strange “burglar” could get away safely.
After all, there weren’t many people left with whom she could talk like this—with such ease, such peace.
“…Or maybe I should just pass out right now,” she said with a grin, half-joking, half-serious. “Then someone might be able to use the ‘unconscious Platinum’ as a hostage to retreat to a safe zone… and make a clean escape while they’re at it.”
It was a dirty trick, and she knew it. But that only made it more obvious how little she cared about her current employer. She’d long since lost any loyalty to the Armorless Union.
And she didn’t hesitate in the slightest to side with an outsider like Steven.
Steven gave her a look—equal parts amusement and admiration.
“No need to go that far. Just hearing you say that is enough for me.”
He smiled lazily, eyes narrowing. “And don’t worry about me. If I really wanted to leave, those guys wouldn’t even know I was ever here.”
That smile of his—that calm, unbothered attitude—was oddly reassuring. Centaurea’s little gesture had only added to his growing fondness for her. He had to admit, this platinum-haired girl was surprisingly endearing. If only she wasn’t, you know, a professional killer.
Steven stood, waving at her with an easy grin.
“Oh, right. That bandage on your leg—don’t forget to tear it off later. Otherwise, it’s gonna be really awkward explaining how you bandaged yourself while supposedly unconscious.”
He gave her one last wink… then, right in front of her eyes, he drank a vial of something.
And vanished.
Like a magic trick—no sound, no trace, no ripple of Originium Arts. One second he was there, the next he wasn’t.
Centaurea’s eyes widened.
She hadn’t felt even the faintest fluctuation of Arts energy. But she knew—knew—that he was still nearby. She just… couldn’t see him.
All she could see was empty air.
“So this is how you slipped past all the guards and showed up here?”
A cold chill crept up her spine.
This ability—it was far more terrifying than anything the Armorless Union possessed.
Complete concealment… It didn’t just make him hard to track. It made him the perfect assassin. No barriers, no security, no distance could stop someone like that.
But thankfully…
He had said it himself—he had no desire to kill.
And for some reason, she believed him.
His actions, his words, the strange sincerity in his eyes… He didn’t seem like someone who lied. At least not about things that mattered.
“…Well then,” came Steven’s voice from somewhere she couldn’t pinpoint, light and teasing. “Miss Centaurea, beautiful and charming as ever—until we meet again. Thanks for the cash, by the way. Next time we cross paths, make sure to bring a wallet with more bills in it, yeah?”
His voice faded into the distance, as if swallowed by the ruins themselves.
And just like that, he was gone.
“…next time, huh?”
Centaurea whispered softly to herself. Then she closed her eyes, letting her body slump against the rubble, carefully assuming the posture of someone who had been unconscious the whole time.
The next second, the debris above groaned and shifted.
Light spilled in—a warm, almost forgotten sunlight—followed by the shadows of several Armorless Union agents.
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind spending $5 monthly to see till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 290: In This Game, You Need Power, Connections, and Cold Hard Cash
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/130164993?collection=55713
Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/collection/55713?view=expanded
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.