Chapter 211: A Slightly Excessive Request
Chapter 211: A Slightly Excessive Request
"I…"
Amiya’s gaze wavered as she hesitantly glanced toward Kal'tsit, silently seeking help.
But this time, Kal'tsit didn’t respond with her usual assertiveness.
Instead, after hearing Steven’s words, she fell into a brief silence before turning her head away.
Perhaps, just as Steven had said, this championship was something Amiya had won herself. The request should also come from her, regardless of the intentions behind it. Forcing a child's wish into something else would be truly dishonorable.
"Looking at her won't help."
Steven snapped his fingers, pulling the girl’s thoughts back to reality.
"If you need time to think, that's fine too. I’ll be staying on Rhodes Island for a while longer, so you’ll have plenty of time to figure out what you truly want."
He squinted his eyes slightly and added,
"You’d better really think it through. Putting aside whether I can fulfill the request or not—if you don’t even know what you want, then the issue isn’t just about making a request anymore.”
“After all, you are the leader of Rhodes Island."
Gently patting Amiya’s small head, Steven resisted the urge to ruffle her soft rabbit ears before straightening up.
Then, he turned to Kal'tsit, his expression growing noticeably colder.
"I don’t like being manipulated."
His voice remained light, his lips still curled into a smile—but his gaze was as icy as a frozen blade.
"I’ll let it slide this time, consider it a lesson. But there won’t be a next time."
No one likes being used.
And though Kal'tsit’s scheming was subtle, it was still wearing away at his goodwill toward Rhodes Island.
Announcing that he was the owner of the healing potions wasn’t necessarily a problem—but doing so without his permission was.
This time, he had merely prevented her from achieving her desired outcome.
But if there was a next time, he might just grab Gladiia and leave altogether.
It wasn’t like Rhodes Island was the only way for him to advance the main storyline.
Hell, even if he didn’t have that so-called "point system," it wasn’t that big of a deal.
At this point, Kal'tsit could no longer pretend she hadn’t heard him.
After a moment of silence, she simply turned slightly and nodded at him.
Strictly speaking, she hadn’t been trying to manipulate Steven—she had only wanted to bring him closer to Rhodes Island.
But judging from his reaction, it seemed her efforts had backfired instead.
If he truly didn’t want to join, then there really shouldn’t be a next time.
With a soft sigh, Kal'tsit didn’t bother offering an apology.
Even if she did, Steven wouldn’t necessarily accept it.
The only thing she could do was make up for it through her actions.
Just as Steven was about to leave and check on his adopted daughter to see how much fun she was having in this lively atmosphere, Amiya suddenly tugged at the hem of his coat.
"Mr. Steve…"
Her voice was quiet, but there was a noticeable hint of anticipation in it.
"Can I really ask for anything?"
"As long as it’s not too excessive."
Steven chuckled, meeting her expectant gaze.
"Whether it is excessive, though… that depends on what I think."
Seeing her reaction, he immediately knew—she had finally found her own answer.
And this was what someone with true personal resolve looked like.
Not someone speaking empty, diplomatic pleasantries.
Not someone laying out conditions like a business negotiation.
But someone making a request because they genuinely wanted it.
"Sigh, so what you're saying is that even if my request is too much, you just won't accept it—but it won't waste my chance either?"
Amiya's rabbit ears twitched slightly as if she had caught on to something in Steven’s words.
"Well… theoretically, yeah. As long as you don’t ask too many things I can’t accept. That’d just be annoying."
Steven lazily scratched his ear before nodding at Amiya. Then, he squatted slightly, his expression settling into one of mild curiosity, waiting for her answer.
"Then… I know what I truly wish to ask of you, Mr. Steve.”
“Even if… this request is a bit excessive, I still hope you will listen."
Amiya let go of his coat, biting her lower lip slightly before gently taking hold of his hands.
Her small palms were warm.
And her expression… was as solemn as if she were saying her last words.
"Alright, alright. Go ahead."
Seeing her suddenly become so serious, Steven set aside his previous casual attitude.
Straightening his posture slightly, he locked eyes with the young girl.
"I… I hope that you, Mr. Steve, can save more of the oppressed, the Infected who have lost hope because of Oripathy."
"You don’t need to join Rhodes Island, or anything like that.”
“It doesn’t even matter if you’re not here.”
“I just hope that when you encounter those suffering Infected in the future… you will take a moment to remember the promise you made to me today.”
“That you will look upon them with kindness.”
“And that… would be enough."
Amiya was young—but she was not naïve.
At the very least, she had noticed just how much importance Kal'tsit placed on Steven.
Otherwise, why would Kal'tsit be so desperate to recruit him as an operator for Rhodes Island?
It was clear that he had some kind of unique ability related to treating Oripathy.
And he had proven as much with his own actions.
But unlike Kal'tsit, Amiya wasn’t thinking about strategy or long-term gains.
She was… simpler.
Or rather, she was just more pure-hearted.
She didn’t need Steven to do anything grand.
She just hoped that—if he could—he would show some compassion for the Infected.
Perhaps even understand them.
Because the world was already cruel enough to them as it was.
And to Amiya, if even one more person could treat them with kindness…
That alone would be worth it.
But she also knew that, compared to her previous request, this one was far more unreasonable.
Because, in a way, she was… telling him how to live.
As she expected, Steven’s reaction was immediate.
At first, he listened with great interest.
Then, the moment she finished speaking, his expression froze.
The smile at the corner of his lips slowly faded.
"…Huh. That really is quite the unreasonable request.”
“You're even greedier than that old cat."
Steven rubbed his chin, his gaze locked onto the deep, sincere blue of the young girl's eyes.
He couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly.
In some ways, Amiya's request was simple.
After all, his current stance already carried some goodwill toward the Infected.
But the difficult part…
Was that even he couldn't guarantee he would always feel this way.
Who was to say there wouldn’t be some absolute idiots among the Infected?
No one could predict that.
But Amiya was smart.
She didn’t ask him to do anything specific.
She only wanted him to hold onto a sliver of kindness.
In other words, Amiya wasn’t asking Steven to take any specific actions.
She wasn’t even expecting him to actively help—just watching and not being indifferent was enough to fulfill her request.
"After all… I’m an Infected too."
Amiya reached up and scratched her rabbit ears, a mature smile appearing on her face—one that seemed far too grown-up for someone her age.
"Alright, I’ll do my best."
Steven sighed with a helpless chuckle.
At the end of the day, he was the one who offered to grant her a request.
If he had anyone to blame, it was himself.
And truthfully, this wasn’t even an unreasonable request.
If he was thick-skinned enough, and as long as he could convince himself, he could pretty much just pretend it never happened.
But the young rabbit before him…
For the first time, he found himself seeing her in a new light.
He had assumed Amiya was nothing more than a puppet leader—a child ruler pushed to the front while Kal'tsit controlled things from the shadows.
But now, he realized she was more mature and understanding than he had thought.
It was this cruel world, this devouring land, that had forced a child who should have been carefree—who should have been loved—to bear such burdens.
"Eh? So, does that mean… Mr. Steve, you agreed?"
Amiya gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
She had expected Steven to refuse outright.
Her bright blue eyes blinked in surprise, her expression one of pure disbelief.
"Yeah.”
“Like I said before—at the very least, this is your wish.”
“Not something someone else forced onto you.”
“I’m not the kind of person who would deceive a child."
Steven chuckled and reached out, gently rubbing her rabbit ears.
Then, he smiled at her.
"So now—”
“Go enjoy the party with everyone else on the island.”
“Kids should have fun."
Without giving her a chance to linger in her excitement, he nudged the still-stunned Amiya toward the crowd on the deck.
Only then did Steven squint slightly, glancing toward the horizon, where a faint shadow flickered in the sky.
"…As much as I hate to be a downer, this party might be coming to an end."
At that moment, Closure suddenly ran up to them, her usual carefree demeanor replaced by a rare look of seriousness.
She turned to Steven and Kal'tsit, delivering grim news.
"A Catastrophe is forming less than twenty kilometers from Rhodes Island.”
“It appeared too quickly.”
“We need to change course immediately.”
“It’s too dangerous for the patients and operators to stay on deck."
Kal'tsit said nothing.
Instead, her gaze shifted toward the young man with dark hair who had already seen it coming.
"A Catastrophe, huh?"
Steven murmured, shaking his head.
"Just when things are getting good… this has to show up.”
“What a mood killer."
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