Steven could fully understand why Talulah was doing this. It wasn't that she didn't want to choose—she simply had no choice.
He had witnessed firsthand the dire state of the Infected living in the mobile city. To put it bluntly, if they had been rescued just a few days later, they might have ended up lighting a chain of fireworks in the sewers—metaphorically speaking, of course.
So it was only natural that Talulah was in a hurry. Her personality wouldn't allow her to stand by and watch something like that happen. And once they escaped, their options for survival were limited. If they wanted to save more people, the only realistic destination was his place.
This wasn't about friendship. It was simply the best option available.
Steven was also willing to believe that Talulah wasn't trying to use him. He could tell what kind of person she was.
That was why he didn't hold it against her. To be honest, even if those Infected hadn't come with Talulah, he still wouldn't have just stood by and watched them die.
After all, death was the least interesting outcome. Rather than watching people perish, he'd much rather see something entertaining unfold.
However, what Steven hadn't expected was that the entertainment would arrive so soon.
Just as Talulah was regaining her composure and thinking over his words, a sudden commotion broke out in the village.
Both Alina and Talulah immediately recognized the sound—it was the villagers' emergency call, only used when something major happened.
They quickly gathered their things and, with a visibly eager Steven in tow, headed outside toward the village entrance, where the commotion was centered.
Before he even saw what was happening, Steven already noticed something—an aura that only Originium in an active state could emit.
He instantly had a rough idea of what was going on.
Wow, this escalated quickly. Are they afraid I won't have time to enjoy my meal or something?
He glanced at Talulah, who was still oblivious to what was about to happen.
If she kept taking hits like this, even with a heart of steel, she might not be able to hold out much longer.
Poor kid.
Sure enough, at the center of the gathered villagers was a frail mother and daughter, their weak, thin bodies shivering as they clung to each other in the cold wind.
But oddly enough, the ones who seemed more terrified weren't the two Infected themselves—it was the surrounding villagers.
They might have been a bunch of uneducated country folk, but they knew enough to recognize an Infected when they saw one. And these two weren't just any Infected.
The Originium on their bodies had already begun to activate, making them walking bombs that could explode at any moment.
All the villagers had instinctively backed away, keeping a safe distance. Not a single one of them stepped forward to check on the mother and daughter—not when just a bit of exposure to Originium could lead to infection.
When Steven arrived, the crowd immediately parted for him, creating a path.
There was no helping it. At this point, his influence in the village was probably greater than the village chief's.
"What's going on here?"
Steven gave a brief glance at the frail Infected clinging to each other, quickly searching his memory before recognizing them.
They were part of the group that had escaped from the sewers.
Turning to the village chief, who had called the villagers over, Steven asked his question while also casting a reassuring glance toward Talulah.
She looked like she wanted to rush over to the Infected pair, but her elders were holding her back.
"Mr. Steve, these two came here asking for some food. The villagers felt sorry for them and gave them a little, but then the woman said she wanted to find a doctor to save her daughter. That's when we realized they were Infected. And you've seen the child's condition yourself—please, don't go near them."
The village chief sighed before explaining the situation to Steven.
Infected were already terrifying enough, but an Infected whose Originium had begun to activate? That was a walking disaster.
Though the villagers were simple folk, the mere mention of the Infected filled them with fear.
It wasn't discrimination—these elderly villagers were simply too afraid. They didn't even have the courage to step forward and take a closer look.
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
Steven directed his question at the village chief, though he spoke a little louder on purpose—loud enough for Talulah to hear.
Or rather, he was asking on her behalf.
"What can we do? Of course, we have to make them leave immediately! What if they infect someone in the village? Then what are we supposed to do?"
The village chief's expression was on the verge of tears.
They had only just started to enjoy a slightly better winter thanks to Steven's presence—why did they have to run into a disaster like this?
And if the Infected patrol squad found out, the consequences would be terrifying.
"But they're just an ordinary mother and child. If you drive them away in this weather, they won't survive in their current condition."
Steven pointed at the frozen ground beneath their feet.
Thanks to his weather control command, there wouldn't be any snowfall for the next few days, but the bone-chilling cold remained just as deadly.
With their current state, stepping out of the village was a death sentence.
"But what else can we do, Mr. Steve? It's not that we don't want to help. If it were just about sharing some food or letting them stay for a night, we'd gladly do it. But with their condition, who would dare keep them here?"
The village chief glanced at the pitiful mother and daughter, a hint of sympathy flickering in his eyes before fear quickly took over.
"The rest of the village has to continue living too. Who would be willing to take such a huge risk?"
He looked around, and the other villagers all nodded firmly. Even the elderly couple who had taken Talulah in turned away, saying nothing.
This was exactly why they had gathered the whole village—this was a decision that had to be made together.
No one could afford to take the risk of a single mistake leading to the entire village being infected with Oripathy.
This wasn't just about kindness or morality anymore.
Only Alina seemed to realize what was happening. She quickly grasped Talulah's hand, holding onto her as she watched the color drain from her face.
If anyone was suffering the biggest blow right now, there was no doubt—it was Talulah.
Previously, everything had only been words from Steven. But now, the reality was unfolding right before Talulah's eyes.
What made it even worse was that this time, the ones making the cruel choice weren't heartless rulers or corrupt officials—it was the very same villagers she had always thought of as kind and good people.
Even so, their decision still left her heart cold.
She could understand it, but she could never accept it.
They were just a mother and daughter.
Even though the Originium in their bodies had begun to activate, they were only holding onto each other for warmth. All they had done was ask the villagers for help.
Even with so many people surrounding them, the mother didn't lash out, didn't demand anything—she only looked up at them with pleading eyes.
Talulah felt like she was about to break.
Neither side was wrong.
But then why did it feel like both sides had made a terrible mistake?
What led to this?
Why did it have to be this way?
She couldn't understand.
"Alright, alright. Get the villagers to clear out. I'll take care of these two myself. My home is far enough from the village—if anything explodes, it won't affect you."
Steven waved his hand dismissively, signaling for the village chief to disperse the crowd.
"Mr. Steve, please don't take this risk! They're Infected! And that child... something's very wrong with her. You mustn't act recklessly!"
As the village's greatest benefactor, no one wanted anything to happen to Steven.
The village chief and several villagers quickly stepped in to stop him, worried for his safety.
If something happened to him, the village would be in serious trouble.
In their desperation, they even let slip the respectful title they secretly used for him in private.
"I know, I know. But don't worry—I'm not that easy to take down. I'm from the city. I've read books. Why would I lie to you?"
Steven reassured them with a few words before gently pushing past them and striding toward the mother and daughter.
From their appearance, they seemed to be typical Ursus people.
Their round bear-like ears drooped low, and their faces were shrouded in a sickly pallor.
The child, in particular, was so thin and frail that she looked like a bundle of dried twigs.
If not for the occasional twitching and writhing caused by the pain of the Originium coursing through her body, Steven might have mistaken her for a skeleton.
Their condition was beyond dire.
If it hadn't been, they wouldn't have risked coming to a strange village for help.
"Sir, please—please save my child!"
The woman, barely clinging to consciousness, noticed Steven approaching and immediately threw herself at his feet.
At this point, she didn't care who he was.
She only knew that if there was even the slightest chance he could save her daughter, she was willing to do anything.
She bowed her head forcefully against the frozen, unforgiving ground, over and over again.
And yet, despite her desperation, she didn't dare reach out to touch his clothes, afraid that doing so would anger him.
"Enough."
Steven gently stopped her.
"I'm not the kind of person who can just stand by and watch something like this. Come with me. Your child... her condition is bad."
He carefully lifted the barely breathing girl into his arms.
The sheer intensity of the Originium energy radiating from her was overwhelming.
It was hard to imagine how this mother had managed to endure such powerful emissions while still clinging so desperately to her daughter.
With a snap of his fingers, Steven summoned one of the nearby iron golems to assist the mother.
Then, holding the child, he turned and glanced at Talulah.
Her face was completely drained of color.
"If you really can't make sense of it," Steven said, "then I suggest you listen to what Alina has to say."
<+>
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