Steven shook his head in disappointment and stopped paying attention to the man in front of him.
Instead, he turned to look at Talulah.
"So, this is why you came to this nomadic city? To conspire with these people on some shady, unspeakable scheme?"
He already knew that this girl would never be content spending her days in some backwater village.
If it were Alina, maybe.
But Talulah? No chance.
But getting tangled up with these Infected?
That was basically declaring war on Ursus' entire leadership.
Steven didn't think much of her plan.
Mainly because she didn't look all that strong.
"Yes. They won't be able to last much longer here."
"The tundra is full of dangers, but at least there's a chance of survival."
"Maybe I can do something to help them."
Talulah nodded, looking at Steven expectantly.
She knew this would be difficult.
But she also knew that if he was willing to help, then this plan would become much, much easier.
Steven glanced at Brull and then back at Talulah.
"Wait, are they paying you a lot or something?"
Because these people looked dirt poor.
They probably barely had enough food to survive.
They definitely didn't seem like they could afford any kind of reward.
When she helped her village, that made sense.
They were her neighbors, her friends.
But these people?
They weren't even close to that level.
"No. I'm doing this because I want to."
"To me, whether they're Infected or ordinary people, everyone has the right to live on this land."
"Oppression shouldn't exist."
"And what I want to do—is fight against it."
"So—"
Talulah started to say more, but Steven had already taken a step back, looking genuinely uncomfortable as he waved his hands frantically.
"Whoa, whoa, hold on—this has nothing to do with me."
"If you wanna be a saint, I won't stop you."
"But don't drag me into it."
"I'm just a simple, innocent boy passing by, here to call you home for dinner."
Steven now looked at Talulah like she was a walking bundle of trouble.
His instincts screamed at him—
Stay away.
People like her only brought misery to those around them.
It wasn't that Steven disliked people like Talulah.
Quite the opposite.
He admired her selflessness.
Her determination.
Her love for the world.
But did he want to be like her?
Hell no.
That was a one-way ticket to suffering.
"You can do whatever you want."
"It's your life, your choice."
"But don't try to involve me."
"No matter how much you're willing to pay—this kind of thing is a hard pass."
Idealists either died for their ideals or got betrayed by them, lost in the very cause they pursued.
Steven had never experienced that pain himself.
But he'd read plenty of stories about it.
He enjoyed watching drama unfold.
But a tragic ending?
That was something he'd rather not see.
"Hey, I haven't even said anything yet—"
"Why are you shutting me down before I even get a word in?"
"Now what am I supposed to say next?"
Talulah let out a sigh.
She felt a little helpless at Steven's response, but at the same time, she knew exactly how difficult the path she had chosen was.
"Then don't continue the conversation."
"You do your thing, I'll just head back."
Steven shook his head.
In reality, what Talulah wanted to do wasn't that hard.
Getting these people out of the city was difficult, sure, but it wasn't impossible.
The real challenge?
What to do with them afterward.
Once she helped them for free—
Once she showed them kindness—
They would start seeing it as an expectation, not a gift.
Not that Steven wanted to think too poorly of people, but even he had to admit:
That's just human nature.
And that's why, no matter what, he always demanded payment for his help.
Sure, he could be charitable sometimes.
But only when he chose to be.
Not because it was his responsibility.
Maybe Talulah understood this too.
Maybe she knew that sooner or later, these people would turn on her.
Not because they were evil, but because people simply took things for granted.
And when that betrayal finally came, that would be the beginning of a tragedy.
Steven wanted nothing to do with that.
So he did the smartest thing possible.
Run.
He couldn't help them.
But he sure as hell could avoid them.
With a quick farewell, Steven vanished—
A gust of wind whipping through the room as he disappeared in an instant.
Talulah could only watch helplessly, her expression a mix of exasperation and amusement.
That guy had bolted like his life depended on it.
Was she really that scary?
Did he really need to run that fast?
But if Talulah was just mildly surprised, then Brull was completely shocked.
Steven's speed was beyond anything he had ever seen.
His eyes couldn't even track how the guy moved.
Even the guards at the entrance were confused.
Something had just shot past them, but they had no idea what it was.
It was just too fast.
"Your friend… that speed is a little…"
Brull's voice was filled with disbelief.
"I already told you."
"You should be grateful you didn't piss him off."
Talulah's mood wasn't great after being rejected.
So she simply responded coldly before walking away.
Brull was left alone, clutching his chest, processing what just happened.
And the only thought in his mind was—
Thank god I didn't piss him off.
Forget everything else, with speed like that, that guy could have wiped out the entire sanctuary in mere moments.
At this point, Brull no longer even considered the possibility that Steven was a Infected Patrol Squad agent.
If he was?
Then no one in this sanctuary would have made it out alive.
But then—
Why?
Why would such a powerful person, after talking with Talulah, run away like that?
Could it be that Talulah was actually stronger?
Could it be that the "Savior" of the Infected was actually their greatest hope?
With completely the wrong idea, Brull made a firm decision in his heart.
No matter what, he had to convince Talulah to stay.