Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 604: I Just Missed You
"What is it? If this is about those requests of yours, I'm still working on them. It'll take a little more ti—"
"—Sorry, wrong number."
Steven hung up without hesitation.
Only then did he remember that Kal'tsit's contact information was still saved in his communicator.
Out of all the possible people he could have randomly called, the very first one had been her.
That was some kind of strange fate, wasn't it?
Still, setting aside Kal'tsit's elderly disposition and her mountain of work for the moment, Steven personally felt there was no need for them to become particularly close.
It wasn't because he thought she was too old or anything.
It was just...
How should he put it?
Someone like Kal'tsit was the kind of person Steven couldn't even be bothered to flirt with.
On the other hand, if romance was removed from the equation, she actually made for a pretty good friend. A colleague wasn't bad either. In short, as long as they didn't have to discuss feelings, her personality was perfectly tolerable.
Unfortunately, today's objective was selecting a date.
Which naturally meant Kal'tsit was immediately eliminated from the candidate list.
Without missing a beat, Steven scrolled down to the next contact and called Gladiia, acting as though nothing had happened.
Then he waited for the call to connect.
Gladiia, meanwhile, demonstrated through practical action exactly what "the speed of a swordfish" meant.
Not only was she fast in movement and combat, she was even fast at answering phone calls.
The instant Steven pressed the call button, Gladiia's familiar voice came through from the other side.
"What made you think of contacting me today?"
The cold, proud tone that would make most people feel intimidated lasted for less than a single sentence.
Like a snow lotus blooming from beneath melting ice, her voice softened ever so slightly.
"Because I missed you," Steven smacked his lips before giving what sounded like a rather cheesy answer.
Yet it was the truth.
If he hadn't missed her, there was no way he would have called this number of his own initiative.
"And?" Gladiia's voice remained calm.
"I doubt that's your only reason."
She understood Steven far too well.
After all, the man who had once acted as her father was the sort who could entertain himself indefinitely without needing anyone else around.
Whenever he actively contacted someone, there were usually only two possibilities.
Either he needed their help with something.
Or...
For whatever reason, he had suddenly remembered them that day.
"No. This time it's actually that simple."
Steven scratched his chin.
"I just missed you."
"I'm in Lungmen right now. There's a pretty lively festival going on, and I was thinking... you've probably never experienced this kind of celebration before, have you?"
"If you're willing, I'd like to invite you to spend a wonderful evening with me."
"Transportation included, of course. Door-to-door service."
If Gladiia agreed, he could teleport over immediately and personally pick her up.
"A land-dweller festival?"
The smile on Gladiia's face became impossible to hide.
"But wouldn't that mean a great many land-dwellers gathering together in one place?"
Soon afterward, however, her brows furrowed.
Gladiia had no concerns about Steven deceiving her.
Whenever he spoke in this tone, it was usually when he was being the most sincere.
The problem was something else entirely.
She simply didn't have much affection for the vast majority of land-dwellers.
As for festivals where countless people gathered together to celebrate...
Just imagining it made her feel uncomfortable.
Dry.
Stifling.
Swordfish were not social creatures.
And neither was she.
Compared to wandering through an ocean of people on some crowded date, Gladiia would much rather spend time alone with Steven.
"That's only natural," Steven replied with a helpless smile. "But judging from your tone, I'm guessing crowded festivals aren't really your thing."
Just as Gladiia could often guess what he was thinking, Steven had also spent enough time with her to understand her personality.
Someone like Gladiia would probably prefer somewhere quiet.
"More or less," Gladiia agreed.
"Places with too many people tend to bring back memories I'd rather not revisit. If possible, I'd be happier if we could find some time to be alone together instead."
Ever since all of her memories of Ægir had returned, she had become increasingly reluctant to involve herself in social interactions or human relationships.
The more she observed the connections between people, the more disappointed she became in them.
Of course, Steven was an exception.
Her former father might have had plenty of flaws, but there was one thing she had never doubted:
The kindness he showed her was completely genuine.
There were no hidden motives.
No ulterior intentions.
No impurities.
Because of that, she would much rather wait for another opportunity and spend time alone with him.
No festival was necessary.
No special occasion was required.
They didn't even need to do anything.
As long as they could simply stay together, that alone would be enough for her.
"Alright, fair enough."
Steven didn't push the matter further.
"Then is there anything you need help with on your end? If there's something I can do, just say the word."
"I won't make promises about everything, but when it comes to fighting, you know me. I've never really backed down from anyone."
"Enough, enough."
A faint smile appeared on Gladiia's face.
"They are only a group of cultists. For a hunter who once hunted Seaborn, they aren't much of a threat."
"If an opportunity comes up later, I'll let you know."
"When that time comes, you'll need to help me bring my two squadmates out of Rhodes Island as well."
Her gaze shifted toward the map she had confiscated from the Church of the Deep believer.
The map pointed toward a place known as Saltwind Village.
For some reason, Gladiia felt that she was finally getting close to the truth she had been seeking.
After ending the call herself, she stored both the communicator and the map away.
Only then did she glance down at her reflection in a nearby pool of seawater that had yet to dry.
The surface rippled gently.
A delicate face stared back at her.
Her slender fingers brushed across her cheek.
Despite spending so long on this dry and unforgiving land, her skin remained smooth and flawless.
Even so, she frowned slightly.
Her gaze lowered to the standard leather coat worn by every Abyssal Hunter.
If she were going on a date with that man...
This outfit felt somewhat inappropriate.
Unfortunately, neither Laurentina nor Skadi was by her side.
Otherwise, with their talent for craftsmanship, recreating some of the dresses she had designed in the past would have been a simple matter.
But then another thought occurred to her.
Gladiia let out a self-deprecating chuckle and shook her head.
The idea quickly vanished.
Who would have imagined that one day she would be worrying about things completely unrelated to combat, to Ægir, or to her duties as an Abyssal Hunter?
All because of that infuriating man.
He had appeared during the weakest period of her life.
Without permission, he had forced his way into her world.
And somehow, things had ended up like this.
Slowly, her hand moved from her cheek down to her chest, covering the restless heartbeat that had refused to calm ever since receiving his call.
In the end, Gladiia smiled.
A genuine smile.
One of quiet acceptance.
This truly wasn't like her.
Nor was it something the Technology Consul of Ægir should be spending time thinking about.
And yet...
No matter how she looked at it—
Had she ever felt such warmth before?
Had she ever felt so genuinely at peace?
The answer was obvious.
And more importantly, Gladiia knew something else as well.
From the very beginning, she had never once hated that feeling.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 689: Impossible to Refute[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713
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