Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 572: I Came to Call You To Eat
Hei Ye couldn't understand why Steven would recommend such a "career" to her.
Selling potatoes? At best, it sounded only slightly better than digging them out of the ground herself. Lungmen wasn't so poor that people couldn't afford food—at least not to that extent. Even in the slums, as long as you were willing to work, surviving wasn't much of an issue.
And selling potatoes… to put it bluntly, wasn't that just being a vegetable peddler? No matter how you spun it, how much could that possibly earn?
Sure, Steven didn't look like someone short on money. But at the same time… he didn't exactly look like the clueless son of some wealthy farm owner either.
Expecting him to have a massive supply of potatoes? Hei Ye figured she'd have better luck catching a "big fish" someday.
Shaking her head, she decided not to continue the topic. No matter what, Steven meant well. And besides, he was technically one of her paying customers—there was no way she'd openly shoot him down.
Seeing her clear lack of interest, Steven didn't press further. He understood that, given his current status—living in the slums—he didn't have much credibility. But that didn't mean he couldn't arrange things later. If he had someone from one of his groups step in to hire her, would she really refuse then?
With a small shrug, he watched as Hei Ye placed a bowl of what looked like braised pork stew in front of him. Just as she was about to serve him rice, he stopped her.
"I already ate before coming back. Just leave this for the kids. I'll pack a little and take it upstairs for someone at home—should be fine, right?"
It wasn't that he disliked the food. If anything, it was the opposite—he simply couldn't ignore the way the children stared longingly at his bowl, which clearly had more meat than theirs. It didn't sit right with him.
If he wanted something better, he had plenty of options. Letting the kids have this instead didn't cost him anything.
After scooping a modest portion of rice and stew into a bowl, Steven carried the simple meal upstairs. The little white horse he kept at home had been sleeping way too much lately—eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. He really needed to make her exercise more.
Hei Ye, meanwhile, didn't insist on keeping him for dinner. She had done her part—he paid, she cooked. Whether he ate or not was entirely his choice.
"Oh right… did you find the Rat King? I told you before, didn't I? Someone that mysterious isn't exactly easy for a guy like you to meet."
Watching Steven head upstairs, Hei Ye suddenly called out as if she'd just remembered something. In her eyes, even if Steven had some money, finding the Rat King wasn't something you could accomplish with cash alone.
Of course, considering how well he treated the kids, if he were willing to "support" her a bit more financially, she wouldn't mind helping him out. After all, in the slums, she was far more well-connected than an outsider like him.
"Yeah, I met him. At that candy shop near the intersection between the slums and the main city. That old rat isn't nearly as mysterious as you made him sound." Steven answered casually, not finding the whole thing difficult at all.
To him, it was just a stroll—someone led him there, and that was it. No trouble, no obstacles. He'd even wrapped up most of what he needed to do in less than a day.
"Heh, if you beg me, maybe I'd—wait. What did you just say? You met who? And what did you just call him?!"
Just as Hei Ye picked up a ladle, ready to show off her "information network" within the slums, she finally processed what Steven had just said.
She froze on the spot.
Her eyes widened as she stared blankly at the boy who had just casually dropped something outrageous.
Did he just… blurt out something terrifying like it was nothing?
The Rat King—that Rat King—someone so shrewd and elusive… and he just found him like that? And not only that, he even dared to call him an "old rat"?!
Did this guy seriously not know how to spell the word fear?
Hei Ye's mind filled with question marks. Just as she was about to press him further, Steven had already taken his food and headed upstairs without a second thought—clearly having no intention of explaining anything.
For a moment, she even wondered if she had misheard him.
Yeah… that had to be it.
There was no way something that ridiculous could be real.
. . .
Meanwhile, while Hei Ye was still questioning her entire understanding of reality, Steven had already reached the top floor with the meal in hand.
He pushed open the door and stepped into the now fully tidied-up room.
What greeted him, however, was something he hadn't expected.
The girl he assumed would still be fast asleep in bed… was instead quietly sitting by the window.
Leaning gently against the frame, she wore a calm, almost serene expression as the cool night breeze of Lungmen played with her long, soft white hair, scattering it in gentle disarray.
Her already flawless figure wasn't overly emphasized under the loose, silky nightwear—but when the fabric clung to her body under the breeze, it painted a very different picture.
The elegant curve of her slender waist, delicate yet perfectly shaped…
The graceful lines of her legs—refined like a work of art…
Each detail felt dangerously captivating, like a subtle poison meant to lure the senses.
Perhaps the only "flaw" was the modest rise of her chest—but even that was easily forgiven, overwhelmed by the sheer charm and beauty of her face.
An airfield had its own kind of charm.
Standing there with the meal in hand, Steven found himself momentarily forgetting why he had even come in.
Compared to the food he carried, the view before him was far more… appetizing.
Seriously, how did someone this stunning end up working as an assassin for the Armorless Union? In a world like this, shouldn't looks alone be enough to make a living?
Frowning slightly in confusion, Steven suddenly realized that actually was the case.
In this world, it was rare to find anyone truly unattractive. Even passersby tended to have clear features and pleasant appearances. And yet, incidents driven purely by lust were surprisingly uncommon.
People here cared more about power, resources, and influence.
Appearance?
Strangely enough… it barely seemed to matter.
If you were to say that people in this world were all emotionally frigid, that might not be entirely impossible. But considering what Kal'tsit had mentioned—that the more "primitive" and animal-like someone looked, the more attractive they were considered—Steven couldn't help but suspect something else entirely.
Were these people all secretly into… that kind of thing?
Otherwise, if everyone were really that indifferent, wouldn't the population have collapsed ages ago?
"Why are you staring at me? Haven't you had enough? Or… is there something on me?"
Perhaps from sleeping too long, or maybe from sitting by the window and being brushed by the cool night breeze, Centaurea's voice came out soft and drowsy—completely different from her usual cold, aloof demeanor.
That contrast only made her more appealing.
After all, when someone looks that good, every expression and tone just works. Steven had always been that kind of person—simple and honest when it came to appreciating beauty.
"No, it's just… you're too beautiful. This is the first time I've really felt that looks alone could be a meal."
Setting the food casually on the nearby table, Steven strode over and leaned against the window across from her. Turning slightly, he positioned himself face-to-face with her, meeting her gaze directly.
When it came to this self-proclaimed "girlfriend" of his, Steven never held back on compliments.
"Really? So what you're saying is… now that you're back, you're not planning to eat first, or even take a bath… but instead, you're going to go straight for me?"
A playful smile tugged at Centaurea's lips as she blinked at him, her slender fingers lightly tracing along her silhouette—her figure subtly outlined by the breeze against her clothes.
"…."
Steven paused for a moment.
Then, deadpan—
"No. I came to call you to eat."
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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 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628