Chapter 223: Grow Big, Grow Strong, and Reach Even Greater Heights
The Grand Knight Territory of Kazimierz welcomed three new visitors today.
Compared to Ursus, it had to be said—Kazimierz's public security was way better. At the very least, the trio didn't get stopped and interrogated at the city gate like they had back in that mobile city in Ursus. A simple ID check, a few quick questions, and just like that—they were in.
Of course, Steven figured the real reason things went so smoothly was because he'd very thoughtfully stuffed Skadi's overly conspicuous sword into his inventory before they approached the checkpoint.
Three seemingly unarmed travelers? Not suspicious at all. Especially in a place like this where most people couldn't easily tell what race you were just by looking—at least, as long as you didn't have horns. And thankfully, none of them did.
As long as you weren't part of the infamously detested Sarkaz, most other races could blend in just fine.
Now, when it came to actual inspections, the more serious concern was usually whether or not you were infected.
But in this case?
Skadi looked healthy enough that no one would ever guess she was a seasoned, battlefield-hardened hunter. As for Specter—well, technically, she was infected, but thanks to her unique physique, no normal medical equipment could detect it anyway.
So, just like that, they strolled right in.
As they wandered the streets of Kazimierz, Steven suddenly found himself caught in a strange, surreal déjà vu.
The wide, well-paved sidewalks. The vehicles zipping past—running not on gas, but Oripathy-charged engines. The hustle and bustle of salarymen and office workers hurrying along.
If he squinted, he could almost pretend he was back in the modern world he came from.
The only real difference was the power source—cars here ran on Originium instead of oil, which, if you thought about it, was kind of more eco-friendly.
The trio's reflection flashed past in the floor-to-ceiling windows of the nearby buildings, and for just a second, Steven felt like he'd been pulled back into the world he once called home.
But that illusion didn't last long.
After all… his world didn't have people walking around with horse ears on their heads, right?
What the hell was this, some knockoff of that weird racing-anime-world full of horse girls? In normal society, people didn't just grow horse ears out of nowhere.
Letting out a small, melancholy sigh, Steven quickly shook off the thought.
So what if he couldn't go back? He was already in a mysterious new world that blended swords and tech, knights and mega-corporations. Might as well focus on having fun while he was here.
"No, seriously," Skadi said, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked around. "What's our next move? If you're planning to rob someone in broad daylight, I doubt even Kazimierz's security forces would miss that."
Analyzing the logistics of street-level robbery with a dead-serious look on her face, she delivered the bad news without a hint of irony.
Steven raised a brow.
"Wow. I'm not that impulsive, okay?" he shot back. "Besides, what good is mugging some random dude on the street? Everyone here's just an overworked cog in the machine. What's the point of robbing poor people?"
He clicked his tongue.
"If we're gonna do this, we're going big."
Honestly, Skadi was even more simple-minded than he'd originally thought. Sure, she could fight, no question about that. But with this kind of straight-shooter personality, Steven was surprised she'd even survived as a bounty hunter. Someone must've been watching over her, seriously.
That said—Steven wasn't actually planning on causing trouble just yet.
First, he needed to pick a proper target. No sense in swinging blindly.
"So don't rush things," Steven said calmly, holding back the small shark on his back who was already squirming with excitement at the mere mention of a fight. One swift karate chop to the neck, and Specter slumped over unconscious with a small, content sigh. Only then did he turn to Skadi. "First, we find a place to settle down. Then, we plan. After that, we consider our grand vision: growing big, strong, and fabulously successful."
"…But how are we supposed to settle down if we don't have any money?" Skadi asked seriously.
Steven gave her a look like he'd just been personally betrayed.
"Man, I don't know what to say to you. I say we're broke and you just take it at face value? Really?" He rolled his eyes. "Worst case, I'll pawn you off to the innkeeper to wash dishes, sound good?"
Skadi tilted her head. "…Washing dishes is inefficient. I think working construction would be better. The pay's higher, and I used to do that kind of stuff when I needed to stay undercover."
She was completely serious, even offering a more profitable alternative with a thoughtful nod. She genuinely thought this was helpful.
Steven, meanwhile, could only stare at her, fighting the urge to slap a hand over her mouth before she started listing even more tragic options.
This poor girl… Was this the true face of hardship?
Working construction to survive?
Talk about suffering.
"Okay, okay, stop. You don't need to do any of that. Just follow me—I'll make sure you eat well and sleep warm. Just treat this like a vacation."
Waving dismissively, Steven started scanning the nearby storefronts. First order of business: find a place to stay. As for payment, well… they'd see whether Kazimierz accepted LMD. If not, gold would definitely do the trick.
Steven had plenty of that.
After all, in any world remotely based on his original Earth, gold never stopped being valuable. Especially in a world this pseudo-medieval in aesthetic—it was basically universal currency.
However, before long, Steven found himself completely distracted.
Specifically, by a cluster of specialty shops. Shops that just so happened to be packed wall-to-wall with brilliant, gleaming, knight-grade armor.
Thick plating. Gleaming designs. Pointlessly elaborate engravings and attachments.
All of it is probably useless in actual combat—especially for someone like Skadi, an Abyssal Hunter who relied on speed and strength—but to Steven?
These were treasures.
He was, after all, a die-hard heavy armor addict. The kind who got a thrill just from seeing a full suit of plate mail.
Back in his Minecraft days, he'd added every armor mod he could find. His house had so many armor stands it looked like a museum. Still, no matter how many pixelated suits of gear he hoarded, none of them could compare to this.
These armors were the real deal. Beautiful. Polished. Made by people who truly understood the aesthetic of clanking metal and protective bulk.
"Now this is what I expected from a nation that worships knights. At least their taste in armor didn't disappoint."
Steven almost lost himself in admiration—nearly drooling over the rows of high-quality steel—until he caught sight of the price tags.
One look at those zeroes slapped him back to reality like a bucket of ice water.
"Right, right. Focus. We need money. No point in window-shopping when you can't afford a damn thing."
Shaking off the lingering desire to spend hours poring over armor displays, Steven turned and dragged a slightly confused Skadi away from the gear stores, heading toward a more residential and livable part of town.
First step to greatness: find a room, get some intel, and then—maybe—pull off their first big heist.
It didn't take long before Steven found an inn that looked… decent enough. At least it was clean—and that already checked off a big box for him. Even better, just a short turn from the lobby was a cozy-looking bar. Perfect for grabbing a drink and skimming the local newspapers.
In a place as developed as Kazimierz, Steven knew well that if you wanted to pick up some juicy local intel, there was no better place than a bar tucked beneath an inn.
To his relief, the inn turned out to be under the umbrella of some Chamber of Commerce. So when Steven pulled out a stack of LMD, the clerk didn't show that familiar "what the hell is this?" look. Instead, the pretty little equine-eared receptionist politely explained the exchange rate between the Lungmen dollar and the local Kazimierz Mark, and just like that, she arranged a room for the three of them.
Steven figured they must've taken him for a tourist from Columbia—probably here to admire the city's famous Kazimierz Major.
"There've been a lot of visitors like you recently—drawn in by the glory of our knightly duels," the horse-girl at the front desk explained sweetly, her voice polished and professional. "That said, for your next visit, I'd recommend exchanging cash in advance with one of our partner firms. Oh! And if you sign up as a member of our Chamber of Commerce, you'll get a better exchange rate!"
Her practiced smile and smooth delivery reminded Steven of the salespeople back in his old world. She was obviously trying to plug her Chamber of Commerce as hard as possible.
Still, the important part was that his stack of Lungmen Dollars was enough to cover a few comfortable days of rest here.
. . . . . . . . .
"Honestly, I don't like this place."
Back in their room, Skadi sat on the bed without complaint—even though Steven had only booked a single large room for the three of them. She gently cradled the still-unconscious Specter, who was slowly coming to after her earlier knockout, and voiced her thoughts without hesitation.
"This city… it's just as dazzling as Ægir, but there's a stench in the air. Not one of rot or blood—no, it's the stench of money. Of people who live, breathe, and exist only to chase after wealth."
Her expression darkened, brow furrowed deeply as she tried to explain the discomfort she felt in this glittering place.
Steven didn't take it personally. He just gave a shrug and flopped into the nearby chair.
"That's a bit harsh. Most cities have to revolve around money to survive. It's not really about greed—more like a necessary part of growth."
He paused, then added with a dry chuckle, "Though yeah, I'll admit this city's commercialism is on another level. You can smell the capitalism here. It reeks. And if it reeks this much…"
He leaned forward, a sly grin creeping across his face.
"…you just know the place is full of shady merchants ripe for the taking."
Just thinking back to the fact that even the city guards were sponsored by various merchant companies—complete with branded emblems on their uniforms—was enough to make Steven smirk.
Compared to the starving villagers he'd seen back on the snowfields of Ursus, he had almost forgotten what it was like to deal with the rich and corrupt.
But not anymore.
Looking around at this shiny, bustling metropolis, with its unclaimed streetlamps and polished stone roads, Steven could already imagine each of those greedy bastards hanging—figuratively, of course—from every last post.
This trip to Kazimierz?
Oh, it was going to be far from boring.
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