Chapter 299: I'm Not the Main Character This Time
Doing a quick mental calculation, Steven estimated the time. If the file said "this afternoon," then… wasn't that now?
The K.G.C.C sure had great timing—picking the exact moment he was out to make their move.
If they'd acted just a bit earlier, maybe the Armorless Union wouldn't have defected so soon, right?
"Well then, pack up. Time to move. We really don't want to miss this show," Steven said as he stood up from the cheap plastic street-stall chair, collapsing it back into his bag. He waved casually at Czarny.
"But Boss," Czarny said, frowning slightly, "getting in was easy, but getting out's another story. No doubt the K.G.C.C is treating this place like a warzone now. They're probably just waiting for us to walk out the front door. Are you planning to go on a rampage?"
Czarny wasn't one for chasing thrills, but he still felt the need to remind Steven of the risk.
At this stage, stepping out of this building probably meant walking straight into a storm of bullets and blades.
"No, no, this place still has its uses. No need to start the killing spree just yet," Steven said with a lazy wave of his hand. "I've never been too fond of solving problems through violence anyway. I much prefer… winning hearts and minds."
As he spoke, he buckled his belt—his Evol Armor activating with a soft hum.
This was one of his favorite things about the suit.
Sure, it didn't have the long-range teleportation of a command spell, but unlike that, it could teleport with passengers.
The mini black hole was just so handy.
Even in its nerfed form, it was more than enough for him.
Right in front of Czarny, he shifted into his knight form—an image that had once been a nightmare for many.
He let out a bored yawn and glanced at the minimap on his visor, now cluttered with red dots.
All enemies. All waiting. But he had no interest in playing with them today.
There was a much more interesting scene happening elsewhere—and if he was late, he might miss something fun. That would be a shame.
Without warning, he reached out and grabbed the still-dazed Czarny by the collar. Raising his palm above his head, a tiny black hole began to swirl in his hand—swallowing them both in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, before Czarny could even react properly, they were gone from the K.G.C.C's records room.
When the dizzying sensation finally passed, Czarny found himself in a hospital room, the sterile scent of disinfectant thick in the air.
Sitting right across from them on a sofa were the three Darksteels—formerly of the Armorless Union—staring in surprised confusion at the two who had just teleported in.
"...Boss?"
Even the Darksteels hadn't expected Steven to just appear like this. They'd literally just received orders from him to rescue Czarny's hospitalized relatives—only for Steven to bring Czarny to them instead?
Still, at this point, Steven's uncanny and unpredictable entrances were becoming par for the course. The surprise on their faces quickly faded into something more like, ah, of course.
"No worries," Steven said with a smile, casually tossing the still-wobbly Czarny onto the sofa. "I just chose a nearby place to warp to. You guys keep doing what you're doing. Oh—and take some time to get to know your new coworker. Bonding's important, right?"
Czarny, meanwhile, couldn't help but gulp as he looked at the three Darksteels—Asassins so far above him in rank that he'd barely exchanged a few words with them before, let alone issued a command.
'So they all defected to the Boss… no wonder he was so calm earlier.'
But on second thought, it made perfect sense. With the Black Hole Knight strength, winning them over probably wasn't all that difficult.
"Hello."
The three Darksteels nodded in perfect unison. The synchronized motion nearly made Czarny's heart skip a beat.
These were the same people who never even spared him a glance before. Since when were they this polite?
'Is this… the boss's pressure at work?'
Steven gave Czarny a reassuring pat on the shoulder and flashed a bright, carefree smile.
"Well, from now on, you're colleagues. Do your best, alright? Let's bring down the K.G.C.C together. Bonuses all around."
With that friendly encouragement, Steven turned back to the trio before him, his expression shifting back to something more serious.
"So," he asked, "I assume you've been notified about the K.G.C.C's plan to target the Nearl family? Any specific orders passed to the Armorless Union?"
Given the situation, there was no way the K.G.C.C wouldn't have reached out to Armorless Union for assistance—after all, they still saw them as a blade to be wielded.
The three Darksteel looked at one another, then one stepped forward to speak.
"We were indeed asked to be present for 'support.' But honestly, Boss, even if you hadn't said anything, we had no plans to get involved. The K.G.C.C is seriously underestimating the Nearl family."
"If they really lay a hand on those two women, Młynar definitely won't sit still."
"Forget the Radiant Knight. He alone is enough to make the K.G.C.C cough blood. In fact, if you had to provoke one of them, you're better off ticking off the Radiant Knight than dealing with him."
The Darksteel shook his head.
As the heads of Armorless Union, they had the authority to accept or reject assignments handed down by the K.G.C.C. Dodging this one was as easy as coming up with a mildly convincing excuse.
And frankly, even if Steven weren't their boss, they still wouldn't want anything to do with that guy.
"Wait, Młynar? Isn't he just that harmless, overworked office drone?"
Steven blinked.
The name rang a bell—and not in an intimidating way. He recalled the image of a perpetually exhausted, middle-aged man with tired eyes.
But based on how the Darksteel were talking… was he actually some kind of monster?
"He's the descendant of the old Nearl family. There's no way he's just some mediocre salaryman," one of the Darksteel said with a sigh, shaking his head. "He's merely hidden his former brilliance. Anyone who underestimates him because of that will pay the price."
The K.G.C.C—always blind to danger—was once again poking the wrong beehives. First Steven. Now Młynar. Who would they piss off next? Frankly, the three Darksteels didn't even want to guess anymore.
"Well, that's a surprise," Steven admitted with a grin. "But I don't think he'll need to step in today. I've got a feeling... today's protagonist isn't him."
He cast a lazy glance toward his minimap. A few familiar icons were rapidly approaching the hospital's location.
It seemed his timing was perfect.
"Wait—Boss, you're planning to intervene?" one of the Darksteel asked cautiously.
They knew about the relationship between Steven and Zofia.
Platinum and Roy's injuries had happened precisely because of that connection. So, with the K.G.C.C targeting her, it wouldn't be strange if Steven stepped in.
But to their surprise, Steven simply shook his head.
"Nah. This time, I'm just a quiet bystander, alright? I'm not the protagonist today. This whole setup was meant to target her anyway, it's only fair that she gets to be the one to break it."
He slipped his hand into his pocket, looking completely relaxed, and glanced around the room as if scouting for the best seat in the house.
"She? You mean... the Radiant Knight?" One of the Darksteel furrowed his brow.
Was Steven implying that the Radiant Knight had already returned to the Grand Knight Territory of Kazimierz? Was that even possible?
"Of course I mean her. So, do you have any good places to get the best viewing experience? It's not every day you get to witness the Radiant Knight's grand return. There's no way this is going to end in disappointment."
Steven rubbed his hands together, then scratched his head.
In the end, he decided the best view was no view at all—but rather presence.
So, why not go be a front-row audience member inside Zofia's hospital room?
After all, nothing beats being in the scene when it comes to immersion.
"You guys just stay put and watch," he told the Darksteels. "As long as you don't step in, those K.G.C.C grunts won't be able to lay a finger on her."
Waving at them, Steven strolled down the stairs, his pace relaxed but purposeful. It didn't take him long to reach the door of Zofia's hospital room.
The hospital hallways were eerily silent. Not a nurse or doctor in sight. The calm before the storm was palpable.
And the quieter it got, the more he looked forward to what came next.
Without hesitation, he pushed open the door.
Inside, a girl stood on full alert, glaring toward the entrance with a fierce, ready-for-battle intensity. But as soon as she saw him, her expression flickered with confusion.
"Steven?" Zofia's eyes narrowed. She hadn't expected this visitor.
But the confusion only lasted a second. The moment she saw his relaxed grin, a strange calm spread through her. As though she'd found something—or someone—to rely on.
"Sup, don't mind me, I'm just here to enjoy the show," Steven said with a casual smile. "The main event's about to begin."
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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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