The next day, when Talulah saw Steven take out a gun from his pocket — one that was obviously something only the Laterano people could typically possess — she felt like she had truly matured.
Matured to the point where she could look at anything this guy pulled out of his pocket without even batting an eye.
At this moment, even if Steven were to pull out an Emperor's Blade and place it in front of her, she would only chuckle dryly.
"Always showing off. What era do you think this is? Still comparing martial arts? Weapons? Guns? Do you even understand guns?"
Steven deliberately flaunted the gun in front of Talulah with an expression as if she, a country bumpkin, wouldn't have a clue about firearms.
"I don't know how impressive that thing of yours is, but don't go around showing it off to the Laterano folks. Otherwise, they'll eventually drag you off to interrogate where exactly you got that stuff."
It wasn't until Talulah noticed that Steven not only had two lightweight pistols — which he intended to give Alina for self-defense — but also carried two more at his waist, and even had one slung on his back, that she finally covered her face and called him out.
This guy seriously didn't think he was conspicuous enough, did he? Showing this stuff off so openly — had he not thought about what might happen if others saw it?
The Laterano people were very sensitive when it came to firearms.
"What are you talking about? I'm tinkering with weapons myself. Why should I care if someone finds out? Who do they think they are, the United Nations?"
Steven scratched his head in confusion. He had no impression of who the Laterano people were, but logically speaking, it wasn't like he hadn't seen people using guns before.
For instance, those Iberian Inquisitors — it seemed like nearly all of them carried hand cannons. Not to mention that Outcast had a revolver of her own.
If he remembered correctly, even Kal'tsit had a tiny mini-pistol, though he wasn't sure what it was for.
"I'm just giving you a heads-up. Anyway, this stuff is pretty likely to cause trouble. And even if you're giving it to Alina, she doesn't have the corresponding Originium Arts proficiency. She wouldn't be able to use it even if she tried."
Talulah shook her head. Steven's idea wasn't bad, but what he didn't know was that using these guns required specialized techniques known only to the Laterano people. Even if someone else figured it out, it would still demand high Originium skill levels.
And clearly, those were things Alina didn't have.
"Huh? I can understand needing a firearm license, but since when does using a gun require Originium?"
Steven scratched his head again, then grabbed Alina's hand as she was curiously examining the Glock in her hands. He helped her aim at a tree stump in the distance and directly pulled the trigger with her finger.
With a crisp gunshot, a bullet pierced through the tree stump, leaving a hole before falling to the ground.
This scene instantly left Talulah with her jaw nearly hitting the floor.
The sound and action of the gunshot were almost identical to the so-called "firearms" she had seen used by the Laterano people. Talulah recalled seeing similar short, compact handguns for sale before, but they were ridiculously expensive and required Originium Arts to operate.
How could this be the same as what Alina was holding now — something that didn't even emit the faintest trace of Originium Arts and could be fired with just a simple pull of the trigger?
Just how many secrets was this guy hiding from her?
With a gaze like she was staring at a monster, Talulah exchanged a look with Steven. Though she had been shocked by him many times before, he always managed to come up with something new to surprise her.
"Look, all you need to do is aim and shoot. At most, I'll teach you how to reload," Steven said as he released Alina's hand, which he had been holding to guide her. Alina still seemed frozen in place, startled by the noise and impact.
When did his gear ever need Originium Arts? That was ridiculous. Shooting a gun wasn't some mysterious skill — even a trained monkey could learn to handle it proficiently.
"I… do you have more of these things?" Talulah wiped her face, deciding not to bother asking how Steven had managed it. She knew he wouldn't explain it anyway. Instead, she directly asked if he had more of these firearms.
Judging by the fact that even someone as physically weak as Alina could use one, it was obvious these guns were a completely different type than what the Laterano people used. Clearly, his guns were much more accessible, to the point where ordinary people could use them effectively.
"I do, but what do you need them for? Or do you have something else in mind?" Steven frowned. With Talulah's strength, it didn't seem like she'd have any real use for firearms. Yet her interest was clear.
What was she planning? Replicate these firearms to dominate his weapons market?
After thinking for a moment, Steven suddenly realized the reason behind her curiosity. Oh, right — how could he forget? This woman had rebellion in her bones.
If she wanted a quick way to arm Infected with little combat ability, the firearms he had were undoubtedly the perfect solution.
"I just want to study them. Could you mass-produce these?" Talulah asked bluntly, not bothering to hide her intentions. After all, Steven already knew about her plans for rebellion. If he'd wanted to report her, she wouldn't have even made it out of the mobile city alive.
It wasn't that he didn't care; he just didn't want to get involved in her revolutionary efforts. Talulah understood that. But if it was just a simple business transaction, then surely he wouldn't have a reason to refuse, right?
"I can, sure," Steven replied. "In fact, let me put it this way — even if you wanted to arm an entire army, I have enough to supply you. The question is, are you sure you want to do this?"
Steven didn't have any moral qualms about selling weapons. After all, it was people who killed, not the weapons themselves. Even if he didn't provide firearms, people would still find ways to use knives, clubs, or anything else to wage war.
The issue, however, lay in whether Talulah was truly prepared for what she was committing to.
"And another thing — besides money, what else do you have to offer that might convince me? You know what you're doing, and once I sell you these weapons, it means I'm boarding your pirate ship, doesn't it?"
Steven waved his hand dismissively. Until Talulah could offer a compelling reason and sufficient payment, he had no intention of selling these firearms to her.
Steven was more than willing to give Alina something to protect herself, but providing weapons to a group of Infected he barely knew to start a war? No, thanks.
"Stingy," Talulah muttered, turning her head away. But she didn't press the issue further. Just as Steven had said, she hadn't fully made up her mind about whether to act on those ideas. The truth was, she hadn't yet resolved to lead the Infected in rebellion.
If she had, she wouldn't still be hiding out in this village with Alina, content to enjoy such peaceful and beautiful days.
Meanwhile, after teaching Alina how to engage the safety, aim, shoot, and reload the gun, Steven left her to practice on her own, clearly excited by the experience.
He also told Alina about the purpose of the weapons. Even if he didn't offer them to her, with her personality, she would never refuse anything he gave her. It was only a matter of time.
After finishing up the tasks in the village, Steven packed up his things and gave Talulah a single instruction: protect Alina.
"Are you going out to hunt that Collapsal?"
Seeing Steven fully geared up, Talulah easily guessed what he was planning. There wasn't much else that could make him take things so seriously—only that Collapsal.
This guy might act carefree most of the time, but he wasn't one to let things slide. Anyone who crossed him was bound to regret it.
"Yup, I'm going to carry out my perfect plan," Steven said as he checked the bullets loaded in his Desert Eagle, casually pulling an apple from his bag and taking a bite.
Just as Talulah had figured, he wasn't the kind of person to tolerate threats against those he cared about. The fact that he didn't already know the Collapsal's name was the only reason he hadn't teleported straight to its location and dealt with it already.
Simply put, he was in a hurry.
Steven had the kind of personality where, if he hadn't thought of something yet, he'd take it easy. But once he decided to act, he'd throw himself into it immediately. It wasn't hard for Talulah to see this coming.
"Are you sure you can handle that thing? It's probably way more troublesome than you think. How about I go with you?" Talulah hesitated for a moment before suggesting that she accompany him.
There was no denying Steven was incredibly strong, but the Collapsal wasn't going to be an easy opponent either. If he ended up failing, Talulah wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it.
"Nope. It's exactly because you think it might be a big problem that you need to stay in the village and wait for me to come back. If you come with me, things might not go so well."
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'd drag you down? Be a burden?"
Talulah's lips twitched in annoyance. Steven's words might have been vague, but his expression gave him away completely. He might as well have written the words "you are a dead weight" across his face.
"You said it, not me. But if you're that self-aware, I'm honestly impressed," Steven replied.
After dropping this remark—which nearly made Talulah lose her temper—he darted out of the village, leaving her with nothing but his laid-back silhouette disappearing into the distance.
<+>
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