Kevin silently accepted it. Even through his gloves, the rough texture of the barley bread was still noticeable.
But Pozëmka was eating quite happily, breaking off a piece, soaking it in the borscht to soften it, and finally putting it in her mouth.
However, the freshly made borscht was still so hot that it made her gasp for air.
He reached out, and under Pozëmka's surprised gaze, a finger lightly tapped the rim of the borscht bowl.
A cool sensation spread along the soup bowl, lowering the temperature of the borscht to a nearly perfect level. Though still slightly above the most comfortable temperature for consumption, it was precisely because of this margin that the soup wouldn't lose its flavor too quickly from cooling in this icy, snowy environment.
The cool sensation even spread to her pink palms, and the very slight scalding disappeared like melting snow.
After doing all this, Kevin started eating the barley bread and borscht as if nothing had happened.
"Mr. Kevin..."
"No need to use honorifics with me from now on."
He said as if it didn't matter.
"Then... Kevin?"
Pozëmka's tone carried a hint of joy and a hint of hesitation, like a child who suddenly receives a gift.
"...Mm."
He pondered for a moment before responding.
Pozëmka suppressed the joy in her heart, feeling that the barley bread and borscht in her hands suddenly became much more delicious.
Yay! Today took a decisive step forward! Pozëmka, keep it up!
The girl silently cheered herself on.
"So, Kevin..."
"It's fine, ask whatever you want."
In fact, few people knew that Kevin's personality wasn't that cold; at most, he just spoke less.
He saw the confusion and hesitation in Pozëmka's heart and thus brought it up proactively.
"Why engage in this 'transaction'? Clearly..."
Pozëmka didn't finish her sentence, as openly discussing such matters in someone else's camp wasn't really appropriate.
"Transaction, a behavior that has existed since the dawn of humanity. I am merely... trying..."
Trying to observe people... imitate people, and ultimately—become human.
Kevin lowered his eyelids. Perhaps even he himself didn't know the meaning behind this behavior.
Maybe it was because of those shining people in his memories?
"This is the first time I've seen Kevin look confused."
Pozëmka's face was full of curiosity, as if she had discovered something new.
"But Kevin actually has plenty of time to think about it~"
The girl's pure smile made Kevin pause slightly. Yes, even he himself didn't know the final lifespan of this body. Before reaching the end, he still had many opportunities to think.
After all, the road ahead is still long.
"Mm."
Their conversation ended, followed by a rather long silence.
He slowly savored the food. The barley bread still contained some unremoved bran, making the texture poor, but under the cover of the borscht, it was barely edible.
But neither of them seemed to mind this meager meal. In fact, days of roughing it outdoors were enough to make a person's mindset grow rapidly. Pozëmka was no longer that gentle, soft-spoken young lady.
Soon, the two finished their simple meal.
Late at night, in a temporarily erected tent, several weak candle flames flickered as if they could be extinguished by a gust of wind at any moment.
"...The fifth squad will receive the Infected miners. The Captain will lead the main force to draw the fire of the garrison corps. The seventh and eleventh squads will eliminate the scattered defensive forces within the mine. So, that's the battle plan. Does the Captain have anything to add?"
A sturdy man sought the opinion of the tall Wendigo man. The Patriot nodded silently.
Although it was a simple and crude plan, with someone inside the mine providing support, simpler meant more effective.
"Then, my task?"
Sitting on the ground, Kevin asked the planner of the operation. Since he said it was a transaction, he naturally wouldn't go back on his word.
"Uh, regarding Mr. Kevin..."
The man couldn't help but feel somewhat troubled. Although Kevin hadn't been difficult to approach since arriving at the camp, Lemontov didn't dare to actually order Kevin to do anything. So he cast a pleading look toward the Patriot.
"...Tomorrow... I... together... garrison corps."
Due to Originium infection in his throat, the Patriot's voice wasn't very clear, but Kevin still understood his meaning.
"Mm."
Crush the garrison corps? That wasn't a very difficult task. Kevin had no objections to this.
"Since that's settled, everyone should rest early. We move at three in the morning!"
Lemontov made the final decision, and everyone left the tent.
...
Although Kevin and Pozëmka had joined the guerrilla force temporarily and supplies were quite tight, the quartermaster still allocated them a tent and two sets of cotton-padded bedding.
However, Kevin and Pozëmka didn't even know about this beforehand. It wasn't until the quartermaster led them to the tent entrance that they realized it.
Before leaving, the quartermaster gave them an ambiguous "I understand" look, patted Kevin on the shoulder, and left, making Pozëmka so embarrassed that she covered her little face with her hands, her fluffy ears trembling slightly.
"What are you still standing there for?"
Pozëmka felt a breeze brush past her face. She couldn't help but secretly peek through her fingers, only to see that another tent had somehow been erected beside the one originally meant for both of them.
And it looked exactly like the one she slept in yesterday!
But this... is this... magic?
Pozëmka's lips parted slightly in surprise. She had seen many Originium Arts before, but most of those were tangible things. She hadn't seen Kevin hide a tent anywhere either—creating something out of thin air?
Traveling alone across the snowy plains, not looking like an Ursus native, possessing formidable strength, and now displaying such an ability—Kevin became increasingly shrouded in mist in her eyes. This profound sense of mystery captivated her.
Honkai energy, as imaginary internal energy with properties that defy the second law of thermodynamics, allows it to distort real-number space, achieving the miracle of "creating something out of thin air." Perhaps he couldn't do it as effortlessly as the Herrscher of Reason, but he could still create small items like this.
However, looking at these two tents, Pozëmka felt relieved yet couldn't help feeling somewhat deflated.
"You're disappointed?"
Kevin's gaze remained unchanged, but his words nearly made the little Lupo jump in surprise.
Then she vehemently denied it, saying things like "How can what happens in early spring for Lupos be called disappointment?" and "A refined gentleman is what a fair lady seeks"—a series of phrases Kevin couldn't understand.
But under that calm gaze, Pozëmka's voice defending herself grew softer and softer. Her ears slowly drooped, her tail hung low, and eventually she gave up entirely.
Can't explain it? Just give up!
"You don't need to participate in the early morning operation. Make use of the time to rest."
Kevin instructed her, pointing to the brand-new tent before sitting down cross-legged by the campfire.
He didn't need rest—or rather, physiological rest held no meaning for him.
"Mm, let me think..."
Pozëmka thought for a moment before clapping her hands:
"Got it!"
[Event - About Kevin's Past · Part One]
"In this land, everything has its rightful origin. Information traces back clearly without exception. But as far as I know, this suffering land lacks the soil to nurture someone like you. So you shouldn't exist."
"...I don't like your way of speaking."
Kevin shook his head. Even sages from the early days of enlightenment wouldn't deliberately use riddles as a means of communication. After all, limited information in speech makes it harder to understand. But the Feline before him didn't seem to grasp this principle.
His calm voice held almost no fluctuation:
"But such a confident tone. You know everything?"
"At least before meeting you..."
Kal'tsit took a deep breath. This wasn't her boasting but stating a fact.
"Then you don't know everything."
Kevin's interruption left Kal'tsit unable to refute—the facts were right before her eyes.
"You're probably quite old in years, but you don't seem to possess corresponding experience or ability for your age. Little girl, perhaps you should properly learn the art of communication."
"By then, I might be interested in answering your questions."
Kal'tsit stared fixedly at the man's retreating figure, frowning deeply without saying another word.
...
The true immortal: Witnessed 50,000 years of human rise and fall across two civilizations; strongest warrior and uncrowned Amiya of the Previous Era; bore the mission of "Project STIGMA" and saving humanity; capable of debating philosophy above and wielding swords against enemies below; even after losing in the final battle, could willingly let go after witnessing a better future.
The false immortal: Speaks in riddles; methods are immature; personality is arrogant; can't even solve a company's financial crisis; suffers casualties even when fighting mere Imperial Guards.