"My situation is a bit special," Artoria smiled, not explaining further, "I guess you could say... I'm a somewhat special Traveler. I'm glad I could help when you needed it. How are you feeling? Are you adapting to this... New World?"
Steve offered a wry smile, one that carried the helplessness and resilience of a "centenarian": "To be honest, I'm being bombarded every day. The technology, the lifestyle, the way people think... everything has been turned upside down. Director Fury and his team are doing their best to help me, but some things need to be experienced and understood firsthand."
He paused, looking at Artoria with sincere eyes, "However, regardless, being alive, being able to breathe again, and being able to try to understand this New World—that in itself is a great stroke of luck. And this luck is something you gave me. So, thank you."
He thanked her solemnly once more, then bent down to pick up the paper bag at his feet. He took out a long, thin object carefully wrapped in oil paper and handed it to Artoria: "I know this might not mean much to you. But it's a small token of my appreciation, and also... one of the few things left from my era that can still represent my feelings."
Artoria took it curiously and unwrapped the oil paper. Inside was a military knife. It wasn't a decoration; it was a real military dagger that had been to the battlefield and was extremely well-maintained. The scabbard was made of worn leather, the hilt wrapped with sturdy canvas strips. Although the blade had been carefully wiped clean, one could still see slight scratches and traces of use that were hard to remove. Overall, it was simple, practical, full of power, and carried the scent of smoke and time.
"This is...?"
"One of the knives I used during World War II," Steve explained, his voice steady, "It's not some expensive blade, but it has been through quite a few battles with me. It's sturdy and sharp. I thought... perhaps you might find it useful on your travels. At the very least, it's reliable."
Artoria carefully drew the dagger; the blade glinted with a cold, sharp light in the living room's illumination. She could feel that what was concentrated on this knife was not just the coldness of steel, but a heavy will forged through blood and fire, a will to protect beliefs. This was an extremely precious gift, carrying a soldier's most sincere gratitude and recognition.
"This is too precious, Captain." Artoria gently stroked the scabbard and said sincerely, "I will cherish it well. Thank you."
Seeing her accept it, Steve seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and a genuine smile appeared on his serious face: "I'm glad you like it. Also..." He hesitated for a moment, appearing to weigh his words, "Director Fury said that you... and your companion—" He glanced at Minerva, who was standing quietly to the side like an exquisite doll— "possess great power and have witnessed many... unusual things. He said that in the future, this World might not be very peaceful, and perhaps... we might have the chance to fight side by side."
His gaze became sharp yet candid: "I'm not recruiting, nor am I representing S.H.I.E.L.D. Just as a soldier, someone who once fought to protect, I feel that... people like you and your companion, if willing to stand up when needed, would be a valuable asset to this World. Of course, I respect your choices and way of life."
Artoria exchanged a look with Minerva. It seemed Fury had already begun his "layout," and Steve, this born leader and soldier, was also trying to establish connections in his own way, preparing for the storms that might come.
"We love peace, Captain," Artoria put away the dagger and looked at Steve seriously, "and we also cherish our current life. But as you can see, we are indeed a bit special. If this World, or the people and things we cherish, are threatened, we will not stand by idly. As for the specific method... perhaps it won't be 'fighting side by side' in the traditional sense, but we have our own methods and stance."
She didn't give a clear promise, but her attitude was clear. Steve understood and nodded, not forcing the issue: "That's enough. Everyone has their own way of fighting and protecting. Thank you again, Ms. Artoria, and... Ms. Minerva. Sorry for the intrusion."
He stayed for a few more moments, drank a cup of tea, and answered some of Artoria's questions about World War II and anecdotes about the Howling Commandos, the atmosphere gradually becoming harmonious. Although Steve felt unfamiliar with many modern things, his learning ability and adaptability were extremely strong, and his conversation revealed sharp observation skills and a pragmatic spirit that was not at all pedantic.
Before leaving, Artoria gave Steve a multi-functional tactical flashlight produced by Tony, which had basic self-defense and positioning functions, as a return gift, calling it a "little tool for the New World." Steve did not decline and accepted it after thanking her.
After seeing off this newly awakened legend and closing the door, Artoria fiddled with the heavy World War II military knife in her hand, feeling a tumult of emotions.
"A symbol of an era, coming in person to thank us..." She whispered to Minerva, "It feels so magical. We are really... becoming more and more deeply involved in the stories of this World."
"His vital signs are stable, and his mental state is assessed as 'resilient and adapting quickly.' The act of gifting the military knife represents a high degree of recognition and the establishment of trust," Minerva analyzed, "A good relationship with him will help us intervene more smoothly in major events related to S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers that may occur in the future."
"Mm," Artoria nodded, carefully putting away the dagger, preparing to place it on the exclusive display shelf in the Serenitea Pot, "But for now, let's go back and finish building our 'little home'! The roof of the living room should be able to be sealed today!"
She pulled Minerva's hand, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm for the unfinished blueprint of the pot's inner World. The waves of the outside World and the visit of a legend were part of life, but at this moment, building their own peaceful and solid "pot's inner World" together with the person beside her also made her feel incomparably fulfilled and happy.
Steve's visit was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake; the ripples soon faded into nothingness, as Artoria and Minerva threw themselves back into the bustling construction of the pot's inner World. That military knife, bearing the smoke of the past and sincere gratitude, was carefully stored by Artoria on the newly built weapon display shelf, adorned with the faint glow of spirit wood and stardust, keeping company with the growing number of "souvenirs" from different Worlds in the small house.
The construction of the pot's inner World, under the almost tireless dedication of the two, progressed amazingly. The small house in the core area, with its wood and stone structure, carrying classical Eastern charm while containing modern comforts, had completely taken shape. Gray tiles and white walls, flying eaves and brackets, with a path paved with bluestone slabs in front, connected the clear pond and a garden where strange flower and grass seeds had just been sown. Inside the house, utilizing portable environmental regulation modules "begged" from Tony and simple rune circuits self-made by Minerva, constant temperature, lighting, basic air circulation, and Water treatment were achieved. A study, a quiet room, a bedroom, and even a small workshop equipped with a basic alchemy/experimental bench were all fully provided. Although still slightly empty, it was already a warm, comfortable, and absolutely private "home."
After the main house was built, they began to plan other functional areas. About fifty meters away from the main house, a piece of flat land of about two hundred square meters was leveled as a future training ground and testing ground, and the edges had already begun to be built with low walls of reinforced spirit soil bricks. The pond was expanded, and a thin, flowing stream formed by Artoria guiding Water element energy was introduced, winding through the planned small bamboo forest. Minerva even built a small "workshop" behind the main house using scraps, equipped with basic energy shielding, specifically for processing and storing those Asgard materials and conducting some precise equipment debugging.
The construction process was not just an expenditure of physical strength and magic, but also an excellent exercise in power control, rune understanding, energy harmonization, and even aesthetic taste. Artoria's use of the Herrscher of Truth's power became increasingly fine and subtle, and she gained more insights into the combination of Asgard runes and Kamar-Taj spatial concepts. Minerva constantly optimized the workshop's "production line," using limited tools and materials, trying to craft some gadgets for Artoria that combined Rune runes and modern engineering, such as cloak clasps that could automatically adjust temperature and had a weak purification effect, or wrist guard decorations that could briefly deflect low-level physical attacks.
There is no sun or moon in the pot, but through timers brought from the outside World and their own perception of energy flow, they still maintained a regular rhythm of life. When tired, they would rest and drink tea on the new home's terrace, facing the pond and rockery, which were piled up with extra spirit soil bricks and ordinary stones and couldn't yet be called aesthetic; when hungry, they would bring fresh ingredients from the outside World and cook them in the simple kitchen that came with the small house. Minerva even tried to reclaim a small "experimental field" on the edge of the pond, planting some magic plant seeds exchanged from Kamar-Taj mages, said to have weak calming or purifying effects, to observe their growth in the cave heaven environment.
This small World, in their hands, was slowly changing from a blank concept into a tangible, vibrant paradise full of personal marks. Every time she entered the pot, seeing new changes and feeling the breath of "home" becoming stronger, Artoria's heart was filled with indescribable satisfaction and peace. This was not just a physical safe house, but also a spiritual harbor.
However, on the afternoon when they finished the basic hardening of the training ground and began to consider whether to introduce some training dummies or simple obstacle facilities, a sudden "tremor" originating from the depths of their souls broke the tranquility of the pot's inner World without warning.
At that time, Artoria was standing at the edge of the newly built training ground, eyes closed and concentrating, trying to use her own magic as a guide to outline a simplified version of an Asgard "vitality rune array" on the ground of the training ground, which could slightly enhance physical recovery and concentration. This was a variant she had figured out herself from the rune combinations Frigga had shown, and it was still in the experimental stage.
Her magic flowed steadily, her spirit was highly concentrated, and her consciousness seemed to connect with the land she had "created" with her own hands beneath her feet, feeling the gentle and stable energy flow in the earth's veins, feeling the natural cycle of the thin spiritual energy in the air, and feeling the self-contained, relatively isolated, and reassuring "tranquility" of the entire pot's cave heaven.
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