"No, no, no, there's no need! It was just a small favor!" Eli quickly waved his hands and said.

  "Belle was once my best employee. She helped me a lot, and I always felt a little guilty that her meager salary didn't quite reflect her worth. So if I can help her in any way, I'm more than happy to do so."

  "No, no, no, you've done me a great favor. This is a token of appreciation from a skilled mercenary, and I must insist that you accept it." Caius said seriously.

  His plan was as sound as a ringing bell, but unfortunately, Eli didn't quite catch on.

  Seeing Caius's sincerity, Eli thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I do have a commission that requires a skilled Gold-ranked mercenary."

  "That's perfect!" Caius grinned and said, "Head over to the Mercenary Tavern in the eastern part of the city to post the mission. Tell the Boss Lady I sent you. Pay the commission fee to her first, and once I complete the mission, I'll refund you in full!"

  Eli was puzzled. "You don't take private commissions? This way, you wouldn't have to give a cut to the Mercenary Guild."

  "Of course, I do. But I have a bit of a connection with the Boss Lady. She needs a Gold-ranked mission under her belt." Caius winked.

  Eli, being a seasoned businessman, immediately understood Caius's intent and chuckled. "Then I'll leave it to you!"

  "Of course! Doing business with a gentleman like you is my pleasure!"

  Listening to their crafty laughter, Geoffrey, standing nearby on standby, suddenly felt like an innocent little lamb among a den of foxes.

  Thus, not only did Caius gather information on the school bullies, but he also secured a Gold-ranked freelance commission. With this, he was only six Gold-ranked freelance missions away from boosting the tavern's ranking.

  "Farewell, Mr. Caius. I look forward to your next visit." Eli watched as Caius departed, his eyes brimming with satisfaction.

  Making connections with a Gold-ranked mercenary was something to be pleased about.

  However, moments later, Caius returned.

  "Mr. Caius, is there something else?" Eli asked, puzzled, only to see Caius lean in, smirking mischievously.

  "Oh, one more thing. Have you ever seen Belle’s face?"

  Eli was stunned for a moment before exclaiming in surprise, "Now that you mention it… I actually haven't. Because she always—"

  "I get it. She's always wrapped up too tightly…" Caius sighed in disappointment, then waved his hand. "Nothing else. Goodbye, Mr. Eli."

  "Goodbye, Mr. Caius."

  Leaving Eli Potions, Caius looked down at the portrait in his hands.

  The girls depicted in the painting were rather ordinary-looking, except for one who was quite pretty—about a 75 on the attractiveness scale.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  But to Caius, she deserved a 50-point deduction.

  That’s right, because inner beauty matters more than outward appearance.

  Caius firmly believed that the soul was more important than looks.

  Of course, having both would be even better.

  Now, the next step was figuring out a way to enter Ocean City Academy.

  Hmm… He already had an idea. He had noticed a mission at the tavern earlier—a delivery task for Ocean City Academy.

  That would be his way in. Once inside, he could find those girls.

  And then…

  "I'll need a few sacks." Caius muttered to himself, rubbing his chin as he walked.

  Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something and turned his head—somehow, he'd wandered all the way to Lunla Orphanage.

  Without hesitation, he pushed open the door and strode inside.

  The children playing in the yard immediately screamed and ran back into the house.

  "Run! The bad guy is here!"

  Caius: "???"

  Bad guy?

  Since when?

  With a swift step, Caius leaped over a few little girls and blocked their path.

  Spreading his arms wide, the fastest girl couldn’t stop in time and crashed into his embrace.

  Caius caught her gently, then grinned. "Hey, little one, why am I a bad guy?"

  The little girl was a bit scared but still mustered her courage, lifted her chin, and said, "You made my sister go far away and not stay here. That makes you a bad guy!"

  Caius burst into laughter. So that was the reason.

  He released the girl and ruffled her hair. She resisted fiercely, dodging left and right, while the other little girls rushed over, trying to free their sister from Caius’s "evil clutches."

  "Well, what if I beat up the people bullying your sister?" Caius asked with a grin.

  The little girl froze for a moment, then grew excited. "You know that my sister was bullied?!"

  "Oh? So you know too?" Caius asked.

  "Of course! Sister never said anything, but we all know!" the little girl said, her mood suddenly dampening.

  "We sleep together, and I noticed her secretly crying at night…"

  "She’s also been hurt. She said she fell, but I don’t believe that. No one falls and hurts their ear. That’s from someone twisting it. I know because a big kid used to do that to me."

  "She was definitely bullied at the academy. That place is bad. I don’t know why she still wants to go to school…"

  "She was going to stop going to school. That way, she wouldn’t get bullied. But then you made her go back. You’re a bad guy!"

  "But… if you really beat up the people who bullied her, then I…"

  "I’ll admit you’re not a bad guy!"

  "Haha," Caius laughed. "You said it! I accept your commission!"

  "What’s a commission?" The little girl was confused, but Caius ignored her and walked into the house.

  She quickly followed. "Your name is Caius, right? I’m Tina!"

  "Nice to meet you, Tina."

  "Is Belle home?"

  "She went to buy rice. Only Grandma is here." Tina replied, clearly the leader of the kids, as they all followed her.

  "I see. That’s perfect." Caius nodded and stepped inside, where he saw Grandma Lunla weaving clothes.

  Seeing Caius, Grandma Lunla put down her work and was about to stand up.

  But Caius said, "No need to get up. I just wanted to ask—when does Belle return to school?"

  "School is on break for a few days. She’s going back tomorrow." Grandma Lunla said.

  "Tomorrow?" Caius paused, then nodded. "I see…"

  A bit tight on time, but not an issue.

  "I’ve found the ones who bullied Belle. It’s these people." Caius handed her the portrait.

  Grandma Lunla looked surprised—Caius worked fast!

  She took the portrait, and upon seeing one of the faces, her brow furrowed.

  "What is it?" Caius asked.

  "I’ve seen this girl before." Grandma Lunla pointed to the one Caius had deducted 50 points from.

  "She was the one who came to pick Belle up when I took her to school. She was so friendly that I thought she and Belle were close. I even asked her to look after Belle…" As she spoke, Grandma Lunla’s eyes reddened.

  She felt as if she had personally handed Belle over to a demon.

  "People aren’t always what they seem. Don’t be sad. She’ll get what’s coming to her soon enough." Caius reassured her.

  "Please, I leave this to you…" Grandma Lunla wiped her eyes. "But be careful. Some students at Ocean City Academy come from powerful backgrounds. That girl is said to be the daughter of a high-ranking official."

  "Don’t worry. Even if she were the mayor’s daughter, it wouldn’t matter." Caius smirked.

  Revenge?

  A mercenary feared no such thing. When he was done, they wouldn’t even know who hit them.

  Just then, the door opened, and Belle stepped inside with a small bag.

  Upon seeing Caius, she froze, as if someone had cast a petrification spell on her, completely at a loss for what to do.