"Is there a difference between these two types of freedom?" Holan gazed at his profile and asked.

  "Of course there is." Caius held a cigarette between his lips, exhaling smoke.

  At this moment, despite the hint of youth still present on his face, he exuded a steady yet wild charm that made Holan momentarily dazed as she looked at him.

  His voice drifted over.

  "The first is escaping the constraints of rules." "The second is breaking through the constraints of rules."

  "Let me give you an example."

  "A little princess lives in a castle, enjoying a life of luxury, but she is not allowed to leave the royal palace. One day, she sneaks out and ventures into the vast world."

  "Out there, she is free from the palace’s tedious formalities. She can run freely, try all sorts of novel things, and do whatever she desires."

  "But one day, the king sends his guards to find her. She is just a little princess, not a mighty Valkyrie, so she has no choice but to run."

  "If she is caught, she will be locked back in the castle. In the end, the guards find her and try to take her back by force."

  "She curses at them, berates the guards, condemns the king, and denounces the castle that imprisons her. She sings praises of her ideals, only to be locked up again in her luxurious gilded cage."

  "She cannot defy the rules, so she can only escape from them. If the rules come for her one day, she will still be bound."

  "That is the freedom of a caged bird."

  "And the other kind?" Holan listened intently.

  "That’s another story." Caius chuckled.

  "One day, a little princess lives in a castle, enjoying a life of luxury, but she is not allowed to leave the royal palace. So one day… she punches a hole through the palace walls and strides out."

  Holan: "?"

  Caius: "Then the king sends his guards to find her. She knocks them away effortlessly and goes out to play. When she gets tired, she returns to the palace, only to find that the king has locked her room with heavy chains the next morning. So… she snaps the lock and goes out again."

  Holan: "??"

  Caius: "As she plays, she realizes that her kingdom is being invaded. To ensure she can play in peace, she storms the invaders’ lair and razes it to the ground. Just like that, peace returns to her kingdom, and she can once again enjoy herself."

  Holan: "???"

  "This," Caius smiled, "is the freedom of one who exists beyond the rules."

  "Mercenaries are meant to be like that."

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  "But so far, I haven't met any mercenaries who match my expectations, so… they cannot become legends."

  "So, are you such a mercenary?" Holan asked with a smile.

  "Of course!" Caius nodded.

  "And how are you different from the usual mercenaries?" Holan inquired.

  Caius stretched, easing the stiffness from sitting too long, and then answered.

  "Other mercenaries are bound by money, fame, or women."

  "I, on the other hand, am bound only to myself!"

  "Other mercenaries, no matter how many they have slain or how ruthless they are, must still bow before the Empress of the Ironblood Empire."

  "And you?" Holan looked at him expectantly.

  Caius grinned. "If the Ironblood Empress pays me enough, I might kneel."

  Holan: "..."

  "I thought you’d say that as a man, you’d rather die than kneel." Holan chuckled.

  Caius let out a low laugh. The ember at the tip of his cigarette glowed as he exhaled smoke.

  "On the battlefield, not even death can make me kneel."

  "Unless death can offer me enough payment."

  "So what if she’s an Empress? If she sends a million soldiers to hunt me down, I can still curse her ancestors before I die."

  "But if she’s willing to kiss me, I might kneel on one knee and call her 'darling.'"

  Holan burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking.

  "You really are a madman," she said.

  "Thanks for the compliment." Caius smirked.

  It was getting late, yet Holan realized she wasn’t sleepy at all.

  The little Catfolk, Kiki, was already curled up on Caius’s back, fast asleep, but Holan still wanted to keep talking to him.

  Perhaps it was his humor, or maybe his unique way of thinking and presence.

  Whatever it was, it drew her in.

  Most importantly, she realized that the freedom of a caged bird that Caius described… was exactly what she was experiencing now.

  And so, she talked with him deep into the night.

  "Don’t you need some sleep?" Caius asked Holan. "I heard mages need to maintain their mental state."

  "Mm, I am a bit sleepy. I usually sleep early." Holan stifled a yawn.

  "You can sleep now; we still have half the journey left. I’ll wake you when we arrive." Caius said.

  "Alright." Holan wrapped her blanket around herself and leaned against Caius.

  "You mind?" she asked, her big eyes twinkling playfully.

  Caius smiled. "Suit yourself."

  "Then… goodnight, mercenary."

  "Sweet dreams, Instructor Holan."

  Caius lightly shook the reins, slowing the carriage. Holan noticed this but said nothing, only smiling slightly before closing her eyes and drifting into sleep.

  Normally, when traveling through the wilderness, she would sleep lightly.

  But this time, she slept soundly and even had a dream.

  In her dream, she became a caged bird. But this time, instead of sneaking out, she shattered the cage and soared into the sky.

  It felt amazing.

  But when she woke up, her mood soured.

  Because she was awakened by the sounds of battle.

  She opened her eyes to find that she was no longer leaning against that amusing giant but against his hammer.

  She also felt something covering her ears. Turning her head, she saw Kiki holding her hands to Holan’s ears.

  Seeing that she was awake, Kiki stuck out her tongue and withdrew her hands, looking forward.

  It was then that Holan noticed the dozen or so bodies lying around the carriage.

  Caius stood at the front of the carriage, fists clenched, fresh blood dripping from his knuckles. His maple leaf-patterned shorts swayed in the morning breeze.

  Before him stood a group of thugs, their faces filled with fear and hesitation.

  "Big guy, the Instructor is awake, meow," Kiki called out.

  Caius turned back, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry for waking you."

  "It’s fine." Holan looked at the group of men, frowning. "Bandits?"

  "No," Caius shook his head. "Crab Gang members from Ocean City. They want to kill me, so now I have to kill them."

  Holan understood and nodded, then chided, "Why didn’t you wake me?"

  "I could handle these guys alone. They robbed me of the chance to admire a sleeping beauty, so I’ve sentenced them to death." Caius grinned.

  Holan chuckled, her morning grumpiness melting away.

  Just then, a man hidden among the thugs took his chance. A fireball the size of a human head hurtled toward Caius.

  Caius felt the heat but didn’t panic or dodge.

  Yet before he could act, an icy wind swept through, extinguishing the fireball mid-air and freezing the entire gang solid.

  Caius turned to Holan in surprise.

  Holan crossed her arms, frost swirling around her.

  Pushing up her gold-rimmed glasses, she smiled. "Don’t underestimate the instructors of Hydis Magic Academy, big guy."