After finishing off the fruit platter, Caius stretched lazily, feeling utterly relaxed, as he watched Belle carry the plates away to wash them.

  "Do you bully her like this whenever I'm not around?" Holan asked with a playful smile, crossing her legs as she looked at Caius.

  Knowing she was joking, Caius snorted, "Others would love to be 'bullied' by me like this."

  "And you're actually proud of it?" Holan chuckled.

  Then, as if noticing something unusual, she scrutinized Caius from head to toe.

  "What?" Caius asked, feeling slightly uneasy under her gaze.

  "Have you... changed?" Holan mused.

  "Changed, meow!" Kiki also nodded in agreement.

  Caius glanced down at his own body. "Is it that obvious?"

  Holan shook her head, but Kiki nodded firmly.

  "Then tell me, what exactly has changed?" Caius asked Kiki.

  "You’ve gotten bigger, meow!" Kiki declared.

  Holan's expression shifted as she suddenly realized it too. "Yeah, you do seem taller and bulkier."

  Caius laughed heartily. "Right on the mark."

  "Had a little skirmish with those Crab Gang guys when I was turning in a quest. Couldn't hold back during the fight... and I broke through."

  "I'm Gold now."

  Holan: "..."

  She was utterly stunned. She knew that some prodigies could accumulate enough power to break through multiple minor stages at once.

  But for Caius to jump directly from Silver Five-Star to Gold One-Star? That was unheard of.

  Actually, she had it wrong—it wasn't Gold One-Star.

  It was Gold Five-Star.

  Caius had skipped an entire major rank!

  Seeing the disbelief in Holan's eyes, Caius casually activated his vital energy. A pattern of veins of vital energy emerged on his hand, golden edges shimmering around it.

  "You're an absolute monster..." Holan couldn't help but mutter.

  "Why, thank you," Caius replied smugly, clearly enjoying the compliment.

  "But what does this have to do with you getting bigger?" Holan asked curiously.

  Caius shrugged. "I was born with immense strength. As my rank increases and my strength grows, I naturally get taller."

  The truth was, he had a Giant's physique.

  Every breakthrough caused his body to expand slightly.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  That's why he had already been close to two meters tall at just sixteen years old.

  But that was the past. Now, he stood at about 2.05 meters, having grown another seven centimeters. His clothes were already starting to feel a bit tight.

  Hearing Caius’s explanation, Holan was skeptical but ultimately nodded. Everyone had a different physique, after all.

  Like her, for example—most mages with ice attributes had dull physical senses. Yet, she was extraordinarily sensitive.

  Ahem, that is, prone to allergic reactions. Nothing else… Probably? She wasn't entirely sure herself.

  As noon approached, Granny Lunla invited the three of them to stay for lunch.

  Caius naturally agreed, but Holan had matters to attend to at Ocean City Academy. He wasn’t sure what for, but he figured it had something to do with Belle.

  "Don't bully her while I'm gone," Holan teased Caius.

  "Relax," Caius grinned.

  Holan trusted Caius. She had confidence in her ability to judge people.

  After bidding farewell to Instructor Holan, Caius returned inside, where Granny Lunla was already busy in the kitchen.

  "Belle, we're out of meat. Go buy some more," Granny Lunla called out.

  This world had refrigerators—Magical Refrigerators—but poor families obviously couldn’t afford them.

  So at the orphanage, they only bought meat when they planned to eat it, lest it spoil.

  Belle responded softly, took a shopping bag, and was about to leave.

  Caius smacked his thigh. "I’ll go with you."

  Belle hesitated. "You should rest at home..."

  But before she could finish, Caius had already stepped past her and headed out. "Rest? An outstanding mercenary never slacks off. If you don't let me come along, I’ll just go find the Crab Gang for another fight."

  Belle panicked and quickly trotted after him, waving her hands. "No, no...!"

  "Then let’s go. I'll tag along so you don't get ripped off," Caius said, hands in his pockets.

  "Kiki, while we're out, take care of the furniture," Caius tossed a pouch of gold coins to Kiki.

  "Got it, meow!" Kiki caught it and dashed off at lightning speed.

  Caius loved a hardworking little catgirl.

  "Big guy, sister, come back soon~" Tina and a group of kids peeked out from behind the doorframe, waving.

  Kiki always called Caius "big guy," so the little ones followed suit.

  Caius didn’t mind and simply waved back before heading to the market with Belle.

  The market was bustling as always. Thanks to its coastal location, seafood was abundant.

  Feeling a bit hungry, Caius turned to Belle. "I want seafood."

  Belle nodded. "Okay."

  She led him to a vendor and pointed at a plump fish. "Would Red Gurnard be alright?"

  Caius gave a nonchalant nod. "Sure, you pick."

  Lighting a cigarette, he waited expectantly.

  Belle nodded and began bargaining with the vendor.

  Though she had once been scammed out of twenty gold for a bottle of rum—because she rarely bought alcohol and didn’t know the price—she was quite familiar with the cost of fish, meat, and vegetables. Many vendors in the market recognized her and offered discounts.

  Even those who didn’t know her took one look at the towering man behind her and decided not to try any tricks, selling at honest prices.

  Before long, Belle had filled her bag to the brim.

  She usually wouldn’t buy this much, but since Caius was eating with them, she spent over ten gold on ingredients.

  More meat than vegetables, likely accounting for his massive appetite.

  Watching her struggle under the heavy bag, Caius worried she might stumble forward under its weight.

  Extinguishing his cigarette, he flicked the butt into a nearby shop’s trash bin, then reached out his hand.

  Belle looked at him, confused.

  Without a word, Caius took the bag from her.

  Belle blinked in surprise before looking up at him. "I can do it..."

  "I know. But you’re walking too slow carrying it," Caius replied indifferently.

  Belle stared at him for a moment, then softly murmured, "Thank you."

  Caius didn’t look at her, simply waving it off. But his ears seemed a little red.

  "Anything else to buy?" he asked.

  Belle nodded. "We need some spices. We’re out at home."

  Caius nodded and spotted a spice shop ahead. He started walking toward it but felt a tug on his sleeve just before entering.

  Turning around, he saw Belle standing behind him, her long sweater sleeves extending over her hands as she pointed across the street.

  "Not this one…"

  Caius frowned. "Aren’t they both spice shops?"

  Belle whispered, "This one’s expensive. That one’s cheaper…"

  Caius: "..."

  "Alright, let’s go." He turned and walked toward the other shop.

  Belle quickly followed.

  Seeing that he wasn’t annoyed, she loosened the grip of her tiny hand and walked with a lighter step.

  If it were just him, Caius wouldn’t bother walking extra distance to save a few copper coins on spices.

  Looking at the tall figure beside him, Caius, usually impatient by nature, felt an unusual sense of calm.

  It made him willing to slow down and walk this path with her.