"Didn't see that coming, did you? Because these things are hardly ever recorded in books, and even if they were, you obviously wouldn't know about them." Caius spread his hands as he spoke.

  "And even if you were lucky enough to encounter a lone banded python, you have to understand that pythons are extremely active during the breeding season, especially now, at the tail end of it."

  "If you run into a lone banded python, it’s either a frustrated male that couldn’t find a mate and is seething with rage, or a female that has already mated and is in a rush to find a nesting ground."

  "Either way, its aggression is several times what it normally would be!"

  "And besides, the forest isn’t just home to banded pythons."

  "Do you know what banded pythons eat?"

  "They eat another type of snake—one that poses no real threat to them but can easily kill a Silver-tier warrior with its venom: the red-banded trimeresurus!"

  "Right now, it’s also the red-banded trimeresurus’ breeding season. During this period, their bright red scales shed and transform into a camouflaged color that blends into their environment. This is to better protect themselves, allowing them to mate and lay eggs."

  "When you step into the forest, your very first step could land on a camouflaged red-banded trimeresurus. Its venom is a hemotoxin. Now, let me ask you—did you bring the right antidote for it?"

  "No, right? Because pythons aren’t venomous, so you didn’t think to prepare for this?"

  Jelly and the others turned red with embarrassment. Caius was right—they hadn’t prepared for it, nor had they even thought about it.

  "We did prepare…" Miras said weakly. "We brought a general-purpose anti-venom…"

  "Haha," Caius laughed exaggeratedly. "Great job. That’ll extend the time it takes for the venom to kill you, giving you enough time to dig your own graves. At least you won’t be left as corpses in the wild."

  Holan's eyelids twitched as she listened.

  How did she not realize before that this seemingly straightforward brute had such a sharp tongue?!

  "You!" Jelly glared at Caius, but he was immediately met with Caius’ piercing gaze.

  He found himself unable to meet Caius’ eyes, forcing him to lower his head in frustration.

  "A general-purpose anti-venom isn’t a true antidote. It can only slow down the venom’s effects, giving you more time to survive."

  "But clearly, you wouldn’t even know how to use that extra time."

  "Now, let me ask you another question—do you know what creatures tend to share territory with the red-banded trimeresurus?" Caius continued, a mischievous grin on his face.

  The students remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

  He went on without hesitation, "There’s a tiny creature that I don’t even know the name of. It hasn’t been recorded in your encyclopedias because it’s far too insignificant."

  "It’s a type of mite, about the size of a sesame seed."

  "These mites are attracted to the scent of snakes and burrow into their scales, feeding on their blood. And yes, they also carry venom."

  "Individually, the venom is negligible—just enough to numb the snake a little so it doesn’t feel pain when bitten. But what happens when there are thousands of them?"

  "Let me enlighten you. These tiny creatures experience a population explosion during snake breeding season. A single patch of grass half as tall as a person could be hiding thousands—no, tens of thousands—of them!"

  "They move silently. You could walk through the grass and end up with hundreds or even thousands of them clinging to you without even realizing it."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "Then, they start biting. They pierce your skin, but you won’t feel a thing because their venom gradually numbs your senses."

  "With thousands upon thousands of bites, the venom accumulates in your body. Soon, your limbs will go numb, and eventually, even walking will become impossible."

  "In the end, all you’ll be able to do is watch helplessly as your body gets covered in these mites—black specks clinging to your skin, impossible to shake off."

  "And to make their feeding more efficient, they’ll crawl into your nostrils, your pores—anywhere they can burrow into your body."

  "You’ll see bulging, wriggling lumps beneath your skin, like living goosebumps."

  "And then… you won’t see anything at all—because your eyeballs are one of their favorite delicacies."

  As Caius vividly described the scenario, not only did Jelly and the others turn deathly pale, but even the students taking notes stopped writing, their faces stricken with horror.

  "I call these mites 'sesame mites.' Isn’t that a cute name?" Caius chuckled.

  Jelly and the others instinctively took a few steps back, their eyes filled with terror.

  "So… do you still want to go?" Caius asked.

  Jelly and his companions exchanged glances, then shook their heads, looking dejected.

  Caius was quite pleased with his lesson’s effect and added, "What you need to do now is focus on your studies at the academy and stop thinking about such reckless ventures."

  "Hunting Magic Beasts isn’t some cool, glamorous thing. If I had the chance to study, I’d never choose to be a mercenary, running into terrifying creatures in the wild."

  "Really?" Jelly asked skeptically.

  Caius smirked. "Nope! I love danger and terror!"

  Everyone: "……"

  "If you’re interested, I can take you on a real experience in the future. But for now, just focus on your studies. Once you grow strong enough, all these terrifying things will seem as harmless as little kittens."

  As he spoke, he ruffled Kiki’s fluffy little head.

  Jelly and the others remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Thank you. We understand."

  "Don’t thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Instructor Holan—she’s the one who truly cares about you."

  "Thank you, Instructor Holan," Jelly and the others said sincerely.

  Holan finally snapped out of her thoughts and waved a hand. "No need. It’s my responsibility as your instructor. I won’t let you do anything foolish."

  "Now, go back and take notes. Memorize everything you wrote down today. I’ll be checking tomorrow."

  "Yes, ma’am!" Jelly and the others nodded before bowing to Caius and hurrying off to write.

  "You’d make a great instructor," Holan commented as she looked at Caius with a smile.

  "Haha, I think so too!" Caius laughed, hands on his hips.

  "That… sesame mite you mentioned—is it real?" Holan asked quietly. Even she had never heard of such a terrifying insect.

  Caius leaned in and whispered, "Nope. Made it up."

  Holan: "……"

  "You’re awful," Holan muttered.

  Caius grinned. "Heh, but you can’t deny I did a great job, can you?"

  "You did," Holan admitted, smirking.

  "So, where’s my payment?" Caius asked eagerly.

  Holan chuckled, then said, "Follow me."

  She strode toward a private room, reminding the students to keep taking notes.

  Caius followed, with Kiki trotting beside him.

  Walking into the private room, Holan opened the cabinet to prepare tea, but after searching for a moment, he frowned.

  "I might... have to delay your commission a bit," Holan turned around and said.

  "Out of floral tea?" Caius asked.

  Holan nodded, then watched in surprise as Caius pulled out a bottle of High Mountain White Peach Blossom from his waist pouch.

  High Mountain White Peach Blossom could be brewed directly without needing to be sun-dried. The fresher it was, the sweeter it tasted; the older it got, the more bitter it became.

  Some people preferred the bitterness and would let it dry out over time, while others enjoyed the sweetness and brewed it fresh.

  Caius belonged to the latter group.

  Coincidentally, so did Holan.

  "Do you like it?" Caius asked with a smile.

  "Did you buy this?" Holan asked in surprise.

  "Of course not," Caius said solemnly. "I picked it myself, right from Aronas Mountain not far from here. Kiki can vouch for me."

  "Really, Meow! He picked it himself, Meow!" Kiki immediately confirmed, but then shrank back slightly. "But coming down the mountain was so scary, Meow..."

  Holan was touched.

  Taking the bottle, he opened it and took a deep sniff, his expression turning slightly blissful. "It's well-preserved."

  "Of course! I prepared this just for you, so I made sure to store it properly," Caius chuckled.

  "For me?" Holan raised an eyebrow at him. "Not just an extra harvest while doing a mission?"

  Caius: "..."

  As expected of a seasoned Instructor—so hard to fool!

  But Caius had a thick skin. He immediately replied, "Of course not!"

  At that time, he had indeed thought of Holan's fondness for this tea and had deliberately picked extra. It wasn’t just a casual harvest—besides, these blossoms grew on cliff sides; there was nothing "casual" about picking them.

  "Hmm... well, I'll choose to believe you, then~" Holan said, hugging the bottle as he turned around lightly, like a cheerful little girl. He delicately pinched each white peach blossom, removing the stems and impurities before placing the petals into the teapot.

  It was clear he was in a great mood, even humming a little tune unconsciously.

  Caius rested his chin on his hand, watching Holan’s graceful silhouette, feeling a different side of him—playful and adorable, in contrast to his usual composed intellect. His mood improved as well.

  How did that saying go again?

  A beautiful woman brings joy!

  As for the little catgirl… she had milk, she had cookies, and she had a big guy keeping her company—she was absolutely ecstatic.