As a beam of light flared, Caius and Kiki appeared within the grounds of Hydis Magic Academy.

  Turning his head, Caius immediately spotted Hilda standing within a nearby Teleportation Magic Circle.

  Their eyes met.

  "Heading out, or just got back?" Caius asked.

  "Heading out," Hilda replied.

  Caius took note of her light armor, the slender sword at her waist, and the high golden wavy ponytail—he raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re going to Nofalark Forest again?”

  “Mhm,” Hilda nodded.

  “There’s Blood Soil over there now—you should probably stay away,” Caius said.

  “That’s exactly why I’m going,” Hilda responded. “It’s part of the Academy’s investigation assignment.”

  With that, she stared directly at Caius.

  Caius paused for a moment, then said, “I was actually hoping to talk to you about sword forging… but alright, go do your thing.”

  With those words, he turned and headed toward the library.

  Seeing this, Hilda hesitated for a moment, then stepped out of the Magic Circle and quickly caught up to him.

  Hearing the approaching footsteps behind him, the corners of Caius’ mouth lifted slightly.

  “We can talk now,” Hilda said as she came up beside him and matched his pace.

  “Aren’t you going to investigate the Blood Soil?” Caius asked deliberately.

  Hilda replied, “Tomorrow works.”

  “But I’ll be here tomorrow too,” Caius said.

  “Then the day after.”

  “I’ll still be here the day after that. Forging a sword isn’t something that gets done in a day or two. You should know that—good swords take time,” Caius said.

  Seeing the smirk dancing on Caius’ face, Hilda began to suspect he was just making excuses—but she had no proof.

  “You don’t want me to go to the Blood Soil, do you?” Hilda asked directly.

  Caius raised an eyebrow.

  Well now, Little Swan had a surprisingly direct streak.

  Then again, it made sense. Nobles like her were often taught to express their thoughts and desires directly—because when they spoke up, their Clan would usually do everything they could to support and fulfill those needs.

  That’s part of why noble children were often more extroverted than those from poorer backgrounds.

  It wasn’t just about wealth—it was also about whether their voices were heard.

  For kids from impoverished homes, even when they voiced a need, it might be dismissed, ignored, or even scolded. Over time, they’d learn not to express anything at all.

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  Belle was like that. Granny Lunla would never scold her, of course, but the Orphanage could only do so much. Many of her needs were simply out of reach.

  So she’d become a quiet, reserved girl. If you didn’t ask, she wouldn’t tell.

  “Why would it matter to me whether you go or not? It’s not like I’d think any less of you if you lost to the Slaughter Wolf Demon,” Caius said with a laugh.

  Hilda’s brows knitted. “I can take it down.”

  “Mmhmm, sure,” Caius replied, not even trying to sound convincing.

  Hilda: “…”

  Looking at Caius’s half-assed response, Hilda really wanted to punch him.

  He said he wouldn’t look down on her, but clearly, he didn’t believe she could handle the Slaughter Wolf Demon.

  That made her want to prove herself even more.

  Then, something occurred to her, and her lips curved up. “Didn’t you say you wanted to understand my combat style? The arena’s right over there!”

  Caius chuckled inwardly. Seems he had successfully stirred up Little Swan’s competitive streak.

  But he had actually come here today to find Belle… now what?

  After thinking it over for a moment, Caius decided he’d better take care of Little Swan first—no way he was letting her run off to Nofalark Forest.

  While Hilda wasn’t weak, Caius didn’t want her taking unnecessary risks.

  The biggest issue was, she had no sense of direction. If she left now, it’d probably take her days to find her way back.

  The longer she stayed in Nofalark Forest, the more dangerous it would be.

  Besides, if something happened to her, where was he supposed to find another perfect ten to spar and flirt with?

  Teasing Little Swan was way more fun than teasing silly mushroom.

  Compared to Little Swan, silly mushroom made him feel not playful—but protective.

  But at Hydis Academy, with Instructor Holan around, silly mushroom should be fine.

  With that thought, Caius nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

  And so, the two of them headed toward the arena.

  A short while later, they stood facing each other in the arena, while more and more students gathered around.

  They had been drawn there by Hilda. As soon as the rumor spread that the Swan Blade Maiden was about to duel someone, some students even skipped class to come watch.

  Then, their attention shifted to Caius—because none of them recognized him.

  The guy was massive. If he were a student here, they’d definitely remember that physique.

  So, what was going on? Had Hilda gotten into a fight with some outsider and brought him here to settle it?

  Or was this some meathead trying to pursue Hilda, only for her to drag him here to teach him a lesson?

  After all, that’s how Hilda used to handle her suitors.

  Anyone who dared confess?

  Straight to the arena. Beat them up. Carried off the field.

  Eventually, no one dared confess to her anymore.

  It was a simple and effective way to keep the pests at bay.

  Caius had no idea the students had already pegged him as the latest clueless suitor in their minds.

  Even if he knew, he’d just sneer.

  Chasing Hilda?

  What a joke. If anything, she should be chasing him. He was the kind of man who didn’t come easy~

  “Where’s your weapon?” Hilda asked, drawing the slender sword from her waist.

  Caius clicked his tongue.

  Rich girls will be rich—her backup weapon was already top-tier.

  Caius had an eye for gear. That sword was worth at least a hundred thousand.

  Still not even close to the one he was about to forge, though.

  “My weapon? Hey, little kitty, lend me your dagger,” Caius said.

  “That’s a short sword, Meow,” Kiki replied, handing it over before hopping out of the ring.

  “Short sword, huh?” Caius looked at the blade in his hand and curled his lips.

  Sure, it was a short sword—but in his hands, it looked more like a dagger anyway.

  Hilda frowned slightly. “Where’s your warhammer?”

  “I don’t have a warhammer,” Caius replied.

  Hilda pressed, “The one from last time.”

  “That’s my forging hammer, not a warhammer. And… this dagger will do just fine.”

  Kiki: “It’s a short sword, Meow~”

  Caius: “Right, right. Short sword.”

  Hilda: “…”

  “Are you underestimating me?” Hilda’s expression darkened.

  Caius looked innocent. “Not at all.”

  Hilda said nothing more.

  To her, Caius was clearly looking down on her—that’s the only reason he’d use such a small weapon in their duel.

  But in truth, he wasn’t.

  His [Angel] warhammer had an Anti-Magic Field, which would completely shut down both Warriors and mages alike.

  Once he got in close, his opponents wouldn’t be able to cast spells—or even activate their Combat Techniques, since those were also fueled by magic power.

  So his [Angel] warhammer and Hilda’s rapier weren’t even in the same tier.

  It’d be like pitting a purple-grade weapon against a gold-grade one.

  If he used [Angel] against Hilda, that would be real bullying.

  Still, it was obvious Little Swan wasn’t happy.

  But Caius didn’t explain himself. As far as he was concerned, like he said—

  This dagger—no, short sword—was enough.