The restroom was inside the academic building, and there was also one in the library. In fact, any area restricted to "outsiders" generally had a restroom, which explained why it had been so hard to find one earlier.

  However, with Holan’s permission, Caius could now come and go freely.

  After finishing his business, Caius walked out of the library, looking noticeably more at ease.

  Taking advantage of his brief visit, he had glanced around the library’s interior and reached a conclusion.

  As expected of an ocean of knowledge—there were an absurd number of books.

  Caius suspected that somewhere within this collection, he might find a way to learn magic. He made a mental note to dive into this sea of knowledge when he had the chance.

  Holan looked at him helplessly.

  She always felt that this big guy was a bit unreliable. He had the face of an honest, naive man, but his words and behavior carried a roguish charm, like a seasoned trickster. Yet, he still looked so young…

  “Are we doing the transaction now?” Caius asked Holan.

  “Of course!” Holan seemed eager. With a flash of light from the ring on her finger, a pouch filled with gold coins appeared in her hand.

  A Spatial Ring, huh? Caius recognized it immediately. His old man had one too—though his was bigger, heavier, and looked more like a signet ring. Right now, it was sitting on his thumb.

  Caius liked to use it as a knuckle duster.

  As for why he didn’t store anything in it—well, it was full. Crammed with various metals from his father’s blacksmith shop.

  “There are fifteen hundred gold coins here. Count them,” Holan said.

  “No need. I trust a mentor’s integrity,” Caius replied, taking the gold and fastening it to his belt.

  His words pleased Holan, making her view him a little more favorably.

  “So, when will you tell me what I want to know?” Caius asked with a smile.

  “Wait a bit. I need to send the corpse pieces to the lab first,” Holan said, glancing at the still-bloody sack.

  So much Wolf Demon blood had been wasted—it made her heart ache.

  Before her experiment succeeded, she wanted to make use of every part of the Wolf Demon’s remains, down to the last shred of flesh and drop of blood.

  Caius nodded, letting Holan handle her work.

  Holan first took out a large bag, covered in magical runes. Clearly, it was a Magical Device.

  After sealing the Wolf Demon’s remains inside, not a single drop of blood leaked out.

  Then, she grabbed the bag, tapped her foot lightly, and soared into the air, flying deeper into the academy.

  Caius watched her depart and sighed. “Flying must be nice.”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  It was obvious—Holan was a mage, and likely a rather high-level one.

  Geoffrey and the others had refrained from asking questions, since Caius wasn’t really one of them.

  Kiki, however, curiously leaned in beside Caius. “Big guy, I think you sold the Wolf Demon remains too cheap, meow.”

  Even Kiki had noticed.

  Caius chuckled. “I know, but it’s fine. There’ll be chances to make it back from her in the future.”

  Kiki tilted her head, half-understanding, and nodded.

  Before long, Holan returned.

  “Can we talk now?” Caius asked.

  “This isn’t the place for it. Follow me,” Holan said, leading the way back into the library.

  Caius turned to look at Geoffrey and the others. Geoffrey, perceptive as ever, said, “Go on. We’ll wait for you at the school gate.”

  “Alright,” Caius nodded and followed after Holan.

  Kiki, naturally, tagged along like a little tail. Caius didn’t stop her.

  As the library doors shut, Geoffrey shook his head. “Let’s go.”

  “What about Kiki?” Martina asked.

  “She’s not one of us anymore,” Geoffrey replied.

  …

  Following Holan to the depths of the library, Caius was surprised to find private rooms—likely designated for nobles to study in peace.

  There were even snacks available.

  Setting down a plate of pastries, Holan asked, “Coffee, tea, or milk?”

  “Milk, meow~” Kiki immediately raised her hand.

  Caius, however, asked, “Got any booze?”

  Holan rolled her eyes. “What do you think?”

  Caius grinned. “I think yes. So, I’ll take a rum, on the rocks, with a splash of cherry juice.”

  Holan: “…”

  What an insufferable man.

  Ignoring his request, she brewed him a cup of tea and poured Kiki a glass of milk before asking, “Which matter do you want to discuss first?”

  “Tell me about the Bloody Lands.”

  Holan nodded and began explaining in detail.

  Her account didn’t differ much from Geoffrey’s, though it was more comprehensive. As for what lay within the Bloody Lands, even she wasn’t entirely sure. Few ventured deep inside, and even fewer returned alive.

  Thus, the world’s understanding of the Bloody Lands was mostly limited to the disasters it brought and the creatures that emerged from it.

  Thanks to Holan, Caius learned about even more types of Bloody Creatures.

  For example, Blood Demons, Plague Demons, Lion-Headed Demons, and Bloodthirsty Demons.

  And these creatures were highly valuable. Take the Wolf Demon, for instance—its market price ranged from four to five thousand gold coins. Selling it for fifteen hundred? Caius had taken a major loss.

  “So? Do you regret it now?” Holan smirked, sipping her tea. Her arched brows carried a hint of mischief, as if she was trying to see a flicker of regret on Caius’s face.

  Clearly, this beautiful mentor had a bit of a devious side.

  But she was disappointed—Caius showed no sign of regret. Instead, he chuckled and said, “Not at all. Doing business with a beautiful woman is never a loss. After all, they’ve already paid in advance—with the pleasure of their beauty.”

  Hmm… and also with those potions I broke.

  Holan blinked.

  Yep. No mistaking it this time—she was being flirted with.

  But she didn’t find it unpleasant. Instead, she laughed and countered, “Oh? So you’re saying my beauty is worth exactly 3,500 gold coins?”

  That was the difference in price for the Wolf Demon’s body.

  Caius chuckled.

  As expected, mature women were hard to deal with.

  “Of course not. That was just for a single glance. Haven’t you noticed? I haven’t dared to blink this whole time.” He pointed at his eyes.

  Holan frowned in confusion at first but soon caught on. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

  Meanwhile, Kiki happily munched on her cookies, her innocent face clueless about the playful exchange.

  Not that she cared. The milk here was delicious.

  She loved milk, meow~

  Caius’s humor lifted Holan’s mood, making her find him even more pleasing to the eye.

  “Beyond that, I don’t know much else about the Bloody Lands. That’s not something an academy mentor has access to,” Holan said, taking another sip of tea.

  Caius nodded. “Alright, then onto the second matter—this one’s most important to me. How do I get into Hydis?”

  “Why?” Holan asked. “You’re a mercenary. Why do you want to enter a Magic Academy?”

  During her brief absence, she had already checked with the academy’s gatekeepers about Caius. Anyone carrying a Wolf Demon’s body was worth investigating.

  “Because I love learning,” Caius said, utterly serious.

  Holan looked at him skeptically.

  Three seconds later, Caius shrugged and corrected himself. “Alright, fine. I admit it.”

  “It’s because the mentors here are just too beautiful.”

  “You understand—no one can refuse a beautiful mentor. I’m no exception.”

  Holan laughed again.

  This big guy might be a rogue, but he was a charming one.

  Talking to him was surprisingly pleasant.

  But Holan knew better—Caius was throwing up smokescreens.

  He kept praising her, but he hadn’t actually revealed anything useful.

  What a slippery guy.