Another hour of training had passed. Kiki's knife swings had visibly slowed, her movements sluggish and heavy. Beside her stood Caius, holding a wooden stick, correcting her form again and again.

  "Keep going. This slash must be perfected. A hundred times isn’t enough—then a thousand. Ten thousand. A hundred thousand!"

  "You can go slow, but the movement must stay precise. The blade’s path must be perfectly straight. Only then can it become muscle memory!"

  "Keep going. Don’t stop!"

  "Don’t forget what you promised me. You said you’d follow me to become Legendary. If you want that, then push through!"

  Kiki didn’t say a word. She was afraid that speaking would disrupt the fragile rhythm of her breathing—one misstep, and she’d probably collapse right then and there.

  Hilda watched as Kiki’s trembling arms lifted again and again, repeating the dagger swing over and over. Her heart ached for the girl, but she remembered Caius’ words earlier and bit her lip, saying nothing on Kiki’s behalf.

  Just like Caius said—sweat now, so there’s no blood later.

  This was all for Kiki’s own good.

  Another half hour passed, and dusk fell upon the sky, turning it a deep orange-red.

  Caius watched Kiki’s half-lowered eyelids and finally gave a nod. "Alright, that’s enough. Stop."

  But Kiki didn’t stop. After swinging her dagger one last time, she slowly raised her arm again.

  Caius knew she had entered a dazed state. She was on the verge of collapsing, her consciousness barely holding on.

  That was enough. He knew exactly where her limits were. Any more would be counterproductive.

  So Caius stepped forward and gently lifted her into his arms.

  Cradled against him, Kiki finally stirred from her daze. She gave a faint, tired smile and whispered weakly, "Big guy... did I get stronger?"

  "Yeah, you did. You did great. I’m proud of you," Caius said with a smile, lowering his head to gently nudge his forehead against hers.

  It was the Catfolk’s way of showing affection.

  Kiki responded with a soft, affectionate nuzzle of her own, a purring sound escaping her throat—though it came out hoarse from exhaustion.

  Hilda watched the scene without feeling the slightest discomfort—on the contrary, she found it heartwarming.

  Caius was expressing his recognition of Kiki in the way of her people. It was a rare and touching gesture.

  After all, many people on the continent discriminated against beastkin, viewing them as lowly and disgusting.

  But Caius wasn’t like that. From him, Hilda could see respect and care for Kiki.

  "Here, have some water," Hilda said as she walked over and handed Caius a waterskin.

  Caius nodded in thanks and gently helped the limp Kiki drink.

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  His every movement was careful and gentle—something Hilda noticed and silently appreciated.

  A surprisingly thoughtful big guy.

  Later, Caius carried Kiki back to camp. Instead of giving her a stamina potion, he prepared a specially mixed fruit juice to help her recover naturally.

  Stamina potions worked quickly, sure—but as the saying went, even medicine carries a bit of poison. Best not to rely on them if it could be avoided.

  After drinking the energy-filled juice, Kiki regained a bit of strength—enough to move on her own, at least.

  "Big guy, I think... my arms and legs won’t lift anymore, meow," Kiki said, her small face tilted up at Caius.

  "Normal reaction after exhaustion. Tomorrow, your arms and legs will probably be sore as hell."

  "What?" Kiki gasped, then looked up at Caius pitifully.

  "I don’t like soreness, meow..."

  "Can’t be helped. It means you’re growing," Caius replied. "But... I do have a way to help you feel better."

  He had her lie down, then placed his large hand on her arm, gently starting to knead her muscles.

  "What are you doing?" Hilda asked curiously.

  "Massage. Helps ease muscle fatigue and improve the flow of vital energy—makes it so she won’t be crying from soreness tomorrow," Caius explained.

  "Oh, like stretching and muscle recovery after high-intensity training?" Hilda said, suddenly understanding.

  "Something like that. Wanna join in?" Caius grinned.

  "Sure, teach me," Hilda said, moving to the other side of the little Catgirl and mimicking Caius as he massaged her arms. Caius guided her, teaching her different techniques—how to press, how to knead, where to apply which method.

  The little Catgirl lay there enjoying the pampering, even starting to purr softly.

  Once the arms were done, they moved to her legs—front, then back. Caius asked Kiki to roll over so he could work on her thighs and the muscles behind her calves.

  For such a petite body, her leg proportions were actually quite impressive. You could even call them long legs—if not for her overall small stature.

  "Hehehe, that tickles, meow~" Kiki suddenly giggled when Caius started on her little feet. Her fluffy tail swished back and forth, sweeping right across Caius' nose.

  "Achoo!" Caius sneezed.

  "Control your tail."

  "My tail has a mind of its own, meow~"

  "Then I’ll pluck it off."

  "Noooo!" Kiki quickly hugged her tail protectively, giving Caius a pitiful look that made Hilda burst out laughing.

  This little Catgirl was too adorable.

  Then, Hilda’s eyes lit up as she looked at Kiki’s tail. She suddenly asked, "Hey—Kiki’s tail is really flexible, right? Can we put it to use somehow?"

  Caius was instantly enlightened. "You genius, I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!"

  "Hehe~" Hilda giggled proudly, but then realized something and quickly said, "I’m not a dummy!"

  "Then I’ll call you Smarty Pants."

  "That sounds weird. You’re teasing me again, aren’t you?"

  "Hehehe~ who, me?"

  "You always laugh like that when you’re teasing me."

  "Not bad—sharp observation skills."

  "Of course! …Wait, don’t change the subject!"

  "Hahahaha!"

  Still, Hilda's words were indeed inspiring. Caius drew out a dagger and asked, “Little kitten, can you curl your tail around this dagger?”

  “I can, meow!” Kiki replied immediately. Right now, her tail was the only part of her body that still had strength.

  With a swift motion, her long tail curled up and wrapped around the dagger.

  “Try stabbing with it,” Caius said, full of anticipation.

  Kiki’s tail bent into an "S" shape, then shot forward with a sudden thrust.

  A sharp whistle cut through the air. Caius and Hilda exchanged surprised glances.

  “It feels… like it’s even stronger than a stab from the arm!” Hilda exclaimed in delight.

  “It really does!” Caius nodded, smiling. “Looks like I’ll need to forge another dagger—one made specifically for a tail.”

  “Really? Thank you, big guy, meow!” Kiki beamed with joy.

  To her, this big guy was the best in the world. Now she didn’t just have a pair of daggers for her hands—even her tail would have its own custom weapon!

  “I’m going to name it Mewtail, meow!” Kiki declared proudly.

  “Sounds good,” Caius replied with a grin.

  As night fell, Caius gave the little Catgirl a thorough massage. Afterward, he let her do some stretching with Hilda to loosen up her body, while he headed out for a hunt to prepare dinner.

  It wasn’t long before he returned, carrying their evening meal—a [Boop Bird] standing a full meter tall.

  The Boop Bird looked a bit like a turkey, only much larger, and it made a distinct “boop boop” sound, hence the name.

  What’s more, this Brass-grade Magic Beast tasted far better than any turkey.

  Beneath the night sky, with roasted Boop Bird on their plates and flower tea in their cups, gazing up at the stars, Caius felt utterly content.

  Hilda wore a gentle smile the entire time, watching the interactions between Kiki and Caius, occasionally covering her mouth as she chuckled softly.

  Indeed, going on adventures with friends was far more joyful than journeying alone.

  The atmosphere was cozy and heartwarming.

  She had come to truly enjoy this feeling.