When Caius stepped out of the Iron Tavern, he didn’t go looking for Raymond or take on any missions. He just wanted a good rest.

  “Boss Lady! Give me the deluxe feast special!”

  Even before the doors of Hailan No. 11 swung open, Caius’s voice echoed through the hall.

  Yvlan immediately brightened upon hearing him—but the moment she saw the vicious wounds across his body, she froze in shock. The plate in her hand nearly slipped from her grasp.

  All the mercenaries nearby stared at Caius, dumbfounded.

  “Big guy, did you go wrestle a dragon or something? You look like hell!” the bearded Bob exclaimed.

  Yvlan hurried over, carrying the tavern’s medical kit, but Caius waved her off casually.

  “Just flesh wounds. Already taken care of. See? My little kitty stitched them up.”

  As he spoke, there was even a trace of pride in his voice.

  The others twitched at the corners of their mouths—

  Flesh wounds? You’re calling that half-meter-long gash running across your chest a flesh wound?

  “What the hell happened to you? How did you get hurt this bad?” Yvlan asked, frowning slightly. Her tone was half scolding, but mostly filled with concern.

  Caius just smiled without answering directly. He ordered a drink first, then motioned for the nearby mercenaries to gather 'round. Time to spin a tale.

  Yvlan rolled her eyes and poured him a glass of liquor before heading into the kitchen—she had to cook his meal personally.

  As Caius drank, he began recounting his harrowing experience in Nofalark Forest, where he encountered the Crimson Tide. Every twist and turn of the tale had the mercenaries gasping.

  “So if you lot want to stay alive, don’t take any investigation missions. From what I know, eighteen mercs and teams from the Iron Tavern in the inner city accepted that job. Only six made it back, and they came up empty-handed. The rest...” Caius paused.

  “I’ve seen their corpses. Scattered, dismembered.”

  He shrugged. “Of course, if you think you’ve got what it takes, it’s still worth the risk. Bloody Creatures fetch a good price.”

  Even so, the mercenaries shook their heads one after another.

  Forget it. If Caius came back looking like that, they'd be marching to their deaths.

  “So it’s true, huh... The Bloody Lands have emerged in Nofalark Forest,” one mercenary murmured. “You think it can be stopped? Or will it end up like Shavar...?”

  A heavy silence fell.

  Shavar City—along with its seven surrounding towns and population of over half a million—had been swallowed whole by a Crimson Tide when the Bloody Lands erupted. Not a single soul survived.

  It wasn’t about patriotism. It was about survival. And right now, everyone’s heart felt weighed down by that truth.

  “Oh come on, it’s not that big a deal,” Caius said, waving it off with a grin. “Once I power up a bit more, a tiny little Bloody Land like that? I’ll hammer it to bits in no time.”

  The mercenaries burst into laughter.

  “Yeah, with Big Guy up front taking the hits, all we gotta do is run faster than him,” Bob snorted, earning jeers and playful jabs from the others.

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  Caius joined the laughter with an easy grin, not a care in the world.

  Soon, the Boss Lady brought out the lavish feast.

  That last fight had drained him completely. The battle had pushed his internal reserves to the limit, increasing his magic power’s sedimentation rate to a full nine percent—four percent in one go. A significant leap. For comparison, the time he blew up Okot—a Platinum Seven-Star—and tanked a shot from a Mithril-ranked archer, he only got three percent.

  Kiki, however, wasn’t her usual self. She barely touched her food, sipped a bit of milk, and stopped eating altogether.

  Yvlan noticed the Catgirl’s low spirits but didn’t know the cause—Caius hadn’t mentioned it during his exaggerated storytelling.

  “What’s wrong, Kiki?” she asked softly.

  The little Catgirl didn’t respond, just shook her head and scooted closer to Caius.

  Seeing this, Caius chuckled and ruffled her hair gently.

  “She’s just worn out. We both need a proper rest tonight.”

  With that, he gave a satisfied belch and stood. “That’s enough talk. I’m heading to bed.”

  “Same room as always?”

  “Of course. The Boss Lady cleans it for you every day,” Bob chimed in with a teasing laugh.

  Yvlan’s face flushed red instantly. She grabbed a frying pan, and Bob bolted before she could swing it.

  Caius laughed heartily. “Thanks!”

  He took Kiki’s hand and led her to their room.

  Once inside, he headed straight to the private bathroom—a perk of the high-class rooms.

  That’s right, this world had running water, thanks to small Magitech Devices. Very convenient.

  After a refreshing shower, Caius flopped onto the bed in just a pair of loose shorts.

  Kiki went to wash up as well. When she emerged, she was wearing a little vest and shorts, her fur damp. Quietly, she used Wind Magic to blow-dry her hair and tail.

  Once done, her fur puffed out adorably, even fluffier than usual.

  Caius stretched out a hand as he lay on the bed. Golden light flickered in his palm.

  It was slightly brighter than before.

  His Trump Card’s Energy Bar. The more gold, the longer he could maintain his ultimate move.

  Thanks to Hilda, he still had a chance to keep stacking that power.

  Just then, he heard a faint rustling sound. Turning his head, he saw the little Catgirl climb onto the bed and curl up beside him—careful not to touch his injuries.

  Caius grinned and pulled her close.

  “Big guy, your wounds…” Kiki gasped.

  “No big deal,” he said, wrapping her in his arms and beginning to stroke her soft, fluffy hair.

  It felt even better than petting a real cat.

  Her body was so warm and soft—it was incredibly comforting to hold.

  Kiki rested quietly against his chest, her small face pressed to his skin, eyes flickering as they lingered on the scabbed-over wound.

  “Does it still hurt?” she asked gently.

  “It does,” Caius replied.

  Truthfully, the pain had already faded.

  “Then… then I should sleep on the floor. I don’t want to hurt you…” Kiki whispered.

  But Caius held her tightly around the waist, refusing to let her go.

  Seeing this, she tilted her little face slightly upward and looked at Caius.

  “Big guy…”

  Caius smiled, lowered his head, and gently rested his forehead against hers, the tips of their noses brushing together.

  “Let me ask you—do you like me?” His voice was soft.

  “I do,” the little Catgirl answered honestly.

  “Not just a regular kind of like. I mean the kind where we stay together for a lifetime,” Caius said, giving her cheek a playful pinch. “So I’ll ask you again—do you like me?”

  “I do!” she said again, this time with more conviction.

  At that moment, Caius broke into a joyous smile.

  And the little Catgirl realized something too. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, but she didn’t shyly look away. Instead, she stared at Caius’s rugged face, completely mesmerized.

  “Big guy, I like you.”

  “It’s like how Mama likes Papa.”

  “I don’t want to leave you… I’ll work hard to get stronger, I’ll become amazing—just please don’t send me away, okay?”

  Her voice trembled slightly with cautious hope. A young heart awakening to love, unsure how to express it properly, so she simply spoke the most sincere words she could find.

  She gazed carefully at Caius, her eyes filled with both hope and fear.

  She was afraid Caius might not want her anymore.

  But Caius didn’t let her down.

  He smiled, pulling her into a tight embrace, rubbing his cheek against hers.

  “You said it yourself. So even if you want to leave in the future, I won’t let you go,” he said with a grin.

  Kiki looked at him and finally beamed, her little fangs peeking out adorably.

  “Mm!”

  “Then give me a kiss—on the lips,” Caius said with a mischievous smile.

  Kiki blushed shyly, but she still held his face and gave him a light peck on the lips with her small mouth.

  It was soft. Very soft.

  But Caius chuckled. “That’s not how you do it. Here, I’ll teach you.”

  “O-Okay… Mmm… mmm~”

  “Well?”

  “So weird, meow. Why do you have to use your tongue, meow?”

  “But… it kind of feels good, meow!”

  “Heh, if it feels good, then you’re doing it right. With practice, it’ll feel even better.”

  “Oh! I got it, meow!”

  “Then let’s not waste time—let’s review again.”

  “Okay, meow… mmm~”