"You did all this… just to secure sponsorships?" Mel was visibly stunned by Caius's words.

  Hilda, too, stood there with her mouth slightly agape, disbelief shining in her eyes.

  "Only partly," Caius chuckled. "This girl’s a bit slow—she worked so hard but barely scraped together a few sponsors. I couldn’t just stand by, so I decided to help her out."

  Hilda immediately puffed out her cheeks. "Hey! I’m not slow! It’s just… you’re too smart!"

  Caius nodded. "Thanks for the compliment."

  Britney’s lips twitched.

  Even Mel looked at Caius and Hilda with surprise.

  He had never seen Hilda act like this around any man before.

  There was a hint of playful bickering in their exchange.

  So, at this moment, his gaze toward Caius carried an extra layer of scrutiny and curiosity.

  Seems these two… have an unusual relationship.

  Since when?

  But he didn’t press further. Instead, he asked, "And the other reason?"

  "Naturally, it’s because of the Bloody Lands," Caius replied.

  Mel’s pupils contracted slightly. "What does that have to do with the Bloody Lands?"

  "I encountered a small-scale Blood Tide in Nofalark Forest, along with an attack from at least a Mithril-ranked Bloody Creature. So I’m guessing this outbreak won’t be weak," Caius said seriously.

  "To deal with the Bloody Lands, weapons are a necessity."

  "The Blood Tide relies on sheer numbers, so magitech weapons are the optimal solution."

  "Therefore, I want to donate these weapons to Grilla City—to help the city and its surrounding towns face this crisis. At the same time, it’ll secure some major sponsorships for Hydis Magic Academy."

  "You know how it is—Hydis is a place that nurtures elites. Every student there could become a future Legendary figure for humanity!"

  "So I figured, since I have the means, I should do something. Better than doing nothing at all."

  As Caius spoke, everyone present was visibly moved.

  Even Mel and the high-ranking officials behind him wore expressions of deep respect.

  But in reality… Caius wasn’t that noble. It was all an act.

  When dealing with regional authorities, playing the selfless hero often worked wonders—earning goodwill and paving the way for future connections.

  Magitech weapons worth over twenty million gold, earned in just a few hours? Compared to the direct and indirect benefits of a Title-ranked powerhouse’s favor?

  Caius didn’t even hesitate before choosing the latter.

  Because the latter wasn’t something money alone could buy.

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  Not unless you were insanely wealthy.

  Twenty million gold made Caius rich, but not "very very" rich.

  Just look at the merchants he’d spoken to earlier—each had fortunes in the tens of millions, yet none could casually request an audience with the City Lord.

  "Hehe, well said. It’s rare to see young people with such foresight these days," Mel chuckled, his gaze toward Caius now noticeably warmer.

  Finally, he nodded. "Then I’ll accept your generous offer. On behalf of Grilla City and its neighboring towns, I thank you for your donation."

  With that, he placed a hand over his heart and gave Caius a slight bow.

  The officials behind him also removed their hats and bowed in unison.

  Caius quickly waved his hands. "No need for that—it’s just a small gesture."

  "And this is our gesture," Mel replied.

  "You’re the mercenary who brought back critical intel on the Bloody Lands, aren’t you? I’d already heard of you—I just didn’t expect our first meeting to be like this."

  "Thank you, Mr. Caius. Your information has been invaluable to us."

  Hearing this, Caius actually felt a little embarrassed. "It’s nothing, really. I just completed the investigation mission I took. An exceptional mercenary should always deliver outstanding results."

  Mel laughed. "If only every mercenary were like you."

  If they were all like me, the world would be in chaos~ Caius mused internally.

  Then Mel gestured, and an aide stepped forward.

  "Wasn’t Hydis Magic Academy applying for an expansion? Grant them the land adjacent to the academy’s rear sector."

  "Yes, sir!" The aide nodded and immediately went to arrange it.

  Caius blinked.

  Twenty million gold for a huge plot of land?

  Sure, the land wasn’t his, but given that he was the reason it was granted, the academy would surely owe him a favor, right?

  Hehe, as expected—this twenty million was totally worth it!

  And from today onward, that boast he’d made to Sean had come true—he did have connections with Grilla City’s City Lord!

  Perfect.

  This trade event was definitely the right call.

  At that moment, Caius was practically glowing with satisfaction.

  Of course, he still had to keep up appearances. He quickly mimicked Mel’s earlier gesture and turned to Kiki.

  "Quick, hand the orders over to the City Lord."

  "Got it, meow!"

  Kiki immediately picked up the stack of orders and presented them to Mel with both hands.

  Mel accepted them with a smile, then said, "And please accept this in return."

  With a wave of his hand, a cyan token floated toward Caius.

  Caius caught it, looking puzzled.

  Mel explained, "This is the Windspire City Lord’s Token. With it, you may freely enter the administrative buildings and the City Lord’s Manor."

  Caius feigned shock. "This… this is too generous!"

  But Mel shook his head, smiling. "Your contributions to Grilla City more than warrant it."

  Though he said that, Caius could tell from Mel’s gaze that Hilda’s influence played a role.

  Without her, the City Lord would’ve likely just paid market price for the magitech orders—not gifted him a token like this.

  And Caius knew exactly what this Windspire Token meant.

  It meant that from now on, no one in Grilla City would dare mess with him!

  If they did, he could just march straight to the City Lord’s Manor and file a complaint!

  Hehe~

  Time to soar~

  Twenty million gold? Worth every damn coin!

  Just look—even Britney was eyeing the token with envy.

  After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Hilda, Mel said, "It’s getting late, and I still have matters to attend to. The Bloody Lands situation will keep me busy for a while."

  Hilda nodded obediently. "We should head back too."

  Mel gave a final nod, then cast one last glance at Caius before turning to leave. Everyone bowed as he departed.

  Now this is what it means to be a big shot~ Caius mused.

  Alright, mission accomplished. Time to go home and sleep!

  But then he felt a pair of intense eyes burning into him.

  Clearly, Hilda wasn’t about to let him off so easily.

  As the group exited the square, Hilda puffed her cheeks and glared at Caius.

  "You called me slow in front of Uncle Mel, you big dummy!"

  Britney’s eyebrows shot up at that.

  Big dummy?

  What kind of sweet nickname is that?!

  And you still claim you’re just friends?!

  Caius just grinned. "Hey, didn’t I get you some pretty good sponsorships in return?"

  Hearing that, Hilda’s mock anger instantly melted away, replaced by a radiant smile, her eyes practically sparkling.

  "That’s true! Caius, you’re amazing! The academy’s been trying to secure that land for ages!"

  "With it, Hydis can expand its campus activity zone—maybe even build a new grand arena!" she gushed excitedly.

  "Mhm. Let’s call it the Caius Arena," Caius declared with a nod.

  Hilda burst out laughing. "No way! That sounds terrible. ‘Big Dummy Arena’ would be better."

  "Works for me. At least it’s named after me," Caius retorted shamelessly, grinning.

  Hilda couldn’t help but laugh, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

  Meanwhile, Britney suddenly felt like a third wheel.

  A three-thousand-watt third wheel.