Back in the room, Caius and Kiki took a quick shower before burrowing under the covers.

  Caius was ready to sleep, but the little catgirl had other ideas.

  She wriggled into his arms, resting her chin on his chest with her tail flicking lazily, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

  "Kiki wants to eat big guy, meow~"

  Caius burst out laughing at that, wrapping an arm around her slender waist and pulling her in for a kiss.

  Still worked up from his earlier encounter with the Boss Lady, Caius soon found his hands wandering.

  After a while, Kiki pulled back, licking her lips with a satisfied purr.

  But then she squirmed slightly, tilting her head in confusion. "Big guy, something's poking me, meow."

  "Wah! There's a snake, meow!"

  Caius froze. "That's not a snake!"

  "Then what is it, meow?" Kiki asked curiously.

  Caius's eyes gleamed mischievously. "That's... a cat teaser."

  "Fun toy, meow?" Her ears perked up instantly.

  "Heh, very fun."

  "Want try, meow!"

  "Alright, let me show you..."

  ......

  The next morning, Caius woke up feeling refreshed.

  Kiki's learning ability was impressive.

  "Big guy~" The moment Caius stirred, Kiki nuzzled against his chin affectionately.

  After last night's "playtime," she'd become even clingier.

  It made Caius look forward to when she reached Gold-rank—then they could really explore the cat teaser's full potential. Heh.

  "Alright, up we get. Today's a big day!" He gave her rump a light pat.

  And what a day it was. He could finally hand the external liaison recommendation letter to Holan, officially becoming the Hydis Academy external liaison he'd always wanted to be.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Kiki's spot was secured too, though it'd take a bit longer. Yvlan had a tavern owners' meeting later where she'd receive the nomination, but by afternoon, Kiki would be official as well.

  Then lunch with Hilda and Britney.

  Dinner with Instructor Holan—using his new status as the perfect excuse. She wouldn't refuse, and afterward... heh.

  In high spirits, Caius decided to pick up a few jobs. He was still a mercenary, and after slacking off for days, it was time to get back to work.

  First, he grabbed two Platinum-tier quests from Yvlan.

  Then swung by Oern's Smithy for a free ore-gathering task from the old dwarf.

  Next stop: Iron Tavern to see Raymond.

  Raymond had clearly heard about Caius shaking up Grilla City—even catching the City Lord's attention. It confirmed he'd bet on the right man.

  So he handed Caius four high-paying Gold-tier contracts—the cushy, low-effort kind!

  With his quest log packed, Caius set off for Grilla City.

  Not for ceremony—he wasn't about to walk there to commemorate his new status—but for a job.

  Raymond had given him a live cargo delivery: a bound juvenile Earthwyrm.

  Even as a juvenile, the damn thing stood over two meters tall and five meters long—like a giant lizard but way nastier.

  Chained up in a reinforced cage, it still had the nerve to snarl at Caius through the bars. Typical for a Magic Beast with draconic blood.

  Since untamed Magic Beasts couldn't use teleportation circles, Caius had to take the scenic route to Grilla City's arena, where daily bloodsports drew roaring crowds.

  Man vs. man, man vs. beast, man vs. other races—brutal, gory, and wildly popular.

  This Earthwyrm, once trained, would likely headline Platinum-tier matches.

  Hence the Platinum-tier payout: 30,000 gold!

  The trip from Ocean City to Grilla City spanned over a hundred kilometers—a full day by wagon.

  Caius didn't have that kind of time.

  So he yanked the Earthwyrm out of its cage, bound its limbs, muzzled its jaws, and sprinted the entire way with the beast slung over one shoulder.

  Kiki? No problem—he just tucked her under his other arm.

  Even hauling cargo, Caius made it in two hours instead of his usual one.

  The poor Earthwyrm got so jostled it nearly puked up yesterday's rabbit meal.

  By arrival, it was on the verge of grateful tears, all its earlier bravado gone, staring at Caius with pure terror.

  Job done, Caius restocked supplies while heading toward Hydis Academy.

  Around 10 AM, he reached the gates—only for Kiki to suddenly point. "Big guy, look! Silly mushroom, meow!"

  Caius turned to see a familiar figure.

  Belle.

  Clutching a small cloth bag, she stood rigidly by the entrance like a wooden post, clearly waiting for someone.

  This was unusual. In Caius's experience, Belle's routine never deviated:

  Class → Research Lab → Cafeteria → Dorm.

  So why was she at the gates?

  As he approached, Belle took a few stiff steps forward.

  "What're you doing here?" Caius asked.

  "Waiting," she murmured.

  "For what?"

  Instead of answering, Belle lowered her head for a long moment, then pulled out a wooden flask—the one Caius had drunk from before.

  She handed it to him.

  Caius took a swig and raised his brows. "High-end rum? I told you not to buy this."

  Belle hunched her shoulders slightly. "Celebration..."

  "Celebrating what?" Then it clicked. "Wait... me becoming an official external liaison?"

  "Mm." A faint nod.

  A breeze lifted her bangs, revealing silver-gray eyes fixed on him.

  Caius stared at the flask, his perfect memory replaying his own words:

  ["Hope you'll be waiting at the gates when I get into Hydis."]

  "...What time did you start waiting here?"

  "Six."

  Another stretch of silence. Then Caius reached out, ruffling her hair.

  "Silly girl."

  In that moment, he was genuinely glad he'd taken that delivery job instead of teleporting straight to the academy.