After finishing the sutures, Caius stepped out of the private room.

  Outside, he found Raymond leaning against the hallway wall, smoking a cigarette, idly toying with the lighter Caius had given him.

  "All good?" Raymond glanced at the blood-soaked floor and the chaotic room behind Caius.

  "I'm fine, but the situation in the Bloody Lands is getting serious," Caius replied.

  "What exactly happened?" Raymond asked.

  "If my guess is right, the location of the Bloody Lands is in the Great Rift area of Nofalark Forest. I encountered a massive swarm of creatures in one of the adjacent smaller rifts—over four thousand of them, including Bloodfish, Wolf Demons, and Slaughter Wolf Demons."

  "I took out about half of them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t retrieve most of the bodies…" Caius said, his expression turning bitter as he spoke.

  The battle had been too intense. He’d only managed to store some of the Wolf Demons and Slaughter Wolf Demons in his spatial ring. The Bloodfish corpses were submerged in blood-soaked water and couldn’t be stored directly.

  In the end, he salvaged a dozen or so Wolf Demon corpses and four Slaughter Wolf Demon corpses—barely worth a hundred and fifty thousand gold at most.

  If he’d been able to collect all the Bloodfish, the total would’ve been several hundred thousand at least.

  He had originally hoped to make a big profit off the official reward system.

  Raymond chuckled upon hearing Caius’s tale.

  "Surviving it is already impressive. Most Platinum-ranked mercenaries wouldn't be able to handle that many bloody creatures," Raymond said, clapping Caius on the shoulder.

  Caius winced, and Raymond quickly realized he’d hit a wound. “Sorry,” he said apologetically.

  Caius shook his head, signaling it was fine. He pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Raymond.

  The little Catgirl immediately raised her lighter and lit Caius’s cigarette.

  After this ordeal, she seemed even more eager to please.

  Caius took two drags before slowly continuing, “A BOSS has appeared in the Bloody Lands… a powerful one. It had long-range attack capabilities, like an archer. If it weren’t for Hilda shielding me at the last moment, I’d be a lot worse off.”

  “An archer-type… did you get a clear look? Was it humanoid?” Raymond asked with a frown.

  “Not clearly. I only saw arrows made of blood. They melted my Platinum-ranked rapier on contact. And they were shot from a long distance with ridiculous speed—at least Mithril-level strength.”

  “I don’t know why it didn’t follow us. Maybe it’s restricted to the Bloody Lands, or maybe we weren’t worth its time. Either way, it’s extremely dangerous,” Caius said.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “Understood. I’ll report this to the Guild,” Raymond nodded. “If it’s humanoid, then we’re looking at a threat rating of at least five stars.”

  “How serious is that?” Caius asked.

  “Would require over 50,000 regular troops and at least ten Mithril-ranked elites to clear it.”

  Caius nodded, then asked, “We can sell the bloody creature corpses here, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then let’s do it.”

  When Caius took out the Wolf Demon corpses, everyone nearby was stunned.

  The injuries were all frontal, meaning Caius had taken them head-on—and won. That realization gave everyone a new level of respect for his strength.

  Each Wolf Demon fetched 3,500 gold. Some were partially mutilated, so the price was considered very fair.

  Each Slaughter Wolf Demon earned 25,000 gold.

  Final total: 149,000 gold. Raymond rounded it up for him—150,000.

  Then there was the Platinum-ranked mission reward for hunting the Colossal Veridian Iguana—another 20,000 gold.

  And the Bloody Lands investigation report—Caius had delivered highly valuable intel. Other mercenaries who had accepted the same mission had either failed to find the location or never made it back.

  Caius was the first to return with actionable intelligence.

  The intel earned him 30,000 gold, with another 100,000 promised upon confirmation.

  This haul netted Caius 200,000 gold immediately, with another 100,000 pending.

  His coin pouch was stuffed to the brim, and with it, his mood lifted considerably.

  As he walked out of the Iron Tavern, he even hummed a tune.

  Little Swan blinked at him with her big eyes and finally couldn’t help asking, “Is this really how mercenaries make money?”

  “Mhm. Not bad, right? Pretty quick too, yeah?” Caius said proudly.

  “Very fast. I’m tempted to start making money like this too…” Hilda said.

  Caius’s eyes lit up. “Wait, aren’t you already super rich? Why would you want to earn money?”

  “Family money doesn’t count as mine. I still want to earn my own,” Hilda replied.

  Caius nodded in agreement. “Makes sense… So, are you thinking of becoming a mercenary?”

  “I am…” Hilda’s eyes twinkled with mischief before she chuckled. “But maybe not just yet.”

  “Why not?” Caius asked, a little disappointed.

  “I’m still a student at Hydis Academy, remember?” Hilda smiled. Then, as if to comfort him, she added:

  “When I graduate, I’ll seriously consider becoming a mercenary. Fighting, training, exploring beautiful landscapes—and earning money too!”

  “When that time comes, you’ll have to be my guide, as the seasoned veteran of the merc world.”

  Caius instantly perked up, grinning wide. “Absolutely! We’ll go on adventures together!”

  “Mm!” Hilda nodded, excited.

  She’d graduate in four years, but given her pace, maybe just two would be enough. No need to complete the full term.

  “All right, I should head back to the Academy. I need to report the Nofalark Forest situation. If it comes from Hydis, the authorities will respond quicker.”

  “Want to come with me?” Hilda asked with a bit of hope.

  Of course Caius wanted to, but after a moment’s thought, he shook his head. “Next time. I’ll come see you in a few days.”

  Hilda understood he was staying behind for the little Catgirl, who still looked gloomy. Her ears drooped as she silently clung to Caius’s finger.

  Hilda nodded. “Okay then. In a few days, I’ll be even stronger. You might not be able to beat me.”

  “Oho, getting a little cocky, aren’t you?”

  “Of course~”

  “Alright, we'll see about that.”

  “Sure!”

  The light from the Teleportation Magic Circle flared to life. Standing within it, Hilda radiated a soft golden glow that seemed to gently soften Caius’s expression.

  “Take good care of the little kitty, you big dumb pig,” Hilda said with a sweet smile.

  “Got it, silly swan,” Caius replied with a grin and a nod.

  “I’m not silly! And don’t forget, I saved you!” she puffed out her cheeks slightly.

  “I saved you once too. That makes us even.” Caius lifted his chin slightly.

  “Fair point,” Hilda nodded in agreement. At last, the glow from the Teleportation Magic Circle reached its peak brightness. She gave a delicate wave. “See you next time.”

  “See you.”

  As soon as the words were spoken, the beautiful Little Swan vanished within the light of the teleportation spell.

  Caius let out a slow breath, then turned to look at the little catgirl by his side.

  “Let’s go. Time to head back to Hailan No. 11 and get some proper rest.”