Morning came with a chorus of birdsong.

  Some bird nearby was clearly trying to court a mate—its cries shrill and grating.

  Hilda’s lashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.

  She rubbed them gently, then sat up and stretched, letting out a comfortable yawn.

  She had to admit—last night had been the most restful sleep she’d ever had in the wilderness. As expected, heading out on a journey with companions made all the difference. There was a sense of safety she’d never known before.

  Suddenly, she felt something beside her. Looking down, she saw the little Catgirl had snuggled up to her at some point during the night.

  The small figure was curled up tightly, only a tiny face showing. Her head rested against Hilda’s waist like a caterpillar cuddled in sleep.

  A... cat-caterpillar?

  A playful glint danced in Hilda’s eyes. She reached out and gently tapped the little Catgirl’s soft, button-like nose.

  Kiki’s nose twitched slightly, and she scooted even closer.

  The adorable sight made Hilda laugh out loud.

  She hadn’t experienced anything like this before. Of the few friends she’d had, none had ever shared a night under the stars. This was her first time sleeping so close to a Catfolk companion.

  After teasing the kitten a little longer, Hilda turned, thinking to wake Caius for a bit of mischief—only to find his spot empty.

  “Yo, you’re up,” came Caius’s voice from the other side.

  Turning, Hilda saw him walking slowly toward her, carrying an enormous log on his shoulder.

  Curious, she asked, “What are you doing?”

  “Getting firewood,” Caius replied. “I’m planning to light a huge bonfire tonight—one with flames that shoot ten meters high. The kind you see at real bonfire festivals.”

  Hilda’s eyes lit up with excitement.

  She had seen such bonfires before, with people dancing and singing around them. But she had never truly been a part of one herself.

  “I’ll help,” she said, springing to her feet.

  “No need. This is the last one,” Caius said, tilting his head slightly.

  Following his gaze, Hilda saw several massive logs already stacked in the nearby clearing.

  Her eyes widened. “When did you get up?”

  To have gathered so many logs without waking her or Kiki, Caius must’ve gone deep into the woods to chop trees. That would’ve taken quite some time.

  “Around five,” he answered casually.

  Hilda checked her pocket watch. It was already past seven.

  Kiki had originally been curled up in Caius’s arms, but since he’d risen early, she had eventually migrated over to Hilda in search of warmth.

  “You should’ve woken me,” Hilda said with a hint of complaint. “I could’ve helped.”

  “You were sleeping like a log,” Caius replied offhandedly. “It wasn’t a big deal—I figured I’d let you sleep in a bit.”

  Hilda puffed out her cheeks. “You’re the one who sleeps like a pig!”

  Then her eyes sparkled with a mischievous gleam. “From now on, I’m calling you Big Silly Pig~”

  Caius: “…”

  Now that their bond had grown stronger, the Little Swan had begun to show her true colors—cheerful and full of life, just like Kiki.

  Oddly, it was the normally hyper Kiki who wasn’t her usual energetic self today.

  After Hilda woke, Kiki stirred soon after—but she looked drained and droopy-eared as she struggled to sit up.

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  “My paws hurt, meow…”

  “My legs hurt too, meow…”

  “My whole body hurts, meow…”

  “Big guy, huggies, meow…”

  Watching the little Catgirl spreading her arms and begging for a hug, Caius chuckled and shook his head.

  “If being sore means hugs, you’re going to be glued to me forever.”

  “Get up and move around a bit. Warm up your body—it’ll help ease the pain.”

  “A bit of training today will get your vital energy flowing again. You’ll recover faster, and tomorrow won’t hurt as much.”

  “Okay…” Kiki seemed disappointed that she didn’t get her hug, but she obediently got to her feet, put on her weighted training gear, and began moving around camp.

  “What’s on the agenda for today?” Hilda asked while stretching, her figure lithe and graceful.

  As he arranged the logs into a bonfire structure, Caius cast a glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

  Hilda stood at a perfect height—one meter seventy-two—with a tall, proud posture that made her appear even taller than the one-meter-seventy-five Silly Mushroom.

  Despite her height, her waist was just as slender as Kiki’s. Even in light armor, it looked like one could wrap a hand around it.

  “This morning, we’ll be scouting a five-kilometer radius around Mirror Lake,” Caius said. “We’re looking for a Platinum-tier Magic Beast—the Colossal Veridian Iguana. I need its Crystalis Heart.”

  “After lunch and a short rest, we’ll spar at two in the afternoon for some training.”

  “Oh, right—I made breakfast. Go eat, then we’ll get going.”

  Hilda and Kiki walked over to the small table and found it neatly arranged with plates originally meant for snacks, now holding honey-drizzled pancakes, sliced fruits and vegetables, and several thin slices of smoked ham. The presentation was exquisite.

  Caius had prepared it especially for Hilda, knowing she appreciated the details. Kiki, after all, didn’t care much for aesthetics.

  “You even brought honey?” Hilda asked in surprise. She had a sweet tooth for honey and only had a little left in her spatial ring.

  “Nope. This is fresh wild honey. I traded with our bee neighbors earlier,” Caius said.

  Hilda burst into laughter. “Traded with the bees? How exactly did that go?”

  “I left two sugar cubes at their front door.”

  And he really had.

  Normally, he wouldn’t go out of his way for such things. But for the Little Swan, who embodied grace and warmth, he didn’t mind making himself just a little better.

  Sure enough, Hilda’s smile was radiant. “That’s actually a pretty sweet trade~”

  “Damn right it is.” Caius grinned.

  And then Hilda noticed the floral tea he’d already steeped.

  Yes—Caius was that thoughtful, and that meticulous.

  Just like that, Hilda happily began eating her breakfast, exuding elegance in every movement.

  She sliced off a piece of muffin coated in honey, added a bit of sliced fruit, and gently placed it into her mouth.

  A burst of all-natural flavors—tangy, sweet, and textured—exploded on her tongue.

  Then, she took a small sip of warm floral tea to cleanse the palate and soothe her throat.

  At once, a look of contentment spread across her face. She was clearly enjoying herself.

  In contrast to Hilda’s graceful demeanor, the little Catgirl was far more down-to-earth.

  She folded the muffin in half, stuffed it with fruit and vegetables, and took a big bite. Her cheeks puffed up like a little squirrel’s.

  Not long after breakfast, Hilda used Water Magic to clean the dishes, stored them in her spatial ring, and turned to Caius.

  “Let’s go!”

  Caius nodded, and the three of them began their investigation in the forest.

  To call it an investigation might be a stretch. In reality, they were moving at a consistent pace, weaving in a serpentine pattern through the woods, enjoying the scenery.

  Unless they ran into a Magic Beast or a Bloody Creature, the journey remained light and pleasant.

  Well—pleasant for most.

  The little Catgirl didn’t quite feel the same. Her body still ached from yesterday.

  But in order to grow stronger, she grit her teeth and pushed through it.

  After about an hour of exploring the forest, Caius finally spotted their target—a Colossal Veridian Iguana.

  It was a massive lizard, its entire body a vibrant green. It stood about two meters tall, and counting its tail, was roughly eight to nine meters long.

  The one Caius encountered was only Platinum Four-Star—not a real threat.

  As long as its venom didn’t hit you directly, there was practically no danger.

  Caius dealt with it effortlessly. He extracted the Crystalis Heart, then dismantled the body and stored everything in his spatial space.

  All the while, he kept an eye on Hilda.

  To his surprise, Hilda didn’t show any sadness over the creature’s death, nor did she flinch at the dismemberment.

  In fact, she watched with keen interest, almost as though she were learning something new.

  Caius gave her a silent thumbs-up in his heart.

  On his way to Ocean City, he’d once met a nun traveling to another city’s church—a true saint.

  He’d caught a wild rabbit, and she’d stood beside him praying for half the day.

  But to be fair, that kind of saint was still acceptable—at least she was truly kind-hearted.

  It was those fake saintly types he couldn’t stand—the kind who wear their “kindness” like a badge and make others pay the price for it.

  Caius had met more than a few in his past life.

  Disgusting.

  And their deaths had been equally so.

  In Caius’s view, whether someone was a saint or not didn’t matter.

  As long as they minded their own business, he had no problem with them.

  If you’re kind, that’s great—it’s your choice. Just don’t get in the way of his work. He’d even respect it, maybe even feel a little hopeful about the world.

  But if you tried to force your kindness onto him?

  Then congratulations—you were no different from a cultist of the Holy Church.

  In his eyes, that was all the same brand of insanity.

  And the moment they started preaching, he’d knock them out cold—problem solved.

  Hilda, however, was different. She had a very clear sense of kindness.

  She would never harm creatures outside the scope of a mission.

  But within mission boundaries, her sword would not hesitate for even a second.

  That was something Caius deeply admired.

  A kind and rational Little Swan—

  Who wouldn’t like someone like that?