Caius left the academy the same way he had entered it.
In short, apart from Belle, no one noticed.
As for the scene, Caius had cleaned up before leaving, leaving no traces behind.
Except for the slap marks on a few girls'' faces.
However, by the time someone found them, their faces were so swollen that they looked like pig heads, making it impossible to discern the slap marks.
Having completed his mission, Caius was in an exceptionally good mood—so good, in fact, that he felt euphoric!
He didn’t know why, considering there was no commission, yet he still felt amazing.
Perhaps this was the charm of doing good deeds.
Humming a tune, he went to find Kiki.
“How did it go, Meow?” Kiki asked curiously upon seeing Caius.
“Heh, their teeth are half shattered. I’d say they’ll be stuck drinking porridge for quite a while,” Caius grinned.
“Hahaha!” Kiki burst into laughter. Though she hadn’t witnessed it, she could easily imagine how hilarious the scene must have been.
Soon, the delivery mission in Goathorn City was complete. Caius even took the time to chat with the librarian there to leave an impression and dined at a famous local restaurant, establishing a solid alibi.
By the time he returned to Ocean City, it was almost nightfall.
Caius let Kiki return to the tavern on her own while he made his way to the Orphanage.
Around eight in the evening, lights were still on inside the Orphanage.
Caius pushed the door open and stepped in, but before he could knock, the door in front of him opened.
It was Tina.
“Caius!” Tina beamed excitedly at the sight of him, which made Caius pause for a moment.
“Show some respect, call me ‘big brother,’” Caius corrected, then asked in puzzlement, “What, you’re not scared of me anymore?”
Tina shook her head, her eyes shining. “Not anymore! You’re not a bad guy—you’re a good person!”
“My sister told me! You taught those bullies a lesson!”
Caius raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Belle’s back?”
“Yeah, she’s inside!” Tina immediately grabbed Caius by the hand and led him in.
Inside, Belle had changed back into her linen sweater and was sitting beside Granny Lunla, knitting together.
Seeing Caius, Belle paused her work and stood up.
“Isn’t the academy under strict supervision? How did you get back?” Caius asked.
Belle seemed a bit nervous, clasping her hands together. “Manasa... something happened to her. Classes are suspended…”
Caius raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Heh, they figured it out this fast? I thought it’d take until tomorrow.”
Belle said nothing, just quietly gazing at him.
Caius returned her gaze before finally asking, “Did you hit your head?”
He recalled Belle bumping into the wall earlier. Granny Lunla had mentioned she had a bruise on her forehead, likely from that.
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But Belle shook her head and pointed to the top of her head. “I had a hat on. It’s fine.”
Caius smirked. “So that’s why you’re wearing a hat?”
“Mm.” Belle nodded.
Caius clicked his tongue and shook his head. “You’d rather protect yourself like this than fight back?”
“If you’d just given them a good scare, they wouldn’t have dared to keep bullying you.”
Belle remained silent, quietly clutching her hands together.
Seeing her like this, Caius didn’t press further. Instead, he said, “I’m thirsty.”
Hearing that, Belle immediately turned to fetch a cup.
Moments later, she carefully placed it in front of him.
Caius tilted his head back and took a sip—only to widen his eyes in shock, nearly spitting it out.
“Cough… Cough cough…” He forced himself to swallow before coughing a few times and pointing at the cup. “Rum?!”
Belle nodded slightly.
Caius laughed. “You really are clueless.”
Belle tilted her head slightly, looking confused.
Caius explained, “I like drinking, sure, but when I’m thirsty, I need water. Alcohol only makes you thirstier, got it?”
Belle nodded. “Mm.”
Watching their exchange, Granny Lunla couldn’t help but chuckle. She found it amusing.
Caius then noticed the sweater Granny Lunla was knitting and turned back to Belle. “Also, next time something like this happens, you have to fight back.”
“Look, Granny Lunla is working so hard to knit you a sweater, and you just let them trample all over you. Is that right?”
Belle shook her head.
“You know it’s wrong, so—” Caius was about to continue when Belle suddenly pointed at herself.
Caius was confused. “What do you mean?”
Belle softly said, “This one… is what Granny Lunla made.”
“The one I wore this morning… I made that one myself.”
Caius: “…”
He almost laughed in exasperation.
So she changed clothes because of that?!
“And just because you made it yourself, it’s okay for them to trample all over it?” Caius scolded, raising his eyebrows.
Sensing his anger, Belle lowered her head, clutching her hands together again.
“Hands at your sides!” Caius ordered.
Belle flinched, momentarily unsure where to place her hands before finally hiding them behind her back.
Seeing her reaction, Caius couldn’t stay mad. He let out a sigh before speaking in a half-serious tone. “Fine… Your punishment is to knit me a sweater!”
Unexpectedly, Belle pointed to the half-knitted sweater on the chair. “I’m already making one.”
Caius froze. “That’s for me?”
“Mm.” Belle nodded.
This time, Caius was silent for a long while.
Belle looked up at him anxiously, then, bit by bit, shuffled closer before gently tugging on his sleeve.
Caius looked down at her.
A soft, mosquito-like voice came from her lips.
“Don’t… don’t be mad.”
“If you don’t like it, I won’t knit it…”
“Who said I don’t like it?!” Caius snapped instantly. “I love it! If you dare stop knitting, I’ll…”
“I’ll freeze to death in the streets without clothes!”
Belle quickly waved her hands. “I’ll knit! I’ll knit!”
Seeing her rush to pick up her knitting needles as if afraid he’d actually freeze, Caius couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“I’ve never met anyone as silly as you.”
Belle didn’t refute him, simply standing there quietly.
“Alright, go on with your work. I just came by to check in and report back,” Caius said.
Belle sat back down and resumed knitting. Surprisingly, her hands moved skillfully—faster even than Granny Lunla’s.
Caius suddenly found himself looking forward to this sweater—though it was just a simple one.
Turning to Granny Lunla, he said, “I’ve dealt with those bullies. They won’t be around for a long time.”
Granny Lunla looked worried. “Will they come after you?”
“They won’t. They can’t trace it back to me,” Caius said confidently. “And they definitely won’t find Belle.”
Hearing this, Granny Lunla relaxed, her face full of gratitude. “Child, you’ve worked so hard…”
“No need. As an excellent mercenary, once I take on a commission, I see it through to the end!” Caius declared, turning to Tina, who was perched on his leg, staring up at him.
“Besides, I brought you a gift.”
Tina chewed on her finger, curious.
Caius pulled something from his pocket. “Look!”
Tina blinked. “What’s this?”
“The tooth of the bully who messed with your sister,” Caius grinned. “That guy is now, quite literally, searching for his teeth!”
“Wow!” Tina’s eyes lit up as she grabbed the tooth and ran to show her friends.
Before long, Caius saw a few little ones toss the tooth onto the ground and stomp on it repeatedly.
Amused, Caius asked, "What are you all doing?"
Tina akimboed her hands on her hips and huffed, "This way, we can say we helped beat up the bad guys too!"
Hearing this, Caius burst into laughter, turning to Belle and saying, "You should learn from Tina—this is how you do it!"
Belle shrank her neck slightly and remained silent.
Meanwhile, Granny Lunla chuckled kindly.
After venting their frustration, the little girls gathered around Caius, pestering him to tell mercenary stories. Since he had nothing better to do, he began recounting tales from his past life as a mercenary, completely captivating the young girls.
Winter was approaching, and the night wind was growing ever colder.
Yet inside this small house, warmth spread.
Listening to Caius’s vivid storytelling, accompanied by the occasional gasps of surprise from the little girls, the mushroom girl’s eyes, hidden beneath her short hair, glimmered with amusement.
Beneath the high-collared sweater, her small lips curled into a breathtaking arc.
Unfortunately, Caius did not see it.