"The Crab Gang really is a bunch of broke fools. No wonder they can''t afford liquor." Caius weighed the pouch of coins in his hand and muttered.


    Kiki let out a snicker.


    Ten people had barely managed to scrounge up two hundred gold coins altogether—no wonder Caius called them poor.


    Luckily, their weapons were worth something—daggers, machetes, harpoons, and such. Selling them could fetch another two to three hundred gold coins.


    Oh, and the biggest prize this time was their carriage.


    Even though Caius had smashed their carriage, the horses were still intact, albeit slightly injured.


    It was a six-legged horse, the same type as the one Caius was driving—Brass-tier Magic Beasts, faster than ordinary horses. It could easily sell for five hundred gold coins.


    Thinking of this, Caius felt quite pleased.


    With two horses pulling the carriage, the journey was quicker, and by early morning the next day, they had arrived in Grilla City, successfully delivering the liquor to the buyer.


    The buyer was delighted upon receiving the goods. Not only did he promptly pay the remaining balance, but he also gifted Caius a bottle of premium rum as a tip.


    An unexpected windfall, wasn''t it?


    This rum was of a much higher grade than the bulk rum sold at Yvlan''s shop—one bottle cost eighty gold coins, a considerable expense for the average household.


    From his conversation with Grandma Lunla that night, Caius had learned that the orphanage, housing six people, only spent 15 to 18 silver coins a day—about two to three silver coins per person daily.


    Most of their expenses went toward rice, oil, and salt. They grew their own vegetables, bought meat occasionally, and sometimes purchased yarn for knitting. They lived frugally, spending very little money.


    Eighty gold coins could cover the orphanage''s food expenses for over a month.


    Thus, as soon as Caius stepped out of the tavern, he couldn''t wait to take a swig of the rum.


    But the moment he took a sip, Caius fell silent.


    Because this rum tasted exactly like the one Belle had given him before.


    This type of liquor was only sold by the bottle, never in bulk.


    Which meant that Belle, who barely spent a single gold coin in three days, had dropped eighty gold coins just to buy him a bottle of rum—all because of one casual remark he''d made.


    After a long silence, Caius shook his head.


    "Silly girl."


    Before long, he had finished the entire bottle.


    Exhaling a mouthful of liquor-scented breath, Caius took Kiki to Grilla City''s market, selling the weapons and the horse. Since he was in a hurry, he didn''t haggle much and ultimately made just over seven hundred gold coins.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    With that done, Caius decided not to head back immediately.


    Since he had finally made it to Grilla City, there was no way he was just going to leave.


    Of course, he had to visit Holan and maintain their relationship.


    Upon arriving at Hydis Magic Academy, the gatekeeper mage recognized Caius, recorded his entry, and let him in.


    After dropping off the final payment and Nick''s carriage at the unloading zone, Caius headed straight to the library.


    "Hello, I''m here to see Mentor Holan."


    "Mentor Holan is still in class. You''ll have to wait here. Would you like me to inform her?" The librarian looked at Caius, rubbing his fingers together with a knowing smirk.


    "I''d appreciate it." Caius slipped him five gold coins, which the man happily pocketed, assuring him it was taken care of.


    Caius had expected to wait until class ended for Holan to come out and meet him. To his surprise, the librarian returned shortly, looking somewhat astonished.


    "You can go in now—Sixth Library Section."


    "Oh? Alright." Caius was a little surprised but didn''t dwell on it. He led Kiki inside the library.


    Upon entering the Sixth Library Section, he saw a group of students seated around a long table beyond the bookshelves, each engrossed in copying something.


    Holan sat on a high stool, her long legs crossed, wearing gold-rimmed glasses that lent her an air of both intelligence and allure.


    When she saw Caius, she set down her book and smiled faintly.


    "What brings you here?"


    "I figured you might need me, Mentor Holan. I have no proof, but I still came." Caius grinned cheekily.


    Holan rolled her eyes.


    A few days apart, and this guy was still as glib as ever.


    "Weren''t you teaching a class? What''s going on?" Caius glanced at the students, a few of whom looked up at him before returning to their notes.


    "Oh, nothing much. Just trying to make some reckless students understand how dangerous it is to hunt a Silver-tier Magic Beast." Holan said.


    "Dangerous?" Caius raised an eyebrow.


    Holan: "..."


    Seeing her expression, Caius quickly said, "Of course it''s dangerous! Students should stay in the academy and study. Why risk hunting Magic Beasts?"


    Holan nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Your task is to convince them to back down."


    "I''m not even officially a field instructor yet, and you''re already assigning me tasks?" Caius chuckled.


    "Consider it early practice. What do you say? The payment is a cup of High Mountain White Peach Blossom tea, personally brewed by me." Holan smiled.


    "Deal!" Caius agreed instantly.


    Holan nodded in satisfaction before calling out, "Jelly, Aero, Miras, Glaros—come over here."


    At her words, four students, appearing to be around seventeen or eighteen, set down their notes and walked over.


    "Mentor Holan."


    "This is an experienced mercenary. If you truly intend to hunt a banded python, you should consult him first."


    Immediately, the students turned to Caius with curiosity in their eyes.


    "Hey there, kids," Caius grinned broadly. "So, I hear you want to get yourselves killed?"


    Holan: "..."


    When did I ever say that!


    But seeing that Caius had already gotten into character, she chose not to interrupt, tacitly approving his approach.


    Hearing Caius’ words, the young man named Jelly immediately bristled. "It''s just a banded python! The three of us are Silver Seven-Star, and I''m Silver Eight-Star! How is that certain death?"


    Ah, the recklessness of youth~


    But that was exactly what Caius needed—to provoke their competitiveness before utterly crushing their confidence.


    "So, you think you can handle a banded python?" Caius smirked.


    "Of course!" The students declared confidently.


    The female student, Miras, even lifted her chin and added, "Banded pythons are generally between Silver Four-Star and Six-Star, with only a few reaching Silver Eight-Star and above."


    "While Magic Beasts are usually stronger than humans, we have both numbers and skill on our side."


    "As long as we find a Silver Six-Star banded python, we''ll definitely succeed!"


    "Impressive! You really know your stuff." Caius nodded before asking, "But have you considered this—can you make it out of the python''s habitat alive?"


    "Why wouldn''t we?" Jelly asked.


    "Because it''s September," Caius said, his smirk fading. "Which means it’s the breeding season for banded pythons—and most cold-natured serpent-type Magic Beasts. Do you know what that means?"


    "It means that if you encounter one banded python, you''ll be facing an entire group of them, gathered together for breeding!"


    "You four may be able to handle one banded python—but what about ten? Twenty? Fifty?"


    At his words, the students'' faces paled.


    But Caius wasn’t finished yet.