"Here is your extra commission." Nick handed a pouch of money to Caius.
Caius took it, weighed it in his hand, and then said, "Isn''t this a bit too much?"
Judging by the weight, it was at least fifteen or sixteen pounds more than expected.
A single gold coin weighed about eight grams, considering it wasn''t pure gold but mixed with other metals. That meant there were over a thousand extra gold coins.
"You completed the task exceptionally well. The extra is my personal token of gratitude and appreciation." Nick rubbed his hands together with a smile.
"You''re really generous. I like dealing with generous people." Caius laughed heartily.
"Alright then, Boss Nick. If you ever need anything in the future, you can always go to Hailan No. 11 and ask the Boss Lady to issue a mission. I''ll be taking assignments there for quite some time."
He then added, "Gold-rank and above missions only."
"Of course, I''ll definitely be there!" Nick nodded enthusiastically, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Caius.
"Haha, then I look forward to seeing you. And please, spread the word among your friends—Ocean City has gained an outstanding mercenary."
"I''d be happy to!"
"Thanks, I''ll be off now. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Mr. Caius."
Watching Caius leave, Nick couldn''t help but sigh.
Ocean City had welcomed yet another formidable figure.
Carrying a large sack of gold coins and a heap of equipment provided by the Crab Gang, Caius walked out of the dock, attracting plenty of attention.
So, he figured he might as well buy a new Spatial Ring.
Spatial Rings weren’t cheap.
The lowest-tier ones, just one cubic meter without spatial expansion, cost at least 800 gold coins.
His old man''s ring had over a hundred cubic meters of space, plus spatial expansion, meaning the space inside adjusted dynamically to avoid wastage. That must have cost at least tens of thousands of gold coins.
What exactly did the old man do?
If he was in the military, he must have been a high-ranking officer. But why would he choose to return home to be a blacksmith?
As Caius pondered, he arrived at an equipment shop in the outer city.
This was a branch of the Chamber of Commerce, selling not only Spatial Rings but also various other gear.
However, since it was located in the outer city, both the selection and quality weren’t top-tier. The best equipment here was only suitable for Gold-rank mercenaries.
That was good enough.
Caius purchased a ten-cubic-meter ring with spatial expansion for 12,000 gold coins. He also sold the Crab Gang’s equipment to the store, gaining an additional 1,100 gold coins.
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The main reason for buying the ring was convenience—carrying mission materials without having to haul large sacks or worry about damage or theft.
In fact, he could have emptied his old man’s ring, stored its contents in a warehouse, and freed up space.
But the ring was filled with high-quality refined metal materials and an entire set of blacksmithing equipment. Those were valuable, and Caius didn’t feel comfortable leaving them elsewhere.
He figured he would need those supplies for equipment in the future.
Tossing his gold coins into the Spatial Ring, Caius whistled his way toward the Orphanage.
Before long, he arrived.
The children weren’t playing in the courtyard, likely inside the house. Caius could hear the laughter of Holan, Kiki, and the kids—it must have been quite lively in there.
A thought struck him, and he quickened his pace.
But when he reached the house, he didn’t enter immediately.
Through a window on the other side, he saw the Mushroom Girl.
For some inexplicable reason, he chose to observe silently.
It was the kitchen window.
Caius saw Belle standing with her back to him, seemingly preparing fruit.
The fruit looked fresh, probably just bought—for Holan’s welcome, no doubt. After all, Holan was also a benefactor of the Orphanage.
After arranging the fruit platter, Belle carried it out. Caius noticed she had also prepared a small plate and hadn’t cut up all the fruit.
After bringing out the platter, she returned to the kitchen, finished cutting the remaining fruit, and placed them into the small plate. He had no idea why.
Then, she took out a wooden flask.
Caius recognized it—it was the one she had used to serve him alcohol before. He had returned it after drinking.
It was clean now. Belle placed it on the table, then retrieved a bottle of liquor from the cupboard.
Caius recognized the packaging—an 80-gold-coin bottle of rum!
Belle popped the wooden cork, carefully aligning the bottle’s mouth with the flask’s opening, leaning forward slightly, and steadily pouring the liquor in.
Caius chuckled.
She could’ve just drunk straight from the bottle—why the hassle?
Maybe she thought drinking too much at once was bad. The flask’s limited capacity would help control her intake.
As he mused, he suddenly saw Belle give the bottle a little shake.
It seemed empty.
She held the bottle up to check, ensuring there was nothing left inside.
Then, tilting it one last time, she managed to get a few more drops into the flask.
The last drop took a while to fall, but she was patient, waiting until it finally dripped in before sealing the bottle with the cork and placing it back. She clearly didn’t intend to discard it—probably planning to reuse it later.
What a frugal girl.
Caius nodded approvingly.
But the next moment, Belle picked up the flask and gave it a little shake, seemingly listening to the sound of the liquor inside.
The sloshing was loud—meaning the flask wasn’t full, maybe only half.
Belle stood still for a moment before heading to the living room.
Caius pricked up his ears.
"Grandma, can I have some money? The liquor isn’t enough."
"Alright."
"Thank you, Grandma. I’ll be back soon."
"Go ahead, be careful."
"Mm."
Caius: "..."
I just praised you for being frugal, you silly girl!
Hearing footsteps approaching the door, Caius stepped forward.
The door opened, and Belle walked out. After just two steps, she found Caius standing in front of her.
"Stop right there," Caius said sternly.
Belle froze, her small hands fidgeting.
"Hands where I can see them."
Belle quickly hid them behind her back.
"Where are you going?" Caius asked.
Belle lowered her head and, after a moment, whispered, "To… buy liquor."
"For me?" Caius shamelessly asked.
"Mm." Belle nodded lightly.
"How much?" Caius pressed.
Though unsure why he was asking, Belle answered truthfully.
"A hundred gold coins."
Caius: "..."
Why was it twenty gold coins more expensive?!
Was Ocean City’s cost of living higher than Grilla City’s?
Nonsense! She was clearly being scammed!
Caius wiped his face and said, "Silly girl, why not just get the one-silver-coin barley ale? Why waste money on expensive liquor?"
Honestly, he didn’t mind spending a thousand gold on good alcohol if he wanted to enjoy himself.
But when it came to Belle, he just couldn''t stand seeing her get ripped off.
Even if it was just twenty gold coins—it was unacceptable.
Belle, hearing Caius’s tone of reproach, stayed silent, head lowered.
Caius sighed and shook his head with a bitter smile. He couldn''t stay mad at her.
"I don’t like rum. I like barley ale. Got it?"
He then emphasized, "The one that costs one silver coin per barrel!"
Belle hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Mm."
"Say ‘I understand.’"
"I… I understand."
Satisfied, Caius nodded. "Alright, go back inside. No more liquor runs. If you must buy, go to Hailan No. 11 and ask the Boss Lady. She’s honest."
Belle nodded but then fidgeted slightly before raising a finger hesitantly.
Caius: "?"
Belle: "I… I''m a year older than you…"
Caius: "..."
He laughed. Really.
"So what? You’re still a silly girl!"