After finishing his meal, Caius booked a room at the mercenary tavern. Since he had just arrived and hadn't found a permanent place to stay, this would have to do for now.
The cleanliness of such places varied depending on the owner's habits. Fortunately, Yvlan was particular about keeping things tidy, ensuring that the rooms didn't have any unpleasant smells.
After placing his belongings in the room and taking some essential equipment for his upcoming task, Caius headed out.
This time, the job was relatively simple—an escort mission.
It wasn't too different from escorting a nuclear warhead in his previous life, except that this time, he was transporting a wagon of magic potions. The destination was Hydis Magic Academy in Grilla City, 135 kilometers away.
The employer was the owner of a magic potion shop.
It was said that this batch of potions was quite valuable, making the commission high—a total of 1,500 gold.
After Yvlan, acting as the intermediary, took a portion as commission and security fees, about 1,200 gold remained.
Given the high value of the cargo and the frequent robberies near Ocean City, such jobs typically required a sizable team for protection.
Yvlan also suggested that Caius recruit a few others to help with the job.
But Caius refused.
More people meant less money.
His appetite was large—he wanted to claim all 1,000 gold for himself.
Yvlan didn't try to persuade him further.
That was just how mercenaries were. If they weren't greedy, they wouldn't be mercenaries.
Of course, having a big appetite meant having the strength to match. Otherwise, the question was whether he could even handle it.
She was curious to see if Caius could complete the mission alone.
If he failed, she would take a hit to her reputation.
But if he succeeded, she would have a powerful mercenary under her wing, giving her the leverage to take on more high-paying jobs.
It was a gamble—but in Ocean City, people loved to gamble.
The caravan was scheduled to depart in the afternoon.
By the time Caius arrived at the city gates, the convoy was already prepped and ready.
The caravan had its own guards, but there were only five of them, so they needed additional security.
When the caravan's head guard saw that Caius had come alone, he was visibly surprised.
"Just you?"
"Just me. That's enough." Caius grinned.
Bold words.
The head guard, Geoffrey, scrutinized Caius with a skeptical gaze, clearly unconvinced of his abilities.
However, this was when Caius' massive frame worked in his favor.
At the very least, Geoffrey figured someone with a build like that couldn't be a complete rookie.
Besides, while robberies were common around Ocean City, the route he had chosen was longer but also much safer.
It was newly established, with Imperial patrols regularly passing through—something bandits wouldn't dare to mess with.
If luck was on their side, the journey might be uneventful.
Geoffrey had initially advised the potion shop owner that their small guard team was enough.
However, given the high value of the potions, the owner insisted on hiring extra protection.
So whether Caius was here or not didn't really matter—Geoffrey just thought the shopkeeper had wasted money.
"Well then, let's head out."
The caravan rolled out of the city, following the trade route toward Grilla City.
Caius lounged on one of the wagons, taking it easy.
The carts were pulled by domesticated beasts known as draught beasts—powerful, docile creatures perfect for heavy transport.
At the front of the caravan, Geoffrey, ever the vigilant leader, sat against his shield with his sword in hand, watching their surroundings intently.
Caius, on the other hand, sat beside the cargo of the second wagon, yawning.
The thirty-kilometer radius around Ocean City was a protected zone, with regular patrols ensuring safety.
That meant the first part of the journey was guaranteed to be peaceful.
Caius figured he might as well take a nap—he hadn't had much rest since arriving in Ocean City.
But someone wasn't going to let him sleep.
"What's your name, Meow?" A crisp, playful voice rang out.
Caius opened his eyes and looked up to see a small figure crouched atop the cargo.
She couldn't be more than 150 cm tall, with a pair of furry cat ears twitching on her head. Behind her, a long, fluffy tail swayed absentmindedly.
Caius recognized her instantly—she was from the Catgirl subrace of the Beastkin.
In this world, outside of the Beastman Empire, beastkin generally had low social standing.
As for this particular Catgirl…
She was absurdly cute.
Short chestnut-colored hair, a fitted leather cuirass, a small dagger strapped to her waist, bright, lively eyes, and flawless, porcelain-like skin.
She was undoubtedly a playful and wild little feline.
Caius mused over this and then answered, "Caius."
The Catgirl tilted her head, then flashed a playful grin, revealing tiny sharp canines.
"I'm Kiki! Meow~"
Caius couldn't help but chuckle. This little one even had a verbal tic.
Before he could continue the conversation, Kiki had already started another one.
"I'm the scout for the team. I'll be heading out to survey the route soon, Meow."
"The big guy up front is our captain, Geoffrey. He's a strong shield and sword user, Meow."
"The two over there are Warren and Walter, swordfighters, Meow."
"And that's Martina, an archer with crazy good aim, Meow."
"What about you? What's your profession, Meow?"
Caius thought for a moment before answering, "I'm a Warrior Mage."
Kiki blinked in confusion. "Huh? Meow?"
"A mage who fights like a warrior," Caius explained.
"So… you just hit people with your staff, Meow?" Kiki giggled, waving her arms as if swinging a weapon.
"Haha, that's one way to put it." Caius grabbed the hefty warhammer beside him. "This is my magic wand."
"I call it 'Angel.'"
"Because it sends people straight to heaven."
"Pfft—HAHAHA!" Kiki had a low tolerance for jokes. She clutched her stomach, rolling around on top of the cargo, laughing uncontrollably.
Her laughter was bright and infectious.
With her messing around like this, Caius didn't feel like sleeping anymore.
That was another perk of his giant physique—his boundless stamina. Otherwise, he wouldn't have managed to travel 2,000 kilometers in just half a month to reach Ocean City.
"You're pretty funny, big guy, Meow." Kiki grinned. "I thought you'd be like those big, dumb muscleheads who are as tough as stone—Meow!"
Before she could finish, a small bird flew by.
Kiki's ears immediately perked up. With a burst of energy, she leaped several meters into the air, swiping at the bird.
But the bird reacted swiftly, twisting in midair and escaping, leaving only a few drifting feathers behind.
Kiki landed lightly back on the wagon, looking disappointed. "It got away, Meow…"
Caius watched the Catgirl, an idea forming in his mind.
He wanted to mess with her a little.
He caught a few of the falling feathers, then hopped off the wagon, plucked a long blade of grass, and tied the feathers to the tip.
A makeshift cat teaser was ready.
"Kiki, look here," Caius called.
Kiki tilted her head curiously, only to see Caius swaying the feathered grass in his hand.
Her pupils instantly dilated.
Her ears stood on end.
Her body tensed.
Her tail twitched.
And in the next moment—
She pounced.
"Meow!"