It had been a long time since Caius last smoked, and the first drag felt a little unfamiliar. He choked slightly, nearly coughing.
Luckily, he managed to hold it in and took the opportunity to steady his breath amidst the lingering dust.
Otherwise, this perfect moment to look cool would have been wasted.
Seeing Geoffrey and the others staring at him in shock, Caius was satisfied. Holding the cigarette between his lips, he swung his warhammer.
The blood on the warhammer was flung off, leaving not a single drop behind.
Carrying the hammer on his shoulder, he strode over to Kiki and crouched down. His massive figure blocked out the sunlight, casting a shadow over her.
"Can you still stand?" Caius asked.
Hearing his words, Kiki quickly snapped out of her daze and struggled to get up.
However, after several attempts, she still couldn't manage. It was clear that she was seriously injured.
Aside from the wounds on her arm, that last fall had twisted her ankle, sending sharp pain through her as she gasped.
But the little Catgirl was tough—she didn't cry out, just bit her lip as tears silently rolled down her cheeks.
It was unclear whether it was from pain or frustration.
Caius looked at her and understood her feelings.
He had seen everything Geoffrey had done earlier.
It was understandable—given the situation, sacrificing Kiki was the only way to save the entire convoy. Moreover, Geoffrey had a daughter; his choice was rational and justifiable.
But some things weren't about right or wrong—they just left a bad taste in one's mouth.
"Alright, little kitty, let me do it." Caius took another drag, then flicked the cigarette away and crushed it underfoot. With a single motion, he scooped up the petite Catgirl into his arm.
The rough movement made Kiki curl up in pain, but she didn't say a word. She just gazed at Caius's profile with her big, teary eyes.
"Don't mind if I'm dirty, alright?" Caius smirked at her.
"I don't mind, Meow..." Kiki quickly lowered her head, mumbling.
Her little face seemed a bit flushed.
With one arm carrying the Catgirl and the other resting his warhammer on his shoulder, Caius returned to the convoy.
Seeing the others still standing there dumbfounded, he raised his chin slightly. "Don't just stand there. Clean up the battlefield."
"Ah… oh!" Warren and Walter were the first to react, looking at Caius with a mix of awe and complicated emotions.
"It's dead… completely dead," Martina muttered, staring at the bloodied remains of the Wolf Demon in the crater.
Warren and Walter finally breathed a sigh of relief and ran over to retrieve the body.
Well… they had to scrape it out. The Wolf Demon's head, which had taken the brunt of the hammer's impact against the ground, was now flattened. Red and white matter stuck together in a gruesome mess, a testament to the sheer force behind Caius's final strike.
"Smashed up like this… can it still be sold?" Caius muttered.
"Uh…" Martina swallowed and shook her head. "Not really sure…"
"Forget it. Just shove it into a sack." Caius waved dismissively.
"And that guy—Geoff…?"
"It's Geoffrey…" Geoffrey corrected him.
"Alright, Geoffrey, hurry up and fix the carriage. We can't afford delays." Caius ordered.
Geoffrey opened his mouth but ultimately swallowed his words.
Not just because of Caius's strength, but also because he could tell—Caius didn't hold him in high regard after what had just happened.
He had nothing to say. He could only suppress his frustration and silently start repairing the carriage.
There were spare wheels and wooden planks in the wagon, and these simple carriages were easy to fix.
In less than half an hour, the repairs were done, though some cargo had been damaged.
Martina did a quick check and reported, "Thirty bottles shattered."
Caius chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I used too much force."
Martina forced a smile but said nothing more. At worst, they would lose some money. Compared to Caius killing the Wolf Demon and saving their lives, it was nothing.
The convoy quickly set off again.
But the atmosphere was awkward.
"Alright, you'll be fine. In three to five days, you'll be back to running and jumping around." After bandaging Kiki's wounds and giving her a healing potion, Martina reassured her with a smile.
But Kiki only nodded slightly, turning her head away and avoiding her gaze. Instead, she snuggled closer to Caius.
Martina's smile stiffened. She sighed, climbed onto the roof, and resumed keeping watch, leaving Kiki alone.
Everyone knew Kiki was heartbroken—after all, they had abandoned her.
Now, she only trusted Caius, not them.
They all understood, and they felt guilty. Though they had wanted to save her, the fact remained that they hadn't.
There was no arguing that.
It was clear that once this mission was over, the team would have to find a new scout.
"How do you feel?" Caius leaned against the carriage, chewing on a sweetgrass stem as he asked Kiki.
Cigarettes were nice, but beastfolk with sharp noses probably wouldn't like them, so he refrained.
"Much better… it doesn't hurt as much, Meow…" Kiki murmured, leaning against him.
Caius had cleaned up and changed into a fresh vest.
As Kiki nestled against his solid chest, listening to the steady, powerful heartbeat beneath, the panic from her earlier near-death experience began to subside.
"I wasn't asking about your injuries," Caius said.
Kiki paused, looked up at him, then lowered her head again, seeming dejected.
"I… I don't know…"
She was truly heartbroken—even her usual speech pattern had changed.
"After this mission, do you still want to stay in the guard team?" Caius asked again.
Kiki was silent for a long time before answering, "I don't want to…"
"Then where will you go?" Caius asked.
"I don't know… But I don't want to stay here anymore…" Kiki said softly. "Maybe I'll go home… I don't want to, but I kind of miss home…"
Caius nodded.
When people were emotionally wounded, they often longed for home—because, for most, home was a safe haven, both physically and emotionally.
It was clear that Kiki was truly hurt.
So Caius decided to help her regain her spirit.
"Going home would be a shame. You left at such a young age to make a name for yourself, didn't you?" Caius said.
Kiki looked up at him.
She had thought that way when she first left home, but now, she felt like home was better.
At least her family wouldn't abandon her…
"But if I don't go home, I don't know where to go… The outside world is dangerous. I might get caught and sold by the Seth Chamber of Commerce, Meow…" she said, shrinking her neck slightly.
Perhaps distracted by talk of the future, her verbal tic had returned.
"In that case, why not join me?" Caius grinned.
At that moment, he felt like a bad uncle trying to lure the little Catgirl… No, he wasn't a bad uncle.
He was only sixteen—how could he be considered an uncle?
"You know, I'm a mercenary. And a good mercenary needs their own team."
"So, I'm planning to form one."
"If you join now, when the team grows into a guild, you'll be one of the founding members~"
Hearing this, Kiki's fluffy tail started swaying. Clearly, she was tempted.
Catgirls were really easy to read.
"Then… then will you abandon me?" Kiki looked up at Caius, her eyes full of hope.
At this moment, she resembled a child longing for security.
And what Caius needed to do was give her that absolute sense of security.
"Little kitten, let me teach you something." He lowered his voice.
"Some things are more important than life itself."
"In the mercenary business, this is even truer."
"Money, fame, reputation—these things matter more than life."
"Back in my homeland, I've seen countless people dreaming of becoming living legends, only to die because of it."
"After all, the job we do isn't for those who value their lives too much. If you're too afraid of dying, you're not fit to be a mercenary."
"But among all the things more important than life, one stands above the rest."
"And that is—comrades."
"This world is cruel, it's fucked up. And that's exactly why comrades are so precious."
"I don't care much about my own life, but a true comrade will put your life above their own. They'll take a fatal blow for you without hesitation."
"And you have to be willing to do the same for them."
"Because only in this way can a bunch of reckless fools, who don't care about their own lives, survive together in this messed-up world!"
"Only then can they make a name for themselves, gain wealth, status, and fame—those things that are worth more than life itself!"
Caius' words left Geoffrey and the others momentarily dazed.
They weren't mercenaries, but living in this world, they understood the same truth.
Yes, when faced with danger, the first instinct was to sacrifice a teammate to protect oneself and the rest of the group—it made perfect sense. But if everyone in a team thought this way, how could there be any true unity?
Who would ever want to be the one sacrificed?
Conflicting mindsets like that would shatter a team in an instant.
If you're so afraid of danger, then just go be a farmer. Why bother being a guard? Picking up a hoe is a lot safer than picking up a sword or a bow.
Caius' voice continued.
"Little kitten, I can't promise you much."
"But there's one thing I can swear on my chest."
"If you're my comrade, then I will never let you die before me!"
"This is the one and only promise I can proudly make to you!"
Kiki was beyond excited. Her blood was boiling with emotion. She struggled to sit up, her small hands pressing against Caius' chest, her little face flushed with excitement.
"I-I want to join, Meow!"