The remaining few ghouls were quickly dealt with as well.
"So… that was it?" Alia said with a laugh. "So ordinary."
"I'd only been an adventurer for a little while back then," Gauss said helplessly.
He was human, not a god.
He hadn't started out anywhere near as strong as he was now.
If it weren't for the fact that those ghouls were facing them, a CR 2 elite leading several CR 1 monsters was already terrifying—plenty of adventurer squads would have wiped there.
But now, even if Gauss didn't lift a finger, their team medic Serandur could handle them easily.
Alia only teased him once and let it go.
This outing was basically a "light trip" anyway. Serandur and Albena were off training, and Gauss's team wasn't taking anything too serious.
After cutting off the commission proof, Gauss and the others left the cave the way they came.
"Phew…"
Back outside, Gauss summoned Hephaestus.
"Roar."
For some reason—like it sensed something—Hephaestus rumbled at Gauss.
Gauss, meanwhile, focused on the talent he'd just gained: Rider.
The moment Hephaestus appeared, the strange power inside him clearly became more active.
That eased one of Gauss's quiet worries: Hephaestus, who'd been with him long enough, obviously met the contract's requirements.
As Gauss concentrated on Hephaestus, he felt a faint, gradual connection forming.
A few breaths later, it clicked into place—one end anchored in Hephaestus, the other in Gauss—like an invisible bridge linking them.
"So this is a contract…"
Nothing was "signed" in ink, but Gauss felt their relationship instantly grow closer—almost like blood kin.
Hephaestus was staring at him too. It looked confused, but the longer it stared, the more "agreeable" Gauss seemed to become.
"Rooar~"
It rubbed its huge head against Gauss in what it probably thought was a "gentle" gesture, shoving Gauss back several steps.
"Alright, alright," Gauss said, patting its head.
Alia glanced at Gauss, then at the red dragon drake, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Her instincts told her those two had just shared some secret that only they understood.
"Hm?"
"Hop on."
While Alia was still thinking, Gauss had already leapt onto Hephaestus's back.
Sitting up there, he savored that feeling—like rider and mount were becoming one.
It was incredible.
Like some invisible force had kneaded the two separate individuals together into a single combined strength.
"ROOOAR!"
Hephaestus, equally thrilled, threw its head back and bellowed.
It felt powerful again—like the true ruler of the skies.
"Get on," Gauss called. "There are still some goblins nearby."
He'd just gotten another ping from Locate Creature: goblins were definitely in the area.
Perfect—now that he and Hephaestus were linked, they could test it on goblins.
Hephaestus looked ready to take off immediately, so Alia hurriedly had Shadow give her a boost, and climbed onto the dragon's back.
…
Hephaestus's hot dragonfire instantly melted the snow.
In the rolling steam, terrified green-skinned bodies froze mid-motion—then the roaring inferno swallowed them.
In barely an instant, the heat liquefied skin and muscle, leaving only blackened husks collapsing to the ground.
The breath was hotter.
Gauss noticed the difference.
It was probably the Rider talent at work.
Like a quick walk to stretch their legs, Gauss casually wiped out twenty-odd goblins.
After using Control Water to put out the lingering flames, Hephaestus beat its wings, gained altitude, and headed toward Grayrock.
With Rider, controlling Hephaestus felt easier too—more natural, less effort.
They landed in Grayrock's central square, drawing a fresh wave of gasps, and Gauss dismissed Hephaestus.
No matter how many times people saw it, a dragon was always a spectacle.
Gauss and the others went into the guild and turned in the commission.
"You're back at just the right time."
"Gauss—your spell scrolls arrived."
Vice-Guildmaster Shirley came down from upstairs. Spotting Gauss at the second-floor counter right after he finished paperwork, she hurried over.
"Confusion came in?" Gauss asked.
"And that wardrobe spell," Shirley said, handing him two finely crafted scrolls. "That one's why it took longer."
"Thanks."
Gauss glanced at them.
Confusion was a Level 4 spell. The wardrobe spell was Level 3—letting him switch between preset outfits almost seamlessly.
No more worrying about ripping clothes during transformations. He'd be able to summon fresh clothing or armor anytime.
"Drink a couple after you're off duty?" Gauss invited. He had something he wanted to ask her.
He'd known Shirley longer than Guildmaster Eberhard—though back then, he hadn't been anywhere near as strong.
"Today?" Shirley asked.
She didn't know what he wanted, but didn't pry.
"Yes. You busy?"
"Not really," Shirley shook her head.
A normal adventurer wouldn't get this kind of time from her—but Gauss wasn't "normal."
"Just you and me?"
"And Alia and Shadow."
"Alright. We'll meet at the entrance after I'm done."
With that settled, Gauss left the guild.
They headed home.
Once back, Gauss skimmed the two spells again.
No way he'd have time to learn them today—but he could at least familiarize himself.
Confusion's spell structure looked like the most complex model he'd seen so far—probably because it touched the mind and mental interference.
The wardrobe spell, on the other hand, didn't seem hard. Two hours or so should be enough to master it.
He knew more and more magic now, and his learning speed kept rising. He was starting to feel like a walking library.
He was pretty sure plenty of casters several levels above him didn't know this many spells.
When it was close to time, Gauss tidied up and went out with Alia and Shadow.
He wore a men's formal suit.
Ever since he'd learned the wardrobe spell existed, he'd bought multiple outfits—daily wear, sleepwear, formalwear, and even combat underlayers.
…
Firefly Private Kitchen.
"Sorry—closed tonight."
Out front, the owner was apologizing to customers and sending them away.
This wasn't even the first wave she'd turned down tonight.
A new server, seeing the situation, whispered to an older employee.
"Big shot reserved the place?"
"Boss said someone booked in advance," the veteran muttered. "Don't ask. Boss said don't pry."
"Got it."
The hallway quieted again.
After a long wait, voices sounded outside.
The staff immediately straightened, on alert.
"Been a while," Gauss said as he entered, a little nostalgic.
"No guests tonight?" he asked, noticing the usually booming high-end place felt empty. "I only booked a private room—I didn't rent the whole restaurant."
"Probably the cold weather," the mature, curvy proprietress said with a smiling shrug.
But the staff were already guessing in their heads.
This restaurant was high-end, and the owner—rumor had it—used to be a capable adventurer. She'd hosted plenty of "important" people in town.
Yet none of those visits had ever made her this warm.
The door opened wider.
When the staff finally saw who'd walked in, their confusion vanished.
It was him—the town's most famous figure.
"Welcome!"
With the staff bowing in unison and lining the corridor, Gauss could tell right away.
The "cold weather" excuse was just that—an excuse.
She'd cleared the place for him.
"Sorry to trouble you," Gauss said with an awkward smile.
He'd deliberately not hosted Shirley at Sophia's inn-slash-restaurant tonight.
And there was no need to introduce Sophia to Shirley just to "look after her." With Gauss's local reputation and his connection to Eberhard, people were already going to treat Sophia well.
So Gauss had chosen this quieter place, trying to keep it low-profile.
…Only for it to backfire.
They reached the private room.
The menu had extra "specials" added.
Gauss picked a few dishes made from properly processed monster ingredients—safe, edible, and definitely not "dark cuisine."
As they ate, Gauss opened the real topic.
"Shirley, do you recognize this family crest?"
He described the banner that had been hanging on the convoy that took his apprentice, Rhein—what it looked like, especially the claw emblem.
Over the days since returning to Grayrock, he'd asked scholars who studied noble heraldry, but none had given him anything solid.
It was more complicated than he expected.
Partly because it likely involved foreign nobility, and partly because the description was vague—just a "claw mark," without precise details.
Sure enough, Shirley shook her head too.
"But I can use guild channels to look into it," she added. "If I find anything, I'll tell you."
Gauss nodded. That was all he could do.
The whole thing felt contradictory: a family strong enough to cross borders and retrieve someone openly shouldn't be obscure…
…and yet none of the truly famous houses seemed to match.
Unless that banner had been meant as misdirection.
He added the location of Goat Village and the rough time frame when Rhein's family was taken.
"I heard you used to be with the Briarheart Adventuring Company?" Gauss shifted topics.
Briarheart was one of the strongest groups around Barry—Forest City.
"Yes," Shirley said, taking a sip. "That's true."
Then she added, "My mother is Briarheart's leader."
That detail was far less widely known.
Gauss's expression cleared.
Shirley was only around thirty, and yet she'd reached master-tier as a warlock. That wasn't normal.
Warlocks—bloodline casters—tended to come with "roots."
If her mother ran a powerhouse company in a major city like Barry, it made sense.
Still, Gauss hadn't expected Shirley to step away from that and take an office role—especially in Grayrock, a risky border town.
Without Gauss, Grayrock might've ended up like Blackwater Town.
But Gauss didn't press. Everyone had their reasons.
"Do you want me to introduce you?" Shirley asked, thinking he wanted contact—or even membership.
She'd been out of the company for a while, but still had channels.
"No, no," Gauss said quickly, realizing the misunderstanding.
"I wanted to ask about setting up an adventuring company—what paperwork is needed, the process, things like that."
He'd assumed Shirley was just a senior member. Turns out she was basically the leader's daughter.
He'd definitely asked the right person.
Shirley nodded.
"Like squads, companies have to register with the Adventurers' Guild."
"If you run a 'wild' company, it's less formal… but you risk getting shut down."
Gauss nodded.
It was like opening a business: small squads—solo contractors—were regulated, so of course full companies would be too.
Otherwise anyone could claim they were a "company" and use it as cover for crimes.
Gauss felt it was time to expand.
He needed people to handle loot, logistics, and day-to-day arrangements.
Even if he became stronger, there were limits to what one person could do.
With a base and recruited members, he could save enormous time and attention.
He could already list uses: logistics and supply, selling loot, outsourcing spell and magic-plant purchases, capturing special monsters, coordinating large-scale exterminations of mid-to-large monster tribes…
"Unfortunately," Shirley added, "a town-level guild branch like Grayrock doesn't have authority to register an adventuring company."
Gauss hummed.
Not a big problem. Once Albena and Serandur finished their training, whichever route they chose—west, north, or east—they'd pass a major city anyway.
Coral Bay, Falrim, or Barry likely all had registration authority.
And he could also relocate his family to a safer, larger city.
That was when the dinner's real planning began.
~~~
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