I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 334: Marching Toward Mastery

Gauss and his group walked down the street.Maybe it was just his imagination, but he felt like there were far fewer commoners wandering the city than before.

"Aria, are you saying you might change professions?"

Gauss asked curiously.

Aria had already woken from her faint; like Gauss, her injuries were not severe.

But unlike Gauss’s situation, according to Praelius’s explanation, he had not provided much medical treatment; rather, a mysterious energy within her body had completed most of her self-healing.

"Yes. To be precise, I'm still in the middle of changing professions."

Aria raised her arm.

She wasn't casting a spell, yet a clear, bright wash of moonlight wound around her forearm, giving her an added air of sanctity.

But when she spoke of this, Aria didn't show much joy; instead, she quietly sighed inwardly.

The group fell silent as they reached an open plot of ground.

Aria placed the two halves of the Scale Powder Butterfly—now completely dry and brittle—into the Mud Statue, then scooped up soil with her hands to cover them.

As a creature that had contracted with her, the Scale Powder Butterfly’s passing was a considerable loss.

"Ma—"

The silver wolf Ur and the raven Wenk stopped fussing as well; they lowered their heads, mourning the loss of their companion.

Battlefields were always unpredictable, and sacrifice could come when least expected.

"Travel in peace."

They stood in silence for a moment to offer a prayer for their comrade.

A single white flower sprouted from the soft Mud Statue soil, nurtured by Aria’s natural power.

With the burial finished, everyone began returning to Longdi Fort.

"Lord Gauss, welcome back to the city."

The gate guard saluted respectfully.

During this time, Gauss’s squad had become famous overnight.

He had originally been an unknown in the vast Longdi Fort, but in a single night, everyone from common vendors to wealthy nobles learned of this promising young Dragon Knight.

And he carried an almost unimaginable record.

"Is that him?"

"Move, move, let me see!"

"An elite professional killed a transcendent professional? That's unbelievable."

"Isn't it?"

"This is Gauss, the Crimson Dragon Knight."

"No wonder he subdued an arrogant red dragon."

"I heard that dragon’s wings were bigger than the castle."

"That giantess was huge too."

"...

Along the sides of the street, civilians were eager to catch a glimpse of Gauss’s squad, the first time they’d seen them since the incident. They rose on tiptoe, jostling to witness this rare prodigy of the kingdom.

Though Gauss spent the past days resting in the castle, the city brimmed with tales about him.

In taverns and eateries, the most popular stories from bards were about Gauss.

Whether he was the Goblin Killer, the Lake God's Child, the Crimson Dragon Knight, or the man who, as an elite professional, slew a transcendent being, people loved to recount his deeds.

They all envied that they hadn’t become Gauss.

He had risen to citywide fame in a short time—an irresistible narrative of heroism.

Everyone foresaw his power expanding without limit.

"I heard Lord Gauss is obsessed with killing goblins."

"Maybe that hides the secret of why he improved so quickly and fights so differently."

Some debated his growth path, convinced they'd found the crucial trick.

Early on, Gauss had been no different from other adventurers; because he frequently hunted goblins in the small town where he began, others mocked him and gave him the derisive nickname "Goblin Killer."

Other adventurers meant to belittle him for avoiding difficult opponents and instead killing weak goblins beneath his level.

But now, after he showcased exceptional combat ability and talent, that old slur was being rehabilitated.

Even citizens who had lived in the city for years and were largely unaffected by goblins began to regard the title affectionately.

Despite stronger potential, he had the patience to toil in the fields, honing skills by killing seemingly insignificant monsters instead of recklessly throwing himself into danger. That was now praised and emulated.

Many young, inexperienced adventurers even set Gauss as their idol.

"I've decided. Starting tomorrow I'm going to hunt goblins too!"

"I heard goblins aren't weak; they're cunning."

"...

Gauss listened to all the chatter and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

People were reasoning backward: because he was fond of goblin hunting, they assumed they could replicate his path and rise the same way. That was unrealistic.

Still, he didn't think the influence was all bad.

Especially for low-tier adventurers, they needed to be pragmatic and face those unassuming monsters.

Compared to higher-tier beasts, these countless low-level creatures often cause the most harm to commoners.

"Thank you, teacher."

"Study hard."

Gauss enrolled Abby in a school.

In a major city like Longdi Fort, naturally there were schools teaching youths how to begin professional paths.

The school had quality facilities, grounds, and instructors in warrior, mage, ranger, and other professions.

Normally, private schools like this weren't open to ordinary commoners; they catered to children of nobles, knights, and wealthy officials.

But given Gauss’s connections in the city, getting Abby admitted wasn't difficult.

Abby understood she had been accepted because Teacher Gauss had helped.

Watching Abby wave at him before she disappeared down the corridor, Gauss smiled faintly.

He thought of Rhine and his younger sister Xisero at home.

During his few days at home, he had left some warrior skill books and given basic instruction.

But since Xisero’s body had not matured, she could only learn fundamentals for now, so the teaching was limited.

Still, it was obvious she had more potential than a normal person.

Gauss would often send money or basic nurturing potions back home.

Maybe once the three kids grew up, they could form an adventuring party together.

His sister Xisero as a warrior, Rhine and Abby as mages.

Gauss shook his head and set the thought aside; he would not force or micromanage these young people's futures.

If they wanted to team up later, great—perhaps by then he’d be accomplished and could support their adventures. Big trees cast cool shade.

If they chose individual paths, he wouldn’t interfere.

Outside the school gate, a robed tiefling youth was waiting by the street. Seeing Gauss exit, he hurried over.

"Lord Gauss."

"This is a parcel Lord Praelius asked me to deliver to you."

"Thank you."

Gauss accepted the storage bag.

He was no stranger to the tiefling ranger who had come; he knew the youth was one of Praelius’s trusted runners.

Over the years, Praelius had quietly selected promising tieflings in the city and provided resources to cultivate them as professionals.

Because of racial ties, these people were usually loyal to him and to Magistrate Nock behind him.

This was one reason the Haythes Family resented Praelius and Magistrate Nock. Though tieflings didn’t enjoy easy lives at the bottom, a few gifted seedlings could spring up and become strong assets with a little nurturing.

But because Praelius held great prestige among Longdi Fort’s tieflings, others found it hard to claim that neglected talent pool.

"Wait, don't go yet. I haven't given you the promised reward."

As the tiefling ranger turned to leave, Gauss stopped him.

"No need. Lord Praelius said you already completed the commission, and this is part of the reward."

"I completed the commission?"

"Didn't Lord Praelius ask you earlier to investigate the missing tiefling orphans? Recently, during the crackdown on the Dragon Worshipers, the mastermind was caught as well. That was your doing."

The tiefling ranger hurried to explain, afraid that if he took Gauss’s reward and returned, Praelius would scold him.

Praelius had stressed repeatedly: deliver the storage bag to Gauss and under no circumstances take the commission money.

The tiefling, nurtured by Praelius from childhood, dared not disobey.

Seeing the young man’s anxious expression, Gauss didn't press further.

He stood where he was, pondering matters regarding the provincial capital Falim’s Adventurers Guild.

Neither he nor the body he inhabited had ever been to Falim, not even in past generations.

This was why Praelius had initially attributed the merit to him and why Gauss had been reluctant to accept it.

After a few days’ thought, perhaps there truly was some connection between Falim and him.

Once the snow mountain commission was solved, he needed to head to Falim to investigate.

Gauss looked north and continued forward. He was already not far from the snow mountain where the Lake God's commission awaited investigation.

But before departing properly, he still needed to remain in Longdi Fort for a while.

Both he and Aria were at pivotal junctures.

He had asked Praelius to procure many spirit-nourishing potions, magic potions, and a range of mid-grade magic stones to aid his breakthrough.

The physical manifestation of his profession—the magic cup statue—had reached a peak state.

The once-solid cup wall had developed a web of cracks, yet he felt no discomfort; rather, he sensed a rebirth was approaching.

He and Albenia and Shadow had inquired, and this seemed to be the necessary passage from Elite to Master, a metamorphosis of breaking and reforming.

After the transformation, the profession core would be revolutionarily strengthened.

Both mana intensity and total mana pool would increase; this explained why the same spell from a Master-level mage often hit harder than from an Elite-level mage.

The coming period would be extremely important for him.

Master professionals were the first to step fully onto the world stage, able to participate in relatively significant town disasters and events.

Although he already possessed Master-level combat capability, until he actually broke through, his official tier remained Elite.

He poured mana into the storage bag.

Praelius had sent more and better supplies than Gauss had requested yesterday.

He even found a four-circle spellbook inside.

That spell was closely tied to his abilities: a water-manipulation spellbook.

Praelius must have heard about Gauss receiving the Lake God's Blessing and intentionally collected water spells.

"Really..."

Gauss shook his head.

Although he knew this was surely Magistrate Nolan's doing, Praelius had definitely worked hard as well.

"First we should go back and discuss the seclusion plan."

Gauss returned to a residence.

"If nothing unexpected happens, Aria and I should formally begin our secluded training in the next few days."

"And you'll leave the city to us?"

"All right."

"Be careful. Even though the Dragon Worshipers' power has plummeted in the city, there may still be remnants."

"Don't worry, Lord Gauss. If any of those gutter rats show up, I'll make them feel my great axe's wrath." Albenia said with full confidence, clenching her teeth when speaking of the Dragon Worshipers.

Now the cult had the worst possible reputation among Gauss’s squad.

When the time was right, they would exact revenge on that order. This was something Gauss had stated clearly in their team meeting, and the others agreed.

"Is it possible... I'm just worried about that."

"Forget it, don't leave the city. If anything happens, find Lord Praelius."

"No problem."

Gauss sighed.

He still believed it very unlikely that the city harbored Dragon Worshiper members stronger than Albenia and the others, so after a small warning he dropped it.

Praelius and Magistrate Nock had clearly benefited from this upheaval; they had openly crushed many hostile forces and gained some admiration for their decisive actions.

At least within the city, Gauss’s squad was safe.

After handling arrangements, Gauss and Aria parted from the others.

They did not leave Longdi Fort; they headed deeper toward the city center.

In the castle’s most valuable area stood a large private natural garden. Aria would complete her profession change and level breakthrough there.

Gauss was less picky; he didn't require a place steeped in life force to break through.

But to be safe, Praelius had arranged a training ground enhanced by a special magic array to concentrate mana for him.

"Lord Gauss, permission granted! Permission granted!"

They passed through several strict checkpoints but met no obstruction.

Guards had received prior notice and let the two ostriches pass without hindrance, quickly granting entry.

Gauss now moved through Longdi Fort as freely as if it were his own home.

If he wished, he could comfortably stay in the Haythes Family castle, enjoy maid-served comforts, and not be bothered by noble youths.

During his stay, the only family member he actually met was Viscount Mason Haythes, the household head.

An elderly man with a fluffy white beard and a kindly face.

Praelius had subtly hinted that Magistrate Nolan had risen because of the Viscount’s backing—Nolan was supposedly the viscount’s illegitimate son.

Before becoming magistrate, Nolan and Praelius and several others had adventured together.

Why the viscount entrusted the magistracy to an illegitimate son rather than a legitimate heir puzzled Gauss, but surely Viscount Mason had his reasons.

"We'll split up here."

Gauss escorted Aria into a lush garden.

"Stay safe."

"Don't worry, Lord Gauss!" a captain promised with a smile. "Lady Aria won't suffer any mishaps here."

This area was the absolute center of Longdi Fort, where guard forces were the strongest.

Not just ordinary Elites, even Master-level or transcendent incursions would have trouble penetrating.

City defenses—arrays, watchtowers, guards, secret guards...

Layer upon layer of protection made this a fortress ordinary individuals could not breach.

"Then I'll leave her to you."

After parting with Aria, Gauss rode his ostrich a little further.

"This is the place?"

He felt the temperature noticeably rise.

From the luxurious courtyard nearby steamed a haze, and the air carried faint sulfur and a distinct magical scent.

"Hot springs?"

"Welcome, Lord Gauss!"

A row of maids bowed in unison at the entrance.

Someone led the ostrich over to the stables while the maids guided Gauss into the courtyard.

Before him lay a pool of azure hot spring water.

Mana condensed almost into substance here, drifting in mist.

The maids who greeted visitors all possessed mana themselves, because this "treasured ground" was not a blessing for ordinary people; rather, it was a place that could shorten life and harm health if one lacked proper resistance.