CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: GAUSS’S BACKGROUND

After the group rested and regained their strength, they returned to Valencia Village.

They informed the village chief of the slime-clearing results and displayed the fresh slime gel. Everyone took a break at the inn at noon and embarked in the afternoon, leaving this somewhat dilapidated small village.

"There are quite a few people in this village."

"Yeah, except for the bar inn with some outsiders like us, you hardly see any locals elsewhere."

"Young people nowadays prefer to venture into big towns. Perhaps in a few years, this village will be completely deserted. Many villages seem to be heading that way."

"But the village where my family lives is quite lively."

"But didn’t you also leave?"

"Talking like this makes it hard to chat."

"Oh... so it’s not surprising that there are more and more commissions in recent years."

On their way back, Levin and the others started chatting casually.

Gauss did not have much to say on the subject; he was too new to the field and just listened quietly.

"By the way, Gauss, what were you before? Before you became an adventurer?" Doyle turned his head toward Gauss, who was walking silently beside him.

He directed the conversation towards him.

The others also glanced over at Gauss, the Ranger’s question echoing their own curiosity.

To speak of it, although this was already the second mission the team had undertaken together, Gauss’s identity was still shrouded in mystery for them.

They only knew Gauss had mentioned he was a new adventurer.

Before temporarily teaming up with them, he had only completed one commission.

And it seemed it wasn’t very successful. After the mission ended, the team disbanded and went their separate ways. Except for Gauss, who stayed behind in Gray Rock Town, the others went to Barry for healing.

If his resume were to end there, it might seem similar to that of many inexperienced adventurers who face setbacks early on.

However, Gauss clearly was not just an ordinary beginner.

Logically, an adventurer with such little experience should not have attained strength like Gauss’s.

Their own adventures only made them realize even more how exceptional Gauss was.

At this moment, their inner curiosity was uncontrollable.

"Of course, if it’s inconvenient to talk about it, you don’t have to say anything."

The road they walked on was flanked by knee-high weeds.

The wind on the plains rustled by, making the grass sway and surge like waves with the sound of "swish-swish".

Gauss pressed down his hair that the wind had ruffled, shaking his head.

"There’s nothing I can’t say."

He didn’t feel there was anything noteworthy about his life before becoming an "adventurer".

His memories were of a decade of life as a mountain boy, chasing mice in the fields barefoot, catching fish in the river, snaring rabbits and pheasants.

Had he not chosen to venture out when he came of age, rejecting the marriage arranged by his parents.

He’d probably still be living in that mountain hollow, with a plain-looking farm woman with wide hips, living a life starting work at sunrise and facing the loamy earth.

However, even though Gauss felt there wasn’t much worth mentioning, seeing his teammates’ curiosity.

And since it wasn’t some inglorious past that needed hiding, he shared a few simple details.

"..."

"After I left, I lived alone, and as for magic, I learned it by chance."

As soon as Gauss finished speaking.

The other teammates looked at each other, their expressions complicated.

Gauss’s answer was clearly unrelated to what they had expected.

In private, they had exchanged guesses about Gauss’s identity.

Imagining he might be a noble’s offspring; considering he wasn’t very well-off, more likely a bastard, or perhaps a descendant or apprentice of some Mage Professional.

It turned out all their guesses were wrong. Just a year ago, he turned out to be an ordinary farm boy.

"In other words, you attained your current strength in just a single year?" Levin realized the unusual time frame Gauss revealed, surprised.

Actually... It was only about half a month.

Gauss thought to himself, but his face remained impassive.

After a moment’s pause, he nodded.

From his perspective, to have his current strength in a year’s time was not that extraordinary.

Even Boss Glon from the blacksmith’s shop mentioned it, that the time it takes an ordinary person to become a Professional varies—from as short as one or two years to as long as several decades.

If someone can become a Professional in one year, then it’s not an especially exaggerated progress for him not yet to be one.

"One year, you must really be a genius," Doyle couldn’t help but sigh.

The subtle competitiveness and frustration he held toward Gauss vanished all of a sudden.

He knew that someone like Gauss was certainly going to embark on the path of a Professional.

The only difference was the time it would take.

Perhaps after a few years, on an ordinary evening, when they might meet by chance in a bar in some unfamiliar town, Gauss would already be a revered Mage Professional.

While he might still be struggling as an apprentice.

The other members also fell silent.

Levin realized the probability of successfully inviting Gauss to formally join the team was very low.

He sighed inwardly and then reassured himself.

It was good to team up as much as possible.

At least, with Gauss’s powerful combat prowess among the bottom adventurers, the team’s safety was more assured.

Gauss turned his head and looked at the suddenly quiet group.

It felt like he had done something that dealt them a severe blow.

However, it was because he didn’t quite understand their situations.

Even though everyone was a young adult, Gauss was undoubtedly the youngest.

The oldest in the group, Levin and Oliver, were nearly 30.

Even if they began adventuring at 20, they had nearly ten years of experience.

The others had at least two or three years as adventurers.

Moreover, compared to Warrior and Ranger professions, the entry barrier for caster-related professions was evidently higher.

Yet, looking now, the younger Gauss was already leaps and bounds ahead of them in more challenging spell-casting.

This couldn’t help but invoke a profound sense of powerlessness.

The gap between people sometimes felt larger than that between man and dog.

The rest of the journey was silent.

As they were about to return to Gray Rock Town, the sky, which had been clear, suddenly clouded over.

A howling gale carried raindrops like beans, pelting down against them.

The rainwater soaked the once-smooth dirt road, leaving it full of muddy potholes and splattering dirty water everywhere.

Due to the suddenness of the rain, they couldn’t find a suitable shelter.

And since they were close to Gray Rock Town, they had to quicken their pace.

Braving the heavy rain, tightening their cloaks, boots trudging through the mud.

Occasionally helping push carts out of puddles.

By the time they finally returned to Gray Rock Town, it was already late at night.

Soaking wet, they decided to postpone task submission at the Adventurer’s Guild hall until the next morning.

Agreeing to meet at the hall’s entrance the next day first thing, they dispersed for the night.

Gauss hurried back to the inn, glancing up at the sky still flashing with lightning and booming with thunder.

He couldn’t help but remark.

The weather changed faster than turning pages; just a moment ago, it was sunny, and now it was pouring.

Fortunately, they had brought coverings, so the goods on the cart hadn’t gotten wet, which was at least some good news.