Night fell, but Sena City by the sea did not sleep.

Instead, as lights gradually came on, the city exuded a vitality unique to nighttime.

Along the streets, windproof oil lamps cast warm halos, and the gentle sea breeze carried the tavern's clamor and the smell of grilled fish.

Sailors slung arms over each other's shoulders and sang off-key ditties, while adventurers gathered to trade and boast about their exploits.

Gauss and his three companions wandered through the alleys and finally picked a lively tavern called "Song of the Sea Demon."

"The name of this tavern always feels loaded..." Gauss's gaze slid away from the sign.

Stories about sea demons luring sailors to shipwreck with their songs existed in this world as well.

Unlike in his past life, these tales were not vague myths but blood-soaked lessons from sailors.

Yet Gauss noticed the tavern was filled with people dressed like captains, first mates, and sailors.

If the people who lived by the sea didn't care, then the adventurers who operated on land certainly had no scruples.

Since they had come to Sena City, Gauss and the others intended to stay a while—to study local monster distributions and commissions—but Gauss had no immediate plan to go to sea.

Although it felt like a waste not to explore the ocean while they were here, going out to sea required careful planning.

Besides Serlandul, no one in the party—Gauss included—had substantial seafaring experience.

Even if they had stories to tell, they lacked the necessary tools, crew makeup, and so on.

They couldn't just use random ships to cross unfamiliar waters or islands;

they'd be constrained by others and lose operational freedom.

Moreover, the sea differs from the land—too many variables. Beneath that vast blue, if they met a deceitful skipper or encountered a maritime disaster, their situation would be far less safe than on land.

They entered the tavern.

After asking, they found a few private rooms still available. Since they had no pressing matters to discuss, they chose one of the smaller private rooms rather than the noisy main hall.

Once inside the private room, the clamor was noticeably muted. Seven people sat around a table, and an apron-tied server slowly brought menus.

"Adventurers, what will you have? The seafood at Song of the Sea Demon is the freshest in Sena Harbor—most fishing boats deliver straight to us the moment they come ashore!"

The server introduced the menu in a cool tone, carrying the pride typical of harbor folk.

From the inflection of his words, it seemed clear the seven had only just arrived in Sena.

The menu sparkled with choices.

Compared to inland taverns, this place offered at least one difference: seafood.

Fish platters, the signature thick soup "Kiss of the Sea God," garlic butter-baked colossal claw shrimp, fried lightning fish, seaweed salad, seaweed bread...

Arriving at a familiar region, the food born of the locale was naturally part of the local charm.

"Take a look and see what you want." Deiss handed the menu to his companions.

After growing stronger, Gauss's party had already achieved meat freedom;

ordering food no longer required too much consideration.

They discussed and ordered a tableful of dishes, plus a pot of coconut juice and a sea-flavored mint drink.

Silence settled over the table for a moment.

Gauss noticed Shadow had several times shown the urge to speak but then hesitated since they met tonight.

"Ahem." Gauss cleared his throat.

"This blackfang tribe commission went smoothly. Shadow, do you have any other plans?"

He looked at Shadow.

Aria and Serlandul only realized after hearing him.

Yes—now that the commission was over, temporary teammate Shadow seemed poised to go her own way;

there was little reason for her to remain in the party.

Thinking of that, Aria blinked and looked at Shadow.

From days of interaction, Shadow—despite a look that made her seem unapproachable—was actually not a bad person.

Especially that night of the goblin nocturnal raid: when Gauss held off elite goblins head-on, Shadow and Serlandul on the other flank suffered a siege by goblin wolf cavalry and threats from bat-mounted goblin riders above.

Several times, the bat-riding goblin up in the sky fixated on Shadow.

If Shadow had not used her shadow abilities, Aria thought, she might have died countless times.

Before being locked on, Shadow had already moved them out of harm's way—proof that the enemy had watched every teammate even while fighting.

From that night on, Aria knew Shadow was a dependable teammate under her cool exterior.

After the battle, Aria thanked Shadow. Shadow only said it was nothing—no pride.

If... Shadow could stay, wouldn't she be a great help to the team?

Especially for Gauss: their team composition meant Aria provided control and buffs, Serlandul provided healing and support, and as captain, Gauss was the sharpest blade who shouldered the brunt of frontal assaults.

If Shadow stayed, she could watch the flanks and, if an attack exceeded their tolerance, promptly move Gauss out of danger.

That would make Aria breathe easier.

Recalling that Gauss had privately asked her and Serlandul their impressions of Shadow, Aria suddenly understood the real purpose of tonight's dinner.

As for Serlandul, he quietly sipped coconut juice, his forked tongue flicking into the cup to stir, wearing a look of satisfaction and nostalgia.

He seemed indifferent to the captain's plans—or perhaps he simply had no objections.

At the other end of the table, Shadow heard Gauss's question.

Her future plans... she shook her head.

"Then..." Gauss was about to speak when, just then, Shadow—who had been hesitating—opened her mouth.

"You go first."

"You go."

They faced each other and, in perfect sync, courteously deferred.

Gauss stared into Shadow's dark, bright eyes for a moment, then surrendered.

"Fine, I'll go first." Gauss pursed his lips.

He had discussed Shadow with Aria and Serlandul but hadn't spoken much with Shadow herself and didn't know her true thoughts.

Relationships don't progress unless someone takes the first step.

Meeting Shadow's gaze, he spoke solemnly.

"Shadow, this commission showed how capable and reliable you are. If you are willing, I'd like to formally invite you to join our Gauss party as the fourth official member."

Shadow's eyes widened instinctively.

Gauss paused, assuming she was digesting the sudden invitation, and organized his words to continue.

"I know you might be used to being alone, but please give it some thought. We might not be the strongest team you could join, but we're definitely the most trustworthy one."

His gaze swept to Aria and Serlandul—Aria nodded enthusiastically;

Serlandul bowed his head slightly.

"Of course, it's just an invitation. Whatever you decide, we will respect it—"

Gauss was about to continue when Shadow suddenly and unexpectedly spoke.

"I will join."

"Huh?" Gauss was stunned.

He had prepared to tell her not to rush a decision, to take a couple of days to think it over—after all, it's understandable to ponder more after a first cooperation.

But before he could finish, Shadow had agreed outright.

"Don't you want to take some time to think it through?" Gauss helpfully asked.

Aria had just been about to cheer and welcome the fourth member, but upon hearing Gauss she turned to him with mock scolding.

Captain, captain—what are you doing? You wanted them to join yet you give them time to hesitate? Gauss, you fool...

Shadow shook her head decisively.

"No need to waste time."

"Although I'm used to being alone..."

"Acting with you feels not bad."

"Besides, I came today for this reason."

"Thank you for inviting me to join your party."

She gave a faint smile;

the look in her eyes toward Gauss and the others turned firm as she chose to speak plainly.

She had spent the last two days thinking about when to ask Gauss if he would recruit her—an unusual nervousness for her.

But before she could ask, Gauss had already taken the initiative.

"That's wonderful!" Aria began clapping—she had worried Gauss might miss out on a valuable helper, only to find the feeling was mutual.

Serlandul calmly nodded.

This all felt natural.

Would any adventurer resist a captain's invitation?

Gauss breathed a sigh of relief;

a huge weight lifted.

"Welcome to the team, Shadow."

Since Shadow had thought it through and not acted on impulse, he felt reassured.

He flashed a radiant smile.

Recruiting a strong, mysterious ally made him proud as captain.

He could still clearly recall his first day in this world: armed with an unfinished spear and a small shield, stepping into the forest alone—excitement, anxiety, and nervousness tangled into one.

That raw feeling of being unprepared and alone in a deep unknown had forced him to pump himself up constantly to face forthcoming battles bravely.

Now...

He turned to his teammates and smiled at them.

He had teammates he could absolutely trust—almost like family.

Their team was growing;

adding Shadow strengthened them further.

The loneliness of walking alone had disappeared.

Gauss took a deep breath to calm the emotions stirring in him.

"Then—let's toast to our new Gauss party."

"Cheers!" Aria raised her cup excitedly.

Serlandul raised his cup steadily, a gentle smile at his lips.

Shadow, looking at the three who welcomed her, slowly raised her cup as well.

With a crisp clink of cups, their celebratory welcome banquet officially began.

"Ah—nice weather."

Gauss stretched lazily.

The sea breeze fluttered the window curtains;

outside, the sun shone bright and sky and sea were the same clear blue.

After officially recruiting Shadow and expanding the team from three to four, his mood had been good since last night.

If not for pressing matters, he would have slept longer at the inn to fully recover from days on the road.

When he came downstairs, Shadow was already waiting in the inn's lobby.

"Good morning, Shadow."

"Good morning."

"Server, five breakfasts, and more meat."

[Good morning, Captain Gauss.]

In a place others couldn't see, the shadow beneath Shadow's feet moved slightly and greeted Gauss.

[Shadow, why didn't you unseal me yesterday and let me act as your advisor? Are you small-mouthed? Good thing Gauss wanted to recruit you—otherwise, hmph... you'd have to rely on me more.]

Shade chattered in annoyance at Shadow's sealing of her yesterday.

[Your ideas are ridiculous.] Shadow responded quietly.

Thinking of Shade's beauty scheme, domineering proclamations, and many flattering strategies, Shadow felt speechless and a small twitch crossed her mouth.

[You've really grown bratty since you grew wings. You used to be so obedient when you knew nothing—I raised you through everything, remember?] Shade nagged like an old housekeeper.

This time, Shadow said nothing and simply muted the nagging in her ear.

Though Shade offered some unreliable ideas, she was actually quite good to Shadow.

They finished breakfast quickly.

Both headed toward the Adventurers Guild.

Shadow needed to pick her reward.

She had not chosen yesterday because she wasn't sure whether Gauss would accept her.

She thought if Gauss refused, she'd be forced back into being alone and would choose differently.

Gauss, meanwhile, was heading to the guild for private guidance from Adelle.

Although Shadow said she had time these days, as an adventurer Gauss knew unexpected events could happen and someone could leave the guild quarters at any time.

Since they had no special plans in Sena, better to strike while the iron was hot and solidify his swordsmanship.

He could also take the chance to upgrade his adventurer badge rank.

Inside the Adventurers Guild, after explaining their situation to the receptionist, Adelle soon approached the two with a colleague carrying a rewards list.

Another staff member would handle Shadow's reward exchange.

After a brief explanation, Adelle motioned for Gauss to follow her quickly.

They climbed the side stairs to the third floor.

The guards at the stairwell clearly recognized Adelle's identity;

with her escort, Gauss passed without obstruction to the guild's third floor—accessible only to Black Iron-rank adventurers.

Gauss glanced around and showed a barely noticeable hint of disappointment.

It didn't look that different from the second floor.

The spacious hall had a few shops along the edges and many tightly closed doors.

Aside from staff, hardly anyone was visible.

"Not what you expected?" Adelle glanced at him.

"A bit," Gauss nodded. "Is it usually this quiet here?"

"I'd say so," Adelle replied. "Black Iron-rank adventurers are usually busy—either improving their skills or in the middle of a commission. If they're here, they're mostly holed up in their rooms. Unless something special is happening, it's rare to see a crowd of Black Iron adventurers gathered in the hall."

Gauss considered this sensible.

By Black Iron rank, people's paths tend to be set.

Loners remain lone, and teams are already established—no need to socialize in the hall.

"Gauss, come with me." Adelle beckoned, pulling him toward a door while drawing curious looks from other staff.

She pushed open a room and led the way inside.

Gauss followed.

As he entered, the door closed automatically.

His eyes widened as he looked at the room in front of Adelle.

"Whoa...huge."

His first impression was that the room's size was unnatural—at least several hundred square meters.

Judging by the size of the first and second floors, the third floor hall and the position of this edge room, the space shouldn't possibly be this large.

A strong, immediate sense of contradiction leapt into his mind.

"You're pretty perceptive." Adelle praised him for noticing the anomaly so quickly.

She removed her shoes and walked to the room's center.

Beneath her feet was polished wooden flooring, and the perimeter was filled with training wooden dummies and weapon racks.

"This isn't an ordinary room. The guild uses spatial folding magic combined with stable barriers to maintain this special training chamber."

"You can think of it as a space bubble expanded inside. From outside, it looks like a normal room entrance, but internally it has been enlarged by stable space magic."

"Yesterday your companion exchanged for a Living Bag, right? The principle is somewhat similar, but this is more complex and sturdier."

She paused and added, "Combat at Black Iron rank and above generates terrifying disruptive force—you can't properly train in ordinary grounds, and maintenance costs would be astronomical. Here you can train to your heart's content without worrying about damaging guild property...as long as your strength isn't enough to tear the barrier itself."

Gauss nodded in understanding and inspected the magical space again.

No wonder the third floor seemed empty—the real activity areas were hidden behind doors like this.

"Enough small talk." Adelle's expression turned serious.

She touched a nearby wooden dummy and weapon rack, then flicked her wrist;

a sharp lady's rapier appeared in her hand as light flashed.

At that moment, a terrible aura surged from her.

Level 5 swordsman? Gauss narrowed his eyes.

No—wait!

A Master-level swordsman!

He couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

Perhaps because Adelle was the senior director in Lincrest Town, he had subconsciously assumed staff in a city like Sena who worked administrative roles wouldn't be that powerful.

Yet this time he was plainly underestimating her.

Adelle seemed to read Gauss's surprised expression and smiled knowingly.

"Welcome to Sena City."

"Before I officially teach the White Falcon sword technique, I want to see your strength first. Use all your abilities—spells, skills, sword techniques—at full power against me so I can better guide you afterward."

Adelle stated confidently.

"Are you sure?" Gauss hesitated. "My strength might be greater than you expect."

Although she was Master-level, Gauss had many tricks of his own.

He himself was unsure of his true upper limit these days.

"Oh, I know you're already fourth level." Adelle waved a hand. "And although I'm not sure how you did it, given you completed that commission, your strength appears stronger than a typical level four."

"But please have a bit more confidence in a Master-level swordsman. I won't be hurt, don't worry."

Her patience and calm came from the composure of a seasoned professional.

Still, even if Deiss's later strength matched hers, as a "seed adventurer" under the guild's watchful eye and a prioritized trainee, Gauss had a bright future and naturally merited special attention.

"Then please be careful." Gauss warned mildly.

He stored unrelated items in his Storage Bag, donned his robe, and slotted his White Wand into the left thigh clasp for quick access—its close presence granted attribute and casting bonuses.

Adelle stood in the center and watched his preparations patiently.

Whether it was his imagination or not, after he officially announced the duel, Gauss's aura grew stronger and stronger.

It even gave her a faint sense of pressure.

Her sharp, blade-like brows twitched as she considered.

Is this an illusion?

Or some covert oppressive ability?

No sooner had the thought formed than Gauss's rising aura continued without stopping, intensifying at an alarming rate.

His jade-green pupils had shifted to a molten-gold hue.

A powerful presence descended.

Like dragon scales, energy plates formed instantly and clung to his skin, crawling up his neck and along his jawline—almost creeping onto his face before stopping.

And that transformation wasn't finished.

The next moment, to her astonishment, Gauss clenched his right hand and an energy dragon claw, sharp enough to pierce the air, condensed into being.

"A...dragon claw? Wait, where's his staff?"

"You're saying this is a spellcaster?"

Adelle's mouth twitched repeatedly, a huge question mark bursting in her mind.

What a joke.