"Very good."

Adelle glanced at the rapier in Gauss's hand as a pure white radiance bloomed from it and nodded with obvious admiration.

"Although I expected some progress, I didn't think you'd master this sword art so quickly."

Adelle's emotions were complicated.

The days spent teaching Gauss had flown by, but she hadn't grown bored. Instead, she felt an indescribable, satisfyingly jealous pride.

Whenever she taught something—some piece of knowledge or a particular technique—Gauss absorbed it like a sponge, at an astonishing rate.

Any correction usually needed only once or twice, at most a few repetitions, before he fixed it.

She felt as if she had personally witnessed a "miracle" being born. Although she considered herself merely a guide, in the White Falcon sword arts she was, at least, half his teacher.

Every time she thought that, an involuntary swell of pride rose in her chest.

This child is my student.

Of course, whenever pride surfaced, she couldn't help but recall the time and effort she had poured into learning this sword art herself.

Her emotions shifted into something more complex.

There are probably few people in the world who could watch someone else progress this quickly without feeling a little inadequate.

This was the White Falcon sword technique—a style so difficult that even Master-level swordsmen could use it—and he had mastered it in only a few days.

And me...

Every time she compared the time gap, she couldn't help but lament fate's injustice.

She felt powerless, as if her existence was only meant to set off these genuine prodigies.

"Adelle, teacher, is there anything wrong with my White Falcon sword method?"

Gauss looked over after finishing another run-through and noticed Adelle's expression had grown serious;

she fell silent for a moment, having toned down the exhilaration from the practice, and curiously asked.

White Falcon sword method lv1 (9/10)

From the Adventurer’s Manual skill panel, his skill was indeed at an entry level and about to hit lv2.

Much of that credit belonged to Adelle in front of him.

During the days she taught him she had been extremely patient and had even deferred a lot of her guild duties.

Within her abilities, she arranged a relatively complete block of learning time for him.

Learning the White Falcon sword method is to a swordsman what a three-tier spell is to a level-five spellcaster in terms of difficulty.

Besides, before this he only possessed Basic Swordsmanship;

he hadn't studied other sword arts.

Gauss knew clearly that his solid foundation, plus a little help from the Adventurer’s Manual, and perhaps his "talent," made him better than most people.

But without her wholehearted teaching, his progress would have been impossible.

After each lesson, Adelle proactively set the next session.

As a "teacher," she was even more proactive than her "student."

"No, I don't really have anything more to teach you. Your White Falcon sword method is very standard. The rest depends on you practicing until you form your own style."

Adelle shook her head.

"Also, consider this me begging you—just call me Adelle."

"I really don't deserve the title 'teacher.' It won't be long before your White Falcon sword method surpasses mine."

Her main sword art wasn't the White Falcon technique.

Given Gauss's rapid improvement, as long as he didn't neglect the skill afterward, surpassing her was almost certain.

And Gauss was only level 4 now, yet already close to her combat power.

That meant when he reached level 5, or later leveled up to Master, his combat strength would completely overwhelm hers.

So in her heart she had already begun to treat Gauss as an equal friend.

"Adelle, thank you very much for your instruction."

In response to Gauss's gratitude, Adelle did not continue to demur this time;

she calmly accepted his bowed thanks.

Over the past few days she had indeed invested a great deal of enthusiasm into teaching.

"Let's grab a meal together." Adelle volunteered.

With the lesson over for now, the two of them wouldn't have cause to meet again in the short term.

They'd gotten along well enough that even Adelle—who usually disliked socializing—was willing to invite him to dinner.

"Can I bring my teammates?" Gauss asked after thinking it over.

Based on their recent interactions, he felt she wouldn't mind.

"Of course."

At a lavishly decorated seafood restaurant.

Gauss's party and Adelle arrived at the private room on time.

"So captain, have you mastered that sword art you learned from Adelle?" Serlandul asked.

Gauss had been coming and going early and late these past days;

his teammates naturally knew what he'd been up to.

"Mm." Gauss nodded.

Having mastered this sword art, his close-combat options had expanded.

The White Falcon sword method wasn't only effective when wielding a sword.

Even without a blade in hand, the breathing techniques and power-delivery methods could transfer to other forms of close-quarters fighting.

And in the depths of his consciousness, beside the bright, cup-like device that let him perceive magic, a faint but sharp sword silhouette was slowly condensing.

This signaled that the secondary profession he'd been eyeing for some time had finally begun to take shape.

He had discussed this with Adelle;

they hadn't avoided the topic because a spellcaster seriously studying a sword art that only swordsmen needed couldn't be dismissed as a mere hobby.

Even if Gauss hadn't spoken, Adelle could have sensed his intentions.

It was better to be straightforward.

Besides, many people had thoughts of opening a second profession.

Wanting was one thing;

actually succeeding was far harder than Gauss had imagined.

During their talks, Gauss gradually understood the core problem.

Learning the skills of another profession is hard, but harder still is entering a brand-new system.

It involves a fundamental conflict between power cores.

This seemed to be a broad rule woven into the world's fabric.

This rule produced mutual exclusion between profession cores.

Even if a main core and a secondary core had clearly defined priorities, the primary core—being the more powerful—would, in principle, suppress the emergence of the other core. In Gauss's case, his mage core—the magic cup that housed his source of power—should naturally push against the birth of a sword core.

This process was something even the practitioner, as the host, couldn't forcibly override.

Many who tried to carry two professions were forced to abandon the idea under this "selfish" suppression.

Only a few lucky ones, due to special physical talent or a unique opportunity, could tread the dual-profession path.

But that wasn't necessarily a blessing.

Part-timing meant expending more effort than a single-profession practitioner;

once a lapse occurred, not only would the secondary profession stall, the primary profession might suffer as well.

Either you surge forward and grow far stronger, or you tumble into mediocrity.

Part-timing was a double-edged sword.

So when Adelle first analyzed this for him, Gauss had reservations.

Only when he entered White Falcon sword method lv1 and began to condense the sword profession core in the sea of his consciousness did he find that the universal rule conflict, in his case...

seemed not to exist!

His mage core had very "hospitably" accepted the neighboring sword core.

There was none of the conflict and fierce opposition Adelle had described.

In other words, the rule failed for him.

He hadn't told Adelle this, because he felt it might involve his deepest secret—the Adventurer’s Manual.

A rule that applied to all adventurers in the world yet didn't function for him could only be attributed to the Manual's influence.

To him, the Adventurer’s Manual felt like a great force symbolizing consolidation.

Once a skill was mastered, it wouldn't degrade;

its level would hold steady.

Its branching function—the Monster Encyclopedia—was also a kind of consolidation.

It fixed the act of defeating monsters into a progress metric;

as the numbers accumulated, their effects compounded bit by bit until stage rewards were given.

In fact, even an ordinary person who persevered in killing thousands upon thousands of monsters without dying would see explosive growth in strength.

They just couldn't compare to a special competitor like Gauss, who combined talent and aid from the Manual.

Still, compared to his previous self, Gauss could certainly achieve enormous improvements.

This realization strengthened his resolve never to expose the existence of the Adventurer’s Manual.

If something that could override the world's rules became known, the consequences could be severe.

As for the current exposure of his talent, he wasn't worried.

This world had many geniuses—some born of lineage, some blessed by ancient inheritances, others deriving power from deities, devils, or forces beyond the world.

Numerous bizarre "talents" existed.

As long as he didn't state anything, people would invent an appropriate reason for him.

A dinner that was part "teacher-appreciation feast" and part friends' gathering soon wound down amid quiet conversation.

The next day.

After several days’ rest, Gauss's four-person team regrouped.

They traveled light this time.

All their luggage had been stored in Gauss's Medium Storage Bag.

Besides mounts, Aria's animal companions were in the Living Bag.

Today the four decided to take a few simple commissions nearby to warm up.

Though they were still learning to read their skills, it wasn't wise to stay away from guild commissions for too long.

"After several days off, it feels like it's been ages since we went on a quest." As the party's logistics leader, Aria scratched her head after checking supplies and gear before departure.

She felt like she'd forgotten something, but after checking repeatedly, she realized it was just her imagination.

"It's been a while." Gauss flexed his wrist.

It had been about a week since they last killed goblins.

Such a distant memory.

Thinking of it made his hands itch.

Besides, the White Falcon sword method needed practice targets.

The condensation of his second profession also urgently sought some enthusiastic volunteers to expedite the process.

They arrived at the second floor of the Adventurers Guild.

The group quickly drew the attention of others present.

For some reason, the level badges of Gauss's team matched their latest ranks almost immediately.

A three-star, two four-stars, and a five-star lineup was already a very high-level configuration for those allowed on the second floor.

Level 4 and 5 adventurers weren't a common sight even in Sena City.

In truth, most elite professionals were still level 1 or 2.

However, large cities had more adventurers overall, and the proportion of elite adventurers was higher than in small towns, so in pure numbers there were more high-level adventurers.

Under many envious gazes, the group approached the front desk.

"Hello, we're here to accept commissions."

"Very well, Mr. Gauss. Please and your teammates step into the VIP Room."

When the guild receptionist recognized Gauss, her smile grew warmer and her tone almost reverent, as if she were greeting a visiting superior rather than someone asking about commissions.

That respect came from "Adelle."

They had seen Gauss and Adelle walking side by side over the past days and speaking as equals.

And just yesterday, Adelle had explicitly told the second-floor manager about the special status of Gauss's team and asked that they be given as much convenience as allowed.

Adelle was a particularly special figure at the Sena City Adventurers Guild Eastern District Branch.

She wasn't merely a Senior Director.

Her status came from her strength and the White Falcon title, her well-known friendship with Guild President Rachel, and rumors that she was a direct descendant of the Vives family—the real power behind Sena City.

So even though she hadn't been at the branch long, everyone there cooperated closely with her work.

A level-4 professional frequently seen with such an esteemed figure obviously aroused speculation about hidden reasons.

Either he came from a more illustrious family, or he had some special relationship with Adelle...

But whatever the speculation, it wasn't something a junior staffer dared to probe.

If the second possibility were true, it would be even more serious—after all, Adelle was their boss and had many ways to handle insubordinate staff.

With those thoughts, the receptionist warmly escorted them to the VIP Room and took four task crystals containing the commission list into the room.

"One crystal would be enough, right?"

"No matter. We have plenty of crystals. One for each of you makes it easier to browse." the receptionist replied with a smile.

Gauss scratched his head.

The big city really did feel grander than their small Grayrock Town.

The staff's service made him feel welcome.

Before he could begin choosing commissions, another attendant brought in plates of pastries.

On exquisite porcelain lay powdered muffins, honey-glazed nut pastries, and various Sena City seafood finger foods—the aroma irresistibly tempting.

Hot tea and coffee were brought in next.

And they all came in generous portions.

They were called snacks, but in number enough to fill an ordinary person's main meal.

"Enjoy."

A sliver of suspicion crossed Gauss's eyes.

Something felt off.

They seemed to know him quite well.

Could Adelle have told them something?

But telling them about his appetite seemed oddly detailed—such minor personal notes didn't need mention.

Gauss shook his head and refocused on the crystal in front of him.

Grasping the crystal, a flood of mission information poured into his mind.

Clear mutated creatures from the sewers, escort a caravan to an inland city, investigate abnormal mana fluctuations along the coast, hunt dangerous sea beasts in certain waters...

There were many types of commissions, difficulties ranging from beginner one-star to five-star.

Too many choices made his head spin.

Suddenly, Gauss noticed a familiar phrase.

A band of shore-running goblin pirates near the Tidal Cavern.

Shore-running goblins are a goblin subspecies active along shorelines, reef areas, islands, and caverns.

Their skin is gray-green or pale blue, their feet webbed—amphibious on land and sea.

This group of goblins pilots crude rafts, attacks coastal villages and grounded vessels, preys on passing merchant ships, secretly dives to breach hulls, and has caused great trouble to coastal fishermen. Please eliminate them as soon as possible.

As expected—goblins are everywhere.