He slept straight from the afternoon to the next morning.
Gauss was awakened by the intense feeling of hunger in his stomach.
He quickly grabbed some dried frog meat to quell his hunger, and only after the hunger subsided did he leave the room.
Having slept for over a dozen hours, he felt as if he had been resurrected with full health, the "stench of fatigue" completely washed away, and his spirits fully restored.
"Caw caw!"
The familiar cry came from the balcony on the second floor. Raven Aik was perched on the railing, tilting its head to survey the interior.
Although Aaliyah’s house was not far from Gauss’s, it was perhaps the first time Aik had come over. How it managed to find the place was a mystery.
Gauss waved his hand at it.
For some reason, the raven seemed a bit afraid of him and instinctively hopped backward on the ground by two steps. Ultimately, the temptation of the nuts in Gauss’s hand prevailed.
Aik flapped its wings to approach, swiftly snatched the nuts, and then landed in the living room, curiously hopping around as it swallowed and explored the new surroundings.
Gauss didn’t pay much attention to it.
He focused on using magic to thoroughly clean the entire house. Having done that, he stepped outside.
The town’s streets were also covered in a thick layer of snow, shining with a chilly glow in the morning light.
Arriving at Aaliyah’s doorstep, the courtyard wrapped in snow showed no sign of Gray Wolf Ulfen, but through the window, the living room’s fireplace could be seen burning fiercely, radiating a warm glow.
After knocking, Aaliyah’s voice quickly came from inside.
"Is that you, Gauss? Come in, the door’s unlocked."
Gauss pushed the door open and walked into the living room.
Compared to the outside’s biting air, the house was quite warm.
Ulfen lay lazily on a rug in front of the fireplace, greeted him with two howls upon seeing him enter.
Aaliyah had moved all the potted plants from the courtyard into the house, tending to her plant friends she’d been apart from for a week.
It seemed a day’s rest had rejuvenated her well.
"Sit wherever you like."
Being quite familiar, Aaliyah didn’t set aside her work to greet him.
Living close meant frequent visits anyway.
"When will the winter hunt’s profits be settled roughly?"
Gauss was quite concerned about this matter.
Aaliyah and he had worked hard for a week, reaching the Adventurer’s Handbook’s milestone of a thousand kills and collecting 20 types of ordinary monsters. But to achieve complete success this year, it still required smoothly obtaining the winter hunt’s revenue.
"It seemed around five or six days last year? Mainly because evaluating the spoils and selling them to merchants takes time... though." Aaliyah paused to think. "There was an incident yesterday, unsure if it’ll delay things."
"Besides, we’ll need to find time to sell the loot and equipment from that adventurer squad we harvested on the first day for a decent sum."
"Rest for a few days first?"
"No rush, it’s not urgent." Gauss nodded.
The equipment lay securely in the Storage Pouch.
After ending the long, intense battle commission, it was indeed time to properly recuperate.
Gauss contemplated his agenda. In recent times, his primary goal should be practicing the two newly acquired 1st-level spells, [Alarm] and [Burning Hand], to enhance their proficiency as soon as possible.
Then, naturally advancing his Profession Tier to level 2.
He could feel that level 2 was drawing closer.
As for other objectives, they had to wait for the snow to ease off a bit before planning.
Though, because of his Racial Talent, he wasn’t particularly afraid of the cold now, trekking through deep snow and long outdoor actions weren’t wise choices ultimately.
Idle as he was, he practiced the Alarm spell at Aaliyah’s home.
After offering some chunks of raw meat as compensation, Ulfen agreed to help with spell practice.
"1st-level spell Alarm lv2 (2/20)"
The speed of practicing Alarm was fairly quick, and unlike Burning Hand, Alarm could be practiced anytime in town.
He planned to first raise Alarm to lv3, then find time to head out of town and practice Burning Hand.
——
Time quietly passed in tranquility. A few days went by, and neither Gauss nor Aaliyah left Gray Rock Town.
The pedestrians in town noticeably thinned.
Many out-of-town adventurers had left like migratory birds, leaving only local residents and a few settlers like Gauss.
Though there was still some time before the year-end festival, Gray Rock Town’s residents had begun preparing early.
On the last day of the year, most families would sit by the fireplace or hearth to enjoy the most sumptuous, labor-intensive dinner of the year.
Including meat not usually consumed often, like smoked ham, sausages, roast meat, turkey—along with nuts, dried fruits, and homemade warming wine.
Leaving the Adventurer’s Guild station, Gauss and Aaliyah observed the townsfolk adorning the houses along the lively street, lost in their thoughts.
"Aren’t you going home?" He couldn’t help but curiously ask.
In truth, he seldom delved into his comrades’ personal affairs, but this time, prompted by the scene, he couldn’t hold back from asking.
"My home..." Aaliyah’s voice paused, a trace of unnoticed gloom flickering in her eyes.
"It’s far from Gray Rock Town, not very convenient... haven’t gone back for several years."
Gauss looked at her briefly, not probing further.
Actually, for him to return "home" wouldn’t take particularly long. He just wasn’t ready to face the former family’s emotions, so he’d been postponing the visit.
Perhaps next year, take some time to go and at least leave some money? Fulfilling a form of attachment for his original self, repaying the nurturing grace.
He contemplated inwardly.
The money he now held, just giving a small portion would equate to considerable savings for an ordinary rural household.
Subconsciously, he patted the bulging money pouch at his waist. The slight jingle of metal brought a steady sense of reassurance.
The adventure guild’s winter hunt revenue had just been settled, plus their own sale of spoils, Gauss not only paid off the loan of those 20 gold coins, but still had over 43 gold coins remaining.
This sum was enough to support his planning for the upcoming year.
Whether purchasing new Spellbooks, acquiring better equipment, or considering a reliable mount.
After parting ways with Aaliyah at the alley’s end, Gauss didn’t return home but instead headed for the town gate.
The gate guards, familiar with this Mage’s presence, promptly stood by and let him pass respectfully.
Outside the town, wrapped in silver, was a desolate sight.
Within the visible range, it seemed he alone was the oddball practicing spells amidst this snowy day.
"Alarm lv3(3/50)"
"Burning Hand lv2 (17/20)"
Although described as resting during these days, Gauss hadn’t truly relaxed. The proficiency of the two 1st-level spells steadily increased with continued practice.
More importantly, he could clearly sense the cup-like structure emblematic of his Profession Tier within him, its surface covered with shimmering white runes. Energetic currents surged inside, accompanied by slight tremors, continuously releasing intense pulses.
Evidently, as the proficiency of his two 1st-level spells rose, the tipping point for advancing to level 2 was already on the horizon.
"Burning Hand!"
"Burning Hand!"
In the snowfield, fierce flames repeatedly rose.
Adding a touch of warmth to the cold wilderness outside.
Gauss watched his steadily increasing proficiency with Burning Hand, feeling warmth in his heart.