"What’s wrong with you?"
Aaliyah noticed Gauss staring blankly at a wall of tree bark, his fork raised in mid-air. She waved her hand in front of his eyes.
"You’re not drunk, are you? This fruit wine is just a beverage, right?"
"It’s nothing, I just suddenly started thinking." Gauss didn’t say much.
On one hand, he wasn’t sure if the voice he heard earlier was real, and on the other, they weren’t using Magic for their conversation, so this wasn’t the place for a chat.
"Let’s continue eating."
Gauss put the last piece of stewed meat into his mouth and slowly chewed.
The information was nearly gathered.
Though mostly rumors and fragmented information, what he pieced together was enough to form an initial understanding and impression of the area around Outpost 11.
He put down his knife and fork, stood up.
Stretching his body, he moved towards where he heard the voice earlier, carefully sensing and observing his surroundings. After confirming he hadn’t noticed anything, he stopped.
"I’m almost done eating. Let’s go buy some supplies this afternoon, then rest. We’ll prepare to set off tomorrow morning."
...
The next day.
When Gauss and his party arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place with Bard’s group, Bard and the caravan had just arrived, organizing their gear by the roadside.
"Oh, Captain Gauss, good morning. How was your rest?"
"Quite good." Gauss nodded. "Captain Bard, is everyone here?"
He turned to look beside him, and those who traveled with him had already arrived.
"No. We’re still waiting for some people. There are other Adventurers joining us to Outpost 11."
"Oh." Gauss understood, no wonder Bard didn’t move when he arrived.
Since everyone wasn’t here, there was nothing to do but wait.
Soon, a few more Adventurers arrived.
Knowing they were late, the newcomers apologized to everyone as they joined.
Gauss generously waved his hand.
With that attitude, there’s no need to say anything more, just join the team openly.
Gauss turned to Bard and found he still had no intention of getting on the horse.
Oh.
This time, no need to ask, he understood.
Still waiting for more people.
"Hoo..."
Gauss found a small roadside step to sit on and took out a book to read silently.
He felt a bit impatient.
Though he wasn’t in a rush, it was somewhat annoying.
Despite being an Adventurer for over a year, having completed many assignments, he had never been late.
Most times, he arrived earlier than the appointed time.
This was true for most Adventurers.
After waiting for a while, Gauss nearly got lost in his book, almost forgetting he was waiting for people.
In the distance, a commotion finally sounded, accompanied by playful laughter and the crisp sound of hooves.
"Uncle Mo, see? I told you we’d make it in time. They’re still waiting for us."
It was the noble offspring they met by the city gate yesterday, leisurely riding his magnificently steed with shiny, glossy coat.
He had changed into more practical hunting attire for the forest, but it was well-tailored, subtly patterned, and made of high-quality materials, not just ordinary leather, possibly from some Demon material.
The young man wore a lazy, self-assured expression, as if making the entire caravan wait was normal.
Behind him was Uncle Mo, the man in the white robe who gave Gauss a strong sense of pressure, along with several well-equipped, taciturn Adventurers.
Gauss quietly put down his book and cast his gaze toward them.
Of course, his attention was not on the young noble but on the middle-aged man who exuded a strong sense of threat.
"Apologies, everyone. We ran into some unexpected delays on the road. Truly sorry to have kept you waiting."
"If we encounter any unexpected incidents during the journey, leave it to us. No need for you all to exert yourselves."
To Gauss’s surprise, Uncle Mo managed a smile and approached the group to apologize.
Gauss raised an eyebrow.
He originally thought, given the attitude from yesterday, they wouldn’t say much.
Unexpectedly, they took the initiative to apologize and seemed quite sincere.
Plus, they offered "compensation," willing to be more proactive during the journey.
Regardless of whether this compensation would be fulfilled, at least it showed their attitude for now.
"It’s okay, let’s get ready and depart." Bard, albeit with some hesitation, smiled slightly ingratiatingly at the man in the white robe.
He thereby gave him a step to back down.
He could naturally sense the power aura not of an elite level.
Even if the man hadn’t apologized, he wouldn’t dare give a "strong one" a hard time.
"Thanks for understanding." Uncle Mo nodded to Bard before turning back to Gauss. "Young friend, shall we depart?"
"Let’s go."
Gauss mounted his chocobo.
The noble son seemed to want to say more, but Uncle Mo’s slight cough silenced him.
He glanced at Uncle Mo and eventually didn’t push further, just lazily urged, "Then let’s get going, I don’t want to stay in this godforsaken place a moment longer."