He collected some slightly valuable spoils of war, but given the size of the monster camp, he had neither the time nor the need to carry all the miscellaneous things away, so he simply left them for the civilians living here.
He handed over a simple parchment map he had drawn on the way back.
"No problem, leave it to us! Thank you so much, Mr. Gauss," the foreman quickly took it and assured with a pat on his chest.
Gauss nodded and mounted the chocobo.
With a gentle tug of the reins, the chocobo let out a crisp call, took steady steps, and quickly left the logging site under the gaze of many, heading towards the next assignment location, the farm where the berserk wild boar had appeared.
As soon as he left, the workers at the logging site couldn’t wait to start moving.
"Don’t just stand there, grab your tools, and bring more sacks, Mr. Gauss left us some benefits, so let’s be quick."
"When we sell them together, everyone can get a share of the money."
The spoils Gauss didn’t care for were, to them, a substantial profit.
...
Time quickly moved to the afternoon.
Gauss looked at the clay goblin that had just finished its slaughter and nodded calmly.
The next two ordinary assignments didn’t present any extraordinary situations and generally matched the description in the assignment details.
The berserk wild boar was slightly larger than typical boars, with sharp tusks, and impressive strength with thick, rough skin. It indeed wasn’t something ordinary people could handle.
As for the goblins in this abandoned village, their numbers, equipment, and morale were all unimpressive. There wasn’t even a proper leader, and aside from the left ear, there wasn’t much worth collecting among the spoils of war.
"That’s how it should be."
Gauss murmured softly.
He gestured the clay goblin to come forward.
This goblin’s clay material was purchased from the second floor of the Adventurer’s Guild and was overall quite good. After absorbing the spirituality of dozens of goblins and that goblin shaman, it had undergone some indescribable changes.
Its attack stance had become more agile, unlike before, when it was powerful but lacked technique.
"It’s a pity, there’s still not enough clay."
After its spirituality strengthened, the clay goblin, capable of perfect execution, could grow larger.
"I wonder if anyone has accepted the commission I posted for clay magic items?"
Requisition tasks for rare magic items like this are not quickly accepted or completed upon posting.
These are threshold tasks, involving specialized magic item collection, typically requiring the intervention of professionals. For professionals, rather than time-consuming, labor-intensive tasks with few leads, they often prefer accepting stable subjugation or escort tasks.
"Total monsters killed: 3103."
In half a day, Gauss completed three commissions, feeling that his efficiency was quite satisfactory.
As with many things, once experienced, one naturally masters the skills: locating enemies, fighting, scavenging—a seamless series of actions.
"Time to head back." After completing the assignments, Gauss didn’t stay long.
Returning to Forest Crown Town, it was still afternoon.
He headed straight to the Adventurer’s Guild to submit the assignments.
First, he reported the anomalous information related to the goblin commission around the logging site to the Adventurer’s Guild.
The Adventurer’s Guild in Forest Crown Town took his report very seriously; soon, a receptionist invited an Advanced Councilor from the sub-branch to liaise with Gauss.
The Advanced Councilor at the Forest Crown Town branch was a spirited old man. Certain guilds have these senior administrative positions to assist the president and vice presidents in their duties.
The old man had graying temples but eyes sharp as an eagle’s. He wore a well-cut guild uniform, with a stag head pin on his chest, exuding an elegant demeanor.
He led Gauss to a quiet reception room.
After a detailed discussion, the old man stood up and expressed his solemn gratitude.
"Mr. Gauss, thank you very much for your timely feedback. This was a serious oversight in our work. I will report this anomaly to our superiors. We will contact you when there are specific details."
"Furthermore, if verified, we will compensate you with 10 Gold Coins according to the procedure."
Gauss nodded.
This was indeed a significant issue. Although he handled it with ease, that was because his strength far exceeded that of a Bottom Adventurer.
This was just a regular commission, and he couldn’t imagine the losses a 3-4 person team might incur if they accepted such a task. If they failed to scout properly due to the enclosed terrain, the losses could be substantial.
Bottom Adventurers do not possess the rich and varied reconnaissance means that professionals do. Even when they have the awareness, they might not be able to scout accurately.
He didn’t report out of want for compensation money, though having it is better than not, as he did put in extra effort. Ultimately, he hoped the Adventurer’s Guild could quickly identify the issue and reduce such occurrences in the future.
In his first assignment, there was a case of inaccurate information, with severe losses for the temporary team, and the group disbanded as a result.
Having once faced rain himself, he now wanted to hold an umbrella for others.
But 10 Gold Coins... It reminded him of the compensation from his first commission, which was around ten Silver Coins, directly increased a hundred times.
Was it because of a different status?
Thinking of this, he shook his head, smiling bitterly to himself.
After submitting the feedback and collecting the rewards for the three assignments, Gauss went to the second floor and scanned the bulletin board, quickly finding his posted requisition.
The paper was still there, and after confirming with the receptionist, he discovered no one had accepted it yet.
"Mr. Gauss, this type of material collection task often requires some luck and time," the receptionist explained.
Gauss nodded. The commission had only been posted for a few days, and he wasn’t expecting immediate results; it was more of a habit to check daily.
"If you’re in a hurry, you could try your luck at this marketplace," the receptionist helpfully suggested.
"Thank you." Gauss inquired further, confirmed its location, and left the Adventurer’s Guild.
Back at the inn.
He settled the chocobo in a small shed behind the inn, providing food and water.
After taking a bath, he changed into casual clothes and headed towards the market mentioned by the receptionist.
Even without mentioning the purchase of quality clay, the goblin shaman’s tumor he possessed could be sold at an alchemy materials shop.
Reporting, cleaning, resting—a series of activities to end the day as nightfall set in.
On both sides of the street, storm lanterns and oil lamps were lit one by one, fastened on wooden poles or stretching out from shop eaves, casting a warm, dim glow.
These lights weren’t strong, just enough to lightly dispel the darkness close to the street. Moths and phototropic insects fluttered tirelessly around the light clusters.
The night crowd mostly comprised townspeople finishing their workday and adventurers completing assignments, chatting in small groups, heading to taverns, homes, or shops that were still open.
Gauss had a clear goal, passing through the slightly noisy street towards the northeastern corner of the town.
As he moved, the bustle of the main road was replaced by a different ambiance.
The lights here were denser, yet not warm and yellow, but multi-colored lamps, flickering candles, and the unique interplay of bluish and orange hues of alchemy furnaces from roadside shops.
This area was bathed in a bizarre, dazzling light.
The air was saturated with distinctly different scents.
Not the aroma of snacks, but intense herbal fragrances, pungent chemical reagent odors, and indistinct traces of lingering Magic Power.
This was the informal "market" of Forest Crown Town, a spontaneous trading zone formed by alchemist apprentices, material merchants, independent craftsmen, professionals, and a variety of opportunists.