In a flash, he captured the discrepancy between her body, shadow, and light, however brief.
It was like a discordant note inserted into a perfect symphony.
Though fleeting, the sense of chaos was undeniably present.
Could her shadow move on its own?
Is that her special ability?
Gauss glanced at the shadow connected to her boots and, after a brief observation, looked away.
After that brief dissonance, it seemed to have returned to normal.
[Oh no, I think he just noticed.]
[This man’s senses are sharper than a dog’s; I barely moved at all.]
"...."
Ying remained silent.
She gave her shadow, Shad, a brief cold shoulder.
[I’m sorry, I know I was wrong]
"Forget it, just be more careful next time, especially in front of strangers. This time it’s a teammate; they’ll know about it once the mission officially starts anyway."
Ying shook her head.
Her shadow was unruly, but it apologized, so she could only forgive it.
In particular, she sympathized; if she were trapped in someone else’s shadow with self-awareness yet had to constantly restrain herself in front of others, she would feel stifled too.
However, even though she thought this way, she had ordered her shadow not to move freely in front of others.
An inexplicable subconscious told her that she must minimize the exposure of this ability as much as possible.
"Let’s see, I’ll find an opportunity to mention it."
Gauss glanced at her, and she looked back at him.
....
Two days later.
The new Gauss team assembled at the town’s exit.
On this sunny morning, they were to embark on a special commission from the Adventurer’s Guild.
"Everything’s ready, the potions from the Guild are packed... food, drinking water, fodder for the mounts..." Aaliyah scribbled on parchment with a pen.
Each time an item was confirmed with Gauss, she crossed it off the list.
"I’ve got bandages and regular antidotes here, along with insect repellent balm. Everyone should take some and apply it to the skin. It’s colorless and odorless but effectively prevents insect bites."
"I’ve prepared plenty of arrows and signal flares." Seemingly to fit in a bit more.
Ying, quietly standing by, suddenly spoke, patting the saddlebag next to her horse.
"Thanks for the effort."
"...It’s necessary."
"Oh, by the way, Ying, I’ve brought extra feed grains for the mounts. We also prepared more than enough basic supplies for the four of us. If you don’t have enough, feel free to ask us for more."
Gauss, concerned that she might be too silent and shy to speak up, offered proactively.
"Thank you."
Watching her teammates systematically check the supplies, Ying looked up at the gentle sunlight and suddenly felt pretty good.
Once everything was confirmed.
Gauss mounted his Chocobo and patted its long neck.
"Let’s go!"
Leaving Forest Crown Town, the team headed west.
On the map, from east to west, lay Barry City, Gray Rock Town, Forest Crown Town, and their destination at the border, the "Obsidian Path" of the Huron Mountains.
In other words, ever since early spring, Gauss has been maintaining a westward journey.
To the south of this route lies Jade Forest, one of the natural barriers of the Demon Territory.
"The destination isn’t near, but luckily we’ll pass through several villages along the way, so with some planning, we’ll have places to rest each night," Gauss said, putting away the map.
The long journey is an inevitable part of adventure.
Most adventurers had gone through this, walking, riding mounts, upgrading to better mounts, or using teleportation arrays for long-distance travel...
Of course, every travel method has its advantages and disadvantages.
Walking and riding provide the most freedom, allowing flexible route planning with possible encounters with unique events. The former is cost-efficient, the latter slightly more efficient but requires care and maintenance.
Teleportation arrays offer the quickest travel, but their use is expensive and not every place has one.
Many traditionalists, akin to ascetics, would persist in using their legs to cover the land with each step, even with more convenient travel options available.
They believe that walking barefoot on the earth is what constitutes a pure and authentic adventure.
Traveling along well-trodden trade routes, one might occasionally encounter other adventurers, caravans, and villages.
When small creatures pop up, Gauss adheres to not neglecting small good deeds, sending them off to embrace rebirth as they go.
By dusk, according to the day’s plan, they reached the designated stopover, a small village called Charlie Village.
The village had a few dozen households, but only one modest inn was available for travelers.
"Welcome, four guests from afar." The innkeeper was a Half-Beastman.
When Gauss saw him upon entering, he was startled.
Generally, Half-Beastmen are a rare sight in human rural villages.
You might encounter Half-Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes more often.
"You are adventurers, right? Recently, many have been heading west." The Half-Beastman, unfazed by Gauss’s surprise, continued.
"Many adventurers heading west?" Gauss repeated curiously.
"Yes, just over the past few weeks, many batches of them." The Half-Beastman said while wiping cups on the counter. "They’re all unusual folks, just like you, well-equipped, coming and going in a hurry. Some say things are getting unsettled in the mountains to the west. Could something major be happening?"