The man walking towards Gauss appeared to be in his thirties or forties, dressed in well-fitted light armor with the emblem of the Big Snake Adventurer Group on his chest.
His steps were steady, his aura restrained, clearly a person of significant strength.
Gauss and his companions had initially prepared to turn and leave, but seeing the man approach, they paused for the moment.
The man walked up to Gauss and his group.
His gaze immediately fell on Gauss.
"Hello, Mr. Gauss," the man said blandly while extending a hand.
He identified Gauss immediately without any pretense or mystery.
"I am William, the External Affairs Manager of the Big Snake Adventurer Group. Our leader noticed you all earlier and specifically sent me to greet you."
Gauss understood; indeed, it was Mr. Kidd of the Vives Clan who had been watching them.
After thinking it over, the only possible connection was that the Vives Clan had extended an invitation to him through Adelle some time ago.
Could it be that after being refused, as a member of the Vives Clan, they wanted to seek revenge on behalf of their clan?
Thoughts swirled in Gauss’s mind, but his expression remained as calm as ever.
He then extended his hand to shake William’s, briefly and then let go.
"Hello, Manager William, please also give my regards to Leader Kidd."
Though he was guessing in his mind, Gauss maintained proper manners, wanting to see what William was really up to.
Kidd had sent him over; it was surely not as simple as just saying hello.
Sure enough, after a brief exchange, William continued speaking.
"Our leader values talent and specifically sent me to ask if Mr. Gauss and your Half-Snake Man friend would be interested in joining our Big Snake Adventurer Group’s formal combat ranks?"
Huh?
Just when Gauss was ready for confrontation.
William’s words turned out to be an invitation.
This time, however, it was under the banner of the Big Snake Adventurer Group, not the Vives Clan.
After being refused last time, they seemingly approached it from a different angle.
"Well..."
Recalling his previous experience, Gauss instinctively wanted to refuse.
He did not want to be bound.
"Rest assured, although our Big Snake Adventurer Group has some ties with the Vives Clan, we are not its vassal. All affairs within the group are independently decided. The leader genuinely admires you two, so please consider it some more."
He looked Gauss and Serdur over again, evidently understanding why Leader Kidd had specifically sent him to invite them.
There was no need to say much about Gauss, as his demeanor and appearance gave off an extraordinary vibe. As for Serdur, it was likely related to his Half-Snake Man identity.
Though both of their levels were rather low.
Joining their formal combat ranks required at least a level of 5 to start, and an ordinary level 5 might still fail the assessment, necessitating a special skill. Typically, core combat personnel were at least level 6.
This was due to Leader Kidd’s elite policy, preferring quality over quantity.
Of course, if it was another non-core department, the requirements would be much lower.
But accordingly, these people also enjoyed fewer rights and resources than the core team.
However, after his explanation...
He noticed that Gauss furrowed his brow.
"What about my two companions?"
Gauss indeed did not necessarily want to join the Big Snake Adventurer Group; he was just uncomfortable with how William had only focused on him and Serdur, ignoring Ying and Aaliyah.
"Our Big Snake Adventurer Group’s formal combat ranks have high thresholds." In response to Gauss’s query, William did not answer directly.
"If they were to join, they would need to undergo a period of observation and internal training, and then, based on their talents and strengths, be assigned to the most suitable combat team, with subsequent actions unified by the team."
After saying that, he looked at Aaliyah and Ying standing behind him.
"As for your two teammates, Mr. Gauss, they may not currently meet the entry standards of our core combat department."
"If they wish to join, I can coordinate with colleagues in other branches to find two positions."
It felt like the air was frozen.
Aaliyah stood awkwardly in place, biting her lip, her fingers instinctively clutching the hem of her robe, feeling utterly lost.
Being assessed openly and declared unqualified was somewhat humiliating, causing her cheeks to burn crimson.
Ying remained expressionless.
It was as if the man named William was speaking about someone else entirely, unrelated to him.
Gauss glanced at this scene out of the corner of his eye.
The slight consideration he had surface was instantly replaced by a firm emotion.
Without hesitation, he said resolutely.
"Sorry, thank you for your group’s appreciation."
He could understand the strict selection criteria for a large adventurer group, but understanding did not mean acceptance.
"We are a complete team. Either we all join, or none of us does."
William’s previously confident expression suddenly stiffened.
He believed he had offered an irresistible favor.
After all, a level 4 Professional wanting to apply to the core ranks would usually be seen as a troublemaker and turned away.
In Sen City, the gem of the bay, the name of the Big Snake Adventurer Group was very prestigious, even without considering later training and improvement, joining the core ranks itself was considered an honor for ordinary elite Professionals.
Many people dreamt of it yet could not attain it.
The calm on William’s face finally faded.
His tone turned cold, speaking with evident disappointment, as if realizing Gauss’s foolishness just now.