With a local guide leading the way, Gauss and his group quickly found the inn near the docks.
The rooms offered an excellent view, allowing them to take in the lake’s scenery at a glance.
Perhaps due to the Grand Lake Competition, the inns in the small town were nearly full, with a constant flow of tourists and participants in varied attire, in stark contrast to the quiet Gold and Silver Town.
The time was just past noon, with the sun shining brightly.
Gauss and the others had no intention of resting further at the inn.
After a simple wash and change into more comfortable clothing for activities, they leisurely strolled onto the bustling main street, intending to experience the rare festive atmosphere firsthand.
As soon as they stepped onto the street, a wave of lively noise hit them.
Stalls of all kinds lined the streets, the air filled with the aroma of grilled fish and meat, mixed with the fresh moisture brought by the lake breeze.
"It’s so lively!"
Aaliyah’s eyes sparkled.
Her gaze roamed from stall to stall.
She paused at a stall selling shells and trinkets, picking up a wind chime-like ornament and gently shaking it to listen to its crisp and melodious sound.
The street vendors sold not only food but also exquisite knick-knacks resembling souvenirs.
"Why didn’t you buy it?"
Gauss asked curiously when he saw Aaliyah returning empty-handed.
"It was too expensive. That owner must think I’m a fool, asking for two silver coins for a small wind chime." Aaliyah shook her head.
While she didn’t lack the money, she didn’t want to be ripped off.
The price was so absurd she couldn’t even be bothered to haggle.
Gauss shook his head.
The group then did some further shopping on the street.
They didn’t return to the inn to rest until dusk approached.
At night.
Gauss walked alone on the street.
After exploring and inquiring during the day, he had gained some understanding of the surrounding situation.
He had focused on asking about the distribution of nearby monsters and also learned about the origins of the "Five Town United Grand Lake Competition."
This festival originally arose because the livelihoods of five towns around the Blue Lake heavily depended on this vast water area.
In the struggle for the best fishing grounds, lake treasures, and the elusive blessing of the Lake God, the relations among the five towns were not harmonious, with constant friction.
Later, it was proposed to host a competition to promote communication among the towns and use this chance to worship the Lake God, praying for good weather and abundant harvests.
Thus, the "Five Town United Grand Lake Competition" was born.
Over time, the event grew larger in scale, the prizes became richer, turning into a grand festival held every few years, becoming an important platform for improving inter-town relations, attracting tourists, and stimulating trade.
Additionally, choosing this time of year to hold the event had its deeper considerations.
The transition between summer and autumn, with hot weather, is when demons are most active.
The festive activities and the presence of large crowds inherently help drive away many of the weaker demons.
Meanwhile, the towns could seize this opportunity to patrol collaboratively, share intelligence, and even organize joint actions against strong demons.
Many adventurers, drawn to the fame, could help eliminate demons in the surrounding waters.
"Total Monsters Killed: 7611"
The visit to Gold and Silver Town had helped Gauss accumulate over a thousand in his monster kill count, leaving him just a step away from 8000.
Just as well, Gauss thought his Red Dragon Beast, Hephaestus, had eaten too many goblins lately, sensing it was getting a bit tired of them, and decided they could head to the Blue Lake to try some "river delicacies" for a change.
Mr. Gao wasn’t unreasonable.
Creatures on the ground, swimming in water, flying in the sky—a variety of food for a balanced diet.
Besides...
Gauss toyed with a special Crystal Stone in his hand.
This was a tool for the "Blue Lake Hunting Tournament," one of the core events of the Grand Lake Competition.
Although he didn’t understand the exact mechanism, the stone could record corresponding event points when brought close to a monster’s corpse after a successful hunt.
Gauss hadn’t initially planned to participate in the lake competition.
He just thought that even if he didn’t register, he was going out hunting anyway, so it was convenient to take part.
Perhaps he could even place well in the event.
After leaving Lakeside Town, he used the Flying Technique to fly a bit further until he was sure no one was around.
Then he released the Red Dragon Beast from his creature pouch.
"Roar——"
The Red Dragon Beast yawned.
Though it had been "confined" in the creature pouch for the past few days, it hadn’t grown irritable.
On the contrary, it thoroughly enjoyed the rare peace, reminiscent of carefree days.
"Don’t worry, no goblins for lunch today."
Gauss patted its dragon head.
On its head, two deep red, smooth little horns had begun to emerge.
They looked somewhat cute.
Receiving the good news, Hephaestus’s mood settled a bit.
"Let’s take off,"
he said, climbing onto the dragon’s back.
With the dragon’s wings flapping, their altitude swiftly soared.
Gauss put on the Eagle Eye monocle, his vision turning crystal clear.
The flat, expansive land was crisscrossed with rivers and ponds, the vast, sea-like Blue Lake dominating the view.
After some scouting, he began directing Hephaestus towards a certain wide river.
As they approached, figures on the riverbank became clearer.
About twenty half-human-sized Little Fishmen, seen out of the corner of his eye, were dragging two already-dead wild sheep on the road towards the water.
This group of Little Fishmen held fish-spears; some were dragging, while others vigilantly scanned the surroundings, wary of potential attacks by beasts or demons attracted by the scent of blood.