"Don’t ruin the reputation of our Five Towns of Blue Lake."
Another young lady retorted.
As the two were engaged in a heated exchange, blocking the entrance and refusing to budge.
An elder butler emerged from behind the doors with a few attendants.
This group of attendants rushed forward, exuding respect.
Just as the two ladies thought they were being welcomed, the attendants ignored their carriages entirely.
Without stopping for a moment, they swiftly moved through the gap between the two vehicles, clearly heading towards the road behind them.
The butler approached Gauss and his party, wearing the warmest smile.
He stopped a few steps away from Gauss, bowing gracefully in greeting.
"Mr. Gauss, and esteemed guests. My deepest apologies for failing to welcome you earlier! President Robin, Mayor Ansel, and the distinguished guests have been waiting in the hall for some time and specifically instructed me to greet you. Please follow me."
"Thank you."
This sudden scene left the two previously arguing ladies speechless in an instant.
They were not far from Gauss, and with intentional attention, they naturally heard the butler’s words clearly.
Ga...Gauss?
They looked in the direction where the butler respectfully met.
Under the serene moonlight pouring down like mercury, a young man was slowly making his way through the crowd.
He wore an extremely simple white mage robe, made of ordinary material, with sparse and common tailoring, lacking any complex embroidery or luxurious adornments.
Yet, it was this ultimate simplicity, illuminated by the pure moonlight, that outshone the ornate decorations, conveying an indescribable clarity and otherworldly aura.
Simple, but attractive.
Is he Gauss?
Both swallowed hard.
Thinking that this was the most important target repeatedly emphasized by their family elders, they felt a rush of heat in their hearts.
They had inquired beforehand but didn’t expect their strategic target to be so handsome this time.
Had they known he looked this good, they wouldn’t have needed family nudging and would have proactively come to Lakeside Town to meet him days ago.
Gauss walked calmly.
The two vehicles left enough space for someone to walk, so he said nothing, passing expressionlessly through the gap between carriages under the lead of the butler.
The butler, leading the way ahead, glanced at the two ladies’ dumbfounded looks with a shake of his head, deciding not to comment.
"Lord Gauss, please walk this way."
...
Seeing Gauss about to quickly leave.
The two ladies didn’t bother with the entrance order anymore, quickly instructing the coachman, then, with the maid’s help, hurriedly alighted and ran toward Gauss, lifting their skirts.
However, before they took a few steps, other attendants from the Blue Lake Hall stopped them.
"Esteemed ladies, the banquet is about to officially begin. Please allow me to guide you and your entourage to enter in order."
"Mr. Gauss’s party is the special guests for tonight and needs to enter first. Please understand."
"How dare you!"
"Do you know who my grandfather is? Do you know how serious it is to delay my opportunity for private time with Lord Gauss?"
"My apologies." The well-trained attendant wore an impeccable polite smile.
"What is your name?"
...
Listening to the sharp voices gradually fade away behind him, Gauss couldn’t help but shake his head.
The fact is, no matter how elegant and grand the attire, it cannot adorn an impoverished and scornful inner world.
He realized those noble ladies weren’t much to speak of either.
Better not to linger and go directly inside to avoid being stuck and annoyed.
Upon entering the banquet hall through the front door, an attendant promptly announced in a loud voice.
The once bustling banquet hall suddenly fell silent.
Merchants, minor nobles, noble ladies, senior officials, adventurers all turned their attention to the entrance.
Some hadn’t previously seen this newly famous champion Gauss and were naturally very curious.
But upon seeing him, they nodded to themselves.
At least in terms of appearance and demeanor, he didn’t disappoint their expectations and imagination.
Some noblewomen, who were previously chatting and laughing, subtly distanced themselves from each other, secretly observing mutual reactions.
For ninety percent of the unmarried noblewomen present, their target was Gauss, whether for family alliance or pure attraction to this young powerhouse’s charm.
Even if marriage couldn’t be secured, a fleeting romance or offspring would significantly elevate their status within the family.
Albena sensed those fervent gazes and couldn’t help but step forward, using her broad frame to shield Gauss.
She was here tonight for that purpose.
"Tsk—"
A few clicks of the tongue faintly echoed in the spacious hall.
Aside from Gauss, his teammates also drew a considerable amount of attention in the hall.
Some believed that Gauss’s overwhelming lead in points wasn’t just due to his own strength, but also because his teammates were formidable.
Now it seemed indeed extraordinary.
The female warrior, tall as a small giant, even in a white dress, couldn’t hide her fierce aura.
The alien half-snake man, a mysterious lady in a black dress, and a female caster who remained poised despite being the focus of many.
Even without the championship aura, this team by mere presence could overshadow other adventurers, and not just by a small margin.
"Gauss, you came!"
Without letting Gauss’s party linger at the door too long, Mayor Ansel and several local dignitaries soon greeted him with beaming smiles.
"Haha, our big hero has finally arrived!" Mayor Ansel warmly shook Gauss’s hand, then turned to everyone, raising his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"Allow me to reintroduce: this is the champion of this year’s Blue Lake Hunting Contest, the young hero who set a new record with absolute superiority, Gauss! And his courageous companions! Let’s welcome them with applause once again!"
The applause was thunderous and unending.
Fellow adventurers expressed admiration, knowing the difficulty like no one else.
Merchants and aristocrats also beamed, calculating how to forge connections.
As for the noblewomen, their gazes were fiery, wishing they could devour him whole.
"Then let’s begin this celebration banquet."
...
"Phew—"
"It seems I really should come to these formal banquets less often in the future."
On the second-floor balcony.
Gauss seized the opportunity, using his agile steps to extricate himself from the crowd.
He massaged his temples lightly, unable to help but sigh.
This kind of formal banquet was a first for him.
He initially thought it would just be a formality, but didn’t expect it to be this tiring.
The seemingly gentle and graceful noblewomen, fell over themselves after a drink, often making it hard for him to extricate without force. Fortunately, he had a few closest aides to remain by his side as guards.
Albena, in particular, played a crucial role, stopping the majority of the women trying to sidle up.
Yet even so, he now had a mild headache, with echoes of the ladies’ endless chatter seemingly still ringing in his ears.
Really...what a strong magic attack!
His teammates, seeing his rare flustered and fearful look, all burst into smiles.
"If those beauties knew your opinion, their hearts would break," Aaliyah joked.
"Beauties? What’s beautiful about them?" Albena snorted dismissively, shaking her head. "The powder on their faces is thicker than the walls of my house."
Even now, her arm still had a thick layer of pasty white residue.
Scrapping it off to make cosmetics could probably sell for quite some money.
Watching his comrades chatter, Gauss made no comment.
Instead, he leaned against the balcony railing, silently gazing at the bright night moon outside, silently calculating when the banquet might end.
He planned to show up briefly near the end, so as not to come off too rude.
As for being swamped afterward, Gauss believed it wouldn’t happen.
After all, he knew the Flying Technique.
Just as he was planning this, a commotion suddenly rose from the ground below the balcony outside.
"You can’t go in! This is a celebration banquet for the hunting contest!"