"Caw!"
Morning.
With a crisp call like metal clashing, a shiny black raven descended from the sky.
Gauss casually sliced a piece of meat from the ingredients and tossed it to Aik.
Aik caught it with precision and swallowed it in one gulp.
Its return indicated that it had successfully delivered the message to the Adventurer’s Guild.
Gauss quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
As an adventurer, it is best to involve oneself as little as possible with matters beyond the line of duty.
Especially in complex situations involving rights and wrongs.
Sometimes when you do too much, others may not appreciate your effort.
Gauss fixed his gaze on the magic pot in front of him.
Since he had acquired this pot, his interest in cooking was rekindled.
He still hadn’t gotten over the excitement of having a "new toy."
"Three pounds of cucumbers, deseeded and sliced thin; ten pounds of chicken breast, finely shredded along the grain; a handful of soaked mountain mushrooms, squeezed dry for later..."
Gauss held an ordinary sheepskin recipe in one hand, skillfully handling ingredients with the other.
After adding all the ingredients according to the recipe, Gauss picked up the spoon and stirred at a steady pace.
Soon, the magic power of the pot began to take effect, and a light purple smoke gently drifted out.
Every time Gauss used this magic pot, he felt more like a wizard concocting a potion than someone cooking a meal.
As the steam rose, the fragrant aroma quickly permeated through the mist-covered woods.
"Lord Gauss, it smells wonderful!"
Albena came out of the house and approached.
"Get ready for breakfast after you freshen up."
She produced a jug of wine from who knows where.
"Lord Gauss, would you like some? It’s my treasured brew."
Gauss blinked.
Perhaps because they were getting closer, Albena’s true "tomboy" nature was gradually being revealed.
"I’m good, you go ahead." He smiled and shook his head.
Drinking so early in the morning.
But considering her robust physique, almost monster-like, a few sips of alcohol wouldn’t have much effect.
"Abby, little sister, do you want some?"
Albena turned around and happened to meet Abby, who was slowly walking out of the doorway, holding the railing for support.
Abby, faced with the "giant" towering over her, recoiled slightly in fear but didn’t dare refuse, so she looked at Gauss with a wary gaze.
"Albena, don’t corrupt the children."
"Abby, come over for breakfast."
Gauss beckoned to her, and Abby immediately breathed a sigh of relief and slowly walked toward Gauss.
Watching her shuffle along, Gauss had no intention of getting up to aid her.
He simply scooted a wooden chair in her direction.
"Thank you."
Abby sat beside Gauss, inhaling the aromatic food smell, feeling a sudden sense of comfort.
"Is your father awake?"
"He’s up. Uncle Snake said he wanted to examine my father, so he asked me to come out first."
Abby nodded.
Before long, the others also came out, gathering around the pot as they waited for breakfast.
Abby’s father, York, seemed significantly better, although he still couldn’t communicate clearly with people. The hyperactive feeling had subsided; he only held onto Abby’s hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
"Let’s eat."
Gauss served food to each person.
Soon enough, the impatient group began to enjoy their meal.
"Mmm!"
"So delicious~"
Simple ingredients, yet when processed by the flavorful magic pot, they brought out a taste far exceeding the ingredients themselves.
Besides the rich aroma, the food warmed the whole body from the inside, feeling especially comforting in the slightly chilly early autumn weather.
Gauss put down his bowl.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Abby’s eyes were red, and tears were trickling down her cheeks.
What happened?
He didn’t add any spicy seasonings to the food.
"Does it not suit your taste?"
"It’s nothing, Lord Gauss." Abby wiped away the tears with her hand.
"I just didn’t expect to have the chance to share a meal with my father again."
"Thank you, Lord Gauss."
Gauss exhaled in relief and smiled in satisfaction.
...
After eating and drinking their fill, a refreshed Gauss and his group continued on their journey.
To accommodate Abby and York, Gauss crafted a temporary carriage from the surrounding woods.
Then, the silver wolf Ulfen acted as the steed, pulling the carriage with the father and daughter aboard.
"Is Ulfen alright with this?"
"It can handle it; it’s a good opportunity for it to lose some weight." Aaliyah waved her hand. "Judging by the time, the people from Yuge Town might have already reached the herbal village. I’m curious about how they’ll deal with the village chief and the others."
She still seemed concerned about the problems from the previous village.
"Aaliyah, have you made a breakthrough?" Gauss had already moved past the events of the herbal village and gave a scrutinizing look at Aaliyah, who was riding a Chocobo next to him.
"How did you know?" Aaliyah blinked.
She hadn’t told Gauss yet and was planning to surprise him, but he had figured it out.
"Just a feeling."
Gauss smiled.
"Gauss..." Aaliyah hesitated and spoke up.
"What is it?" Gauss waited for a while, not hearing her continue, and looked at her in confusion.
"I, I’ve been having a similar dream frequently in the past few days." Aaliyah hadn’t intended to say anything, thinking it wasn’t important, but with the mention of breakthroughs, she wanted to take this chance to talk to Gauss about the changes she was experiencing.
"Dreams? Similar dreams?" Gauss showed some interest.
Even for a professional, this wasn’t a common occurrence.