As they headed further north, the air gradually became dry.
A layer of soft dry straw was piled under the carriage, with two layers of cloth on top, creating a very comfortable means of transport.
When Gauss and the others were tired, they would occasionally get on the carriage to rest and take a nap.
This was the benefit of having a large group; they didn’t need to be constantly on edge during the long journey as there were always teammates who could keep watch in turns.
"Ha—"
Gauss cast his gaze into the distance.
The group had entered a vast plain.
The yellowish wild grass grew in large patches like wheat fields. When the autumn wind blew, the grass rustled and undulated like ocean waves, presenting a spectacular view.
"Let’s set up camp here for a while."
Gauss felt that there were likely quite a few monsters lurking in the vast plains before him.
The crucial thing was that when he flew into the sky, the unobstructed view from above allowed him to see the distribution of monsters over a considerable range.
"Alright."
The others had no objections.
After two days of travel, Abby and York, the father-daughter duo, had mostly recovered physically.
Upon regaining consciousness and learning about the events, York was overwhelmed with tears and repeatedly expressed gratitude to Gauss’s team.
Like Abby, it was impossible for York not to hold any resentment towards the villagers, especially the village chief, after the incident.
Fortunately, they had left that sorrowful place. He planned to start a new life with his daughter Abby in the next town.
"Let me check the map; the nearest city is Flute Castle..."
Gauss turned his gaze to Abby, who was practicing Tricks. At this moment, she had already mastered the Light Spell Trick.
Though unsure if there were any side effects for now, the witch’s transformation had clearly unlocked her potential for learning magic earlier than expected.
Normally, most people’s bodies and minds would need to develop to the ages of 15 or 16 to be more suitable for contacting magic.
The earlier one studied magic, the thicker the invisible barrier would become.
Even considering potential side effects, Gauss believed this transformation was beneficial for Abby.
Because one can never know when danger might strike first, the sooner one can tap into their talent, the better.
"Mr. Gauss, my body feels a lot better."
After finishing her casting, Abby walked over to Gauss and softly spoke.
The reason she called him teacher was because York told her to, but Gauss didn’t correct her.
"It’s probably because your magic power found a way to channel after you started learning magic, preventing it from being stifled inside your body."
Gauss explained.
"You should continue practicing casting every day."
"Your body hasn’t fully developed yet, and too much magic power accumulating in your body is just a burden for you."
"I understand, Mr. Gauss."
After giving Abby some guidance.
Gauss turned to Ying.
"Ying, we’re running low on food, so please hunt some prey nearby. I’ll scout around."
Then, after instructing Aaliyah, Albena, and Serdur to stay on guard, Gauss used the Flying Skill and, under Abby’s admiring gaze, slowly left the ground, disappearing into the invisible heights.
She had never seen another caster; in her eyes, Gauss was the strongest mage, omnipotent and able to reach the heavens or go underground.
After leaving the group, Gauss summoned the Red Dragon Dragon Beast Hephaestus.
"Roar~"
Longing for activity, Hephaestus frantically flapped its wings.
In the past, sleeping for several days would have been normal for it, but after joining Gauss’s team and getting used to a different lifestyle, it felt somewhat restless.
"Don’t rush; you’ll have plenty of opportunities to move around."
Gauss donned the "Eagle Eye Monocle."
While on the ground earlier, he had already caught whiffs of faint stench in the wind.
With the monocle to his eye, the scene below became strikingly clear.
"Oh? Found you!"
Gauss swiftly locked onto an unusual area in the distance.
Estimating Ying’s hunting time and Aaliyah and the others setting up camp, making a fire, and cooking, he figured he could clear them out before the meal was ready?
A pat on Hephaestus’s neck, and the eager dragon beast soared forward with a powerful flap of its wings.
...
"Swish, swish, swish—"
The grass swayed as a large jackal-wolf pushed aside the stalks with its dark gray hand, its rough paw stepping heavily on the bent grass.
Behind this tall jackal-wolf, there were more than a dozen companions.
Together, they dragged a wild buffalo much larger than themselves across the plains.
Not far from their sight, the camp’s outline gradually became clear.
Though called a camp, there weren’t any buildings. Just using the naturally occurring round black boulders on the plain, they cleared an open space.
Spread with dried grass, it made the best bedding.
The nature of the jackal-wolf people dictated that they rarely built structures, for they were natural predators.
They appeared in the wilderness, depleting an area’s hunting resources before migrating elsewhere, like a swarm of locusts, leaving barren land in their wake.
Other monster camps and human villages were their hunting targets.
Goblins and kobolds, also common in the wild, often found themselves at a disadvantage when facing these more brutal neighbors if their group sizes were similar.
As the jackal-wolf "hunting party" returned, their kin emerged quickly from near the black stones to welcome them.
Just as the jackal-wolves celebrated their bounty, a massive shadow slowly enveloped them.