The maid hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn’t dare defy his wishes; after all, the Viscount himself had said that they should treat Gauss as respectfully as they would their own.
Enjoying the highest level of hospitality, Gauss naturally walked freely around the castle.
Pushing open the heavy doors, the spotless corridor was slightly cooler than the warm room, yet overall it was quite comfortable.
A few guards stood by in the corridor, and upon seeing Gauss exit with the maid, they respectfully saluted.
So wealthy...
Gauss shook his head; whether it was the room, the corridor outside, or the sunny autumn courtyard not far away, everything exuded an air of opulence.
All this cleanliness and luxury were built upon heaps of gold coins.
Walking on, Gauss encountered the trio of Albena, who were preparing to visit him. They had just come out of Aaliyah’s room.
Seeing that he could walk normally and looked visibly healthy, the three sighed in relief, as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts.
The gathered crowd headed together towards Aaliyah’s ward.
Pushing open the door.
Similar in layout to Gauss’s ward, inside were a few maids attending, with Aaliyah lying quietly on a soft, white bed, and the silver wolf Ulfen resting on another bed.
She had not yet awakened.
However, Gauss could tell from her rising and falling chest that her breathing was relatively calm.
That seemed to be good news.
Gauss’s gaze lingered on her for a moment.
She seemed to have undergone some changes too.
Her skin had become whiter, and upon closer inspection, it appeared as if a thin layer of moonlight shrouded her skin’s surface.
Could she have also, like this injured soul, turned misfortune into fortune?
After staying in the room for a while, with his peripheral vision, Gauss noticed a familiar figure by the door, so he proactively walked out.
"Seeing you’re in good health, that’s truly wonderful."
Pleos said with a smile, while dismissing the others.
"I must thank Lord Pleos for this."
Gauss knew that the speed at which his injuries healed, with the compounded damage from the Ghost Dragon and the Dragon Priestess’s final terrifying freezing spell now leaving no trace, was likely thanks to Pleos standing before him.
He was the first to arrive at the scene as reinforcements.
Moreover, besides having outstanding combat skills, Paladins are adept at various healing techniques.
"It’s good you don’t blame me for arriving late." Pleos gently shook his head.
He indeed felt somewhat guilty.
Given his strength, he should have been able to reach the scene sooner after receiving Gauss’s message.
If he had, Gauss wouldn’t have suffered such severe injuries.
When arriving at the scene, assessing the enemies’ strength made him feel utterly shocked.
It was unimaginable how Gauss and the others could hold on for so long.
But fortunately, though the process was thrilling, the outcome was favorable.
Most of the Dragon Worship Sect’s power near Flute Castle had been lost in that battle.
Especially that Dragon Priestess named Cecilia, who had extraordinary combat power; losing her was a significant blow to any faction.
Despite killing her with just one Holy Slash, it was only because her combat strength was severely diminished, coupled with his naturally higher level, that he could catch her off guard for a swift kill.
"I’m very grateful that you came to aid; how could I blame you?" Gauss said sincerely.
Though Pleos had made an earlier promise, when it comes to rescue, helping is kindness, not helping is duty.
Pleos isn’t his caretaker, he can’t be summoned at will.
"Why did Lord Pleos place us here?" Gauss looked at the guards stationed in the distance, curiously asking Pleos.
Since coming to Flute Castle, he wasn’t completely ignorant of the forces and upper-level disputes within the city.
According to the information he gathered, the municipal government led by Noah Shad, where Pleos was located, seemed to be at odds with the Hayes family.
"It’s relatively safe here and features the best medical facilities in all of Flute Castle." After a moment’s hesitation, Pleos replied. "Recently, the whole Flute Castle has been unsettled, and it’s probably related to you."
"What do you mean?" Gauss asked curiously.
He noticed that when Pleos spoke, his gaze always seemed fixed on him.
He went on to say as much outright, that the turmoil in Flute Castle was tied to him.
This piqued his curiosity further.
Indeed, outside the city, he’d slain many forces of the Dragon Worship Sect and even severely wounded an extraordinary level Dragon Priestess, whom Pleos subsequently killed, but surely this wasn’t enough to shake the entire city?
This much, Gauss felt sure of.
Pleos looked at him again, a sliver of perplexity flashing deep in his gaze.
"Are you truly unaware?"
Gauss scratched his head, looking innocent.
Pleos opened his mouth, seeming momentarily speechless.
The two gazed at each other.
After a while, he slowly began to speak.
"After you were injured, President Ferguson of our Flute Castle received a message from the provincial capital, ordering our entire Flute Castle to cooperate with him in capturing the Dragon Worship Sect’s forces, and ensure you are settled."
"But I’ve never been to the provincial capital." Gauss shook his head.
Seeing him still unwilling to share more, Pleos could only smile bitterly and play along.
"Perhaps they were already planning to launch an offensive against the Dragon Worship Sect from above?"
Though he spoke these words, he couldn’t help recalling another message from an external friend; supposedly, the urgent provincial capital message was issued by royal decree.
In other words, Gauss indeed didn’t deceive him, for the urgent decree was the word from on high, from the kingdom’s greatest family.
Had Gauss not had pure black hair, one might mistake him for a concealed, wandering world-traveling prince.
But one thing is sure, Gauss’s origins are no small matter.
This is why he felt comfortable placing them in the Hayes family.
The Hayes family dared not harbor ill intentions, fearing any mishap involving these important guests within their castle might implicate their family.
However, since Gauss didn’t want to share more, Pleos wisely refrained from pressing the topic further.
Soon, their discussion turned to the events that followed that day.
Including the slain Dragon Priestess, the two senior members captured alive, and... Hephaestus.
Yes, the current news of the Red Dragon Dragon Beast Hephaestus was no longer concealable.
At least among the upper echelon of Flute Castle, many knew that Gauss possessed such a powerful Red Dragon Dragon Beast.
Though Gauss had tried his best to keep it hidden, by now it was beyond concealment.
The first reason was the few surviving members of the Dragon Worship Sect at the scene, who had all personally witnessed the Dragon Beast.
The subsequent intense battle also drew the attention of the observation mages stationed in the city who monitored beyond the high towers, recording the intelligence of the Dragon Beast.
"Alas... I didn’t expect it to be exposed."
Gauss sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Besides its formidable combat abilities, the Dragon Beast was a hot commodity.
Sure, the Dragon Worship Sect eyeing this big dummy was understandable, but other human forces surely had some ideas too, didn’t they?
Certainly, some great nobles might refrain from openly snatching it due to reputation.
Gauss had previously been apprehensive about potential overt and covert threats, hence hadn’t brazenly ridden Hephaestus.
"Don’t worry, it’s just a young Dragon Beast, and it’s already bonded with its master."
"Those who’d actually try to target it are few and far between."
"Moreover, your achievement of killing the Extraordinary Dragon Priest is already circulating."
Pleos noticed the distress on Gauss’s face and spoke reassuringly.
"Huh?"
"Killed the Extraordinary Dragon Priest?"
"Me?"
Gauss pointed at himself.
"Yes, wasn’t it you who killed her?" Pleos blinked, smiling softly. "My Red Dragon Knight Lord Gauss."
Gauss gasped sharply.
This really was...
Evidently, Pleos had handed over the credit and reputation for defeating Dragon Priestess Cecilia to him.
But logically speaking, wouldn’t the local Adventurer’s Guild thoroughly verify such claims of fame and accomplishment?
Otherwise, by now the world would be filled with countless "remarkable youths" from prestigious backgrounds whom even Gauss couldn’t compete with.
"I’m under a lot of pressure."
Gauss could only imagine how the news of an elite Professional defeating an Extraordinary Dragon Priest would shock the world.
This was far more astounding than a mere Lake God emissary’s authority.
The latter would likely be seen by commoners as lucky to be favored by a deity, while the former represented solid personal strength.