Gauss and Aaliyah chatted a bit more in the woods.
Not only was Gauss curious about Aaliyah’s changes after her breakthrough, but Aaliyah was equally curious about him.
Although Gauss looked almost the same as a few days ago, he now exuded a calm and confident demeanor.
The two walked out of the garden.
The guards outside saluted and couldn’t help but take a few more glances.
He felt that Lord Gauss’s companion had changed in appearance, but clearly, it wasn’t his place to worry about such things, so he quickly averted his gaze after a single glance.
They mounted their steeds.
Aaliyah and Gauss departed from the Inner City District.
Once they reached the outer city, Aaliyah let Raven Aik and the Silver Wolf Ulfen out.
After her profession change, these two contracted animal companions also experienced significant enhancements and became much closer to her.
In normal circumstances, they could take the form of skin patterns and reside on the surface of her body.
Moreover, this brought a significant boost.
That is, her wilderness form, aside from the regular animals, now allowed her to transform into the racial form of her contracted creatures.
This was also a significant boost to Aaliyah’s combat capabilities.
Now, the Silver Wolf Ulfen had grown even larger, with its entire body snow-white and silver, reflecting a shine, and could easily carry several adults.
Its shoulder height now exceeded that of an adult human, with two rows of teeth sharp as daggers, and beneath its fur were muscles as strong as steel, granting it tremendous agility and aggression.
When it was released, the surrounding crowd instinctively backed several meters away, which was clearly evident.
Moreover, this was with the well-known Gauss at its side; without him, it would likely have caused panic among the crowd, with civilians scattering in all directions.
"Ulfen is getting stronger."
Gauss patted its powerful foreleg, with muscles like steel encasing the sturdy bones.
"Awoo—"
Ulfen wagged its tail.
Raven Aik perched on its head.
Compared to Ulfen, its size hadn’t changed as dramatically, though it had expanded a bit.
Its changes were more about intensity.
The black feathers, when spread, each gleamed like sharp blades reflecting a metallic shine in the sunlight, and its beak was enveloped with a layer of sharp energy.
"Aik has magic power now? Not bad, not bad."
Gauss glanced at Aik, seeing through it instantly, nodding approvingly.
"Not bad, not bad." Aik echoed Gauss’s words.
From its clear articulation, it was evident that it had become smarter.
However, this was reasonable, as the prerequisite for wielding magic power often required considerable intelligence.
They returned to their residence at Flute Castle.
Albena and the other two had already received the raven’s message and rushed back to the lodging.
All three were astonished by the changes in Gauss and especially Aaliyah.
Upon learning of her experiences, they were incredulous yet happy for her.
Elf Transformation meant greater talent and... longer life.
Elves, like Giant Dragons, were renowned for their longevity in popular belief.
Moreover, unlike those pure-blooded elves, Aaliyah likely also retained the human capacity for understanding and learning that they relied on for survival.
...
"Goodbye, teacher."
In front of the city gate, Abby and her father York came to bid farewell to Gauss’s team.
Behind them, there were also civilians who had gathered on their own.
The scene was a sea of people.
On the streets, in the shops on both sides, in the roadside houses, countless heads popped out to gape.
"Alright, you should head back now."
Gauss vaulted onto Red Dragon Hephaestus’s back.
Hephaestus gently flapped its wings, eliciting a chorus of astonished gasps from the crowd.
"It’s really a Red Dragon!"
"It’s so big!"
"It could swallow me whole with one bite."
"I’ve seen a dragon!"
"I heard this is just a juvenile dragon, and it’ll grow even bigger when it matures."
Ordinary people generally didn’t have a true understanding of the power of Professionals, but dragons were different.
They were a common "character" in stories, possibly the evil dragon siege with thousands of monster minions, or the kindly dragon mentor helping the hero.
But whether kind or evil, their only commonality was their might.
An unparalleled might ordinary humans couldn’t hope to match.
Right now, this dragon, appearing in front of the common folk, was likely the only time in their lives they would see one with their own eyes. It transformed their mental image of dragons into solid reality.
They realized that the tales of such magical creatures might not be exaggerated after all.
It crouched there, head raised with a dignified and fierce presence, looking both mysterious and noble.
With each breath, its nostrils exhaled scorching sulfurous steam, filling the entire street with a subtle scent of burning.
Everyone it glanced at felt their heart race and veins thrum.
It was so beautiful, so powerful.
And this was just a juvenile dragon; a fully grown Giant Dragon would be even more terrifying.
Various emotions floated and intertwined above the crowd.
Fear, admiration, desire, envy for the great beast... all converged at the center of the street.
Gauss gently patted Hephaestus’s neck, and soon the Red Dragon slowly flapped its wings and ascended into the sky.
He glanced at the street below, where Pleos and some of his companions stood.
Among the crowd, he even spotted the young Tiefling boy and his friends waving excitedly, clearly having realized Gauss’s identity.