"We will remember your teachings, Miss Ying."
After a simple farewell, everyone jumped onto the dragon’s back.
"Take off, Hephaestus."
Accompanied by a dragon’s roar that echoed across half of the small town and a wave of heat, the Red Dragon Beast planted its limbs on the ground, its massive wings suddenly unfolding, stirring strong air currents, and slowly rising into the sky.
The lakeside town below swiftly shrank, becoming small dots by Blue Lake.
Then, fields covered with frost and snow and winding roads came into view.
Goat Village, where Rhine was based, was located on the south side of the lakeside town.
During the flight, Gauss saw Gold and Silver Town, the place where their team recruited Albena and Hephaestus.
However, Gauss had no intention of landing in Gold and Silver Town, as he had no acquaintances there.
He asked Albena, and she similarly had no reason to return to Gold and Silver Town.
As for Hephaestus, its former lair as an evil dragon had already collapsed.
After Hephaestus landed and rested a few times, Gauss finally saw a village beside a stream.
At this moment, the river named Maple Stream was already frozen.
Thankfully, the map in his mind guided him, otherwise finding such a small village in the vast wilderness would not have been an easy task.
Returning to Goat Village, his memories of this place slowly surfaced.
This village was the first he reached after departing from Sen City.
It was here that he first mastered the Fireball Technique.
Back then, he was just an ordinary level 4 professional, far from the fame he had now throughout at least half of the province.
Returning to Goat Village once again, his mindset had undergone many changes.
The people, events, and various encounters along this journey had subtly changed him.
"Land now."
Not wanting to alarm the villagers, Gauss landed the giant dragon at some distance from the village.
He then switched to a terrestrial bird to head towards the village.
"I wonder how Rhine’s trick mastery is coming along."
"That little one’s magical talent is quite impressive."
Disregarding Abby, who had been modified by a witch, Rhine was the most talented professionally among the many children Gauss encountered on his journey.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken her as his first disciple.
In fact, even Abby, he vaguely felt her talent might not be as good as Rhine’s.
It’s known that for mages, being young with an undeveloped mind and spirit often makes it hard to show their talents; Abby was forcibly "ripened," while Rhine was naturally talented.
Before he left, he felt that the other party should almost have mastered the trick Flaming Arrow.
If not for Rhine’s young age and not wanting her to leave her family’s company too early, he would even think of bringing her along for team guidance.
"That little one Rhine should be thinking of you," Aaliyah said with a smile.
During the days Gauss’s team stayed at Goat Village, the blonde little girl was practically glued to Gauss’s side every moment.
Albena glanced at the other teammates.
She had only heard that Gauss had taken in a disciple before little Abby.
However, because she joined the team afterwards, she was the only one who had never met the other party in the team.
But gauging Gauss’s expression, she could vaguely guess that Gauss valued his first disciple; otherwise, he wouldn’t have made a special trip to this remote village in the cold of winter just to see how the other party was doing lately.
For the first meeting, should I prepare some gifts?
She thought about the items in her armor storage space, pondering which ones would be suitable gifts for the little girl.
That little hammer? Or perhaps the few short blades she forged while practicing? But Lord Gauss’s disciple should be a mage...
"Poof poof poof—"
The mount stepped into the snow, treading softly into this peaceful and harmonious little village.
A goat ran away with a bleating as it came across a group of people on the road.
In the distance, white snow had covered the sloped rooftops, and wisps of smoke slowly emerged from the chimneys, depicting a harmonious scene.
This made Gauss relax a bit.
At least it indicated that there was little change in Goat Village during his absence.
"You... You are!!"
At the entrance beside the fence, a young man stationed in the watchtower saw the approaching riders below. Initially somewhat wary, upon seeing their faces up close, he repeated incoherently.
"You must be Robert?"
Gauss shouted upwards.
His memory served him well; he still remembered that the man in the watchtower above was one of the more successful militia trainees they had trained upon arriving in Goat Village.
Although back then, most of these "Warrior Apprentices" were led mainly by Serdur.
"Teacher Gauss, Teacher Serdur!! Why have you come back?"
"Hey, Emmett, open the gate; the teachers are back."
Upon realizing Gauss could still call out his name at the first instant, even earlier than he recognized Gauss, he was overwhelmed and quickly called his peers below to open the gate.
Today’s members on duty around the fence were all trained "excellent trainees" by Gauss and others.
Although Gauss was acting upon commission and only stayed in the village for a week before leaving, the skills they imparted that changed their lives left a lasting impression on them.
Gauss scrutinized them, even through the thick clothing he could discern the muscles and vitality underneath, couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.