"Roger, don’t run over there anymore, understand?"
A child who was as usual ready to go out and play was stopped by his mother, who instructed him solemnly.
Seeing his mother’s serious expression, the young boy who originally wanted to fool around could only nod and agree for now.
"I understand, Mom."
Scenes like this have been happening frequently in nearby homes these days.
Everyone knows that the vacant land now has an owner.
And in just one week, it has transformed from nothing into a private estate resembling a noble manor.
Allegedly, many have seen the Red Dragon there.
So, concerned parents in the surrounding families have forbidden their children from going near.
Afraid that they, in their naivety, might accidentally trespass into the estate fenced in and end up being a snack for the fierce Red Dragon.
...
Gauss was unaware of the neighbors’ concerns.
Of course, even if he knew, he would only laugh it off.
Not to mention, one of the conditions for letting Hephaestus roam freely was that it cannot use "force" without his permission.
Even without this gentleman’s agreement, children simply can’t get over the tall fences, and always hovering above and around the adventure group’s base are a group of hidden black Scouts.
They are on tree branches, by fences, or circling overhead.
This swarm of black ravens is like ubiquitous mobile eyes, constantly monitoring every move in and out of the manor.
"It’s finally quiet."
Gauss sat on the balcony of his residence, sipping tea and surveying the gradually stabilizing Red Dragon Team base.
Currently, the Red Dragon Team has recruited dozens of employees.
A couple of days ago, his family also came to Farlim, but he chose not to place them in the Red Dragon Team base.
Instead, he purchased an additional property for them to live in.
"It’s time to get things running."
Gauss squinted his eyes slightly.
If asked the biggest difference between an adventure group and an Adventurer Squad, he believed it was in the level of authority.
In the past, when they were an Adventurer Squad, the number of assignments they could take was fairly small.
This wasn’t because the Guild’s staff were being difficult, but because of protocol.
Adventurer Squads are relatively small, often comprised of a few people per squad. If they take on too many assignments at once, the Guild worries they won’t be able to cover all the bases, and it might also delay the tasks, causing unnecessary losses.
But an adventure group is different.
Adventure groups can range from tens to hundreds or even more people.
With such strength, naturally, the Adventurer’s Guild feels comfortable entrusting them with more and harder assignments.
Moreover, if they incur losses due to personal reasons, the Adventurer’s Guild can more easily hold them accountable, because with the Guild base around, it’s impossible to just run off.
Adventurer Squads, however, can come and go freely. If push comes to shove, they could just retire into seclusion.
Outside the Red Dragon Team base.
A few uniformed people on fast horses stopped at the gate.
Seeing the majestic Red Dragon emblem on the doorways, they instinctively stopped their chatting and laughing.
"Come to think of it, these days, I’ve yet to have a close encounter with the leader."
"I wonder what the leader is like?"
"Indeed, I’ve never met the leader, either. I heard the leader has been busy handling assignments, a real task maniac."
"And taking on so many assignments this time again."
"When I picked up these tasks, the receptionist was stunned and asked me to confirm several times."
"..."
Engaged in conversations, they soon entered the tidy interior roads of the base.
They reached a residence.
After notifying the butler, they took a deep breath and headed upstairs.
They hadn’t climbed far when an extraordinarily burly figure descended from above.
They quickly leaned against the wall, stepping aside.
"Thank you."
The voice they heard offering thanks seemed female.
Soon, they realized this was the female Giant Warrior who is often by the leader’s side.
Unlike Gauss, who is always busy with assignments, the female Giant Warrior, who also works as a blacksmith, has a noticeable presence at the Red Dragon Team base.
Many people, when passing by the iron shop, would see her busy figure inside.
However, she seems to have been free these past two days and has started bringing along a few apprentices to help.
Despite rumors of her having a decent personality, her daunting physique still made the few passing by swallow nervously.
So strong...
Before passing the selection and becoming ordinary members of this newly established Red Dragon Team, they too were Adventurers.
However, despite nearly a decade of toil, they hadn’t made much of a name for themselves. Coincidentally, they heard about the recruitment here, tried their luck, and fortunately, performed exceptionally well that day, getting selected by the supervising Snake-man Priest, becoming part of the Red Dragon Team.
Even now, they still feel a bit surreal.
Reaching the second floor.
Guided by the butler, they approached the balcony.
There they met the leader of the Red Dragon Team.
He was an impeccably handsome man.
"Lea... Leader."
"These are... the assignments we picked up."
The middle-aged man leading the group stammered.
"What are your names?"
Gauss asked, taking the assignment sheets.
"Back to the leader, my name is Donovan."
"Leader, I’m Debbie."
"..."
They immediately introduced themselves.
"Hmm, I’ve noted down your names."
Gauss looked at the men and women in front of him.
During the recruitment, he was actually observing as well, just didn’t show up.
With his current soul strength, it’s hard for ordinary people to hide their character, good or bad, from him.