Chapter 76: Highway Robbery
"Have you been troubled by anything lately? I noticed you’ve been locking yourself in your room these past two days."
Gauss’s unusual behavior had piqued Sofia’s curiosity.
Gauss shook his head in response.
"I’m just reading and pondering about meditation."
Upon hearing it was about meditation, Sofia had nothing more to say.
Although her father used to be an adventurer and was somewhat famous in town, those were bygone days, and she herself was never really familiar with it.
"Well then, keep up the good work." Sofia could only offer verbal encouragement.
She wasn’t overly worried; after all, reading and thinking indoors seemed much safer than wielding a sword and battling monsters outside.
"No, I can’t just keep thinking," Gauss decided, after cramming some magic theories, that he needed to go out.
Magic isn’t something conjured from mere imagination. While theory is important, it requires practice to verify and assimilate it after intense study.
As for the destination, he already had a place in mind.
So, after having lunch, under Sofia’s worried gaze, Gauss, who had finally been "quiet" for two days, couldn’t stay put anymore. After packing his belongings and bidding farewell to Sofia, he left Gray Rock Town once again.
This time, he didn’t take up any specific commission.
He paid a small fee to ride a merchant caravan’s wagon, planning to head to Bitter Wormwood Town, located northwest of Gray Rock Town, a small town whose core industry is herbalism.
It’s slightly larger than Gray Rock Town, and more importantly, Andri mentioned there’s a small gathering of caster apprentices there.
Caster apprentices from the surrounding towns would gather there, forming a small, open organization over time.
This type of small-scale gathering is perfect for someone like Gauss, a caster apprentice, to broaden his horizons.
With a bit of luck, he might even find one or two spellbooks he currently needs.
Sitting in the wagon, resting on stacked hay, Gauss chewed on a grass root, gazing at the azure sky, filled with anticipation for Bitter Wormwood Town.
Speaking of which, although occasionally he’d meet some adventurers in caster apprentice attire on the streets of Gray Rock Town, he hadn’t formally communicated with other caster apprentices.
Perhaps it’s due to the diversity of magic, which made caster apprentices naturally wary of unfamiliar peers, so even if they met on the streets, they would often keep a respectful distance.
In a gathering of apprentices, it was likely that interactions would be more frequent, right?
Gauss speculated it should be this way.
Just as he was retracting his gaze to continue studying the book of magic principles, a commotion erupted from the front of the caravan.
The caravan came to a slow halt.
Seeing this, Gauss carefully equipped himself and jumped out of the carriage.
Approaching a squad leader of the caravan’s escort, he curiously asked, "What’s happening?"
The squad leader shook his head and remained silent.
Perhaps he thought Gauss looked young or simply didn’t know much about the situation.
Gauss raised an eyebrow.
He didn’t like this feeling of being uninformed, as it gave him an unsettling feeling of being blindfolded, with things spiraling out of control.
Through numerous tasks, he concluded that no matter what the situation, one must at least have enough information to make a rational next move.
Thinking this, he couldn’t help but sigh.
If only he were a bronze-level adventurer, he wouldn’t need to say anything. Just by showing the bronze-level adventurer identity badge, the caravan members would likely be eager to provide information.
Even though he considered his combat power to be top-notch among bottom adventurers and presented a similar threat level to ordinary people as a bronze-level adventurer—neither could be defeated, just at different speeds—the lack of that badge put him at a natural disadvantage in reputation. And he couldn’t just go around proving his might like an enraged berserker.
The bronze badge itself is a form of credit endorsement. Supported by the vast social credibility of the Adventurer’s Guild, both country folks and urban nobility would acknowledge the holder’s strength. Talking oneself up is far less effective than flashing a badge.
Gauss took out his White Bone Staff.
As he walked toward the front of the caravan, he simultaneously activated Mage’s Hand, allowing it to levitate the rapier beside him.
The Level 3 Mage’s Hand could still only lift 10 pounds, but its speed and precision had improved.
Arriving at a carriage in the front half of the caravan where several managers and the head of the guards were quietly discussing something.
Seeing a stranger approach, the head of the guards instinctively wanted to scold him back to his seat.
One quick-eyed manager spotted the rapier floating beside Gauss and promptly held back the guard leader.
Among the ordinary bottom adventurers, caster apprentices hold some prestige. If there’s no direct conflict, most ordinary people, even high-status caravan managers, would avoid rashly offending them.
Because you never know what tricks a caster apprentice might know. Many tricks can silently kill without a trace.
"What can I do for you, mister caster?"
"I want to know why the caravan stopped," Gauss asked straightforwardly.
Seeing the guard leader held back by the manager, he felt relieved, marveling at the wonders of magic saving him from a potentially unpleasant conflict.
If he hadn’t used magic, judging by their grim faces and sour moods, it would have surely led to some unpleasantness.
"Sigh..."
The manager who spoke shook his head.
"Our scout riders up ahead discovered a group of goblin bandits blocking the road, numbering dozens."
"Can’t we detour?" Gauss asked curiously.
Since they found out in advance, why not just go around it?
"We can’t. We’re carrying a batch of special herbs that must be delivered to Bitter Wormwood Town before they lose their potency. Detouring would take too much time."
"We’ve used this route over a dozen times without encountering such an issue."
"..."
Gauss paused for a moment, understanding what had happened.
Simply put, a group of goblins had blocked the road, ready to rob passing caravans.
The good news was that the caravan had gotten information from their scout riders in advance. The bad news was there wasn’t time to detour.
A detour required retracing and taking a large circle to reach Bitter Wormwood Town.
By then, the batch of herbs on the wagon wouldn’t be delivered on time, resulting in significant financial losses for the merchant guild.
The negligence was partly because this route was considered relatively safe, with the caravan having traveled it many times without incidents.
With the situation clear, Gauss felt a sense of assurance.