I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 342: Golden Claw

The fisherman seemed to be stunned into silence, unable to speak for a long time. It wasn't until Gauss walked past them that they snapped out of their daze as if waking from a dream."Was that Lord Gauss just now?"

"Should be, right?"

"..."

"I felt like I saw the Lake God in him."

"Me too."

Compared to a few days ago, Gauss now carried an indescribable, sacred aura. Combined with his entrance of walking on water, it made people instinctively hold their breath and focus, not daring to disturb him.

Gauss, of course, noticed the fishermen in the distance staring at him dumbfounded.

Noticing the shock on their faces, he couldn't help but wonder: were the changes on him really that significant?

"Lord Gauss! How did you become even more handsome!"

Albenia bumped into Gauss upon his return, unable to stop her heart from racing.

Hearing her voice, the others also came out of their respective rooms.

They had rented out the entire inn, so besides them and the inn staff, there was no one else.

"Really?"

Gauss examined himself in a mirror. He honestly didn't feel many obvious changes.

Albenia and the others circled around him a few times.

His facial features and physique truly hadn't changed. His eyes were still eyes, his nose still a nose. He just looked more... harmonious.

But ultimately, these were minor things. Gauss cared more about whether he had grown stronger.

He asked the others about what had happened in the days since he left.

Five days had passed since he sank into the lake bottom.

Apart from going to the lakeside daily to check if he had emerged, Aria and the others had been active around the town's outskirts, even taking Mira and her team on a few small commissions.

As for the town itself, it had been lively for several days, with many people throwing food offerings into the lake for the deity.

However, by the fifth day, that fervor had subsided considerably.

After all, for the vast majority of people, the appearance of the Lake God, while shocking, didn't fundamentally affect their daily lives. Three meals a day, clothing, food, shelter, and transportation still required money to pay for.

"Captain, we need to hurry."

Serlandul had been keeping track of time.

Winter had officially arrived.

The group's original plan was to first go to the village of Gauss's first apprentice, Rhine, then return to Grayrock Town for the winter. Additionally, they needed to move Gauss's family from Shixi Village to live in a town.

Previously, Gauss thought since his family preferred living in their hometown, he would let them be.

But many events along this journey had changed his mind, especially the Brain Transferer Witch incident at Herbal Medicine Village and the disaster prophecy from the Snow Mountain Spirit Aisweir. All indicated this world was gradually descending into chaos, and this trend would only intensify in the future.

So, whether for his family's sake or his own peace of mind, moving them to a town was necessary. It would also allow him to adventure abroad with fewer worries.

There were many things in the plan, and time-wise, they were already somewhat pressed.

"Then let's pack up and prepare to depart."

Gauss nodded, knowing he had delayed quite a bit.

"But it should be manageable. At most, we'll just have to make Hephaestus suffer a little."

Although the Red Drake Hephaestus disliked winter and disliked flying in such weather, wasn't growth precisely the process of overcoming one's weaknesses?

At noon, the snow gradually lightened.

Gauss summoned the Red Drake Hephaestus outside the town.

Behind him were townsfolk wrapped in heavy coats who had come to see them off (or watch the spectacle).

Mira and her team members also came out to bid farewell.

Over the past few days, Aria had grown quite familiar with them, mainly Aria and Shadow, taking Mira and the others on tasks around the town and teaching them some skills and knowledge.

For these ordinary small-town youths, the "hands-on teaching" from professionals was undoubtedly a rare opportunity.

Mira and the others were not ungrateful people.

"Mr. Gauss, Sister Aria, Miss Shadow..." Mira jogged over.

"I heard you're leaving?"

As she spoke, a flicker of reluctance crossed her face.

Gauss and the others were very good people.

Despite the vast difference in status, they were incredibly gentle during their interactions.

It was hard not to develop a fondness for this powerful adventuring team.

"Yes, we have our next plan. Time is rather tight."

"We... we will definitely keep working hard, striving to become outstanding adventurers like you someday!" Mira clenched her fist, her tone firm.

Rod and Pello behind her also nodded vigorously.

"Good luck, little Mira. I believe in you." Aria raised her hand and ruffled Mira's hair.

But honestly, she wasn't that much older than the other girl.

If not for her recent elven transformation, which gave her a slight height increase, she might have been a bit shorter than Mira.

"Practice the archery I taught you more often."

Compared to the gentle Aria, Shadow merely gave a light reminder.

For low-level adventurers, regardless of profession, mastering an archery or crossbow skill was highly beneficial.

Basic archery, especially crossbow use, had a relatively low training threshold.

Moreover, compared to close combat, bows and crossbows offered a safety distance advantage. In combat, they avoided direct contact with enemies' claws, fangs, weapons, or other special attacks. Tactically, mixing ranged and melee was also more flexible.

What low-level adventurers needed to consider most wasn't efficiently killing enemies, but how to defeat or injure opponents while ensuring their own safety. Avoiding injury was the best defense.

"We will remember your teachings, Miss Shadow."

After a brief farewell, everyone jumped onto the dragon's back.

"Take off, Hephaestus."

Accompanied by a dragon's roar that echoed through half the town and a wave of heat, the Red Drake pushed off with its four limbs. Its massive wings unfurled violently, stirring up powerful air currents as it slowly rose into the air.

The Lakeside Town below rapidly shrank, becoming a small patch beside the Blue Lake.

Soon, frost-and-snow-covered fields and winding roads filled their view.

The Goat Village where Rhine lived was located south of Lakeside Town.

During the flight, Gauss also saw Gold-Silver Town, the place where their team recruited Albenia and Hephaestus.

However, Gauss had no intention of landing at Gold-Silver Town; he had no acquaintances there.

He had asked Albenia, and she similarly had no reason to return to Gold-Silver Town.

As for Hephaestus, its old lair from its evil dragon days had already collapsed.

After Hephaestus landed to rest several times, Gauss finally spotted a village beside a stream.

By now, the river named Maple Creek had frozen over.

Fortunately, with the guidance of the map in his mind, finding such a small village in the vast wilderness wouldn't have been easy.

Returning to Goat Village, his memories of this place slowly surfaced.

This village was the first one he reached after departing from Sena City.

It was here that he first mastered the Fireball spell.

Back then, he was just an ordinary, unremarkable Level 4 professional, far from his current state where he possessed considerable fame across nearly half a province.

Returning to Goat Village again, his mindset had undergone many changes.

The people, events, and various encounters along this journey had subtly transformed him.

"Land."

Not wanting to alarm the village folk, Gauss had the dragon land a fair distance from the village.

They then switched to riding Ostriches to hurry towards the village.

"I wonder how Rhine is doing with mastering her Cantrips."

"That little one has quite good magical talent."

If not counting Abby, who was transformed by the witch, Rhine was the most naturally talented child, in terms of being a professional, among all the children he had encountered on his journey.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken her as his first apprentice.

Honestly, even with Abby, he vaguely felt her innate talent likely wasn't as good as Rhine's.

For mages, being young with an underdeveloped mind and spirit often makes it difficult to display corresponding talent. Abby was the result of forced "precocious development," while Rhine was naturally gifted.

Before he left, he felt she was probably close to mastering the Fire Bolt cantrip.

If Rhine weren't so young and he didn't want her to leave her family's company too early, he might have even considered bringing her along with the team for instruction.

"That little Rhine must miss you a lot." Aria said with a smile.

During the few days Gauss's team stayed in Goat Village, that little blonde girl was practically glued to Gauss's side every moment.

Albenia glanced at her other teammates.

She had only heard that Gauss had taken on an apprentice before little Abby.

But since she joined the team later, she was the only one in the group who hadn't met that apprentice.

However, judging by Gauss's expression, she could vaguely guess that Gauss probably valued his first apprentice quite a bit. Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically come to this remote village in the dead of winter at year's end, just to check on her.

For the first meeting, should I prepare a gift?

She rummaged through the miscellaneous items in her armor's storage space, considering what might be suitable as a gift for a little girl.

That small hammer? Or the few small daggers she forged while practicing? But Lord Gauss's apprentice should be a mage too...

"Thump, thump, thump—"

Their mounts stepped into the snow, making soft, muffled sounds as they entered this tranquil, peaceful little village.

A goat encountered the group on the road, bleated once, and ran off.

In the distance, white snow already covered the sloping roofs of the houses. Wispy smoke rose leisurely from the chimneys, presenting a scene of utter peace.

This made Gauss breathe a slight sigh of relief.

At least it indicated that Goat Village hadn't changed much during his absence.

"You... you are!!"

On the watchtower by the village gate's fence, the young man on duty saw the group riding mounts approaching below. He was initially somewhat wary. But as they drew near and he clearly saw the visitor's face, he began stammering incoherently.

"You're Robert, right?"

Gauss called up.

His memory was excellent. He still remembered the man on the watchtower was one of the more outstanding results from their militia training when they first arrived at Goat Village.

Although back then, Serlandul had done most of the training with these "warrior apprentices."

"Teacher Gauss! Teacher Serlandul!! How did you come back?"

"Hey, Emmet, open the gate! The teachers are back!"

Hearing Gauss call his name correctly right away, even faster than he himself had recognized Gauss, Robert felt both honored and flustered. He quickly called to his companion below to open the gate.

The members on duty around the fence today were all "outstanding students" trained by Gauss and the others.

Even though Gauss was only there for a commission and stayed in the village for just a week before leaving, they remained deeply impressed by these teachers who taught them skills and changed their lives.

Gauss looked them over. Even through their thick clothing, he could glimpse the muscles and physical vitality within. He couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.

It seemed after they left, these students hadn't slacked off and were still training very diligently.

If this continued, perhaps in a few years, with some luck, a few professionals might even emerge from among them.

"How are things in the village? Encountered any dangers?"

Robert shook his head.

"Haven't encountered any dangers. After you left, we even organized teams to clear out many monsters in the surrounding woods. That made collecting winter firewood much safer for us recently compared to previous years."

He spoke with immense gratitude.

In past years, autumn and winter were relatively dangerous periods.

Monsters and wild beasts, gathering food for winter, would often attack the village, hunting goats. Villagers, forced to collect firewood, also had to leave the village and enter the wooded areas.

But after Gauss and the others arrived, they not only reinforced the village's fence defenses and built watchtowers, but also trained many militiamen like them, giving them combat skills. This made those once fearsome-looking enemies seem less terrifying.

"That's good."

Gauss nodded.

"Emmet, you escort the teachers into the village. I'll stay here on watch."

"Alright!"

Knowing Gauss and the others wanted to enter the village, Robert didn't delay them further and instructed his companion.

His gaze swept over Albenia.

That giantess looked incredibly tall. If she were an enemy, she could probably dismantle the sturdy fence with a few casual moves. But considering she was likely the teachers' new teammate, she didn't seem so scary.

Teacher Aria, Teacher Shadow, and Teacher Gauss had also changed a lot.

He could still recognize them, but compared to their last visit, they all seemed to carry an even more extraordinary aura now.

Shaking his head, he stopped overthinking it.

He respectfully saw Gauss and the others off.

"Gauss, looks like your new title hasn't spread here yet." Aria whispered teasingly.

Gauss shook his head.

"Naturally. After all, the village doesn't have an Adventurers Guild."

To be precise, even merchant caravans passing through here were rare, so their channels for accessing outside information were naturally limited.

The reason his title spread so quickly largely depended on the Adventurers Guilds in towns. They regularly updated news and publications in their halls for people to read. Additionally, travelers, bards, caravans, and others moving between towns and villages spread information by word of mouth.

The fact that much news about him hadn't reached the village, he felt, was also a good thing.

After all, he had no desire to show off or return in glory here; this wasn't his hometown anyway.

Better to keep a low profile.

He planned to check on Rhine, confirm she was safe, leave some new learning "materials" for her, and then depart the village.

Soon, others in the village also learned of Gauss and his team's arrival and came out of their houses to greet them.

"Where's Rhine?"

Gauss scanned the surroundings but didn't see that little blonde girl.

He then looked at the others and asked.

"Rhine?"

"Oh! You mean that little Rhine?"

The villager he asked patted his head.

"She and her family were taken away."

"Taken away?"

Gauss blinked.

"When did this happen? Who took Rhine's family?"

"Not long after you left, less than half a month." The village elder recalled.

Honestly, it wasn't surprising he didn't immediately remember when Gauss mentioned Rhine. This incident was already half a year in the past.

The villagers had long grown accustomed to her family's move.

"As for who took Rhine's family, we don't know their identity. Seemed like people from Rhine's mother's side. They came in very luxurious carriages, clearly important people from the city. They didn't stay long before inviting her family onto the carriages."

"Probably took them to the city for a better life."

"That convoy was so long, it stretched from one end of the village to the other. It scared me. There were also many soldiers outside the village."

"I always felt Rhine's mother wasn't simple. She's so beautiful..."

Others chimed in one after another.

They didn't think Rhine and her family being taken away was a bad thing for them. On the contrary, they were quite envious.

Because even these villagers, who hadn't seen much of the world, could tell the people who came that day were not simple.

Furthermore, if someone wanted to harm simple villagers like them, there was no need for such a grand display.

Seeing Gauss frown deeply in thought.

The village elder thought for a long while and added an extra piece of information.

"I remember the convoy had many beautiful golden flags hanging beside it. They seemed to have a golden claw painted on them."

This additional information made Gauss's brow relax slightly.

Originally, he was thinking he had no clue who took Rhine.

But with this information, finding her might be much easier.

It sounded like a noble's coat of arms. A golden claw. He silently memorized this clue.

He couldn't immediately connect it to any noble family.

To be precise, his research in this area wasn't deep. He only had some impression of the coats of arms of the Empire's and a few Kingdoms' top families, royal houses, grand dukes, and border counts. None of their emblems were a golden claw style.

However, once he returned to a town later and inquired with scholars who had studied noble heraldry in detail, he should get an answer.

From a rational standpoint, he also believed Rhine and her family being taken away likely didn't pose a life-threatening danger.

Perhaps they had noble bloodlines and were found and taken back by their relatives?

This also answered a lingering doubt Gauss had always harbored: why did Rhine, a girl from such a remote village, possess extraordinary magical talent beyond the norm?

This isn't to say strong individuals cannot be born among ordinary people.

After all, the parents and ancestors of that legendary, strongest-in-the-world Legendary Sword Saint were just ordinary farmers.

But spellcasters often place more emphasis on bloodline and origins than other professions. Many great mages and legendary warlocks who left their names in history often came from noble families, and were major nobles within various kingdoms or even the empire. Cases like Gauss, a grassroots professional who was exceptionally brilliant, were actually quite rare.

"Oh right, doesn't the Village Chief have a letter that little Rhine left for Lord Gauss?"

Someone suddenly remembered and hurried to the old Village Chief's house to fetch the envelope for Gauss.

The envelope was exquisite, sealed with decorative golden wax. Clashing with the envelope's elegance were a few hastily scribbled large characters:

"For Teacher Gauss."

Gauss could easily imagine the scene that day. Rhine, upon learning she was to be taken away, worried he would come looking for her and not find her, must have frantically asked someone for writing paper and an envelope to pen this letter.

The Village Chief had also been very proper, not opening the letter privately, keeping it until this moment when it reached Gauss's hands.