Seeing his teammates' "luxurious" armor, Gauss couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he had updated his own armor; otherwise, standing together, he and the others would not have looked like they were from the same setting.
However, even now, he still appeared to be the "poorest" among the team.
Fortunately, the others only glanced at him before looking away, not paying too much attention to his equipment.
He didn't know whether it was because they looked down on him, were genuinely unconcerned, or just out of politeness didn't look too closely.
Perhaps it was all of the above.
Although Gauss was a "Mage," without knowing his strength, he wouldn't make these experienced bottom adventurers see him in a different light.
For many adventurers, the only way to earn their respect is to demonstrate superior strength!
Gauss had to admit that, as a novice adventurer who had only completed one mission, even if the last mission had been quite profitable, he was still at a significant financial disadvantage compared to these veteran bottom adventurers.
Of course, that's excluding the Life Magic Stone he wore under his clothes around his neck.
If you counted that, he might actually be the wealthiest in the group.
But then again, who knows, there might be a rich second-generation in the team, and he had no way to estimate the value of his teammates' equipment.
From another perspective, having "wealthy" teammates was also beneficial to him.
The probability of getting backstabbed by a teammate would be somewhat reduced.
This isn't to say that there are no bad people among the rich or that rich people are more morally superior, but rather that the price to tempt them to break the rules is higher, at least, during the adventure, conflicts are less likely to arise over trivial gains.
"Everyone's here, so let's head off for some combined training, then," Levin announced to everyone, carrying the Large Shield on his back.
The group headed out of the town.
Along the way, they attracted quite a number of curious glances from the surrounding residents.
Although their equipment and aura couldn't compare to real Professionals, they were considered elite among bottom adventurers. Plus, with their diverse equipment and weapons and coordinated movements, they instinctively commanded respect and awe from ordinary people, who unconsciously made way for them.
A squad of such well-equipped adventurers would almost be unstoppable if they intended to do evil.
They continued some distance past the town's outskirts.
Gauss silently observed the others along the way.
He found that Levin wasn't boasting when he called his team an elite squad; the others were not just for show either.
Take Levin, for example; he wore a full set of Metallic Scale Armor, with a heavy Oak Great Shield on his back, yet he walked as though he was a gust of wind, showcasing notable strength and endurance.
Gauss himself, having reached 6 points in Constitution and after supplementing with some meat, had undergone a second physical growth phase and was much stronger than before.
Even if he hadn't fully realized the gains from reaching 6 points in Constitution yet, he was definitely nowhere near weak now.
This was also why, at the guild's recruiting hall, he was mistaken for a Swordsman.
However, even his current self felt that he was far behind Levin in terms of physical strength.
He quietly estimated that if Levin had an Attribute Panel, his strength and Constitution should both be at 6 points, and strong 6 points at that.
The Swordsman Doyle also had decent strength and endurance, but not as strong as Levin. There was a notable size difference between them, with Levin standing over 1.9 meters, while Doyle was just over 1.8 meters.
As for the Archer Oliver, Wanderer Medvedeva, and Priest Daphne, even though they weren't in heavy armored, strength-based "Professions," their endurance was respectable, at least showing no signs of fatigue after such a long walk.
Even the seemingly frail Priest Daphne had light steps.
This observation made Gauss, who had felt slightly proud of his rapid growth, realize that there are many strong individuals in this world.
Although Levin kept emphasizing that his squad was an "elite squad," they were still considered just an adventurer squad without a rating.
Yet even so, the members were exceptional, with hardly any obvious weaknesses.
Experienced adventurers would do their best to cover their weaknesses.
Professionals would only be more formidable.
Gathering his thoughts, Gauss walked alongside the Priest Daphne.
Seeing the staff made from some unknown kind of wood in her hand, he hesitated for a bit.
He couldn't help but ask.
"Daphne, is that staff a Magic Wand?"
"Huh?" Daphne, who was walking and sightseeing, seemed startled by his sudden question. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Gauss repeated his question.
"Oh, no, this is just a piece of wood suitable for conducting Mana, which assists me in casting Divine Art. It's not exactly a real Magic Staff or Magic Wand; it's just a piece of base material." Daphne didn't intend to hide anything.
This is also why Gauss asked, because he sensed that Daphne was the most approachable person in the team, apart from Levin.
In fact, earlier in the morning, he could sense from her gaze that she was a bit curious about him too.
Probably because they both belonged to "Magic-focused Professions."
This naturally made them feel somewhat close.
"I'm currently working on harmonizing with this piece of wood, and once that's done."
"Once I embed it with a corresponding attribute and fitting Magic Stone, and have it made by a specialist, it will officially become a Magic Staff. The Magic Staff cultivated in this way will be the best fit for me." Daphne added. "It's better than buying a ready-made Magic Staff."
"I'm currently saving to buy a Life Magic Stone, but it's so expensive, even the cheapest Life Magic Stone costs 2 and a half Gold Coins."
"Oh?" Gauss's heart skipped a beat.
The Life Magic Stone was hanging beneath his clothes around his neck.
2 and a half Gold Coins.
Shopkeeper Gron's appraisal of 2 Gold Coins was actually on the low side, but that's understandable since Shopkeeper Gron hadn't been part of the Professional circle for many years, and misjudging the value of some items was normal.
"What's wrong?" Daphne noticed that he hadn't spoken for a while and asked curiously.
"Nothing," Gauss waved it off.
He naturally wouldn't casually announce such a thing.
Firstly, they hadn't known each other long and didn't understand each other's character; keeping wealth hidden was wise.
Secondly, there was no benefit in saying it, unless he was planning to sell it to Daphne cheaply in exchange for a favor?
Daphne was missing a Magic Staff; he still lacked a Magic Wand.
The difference between having and not having a Magic Wand is significant for a Caster.
From Daphne's tone, it seemed that the primary makeup of a Magic Wand was a suitably attributed Magic Stone.
Even if his future Magic Wand doesn't require a Life Magic Stone, exchanging it with someone for a necessary Magic Stone would be beneficial.
Based on Gauss's understanding, trading a Magic Stone for Gold Coins might result in a loss; bartering with others to reduce middleman profits might be better.
In other words, until finding a suitable trading partner, he just needed to earn money for a piece of base material and the cost of having someone make it.
Gauss was just about to ask Daphne about the price of a piece of base material.
But they had already arrived at their training site, so he had to put his questions aside for another time.