After Gauss picked out a few commissions, he realized a number of Bronze-badge adventurers had clustered nearby.
Their eyes, like his a moment ago, were glued to the goblin-related postings.
"Boss, these look like they're on the same route."
"Man, these jobs are poor."
"That's how routine jobs are."
"Barely pays for a meal."
The Bronze adventurers talked loudly as if no one else existed. The rank-and-file onlookers listened with envy but didn't dare step up to compete for the postings—only watch this bunch of "bored Professionals" cherry-pick commissions aimed at their tier.
Gauss stared at them with a peculiar look for a while, then motioned his teammates toward the counter to register.
He couldn't shake the feeling…
Were they taking routine jobs because of him?
But why?
No clue.
He decided not to overthink it. Everyone's free to hunt goblins. He wasn't nosy, and his curiosity wasn't that strong. Let folks do as they please—it had nothing to do with him.
[More goblins again?]
While Gauss handled the paperwork at the counter, Shadow—standing at the back of the line—heard the voice in her head.
[Almost every commission he takes is goblins. Your temp captain is a real oddball. No wonder he landed that Blackfang commission.]
"Maybe… he's deliberately grabbing goblin jobs to warm up for the coming commission," Shadow answered her shadow, Shayde, with a reasonable guess. "Or there's some special reason he has to kill goblins?"
She spoke little, but that didn't mean she didn't care about her three temporary teammates. Since meeting Gauss and the others yesterday, she'd been quietly watching them—especially Gauss, who gave her an uncanny sense of familiarity the first moment they met. She still couldn't place the feeling. Too much of her memory was missing; sometimes blurry, bizarre images flashed through her mind. Thinking too hard about them brought stabbing pain that forced her to stop, so she'd learned not to dwell.
Maybe he was a key. Maybe something about him could help untangle her scrambled memories.
From observation, the team clearly centered on Gauss. The other man and woman rarely objected once he settled on a plan. That was why she'd offered to follow their lead. Even if Gauss agreed to let her command, the other two would likely balk. So, rationally, she chose to be an executor. It helped that her first impression of Gauss was good; otherwise, she wouldn't have yielded so easily.
Once the commissions were in hand, they didn't waste time. At the door they squared away gear, then—everyone but Serandur—swung into the saddle and rode for the town gate.
Shadow's mount was just an ordinary horse—but under her hand it moved with unusual steadiness and speed. Alia's gaze lingered on it. Gauss noticed and sent a Message: "What's up?"
"Nothing. It just feels… off somehow."
Gauss looked a few more times, until he caught Shadow's eye; then he quietly looked away.
First things first—the commissions.
…
Half a day flew by.
They'd taken modest routine jobs—nothing that any one member couldn't have handled alone. As Gauss said, these were just for building rhythm. Treat the routine jobs like they were real missions: travel, make camp; Shadow scouts while the others keep watch; act on the intel with a clean strike.
Serandur laid on boons and curses; Alia controlled the field and brought animal companions; Gauss pulled aggro and led the main assault; Shadow provided recon and ranged support.
After a few short runs, everyone was more comfortable with the flow—especially the fit between Gauss's original trio and the temp.
Shadow's archery was excellent—arrows like a storm of pear blossoms, cutting down green-skins wherever she pointed. In rate of attack she was even a shade faster than Gauss.
It nagged at him a little.
Total Monsters Kill: 3,645.
Up by 34.
He considered saying something—then let it go. She was only a temp for this one commission; micromanaging her would be out of line.
He did notice something else, though.
Shadow seemed to be hiding an important ability. She didn't intend to show it, but in a flash he caught an anomaly beneath her feet—her shadow. It was subtle—so subtle a normal person couldn't have seen it even if they stared.
But Gauss wasn't normal. His senses were razor-sharp, and with high Intelligence and Perception blended into a superior intuition, he caught a split-second mismatch among her body, her shadow, and the light—a single off note in an otherwise perfect ensemble.
Did her shadow move on its own?
Her special ability?
He glanced at the darkness touching her boots, watched a heartbeat longer, then looked away. Whatever had slipped out of harmony snapped back to normal.
[Uh-oh. I think he noticed me.]
[This guy's nose is sharper than a hound's. I only wiggled a little.]
"…"
Shadow gave Shayde the silent treatment.
[Sorry. My bad.]
"Forget it—just be careful next time. Especially around strangers. They're teammates, so they'll learn soon enough once we start the real mission."
She shook her head. Her shadow misbehaved, but it had apologized; she could only forgive it. Put yourself in its place—bound to someone else's shadow with a mind of your own, forced to suppress yourself in public every day—you'd be miserable too. Still, the order stood: don't move openly around others. Some deep instinct told her she had to minimize exposing this power.
"We'll see. I'll find a chance to explain," she thought, glancing at Gauss—who glanced back.
…
Two days later, the "new Gauss team" assembled at the west gate. Today, under a clear sky, they would finally depart on the special commission.
"Everything's packed. Guild potions… food, water, feed for the mounts…" Alia ticked items off a parchment list, striking each through as Gauss confirmed.
"Bandages and standard antitoxins are with me, plus salve to repel bugs. Everyone take a tin—no color, no smell, keeps the bites off."
"I brought a lot of arrows and signal flares," Shadow said suddenly, patting the packs by her horse—perhaps to seem a little more in step.
"Appreciate it."
"…It's nothing."
"Oh—Shadow, I packed extra grain for the mounts. We've also got base supplies for four plus. If you're short, say the word," Gauss added, worried her quiet nature might keep her from asking.
"Thank you."
Watching her organized teammates, Shadow tilted her face into the warm sunlight and, unexpectedly, felt… good.
All checks done, Gauss swung onto his chocobo and patted its slender neck. "Move out!"
They rode west out of Lincrown Town. On the map, from east to west lay Barry City, Grayrock, Lincrown Town, and their destination in the border Hren Mountains: the Obsidian Trail. In other words, since early spring Gauss had essentially been traveling steadily west. To the south ran the Jade Forest—a natural monster-held barrier.
"It's not exactly close, but we'll pass a number of villages. With a bit of routing, we should find a place to sleep each night," Gauss said, folding the map.
Long journeys are part of the craft. Most adventurers live them: first on foot, then on mounts, then better mounts, and eventually long hops by teleportation circles.
Each has pros and cons—walking and riding are freer and let you choose your route (and trip special events); walking is cheap, riding is a bit faster but needs care and feed. Circles are fastest, but expensive and not everywhere. Some ascetic traditionalists insist on wearing the land thin with their own soles, step by step—the only "pure" way to adventure.
They kept to caravan roads, now and then passing other adventurers, carts, and hamlets. Any stray monster they met on the way, Gauss dispatched without fuss—no good deed too small.
By dusk, they reached their planned stop: Charlie Village, home to a few dozen households and one simple inn.
"Welcome, travelers," said the innkeeper—an orc-blood. The sight made Gauss start; you didn't see many orc-bloods in human country villages. Halflings, dwarves, gnomes—sure. Orc-blood? Rare.
"You're adventurers, yeah? A lot of folks have been heading west lately." The innkeep took their surprise in stride.
"A lot?" Gauss echoed.
"Yup—lots of groups in the last few weeks," he said, polishing cups. "Looked like the real deal, like you—well-armed, in and out fast. Word is the western mountains aren't peaceful. Maybe something big's coming?"
"We just happen to be going west—to the coast. My snake friend is visiting family," Gauss said; he couldn't share their true business. He'd prepped the cover before leaving.
Catching the deflection, the innkeep let it drop. "Fair enough. Just be careful. Best not to roam too far at night. I hear livestock vanished in the next village over, and people saw wolves in the moonlight."
Wolves…
Gauss couldn't help the leap: Blackfang's banner force is wolf cavalry. Might be unrelated—but it could be indirectly linked, a butterfly's ripple.
They booked the best rooms, ate a simple supper, and met in Gauss's room.
"Wolves nearby… think that's our commission's handiwork?" Alia asked.
"We could stay tomorrow and ask around the surrounding villages," Gauss said, looking to the others. The Obsidian Trail was only where the survey team vanished; it didn't mean the culprits were right there. Wild goblins might not think that way, but high-tier goblins—especially elite leaders from a major tribe—would hide their nests. The whole mountain range—and beyond—could be their hunting ground.
"Let's ask. Might be something useful. I'll use Speak with Animals and see what I can shake loose," Alia said. It had been her thought anyway; with Gauss voicing it, she was all in.
"I agree," Serandur said.
All eyes turned to Shadow. "No objection," she said.
Unanimous. They'd sweep the villages for wolf signs.
Morning came. After the innkeeper pointed them to the latest trouble spot, they rode to the village and, after explaining things to the headman, were welcomed with relief. He'd been about to muster able-bodied men from this and nearby villages with farm tools to drive the wolves. Having a strong adventuring party appear at the door felt like a gift.
"Here's how it's been…"
"Starving forest wolves," Gauss concluded, more convinced this tied—at least faintly—to their commission. "Leave it to us."
From the description, he could already sketch the wolves' den. Outside the headman's house, he said, "Let's start."
Shadow vanished—simply not there. "Gone? A space spell?" Alia rubbed her eyes.
"She melted into the shadows," Gauss explained. He'd been watching for it; this time he paid closer attention. A sheath of darkness wrapped her, and in the next instant she flattened into a two-dimensional shade and slid into a nearby building's shadow. It happened so fast it looked like teleportation.
"Oh. Oh," Alia said, then released Echo and his tiny "corporals" to gather intel.
But before Ike's flock had flown far, Shadow grew out of the ground where she'd disappeared.
"I found the pack."
"So fast?" all three blurted.
"Follow me," Shadow said, gliding ahead. Her steps were so light that even on leaves she made no sound. She slowed a little to let them keep up.
Soon, they saw five gaunt wolves curled together at rest. Forest wolves are ordinary animals, not monsters—not a match for Gauss's team. In short order, the wolves were pinned securely to the ground. Then Alia and Ulfen took over as "translator" and "mediator."
"Wooo—"
"Wooo-wooo—"
No one else knew what was said, but at one point Gauss saw Alia's brow twitch sharply—then her face shifted to shock.