Chapter 1049 - 501: Group Favorite

"Joining the Red Dragon Team really was the right choice."

That afternoon, Gauss returned to the Red Dragon Team camp with Eden. He bumped right into Sabrina and Albena, who were walking back with their arms around each other. To be precise, due to their height difference, Albena had her arm around Sabrina’s shoulders, while Sabrina could only wrap hers around Albena’s waist.

"I didn’t expect you two to get so close so quickly," Gauss said. He only needed one glance at them to know they had just come back from drinking.

"A little fighting brought us closer, Lord Gauss."

"What is this?" Albena suddenly looked at the little thing on Gauss’s shoulder, narrowing her eyes to inspect it.

"This is a new companion, Slime Eden."

"Hello, Albena," the fist-sized blue slime on Gauss’s shoulder greeted amiably. It had actually been by Gauss’s side for quite some time. Though it didn’t speak much usually, it was very familiar with the companions around him.

"You actually know my name? Did Lord Gauss tell you? I’m so touched..." Albena blinked, then looked at Gauss, a blush rising on her cheeks. She hadn’t expected that as soon as Gauss met a new companion, he would be so eager to share her name with it.

Lord Gauss really was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She thought, "He has me in his heart..."

For a moment, Albena’s heart felt as sweet as honey.

Seeing her fall into strange daydreams again, Gauss was spared the effort of explaining. He shot a look at Sabrina. Sabrina returned a look that said, "No problem." Then, he turned and left.

Along the way, Eden attracted a lot of attention. However, most of the ordinary members didn’t step forward to ask about it. They were just curious about how such a beautiful and exquisite slime ended up perched on their boss’s shoulder and where it came from.

It wasn’t until they met Aaliyah and Ying that Slime Eden greeted anyone again.

"Hello there, Aaliyah, Ying."

"So cute!"

Similar to Albena’s reaction, Aaliyah and Ying were both curious and surprised. Since it was their first meeting, how did it know their names right off the bat?

"You’ve actually seen it before. Do you remember back in the Maze? On the floor with all the slimes, Eden was the boss there," Gauss explained.

"But wasn’t it already..."

With Hephaestus as a precedent, they weren’t surprised that Gauss had an extra pet around him. It was just that they clearly remembered Gauss killing it with his own hands in the Maze. Now, after so much time had passed, why did it suddenly appear by Gauss’s side?

"It’s complicated to explain. Just pretend it didn’t die back then. Also, don’t tell anyone about Eden’s origins."

After hearing Gauss’s answer, the two were even more confused. They wondered what he meant by pretending it hadn’t died. Dead was dead, and alive was alive. Gauss’s words were becoming increasingly difficult to understand. However, seeing his hesitant expression, they knew it likely involved a lot of complicated matters, so they didn’t pry.

"Understood."

"Can I touch you, Eden?" Aaliyah asked.

In terms of appearance, Eden and a regular slime truly looked like two entirely different creatures. And women naturally had little resistance to cute things. If one sniffed closely, it even faintly gave off a fresh, grassy scent.

Gauss turned his head to glance at Eden on his shoulder. Eden hesitated for a moment before nodding, then it hopped onto Aaliyah’s palm. Aaliyah gently poked it with her fingertip. Just as it looked, it felt very soft and bouncy. Combined with its harmless, round little eyes, it was incredibly endearing.

If Gauss hadn’t told them, who would have thought this adorable little thing was once a powerful Lord of the Maze?

Aaliyah and Ying interacted with it for a bit. However, recalling the immense destructive power it had displayed during the battle in the Maze, they suppressed the evil urge to squish and knead it into various shapes. After a few simple touches, they placed it back on its "workstation."

"We’re all companions from now on," Gauss said. "Don’t worry, Eden has a very good temper."

Seeing their constrained behavior, Gauss knew they were probably scared by the memory of the scene in the Maze. But he didn’t explain much further. Anyway, as time went by, they would gradually realize this new companion’s good nature.

Just as Gauss thought the next few days would be just as peaceful, he received a message from Guild Master Monroe the following day.

"What is it, Monroe?" Gauss asked, getting straight to the point after walking in. He and Monroe were already very familiar with each other, so there was no need for excessive pleasantries.

"I have a commission here that I’d like to hand over to your Red Dragon Team. I wonder if you’re interested," Monroe said.

"Oh?" Gauss raised an eyebrow. "Are we no longer needed here at the front lines?"

Monroe said, "According to further reports from our scouts, the Green Dragon Army has entirely pulled its troops back ten kilometers toward the Jade Forest, fully entering the forest’s natural protection zone.

"Therefore, they likely won’t launch another war in the short term.

"Furthermore, we have amassed enough fighting power at the front lines. Combined with the Goblin Lord you killed, my friend, the Guild’s internal assessment has downgraded the imminent risk of war to the lowest level."

Monroe took a sip of his black tea, a rare look of relaxation appearing on his face. Of course, he wouldn’t forget that all of this was due to the handsome young man standing before him.

Gauss thought back. Over the past few days, the number of monsters around the defense line had indeed dwindled significantly. It seemed their previous defeat was a massive setback for the Green Dragon Army.

However, if the enemy wasn’t taking the initiative to attack, it was impractical for the Human Alliance Army to cross the plains and delve deep into the dense forest to fight the Green Dragon Army. The forest was the monsters’ home turf, and abandoning their city walls to fight was a huge disadvantage for humanity. If they took the initiative to attack, it would be fine if the battle went smoothly, but who could bear the consequences if it didn’t?

It appeared the upper echelons of humanity had decided to maintain the status quo.

"Let me take a look at the commission details first," Gauss said. He took the commission document and scanned it.

He didn’t really mind leaving the front lines. Since there wouldn’t be any battles anytime soon, staying here would only allow him to do some basic training with various Spells and combat techniques. He might as well take on a large-scale commission and lead his team out for some real combat experience.

"Provide emergency reinforcements to Warren Castle. All monster spoils obtained by the team will belong to the commissioned team. In addition, Baron Valentine’s family of Warren Castle will provide full logistical support and a direct payment of 3,500 Gold Coins."

On the map, Warren Castle was a medium-sized town further east of Barry City, lying almost at the border of the Cold Jade Province. Although it was just a medium-sized town, it was situated in a strategic location. Being in the Borderland between the Cold Jade Province and the Ancestral Province, it constantly suffered attacks from two monster factions: the Giant Tooth Highlands and the Jade Forest. Numerous farms had been destroyed by roaming monsters.

Gauss looked at the commission description with an interested expression. Since the battle with the Goblin Lord ended, he had rested for quite some time, and it was about time he found something to do.

His current combat power might not be the absolute strongest in the entire Cold Jade Province, but it was definitely top-tier. Therefore, he didn’t show any trace of fear at the prospect of taking a commission in an unfamiliar environment. Strength was the greatest source of confidence.

"Alright, I’ll take it," Gauss nodded, accepting the commission from Guild Master Monroe’s hands.

It went without saying that this was an internal Guild commission. Warren Castle and Barry City had no direct subordinate relationship. Logically speaking, commissions related to Warren Castle shouldn’t be issued by the Barry Adventurer’s Guild.

Monroe sighed. "It’s been hard on you, traveling all over the place. However, you must prioritize your own safety.

"The current situation in Warren Castle is highly complex, teeming with all sorts of characters. If you encounter any dangerous situations, you can abandon the commission at any time.

"You just make sure to stay alive, my friend. The future of our Carlos Kingdom will depend on people like you."

To the Adventurer’s Guild, losing an internally cultivated seed like Gauss would be an unimaginable blow. Naturally, they wouldn’t force him to prioritize the commission over his own life.