Chapter 1053 - 503: Shattered Dreams

"In fact, at this very moment, our team’s raven friends have already begun gathering intelligence in the surrounding area."

Gauss spoke about subjugating the monsters with a nonchalant tone. No one knew better than him how to clean up this filth.

Seeing Gauss’s Professional demeanor, coupled with his widespread reputation, the initially anxious Baron gradually calmed down.

In truth, nobles great and small in the Borderland had suffered heavy losses. No one could emerge unscathed from this war. Or rather, this scenario had been foreseeable for many years. His ancestors had been granted titles for their military merits, shielding their descendants. While building their foundations, they had also shouldered the responsibility of defending the borders.

The luncheon concluded with both host and guests thoroughly satisfied.

Although the Baron had specially prepared rooms for them in the castle, Gauss politely declined. He wasn’t accustomed to living in a noble’s castle. Residing in such places was far from comfortable. The air was perennially filled with a damp, cold, and musty smell. Even the noble masters themselves preferred living in country manors, where they could go hunting from time to time.

The Baron escorted the group all the way to the castle’s main gates. He then dispatched a cavalry squad to follow Gauss throughout the journey, awaiting his orders, and offered one of his manors near Warren Castle as a resting place for Gauss and his companions. That manor was only a few kilometers away from Warren Castle and was one of the few that had survived.

After Gauss and the others regrouped with the rest of the Red Dragon Team members who had finished their meals, they left Warren Castle and stationed themselves in the building complex known as Lavender Manor.

Crossing past the high walls and watchtowers, an Elite Squad approached the group.

"This is Lord Gauss of the Red Dragon Team. From now on, Lavender Manor will be fully under his jurisdiction." The Cavalry Captain leading the way quickly announced Gauss’s identity to Knight Jack inside the manor.

The "Knight" mentioned here did not merely refer to a Profession; it also denoted his status. These men were different from wandering knights who could call themselves knights just by buying a horse and preparing a set of armor and weapons. A Manorial Knight was considered the lowest rank of nobility. An official Knight with a fiefdom often pledged loyalty to a higher-ranking Lord. They did not have to live hand to mouth; instead, they possessed land use rights and a stable source of income. Having officially separated from productive labor, they could undergo full-time combat training.

Knight Jack clearly didn’t have the same well-informed intelligence channels as the Baron. Hearing that the manor’s affairs were to be handed over to this strange man, he instinctively wanted to protest. However, before he could speak, the Cavalry Captain who came to deliver the message shot him a fierce look, forcing the doubtful knight to nod reluctantly.

Gauss’s Red Dragon Team poured into the manor, swiftly inspecting the premises inside and out.

When Gauss saw Knight Jack again, the expression on his face had become much more respectful. Gauss knew without thinking that someone must have informed him of their identities. This was the benefit of becoming a powerhouse. Even if you did nothing, someone would proactively resolve unnecessary troubles for you.

"CRACKLE!"

Gauss stopped in front of a massive bonfire outside the manor. Burning within the thick smoke were the corpses of numerous monsters. Not all parts could be utilized by humans. To avoid contaminating the land and drinking water, or causing unknown risks, incinerating them with fire was the simplest disposal method.

Jack stood beside Gauss and proudly introduced, "These monsters are the enemies we killed yesterday."

Over a hundred monster corpses lay in the bonfire. As the spoils of a single night, he felt they indeed had the right to be proud. After all, they had merely relied on the manor for defensive combat and hadn’t initiated any proactive attacks.

"Not bad," Gauss nodded.

In truth, a three-digit scale was objectively hard-pressed to stir any ripples in his heart. However, he knew that not everyone possessed the same strength as he did, so he still offered words of encouragement and affirmation.

While Jack was giving his introduction, Gauss’s eyes were busy identifying the specific monster species within the flames. After a good while, he nodded in satisfaction. Among the charred remains, he had spotted several monster species he had never seen before.

As expected, Warren Castle, a small town situated in the Borderland between multiple regions, was like an undeveloped, fertile plot of land to him. Different environments bred vastly different monster species. Coming here was beneficial for him to accumulate more varieties for his Monster Atlas.

Meanwhile, Knight Jack, whose mouth had gone dry from all the talking, turned to look at Gauss. Thinking that Gauss was approving of his passionate recounting of the battle, a trace of pride couldn’t help but well up in his heart. Look, even a famous Extraordinary Strong Person was acknowledging his strength! Catching the genuine look of satisfaction on Gauss’s handsome face, his thoughts began to wander further and further.

He wondered if he could deepen their bond during his time with this expert named Gauss. Perhaps his Talent would be noticed, and the man might even take him in as a disciple. When that time came, would he have to figure out a way to petition the Baron to renounce his fief so he could follow him? How many extra Gold Coins would he need to pay for that?

It was truly mind-boggling. For a moment, Jack was lost in his sweet dreams.

As for Gauss’s face, which looked much younger than his own, Jack didn’t think too much of it. He had heard that many an Extraordinary Strong Person possessed an appearance that belied their true age.

On their first day arriving at Warren Castle, Gauss didn’t conduct too many activities. He simply had the team members settle down and rest. Having traveled for a week, even though almost all the members of the Red Dragon Team were Elite Professionals, they inevitably showed signs of fatigue and were mostly not in their peak condition. He dispatched clay creatures to hide in the surrounding fields as bodyguards, and then sent out Scouts to conduct a preliminary investigation of the environment.

Soon, night fell.

After dark, the situation was exactly as the Baron and the others had described. Gauss could clearly sense that many more monsters had appeared in the wilderness. These inhuman monsters—which rested during the day in natural covers like forests, wilderness, burrows, and lakes—roamed the land in packs, pillaging any building complexes and farmlands they laid eyes on.

Under the bright moonlight, squads of heavily armed Elite Professionals lined up in the manor’s open clearing.

"Has everyone rested well? Don’t push yourselves," Gauss asked the captains of each squadron.

Due to the surge in numbers, the internal structure of the Red Dragon Team had also been adjusted. The smallest unit was the squad, consisting of three to five people. Five squads made up a squadron. The position of squadron captain was generally held by a Level 5 Professional, managing over twenty Elite Professionals. A larger battalion unit had not been established yet.

An adventure group was not an army. Large-scale formation combat wouldn’t work in the vast wilderness. For one, the coverage area would be too small. Secondly, the commotion would be too great; many monsters with keen Detection would sense them and flee long before they arrived. Therefore, flexible small to medium-sized teams were more suitable for routine wilderness exploration.

The Master Level Professionals, acting as core members, formed their own independent teams. If they encountered nearby squads or squadrons requesting help, they were required to provide assistance whenever possible.

"Rest assured, Lord Commander. Everyone slept all afternoon. We are bursting with energy right now."

Hearing this, Gauss said no more. "Then let’s move out!"

At his command, the mighty squads surged out in all directions with Lavender Manor as their starting point.

Seeing this well-trained, elite team vanish without a trace in the blink of an eye, Knight Jack—who had been standing beside Gauss, about to ask if he needed any help—instinctively shut his mouth. In the afternoon, because most of the Red Dragon Team members were wearing casual clothes, he hadn’t paid much attention. Now, he realized that this team seemed terrifyingly strong.

Almost all of them were Professionals, and he could see many Elite Professionals bearing bronze Adventurer’s Badges adorned with three to five stars. He had even spotted quite a few Black Iron Adventurer’s Badges. His proud strength wouldn’t even make a splash in this team.

At this moment, it was as if Jack had finally woken up from his dream.

"Does Captain Jack have any advice?" Gauss asked.

"N-No," Jack swallowed hard and shook his head.

"Don’t worry. I’ve left some capable hands to guard the manor, so you don’t need to fret about the defenses being empty. If there’s an emergency, light a Help Signal Flare at any time. I will rush back to assist the moment I see it."

With Gauss’s current flying speed, as long as he saw a distress signal, he could basically return to provide support within a minute. After saying that, he activated [Wind Riding] and vanished into the night sky alongside his companions.