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Chapter 160 : New Year Festival
Chapter 160: New Year Festival
Gauss overheard townsfolk chatting as he left home, mentioning that several knights riding Griffins had recently landed in Graystone Town.
At first, he thought it was just rural gossip and didn’t believe it.
After all, roadside talk shouldn’t be taken at face value—he often heard people boasting about having seen a Dragon themselves.
It wasn’t until he saw, with his own eyes, those Griffins fitted with shining armor and saddles in the stables outside the Adventurer’s Guild that he realized the rumor he’d just heard was actually true.
Ēn ú m̊ â.і d
As wild monsters, Griffins had a challenge rating of Tier 2 and above. That might not seem high, but with their ability to fly and excellent mobility, unless one could firmly hold their aggro, once they took to the skies, most Adventurers could only look up helplessly.
Domesticated Griffins, carefully bred and trained by humans with significant resources, often possessed far greater combat power than their wild counterparts.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
At least from Gauss’s faint perception, those eagle-lion hybrids lying at rest radiated an unusually strong sense of pressure.
It was just like the time, back when he was still a Low-level Adventurer, when he encountered that Ghoul at the docks—an enemy he still couldn’t fight against back then.
But he didn’t pay it much mind. Just as he could now easily dispatch the Ghoul that had once sent them fleeing, he believed it would only be a matter of time before his strength surpassed that of these Griffins as well.
He lingered by the stables for a while, taking the rare chance to admire such monsters up close.
Ẁĕbň о v̊ е l Е̇ ńū mà
Around him, there were also quite a few other “onlookers” observing these majestic creatures from a distance.
The Griffins, however, kept their eyes closed in calm repose, indifferent to the surrounding crowd.
“I’ll tell Arya on the way back that there are Griffins here to see—”
After a while, Gauss turned toward the Adventurer’s Guild.
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He wondered what kind of people owned these Griffins, and how strong they were.
The thought of Graystone Town’s Guildmaster Eberhard came to mind—he also rode a Griffin, though his mount was clearly larger and better equipped than these. Perhaps there was some connection?
W̊ ёb̈ ṅо̇ vе́ l̈ Ě n̆ u m ӑ
The first-floor hall of the Guild was much quieter than usual, with only a few Adventurers speaking softly. They didn’t seem to be here for commissions. Noticing Gauss enter, their gazes paused briefly on the badge on his chest before quickly shifting away.
Seeing no acquaintances on the first floor, Gauss went straight upstairs. Today, he was here to return some books.
As one of the benefits for being a Professional Adventurer, he could borrow public books from the Guild library for free, and he often came here to do so.
After returning the books, he borrowed a few new ones.
Standing at the library door, he thought for a moment before heading to the Magical Items Shop.
His gaze lingered briefly on the longswords on display. He asked the clerk for the price, thanked them politely, and left.
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He really did need a weapon upgrade.
But these common-grade Magical Items—called “magical” though they really only had basic magical effects—were nothing compared to true rare-grade or higher-quality gear, which couldn’t be found in a small town shop.
He remembered seeing similar items back when he worked part-time at the blacksmith shop.
That led him to suspect the Adventurer’s Guild shop might be sourcing some of its weapons from local forges.
Of course, even these most basic Guild-stocked goods were already among the best most blacksmiths could produce.
Rare-grade weapons required a spellcaster or magic array for enchantment—mere forging skills and special materials were no longer enough.
Ĕ ṅu̇ mа̀. і̃.d
After checking prices at the Guild shop, he decided to go directly to Black Anvil Workshop to cut out the middleman.
Heading out, he couldn’t resist glancing at the Griffins again before turning toward the blacksmith shop.
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“Clang! Clang! Clang!”
The rhythmic sounds of the forge grew louder as he approached. The air temperature rose, even melting the snow outside the door more than in other places.
The apprentice manning the counter looked vaguely familiar to Gauss, though he couldn’t recall the name—perhaps one of the few who had subtly shunned him when he’d worked here.
The apprentice clearly didn’t recognize him either—or perhaps Gauss had changed so much in the past year or two that he was now unrecognizable.
Е̇n u ḿå . iḋ
Seeing the Bronze Two-star badge on Gauss’s chest, the apprentice stiffened and spoke respectfully, “Sir, how may I help you?”
Gauss had no intention of “settling old scores.”
Perhaps the original him had once harbored resentment toward those who had treated him coldly, even fantasized about showing them up in the future. But to the current Gauss, those memories had long faded into insignificance.
He simply stated his purpose.
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“Do you sell weapons of Magical Item grade here?”
“Yes… yes, we do! I’ll fetch the shopkeeper for you!” This was clearly a “big sale” that an apprentice couldn’t handle alone.
W̌ е b̌ń о́ v̌ еl Е́ n̆um á
In fact, the moment he’d seen the vaguely familiar young Two-star Adventurer, he’d already wanted to run to the forge in the back to fetch the boss.
Usually, such important customers were attended to personally by the shopkeeper.
As a blacksmith apprentice, he might still have some psychological advantage when dealing with the poorest Low-level Adventurers, but in front of a Professional with a badge, that advantage vanished completely.
“Shopkeeper Groln, we have an esteemed guest!”
Groln Bates stepped out from the forge.
As usual, he wore a black hardened leather apron. His left eye was covered by a black eyepatch, and his exposed right eye gleamed sharply.
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When he saw who it was, a flicker of surprise passed over his otherwise neutral face.
“Long time no see, Gauss. You’ve become a Bronze Adventurer?” His gaze fell on Gauss’s chest. “And a Two-star, no less—”
“Yes, Shopkeeper Groln," Gauss said with a smile. “Didn’t Senior Andini tell you?”
He had assumed Groln already knew of his promotion.
After all, it was Groln who had first introduced him to Thorn Cottage, where he later met the Halfling Mage Andini. She had once been Groln’s teammate and had known of his advancement early on.
“That one… we haven’t been in touch for a long time,” Groln said indifferently.
Ē ǹ ũ m̊.а̃
He spoke of his former teammate as if discussing a stranger.
The apprentice listening to their exchange felt a strange sense of familiarity with the name “Gauss,” along with a nagging feeling he’d seen him somewhere before.
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Could he actually know this man?
No… how could he possibly know a Professional?
Taking the chance while rearranging goods, the apprentice studied Gauss out of the corner of his eye.
The young man was tall and well-proportioned—not burly like Groln, but exuding restrained strength.
W е b nо̊vӗl̆ Ên ūm̈.а
He wore a brand-new plain black mage robe. The wide sleeves draped naturally, accentuating his straight posture.
His hair was pure black, neatly trimmed, with a few loose strands falling casually over his smooth forehead and the sides of his neck.
His face was handsome but not delicate, carrying the calm, mysterious air unique to spellcasters.
Yes… vaguely familiar.
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The apprentice narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Congratulations,” Groln said frankly. “When you came last time, I thought you had potential, but your promotion speed still exceeded my expectations.”
Е̇ n um̂à
Though a Two-star Adventurer was still weak in his eyes, such rapid advancement meant Gauss’s future would surely surpass his and his peers’.
“This is thanks to your help back then,” Gauss said sincerely.
It was Groln who had first opened the door to the world of Professionals for him.
Groln shook his head.
“You should thank me for not forcing you to stay back then—otherwise the world would have one more useless blacksmith and one less fine spellcaster.” He smiled self-deprecatingly. “You’re here for a weapon, right? You probably won’t need the cheap stuff outside. Come with me.”
The two walked into the back room, leaving the apprentice mulling over Groln’s last words.
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“…not forcing you to stay back then…”
Suddenly, like lightning in his mind, memory cracked open and poured forth.
It was him! That unremarkable black-haired boy!
He swallowed hard, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
Watching Gauss’s tall back receding into the distance, he grew restless.
“He probably… doesn’t remember me, right?”
W еb̂ nо̀ v̇ ёl̆ Еǹũm̌ ā.
In the back room, Gauss found that, just as he suspected, some of the Adventurer’s Guild shop weapons did indeed come from here.
Comparing prices, each was cheaper by a few dozen Silver Coins.
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“Shopkeeper Groln, may I use the Identification Spell on them?” Gauss had just learned the spell and wanted to test it.
“Of course.”
Groln nodded casually. Spellcasters often used Identification Spell during group purchases—he was used to it.
Gauss drew his Bone Wand. A faint glow lit its tip, and an unseen magical light enveloped the longsword before him.
Е̄ nu̇mӓ_
Soon, the sword shimmered with a white aura in his vision, faintly tinged with blue.
【Refined Steel One-handed Sword】
Grade: Common Magical Item (White)
Description: A one-handed sword repeatedly folded and forged to remove impurities, blended with small fragments of Wind-patterned Stone, known for its light weight and airflow-guiding properties. The blade surface bears a natural airflow rune, reducing air resistance when swung.
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He tried the spell on the other one-handed swords as well.
Awkwardly, due to inexperience, he failed a few times—he wasn’t sure if Groln noticed.
Е̌n ũ m̌ а
The other swords also glowed white with faint blue tints, each possessing unique effects—extra durability, added weight, soft illumination, slow self-repair…
After some thought, Gauss chose the first sword with reduced wind resistance.
Less drag meant faster strikes, saving energy when clearing small monsters.
It was pricey—6 Gold Coins—while a regular longsword without special effects cost only a few dozen Silver Coins, a difference of more than tenfold.
He guessed the gap came from the complex craftsmanship and the Wind-patterned Stone fragments mentioned in the spell’s description.
Wind-patterned Stone—he made a mental note of it.
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If mere fragments cost this much, it was surely valuable. Hopefully, he could find some in the wild.
This, he thought, was the value of Identification Spell—without it, one might overlook rare resources in the field.
He resolved to improve his success rate, regularly identifying unknown plants or minerals during his travels.
The spellbook also noted that identification results depended on the caster’s knowledge. Basic items would yield accurate details, but the rarer the item, the more vague the results if the caster lacked the necessary knowledge—sometimes even failing outright.
So aside from practice, he’d have to read more.
After chatting a bit more with Groln, Gauss left with the refined steel sword.
W е̇ b̃ ǹ о̇v̂ѐ l Е̄ñ u m̈ а̄
Curiously, the apprentice who’d greeted him was nowhere in sight.
Didn’t he need to mind the shop?
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He was puzzled, but seeing no customers around, he didn’t think too much of it.
Once Gauss had gone, a figure cautiously emerged from a pile of clutter outside, breathing a long sigh of relief while watching him leave.
For a single Adventurer like Gauss, the New Year Festival didn’t hold much special meaning.
For convenience, he and Arya decided to have a simple holiday dinner at Gauss’s cabin—just the two of them for now.
En̆ u_mа̀ .іd́
He stopped by Thorn Cottage, but the Halfling Mage Andini was out again.
Despite being retired, she often went away for stretches, doing who-knows-what. Gauss was used to it by now.
Sophia, at the Sophia Inn, still had several out-of-town lodgers staying for the holiday and would join them later.
That evening—
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In Gauss’s kitchen—
He took off his robe and donned an apron, with Arya helping at his side.
Е́ n̂um̆а̃
Together, they prepared several dishes:
Pan-fried salted ribs, vegetable chowder, herb-roasted chicken, soft bread, honey-baked apples, light beer…
For their stations in life, it wasn’t lavish, but it was warm.
They enjoyed the meal while exchanging recent odd tales. Ulfen and Ike also feasted in the living room on roast meat and stew prepared especially for them.
Outside, every home glowed with light. Streets were hung with decorations, and celebratory bonfires blazed, chasing away the deep winter chill.
In the central plaza,
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A massive bonfire was lit, drawing many townsfolk together.
After dinner, Gauss and Arya changed into plain clothes and went with Sophia—who had since arrived—and her staff member Winnie to the plaza.
Townsfolk queued to toss Copper Coins or copper scraps into the New Year bonfire—an ancient Kingdom of Karos tradition symbolizing the burning away of last year’s misfortunes and the welcoming of good luck.
Following tradition, the group made their offerings, then enjoyed music and dance performances organized by the Town Hall. Time slipped by amid the cheerful festivities.
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