Mithril
This encounter with a street vendor who seemed to be running a scam had somewhat changed Gauss's orderly first impression of Falim.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was true.
Even the wealthiest regions had poor people, and even the most glamorous streets had their share of petty thieves and scoundrels. That was simply how the world worked.
Still, overall, judging by their strength and capabilities alone, he felt that Falim's adventurers were clearly one or two tiers above those in Grayrock Town.
Even the lowest-ranking adventurers often wore neat, well-kept armor.
For newcomers just starting out, armor was far more important than weapons. The trouble was that armor generally cost more, so many novice adventurers in remote regions couldn't afford decent sets.
That was the subtle influence of economic differences between regions.
Wages were higher in developed cities. Take teenagers without family support: if they worked the same hours, adventurer hopefuls in Falim could save more startup money to buy better armor, weapons, and a wider variety of supplies.
Another noticeable difference was the much higher proportion of Spellcasters.
In Grayrock Town, among low-ranking adventurers, there might not be a single Spellcaster in a group of ten—or even twenty.
But in Falim, he could spot an adventurer dressed like a Spellcaster in every small group.
Some wore neat robes and carried staffs, while others even had huge wizard hats on their heads.
Gauss discreetly observed the adventurers in the square.
On the way to the guild, nobody had approached them, aside from the greedy vendor they'd just encountered.
As the saying went, clothes made the man and a saddle made the horse. Gauss could now rein in his aura with ease, but his robe was obviously very expensive.
Someone like him was either