Only after the light pollution cleared enough for them to see who had arrived did Leven and Meva look surprised, then understanding. Their wariness vanished at once.
Beside them, Sasha, the female Warrior who had once met Gauss, stared blankly for a long while before remembering where she might have seen him.
Only Elwin, the Cleric who had joined the party recently, remained confused. The middle-aged man looked from side to side, silently wondering who this clearly extraordinary figure was and why he had come to their aid.
He recalled hearing Captain Leven and Meva's names just moments ago. Perhaps this man was an acquaintance of theirs?
But why had they never mentioned him?
Besides, after spending some time with his companions, he had learned quite a bit about their backgrounds. They were all ordinary adventurers, with little chance of knowing anyone important.
He stared wide-eyed as Gauss effortlessly wiped out the Orcs who had trapped their group.
When the dust settled, the explosions stopped.
All around them lay craters of various sizes, like those on the surface of the moon, along with corpses that would never rise again.
"H-He's so strong!"
At the sight, Sasha and the Cleric Elwin swallowed hard at the same time.
The enemies who had once driven the Night Owl Squad to the brink of despair were utterly helpless against the mysterious man who had suddenly appeared.
The stark contrast left them momentarily stunned, their heads ringing.
Even Leven and Meva, who believed they knew Gauss's strength very well—after all, it was hard to live around Grayrock Town and not hear about him—were surprised.
Hearing people talk about someone's strength was nothing like seeing it with your own eyes. The latter was far more shocking.
After sweeping away the Swamp Orcs around them and confirming