"You can try reading it first." The child sensibly handed him a small booklet.
Gauss took it and flipped through it briefly. Though he couldn't be sure how accurate the contents were, the text and illustrations made it look quite convincing.
It included a simple map of the town, with important shops and districts marked, as well as information about the area where the Spellcaster Apprentice gathering would be held, its schedule, and things to keep in mind.
Though it was called a guide, it was really more like a travel guide put together by someone else, aimed at travelers visiting Wormwood Town for the first time.
After checking the contents and deciding they probably weren't made up, Gauss took out twenty copper coins and handed them to the child.
As he crossed the town square and passed a lively-looking tavern, he saw the familiar luxurious covered carriage again. It belonged to the group he had encountered yesterday.
So they were headed to Wormwood Town too.
As Gauss watched, the man in the silver-white chainmail shirt happened to walk out of the tavern.
Their eyes met again from across the way, and the man's brow furrowed instinctively.
It wasn't that he was surprised to see Gauss in Wormwood Town. After all, he had asked about the merchant caravan's destination yesterday. He just hadn't expected to run into him in front of the tavern again so soon.
The two nodded to each other once more, neither seeming inclined to speak, and soon went their separate ways.
Gauss checked into an inexpensive inn.
He began carefully reading the guide in his hands.
As he read it in detail, he discovered that besides the gathering, the town also had an interesting place called the Spellcaster Apprentice Mutual Aid Association.
According to the guide,