Seeing his teammates' "luxurious" armor, Gauss couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
At least he'd upgraded his armor. Otherwise, standing beside them, he would've looked like he belonged to a completely different story.
Even so, he still looked like the "poorest" member of the team.
Fortunately, the others only glanced at him before looking away, not paying much attention to his equipment.
He couldn't tell whether they looked down on him, simply didn't care, or were just being polite by not staring.
Maybe it was all three.
Although Gauss was a "Mage," these seasoned lower-tier adventurers wouldn't think much of him without knowing how strong he was.
For many adventurers, the only way to earn their respect was to show them you were stronger than they were!
Gauss had to admit that as a rookie adventurer who'd only completed one mission, he still lagged far behind these seasoned lower-tier adventurers financially, even though he'd made a tidy profit from his previous mission.
Of course, that was if he didn't count the Life Magic Stone hanging from his neck beneath his clothes.
If he did, he might be the wealthiest person on the team.
Then again, he couldn't be sure. There might be a rich second-generation kid among them, and he didn't have the eye to judge how much his teammates' equipment was worth.
On the other hand, his teammates' "wealth" was a good thing for him.
It meant there was less chance they'd stab him in the back.
That wasn't to say there were no bad people among the rich, or that rich people were more virtuous. It was just that the price needed to tempt them into breaking the rules would be higher. At least during an adventure, they were unlikely to start a conflict over some petty gain.
"Now that everyone's here, let's head out for our group training."
Leven slung the greatshield onto his back and announced to the others.
The group set off toward the edge of town.
Along the way, they drew curious glances from quite a few local residents.
Their equipment and bearing might not have matched those of true professionals, but they were elite among lower-tier adventurers. Their varied weapons and gear, combined with their coordinated movements, still made ordinary people instinctively feel both respect and fear, and they unconsciously stepped aside to make way.
An adventuring party equipped as well as this one could easily overpower ordinary people if they decided to cause trouble.
Once they were outside town, they walked a little farther.
Gauss spent the whole way quietly observing the others.
He realized Leven hadn't been boasting when he called them an elite party. The others weren't just for show, either.
Take Leven, for example. He wore Metal Scale Armor and carried a heavy Oak Greatshield on his back, yet walked as lightly as the wind. His strength and stamina were both impressive.
Gauss had grown much stronger since his Constitution reached 6 and he'd spent some time eating more meat, which had helped his body develop further.
Though he might not have fully absorbed the benefits of having 6 Constitution yet, there was no way anyone could call him frail now.
That was why people at the guild hall's recruitment area had mistaken him for a Swordsman.
But even now, he felt he was still nowhere near Leven's physical strength.
He estimated that if Leven had an Attribute Panel, both his Strength and Constitution would be 6, and solid 6s at that.
Swordsman Doyle also had plenty of strength and stamina, though he wasn't as strong as Leven. The two men were different sizes: Leven stood over six feet two, while Doyle was only a little over five feet eleven.
As for Archer Oliver, Rogue Meva, and Cleric Daphne, their "classes" weren't focused on heavy armor and strength, but they were still in good shape. Even after walking a long way, none of them showed the slightest sign of fatigue.
Even Cleric Daphne, who looked the most delicate, was no exception. Her steps remained light and brisk.
This realization made Gauss, who'd been a little proud of his rapid growth, recognize at once that there were many powerful people in this world.
Leven kept emphasizing that his party was an "elite party," but one fact remained: they were still an adventuring party without a rank.
And yet every member was impressive, with hardly any obvious weaknesses.
Experienced adventurers did their best to shore up their weaknesses.
Professionals would be even more terrifying.
Coming back to himself, Gauss walked alongside Cleric Daphne.
He eyed the staff in her hand, made from some kind of plant he couldn't identify, and hesitated for a while.
In the end, he couldn't help asking.
"Daphne, is that staff of yours a wand?"
"Huh?" Daphne, who'd been walking along and taking in the scenery, seemed startled by his sudden question. "Sorry, what did you just say?"
Gauss repeated himself.
"Oh, no. It's just a piece of wood that conducts mana well and helps me cast Divine Arts. It doesn't count as a proper staff or wand. It's only a piece of base material." Daphne made no effort to hide the truth.
That was why Gauss had asked. He'd gotten the impression that Daphne was the easiest person to talk to on the team after Leven.
In fact, he'd sensed that morning from the way she looked at him that she was a little curious about him, too.
Perhaps it was because they were both "magic classes."
They naturally felt a little closer.
"I'm still getting used to this piece of wood. Once I've finished attuning to it..."
"Then I'll have a suitable Magic Stone with the right attribute set into the base material, and have a specialist craft it. Only then will it officially become a staff. A staff made this way will also be the best match for me," Daphne added. "It's better than buying one ready-made."
"I'm saving up for a Life Magic Stone right now, but they're so expensive. Even the cheapest one costs two and a half gold coins."
"Oh?" Gauss's heart skipped a beat.
A Life Magic Stone was hanging beneath his clothes, against his neck.
Two and a half gold coins.
Gron, the shopkeeper, had valued it at two gold coins, which meant he'd lowballed it. Still, it was understandable. Gron had been away from the professional adventuring life for many years, so it was only natural for him to misjudge the value of some items.
"What's wrong?" Daphne asked curiously when she noticed he'd been silent for a while.
"Nothing." Gauss waved a hand.
He wasn't about to blurt it out.
For one thing, they'd only just met and he didn't know what the others were like. Of course he should keep his wealth to himself.
For another, there was nothing to gain by telling her. Was he supposed to sell it to Daphne at a discount in exchange for a favor?
Daphne needed a staff, but he still needed a wand himself.
For a Spellcaster, the difference between having a wand and going without one was enormous.
From the way Daphne spoke, the main component of a wand seemed to be a Magic Stone with a suitable attribute.
Even if he couldn't use a Life Magic Stone for his wand later, he could trade it with someone for the kind he needed.
Based on what Gauss knew, converting a Magic Stone into gold coins would probably mean taking a loss. Trading it directly with someone might be better, since they could avoid the middleman's cut.
In other words, until he found someone suitable to trade with, all he needed was enough money for a piece of base material and the cost of having someone craft it.
Gauss was just about to ask Daphne how much a piece of base material cost.
But the group had already arrived at the training grounds, so he had no choice but to set aside the question for now and ask her another time.
Thanks to "Jinzhigong" for the 5,000 coins! Thank you so much! Thank you for your support!
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