I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 398: The Red Dragon Group's Expansion

When the battle ended, Gauss specifically piled the corpses of these people together and set them ablaze with fire.The flames in this world could also purify most harmful substances.

If these corpses were left in the wilderness, they would inevitably be eaten by creatures like crows or other scavengers, which might lead to a series of consequences, so it was better to burn them clean with a single fire.

"Fisher is also dead."

Gauss looked at Luna beside him, who seemed to want to speak but hesitated. Knowing she was curious about the fate of Fisher, who had vanished from sight earlier, he directly informed her of Fisher's outcome.

Hearing that Fisher was dead, Luna finally let out a sigh of relief, a look of release appearing on her face.

Although she hadn't personally avenged Wolf, at least Fisher hadn't escaped justice. Dying at the hands of Gauss, whom he had been scheming against, could be considered a kind of karmic retribution.

"Thank you."

Luna wiped the bloodstains from her face while looking at everyone and expressing her gratitude.

She had originally prepared to sacrifice herself to buy time for her teammates to escape.

But she never expected that Gauss, who had no relation to her, would ultimately choose to protect her.

In her view, it was Gauss who had taken the initiative earlier to attack Fisher first, forcing Fisher to reveal his true form.

"You don't need to thank me."

"This was also for self-preservation. That guy had ill intentions towards us as well."

"He attacked my teammates earlier, so I attacked him."

Gauss shook his head, speaking frankly.

Fisher should never, ever have taken the initiative to target his teammates.

But it was too late for him to regret it now.

Hearing Gauss's reason for taking action, Luna didn't feel disappointed. Instead, she respected him even more.

Gauss was a good Guild Leader.

"What are your plans next?"

Gauss's gaze swept towards several figures approaching slowly from the distance.

Those people were also elites brought by Fisher. However, unlike these captains, upon realizing that Fisher had exposed abnormal evil energy, they immediately chose to cut ties, distancing themselves from the battlefield.

It seemed they likely hadn't been deeply involved in Fisher's schemes.

Currently, aside from Deputy Guild Leader Luna and the few old members by her side, Fang of the Pale Wolf had very few high-end combatants left.

The former Guild Leader, the level 10 Warrior Wolf, was dead. The level 9 third-in-command intelligence captain Fisher, along with several other Master-level captains, had all been slain by Gauss.

Although there were still many mid-to-low-tier combatants left, it was clear that relying on just them was not enough to hold onto the original foundation of Fang of the Pale Wolf.

If they wanted to maintain the team framework of Fang of the Pale Wolf, they would inevitably have to scale down.

Gauss looked at Luna.

Earlier, when he hypnotized the completely unresisting Fisher, he had also taken the opportunity to ask about some details of Fisher's rebellion.

Therefore, he also held a favorable impression of this Deputy Guild Leader known for her integrity.

If she wanted to continue leading Fang of the Pale Wolf, he wouldn't mind lending a small helping hand.

Once her side stabilized, the two forces could still assist each other, acting as good neighbors or something.

Hearing Gauss's inquiry, a flicker of confusion also passed over Luna's face.

These past few days, she had been completely immersed in how to escape and report Fisher's murder of Wolf to the Adventurers Guild. She hadn't seriously considered what her next plan of action would be after Fisher was brought to justice.

To be honest, all of this had been too sudden for her.

Before setting out, she thought this would be no different from the usual commissions they undertook.

Arrive at the commission location, gather intelligence, clear out monsters, loot spoils, return to town to rest, prepare for the next commission.

Who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary commission would cause earth-shaking changes for the entire adventuring guild.

But perhaps this was what adventuring was about.

You could never predict what would happen tomorrow.

"I'll..."

"Then think it over for a bit." Gauss took advantage of this time to go and communicate with his subordinates.

Luna fell into a dilemma.

She wasn't suited for a leadership role. She was better at executing decisions than making them.

This was also why, after being in Fang of the Pale Wolf for so many years, she had never left to strike out on her own.

She didn't have the ambition to be subordinate to others like Fisher did.

But at this moment, within Fang of the Pale Wolf, it seemed there was no one else besides her who could shoulder the responsibility.

Just as her mind was racing, suddenly, her slightly confused eyes glanced at the young, handsome man beside her.

An idea took root and sprouted wildly in her mind like weeds.

Looking at the teammates and ordinary members gathered around Gauss, inquiring after his well-being, a flicker of envy crossed her face.

Unlike the larger-scale Fang of the Pale Wolf, the Red Dragon Guild, with only a few dozen people, seemed more united. There wasn't as much scheming and intrigue; everyone was united around this man.

However, this man indeed deserved the affection of his subordinates.

His strength was formidable. Even Fisher, who had obtained power from the evil god and murdered Wolf, was swiftly killed by him.

Moreover, he cared for his subordinates.

She could read from the faces of those ordinary members that their respect and concern for Gauss were sincere, not mere flattery.

"Guild Leader Gauss, I want to join you."

When Luna brought her few trusted aides to his side and voiced this idea, even Gauss was somewhat shocked.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered this possibility at all.

It was just that he had quickly dismissed the idea himself.

Strictly speaking, today was the first time Gauss and Luna had made contact, and their conversation hadn't even lasted ten minutes.

Even though, by a twist of fate, he had saved Luna and her companions.

There were other ways to repay that favor.

Joining a team... wasn't that too hasty?

"Are you serious? Do you want to go back and think about it some more?"

Gauss thought she might be acting on impulse and kindly reminded her.

Luna was a level 9 Warlock. For the Red Dragon Guild, she would absolutely count as high-end talent.

"No, I've considered it carefully."

Luna, however, shook her head, appearing very determined.

Getting to know someone isn't about the length of time.

She felt Gauss would be a good leader. He possessed an indescribable charisma and leadership quality.

"If Guild Leader Gauss you need it, I can help you screen out the useful talents from Fang of the Pale Wolf and integrate them into the Red Dragon Guild."

"However, I hope Wolf's personal assets can be converted into gold coins and given to his family."

Seeing that Luna seemed to have made up her mind.

Gauss turned to exchange glances with Aria and the others.

"Wolf's personal assets naturally should be inherited by his family."

"However, regarding other matters, I need to discuss them with my teammates."

"Alright."

Luna nodded obediently.

Then, taking her trusted aides, she turned to make contact with the group of Fang of the Pale Wolf members who had cautiously and finally arrived before them.

Gauss paid no attention to those members who were tearfully pleading for Luna's forgiveness.

That was, after all, their internal affair.

"What do you all think?"

"Luna is a good person." Albenia nodded. "When the battle erupted earlier, she took the initiative to bring people over to help."

This alone spoke volumes about her character.

Although Fisher was indeed brought by them, the subsequent targets of Fisher and the others had clearly shifted to Gauss and his group.

Before the situation became clear, Luna, who was injured and outside the battlefield, could have fled far away and stayed out of it. But she chose to join the fight immediately without the slightest hesitation.

During the battle, she also performed very diligently.

"Our Red Dragon Guild indeed has too few members." Chief Steward Ivan said. "If we can absorb some elite members from Fang of the Pale Wolf, our team's strength could likely double."

"However, considering they betrayed their former Guild Leader, their character might need further vetting."

Ivan was considering things from the perspective of the entire team.

Members from such an established adventuring guild had their strength tested through long-term practical combat, and their adventuring experience was quite rich.

"That's actually not as serious as you think. Most members of Fang of the Pale Wolf weren't involved in this and knew nothing about it. They were just following Fisher's orders regarding subsequent events. The chief culprit is already dead."

Gauss explained.

This was also known after hypnotizing Fisher. If it had been a full-scale betrayal, no matter how strong or capable they were, he could never have accepted them into the Red Dragon Guild.

Moreover, he possessed the professional feat [Proof of Leadership].

These Fang of the Pale Wolf members who knew nothing about him, if they joined the team, would likely integrate quickly.

With the ability to share kills, team expansion would be beneficial for his own strength to accumulate more rapidly.

...

After the group finished their discussion.

Gauss walked over to Luna and the others, who had just finished their conversation.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Luna."

He extended his hand and gave Luna's a light shake as he spoke.

Merging with the Fang of the Pale Wolf team could bring about a dramatic change in the scale of the Red Dragon Guild.

After receiving Gauss's affirmative reply, Luna finally felt relieved deep down, experiencing a sense of security.

"Then please take care of me from now on, Guild Leader Gauss."

"Let me first cleanse the foreign energy within your body."

...

With Luna leading the way, Gauss's Red Dragon Guild quickly rendezvoused with the main force of Fang of the Pale Wolf.

After being informed by those core members who had returned from their misguided path, and after Gauss specifically used a memory stone to display evidence recording the entire incident, those members who had been quite confused about recent events finally saw the light.

So Fisher was the traitor.

Actually, some had already suspected.

It was just that Luna had fled the team, and Fisher and the other Master-level strength captains had all insisted that she killed Wolf. Even if ordinary elite members had doubts in their hearts, they didn't dare to step forward rashly in such a situation.

In this land teeming with monsters, it was also quite reasonable for a few lives to be lost due to accidents.

After Luna announced her intention to join the Red Dragon Guild, the reactions among the former Fang of the Pale Wolf crowd were mixed. It was clear many were quite surprised.

Not all members were well-informed. Many didn't even know what the Red Dragon Guild was like.

Now, the former second-in-command of the original team, currently the undisputed strongest member in the group, suddenly announced she was switching sides. For most people, this was too sudden; they were completely unprepared psychologically.

They could accept a change in team leadership—whether it was Wolf, the subsequent Fisher, or Luna, whom they originally thought would take over—they were all relatively familiar figures. But who exactly was this Guild Leader of the Red Dragon Guild?

They silently turned their gazes towards the young man who slowly stepped forward behind Luna.

"Hmm?"

Someone blinked.

Originally, a significant portion of people harbored resistance towards being led by a stranger. But the moment they saw Gauss, everything felt different.

This man really looked like he had a lot of leadership charisma.

Perhaps the environment was too quiet; one could even hear a distinct sound of someone swallowing hard within the crowd.

A 16-point Charisma attribute and the professional feat [Proof of Leadership] weren't just for show.

Many suddenly felt that if this man before them were to take over from Wolf and lead them... well, that might... not be unacceptable.

Moreover, Deputy Guild Leader Luna, who was loyal to Wolf, had approved of him. That likely meant both his strength and character were probably fine.

Following Luna's lead, others soon voiced their willingness to join the Red Dragon Guild.

However, their willingness alone wasn't enough. To join the Red Dragon Guild, they still needed to undergo vetting and assessment. Members who didn't pass would receive a compensation payment and leave.

Of course, some chose to leave from the start. After all, Gauss looked far too young. They felt their own strength was decent and thought this moment of dramatic change for the Fang of the Pale Wolf team was a good opportunity to join a stronger adventuring guild.

Gauss didn't stop them; it was a personal choice.

However, if they wanted to rejoin later, he definitely wouldn't allow it.

He disliked fickle people.

With the cooperation of the original Red Dragon Guild team and Luna's few people, the Red Dragon Guild swiftly completed the "merger" of the former Fang of the Pale Wolf adventuring guild over the next two days.

This merger greatly increased the overall strength of the Red Dragon Guild.

They gained a total of: 1 level 9 Warlock Luna, 1 level 7 Infiltrator Ethan, 1 level 6 Knight Dant, and over thirty elite-level members.

Among them, Ethan and Dant were Luna's trusted aides and were also part of the group hunted alongside her.

The remaining members who didn't pass the vetting or voluntarily left were escorted by Gauss to a safe area when he had time.

Ethan and Dant also went out. Their destination was Falim. They needed to secure the former Fang of the Pale Wolf headquarters immediately.

There was still a considerable portion of the team's fixed assets there, waiting for Gauss to handle them later.

"Let's continue executing the commission next."

Although an unexpected event had caused the team's overall strength to surge, Gauss hadn't forgotten the purpose of this trip.

Of the 3 commissions he had accepted, only 1 was completed.

Perfectly, he could use actual combat to hone the new team's coordination.

The effect of [Proof of Leadership] would be stronger in actual combat. Presumably, after two team clearing operations, those new members still quite unfamiliar with his strength would quickly become loyal.

After all, empty words held no weight. Even though the original Red Dragon Guild members and those few captains who had personally witnessed Gauss in action praised his strength highly, such things could only be truly understood after seeing it with one's own eyes.

However, before the team officially set out...

Some of the new recruits turned their heads to look at the massive red dragon beside them and couldn't help but swallow hard.

Huh? Wait a minute?