ca-book Chapter 322: The Golden Eagle Family
Chapter 322: The Golden Eagle Family
Flight Instinct greatly improved Gauss's efficiency in using the Fly spell.If before, using the Fly spell required him to concentrate part of his attention on controlling it, now using this spell was as simple as a bodily instinct.
It was as if he wasn't using a spell, but had grown a pair of invisible wings on his back.
Not long after.
Gauss flew to the vicinity of where the explosion had occurred.
He descended slightly from the clouds, his gaze locking onto the crowd below.
Yes, a crowd.
On the wilderness plains where there should only be monsters, gales, and weeds, a procession of over a hundred people, with pack animals and carts, had appeared and was camped on a man-made clearing.
That was no ordinary caravan.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. With his movement, the Eagle Eye Monocle switched magnification rapidly like a telescope, and the scene hundreds of meters away quickly enlarged in Gauss's vision.
The first thing that caught his attention was the composition of this group's personnel.
Although they were numerous, they were clearly divided.
One part wore relatively uniform studded leather armor or steel armor, carried standardized weapons, and moved with a strong military air.
The other part were logistics personnel, responsible for camp construction and logistical preparations.
"Is this... an army?"
Gauss caught a glimpse of the flag planted at the campsite.
Although he didn't have much knowledge of heraldry, he could still tell that the emblem on that flag was likely some noble family's coat of arms.
On a pitch-black background, a golden eagle was embroidered with gold thread, surrounded by a circle of silvery olive leaves.
"Well-trained regular soldiers, likely in the service of some noble."
As for the cause of the explosion...
Gauss's gaze turned to another direction of the crowd.
Black smoke was rising from a ruin, with fragments of gnoll corpses scattered here and there on the ground.
And those cavalry and marching mages were surrounding the Monster Camp, continuously firing arrows and spells into it, killing the survivors that had slipped through the net during the explosion.
This group mechanically repeated their actions, like cold executioners carrying out a frenzied slaughter.
Not long after, a gnoll camp was successfully eradicated.
"Who sent them here to purge monsters?"
This was the first time Gauss had encountered an army campaigning against monsters in the wild.
Previously, the most he encountered were other adventurers, but everyone usually maintained a tacit understanding of mutual non-interference.
Just as Gauss finished observing and was about to leave.
He suddenly felt his body swept by a certain energy, and then realized he had been discovered.
Sure enough, the old marching mage below, who had been holding a transparent orb, suddenly raised his head and looked in Gauss's direction.
His gaze precisely locked onto that small black dot in the sky.
After saying a few words to the person beside him, the others also looked up, warily eyeing Gauss.
"Unfamiliar adventurer."
An aged yet exceptionally clear voice seemed to ring beside Gauss's ear.
"I saw you observing from the clouds for quite some time. Since you are curious, why not come down for a chat? We are troops under the jurisdiction of the Eastrake family, not conspirators with ulterior motives."
Gauss remained silent for a moment.
He looked at the crowd below, then glanced at the raven Eck who had somehow followed him, appearing beside him at some point.
He wrote something on a slip of paper, then handed it to Eck to take back to Aria and the others. He himself slowly descended from the clouds.
The reason he descended was partly because this group's way of doing things indeed didn't seem like that of malicious people, and partly because he noticed they were performing some kind of work on the gnoll altar. Clearly, they had come specifically for this, and he could just inquire for some information.
When Gauss's feet touched the ground.
The old mage who had just communicated with him across the distance rode a horse to his front, inviting him to rest in the camp's tent.
As for the other soldiers, they were all carrying out their original duties, only occasionally glancing at Gauss out of the corner of their eyes while moving about.
"I am Layman, the advisory mage of the Eastrake family. Young guest, how should I address you?"
"Gauss," Gauss replied.
"Gauss..."
Upon hearing his name, a thoughtful expression appeared on the old mage's face, as if he had heard this name somewhere before.
After just a second or two, the expression on his face changed, his already whitened eyebrows involuntarily raising.
"Master Layman has heard of me?" Gauss, noticing the change in his demeanor, asked curiously.
"I've heard a little..." Layman nodded gently.
This made Gauss even more puzzled.
He hadn't heard of this Eastrake family, but since they could hire this mage, who was clearly a Master-level professional, as an advisor, this noble family's strength was obviously not to be underestimated.
Moreover, the fact that he hadn't heard of this family indicated that their sphere of influence likely wasn't nearby.
Otherwise, he should have heard something about them.
And under what circumstances had the other party heard of him?
Goblin Killer? Or the one favored by the Lake God?
Neither seemed likely. The former should be insignificant to most nobles, and while the latter held some influence for certain people, the day he summoned the Lake God hadn't passed many days ago. The speed of news spreading obviously wouldn't be that fast.
Seeing that Layman had no intention of further explanation, he spoke up and asked.
"Master Layman, I'm truly curious. Would it be convenient to elaborate?"
Layman, however, shook his head lightly.
"I happened to hear your name by chance. You know, when mages like us gather, we always like to find some interesting topics of conversation..."
Gauss maintained a smile on his face.
But inwardly, he couldn't help but complain wildly.
He hated riddlers.
Moreover, he didn't quite believe the other party's vague explanation.
Although he had indeed accumulated some reputation from frequently accepting commissions, that was all regional. His fame clearly hadn't truly spread far and wide yet.
Seeing Gauss didn't press further, Layman naturally shifted the topic to the present: "Mr. Gauss, since you are active in this area, you must have noticed the anomalies of these gnolls?"
"Yes."
Gauss nodded, his gaze turning once more to that ruin.
"I passed by and encountered gnoll altars, and destroyed them."
"These monster nests have no young, unlike natural populations."
"A very keen observation." A trace of approval flashed in Layman's eyes. "That is precisely why we are here."
"The gnolls here are different from wild, ordinary gnolls. They have been influenced by an evil will originating from the Lower Planes and have begun constructing altars. These altars are precisely the springboards for the Gnoll King Yeenoghu to exert influence on the Prime Material Plane. The Gnoll King attempts to re-infiltrate the world through the power of its underlings."
"And the changes in this wilderness are just one piece of the many chess pieces it has laid out."
"These Demon Lords who have tasted the pleasures of the mortal world have never given up their covetous gaze on this land."
"If convenient, please inform us of the location of the gnoll altar you destroyed. We can perform purification work, and subsequently, we will also give you a reward."
"Easy, easy." Gauss hadn't expected this unexpected bonus and naturally agreed.
"Might I ask, Gauss, what are your plans next?" Layman inquired casually.
"I should first go reunite with my companions, then continue on to Longdi Fort."
Gauss originally intended to stay here for a few days, but since there was now a noble army specifically coming to resolve the "anomalies" in this area, he didn't plan to linger too long.
Firstly, for safety considerations, and secondly, his kill count had already reached the target, and he didn't have such a strong desire to kill for the moment.
Anyway, monsters were plentiful in the wild. There was no need to compete with each other. If he wanted to kill, he could just go somewhere else.
"Longdi Fort is a good place. Bustling, safe, enough for travelers to rest and recuperate. After our team completes this commission, we will likely also head to Longdi Fort for rest and recuperation."
Mage Layman raised his gray-white eyebrows, his gaze falling on the map spread out on the table.
"It's just... I wonder, Gauss, if you would be interested, before setting off for Longdi Fort, to take a detour and visit a place?"
Gauss didn't answer immediately, merely shifting his gaze to the map.
Layman's withered finger was pointing to a location at the edge of the wilderness, southwest of Longdi Fort, where a vague circle was drawn.
"Old Crow Pass," Layman said slowly.
"That is a natural canyon passage. The scouts from our marching route last sent back a message three days ago, confirming abnormal evil energy gathering there."
"Based on our analysis, the location of Old Crow Pass is suspected to have large-scale Yeenoghu altar activity. Originally, according to plan, after clearing the main camps in this area, we were supposed to split our forces to deal with it."
He paused, lifting his eyes to look at Gauss.
"But as you can see, this wilderness is more 'fertile' than anticipated. The seeds Yeenoghu sowed are more numerous than the intelligence indicated. Our manpower is firmly pinned here. Both the core rituals of purification and sealing require a significant amount of time. We cannot split our forces in the short term."
Gauss understood his subtext.
"Master Layman, you hope I go scout, or rather... clear that place?"
"Yes."
"For the locations of the altars you cleared earlier, we are willing to purchase the information for a reward of 10 gold coins."
"And out of trust in you, Gauss, for this commission, we are willing to pay an advance deposit worth 100 gold coins."
"If you successfully clear the target and bring back sufficient evidence of the results, you can go to the Golden Eagle family's outpost office in Longdi Fort to exchange for the reward, whether it's collecting the remaining 400 gold coins or selecting other rewards."
"The Golden Eagle family's reputation is the best guarantee."
"How about it? If you are interested, we can sign a contract."
Layman revealed a slight smile, clearly very confident in the influence of the Golden Eagle family he mentioned.
Gauss fell into thought.
Could this family actually be very famous?
As for Layman's commission, it was also very easy to understand: pay 500 gold coins to hire Gauss to go to Old Crow Pass and clear the monsters there, and they were even willing to pay a 100 gold coin deposit for it.
It sounded quite sincere.
"I might need to go discuss it with my teammates first."
After thinking for a moment, Gauss spoke up.
Actually, he was already somewhat tempted.
This commission was already along the way. Secondly, even if the commission encountered difficulties, he could just act according to circumstances upon reaching Old Crow Pass.
After coming out of the large tent, Gauss bid farewell to Layman who came out to see him off, then his body floated into the air. Not long after, he disappeared from Layman's sight.
"So hasty and energetic. Youth is wonderful..."
From his perspective, the speed at which Gauss cast "Fly" was a bit too fast.
It wasn't even inferior to those winged geniuses within the family.
When Gauss returned the same way, Aria and the others were also moving in his direction.
"Gauss is back!"
Although the raven Eck had given advance warning, everyone still breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him return safely.
"Did that group do anything to you?"
Gauss shook his head.
"The Golden Eagle family, also known as the Eastrake family. Have you heard of this noble family?"
Facing his inquiry, Albenia, Shadow, and Serlandul all shook their heads in unison.
Only Aria fell into thought.
"I think I've heard of it... let me think."
She closed her eyes, trying hard to search her brain for information about this family.
After a while, Aria opened her eyes under the curious gaze of everyone.
"I remember now."
"This is a very special family."
"Eastrake, or Golden Eagle, is not like those traditional nobles guarding castles and territories."
She organized the information in her memory and spoke slowly.
"They are more like a... military noble family specializing in handling dirty work and troublesome matters."
"It is said that the original Eastrake ancestor, during a demonic invasion event that swept through several kingdoms, earned a noble title and a Charter with extraordinary achievements and sacrifice. But their reward was special; it wasn't a fixed piece of territory, but a kind of **Right of Mobile Purge**."
"The **Right of Mobile Purge** is a special right and duty granted to specific families or knightly orders to pursue and hunt specific threats throughout the entire kingdom and even beyond the borders. The royal family allocates fixed funds annually to maintain this family's army operating externally."
"The Golden Eagle family has offices in all major cities, mainly to provide services for their family's 'cleaner' troops, and because of this, they maintain quite good relations with many nobles in various regions."
As Aria narrated, Gauss's impression of this originally unfamiliar family gradually became clearer.
No wonder they had heard of him. Such a family with influence everywhere must have a very extensive intelligence network.
"How is their reputation?"
"Golden Eagle family members act decisively but keep their promises. They show no mercy when dealing with monsters and cultists, but are relatively fair towards ordinary civilians and law-abiding adventurers. Moreover, the rewards they pay are usually very punctual. After all, they are wealthy and powerful, with the royal family as their backing."
The group discussed for a bit.
Finally, they decided to accept this commission from the Golden Eagle family advisor.
Coincidentally, Old Crow Pass was also in the direction of Longdi Fort. Although it required a slight detour, it couldn't be considered going in the opposite direction.
After deciding, Gauss alone returned to Mage Layman's camp, signed a contract, and then returned to the team.
"Next destination, head to, Old Crow Pass."
His gaze turned to the raven Eck circling in the sky.
Perhaps there, he could recruit a new batch of Crow Underlings for Eck.
Currently, it still only had those few crows under its command.
And the increasingly powerful raven Eck clearly had the ability to command more crow subordinates.