The Magic Missile extinguished the warrior's last breath of life, and Gauss cautiously delivered two additional strikes to ensure completion. Only after confirming their absolute demise did he and Aria begin clearing the chaotic battlefield.
"I never expected... to encounter something ." Aria murmured softly, gazing at the bloodstains and wreckage scattered across the snow. Gauss remained unusually calm.
Though he had taken these lives, this wasn't his first experience killing. During his travels, he'd occasionally encountered foolish bandits bold enough to ambush them. The moment this group had attacked Aria while she lay unconscious during their initial assault, any possibility of peaceful resolution had vanished.
Gauss felt no particular burden. When facing enemies, one must eradicate evil completely - whether dealing with monsters or... humans. Had their positions been reversed, it would be their corpses lying in the snow being looted right now. As an ordinary spellcaster lacking vigilance, he might have perished during the warrior's initial ambush, leaving Aria to face four opponents alone.
Starting a conflict then begging for mercy upon realizing they couldn't win? The world didn't work that way.
"Will the Guild investigate this?" Gauss asked, as this was his first time encountering such a situation. Aria shook her head with certainty.
"Unlikely. They struck first. Even if they use retrospection magic to review the scene, we acted in self-defense. Had we initiated the attack for plunder and been discovered... that might cause trouble, considering this is the Adventurers Guild's Winter Hunt."
Their brief discussion concluded, the pair efficiently gathered spoils. From the four still-warm corpses, they collected approximately 12 gold coins in total.
"Rather poor," Gauss remarked. About 3 gold per person - less than what he'd accumulated shortly after becoming a Bronze-rank adventurer. No wonder they'd taken such risks; truly desperate.
Beyond coin, they found scattered gear, potions, and supplies. What truly caught Gauss's eye was the small storage bag nearly identical to his own, retrieved from the mage Pierre's corpse.
"25 gold!" Their eyes met, mutual excitement evident. "Perfect timing - we needed a communal storage bag!" Aria said cheerfully. "Yours alone isn't enough."
"I wonder if he paid full price or took loans. If the latter, who knows if he'd finished repayment?" Gauss pondered practically.
"Who cares? It's ours now. Loans from other guilds won't trace back to us," Aria chuckled. An extra storage bag meant greater capacity for supplies and loot - no adventuring team would complain.
Gauss channeled mana through his fingertips into the bag, systematically erasing its previous owner's residual aura before imprinting his own magical signature.
Checking the sky, they noted the late hour. Quickly stowing their new acquisitions, they dragged the four bodies to an inconspicuous snowdrift for hasty burial before hastening toward the designated rendezvous point.
Their return journey proceeded in good spirits. Despite the unexpected encounter, results proved favorable. The Winter Hunt itself promised 20-30 gold from monster bounties and spoils, while their "counterattack" yielded approximately 50 gold in total value. Beyond the storage bag, however, substantial liquid assets were scarce - typical for freshly-minted Level 1 adventurers who reinvested most early earnings into self-improvement. Consumables like skill books and potions lost value after single use, otherwise profits might have been greater.
As they progressed, other returning teams began appearing along the route. Winter Hunt groups maintained respectful distances, moving silently yet swiftly toward the assembly point. Upon arrival, they found many already gathered. Guild Leader Eberhard remained absent, but an Iron-rank adventurer assumed leadership. Once approximately ten teams assembled, their guide led them toward the forest-edge camp.
The journey encountered minimal danger - unsurprising, as their combined force represented significant threat. Ordinary monsters avoided rather than challenged such a formidable group.
When the wagon-fortified camp's firelit outline finally emerged through the darkened landscape, Gauss's day-long tension eased slightly. The expanded camp now featured sturdier wooden palisades. Against the night's black canvas, crackling orange campfires dispelled cold and darkness while mingling aromas of food and human voices created an almost urban illusion.
Merchant caravans accompanying the adventurers had erected large tents offering temporary "shops" - providing not just fresh meat and vegetables, but cafeteria-style meals, bathhouses, and other paid services. Gauss and Aria purchased modest portions before retreating to their tent.
"Outrageously expensive... nearly seven times town prices," Aria complained loudly while feeding their eager gray wolf Ulfen a small fresh steak, though she recognized the pricing's justification. Higher transport costs and greater risks demanded premium compensation - what merchant would brave the frozen wilderness bordering dangerous Emerald Forest without substantial profit? Even adventurers participated primarily for gain rather than charity.
Before their assigned tent, Aria expertly kindled a fire while Gauss prepared ingredients, tossing chopped meat, cleaned vegetables, and spices into an iron pot. Soon, mouthwatering aromas permeated the air. During dinner preparations, Gauss repeatedly cast Prestidigitation for personal hygiene - faint magical currents cleansing away a day's accumulation of sweat and blood. Though the camp offered bathhouse tents, their late return meant long queues, making magical alternatives preferable. While less relaxing than proper bathing, the spell's cleansing effects sufficed.
Deep in night, within the camp's central command tent, Eberhard sat alone before an expansive wooden table displaying a magical map detailing the Winter Hunt's operational area. This enchanted artifact vividly tracked each team's position via glowing markers, recorded signal flares, and even cataloged slain monster types and quantities - hovering his quill over locations summoned corresponding data.
His finger paused over a blinking red marker. Summoning his logistics and intelligence officer, he obtained the relevant recall stone. A robed mage activated the artifact, projecting luminous playback of events in that snowy clearing - from Gauss's monster elimination through the ambush, battle conclusion, looting, and burial.
Silence followed the recording's end. "Lord Eberhard," the mage ventured cautiously, "shall we... advise that Gauss to exercise more restraint? After all..."
Eberhard's crimson eyes lingered on the projection of Gauss's youthful yet eerily calm expression during the violence, his lips curling with intrigued amusement. "Unnecessary," he replied, resuming his usual solemn tone.
"Then these records..."
"Purge them." Eberhard tapped the recall stone lightly. "Regarding those four overambitious fools... officially record: 'Encountered Level 2 Ogre, fought valiantly, total casualties.'"
The mage bowed deeply, comprehension flashing across his features. "Understood, my lord."