I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 395: Reveal Your Evil!

"To summarize, you encountered a power struggle within your guild, resulting in the Guild Leader's death, and you are now being hunted by your former team." After listening to the explanation from the woman before him, who introduced herself as Luna, the former Deputy Guild Leader of Fang of the Pale Wolf, Gauss quickly processed the logic in his mind.

The story itself wasn't overly complex, but the intricate details were clearly not something that could be explained fully in a short time.

"Yes, and Fisher will probably come looking for you before long. He seems to have had his eye on you for a while."

Gauss listened with an unchanged expression.

After all, she was a stranger. He couldn't fully trust everything Luna said just yet.

However, he also couldn't afford not to be prepared.

For adventurers, when it came to many things, it was better to believe something existed than to dismiss it as nothing. Having an extra layer of preparation was never a mistake.

Especially since Gauss was well aware that his abnormalities were likely a tempting target for many ambitious individuals.

Setting aside the fact that many mistakenly believed he possessed a Dragonborn bloodline of exceptionally high purity, even the mere existence of Hephaestus was enough to drive some to take desperate risks.

There would always be gamblers whose ambition would override their reason, leading them to take some reckless actions. One couldn't assume everyone in the world was an objective, rational human being. This was a lesson Gauss had learned during his career.

"Thank you for the information, Ms. Luna."

Gauss expressed his gratitude, but remained inwardly wary of her.

Even if she wasn't lying about Fisher's intentions towards him, how could he prove she wasn't actually working in collusion with Fisher, playing a coordinated role?

He also couldn't completely rule out the possibility that she was simply using him to fight against Fisher, and had fabricated some details.

Therefore, he would naturally observe the truth with his own eyes.

According to Luna's account, Fisher should be arriving soon anyway.

Luna was clearly aware that gaining trust in such a short time was difficult. To avoid making Gauss and his group tense, she led her people a bit further away, not fully approaching Gauss's location.

If a conflict broke out, she would at least be able to buy time for the members following her.

Meanwhile, Gauss raised his gaze to the giant eagle circling high in the sky. It spread its wings, spanning several meters, soaring and gliding in the air, yet it never left the airspace directly above the village where everyone was gathered.

"Screech!!!"

Another cry suddenly echoed from the high altitude.

Then, on the distant horizon, a small, rapidly moving team appeared in their line of sight, swiftly approaching the direction of the village that served as the Red Dragon Guild's temporary camp.

The other members of the Red Dragon Guild had already been notified and were now on alert.

Normally, in the wilderness, two unfamiliar adventuring guilds would generally avoid close contact unless absolutely necessary.

If such contact occurred, it usually meant either the two sides had a close relationship, often participating in large-scale lair explorations or other commissions together, or that a conflict was about to happen.

The specifics would depend on the interaction between the two guild leaders.

According to Luna, the other side was hunting her, so the approaching Fang of the Pale Wolf team was not their full roster, but rather a vanguard of elite troops.

Otherwise, maintaining high mobility would be difficult.

From this perspective, it seemed fairly logical.

Gauss's gaze, sharp as an eagle's, began carefully observing the situation of the other adventuring guild from a great distance.

Less than twenty people.

Their numbers were even fewer than the Red Dragon Guild members present here.

However, if he excluded himself as the Guild Leader, the combat power of this elite Fang of the Pale Wolf force was clearly stronger.

The person leading them was no longer the Guild Leader Wolf he had met last time, but a stranger—a young man with a fair complexion.

"Guild Leader Fisher, please have your members halt their advance first."

"How about the two of us have a few words first?"

Gauss took a few steps forward. His voice wasn't loud, yet it traveled far, reaching the ears of every person rapidly approaching on their mounts.

To be honest, he wasn't particularly concerned about who was right or wrong in the Fang of the Pale Wolf's internal rebellion.

After all, he had no prior connection with Fang of the Pale Wolf. That chance encounter back in Grayrock Town, with talk of potential future cooperation—both sides knew that was merely polite conversation.

But he needed to protect his team. Naturally, he couldn't allow the other side to easily approach within combat range.

Perhaps hearing Gauss's words, the elite troops of Fang of the Pale Wolf significantly slowed their movement speed, finally stopping about two hundred meters away.

This distance wasn't far, but it certainly wasn't close either. At the very least, Gauss had ample time to react.

After raising a hand to signal his companions behind him to stay still, Fisher slowly urged his horse forward alone, approaching Gauss's location.

His mount was a jet-black horse, its tail swirling with dark mist. It appeared to be an individual with some sort of unusual bloodline.

His gaze settled on Gauss.

Just as the intelligence described, it was a man with black hair, green eyes, fair skin, and a handsomeness that even made him feel a twinge of jealousy. Unlike his youthful appearance, an aura of steadiness surrounded him. He was the type who would be noticed immediately, even in the center of a crowd.

He paused for two seconds, then quickly shifted his gaze, looking towards Luna and her group on the open ground to the side.

He knew Luna's thoughts, and he could guess she had probably already spoken to Gauss beforehand.

Thinking this, he dismounted from his horse, a smile appearing on his face as he spoke.

"Guild Leader Gauss of the Red Dragon Guild, I have long heard of your great name. I've wanted to meet you for a long time, but never had the chance. Seeing you now truly lives up to the reputation in the rumors."

His voice also carried far.

His words were very polite.

But Gauss instinctively raised his guard a notch.

Descriptions relayed by others inevitably contained distortions. So, regarding Luna's words, he only partially believed and partially doubted them. But now, meeting face-to-face, he instinctively felt a wave of discomfort emanating from the other man's body.

This sense of revulsion came without any clear reason, yet it persisted continuously.

It was as if their auras were clashing.

If this judgment wasn't wrong, and he believed he conducted himself with integrity, then what kind of person could be so incompatible with him?

Gauss's expression remained unchanged, but the scales in his mind had quietly shifted.

The various energies within his body also silently adjusted to a state ready to erupt at any moment.

However, he couldn't just start a massacre without basis simply because their auras clashed.

He decided to first see what Fisher had to say and what he would do.

If they could part without incident, that would be fine. But if the other party truly harbored malicious intentions, he would make Fisher understand the might of his spells.

"You are too polite, Guild Leader Fisher. If you have business, please speak plainly to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings between our two sides. What do you think?"

Gauss nodded, but showed little desire for small talk. The timing wasn't right, the setting wasn't right, added to the fact that they were hardly acquainted and were meeting under such special circumstances. If they were in the relative safety of a town, he might not mind finding a suitable place to chat a bit more.

Right now, any further pleasantries would be useless. It was better for both sides to state their intentions openly and honestly.

Then, each could return to their own business, avoiding conflict. That would be the best outcome for both parties.

"Guild Leader Gauss is indeed a man of direct words." A calm smile spread across Fisher's somewhat pale face.

"My visit today is to pursue the traitors within my guild who assassinated Guild Leader Wolf. I hope you can grant us this convenience and hand over those few traitors. Fang of the Pale Wolf will surely offer generous thanks."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Luna in the distance.

Gauss fell silent briefly.

"I have no intention of interfering in your guild's internal disputes."

In truth, compared to Fisher's account, he was more inclined to believe Luna's version in his heart.

After all, back when they were wandering in Grayrock Town, the person accompanying that Guild Leader Wolf was Luna, not the Fisher before him now. The difference in closeness was obvious at a glance.

Moreover, after Guild Leader Wolf's death, this Fisher seemed to be the biggest beneficiary.

But, as the saying goes.

He was no longer a lone individual. Behind him were nearly thirty guild members who followed him, most of whom already had wives and children.

Since he had brought them out here, Gauss felt it was his responsibility to send them back home as safely as possible.

This didn't mean he had to be an overprotective nanny, accompanying them every step of the way, forbidding them from fighting and hiding them in a safe rear area.

Rather, it meant that unnecessary battles, which served no purpose, were best avoided in advance.

If this Fisher didn't take action against them...

Should he, in pursuit of a justice whose full details he didn't yet know, choose to place his guild members in danger?

This was a question worth pondering.

"Please proceed. However, Guild Leader Fisher, I think those few individuals are unlikely to cause much more trouble."

Gauss sighed.

From the information provided by both sides, he had already deduced the general picture.

But right now, for the Fang of the Pale Wolf adventuring guild, the truth no longer mattered.

Fisher had already secured the loyalty of the guild's core members. Objectively, he had become the undisputed Guild Leader. Even if these few escapees like Luna got away, they wouldn't be able to stir up significant waves.

Furthermore, wiping them out completely didn't offer him much benefit. The guild's morale was already unstable. There were surely members who had received favors from Deputy Guild Leader Luna. Killing her might damage his reputation.

Anyway, even if Luna appealed to the Adventurers Guild, it likely wouldn't yield any results.

On one hand, Fisher could destroy any physical evidence in advance. As for witnesses, the current guild members were mostly his people now and would naturally speak for him.

On the other hand, this was monster territory, a lawless land. The vast majority of human divination spells couldn't function on this soil. That meant even if there was the slightest chance of reopening the case, securing a conviction wouldn't be that simple.

Moreover, Gauss was also thinking, would the Adventurers Guild really intervene?

He didn't think so.

Unless Luna or the deceased former Guild Leader Wolf had some special connections, it would most likely end with nothing being done.

From Gauss's understanding, the Adventurers Guild's stance was one aligned with the human faction. This meant that regarding their attitude towards units like adventuring guilds, many judgments based on individual good or evil didn't hold much significance.

If Fisher, as the new Guild Leader of Fang of the Pale Wolf, could lead the guild to continue growing, undertake more commissions, and kill more monsters for the human faction, then he was valuable.

"Thank you for your suggestion. However, Guild Leader Wolf's body is not yet cold. He had a nurturing kindness towards me. I find it very difficult to sit back and watch these traitors roam free."

Seeing that Fisher wasn't accepting his subtly implied suggestion to show mercy and let them go, but was instead determined to exterminate them, Gauss shook his head internally, his vigilance increasing even more.

The other man was revealing a certain venomous quality in his character.

Just as Fisher was about to walk past Gauss, heading towards Luna and her group's direction.

Gauss suddenly drew his White Wand and swiftly cast the Control Water spell, launching a Mete's Arrow imbued with divine energy to strike the ground in front of Fisher.

The ground instantly exploded, creating a sizable crater.

Witnessing this sudden development.

Behind Fisher, the members belonging to Fang of the Pale Wolf grabbed their reins, seemingly preparing to charge.

Behind Gauss, although they didn't understand why he had suddenly attacked, Aria and the others chose to trust him unconditionally. They decisively raised their hands, signaling the Red Dragon Guild members to take up their weapons.

Both sides instantly entered a tense, standoff situation.

"Guild Leader Gauss, what is the meaning of this?" Fisher's face darkened as he quickly retreated a distance.

"That's what I should be asking you. Why did you attack my teammates?" Gauss's expression suddenly turned cold. As he spoke, the mana throughout his entire body began to surge.

Just moments ago, he had keenly detected a stream of evil energy flowing from Fisher's feet, then speeding off in a certain direction.

If the target of that energy had been Luna and her group, he could have reluctantly chalked it up to Fisher being impatient, eager to take action.

But what angered him was that the flow of this evil energy was directed towards the Red Dragon Guild members—specifically, towards the location of several of his teammates.

Fisher clearly had some understanding of him. Knowing full well that Aria, Shadow, Serlandul, and Albenia were his most important team members, he still chose to take action.

The situation spoke for itself.

On the surface, he claimed he wanted to apprehend Luna and the others for judgment. In reality, he was targeting the Red Dragon Guild. To be precise, just as Luna had said, he was aiming for Gauss himself.

So, he chose to strike at Gauss's closest teammates first, likely hoping to make Gauss hesitate later, fearing for their safety.

However, he miscalculated one thing: Gauss's perception of evil energy was far too sharp.

It was like suddenly seeing a flame in the darkness. Once exposed, it had nowhere to hide!

What surprised Gauss a bit was that Fisher himself was so well-concealed. Before he activated that energy stream, Gauss hadn't even detected much abnormality about him.

"Control Water!"

The Godwater swiftly retracted and, under his control, transformed into dozens of slender water arrows shooting towards Fisher's body.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

A series of dense, arrow-piercing-flesh sounds rang out in succession.

Gauss's Mete's Arrow Rain instantly riddled Fisher's body like a sieve.

Was it really that easy?

Gauss instinctively felt something was wrong.

"Heh heh heh!"

The riddled Fisher began to laugh.

A power completely opposite to Gauss's divine aura began to surge from his body.

Was this the confidence Fisher had in choosing to move against him?

"What's inside your body is..."

Gauss frowned. That aura felt both familiar and unfamiliar to him. He had encountered it a long time ago.

The difference was, what he had encountered before were mostly small fry.