I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 76: Highway Robbery

"Have you been troubled by something recently? I've noticed you've been locking yourself in your room these past two days." Sophia's curiosity was piqued by Gauss's unusual behavior.

Gauss shook his head in response. "Just reading and contemplating cultivation matters."

At the mention of cultivation, Sophia found herself at a loss for words. Though her father had once been an adventurer of some renown in Grayrock Town, those were stories from long ago, and she herself had little understanding of such matters.

"Well, good luck then," Sophia could only offer verbal encouragement. She wasn't overly worried - staying indoors reading and thinking seemed far safer than venturing into the wilderness to fight monsters with a rapier.

"This won't do. Theory alone isn't enough." After cramming on spell principles, Gauss ultimately decided to go out. Magic couldn't be mastered through pure imagination - while theory was important, practical application was equally necessary to verify and internalize the knowledge.

As for his destination, he already had a target in mind.

So after lunch, under Sophia's concerned gaze, Gauss - who had finally been "well-behaved" for two days - packed his bags, bid farewell, and left Grayrock Town once more.

This time he hadn't accepted any specific commission. Instead, he paid a small fee to join a merchant caravan heading northwest to Absinthe Town, a slightly larger settlement than Grayrock that specialized in medicinal herbs. More importantly, Andni had mentioned it hosted a small gathering of spellcaster apprentices.

Apprentices from surrounding towns all converged there, gradually forming a small open organization. This kind of modest gathering would be perfect for someone like Gauss to broaden his horizons. With luck, he might even find a spellbook or two that could prove immediately useful.

Lying atop a wagon piled with hay, chewing on a grass stem while gazing at the azure sky, Gauss found himself eagerly anticipating Absinthe Town. Though he occasionally spotted adventurers dressed as spellcaster apprentices on Grayrock Town's streets, he'd never properly conversed with any. Perhaps due to magic's diverse nature, apprentices maintained a wary distance from unfamiliar peers, politely keeping apart even when crossing paths in town. Surely at a gathering, interactions would be more frequent?

Just as Gauss was about to return to his spell theory book, a commotion erupted at the front of the caravan, bringing the wagons to a gradual halt. After carefully donning his gear, Gauss vaulted from the wagon and approached a squad leader among the merchant guards.

"What's happening?" he asked curiously.

The squad leader shook his head without answering. Whether due to Gauss's youthful appearance or general uncertainty about the situation remained unclear.

Gauss frowned. He disliked this lack of information - it felt like being blindfolded, with events slipping beyond his control. Through multiple missions, he'd learned that regardless of circumstances, sufficient intelligence was prerequisite for rational decision-making.

He couldn't help but sigh. If only he were a bronze-rank adventurer. Simply displaying that badge would make the caravan members deferentially share information. Though his combat ability already ranked among the top of low-level adventurers - and to ordinary people, the danger he posed differed little from a bronze-ranker (both being unbeatable, with only the speed of defeat varying) - without that badge, he lacked credibility. He couldn't go around beating people up like some rage-filled brute just to prove his strength.

The bronze badge served as credit endorsement backed by the Adventurers Guild's formidable social credibility. Whether dealing with country bumpkins or urban nobility, flashing that badge spoke louder than any words.

Drawing his Bone Staff, Gauss advanced toward the front while using Mage Hand to float his rapier beside him. His current 1v3 Mage Hand could still only lift ten pounds, but with improved speed and precision.

Near the lead wagons, several caravan managers and the guard captain were huddled in quiet discussion. As the stranger approached, the captain moved to order him back, but a sharp-eyed manager spotted the floating rapier and restrained the captain.

Spellcaster apprentices commanded respect among ordinary low-level adventurers. Without direct conflict, even moderately positioned managers hesitated to offend them, for one never knew what cantrips an apprentice might possess - many could kill silently and imperceptibly.

"Master Spellcaster, how may we assist you?" 

"Why has the caravan stopped?" Gauss asked directly. Relieved at the captain's restraint, he marveled again at magic's utility in averting potential conflict. Without his display, given the group's grim expressions, unpleasantness would have been inevitable.

The manager sighed. "Our scouts report a goblin gang blocking the road ahead - dozens strong."

"Can't we detour?" Gauss asked. With advance warning, circumvention seemed obvious.

"Impossible. We're transporting time-sensitive herbs that must reach Absinthe Town before losing potency. The losses would be catastrophic, and alternative routes would take too long. We've traveled this route over a dozen times without incident..."

After listening, Gauss understood the situation: a goblin group preparing to rob passing caravans. The good news - early detection by scouts. The bad news - no time for detours, which would require backtracking and taking a lengthy alternate route to Absinthe Town, causing the herbs to arrive too late and incurring heavy losses for the merchant group. Their complacency stemmed from this route's established safety record over many prior uneventful trips.

Now fully apprised, Gauss had his bearings.