Flight Instinct made Gauss's use of Fly vastly more efficient.
If before he'd needed to keep part of his mind focused to control the spell, now using it felt as natural as breathing—like he wasn't casting magic but had simply grown a pair of invisible wings.
It didn't take long for him to reach the source of the explosion.
He dipped just below the cloud layer and locked his gaze onto the scene below.
People.
On a wild, empty plain where only monsters, wind, and scrub should exist, there was a column of over a hundred people with pack animals and wagons, camped on a cleared patch of ground.
It wasn't a normal merchant caravan.
He narrowed his eyes. The Eagle-Eye Monocle smoothly adjusted, zooming the distant scene in as though he were looking through a telescope.
The first thing that caught his attention was their composition.
There were a lot of people, yet clearly divided.
One group wore similar studded leather or steel plate, bearing standard-issue weapons and carrying themselves with the disciplined bearing of soldiers.
The rest were support staff—setting up camp and handling logistics.
"A regular army…?"
His gaze moved to a banner planted in the camp.
He wasn't well-versed in heraldry, but even he could tell it bore some noble family's arms: black field, with a golden eagle stitched in fine thread, ringed by silver olive leaves.
"Trained regulars… likely sworn to a noble house."
As for the explosion…
His eyes shifted to another side of the camp.
Black smoke still poured from a ruined gnoll camp. Chunks of gnoll corpses were scattered everywhere.
Cavalry and marching mages had formed a ring around the remains, loosing arrows and spells at the survivors scrambling in the aftermath of the blast.
They worked like a machine—cold, efficient executioners.
In short order, that gnoll camp was completely wiped out.
"Who sent them out here to clear monsters…?"
It was his first time encountering a military unit out in the wild culling monsters.
Before this, he'd only seen other adventurers—and there was always a mutual understanding not to interfere with one another.
He'd just finished his observation and was about to leave when he suddenly felt a wave of energy sweep across him.
A heartbeat later, he knew—he'd been noticed.
Sure enough, the elderly war-mage below, who had been holding a crystal orb, raised his head and stared straight at Gauss's position.
After exchanging a few words with those around him, the others in the camp lifted their eyes as well, wary gazes turning skyward.
"Stranger in the sky."
An old, clear voice seemed to sound directly beside Gauss's ear.
"You've been watching from the clouds for some time. Since you're curious, why not come down and talk? We are the forces under House Istrek. We are not bandits with ill intent."
Gauss hesitated for a moment.
He glanced down at the camp, then sideways at Raven Echo, who had at some point glided up beside him.
He tore a scrap of paper free, quickly scribbled a message, tied it to Echo's leg, and sent the bird winging back toward Alia and the others.
Then he lowered his altitude and drifted down.
He chose to descend partly because these people clearly weren't acting like villains, and partly because he'd noticed them doing something to the gnoll altar remains.
They were clearly here for those altars—and he could use the chance to gather information.
When Gauss's boots touched the ground, the old war-mage who had just spoken rode over and invited him to sit in a tent in the camp.
The other soldiers all carried on with their tasks, only occasionally glancing at Gauss from the corners of their eyes.
"I am Leman, adviser-mage of House Istrek. Young guest, how should I address you?"
"Gauss," he replied.
"Gauss…"
Leman's eyes flickered with thought as he rolled the name around. For a second or two, his expression was blank—then his already pale eyebrows shot up.
"You've heard of me?" Gauss noticed the change and asked.
"I've heard a little," Leman said mildly.
That only confused Gauss more.
He'd never heard of House Istrek—but anyone who could hire a master-level mage as an adviser clearly wasn't minor nobility.
And the fact he'd never heard of them meant their main sphere of influence probably wasn't this region; otherwise he'd at least have heard a name in passing.
So how had they heard his name?
Goblin Slayer? Or "the one blessed by the Lake God"?
Neither quite fit. The goblin business was small fry for most nobles. As for the lake god—although that might have some impact, that incident was still very recent. News wouldn't spread that quickly.
Seeing Leman wasn't inclined to elaborate, Gauss asked outright:
"Now I'm really curious. Would you be willing to be more specific, Master Leman?"
The old mage only shook his head slightly.
"Call it a coincidence. We mages love to gossip when we get together, you know how it is…"
Gauss kept his polite smile, but inwardly he was rolling his eyes.
He hated riddle-talkers.
And he didn't buy the hand-waving explanation.
He had built up some reputation—but it was local, regional at best. His name still hadn't spread properly.
Since Gauss didn't press further, Leman smoothly shifted the topic.
"Since you've been operating in this area, Gauss, you must have noticed something strange about these gnolls?"
"I have."
Gauss nodded, looking toward the ruins.
"I've run into gnoll altars and destroyed them."
"These dens have no young at all… that's not how a natural pack looks."
"A keen observation," Leman said, clearly approving. "That's exactly why we're here."
"The gnolls in this region are not ordinary wild stock. They've been tainted by an evil will originating from the Lower Planes. They've begun raising altars—their way for Yeenoghu, the Gnoll King, to project his influence back into the world. These altars are anchor points, stepping stones for his corruption. This wasteland is merely one of the places he's seeded."
"Those demon lords who've had a taste of our world never let go of their hunger for it."
"When convenient, I'd like you to mark for us the locations of the altars you destroyed. We can perform purifications. We'll compensate you for that information."
"Fair enough," Gauss said. An unexpected bonus.
"And what are your plans from here, if I may ask?" Leman inquired casually.
"I'll regroup with my companions, then head on to Flutehold City."
He had originally planned to stay in this area another few days, but since a noble military unit was already here specifically to handle the "abnormality," there was no need for him to linger.
Partly for safety; partly because he'd already hit his kill target and his urge to slaughter had cooled somewhat.
It wasn't as if monsters were rare—if he wanted to kill more, he could always do it elsewhere without stepping on anyone's toes.
"Flutehold is a good place—prosperous, safe, a solid rest stop for travelers. Once we've finished this assignment, our forces will likely head there as well for a deserved break."
Leman's pale brows lifted slightly as his gaze slid to a map laid out on the table.
"Though… I wonder if, before you go to Flutehold, you might be willing to take a slight detour?"
Gauss didn't answer immediately. He followed Leman's finger on the map.
The old mage was pointing at a spot on the edges of the wasteland, southwest of Flutehold, where someone had drawn a vague circle.
"Old Crow Pass," Leman said slowly.
"It's a natural canyon pass. Three days ago, our scouts reported that there was a concentration of evil energy there. Based on our analysis, Old Crow Pass likely hosts a significant Yeenoghu altar site. According to plan, after securing this area and its main dens, we were supposed to split off a detachment and deal with it."
He paused, then lifted his gaze.
"But as you can see, the gnolls here are… more numerous than predicted. Yeenoghu's seeds are spread more thickly than our intel suggested. Our manpower is tied up. The core purification and sealing rituals take time and focus. We can't split our force, not yet."
Gauss understood what he was hinting at.
"You're hoping I'll recon it out—or even clear it?"
"Yes."
"As I said, we'll pay for those other altar locations: 10 gold for the intel."
"And because we trust you, Gauss, we're willing to offer 100 gold upfront as a retainer for this. If you succeed in clearing the target and bring back sufficient proof, you can go to the Golden Eagle family's office in Flutehold to claim the remaining 400 gold, or exchange it for other rewards."
"The Golden Eagles' reputation is guarantee enough."
"So—what do you say? If you're willing, we can draft a contract on the spot."
Leman smiled faintly, clearly confident in the weight the Golden Eagle name carried.
Gauss thought it over.
So they are well-known, huh…
The request was straightforward: 500 gold to go to Old Crow Pass, deal with whatever Yeenoghu-backed den was there, and bring back evidence.
100 gold up front was decent.
"I'll need to discuss it with my companions first," he said after a moment.
He was already leaning toward yes.
It was mostly on their way anyway—and even if it proved too much, he could always assess the situation on-site.
He left the tent, exchanged farewells with Leman, then shot skyward once more, quickly vanishing from the old mage's sight.
"So quick… youth truly is something," Leman murmured, watching him disappear into the clouds.
From his vantage, Gauss's Fly was honestly a bit ridiculous—not far off from those born with wings among his own family's "young geniuses."
…
By the time Gauss retraced his path, Alia and the others were already moving toward him.
"Gauss is back!"
Even with Raven Echo's earlier message, seeing him unharmed made everyone relax.
"They didn't try anything on you, did they?"
Gauss shook his head.
"House Istrek, or rather the Golden Eagles—any of you heard of them?"
Albena, Shadow, and Serandur all shook their heads.
Alia alone scrunched her brow.
"I think I've heard of them… let me think."
She closed her eyes, digging through her memories.
After a while, under everyone's curious stares, she opened them again.
"I remember now."
"They're… a very special family."
"Istrek—Golden Eagle—aren't like the usual nobles who sit on castles and farms."
She organized the bits of information she'd heard and spoke slowly.
"They're more like… a military house that specializes in dirty work and troublesome threats."
"From what I heard, the first Istrek was granted nobility and a unique charter after some massive demon incursion that spanned several kingdoms. But instead of a fixed domain, they were granted something called 'roving purge rights.'"
"Roving purge rights…?" Gauss repeated.
"It means they're empowered—and obligated—to move wherever necessary within the kingdom, even beyond its borders, to hunt specific threats. The crown allocates them a fixed budget every year to maintain these field forces."
"They keep offices in most major cities so their 'cleaner' units can resupply easily. Because of that, they keep pretty good relations with a lot of local nobles."
As she spoke, Gauss's impression of the once-unknown house became clearer.
No wonder they'd heard of him—a network like theirs would pick up interesting names quickly.
"And their reputation?"
"Golden Eagle people are blunt but keep their word. They're ruthless against monsters and cultists, but fairly reasonable with common folk and rule-abiding adventurers. They pay their bounties on time—they're loaded, and they've got royal backing."
The group discussed briefly.
In the end, they agreed to take the request from Leman.
Old Crow Pass was along their general route anyway. They'd have to veer a bit, but it wasn't far off enough to be called backtracking.
Decision made, Gauss flew back to the camp, signed a simple contract with Leman, then returned to his party.
"Next destination: Old Crow Pass."
He tilted his head up toward Raven Echo circling overhead.
Maybe, he thought, that canyon would be a good place for Echo to recruit more crow underlings.
Right now, the bird only had a small squad.
And with Echo growing stronger by the day, he was more than capable of commanding a proper murder of crows.