Aria had also long since selected the cantrips she needed. There weren't many common cantrips available for druids to choose from in the first place.
She already knew Mending, and Ignite served similar functions that Gauss could replicate with his own cantrips and spells. Thorn Whip was just a weaker version of Entangling Roots, and she had already mastered Shillelagh.
Considering team needs, she purchased [Guidance].
Guidance was a non-combat support cantrip that could bestow blessings upon herself or other targets. As a cantrip, its effects were modest and wouldn't work during intense battles. However, in other scenarios like exploration, trap detection, negotiations, climbing, deciphering runes or complex knowledge, recollection, and similar activities, the blessing could provide assistance, helping the recipient perform better at their current task.
After completing their purchases, the two immediately headed next door to the magic item shop - the same place where Gauss had previously bought his small Storage Bag.
Magic items could generally be divided into several categories.
The first category was weapons, such as various swords enhanced with special effects. Magic Wands also fell into this category, with prices ranging from low to high.
The second category was armor, which gained enhanced protective capabilities through inscribed magical runes.
Lastly came the more diverse assortment of wondrous items - amulets, alchemy jugs, storage bags, floating carpets, elemental gems, cloaks of illusion, and so on.
These items could be either artificial or naturally formed, but without exception, they all possessed magical properties. Wearing or using them would grant corresponding magical enhancements or effects.Based on quality, magic items could be classified as Common [White], Uncommon [Blue], Rare [Purple], or Epic [Gold]. The color grading came from the different hues these items would emit when examined with the Identify Spell.
Lower-level professionals mostly dealt with White-grade items, which offered simple yet practical magical effects.
Gauss went straight to the robe section.
A saleswoman quickly approached him enthusiastically, her gaze lingering on his 2-star badge for a moment before her smile brightened further. Professional levels often correlated with spending power.
"Adventurer, looking for robes? These are our newest designs for the season - would you like to try them?" The saleswoman moved closer.
"What are the differences?"
"This one is a self-cleaning robe - more resistant to bloodstains and dirt, with gradual automatic cleaning over time to eliminate washing hassles."
"This is a self-repairing robe that can fix minor tears and snags on its own."
"And this is a protective robe with more flexible yet sturdy material. While its defense can't match medium or heavy metal armor, it outperforms regular cloth or leather armor while offering better mobility."
...
Even the most basic White-grade robes came in numerous varieties based on function, color, and patterns, mostly priced between 5 to 10 gold coins.
After careful consideration, Gauss selected a plain black protective robe.
At its core, a robe was still armor.
And as everyone knew, armor's primary function was protection.
Thus, his main consideration was defensive performance. For color, he chose a practical, stain-resistant black.
Unlike leather armor, mage robes served well for both combat and daily wear, simply needing to be worn over inner clothing.
Before paying the 7 gold coins, Gauss used Prestidigitation to clean his new robe on the spot before changing into it.
The moment he donned the robe, he truly looked the part of a mage.
Gauss examined himself in the dressing mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
At least when moving through town now, he no longer appeared as an ordinary citizen in linen clothes.
And truth be told, this robe that cost 7 gold coins, despite its plain black appearance, carried an indescribable air of mysterious dignity when worn.
Craftsmanship-wise, beneath its plain black surface lay finely woven spider silk - incredibly soft and lightweight.
The wide sleeves fluttered like raven wings with each arm movement, creating a sense of graceful agility.
One couldn't help but feel the money was well spent. Regardless of its actual protective qualities, at least its appearance was impeccable.
Aria purchased a lightweight saddle for gray wolf Ulfen that slightly improved flexibility and movement speed, along with a dark blue protective cape primarily designed as a perch for raven Eck, featuring cleaning and durability properties.
She also bought a small shovel that could detect root locations in soil, useful for daily gardening work.
After their shopping spree, both wore satisfied smiles. Though they'd spent considerable money, gold was meant for such purposes, and every coin had been spent wisely without regret.
Leaving the guild compound, they went to gather some New Year's festival supplies together.
The coming days would be spent consolidating their Winter Hunt gains and focusing on training. After the New Year's festival, as the snowstorms subsided, new commissions would begin again.
Such was the life of adventurers - no extended vacations, maintaining practice even during rest periods because both body and mind grew complacent. Many skills and combat techniques would regress without constant improvement.
Taking months off without maintenance training would cause a professional's abilities to deteriorate rapidly.
This explained why many retired professionals saw their combat capabilities plummet quickly after leaving adventuring life, sometimes even experiencing level regression.
Of course, this didn't apply to all retired professionals - much depended on self-discipline.
Returning home, Gauss began decorating his two-story cottage.
Outside, the snowfall intensified.
Nearby occupied houses glowed warmly with candlelight against the snowstorm's backdrop, creating a cozy atmosphere.
After resting for half a day, Gauss took out the newly purchased Identify Spell skillbook - a 1st circle spell - and lay in bed reading quietly.
1st circle spell structures were considerably more complex than cantrips.
But perhaps due to reaching Rank 2, he now found comprehending this 1st circle spell structure noticeably easier.
It was like returning to middle school material after reaching high school - with greater knowledge and improved thinking skills, the difficulty dropped significantly.
He needed to hurry with spell learning and training before the New Year's festival ended and missions resumed.
Next year, he planned to hunt some goblins first - his [Reptilian] racial talent remained at beginner level and needed upgrading to proficient at minimum.
Then came progressing along the Elite Path by starting to hunt elite monsters.
As for whether to choose easier 1-star or more challenging 2-star missions, Gauss would decide later.
1-star missions were usually closer, quicker to complete, with lower risks of danger or surprises, allowing consecutive completions.
2-star missions took adventurers farther from town, involving elite monsters and greater numbers of lesser creatures, with higher chances of encountering other powerful monsters en route, often requiring recovery time afterward.
Both had pros and cons, and Gauss would decide based on next year's circumstances.
Fortunately, reaching Rank 2 with enhanced capabilities meant more options - whether accepting higher-level missions or expanding operations to other towns for commissions.
Outside Grayrock Town's windows, snow fell continuously from the gloomy, low-hanging sky. Dark clouds churned where the distant horizon met the Emerald Forest as the snowfall intensified.
Meanwhile inland, several massive, streamlined shapes pierced through thick cloud layers.
Screeeeech!
Piercing cries echoed through the clouds, accompanied by heavy wind pressure.
Several enormous griffins, their wings scattering snowflakes, descended slowly through leaden clouds onto Grayrock Town's central square, now frozen solid.