Gauss slept straight from afternoon until the next morning. He was awakened by intense hunger pangs in his stomach. After hastily eating some dried frog meat to satisfy his hunger, he finally left his room once the gnawing emptiness subsided.

After over ten hours of sleep, he felt completely rejuvenated, as if fully restored to peak condition, with all traces of fatigue completely washed away.

"Caw caw!"

A familiar cry came from the second-floor balcony. The raven Eck perched on the railing, tilting its head to observe the interior. Though Aria's home wasn't far from Gauss's, this was likely Eck's first visit - how had it found the place?

Gauss waved at it. Strangely, the raven seemed somewhat afraid of him, instinctively hopping backward twice before the temptation of nuts in Gauss's hand proved too strong. Eck flapped its wings closer, swiftly snatched the nut, then landed in the living room to swallow it while curiously hopping around to explore this new environment.

Gauss glanced at it before letting it be. He turned and used magic to thoroughly clean the entire house before finally stepping outside.

The town streets were similarly blanketed in thick snow, gleaming coldly in the morning light. Arriving at Aria's doorstep, Gauss noticed the snow-covered yard showed no sign of the gray wolf Ulfen, but through the window he could see the first-floor hearth blazing warmly.

After knocking, Aria's voice soon responded from inside. "Gauss? Come in, the door's unlocked."

Entering the cozy living room, a stark contrast to the frigid outdoors, Gauss saw Ulfen lazily sprawled on a rug before the fireplace. The wolf gave two short barks in greeting upon noticing him.

Aria had moved all her potted plants indoors and was tending to these botanical friends after their week apart. She seemed to have recovered well after a day's rest.

"Make yourself at home," she said without interrupting her gardening - their familiarity made formal hospitality unnecessary between neighbors who visited often.

"When will the Winter Hunt rewards be distributed?" Gauss asked, concerned about this matter. After their week of effort, both their Adventurer's Manuals had achieved the thousand-kill milestone and collection of 20 common monsters, but true completion required receiving their Winter Hunt earnings.

"Last year took about five or six days? Mostly due to appraisal and sales time... though," Aria paused thoughtfully, "yesterday's incident might cause delays. Also, we should find time to sell that adventurer team's equipment from our first day for good money."

"Let's rest a few days first?"

"No rush," Gauss nodded. The equipment sat safely in his Storage Bag.

After such an intense extended mission, proper rest was indeed warranted. Gauss considered his plans - his immediate focus would be mastering his two newly acquired 1st-circle spells: [Alarm] and [Burning Hands], raising their proficiency levels quickly to smoothly advance to Rank 2. He could feel himself nearing the breakthrough.

Other objectives would have to wait until the snow eased. Though his racial traits made cold less bothersome, trekking through deep snow for extended periods remained unwise.

With time to spare, he practiced Alarm at Aria's place. After bribing Ulfen with some raw meat, the wolf agreed to help with spell practice.

"1st-circle spell Alarm lv2 (2/20)"

Alarm progressed relatively quickly, and unlike Burning Hands, could be practiced anywhere in town. Gauss planned to reach Alarm lv3 before venturing outside to practice Burning Hands.

Days passed quietly with neither Gauss nor Aria leaving Grayrock Town. The streets grew noticeably emptier as visiting adventurers migrated like seasonal birds, leaving only locals and a few transplants like Gauss.

Though the new year remained some time away, townsfolk had already begun preparations. On the year's final night, most households would gather by hearths to enjoy their most lavish, carefully prepared feast - including rarely eaten meats like smoked ham, sausages, roasted meats, and turkey, along with nuts, dried fruits, and homemade warming liquor.

Leaving the Adventurers Guild, Gauss and Aria watched townspeople decorating their homes with somewhat dazed expressions.

"Aren't you going home?" Gauss asked curiously, uncharacteristically prying after being moved by the scene.

"Home..." Aria's voice faltered slightly, her eyes flickering with barely noticeable melancholy. "It's very far from Grayrock... haven't been back for years."

Gauss didn't press further. Returning to his own "home" wouldn't take overly long, but he hadn't yet steeled himself to face his original body's family. Maybe next year, he thought - he could visit briefly, leave some money to fulfill his predecessor's obligations and repay their upbringing.

The spare change from his current wealth would represent a fortune to any rural family. He unconsciously patted his bulging coin purse, the soft clinking of metal bringing comforting reassurance.

With the Winter Hunt rewards finally settled and their additional loot sold, Gauss had not only repaid his 20-gold loan but retained over 43 gold coins - enough to fund next year's plans whether for new spellbooks, better equipment, or a reliable mount.

Parting ways with Aria at the alley, Gauss didn't head home but instead turned toward the town gate. The guards, familiar with this mage by now, quickly saluted and let him pass.

Outside, the snow-covered landscape stretched bleakly. He was likely the only eccentric braving this weather to practice spells.

"Alarm lv3 (3/50)"

"Burning Hands lv2 (17/20)"

Though supposedly resting, Gauss hadn't slacked off. Both 1st-circle spells steadily improved through persistent practice. More importantly, he could clearly feel the cup-shaped manifestation of his Rank within him - its surface now covered in constantly flickering white runes, turbulent energy surging inside with faint tremors that released intense fluctuations.

Clearly, as his two 1st-circle spells approached mastery, the threshold for advancing to Rank 2 was nearly within reach.

"Burning Hands!"

"Burning Hands!"

Repeated bursts of fierce flames erupted across the snowy field, adding warmth to the frozen wilderness. Watching Burning Hands' proficiency steadily rise filled Gauss with corresponding warmth.