"We caught two more this morning, sneaking into the Weekday Dungeons with newcomers that just arrived yesterday. Honestly, they thought they could do whatever they wanted since they're no longer in Dunia."
Trudy stated with disgust.
"I'm sure things will quiet down for a while once some of the thugs are sacrificed in synthesis. Nobody would dare to mess around once they learn the consequences for such poor action."
I said to her.
The combat instructor nodded.
"There are plenty talented trainees on the second floor that deserved to gain more power. Master should synthesize all of the delinquents with those people instead. It would only help increasing the raid team's forces."
"Speaking of which, how are the trainees coming along?"
I said, redirecting the conversation to the reason we were meeting in the first place.
Trudy realized my intention and turned toward the training ground on the second floor of the lobby. Dozens of trainees were practicing in there.
"Aside from the combatant escorts for the gatherer parties, there are now 29 combatant trainees residing on the second floor. All are 2-stars and have at least climbed to the twelfth floor."
The combat instructor reported.
She continued.
"We would have more. But a few dropped out because they could not kill people. Luckily, Serize needed more combatant escorts for her new gatherer parties. So they got reassigned there."
I shook my head at her report.
"29 trainees… Those are still not enough to make ten parties, Trudy. Even including those of us already in the raid team."
The combat instructor quickly raised her hand with a smile to assure me.
"Don't worry, Serafina. I have 12 more 1-star trainees on the first floor that are almost ready for their promotion. They would soon move up to the second floor."
I nodded in approval to her report. Relief, actually.
It truly was a great decision to appoint Trudy as a combat instructor.
Without her, we would never be able to develop these many heroes in such short time.
"That is excellent, Trudy. It must not have been easy training all these heroes by yourself."
"It's nothing compared to what Party 1 has been doing. Besides, Arian has been helping me instructing the first floor trainees. She's been teaching them how to use the spear and dagger, as well as giving basic pointers on how to use the bow."
The Kutub hunter had been climbing the tower with the makeshift parties which consisted of Trudy's trainees.
It would be natural for Arian to be inclined to help the combat instructor.
And now that her name was brought up, another matter came to the surface of my mind.
"Arian. We need to come up with a fixed party for that girl soon."
"She's been to the twelfth floor multiple times with a number of the second floor trainees. The girl did not have a problem working with any of them. It should be easy to arrange her party."
Trudy said confidently.
I shook my head.
"If only it's that simple."
"What else is there to consider?"
"There are still Matrias and Vallerynne."
I told her.
Trudy formed a curious frown.
"You still haven't figured out how to assign them?"
I nodded.
"They haven't even gone to a trial yet. But I plan to deploy them within the week."
Vallerynne were in the middle of learning basic enchantment spells.
I managed to teach her enhancement spells that would last at least five minutes. Should be enough for her current level.
I intended for her to learn shield spell as well before letting her enter the trials.
Meanwhile, Matrias had started learning his sub-elemental magic three days ago.
The middle-aged disheveled man was now practicing hard to hone his First Circle spells.
Sub-elemental magic was so powerful that even its First Circle spells were quite overwhelming. Lightning more especially.
When he could cast the low-level spells under ten seconds, I would allow him to enter the trials.
"Goodness, Serafina! Didn't you also want Matrias's party to learn Lightning Resistance before fighting with him?"
Trudy asked concernedly, recalling our conversation when I first met my pupils.
She continued.
"You've climbed the fourteenth floor last week. Will the mages and their parties have enough time to develop before the next climb?"
"Master has been making us frequenting the fourteenth floor four more times now. I think master will make all of us in Party 1 level up once more before making us try the Quintal Trial."
"How long would it take till then?"
"In five more trips, at least. Devisha and I would be level 11, Jonah and Shanny at 15, and Darius at 12. It would take about ten days until then given our current retrial frequency."
I said to her.
Trudy formed a mulling face.
"Master would use Party 1 as the standard and make the heroes in the other parties reach around the same level as well. It would take more time for the rest of the raid team to catch up."
I nodded in agreement.
"Based on that assumption, we might have a while yet before we try the fifteenth floor."
'Might' was the key word, however.
"In that case, how do you plan to arrange the raid team, Serafina? The mages and the second floor trainees should have enough time to level up before the next climb."
This time I was the one putting on a mulling expression.
"Matrias and Vallerynne might levelled up enough by then. But I doubt their skills would improve just as well. So I'm planning to put the two in a party together. Even then, I'm inclined to have Arian join them too."
Trudy frowned at my statement.
"Would it be a good idea to hoard those 3-stars in the same party? Party 1 and 2 are already full with powerful heroes. Shouldn't we spread the remaining advanced heroes to the parties with less-experienced members? To create a balance among the raid team just like you wanted."
"Ideally that would be the case, Trudy. But Matrias and Vallerynne would barely improve their magic when they finally try the Quintal Trial. We would probably only be risking the other parties if we assigned each of them in a group without another advanced hero."
Upon my explanation, Trudy sighed gloomily.
"It is as complicated as you suggested."
"And that is only part of my worry, Trudy."
I said with a sigh of my own.
The combat instructor's frown returned.
"What do you mean?"
"As you said, it is undeniable that Party 1 and 2 are the two strongest parties in the lobby."
Trudy nodded.
"No other parties could compare to your groups, given your parties' lineups."
"And I still believe that the strength of the raid team should be equally distributed. Perhaps with ten parties, our force distribution is still acceptable. However…"
Trudy's eyes widened.
"If more than ten parties are needed for the fifteenth floor…"
I immediately nodded with darkened eyes.
"Say we needed twenty parties, or maybe thirty, or fifty. We might need to rearrange both Party 1 and 2 so our experienced members can be distributed equally throughout the vast ranks."
I had seen Jonah and the others fought in the Quintal Trials.
Devisha had also shown how smart and level-headed she was from our experience fighting together.
I was certain each of my comrades would be able to lead a party of their own very well.
"You did often point out in the strategy meetings how dangerous it is to have a weak link within a formation."
The combat instructor said, recalling all the sessions she joined.
"There are various ways to approach this matter, Trudy. Army composition must adapt to its situation and needs. It's not always based on spreading the force equally."
"It is truly complicated. You enlightened me with new things each day, Serafina."
I chuckled at her words.
"If there is one thing I would like to be enlightened about, it would be the amount of parties needed for the fifteenth floor. That information would solve a huge part of the puzzle of this annoying problem."
As if the Goddesses heard me, or perhaps master, the fairy's booming voiced echoed throughout the forged land.
[Samaran! Come to the first floor square!]
Trudy immediately frowned at the summon.
"Samaran… I recognized the name. I believe she's one of the thugs we caught this morning."
My eyes widened at her reveal.
"A scout. Master is sending someone to scout the Quintal Trial."
Trudy gasped in delight.
"One scout?! The fifteenth floor requires only one party!"
She turned to me, giggling.
"Serafina, isn't this great? Problem solved! We won't have to worry about the raid team composition anymore! We definitely have more than enough heroes if we only need one party!"
I nodded to her. Though I did not share her excitement.
"There is still one problem, Trudy."
"There is? What would that be?"
I turned to the rift of space time below, watching the horrified scout departing for the fifteenth floor.
Bitter dread was welling up inside me.
"The fifteenth floor…The third Quintal Trial…requires only one party."