"I will ask master to appoint you as a combat instructor if there is a suitable and available 3-star hero to replace you."
Trudy's smile returned, brighter than ever.
"Oh thank you, Serafina! I promise you will not regret this decision!"
I raised my finger to show her I was not done talking.
"Even though your duty is now to train others in the lobby, it doesn't necessarily mean you will stop visiting the trials."
I stated firmly. I went on.
"You will keep climbing the tower to gain experience and level up. You will put yourself in a makeshift party and attempt the floors that Party 1 and the raid team had cleared ahead of you. After all, how are you supposed to keep training others if they could trample you after levelling up a few times?"
Trudy nodded upon my words.
She had also expected I would say this to her.
"At the moment the lobby need to raise 2-star heroes who could take on the fifteenth floor. With my current experience and powers, I could raise the 1-stars we have to that level."
She said, referring to the levelling up, skill development, and promotion.
She continued.
"But the time will come when the lobby would need to raise 3-star, or even 4-star, heroes without relying on advanced summoning. How could I do that if I remain as a 2-star?"
When the first 1-star hero was promoted into a 2-star, we began imagining what the climb would be like in the higher floors, where we could attain higher levels than we could at the moment.
The fairy had explained once a hero reached certain level, they would be qualified for promotion, which would grant them another star and more powers with it.
For a 1-star it was level 10. A 2-star at level 20. And apparently, a 3-star at level 40. And so on.
Either way, the hero could not level up beyond those point before they received promotion.
The lobby would eventually reach a stage in the climb where a 1-star could be raised up to a 4-star like me once they levelled up enough.
As a combat instructor, Trudy must had wanted to be involved in that process.
Guiding a 1-star hero step by step, promotion to promotion, until they were strong enough to finally hold the rank of a 4-star hero. Perhaps even beyond that.
It would definitely be necessary when we were to finally challenge, perhaps, the 45th floor or the 50th floor. Where being a 4-star was most likely the requirement for survival in the trial.
Trudy could never accomplish that if she remained as a 2-star hero.
Her pupils would no longer need her by the time they reached 3-star if that was the case.
Knowing this, she continued again.
"I intend to visit the trials along with the students I thought promising for the raid team. This way I could observe with my own eyes how they perform in real combat while also developing my own skills and acquiring experience for myself."
This was a useful fact discovered by the heroes in the makeshift parties.
After hearing about my requests to master of including certain members to Party 1, 2, and 3, the heroes in the makeshift parties started to suggest their own arrangement as well.
Apparently heroes could set up their own party and choose a trial floor they would like to go to.
They would suggest to the fairy that they would like to enter certain trial floor with certain people, who also consented, of course.
Master often approved such request, even from the first floor residents.
Volunteer parties as what we would call them.
Most of the time, the volunteer party would be disbanded after they completed the requested trial. But sometimes master kept the arrangement if they performed well together.
That being said, the request could only be done as long as master was present and, most importantly, the fairy was in a good mood enough for her to be willing to convey the request to master.
I was certain Trudy would have her requests conveyed and approved every time given her position as combat instructor.
Now that we were finally talking about it in better detail, I could not help but think the lobby would benefit from having various kinds of trainers.
An instructor or three for each type of fighting style. Be it swordsmanship, spearmanship, or archery.
A specialized mentor would provide better teaching than a general one, which Trudy was going to be since she was only skilled in swordsmanship.
It was an interesting idea and something I needed to take note of and consider further.
But, at present, Trudy was the only one we could rely on.
Preparing multiple instructors each mastering different skills in combat would not be proper when we currently had a shortage of people in the raid team itself.
If we found someone talented enough with their weapon that they could teach others, I would be dragging them to join the raid team before they could think of the word 'instructor.'
Indeed. The idea for specialized instructors would have to be put on hold for now.
"Then the matter is settled, Trudy. But remember, until your 3-star replacement arrives, you will still fight with Party 1 if master calls for us to the trial."
"Of course, Serafina. Until master finally removed me from the raid team and appointed me as a combat instructor to the first floor training ground, I will give my all to fight alongside my comrades in Party 1."
Trudy said before excusing herself from the magic hall.
The thought of the trial made me think again.
After the fifth floor trial, we had to pause the climb to the sixth floor for a while since we needed to fill the vacancy in Party 1.
There was no vacancy in our party at the moment. All five members survived the tenth floor.
The floors between the Quintal Trials did not need more than one party to clear. So far.
There would be no need for master to delay climbing just because Party 2 and 3 were not in a state to enter the trials.
Master could always make Party 1 climb all the way up to the fourteenth floor even if the other parties still had vacancies.
My gaze returned to the grimoire I was researching.
I would need a considerable amount of time to extract something useful from the grimoire.
I intended to enter the third Quintal Trial with the aid of the rewards from the tenth floor subquest.
If master resumed climbing in few days from now, I could not be certain I would succeed in my endeavor.
Not to mention, I still had to replenish our advanced health potion supply, as well as the intermediate ones.
It would take time to restock the potions considering the amount of materials needed to be gathered and the long process to brew them.
I also intended to increase the advanced health potion supply by the time we attempt the fifteenth floor.
If possible, each member would carry three advanced vials and had six more to spare.
No. Everyone WOULD have at least nine advanced health potions at their disposals in the next Quintal Trial.
If three parties needed them, then fifteen members it would be. Which meant I needed to make 135 vials of advanced health potion. At least.
I would make sure we have that much. Nothing less than that!
Also, I needed to recreate the golems again. Ten, this time. And they had to operate for much longer.
We also needed to replenish the supply of enchanted weapons. Which required more elemental stones.
There were so many work needed to be done before the third Quintal Trial I wished I could duplicate myself into a hundred clones!
Worst case scenario, master would be making us climb the eleventh floor tomorrow. And ordered us to continue climbing until the fourteenth floor. Which could take a week or two and a half, at the most.
After that, it would be a few more weeks to prepare for the next Quintal Trial.
I doubted I could finish everything by then.
But I had to.
No matter what happens, I had to!
Complaining and dreading would not get anything done.
I sat back on my chair and continued my grimoire research all through the night.
I did not remember when I finally closed my eyes and dropped to my research table, surrendering myself to my fatigue. But it had to be after my 178th simulation.
[Party 1, come to the first floor square! Master is summoning all of you!]
The fairy's voice woke me from my uncomfortable slumber on my cushioned chair.
From the gray light peering through the magic hall's windows, I suspected it was early morning. I doubted I got more than half an hour worth of sleep.
Since I was still in my magic dress, I thought myself to be ready for whatever trial master was sending me to.
It went without saying that I had spared some time to clean my dress before donning it again after returning from the tenth floor.
I straightened my black and white magic attire, embroidered with the clouded sun insignia of the Zeref Household, which was passed down from my late mother, a much better mage than me.
Once I thought my appearance proper, I supplied myself with potions, stepped out of the magic hall and made my way to the first floor square.
My comrades in Party 1 were already waiting for me when I arrived in front of the rift of space time.
And as she promised last night, Trudy was with them as well.
They were all ready with their weapons and potions. The intermediate vials, of course. What was left of them in the storage.
By the look of their cautioned and fierce faces, you could not tell they had just survived a grueling battle two days earlier.
I certainly hoped I looked half as ready as they did.
If we were to climb to the eleventh floor, I could not be caught weary.
[Alright, are you guys ready for your expedition?]
The fairy suddenly appeared with a cheerful attitude. She was carrying a brown pouch full with golden coins.
But it was not the object she was holding that caught my attention.
"Expedition? What are you talking about?"