"If in the Quintal Trial I am asked to betray my family, then I'm willing to dishonor myself to accomplish the mission."
I had committed myself to reach the top of the tower. To save my world.
I had promised to strike down anyone that would try to stop me from achieving this divine goal. Be it myself or my own family.
The mission of the forged land was bigger than the Zeref House.
I could not allow the rest of the world suffer just for the sake of the few.
Especially if that few desired for the world's ending.
"I see why Master chose you to lead their army."
Ulrica said with a smile.
She raised her axe and pointed it to me.
"I promised that my axe is yours. And I shall promise again to bring victory in every mission you or Master send me to."
Djhotti followed the Near-Kin's act and stood before me with his halberd planted beside him.
"We all must work together if we want to save our world. I shall follow whatever order you'll bestow me."
"Well, I'm not going to say anything flashy like these two. But I intend to join every hunt from here on out. All the way to the top of the tower!"
Graihan said from his seat.
He went on with an expression of a hungry wolf.
"If obeying you is how I'll get to do that, then you just need to say the word, Vice-Master."
I was slightly worried how these strong people would behave toward the workings of the lobby.
Each of them was one of the mightiest heroes ever summoned to the forged land.
It was relieving that they would accept our rule.
Perhaps it was mainly because they came here knowingly that they would be joining an army and that they would have to obey Master.
"As the three of you must've seen through the records, the trials aren't won by just one person."
I told the 4-star newcomers.
I went on while turning my gaze to the door, toward the banquet hall still bustling with celebration.
"There is a reason why we're called Master's ArmyofHeroes.
"All of us are meant to work and fight together.
"The tower is meant to be conquered by everyone in the forged land."
The 4-stars made troubled frowns upon my words.
"I don't mean any disrespect, southlander chief. But from what I've seen from most of your warriors so far, they didn't seem strong enough to overcome the Quintal Trial expeditions I saw you conquered."
Ulrica stated.
Djhotti nodded.
"The people that fought alongside you in the fifteenth floor were powerful enough, I suppose. But those that I saw training on the second floor and the first floor of this lobby would get slaughtered if faced with the same ordeal."
"I've seen the comrades in your party fight through those magic mirrors, daywalker. And I still think they would have a hard time fighting against those Farista bastards."
Graihan said.
Apparently I would not have to waste my breath. They all had made my point.
"That is where the three of you comes in. You will make all the heroes here stronger."
The 4-stars widened their eyes upon my statement.
"You want us to train those humans?"
The lycanthrope asked bewilderedly.
Trudy had done her best teaching the 1-star heroes whom had never wielded a weapon before.
Thanks to her effort, we now had a great number of fairly skilled 2-star trainees residing on the second floor.
But they were still not powerful enough to overcome a Quintal Trial.
Their training by only going through the easier regular floors did not push the heroes to their limits the way Jonah and Shanny did.
At this rate, the second floor trainees would only be sent for slaughter when they were finally deployed to a Quintal Trial.
If we wanted them to become a reliable comrade to the Raid Team, then they needed to become stronger. Much stronger.
The new 4-stars could provide them that opportunity.
"You wouldn't have to train the totally inexperienced 1-star heroes. We already have someone for that role."
I told them.
I continued.
"There are many skilled 2-stars with a lot of potential on the second floor of the lobby. They are the ones you must focus on. All you need to do is push them so they could improve further."
Ulrica then raised a finger and spoke.
"The Guntur people never coddled our students. The teaching will be harsh even if they already know how to fight."
"Dwarven training also isn't something that humans can endure, I think."
Djhotti said.
"I can teach your warriors to fight. But I won't hold back. I will beat them to a pulp just the way my pack train our younglings."
Graihan pointed out while showing his claws and bulging muscles.
I nodded to their words of caution.
"The Quintal Trials will demand the best heroes the forged land can offer. If they can't endure your training, then they would only be a burden to our cause. You would only be doing our army a favor by pushing the combatant trainees beyond their limit."
I pointed to each of them again and went on.
"Also remember that you will challenge the trials with a party. Each of you will have your own party to lead. The heroes that will fight alongside you will be chosen from the trainees that you will train."
Master had not given the directive yet, but I had expected the 4-stars would be spread to the other parties, specifically Party 3 to 5.
I had explained to them about party arrangement in the forged land and how it mattered for the trials.
They understood how important it was to have competent comrades in their party.
After pointing that out, the 4-stars began to accept the idea.
"Well, I don't want any weaklings to be in my group."
Graihan said.
Ulrica nodded.
"Guntur folks understood the importance of cooperation. It would be dangerous to have a weak link in a formation."
"And since the trials would only get harder from here on, we would need every strong comrade we could get to fight alongside us."
Djhotti pointed out.
Seeing they had agreed to the arrangement, I clapped my hands to seal the deal.
"Well then! Before you can begin training the heroes, you first need to level up further. After all, even as a 4-star and you had levelled up once through synthesis, the 2-star trainees would still be able to overpower you as you are. You won't be able to properly instruct them that way."
I told the 4-stars.
I went on.
"So starting tomorrow, you will begin climbing the tower together."
The 4-stars raised their brows upon my statement.
"We will be in a party together? I thought you said each of us will have our own party."
Ulrica reminded.
"Eventually, yes. But only once you've levelled up enough to train the other heroes and pick your own party members."
"How much stronger do we need to be?"
Djhotti asked.
"Once you climbed the twelfth floor and at least reached level 9 or 8. You should be strong enough to face most of the 2-stars then and begin instructing them."
I said.
The growth rate and status improvement of a 4-star hero were different to the lower-ranked heroes.
Even by being two or three levels lower, a 4-star could still overpower a 2-star hero, even a 3-star.
But these 4-stars in front of me were not at that point yet. Not with how the second floor combatant trainees had developed so far by climbing up to the tower's fourteenth floor and reaching level 12 to 14.
"I've never fought alongside a dwarf and a Guntur warrior before. This should be fun."
Graihan said with a smile.
I raised my finger to signal another addition.
"There will be two mages accompanying you in this temporary party. They haven't visited the trial and I would like you to help them level up and improve as you climb the tower."
Matrias and Vallerynne had progressed in their training enough to participate in real combat now.
I had been looking for a party so that they could climb the tower safely and start levelling up.
Initially I would make Arian climb with them since the Kutub hunter had reached the twelfth floor and became strong enough to escort the two mages.
But now we had better people to do the job.
"Argh… I don't like working with mages."
Graihan said with a slightly annoyed expression.
The lycanthrope then turned to the other 4-stars.
"But if the Guntur warrior and the dwarf will fight with me, then I guess it's fine if it's only temporary."
"I would like to know these mages' abilities and, if possible, train with them before going into battle together. We should all practice together actually even if we are already learned in combat."
Djhotti suggested to the other 4-stars.
"Southlander, where can we find these mages? I would like to speak with them for tomorrow's arrangement."
Ulrica asked.
"Go into the banquet hall and find Matrias and Vallerynne. Ask them to do whatever training you want them to do. You have my permission."
I said invitingly.
I then turned to the dwarf.
"There is a crafter named Gerrits in the banquet. Please speak with him tonight. There is an important matter he would like to consult with you about."
Djhotti nodded to my request.
"It will be as you say, Vice-Master."
"If there's nothing else, southlander, then I'm heading to the banquet to meet the mages."
Ulrica said while heading for the door. Djhotti joined her.
"I don't like to be in a room filled with a bunch of humans. So I'm just going to explore the lobby and maybe have some fun in one of the training grounds."
Graihan said while leaping out through the window.
Now that the new 4-stars had learned their duties to the forged land, we could move on with our plans. The ones I prepared ever since I took the Vice-Master office.
After the banquet tonight, Sigyn would begin preparation to resume our climb.
There were plenty things to be done starting tomorrow.
We all best be prepared to endure the grueling days to come.
The journey to the twentieth floor was upon us.
Upward to the fourth Quintal Trial.