"So this is the new quarter Master built overnight?"
I asked the Chief Administrator as we were walking around a new section on the first floor of the lobby.
"Indeed, Your Excellency. Master constructed all of these facilities after the banquet was held last night."
While we were asleep, Master expanded the first floor of the lobby and added a new lodging as well as a new training ground.
Both facilities were bare-minimum in quality, however.
The lodging had no beds at all. The kitchen also only had very basic cooking tools and only potatoes as ingredients.
The training ground also could hardly compare to the one used even by the first floor trainees. It was just a field planted with rows of scarecrows for target practice.
What did Master expect from building all of these poor facilities?
The heroes would not improve by staying here.
"Show me Master's directives for this place."
I told the Chief Administrator.
The short plump man proceeded to present me with a long document.
[Evaluation Center]
[Facilities: Lodging Lv.1, Training Ground Lv.1]
[Occupants: None]
[Conditions for facility assignment (fulfillment of either one must be assigned to this facility):]
[Condition 1: Hero that has completed Basic Training Third Phase with weapon skill level 3 or below and not having either one of the auxiliary skills with proficiency level above or at the given standard listed as follows]
[1.1: Foraging Lv.3]
[1.2: Quarry Lv.3]
[1.3: Woodcutting Lv.3]
[1.4: Cooking Lv.3]
[1.5: Blacksmithing Lv.3]
[1.6: ….]
[Condition 2: Hero that has committed following acts]
[2.1: Stealing]
[2.2: Unsanctioned killing in the lobby]
[2.3: Public disorder]
[2.4: ….]
The list of conditions went on and on.
Basically Master assigned this place for heroes that failed to fulfill the training goals in the first floor academy and could not learn sufficient supporting skills.
The failed trainees, in other words.
Master was also assigning this place for the heroes that misbehaved in the lobby, like the thugs we had been arresting from time to time.
There were also conditions for second floor residents that had been neglecting their training or supporting jobs in the forged land.
Evaluation Center.
A place where Master dump their useless personnel.
I smiled as I looked at the poor facilities through a new lens.
Apparently this was Master's version of Detention Center.
It would be the bottommost layer of the lobby.
The trash pit where Quintal Trial scouts and synthesis fodder would stay.
After the administrators' investigations, we fortunately did not find any heroes that were directly connected to our enemy factions.
It did not seem the voice would choose someone that disagreed with the forged land's goal.
But I had ordered the administrators to monitor the heroes which were regarded with suspicions.
We now knew where to put the enemies we found inside the lobby.
The presence of the Evaluation Center should also discourage everyone from sabotaging our climb effort.
"Move our remaining prisoners here. The Evaluation Center would be their new residence. And make a lobby-wide announcement to all the heroes about this new facility."
I told the Chief Administrator.
"As you command, Your Excellency."
Now that I had settled the thing I came here to do, I focused my mind toward the mana beacon I planted in the magic hall on the third floor.
Using the beacon as a marker, I weaved the threads of space and time. A bright light soon engulfed me.
Once the light diminished, my environment had shifted into the middle of the magic hall's library.
I had committed myself to travel around the lobby using magic.
It was not easy. But I managed to start doing it.
Although I still needed a beacon instrument to where I wanted to go, at least I had begun practicing my dimensional magic regularly now.
The work of a Vice-Master was never done. I could not afford to waste time anymore.
"Has Jansen returned, Sharine?"
I asked the depository manager while she was organizing the books in the library.
"Sir Minoet and the others are waiting for you in the main laboratory, Your Excellency."
I had decided to let the others referred to me that way.
It seemed everyone had grown accustomed to use that term too.
I just thought it would be too much of a hassle to make them address me otherwise.
"Very well. Inform Harl the potion delivery might be a little late today."
"Right away, Your Excellency."
I then walked toward the back of the magic hall, into the alchemy lab used by all the mages and brewers in the magic hall, the main laboratory as we called it.
Inside the main laboratory, a crowd was awaiting me.
They were the apprentice brewers I told Jansen to recruit.
The number of combatant trainees was increasing.
After seeing the full reports of the lobby this morning, Sigyn had given a new directive to supply the first floor trainees with basic health potion, the second with intermediate vials, and the third with the advanced supplies.
We would need more brewers to fulfill all the demands.
"Under the recommendations from the administrators, I've recruited those that could learn potion-making, Your Excellency."
Jansen the herbalist said.
I had told him to consult with the administrators because they were the ones that had documented every hero in the lobby. They would know which people could be useful for the alchemy lab.
He went on.
"There are gatherers that are familiar with the handling of the potion ingredients. Skilled cooks that can learn the complex brewing methods. And some first floor residents that used to work with herbs back home."
The huge man then turned to the tall curly-haired woman dressed in Tsahanam clothing beside him.
She also had a veil over her face like Devisha, minus the sharp stare of an assassin, of course.
"This is Balma. She just arrived this morning."
Jansen introduced.
"She was a wandering medicine woman back in Tsahanam. The administrators immediately recommended her to me upon her arrival."
The veil-cladded woman then curtseyed in front of me.
"Surya's blessing be upon you, Your Excellency."
The administrators had begun to impact the workings of the lobby.
Skilled newcomers were immediately assigned to the working stations that needed them.
"Having another experienced brewer would greatly help the laboratory. I look forward to your contribution, Balma."
"I will do my best, Your Excellency."
I shifted my gaze and found a pair of familiar faces among the apprentice brewers.
"Giacomo? Linnie? The two of you aren't working in the kitchen anymore?"
The former cooks smiled at my greetings.
"There are many talented cooks in the lobby now. The kitchen would be fine without us."
Giacomo said.
Linnie nodded alongside him.
"We have been trying to find a way to help with the climb effort more directly. So when we heard Jansen was looking for people to become potion brewers, we thought we should volunteer for the roles."
"As bakers, Giacomo and Linnie are very skilled in measuring and mixing ingredients. They should be able to learn how to make potions in no time, Your Excellency."
Jansen said on their behalf.
All the brewers actually needed to do was to follow the recipes I had provided for them.
As long as they were skilled enough to perform the procedures, then they should be able to find a place in this laboratory.
"Very well. Make sure to train them well, Jansen. I'm counting on you."
"I will give my all, Your Excellency."
Naturally, Jansen would be appointed Chief Brewer from this point on and be in charge of the potion-making in the alchemy lab.
He would also be transferred to the third floor lodging just like the other chiefs and depository managers.
With the matters of additional brewer recruitment settled, I made my way back to my office in the new wing of the magic hall.
Stacks of papers were awaiting me on my desk.
They were all reports from the administrators and orders from Master.
[Weekday Dungeon Gathering Report - Sinmiel Plateau -]
[Daily Resource Yield: ….]
[Chief Gatherer 'Serize (★)' is requesting replacement for gatherers recruited for the administrator and the brewer posts.]
[Chief Gatherer 'Serize (★)' is requesting an upgrade and increase of supply for the following gathering tools: ....]
-
-
[Equipment Workshops Report]
[Daily Equipment Yield: ….]
[Daily Material Consumption: ….]
[Chief Crafter 'Gerrits (★★★)' has appointed 'Daina (★★)' to be his interim chief during the Chief Crafter's outing to the Exploration Dungeon.]
[Interim Chief Crafter 'Daina (★★)' is requesting additional blacksmith, armorer, carpenter, fletcher, and tanner for the workshops.]
-
-
[Kitchen (2nd Floor Lodging) Report]
[Daily Menu: ….]
[Daily Ingredient Consumption: ….]
[Chief Cook 'Pauline (★)' is requesting replacement for cooks transferred to the first floor kitchen, the administrator, and the brewer posts.]
[Chief Cook 'Pauline (★)' is requesting an increase of supply for the following ingredients: ….]
-
-
[Master 'S1GYN' has created a new hero profession 'Builder'.]
[Master 'S1GYN' is ordering Vice-Master 'Serafina (★★★★)' to appoint competent heroes for the new post.]
-
-
[Master 'S1GYN' is ordering an increase to the collection of the following resources in the Weekday Dungeons: …]
-
-
[Master 'S1GYN' is ordering Vice-Master 'Serafina (★★★★)' to…]
[Master 'S1GYN' is ordering…]
[Master 'S1GYN'…]
While Master was present, I tried to take care of everything that needed their immediate attention.
I would then set aside the less urgent matters to after my magic training hours.
Despite my duty as Vice-Master, I still needed to keep improving my combat skills every day.
It was actually my most important duty of all.
My greatest burden as Vice-Master.
No matter how much effort I put in the lobby, it would all be for nothing if I failed in the trials in the end.
Indeed.
Everything would be for naught if we failed in the Quintal Trials.