C157 - Taonian Vassals (2)"
I can understand Belkist's feelings.
He considers us mere pawns on a chessboard. That's not simply incorrect.
It's the clear answer.
But this is a different matter.
Just as I was about to intervene between the two, Jenna raised her hand.
"Can I say something?"
"What?" Belkist spoke with disdain.
Jenna lowered her voice.
"I don't think the Master sees us as disposable. Think about it. He has always given us what we wanted, the food is good, the beds are comfortable... and he even cried for the death of our comrades. Isn't that so?"
"..."
"If the Master truly considered us insignificant, wouldn't we all have died when we rebelled that time? But we survived. That says something different."
Belkist clicked his tongue.
Jenna continued with a smile on her face.
"There might be a different reason why we're here. Saying that everything is the Master's fault might be a bit unfair. Besides..."
"Whether we like it or not, we have to help."
I intervened.
"As you both said, the reason we're here is related to the Master. But we can't simply ignore it. Iselle said that if we want to return, we must surpass the 100th floor."
"I agree with that. If we help the Master, we will directly benefit. The success rate of missions will increase."
"It wasn't supposed to be an obligation..."
Jenna scratched her head, looking uncomfortable.
It was a good time to intervene. Mentioning Anything's actions, Jenna remembered that she's considering the heroes' well-being.
'That's why well-being is important.'
Paying attention to the heroes' well-being brings back high morale and loyalty in return.
Outside of missions, ensuring individual rights and freedoms. That was something I focused on while leading Niflheim.
"I'm just saying that if we help the Master, we'll end up like this. I didn't say I disliked it."
Edith gave a bitter smile.
"People change their minds. Aren't you ashamed?"
"We may have been kidnapped, but it's true that we've been treated well. Synthesis is a thing of the past. If we want to return, we have to surpass the 100th floor. That key is in the Master's hands. So, even though we don't like it..."
Edith looked at me.
It was a sign of tacit consent.
The only one left was Belkist.
All eyes turned to Belkist.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? It's annoying."
"..."
"Darn it."
Belkist spoke as if spitting it out.
"Fine, demons. You're going to stab me."
"Any objections?"
No one answered my question.
Only Belkist sharply turned his head.
'It's decided.'
Somehow, we managed to cross this line.
If Anything had abused synthesis and neglected well-being like other Masters, the result would have been completely different.
'Cooperation.'
The joint operation of Master and heroes.
That's what I promoted in Niflheim.
On the other hand, the method of rank 1...
'That method could only be handled by one person.'
I unfolded the folded paper.
"So, Han, what do we do?"
Edith asked.
The next morning.
I went down to the first-floor Training Ground.
"It's been a long time, big brother!"
A familiar young man bowed to me.
Dika. A member who briefly joined Group 1.
He was now active as a competent instructor.
"How have you been?"
"Good. It seems I found my calling. I feel fulfilled."
"That's good to hear."
Dika guided me to a chair.
I sat down and observed the Training Ground.
Several heroes were training.
"The heroes I trained..."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, big brother. It was me who didn't measure up."
Dika smiled bitterly.
Then, with a renewed expression, Dika said:
"What brings you here today, big brother?"
"Do you remember what I said last time? Prepare some candidates for instructors."
"Ah, a few months ago..."
"Yes, I mentioned it a few months ago."
"Yes, as big brother said, I prepared them so each one would have at least one specialty."
I nodded.
It seems the preliminary work is complete.
'The Training Ground has changed a lot.'
The first Training Ground was just a large rectangular room with some scattered training equipment.
Now, a tall building could be seen beyond the training yard.
It seems Anything built it while I was away.
Good. Anything also understands what we need. If that building hadn't been there, I would have sent a mail asking for it to be built. That building will now serve as a school.
"Should I call the candidates?"
"Yes."
"Just a moment, please!"
Shortly after, ten people lined up in front of me.
Six men and four women. Dika coughed and said:
"Greet. This is the man I told you about."
"Pleased to meet you!"
The ten bowed together.
"I've heard a lot about you. I've also seen you fight."
"The Regeneration Stone?"
"Yes, the Master showed us."
'Unexpected.'
It was Anything's doing.
'Surprisingly detailed. Thanks to that, I can skip some tedious processes.'
"Big brother, from the left I'll introduce them to you. This guy is Jess, he was a hunter before coming here."
Dika began introducing each one.
The heroes gathered here had exceptional talents in specific areas.
'Sword, bow, spear.'
Two instructors for basic weapon handling for each.
Then, four instructors who would teach complex missions like survival, hunting, and infiltration.
"They could perform well even in a combat unit."
"Make sure they meet the selection criteria."
"Yes, I only called those with the talent to teach."
"Well done."
I reviewed each one's status.
The levels weren't high, but each excelled in a skill area.
'If these join the combat unit...'
We could regain strength in less than a week.
But that's not possible. They are the cornerstone of the future Training Ground.
'With Dika, there are eleven instructors.'
To them, one more is added.
I called someone who was waiting outside.
Shortly after, a middle-aged man with a bitter expression entered.
With a wrinkled face contrasting with his large body, dressed in worn leather armor, he was the spearman of Group 2, Roderick.
"I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize. It was me who asked for it."
I placed Roderick in front of me.
"This man will be the director of the Training Ground from now on."
"Eh?"
"It's been a while since we last met."
Roderick was appointed director thanks to Edith's strong recommendation.
She said he especially suffered every time a comrade died. He couldn't bear it. Also, he had an exceptional talent for teaching. After Edith convinced him all night, it finally came to fruition.
'This man is also retiring.'
He had been the vanguard of Group 2, never backing down even a step.
'With his practical experience, he'll perfectly complement the lack of experience of the instructors here.'
Once the organization was completed, I entered the Training Ground building directly.
The building had three floors in total.
I walked through from the first floor to the third-floor Lobby.
The structure was familiar.
Similar to the first Training Ground in Niflheim.
It seems this was modeled after the strategy document.
'Pre-built.'
A systematic system is needed.
It seems Anything also thought similarly.
Probably, the strategy document stated that it should be built this way.
With this, the conditions are met.
The first requirement for Taonier to advance to the next level.
Specifically, specialized education.
A 1-star origin hero could grow to be a 5-star one, but that depends on the environment. A hero with superior talent could be plowing fields or roasting potatoes in a Weekly Dungeon.
To not overlook this, a clear educational curriculum is needed.
I gave them basic instructions, so under Roderick's direction, the instructors will complete Taonier's educational system. Of course, their effectiveness will be incomparable to when heroes trained on their own.
Second...
I went up to the second-floor plaza.
The plaza, which should have been quiet in the morning, was bustling with people.
"Brother, over here!"
A familiar voice sounded.
Jenna was waving her hand beside the fountain.
I approached Jenna.
"I did what you said, brother."
"There are too many."
"Eh? Really?"
"Well, it's fine."
I walked to the center of the fountain.
The heroes gathered in the plaza were about 20 or 30.
I cleared my throat and spoke.
"The officials of Taonier, correct?"
Everyone murmured among themselves, but no one contradicted.
What I asked Jenna to do was to gather the people working in administration before reaching the Lobby.
I received a paper from her.
The paper recorded the origin of the people gathered here.
From secretaries to storekeepers and librarians. A variety of occupations had gathered. Currently, they were working in the Lobby as craftsmen or gatherers.
"You will start doing something different now."
"..."
"The same as you did in Taonier. An easy job."
A middle-aged man stepped forward.
He seemed to be the representative of the heroes gathered here.
I told the man:
"Record everything in this Lobby accurately."
"What do you mean?"
"The number of people and their levels, their current occupations and floors. The types and quantities of items in the warehouse. The current state of the facilities. The amount of Daily Dungeon materials collected each day. The amount of equipment produced per day in the manufacturing workshop, among others. Organize and record everything that happens in the Lobby, without omitting anything. When you're done, report back to me."
"Why do we have to do that...?"
[Heh, because Han is the Master's representative!]
Iselle appeared, spinning her body in a full circle.
Fear seized the faces of the heroes.
After all, they had seen Iselle execute synthesis several times.
Even now, members below rank frequently get synthesized.
[Listen carefully. With just a word from Han to the Master, all of you could be wiped out.]
Iselle threatened, clenching her tiny fist.
It wasn't my style, but if it gets the job done, it's fine.
"What are you planning?"
Jenna whispered in my ear.
"I'm creating a fourth job in the Lobby."
The first is combat work.
The second, crafting work.
The third, gathering work.
The last, administrative work.
"This is too messy. We need to organize."
Basic things can be checked through the Master's control panel.
But that's not enough.
'The operation's foundation is accurate information.'
How many materials come in each day, how much money is earned, how much equipment is produced, and how many materials are used. The sum and subtraction must be clear to estimate the operation.
The Master decides policies based on this and directs the way forward.
Transmitting and executing those orders throughout the Lobby is also administrative work.
These are the officials who carry out the administrative tasks. So far, Iselle has been handling administrative tasks, but that will gradually change.
'Being the Submaster means being the leader of administration.'
I divided the people in the plaza and assigned them different areas to investigate. I didn't forget to threaten that they would be merged if their research didn't match reality. They looked cautiously at Iselle as they left the plaza.
[Heh! That's the power I have. Even crying children stop and run away.]
"You're not completely useless."
[Exactly, hum hum!]
Iselle nodded several times.
"Brother, is that all?"
"That would be wonderful. But this is just the beginning."
There are countless things to do.
I probably won't be able to sleep until dawn.
Sigh.
I looked up at the sky.
The sky was dark. The Master wasn't connected.
'How lucky.'
It took me a year in real-time to get to this point since I started Pick Me Up.
There was no guide. I repeated the process over and over.
Those orders were also given by the Master.
Obviously, the effectiveness of direct transmission is much lower.
I went through dozens of trial and error attempts.
'But you...'
Everything resolves itself. The heroes do all the work.
I smiled and continued walking.
