Comrades Part 2

"Do you think they'll be alright?"

Jonah asked while we were sitting on a bench in the square.

Gerrits, Pauline, and the others were also with us.

They could not help but be curious about what was happening with the trials.

"You were the one who trained with them. What do you think?"

I asked him back.

"After their first battle, they were really eager to learn how to fight. Shanny seemed to catch on quick. While Trudy worked hard to keep up."

"You only had a day to prepare them. Given their backgrounds, it's remarkable those two could acquire such fighting spirit."

Though they did not serve the same master, both Shanny and Trudy were just housemaids before coming here.

They never wielded a weapon all their lives.

Cleaning, making beds, and laundry were all the things they knew how to do.

It would be groundbreaking if they grew to be capable fighters.

It would certainly be helpful to our cause of climbing the tower.

But in order to achieve that, they needed to be skilled enough to handle four goblins on their own.

Half an hour passed and the stone gate, or the rift of space and time as the fairy called it, opened.

Shanny and Trudy walked out with Trudy's arm anchoring around Shanny's shoulders.

The blue-haired woman was limping as she stepped into the square.

"What happened?"

Jonah asked concernedly.

"We went to face the four goblins again. But one of them hurt Trudy's leg really badly."

Shanny answered.

"I'm already healed so you can let me go now, Shanny."

"But you just got--"

"It's fine. I got injured because I did not train enough."

Trudy said releasing herself from Shanny.

She began to walk toward the training ground.

"She's got a point though."

Shanny told us.

"If it weren't for Jonah training us yesterday, we would've been dead back then."

"All I did was spar with you guys."

"Well then, I'm asking you to do it again. Do you mind if we resume training?"

"Sure, let's go!"

"Great! During my battle with the goblins earlier, I noticed my movement was a bit--"

Shanny and Jonah continued to discuss about their fighting style as they made their way to the training ground.

Still sitting on the bench, I looked up to the sky.

Master was still watching since it still retained the rainbow-ish color.

It was then that the summoning chamber glowed up.

"Huh?"

"Where am I?"

"I was at home just now."

"What is happening…"

Like before, ten people stepped out from the circular building and flocking up to the square with confused faces.

"Are those new people?"

Pauline asked from beside me. She and the craftsmen were still on the square.

"Yes. That's how you guys appeared before."

I replied.

The sky above suddenly turned grey, signaling master's absence.

I stood up from my bench and made my way back to the lodging.

"Aren't you going to talk to those new folks?"

Wesley, the tanner, asked.

"They will have questions."

Gary, the carpenter, added.

"You guys do it. I already told you everything you needed to know."

I spoke back and turned to the mage craftsman.

"Gerrits, you and the others might want to make more weapons now that more people have arrived."

"Where are you going now?"

"I'm going to draw up new enchantment designs. But call me whenever you have a new batch of weapons ready so I can activate their runes."

"Very well."

I was already inside the lodging before the new crowd reached Pauline and the others at the square.

From here I could hear them bombarded the four with question after question after question. An experience I did not envy.

I spent the rest of the day in my room, drawing up new rune designs with new set of spells for our weapons. Each kind with their own unique attributes.

After all, each kind of weapon served different roles in combat.

At the moment our party was comprised of a mage, a spearman, and two swordswomen.

If five people were allowed per party to be sent on a trial, then we were still missing one member.

I would prefer the last one to be an archer. It would be great to have another long-range combatant within our ranks.

From my experience in Dunia, it was to my understanding that a formation was needed for the sake of effective combat.

First we needed a vanguard that would stand in the front and break through the enemies.

Second would be a secondary vanguard that would support the first one.

Third, a long distance attacker that would support the battle from the rear.

Fourth would be a supporter member who acted to aid other members, such as healing and enhancement spells.

The third and fourth could be one person in the form of a mage. But often the third was filled by archers and the fourth by mages.

And finally the fifth would be a rear guard, someone who could maneuver along the formation to protect our backs and weak spots.

An archer could also fill the third and fifth at the same time, leaving us room for a second supportive vanguard.

I had been to many battles back home and this formation was the most effective one I had discovered. 

Given the range of their weapons, Shanny and Trudy were suitable to be the vanguards. While Jonah with his spear as the secondary one.

Although seeing their performances so far, I would put Shanny and Jonah as the two vanguards while Trudy in the rear.

I could act as the long-distance combatant as well as a support member.

With that we had filled every position necessary for the formation.

I needed to inform the others about this strategy so we could implement it during the next trial.

We had not proceed to the next floor yet so we still could not grasp how difficult the trial could be.

But at the very least, I understood that master was a mindful one and did not rush us to complete the trials and climb the tower, providing us with ample time to prepare.

It was a trait that I was definitely grateful of.