"A battle formation?"
Shanny asked.
Jonah, Shanny, Trudy, and I were seated at a table in the bustling dining hall, awaiting our dinner.
I used this opportunity to explain to them about the battle formation we needed to use the next time we're in the trial.
"Each of us has different styles in combat. I'm a mage, Jonah's a spearman, and you two uses swords and shields. We need to assign specific roles to everyone that could bring out our maximum strength while covering each other's weaknesses."
I explained.
"A vanguard, a secondary vanguard, long-ranged and support member, and a rear guard. Those are the roles?"
Jonah confirmed.
"Indeed. I suggest Jonah and Shanny to be the two vanguards while Trudy serves as the rear guard."
"And you'll be covering for the long-ranged and support roles, Serafina?"
Trudy asked.
"Of course. But it would be best if we could have an archer to our midst. After all, we are missing a member still from the trial's five-member party."
"There are more people now. I'm sure we'll be able to find at least one archer among them. Or one who is willing to learn how to use a bow."
Right at that moment, Pauline, Giacomo, and Linnie brought us our plates.
"Here's your dinner, Miss Serafina."
A youthful voice distracted me as my dinner was served.
I turned over and saw a dark-skinned boy with dark hair covered with a grey wool cap to my side.
His frame was small and thin. His height barely past my hip.
I never saw him before. He must be among the crowd that appeared this afternoon.
"Tarran, can you go to the workshop and call the craftsmen for dinner?"
Pauline said while setting our table with potato dishes.
"Of course, Miss Pauline!"
The boy said, tilting his cap, and sprinted outside.
I looked over to Pauline.
"He seems like a nice boy."
"Ah, he is! His name is Tarran and has been really helpful since he came here."
"Has he?"
"Apparently he was an errand boy in a large city and used to do all kinds of work. He's been helping us in the kitchen and the crafters at the equipment workshop."
Giacomo added.
Linnie sighed and gave a bitter smile.
"I never thought a child as small as him would get summoned here. Do you think master will send him to battle?"
She asked.
"I wouldn't if I were master."
I answered honestly.
"Right?! It's better to send a well-trained man than a child like him."
"As long as he could make himself useful in here then master would not have to worry of sending a child to the trial."
I replied.
Then again, the voice said this forged land was founded by different laws.
I turned my gaze over to my comrades around the table.
Jonah was just a shepherd but I swore he now could hold on his own against a rookie squire.
And then there were Shanny and Trudy.
Both of them were just housemaids, but I could see them grasping the way of the sword slightly more each time I saw them.
We had only been here not even a week now and the changes in them were quite significant.
Those were the sort of improvement a novice could only attain after months of training.
Who knows what could happen if one puts the effort into it?
Putting aside the thought of pushing one's potential, I spent the rest of the evening discussing with Jonah and the others about our fighting styles.
It was a time well spent and on good timing, for in the next day…
[Serafina, Jonah, Shanny, Trudy! Come to the square!]
The fairy called all four of us.
Considering we were the ones with the most experience on the trial, I slightly doubted we were going to the first floor again this time.
[Open the rift of space and time!]
The large stone gate rifted open with bright light and my comrades and I wasted no time to enter it.
Just like before, of the three placed inside the chamber, only one mirror was shining.
[Climb the tower and save the world!]
[Main Dungeon]
[Floor conquered – 1 –]
Knowing what would soon happen, Jonah, Shanny, and Trudy readied their weapons and fighting stances.
"Remember what we discussed last night."
I spoke to them.
"Jonah and I in the front, you and Trudy in the back."
Shanny stated.
"We will follow your lead, Serafina."
Jonah said.
"Yes, we're counting on you!"
Trudy added.
Given I was the one who proposed this formation, I supposed it was only the responsible thing to do to see its execution through.
We were soon engulfed in bright light and once it dissipated, we found ourselves back on the open grass plain.
"There!"
Jonah pointed out to a direction.
We turned around and found two scrawny goblins. This time they were carrying slingshots instead of daggers.
However, they were not alone.
Grrrr!
Standing almost two choro tall (two meters) on their four feet in front of us were two wolves.
Each of their fangs and claws were about the size of a dagger. Steaming drools were dripping from their deadly jaws. Their dark gazes were fixated on our flesh.
I smiled and turned to Jonah.
"You should feel at home, shepherd. Your mortal enemies are here."
The blond spearman smiled.
"Your order, miss witch?"
"Jonah and Shanny, take care of the wolves. I will handle the goblins with the slingshots. Trudy, cover me while I'm casting my spell."
"Understood!"
At the sound of my command, Jonah and Shanny charged forward.
Responding to our move, the wolves began to ran toward us.
Jonah and Shanny launched a preemptive strike on the wolves to catch the monsters' attention to themselves instead of Trudy and I.
They then split up to take the wolves one on one.
With the wolves out of the way, I could now spot the two goblins in the furthest back.
Eyeing us like vulnerable preys, the goblins loaded their slingshots with palm-sized rocks.
I turned to Trudy.
"I'm counting on you."
"L-leave them to me!"
Trudy said while raising her shield.
I took a few steps back to provide myself a comfortable distance from the goblins' slingshots range and began casting a spell.
[Maha Agni]
A trail of flames sparked beneath me. It rose up like a coiling serpent and gathered to my palms forming into a little ball of sun.
The goblins began launching rocks at us. Trudy rushed to her left and right to block any projectiles coming my way with her wooden shield.
She did a good job protecting me while I was casting my spell.
Truth be told, I could cast this spell within one second. Half a second.
However, I would like to test our formation which included Trudy protecting me while I was casting a spell.
Which was why I deliberately slowed my casting so Trudy could learn how to defend me.
While I was formulating my spell, I spied Jonah and Shanny skirmishing against the wolves.
Having a handful of experiences against the type before, Jonah easily maneuvered through the wolf's assaults.
He managed to predict the wolf's movement and swiftly dodged its attacks.
At one point, the wolf attempted to charge at him by forcefully leaping to the air. However, Jonah saw the attack coming and shifted his position slightly to the left.
The wolf missed the shepherd and landed on the ground with its back facing Jonah.
Now standing on its blindside, Jonah quickly thrusted his spear right to the wolf's head.
Meanwhile, the wolf on Shanny's side tried to injure her with its giant claws.
The monster jumped at her and extended its two front paws to claw through Shanny's neck.
The former maid stood her ground and raised her shield.
The wolf's claws struck the shield and even managed to get them stuck on it.
Shanny kept raising her shield, causing the wolf to be stuck on a standing position right in front of her.
While she held the wolf's weight with her one hand, she lodged her sword under the wolf's jaw with the other one.
Dark blood gushing out from the wolf's head, causing it to whimper and convulse along the while.
After a short few seconds, the wolf turned quiet and motionless.
Shanny pulled her sword and threw the dead wolf to the ground.
Seeing the two canines had been taken care of, it was time for the goblins to join their fanged companions.
Trudy had defended me well against the slingshots, though one managed to hit her temple in the process and caused it to bleed.
The heat on the fireball gathering in front of my palms had turned overwhelming.
Even a non-mage like Trudy knew I was done casting my spell.
She quickly ran to the side and provided me with a clear line of fire.
[Ignite]
A huge blazing trail emerged from my palm and ran through the plain.
It scorched the field and blasted through the two goblins at the other side.
[Burn]
The blaze exploded into a towering pillar of flames which turned the sky crimson.