After completing the citadel building quest, Jill returned to Roland exhausted.


    Her armor was in tatters, her clothes were soaked with sweat, and her left arm, which had been so overworked that it no longer obeyed her, was held up by her right hand, and she was dizzy and unsteady on her feet.


    On the other hand, on the other hand, his face was somewhat satisfied that he had completed his task, and his cheeks were stained bright red, but the reason for this seemed to be due to something other than the strenuous exercise, and although he was breathing heavily, there was a somewhat troubled breath in his voice.


    He was breathing heavily, but with a somewhat troubled breath. I just returned.


    Jill was dizzy, but somehow managed to stand erect and immobile in front of Roland.


    Good night," Roland said. "Good day, Jill. I''ll give you a ''status evaluation.


    Yes, sir. I look forward to working with you.


    (Phew. At one point I wondered what would happen with the impossible task, but somehow I managed to do it. After all this whipping my body into shape, I''m sure my status is getting tighter. This should be enough to convince even Mr. Roland (......).


    Loran appraised Jill''s status.


    Arm strength (power): 90-100


    Endurance (toughness): 110-120


    Agility: 90-100


    Physical strength (stamina): 190-200


    Yeah. All the errors are within 10.


    Thank you."


    But this isn''t good enough at all, is it?"


    Huh?"


    Jill looks at Roland''s face, momentarily unsure of the meaning of what was said.


    ''At the very least, we need to keep the status within a margin of error of 5. Anything more than that and we''re not talking.


    What, within a margin of error of five ......?


    Yeah, within five. No problem, right?"


    Roland said in a normal tone of voice, neither angry nor animated.


    It was as if a margin of error of less than five was nothing.


    (A margin of error of within five is nothing; it takes tireless daily training just to get it within 10. And he had done it in one week while vomiting blood.)


    Jill was astonished to learn that her efforts had not been recognized at all.


    （This is nothing more than an unreasonable shibboleth!　But that''s the point!)


    I understand. If Mr. Roland insists on going, I, for my part, have no choice but to go."


    Let''s go on a bridge-building quest next."


    Yes, sir."


    Jill''s face showed her frustration at not being recognized for her efforts, but for all that, she made a brisk dash back to the dungeon.


    Roland and Aryeh watched her run away with blank expressions on their faces.


    ''You were pleased, Jill-san.''


    Aryeh said in a muttered voice.


    ''...... yeah.''


    Why is she so happy to be forced into such a hard role?"


    I wonder why. Actually, I don''t really know either."


    ...... I see."


    Aryeh decided to no longer think too deeply.


    Inside the workshop, Cheal and Dorwin were developing.


    Now, this new material, refined by Aryeh with 3 iron, 6 silver, and 1 dianite (a material that enhances the properties of metals while strengthening their bonds), and forged by me. How well will it perform?"


    Dorwin swung his "obsidian hammer" at the new material.


    A rattling sound was heard, and a strong load was transmitted to the new material on the anvil.


    The new material sat there without a single piece missing or moving a millimeter.


    Oh, it''s a success."


    Cheal gazes at the new material with a twinkle in his eye.


    Cheal''s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the new material. At least we''ve cleared the hardness issue. The biggest problem is ......."


    Cheal tries to lift the new material, which has a rectangular shape like a brick, with both hands.


    Ngg, ngggggiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"


    Cheal tried to lift the new material somehow, but her arm strength could not lift it in any way.


    No," she said. I can''t lift it."


    I''m sorry," he said. I guess so. As for hardness, I could have pursued the highest quality, but it became too heavy. Even if we made a weapon like this, there is no one who can use it. ......


    Hey, how''s the development of the S-class weapons coming along?"


    As the two men crossed their arms in contemplation, Roland entered the workroom.


    Oh, Mr. Roland."


    Mr. Roland, I''m just about to hit the wall and was wondering if you would be willing to consult with me.


    I''m fine. What do you want to talk about?


    I see. This is certainly too heavy.


    Roland tried lifting it with Lange, but even with the two of them working together, they could only lift it for a few seconds.


    It''s hard enough to process it," he said.


    Lange said with a frown.


    It''s too costly to have four or five people just to carry it.


    Mass production seems impossible.


    I doubt you''ll get your money''s worth even if it''s custom-made.


    How much do you need?


    I see. Wait a minute."


    Lange unfolded a calculation sheet on the spot and made a trial calculation.


    If I were to make a profit on this, I would need a sales price of roughly 10 million gold.


    Hmmm," he said. That''s tough.


    There''s also the matter of cost: ......"


    Dorwin interjects.


    He said, "I wonder if any adventurers can handle such heavy weapons in the first place." ......


    ''Indeed. A weapon made of this much material would require a base stats of 100 or more.


    It is truly an S-class adventurer''s weapon.


    I doubt even the "Keepers of the Magical Tree" would buy this.


    It''s unprofitable.


    I''m sorry, but this new material is going in the bin.


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do it. I want to make a weapon with this material.


    Cheal said in a spoiled voice.


    You can use it again when you find some other use for it. This isn''t the only idea I have for new materials.


    Dorwin says soothingly.


    Boo."


    Cheal puffs out one cheek.


    Cheal. It''s time for you to get back to your day job.


    Ranju said as if in a hurry.


    Yeah," Ranju said hurriedly. I still want to develop with Mr. Dorwin."


    No," he said. I''ve got a lot of work to do.


    Mmm."


    Cheal. I''ll be back tomorrow."


    Dorwin said soothingly.


    Yes.


    Cheal reluctantly set to work on his silversmithing.


    Roland continued to appraise items for new materials.


    (If you are an S class adventurer ......, the possibility is Jill. But I don''t think I can prepare 10 million gold, no matter how much it''s Jill. I wonder what we can do about that. ......)


    "Agility Grant."


    A green light cloaks Lelio''s body as Rick casts the spell.


    Oh!"


    How do you feel?"


    I don''t know, maybe I feel a little lighter."


    Lelio jumps vertically and runs lightly on the spot.


    Lelio said, "Yes. He is clearly faster than usual.


    Rick, try me."


    Marina comes at me.


    Marina urges, "Wait a minute. I need to recover my magic first.


    Here you go.


    Marina takes out a magic cherry from a bag in her pocket.


    Oh, thank God. ...... Ugh, sour. I still don''t like the taste.


    Rick!" Hurry up and ''agility grant'' me!"


    Well, wait a minute. Don''t be in such a hurry. "Agility."


    Rick casts the spell while pointing his wand at Marina, and Marina is also granted "agility.


    Marina is also affected by the spell. Light. My body is overwhelmingly light. I feel like I can fly!


    Marina runs around the area more quickly than usual with her arms outstretched like wings.


    Lelio tries to use "Status Appraisal" on Marina.


    Marina Fortuna.


    Agility: 60 (↑10) - 70 (↑1) 0)


    (I see. Marina''s Agility, which is usually 50-60, is now 60-60. The number has gone up to 70. (Is this the effect of the "Agility Grant"?)


    No, but I never thought I''d end up using support magic."


    Rick chuckles and looks at his staff for support magic.


    Rick wants to be in the vanguard, right?


    Yeah, I wondered what would happen when Mr. Roland told me to become a mage swordsman, but I didn''t expect that I would really learn it so easily."


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do it," he said. It''s great, isn''t it, Mr. Roland? At first I wondered why an appraiser was the captain. ......"


    Yeah, his instruction is a lot different than the training at the training school."


    Well, whatever it is, it helps. This way I can finish Mr. Roland''s assignment quickly."


    Yes, that''s right. With this, accomplishing my assignments will be a piece of cake.


    No, not as much as an easy win. ......


    I don''t get it. I''m growing rapidly right now. Maybe if I continue to develop my ''agility granting'' skills. ......


    Rick grips his cane tightly in both hands and stares at it with an ambitious, fearless smile.


    He was now totally on board.


    Rick. "Rick, can''t you try to cast a support spell on yourself?"


    Oh, yes. Let''s try it on myself. ......."


    Rick gets a headache and holds the back of his head.


    Rick?"


    What''s wrong?


    I don''t know. It seems like it''s hard to produce magic ....... That''s strange. I just ate a magic cherry.


    I''ll be back in a minute. I''ll check the status."


    Lelio takes a look at Rick''s status.


    Rick Dyer.


    Magic: 1-30


    (I see. The lowest value of magical power is 1, indicating that the status is worn out. Until he recovers naturally, it won''t matter how much magic he recovers. (......)


    While thinking about this, Lelio also began to feel dizzy.


    What''s the matter, Lelio? Would you like some ''magic cherries''?"


    No, this is probably ......"


    Rick, Lelio, Marina. There you are."


    Roland showed up.


    Oh, Mr. Roland.


    Hm. All three of you are running out of magic.


    ("Status Appraisal," ....... You''re fast indeed.)


    Lelio was amazed at the speed of Roland''s appraisal, who instantly identified the status of the three men.


    Huh? Come to think of it, I''m starting to feel kind of weak too."


    Marina flops down on the ground.


    Equipment, ores, potions, and other items were pouring out of her item bag.


    Lelio and Rick hurriedly picked up the items.


    Lelio and Rick hurriedly picked up the items. "You three, don''t overuse your newly acquired skills until you get used to them," Marina said.


    Roland said as he helped pick up the items.


    I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to make you help me.


    It''s okay. This much. That''s all right, Lelio. When you''re done here, come to my tent.


    Lelio and Roland headed for the captain''s tent.


    Rick and Marina watched the scene curiously.


    ''What''s with that guy, isn''t he getting called out by Mr. Roland a lot these days?


    Yes, it is. Something to do with Lelio''s skills, it seems."


    What in the world is the skill ...... doing here?"


    Rick and Marina twisted their necks in thought.


    Here''s what we got from the status report today.


    Lelio submits the form with the status to Roland.


    Hm. Let''s see.


    Roland takes it and checks Rick and Marina''s numbers.


    (As I thought, the parts of the body that have not been stretched before are growing fast. They are all growing exceptionally fast.)


    (I''m kind of uncomfortable with this. (I don''t feel comfortable doing this without telling you two.)


    For Lelio, this mission was an uncomfortable one, although he was forced to do it at Roland''s behest.


    Rick''s magic has reached its highest value of 30 and Marina''s has reached its highest value of 80," he said. "Rick''s magic power has reached its maximum of 30, and Marina''s has reached its maximum of 80. I guess it''s time to move on.


    Roland looked over all the figures and turned to Lelio.


    No, thank you," he said. It''s not easy for me to evaluate everyone''s status by myself.


    Huh."


    (You''re not going to become a scullery maid by any chance, are you? I''m an aspiring adventurer.)


    All right. Lelio. Call everyone to the front of the walled entrance.


    Upon receiving the order from Roland, Lelio ran among the members of the "Guardians of the Magical Tree" to convey the order to convene.


    The members of the team stopped what they were doing and gathered under Roland, tilting their heads at the sudden summons.


    ''From today on, you will be trained in troop operations, not in individual assignments.


    (Unit Operations ......)


    Rick and the others were uniformly nervous.


    At last, they would be able to participate in dungeon attack training alongside the main force.


    There were basically no monster-related quests for dungeon management, but there was one quest that involved training for troop operations.


    It was a quest to defeat the flesh-eating ghouls.


    Ghouls are monsters that scavenge the dead flesh of humans, animals, and monsters.


    Moreover, since they basically act in groups of five, they were ideal as opponents for five people, the basic unit for team activities.


    Because of their habit of collecting shiny things, they hoard treasures in their nests.


    With the walls and roads completed, the alchemists'' support was largely complete, and now we would go on a quest to defeat the ghouls. Ghouls are monsters that can only be defeated by a group because they move in groups. Each of you should demonstrate your own abilities and enhance cooperation."


    Those who participated in dungeon management were uniformly nervous.


    They knew what they were doing.


    They knew that unlike their previous training, this quest was to select the main force for the next dungeon attack.


    The first thing we need to do now is to divide the group. Team 1 will be led by Monica, with Ryan and Gareth ......, followed by Shakuma, Rick, and Elmo ......, and then Team 2, with Shakuma, Rick, and Elmo ......, and then Team 3, with Monica as the leader. Team 3 is Yufine, Marina ......."


    Yuffine was keenly searching for the meaning of Roland''s division of the groups.


    (He is putting the newcomers in the ace squad. I see. So you want the newcomer and the ace to be paired together so that they can stimulate each other. Huh?　(But what about Lelio?)


    Mr. Roland. I''m ......."


    Lelio asks coyly, as he is not called forever.


    Lelio. You are the group leader. You''ll be in charge of Team Six.


    What?


    (Commander? Lelio?)


    Euphine''s eyebrows twitch.


    Rick was also stunned.


    (What, Lelio''s guy was selected as the commander?　(When did that guy ......)


    A rustle occurs among the troops.


    It''s amazing," he said. He''s suddenly in command, even if it''s on a squad basis.


    No, but is it safe? I''m not sure if it''s safe to put a rookie in command.


    I''m sorry. Mr. Roland. "Well, Mr. Roland, isn''t it a bit of a ...... disaster to suddenly put a rookie in command?"


    Monica said, speaking for all of us.


    Why?"


    Lelio has only just graduated from training school, and he''s still getting used to troop movements in an actual dungeon. ......


    Monica. I''m not trying to give Lelio any special treatment. I''m just trying to find the right placement for each of them.


    Huh.


    Lelio will be the group leader. This is a decision. Is that clear?


    Umm, if Mr. Roland says so. ......


    Monica shrugged and withdrew.


    Monica pulled back and said, "Well then, I want each group to get ready for their quests. Call in as soon as you''re ready."


    Lelio looked fearfully in the direction where everyone was.


    As expected, he was met with a piercing stare.


    (Ugh, it still hurts to look at them.)


    Rick looks unconvinced.


    Euphine looked at Lelio uncomfortably.


    Shakma is burning with rivalry.


    All three of them were aspiring troop leaders.


    (Oh dear. I can''t believe I''m suddenly under this kind of pressure. Mr. Roland could have been a little more considerate.)


    The quota for each team is five ghouls'' nests. Each team is to strive hard to acquire items. Let''s go!


    Roland gave the order, and the groups rushed toward the ghouls'' nests.


    (Oh, my God. Roland-san is such a bad person.)


    Yuffine swore in her mind as she hurried ahead.


    (He told me and Shakuma that he could be the captain, and then he blatantly gave preferential treatment to such a new girl. Fine. I''m going to prove that I''m more qualified to be the captain in this quest.)


    Rick was also struggling to get his troops to act.


    (d*mn. Why? Why was Lelio the only one chosen as the squad leader? I''ve completed Roland''s tasks as well as Lelio''s. (No, I''m sure my growth rate is higher than Lelio''s, just based on my simple status.)


    Shakuma was a fighter.


    (This is a test to narrow down the candidates for the captain of the new unit. I took it that way, Mr. Roland.)


    Thus began the quest to defeat the ghouls.


    A swarm of ghouls crawled out of a den as they struck their weapons in front of it.


    Lelio catches the enemy in his sights and activates his status appraisal.


    ("Status Appraisal" activated!)


    In addition to the monster''s appearance, its status emerges in Lelio''s eyes.


    Even though the monsters looked the same at first glance, each individual had a different status.


    Some had more power, some more toughness, some more agility.


    Conversely, those with low power, low toughness, and low agility could also be detected by using the status appraisal.


    (I see. (I see. So this is one way to use "Status Appraisal".)


    Marcus, you deal with the one on the far right. Nicola is the enemy in the middle. Celes is second from the left. I''ll deal with the one on the far left.


    Lelio took the shield-bearer against the monsters with strong attack power among the enemies, those with low defense power against those with high attack power here, and hit the monsters with high agility himself to check them out.


    Lelio''s team successfully wins the battle.


    Lelio returned to Roland with the items he had acquired.


    Roland-san, the second nest has been conquered.


    Hmm. Thank you for your hard work. Let''s go to this nest next.


    Roland points to a nest on the map.


    Yes."


    (Whew. I wondered what would happen when I was suddenly appointed commander, but things are going well for now.)


    Lelio is relieved.


    Roland appraised Lelio''s status.


    Lelio Santana.


    Command 50-60


    (Command 50-60, huh? (Command 50-60, huh? (But it''s still not enough.)


    Lelio, the next ghouls will be at the intermediate level. It''s going to be different from what we''ve seen so far, so brace yourself."


    Yes, sir.


    Team 6 clanked their weapons in front of the hole, which was clearly larger than before.


    A swarm of ghouls emerges.


    Lelio activates his status appraisal as usual.


    Arm strength (power): 70-80


    Endurance (toughness): 50-70


    Agility: 50-80


    (Nah! None of the basic stats are above the minimum of 50?　(No obvious weaknesses ......)


    We couldn''t win with our current strength.


    （d*mn, what should I do?)


    What''s up, Lelio?


    Give me instructions.


    The men in the unit ask for instructions.


    （I said, "Give me instructions. How do I do this ......)


    d*mn. It''s no use. Marcus. Take the leftmost one. Nick, you take the one in the middle.


    Lelio directed them to take advantage of their status advantage as much as possible.


    However, unable to support or defeat the enemy''s attacks, Lelio''s troops were quickly depleted.


    It''s no use. At this rate, we will be wiped out.


    We''ll get you back on your feet with a potion."


    The humans in the unit somehow managed to win the battle, but they had depleted their potions more than expected.


    Ten potions were consumed.


    I''m sorry. ......


    There is a fixed number of potions that can be supplied in a day. You''ll have to fight with a little less to keep up.


    (Even if you say so, you can''t do anything about it because the enemy status is the status.)


    I''ll hit another enemy of about the same strength next time. Be ready."


    "...... yes."


    Lelio''s troops went into battle again, but again they struggled.


    (Kuso. What am I supposed to do with this troop?)


    Lelio swore inwardly as he frantically commanded his crumbling troops.


    Oh, no. We''re running out of potions.


    Captain, what are you going to do?"


    What do you mean, what do I do? ......


    (Is this level too hard for you?)


    Roland was watching Lelio fight from the top of a small hill and wondering whether he should help or not.


    In the meantime, the unit was about to collapse.


    (It can''t be helped. Let''s save them.)


    Shakuma. "Shakuma, help Lelio''s unit.


    Yes, sir.


    (Chance.)


    Rick, who was a member of Shakuma''s unit, inwardly rejoiced at this chance.


    (If he could show Mr. Roland his power here, his reputation would be turned around in a flash.)


    Rick rushed to Lelio''s aid with great vigor.


    "Stand back. I''ll be your shield."


    Rick replaced the struggling vanguard human on the front line.


    Facing two monsters, he was attacked but held his ground.


    Oh!"


    Rick''s the guy, ain''t he?"


    （My endurance (toughness) is already over 70. I can withstand an attack like this.)


    Oooohhhh!"


    Rick not only withstood the attack, he bounced back.


    He also casts an "agility-enhancing" spell on himself and pursues the enemy.


    The enemy was kicked away without a trace.


    How''s that?　Did you see that?


    Rick strikes a gut-punching pose and lets out a heroic yell.


    Thank God!


    That was a close one.


    (Huh. I made it.)


    Lelio is relieved to be out of mortal danger.


    On the other hand, he had mixed feelings.


    （On the one hand, he was relieved that his life was not in danger, but on the other hand, he had mixed feelings. He can take the lead and raise the morale of his allies ....... He''s definitely better suited for the job than I am. Huh.)


    In the end, Lelio''s unit was the only one that failed to meet its quota that day.


    That night, Lelio came to talk directly to Roland.


    What is it? What do you want to talk about?


    He said, "Well, I''ve already decided I want to get out of command training. ...... I''d rather do something else."


    What do you want to do?


    Yes, sir. I want to train my power and be able to handle the ''Silver Iron Breaking Bow'' like Monica.


    (I see. I see.)


    Roland ponders.


    （His arm strength (power) is limited to 70-80 even if he trained hard enough. No matter how much he trains, he can''t compete with Monica.)


    Roland thought inwardly, but decided not to say so.


    He said, "Lelio, Monica has already established an absolute position as a firepower bowman (archer). You have room to work on your power, but you will never reach Monica''s power by the next dungeon."


    But still, ......"


    I''m not going to put a half-assed firepower archer in my main force right now."


    ......"


    You have potential in your command ability. Why don''t you give it a little more of a shot?"


    Um, Mr. Roland. May I have a word?"


    Monica visits under Roland.


    She says, "Oh. Lelio. I''m sorry. We''ll talk about it another time.


    Lelio withdrew reluctantly.


    Roland was also frustrated that he could not spend more time with Lelio.


    （I''m sorry, Lelio. (I''m sorry, Lelio. I''d love to spend time and effort on your training, but I can''t give you preferential treatment over Monica.)


    It was obvious that Ace would become unfaithful if he kept on caring about the newcomer.


    There was no point in bringing up a newcomer if the ace was going to be out of shape.


    (That''s the difficulty with newcomers, isn''t it? Instead of enjoying an excellent environment from the start, they are exposed to competition with existing strong members. It is a different kind of difficulty from that of Monica and her colleagues, who joined the team from scratch. But I can''t put your training ahead of Monica''s consultation. You''ll just have to make it on your own somehow.)


    (d*mn. Another enemy with a minimum value of 50+.)


    Lelio clicked his tongue as he appraised the status of the ghouls.


    Once again, Lelio''s troops were encountering powerful enemies.


    (...... What to do?)


    Lelio desperately tried to think of an answer, but could not find one.


    No matter what he thought, he had no choice but to wear down his troops and defeat them.


    In addition, Roland forbade the excessive use of potions.


    (We can''t let Rick help us again, ......)


    Lelio''s anxiety was contagious to his troops.


    Hey, Lelio. What are we going to do?"


    The enemy''s gonna be tough.


    What are we going to do? Hey, Lelio!


    Lelio grits his teeth.


    (d*mn. I can''t do this anymore.)


    Stand down."


    What about?


    With this force, we are no match for the enemy. So we must retreat."


    Hey, what are you talking about?


    Even though our performance lags behind that of the other squads. ......


    The enemy is right under our noses!


    Just retreat! I''ll cover your retreat."


    Lelio stood in the hall of the troop and checked the pursuing ghouls by shooting at them.


    (Huh?)


    Lelio felt a sense of discomfort as he retreated a little and then struck the bow, and then retreated a little and then struck the bow.


    (Are the enemy pursuing too slowly?).


    Even though some of the monsters had high agility, they did not pursue us at full speed, but intentionally slowed down to pursue us.


    (Why?　If they chase after us at full speed, they''ll have a chance to chase us down. ...... (Oh, wait)


    Lelio did a status appraisal.


    As expected, the agility of each monster was different.


    (I see. ....... If they ran at full speed, they would be isolated from each other and would be the perfect prey for individual attacks. So we had to run with the slowest one on our side to keep them apart.)


    After that, the monsters were unable to catch up, only becoming targets for Lelio''s shooting.


    Eventually, the monsters gave up the chase and retreated.


    What the hell?　Monsters. They''re running away."


    Did I win ......?"


    (I see. I didn''t know there was such a way to fight ......)


    （You noticed. (On tactical retreat.)


    Watching Lelio fight from a distance, Roland did not miss a glimpse of the new commander''s solid growth.


    (Ghouls have no means of long-range attack. So when they pursue a retreating enemy, they can''t handle a firefight. That means tactical retreat is effective. If you have a bowman (archer) with high agility (......), that is.)


    (If the enemy can''t handle our tactical retreat, then ...... wait)


    Lelio tried to build a formation based on the assumption of a retreat in the next battle.


    He dared to put the shield-bearer in the rear and the swordsman with high agility (agility) in the front.


    The first attack is to attack the most agile individual of the enemy, and then retreat.


    If the enemy leaps forward, destroy them individually.


    If the enemy retreats, we pursue.


    Lelio''s team successfully defeated the enemy who was superior to them in status.


    （They were able to do it. (Defeating the enemy.) (Defeating the enemy.)


    (It is not only the role of a commander to fight bravely at the front. It is also the role of a commander to be prepared for any emergency. This is the true quality required of a commander. It is the ability to judge when to retreat.)


    (Even if I encounter an enemy stronger than I am, can my command ability overturn the difference in status?)


    (Another high commanding archer, different from the high firepower archers like Monica. (At this rate, he''ll be a thing by the time the next dungeon appears.)


    Roland appraised Lelio''s status and found his command to be 50-80.


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