"Are the new mages here?"
I asked Sharine.
She nodded.
"Master have assigned three of them to research duty. While the other two in the Alchemy Lab."
I immediately made my way to the Research Center in the Magic Hall.
It was now possible for more than a dozen heroes to perform research at once.
So Master had dedicated a space solely for research which we called the Research Center.
It was located by the library to provide the researchers easy access to the books they might need.
Inside the Research Center, I found three people solving sorcery equations on the research tables.
All three of them immediately stopped their research and stood up once they saw me.
They certainly knew who I was given the look on their stiff cautioned faces. Master had shown them the Quintal Trial records, of course.
I had also read all the information I needed to know about them from their evaluation documents.
Not a single wildling, thank the Serpent.
All the mages Master summoned recently were educated trained sorcerers.
"Are you that Kutub sub-elementalist?"
I spoke to a lean man in thick fur clothing.
His face was painted in a similar way to Arian's.
"I am Kiran Banado of the Frozen Creek Tribe, Your Excellency."
According to his document, he was a shaman that practically served as the tribe's chief.
The man was skilled in ice sub-elemental magic and had a minor proficiency with the water element.
A solid find.
"Your fellow Kutub folk was a great help in the 20th floor mission. I hope you'll become just as reliable."
I told the shaman.
He bowed to me while placing his palm on his left chest.
"I will give my utmost, Your Excellency."
Then I turned to a large middle-aged Tsahanam woman in the next table.
"You must be the mage-engineer from the sultanate."
She simply nodded to me with a carefree manner.
"Aludra Tamran, Your Excellency. Trained and worked in Rodham."
Master did summon the 3-star mechanic experienced in building airships.
But that man was just a skilled worker, not an actual mage. Similar to Gerrits who could not cast any magic but was capable to craft enchanted weapons.
This Aludra, on the other hand, was a mage herself.
Moreover, she was a mage-engineer that was crucial in the airship's construction and maintenance.
Rodham was a large industrial city in Tsahanam where the sultanate's leading airship manufacturers and alchemy workshops were located.
That city was the best place in the Great Desert to learn magic engineering.
Normally, Aludra would be assigned to the supporter force to work solely on the airship.
But her evaluation record stated that she was highly capable in combat.
She was skilled in conjuration, illusion, both supportive and offensive enchantment, and golem puppeteering.
Though she was still levelling up in the 13th floor, Master already included her to a party of potential trainees that were currently climbing through the 18th and the 19th.
Master wanted her to join the Raid Team. And I frankly believed she should.
"What exactly did you do in Rodham?"
I asked the mage-engineer.
The document only stated that she worked in an engineering workshop owned by the sultanate's mercenary guild.
That cleared her from suspicion on our enemies in Tsahanam.
But it still could not quite explain her full capabilities. I would need to address this to the Chief Administrator in charge of interviewing new heroes.
"Nothing fancy, Your Excellency. I spent most of my time in the guild's factory. But I also attended one of those Desert Patrol airships stationed in Rodham."
Now that would explain everything.
The Great Desert was so vast that it was too difficult to traverse through on foot.
People, including mercenaries, often used airship to travel around in the region
Desert Patrols were special ships that carried mercenaries.
They would transport mercenaries to dangerous places in the Great Desert where people need saving, transporting supplies, or simply to subjugate monsters.
Naturally, Aludra would gain combat experience through those expeditions.
"Other than your raider training, I also want you to help with the preparation for the airship construction. The lobby doesn't have many experienced engineers currently. So you and the mechanic need to train new engineers for us."
"Got it. I'll make time between my training and research hours in the Magic Hall."
Aludra said straightforwardly.
She would certainly be reliable to the Raid Team.
I then turned to a tall crimson-haired woman behind the two mages.
"Celeste Krughall, at your service, Your Excellency. It's a great honor to join Master's army that would save our world."
She introduced herself with a graceful bow.
There was an air of strength and composure around this woman.
It might be due to her lean muscular figure as well as that perfect unyielding posture of hers.
Moreover, the long sword propped on her research table...
[Celeste Krughall (★★★) Lv.11 (Exp 46/110)]
[Class: Mage-Swordsman]
[Strength: 35/35]
[Intelligence: 29/29]
[Stamina: 30/30]
[Agility: 20/20]
[Skills: Basic Swordsmanship Lv.5, Combat Chant Lv.3, Basic Enchantment Lv.4, Composure Lv.2, Insight Lv.2, Projectile Defense Lv.2, Pain Resistance Lv.1]
A mage-swordswoman!
She was capable in both magic and physical combat.
My Zeref ancestor was someone with this rare talent as well.
But mage-swordsmen often only had one purpose in Dunia.
"Your document mentioned that you trained in the Anantian Monastery."
It was an institute where the Serpent's Order trained their knights, mages, as well as paladin which mage-swordsmen aspired to be.
And every hero of the forged land knew how we viewed the Serpent's Order.
"I was sent to the monastery so I could train to become the head knight of the Megarra Household, Your Excellency."
The Megarra was a neutral House in southwest region of Tsatu.
They were known to adopt orphans whose talent they could nurture and eventually offer to serve in their House upon adulthood, just like the Zeref did with the orphans in our orphanage.
According to her document, Celeste was one of theirs.
This cleared her from the suspicion.
But I simply had to ask.
"If Your Excellency is concerned about my allegiance, then have no worry. I myself am baffled with the traitorous acts of the Serpent's Order."
Celeste said.
This knight was smart. She knew how to read the situation.
The mage-swordswoman went on with a strong expression.
"It boils my blood to see them trying to assassinate His Highness in the 15th floor. Their involvement in sacrificing the people of Tsuchi was certainly infuriating to say the least."
I did not sense any lie from her words.
She truly meant what she said.
That was a relief since it would be a great shame for her to be a traitor.
Among the seven 3-star combatant heroes summoned alongside her, Celeste was ranked the best in the evaluation.
Her combat and leadership skills were commended by the evaluation instructors as well as her party comrades.
Celeste's skill as a mage-swordswoman allowed her to serve as a powerful vanguard while also providing support to her comrades with her enchantments.
She would become a reliable raider.
"If you wish to prove your allegiance, then climb the tower, grow stronger, and become a hero that Master can depend on."
I stated to Celeste.
The mage-swordswoman gave me a proper knight salute.
"As you command, Your Excellency!"