Chapter 259: A Routine

Once all the new arrivals were changed and armed, Kalli inspected their composition.

They were actually pretty well-balanced, given the usual overwhelming number of warriors. They certainly suffered from it as well, but they had a handful of healers, and a group of monks, who weren’t healing magic users, but who could cast group protection buffs.

That would help them to get established, so Kalli decided to set them up with a schedule for the next day.

"If you don’t object, I have some suggestions for tomorrow. Get settled in tonight, then meet Yara and the others for breakfast at eight. Then, ninety minutes in the training area to get all toned up, followed by a quick run through one of the dungeons.

I don’t know what levels you’re all at, but we’ve got dungeons at Levels 1, 3, 7 and 10. Rats, Goblins, Swineherd Demons and Ogres, respectively.

If you arrange your groups so that you have two tanks, and at least one, preferably two, healers, you can go there to get some System Rewards, and perhaps some gear to fill the gaps.

There are many accessories and trinkets that can boost your combat output, beyond what I normally sell at the store," she insisted.

"They also give System Points on completion. One each, except for the Ogres, which are considered a hard mode dungeon and gives two," Yara added.

Her father nodded. "Then we will take Lady Kallista up on her offer."

Sanchez chuckled at Vinnie’s serious tone.

"You can just call her Coordinator, basically everyone else does.

We’re not the most formal lot, and mixing in Noble titles would just make it weird because a lot of the ones selected from Marimgar Academy were actually heirs to various Noble titles.

That’s probably not the route that we want to go again, since we’ve got this meritocracy thing going on."

"Then we should find our rooms and some dinner. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Coordinator. When we have more time, I would like to have a longer conversation." Vinnie announced.

Kalli nodded, "I am here all day. You’re welcome to visit any time, and we’ve got alternate turn in points, so the others can turn in their quests without me being physically present."

As the group left for dinner, Vinnie noticed one small fact. Coordinator Kalli’s eyes might look like they were watching the view screens on the wall, but she was actually subtly checking out the backside of every muscular young warrior leaving the Hall of Heroes.

Perhaps the design of the armoured suits was not purely functional.

The Coordinator definitely had a type.

But he kept his laughter to himself until he was out of the building, and nearly to the main Academy structure, where the dining hall was.

At least that part of the city was familiar to him. He had been here before, when enrolling his daughter, and a few times before that, when giving larger donations to the Academy, to ensure that his bloodline would be treated well.

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so much, Father," Yara noted.

"Marimgar is a good city. And that Coordinator of yours, she’s a hidden gem. I suspect that she was never a common person at all."

Beside him, one of his bodyguards nodded enthusiastically. "I think she likes me. I saw how she tracked my movement on the way out."

Sanchez patted him on the shoulder. "Don’t read too much into it. If you want to try to court the Coordinator, you’ll have to get in line. Plus, she picked these bodysuits entirely because she likes to look at them.

She sells loose robes for the ladies to wear over them."

Vinnie chuckled and shook his head in dismay. "You have an interesting city here. How difficult are the dungeons? We have been fighting for our lives this entire time, and most of us are level eight to ten.

But if there are too many level seven monsters, that might be too much of a risk.

I’m sure that you understand that I won’t risk my people on the first day here, just to do an optional training run for gear."

Sanchez shrugged. "The level of the dungeon is more of a guideline for the group going in. A competent and organized group at the same level won’t have more than moderate difficulty clearing a dungeon their own level.

Personally, I recommend the level seven Swineherd Dungeon.

Most of us do it instead of the Ogre Dungeon, though we’re higher level. Not because we can’t do the other, but because the Swineherd Demons raise armoured boars, and the dungeon drops large amounts of pork.

Sure, you get items at the end, and a loot box with the System Point when you turn in the dungeon quest, but it’s the pork that’s the real selling point.

It’s a staple of our diet."

"Wait, you can take meat back out of the dungeon?" Vinnie asked.

"Not all of it, but you can take out the drop items, plus anything that you can stuff in your backpack." Sanchez explained. "Some of the team members have expanded storage, and they can bring back an entire two tonne boar.

But if you can’t put it in storage, you can’t take it out of the dungeon."

One of the new arrivals made a startled noise, and Sanchez identified them as one of the two Techno Wizards.

"I got a supply storage space that’s fifty cubic metres. I think it’s meant for crafting materials, but I could definitely put a bunch of pigs in it. I’ve got spare food and such in it right now," he explained.

"Then you are going to be very popular on dungeon runs. But you’re going to be a busy man anyhow, with your skills.

We’ve got a lot of broken gear after the third trial, and our repair teams are still struggling with it. I suspect that Kalli will come looking for the Techno Wizards and the Tinkers tomorrow after training, or perhaps after the dungeon.

She got workshop plans as a reward, and she won’t let you escape her web now that you’re here and useful."