B9 - Chapter 39: Group Formation

After the fearsome Death Mage, fewer challenges followed. But among those who tried, everyone seemed at least somewhat confident in their ability to pass.

In the end, the two remaining Group Leader positions were filled. The first was claimed by a Lightning Mage belonging to a group called the Storm Hounds. The second went to a Dwarven Metal Mage belonging to a group called Cog and Hammer.

The Lightning Mage won his challenge by simply overpowering the twins with sheer firepower. There had been no clever trick or elaborate strategy. From the moment the challenge began, the entire hall had been filled with flashes of blinding light and the deafening crack of thunder. Even Keiran's barriers had begun to buckle under the relentless barrage.

It was a straightforward display of force that proved more than the twins could handle, forcing them to surrender after a little over half the allotted time had passed.

The Dwarven Mage, for his part, passed the challenge in the most unique way. For one, his magical ability seemed average at best, but the seamless combination of mechanical trinkets made him the most versatile and unpredictable fighter Viola had seen so far.

The backpack strapped across his shoulders seemed to contain an endless number of gadgets, each more bizarre than the last. One moment, he was scattering small mechanical devices across the floor that erupted into tangling wires. The next, some sort of spring-loaded contraption unfolded over his shoulder and began firing metal projectiles from entirely unexpected angles.

In the end, the sheer number of trinkets, weapons, traps, and mines proved too much for even the twins to handle.

"No more challenges will be accepted," Keiran announced the moment the battle ended. "The groups are going to be as follows:"

"1st Group Leader: Rollo of the Iron Flock."

"2nd Group Leader: Sebastian of the Wayfarers."

"3rd Group Leader: Krabat of the Ashen Choir."

"4th Group Leader: Sly of the Storm Hounds."

"5th Group Leader: Krogos of Cog and Hammer."

With every new call, the eyes of the remaining participants locked onto the respective Group Leaders, as well as their party members. Their gazes were sharp and appraising, growing especially keen whenever they turned toward Sebastian's group.

Viola understood the reason behind their stares.

These were the people who had not been lucky enough to have a Group Leader among them, which meant they most likely wouldn't be able to stay together in the future. Aligning themselves with a good leader early could literally spell the difference between life and death.

And Sebastian's group was particularly attractive for that purpose.

For one, their leader was clearly more approachable than someone like Krabat, whose group had an entire area devoid of people around them from their aura alone.

But more importantly, they were the smallest group. With only five members, Viola included, they fell significantly short of the mandatory group size. That meant smaller groups could theoretically be absorbed without the need to split up.

They also had a good reason for accepting new members.

Right now, even with Sebastian having passed the challenge, they still wouldn't be allowed to accept any missions until they recruited at least five more people.

"Everyone," Keiran's voice echoed through the hall. "You will be given an hour to make your final arrangements. I highly suggest that those among you who do not yet belong to a recognized group do your best to join one."

Then, at once, the twins bowed their heads. "And finally, thank you all for answering Hohenheim's call."

They remained like that, heads lowered, for a few more seconds before straightening up in perfect unison. As if everything that needed to be said had been said, they turned and left without so much as a glance back.

"Those two are even more eccentric than I heard..." Irina murmured from the side.

The rest of the group could only nod at that.

The twins were... odd. From beginning to end, they had barely spoken more than a few sentences, and none of them to each other. And yet, their coordination had been utterly flawless. It never even seemed as if they were fighting as two Mages, but rather as a single person with both Space and Time affinities.

But their gazes were soon drawn away from the twins' retreating backs and toward the shifting figures all around them.

Many of the other contestants were talking among themselves while throwing furtive glances in their direction. It was clear that it wouldn't be long before the first of them approached with an offer of cooperation.

"What should we do about that?" Grent asked as he crossed his arms and glared back at everyone who looked their way. Likely on instinct, the giant had squared his shoulders and shifted in front of the group, putting himself between them and the rest of the hall.

"Thoughts?" Sebastian asked.

"We'll leave it to you," Irina said after sharing a glance with her husband. "You have a good eye for people."

Sebastian's eyes turned to Viola.

She thought about it for a moment. "Our current group consists of one tank, one scout, two medium-range offensive Mages, and a commander."

Sebastian's brows furrowed at that description.

It was Elementium terminology, but the meaning should have been obvious enough.

"Right now, we have a good composition for a five-man team, but..." Viola paused, ordering her thoughts. "The difference between a five-man group and a ten-man team is more significant than it seems at first glance."

"...How?" Sebastian asked after a moment.

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"Currently, we are at a size where every member of the team needs to fulfill every role," Viola explained. "Combat, maintenance, transport, guard duty, cooking, cleaning, dismantling..." She counted the different fields on her fingers.

Sebastian nodded, but he still looked confused. "So?"

"In a group with ten or more members, it becomes possible to have one or two people who specialize solely in auxiliary jobs. They might not directly increase the combat strength of the group, but research shows that the group performs better as a whole when everyone can focus solely on their assigned duties."

"...What research?"

"For one, Alberan Granisa's in-depth study of group compositions, or Bela's Guide to Ideal Role Distribution in strike groups of variable sizes..." Viola continued, only gradually becoming aware of the silence around her.

She stopped.

Everyone was looking at her strangely.

Viola cleared her throat, feeling somewhat awkward beneath their stares. "I read, okay?"

The first to react was Grent. He snorted in amusement before averting his gaze back to the surrounding groups. Irina chuckled a moment later before also returning to her hushed discussion with her husband.

Sebastian alone remained focused on her. "Not that I don't appreciate the lecture, Fay, but could you get on with it? Time is short."

Viola nodded quickly. "Keep your eyes open for a herbalist, and somebody with butchering expertise."

Sebastian merely stared at her quietly, but the question was clear in his eyes.

Viola explained, "From what we know, our prey is going to be exclusively monsters. Professionally butchering the corpses on the spot will pay for itself in time saved, the quality of the parts, as well as the reduced burden that needs to be carried."

Sebastian nodded slowly, seemingly deep in thought.

"The same goes for a herbalist. Rukia is one of the most abundant regions when it comes to all sorts of plants, herbs, and fungi. Recognizing what is actually valuable is going to be crucial if we want to tap into that gold mine."

Sebastian's eyes glinted for a moment at the mention of an untapped gold mine. He remained silent for a moment longer before suddenly stepping away from the group and approaching somebody near the edge of the gathering.

"Where are you going?" Viola called after him.

"Seizing the advantage..."

Viola followed him with her eyes and saw Sebastian exchange a few words with a young woman with bushy, pointed ears atop her head. With every word Sebastian said, the woman began to nod more fervently, her ears bobbing along with her movements.

"Surprising..." a voice said beside her.

Viola turned to find both Bernard and Irina looking in the same direction she was.

"What is?"

"Sebastian," Bernard said. "He isn't one to be swayed easily."

Viola tilted her head. "Didn't he ask for input?"

Irina snickered at that. "That doesn't mean he'll listen, does it?"

While Viola mulled that over, Sebastian made his way to another part of the hall, now with the woman in tow. He approached a group of four. This time, the talks didn't seem to go nearly as smoothly as before, as two of the four began to argue immediately, while the other two, the ones Sebastian was looking at, had contemplative expressions on their faces.

There were a few minutes of back and forth as the discussion became more and more agitated. However, Sebastian's expression never changed, even while he was being openly barraged by what sounded like a slew of insults.

In the end, the two people Sebastian had been talking to nodded their heads slightly. One of them gestured toward the other as if making a final condition, and Sebastian answered with a short nod.

Despite the protests of the remaining two, he walked away with both new followers behind him.

Finally, Sebastian made for one of the larger groups that remained, one that had also previously challenged the twins.

He stopped right in front of Rex, the crafty Blood Mage who had previously lost against the twins. They were close enough that Viola could hear their words.

"...What do you want, Stoneface?" Rex asked, his expression one of clear annoyance.

Viola tilted her head at the strange form of address. It didn't sound like a random insult, but more like someone calling another by a nickname.

"I have room for two more, if you want to come," Sebastian answered.

"You think I'll hang my boys out to dry just like that?"

"I suggest you do."

"Is that a threat?" Rex asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Just a bit of friendly advice."

"...Explain."

Sebastian spoke calmly. "The people who arrived before us have doubtlessly already formed their groups," he began. "What do you think the circumstances are for them to accept new members?"

A light flashed behind Rex's eyes. "Sudden vacancies..."

Sebastian nodded. "They need to fill their ranks whenever a member dies or becomes incapacitated. That means one or two at a time at most. So..."

"So my boys will be split up either way," Rex finished for him with a click of his tongue.

Sebastian didn't say anything else and simply waited. Meanwhile, Rex looked over his group, twelve people in total. He was silent for a moment before...

"Five people," he countered.

Sebastian shook his head. "Three people."

"Four."

"Three."

"Four and a half."

"...Half?"

Rex pointed at a dwarf among his men, who waved back sheepishly.

Sebastian shook his head. "Three is my best offer. Also... the dwarf counts as a full person."

Rex cursed under his breath, but it was clear that he wasn't willing to walk away from the deal. He once again swept his gaze over his men, his eyes taking in every single one in turn.

"Jar, Falla, you're with me."

The two people he had called looked at him with surprised expressions.

"You want me, boss?" Jar, the boy who had been instantly defeated by the twins earlier, asked.

"Shut your mouth and do what I say."

Jar snapped his mouth shut, and Falla, a timid-looking woman clutching a dagger to her chest, stepped forward without protest.

"Does the deal still stand, Stoneface?" Rex asked, stretching out a hand toward Sebastian as if challenging him to go back on his word.

Viola watched with renewed interest.

Jar had been defeated almost instantly during his challenge, while Falla hardly looked like one of the more dangerous members of Rex's group.

Not exactly the choices she would have expected from somebody trying to preserve as much fighting strength as possible.

Sebastian didn't even hesitate before grabbing Rex's hand. "Deal."

With that, Sebastian returned, now with six new people in tow. "Let me introduce our new members."

"Knifetooth," he said, pointing at the woman with the bushy ears. Viola noted that aside from those, she also had unnaturally sharp teeth and inhuman, feral-looking eyes. Definitely a halfbreed.

"She is good with a knife," he explained. "And an expert butcher." That last part was spoken while looking directly at Viola.

She couldn't help but smile.

"Then we have Sera and Karil," Sebastian continued the introductions. "They are Rukian natives, competent Nature Mages... and excellent herbalists."

Viola's smile grew a little wider at that last part.

"And finally: Rex the Impaler and his two former teammates, Jar and Falla."

The latter two waved at being mentioned, but their hands froze in midair after hearing what Sebastian said next.

"...They're going to be our meat shields and porters."

Rex snorted but didn't outright refute it.

Next, Sebastian pointed at himself. "You've all seen me fight, so you know what I can do."

He then pointed at each member of the Wayfarers in turn as he explained. "These are Grent, our frontline fighter; Fay, our scout; Irina and Bernard, our Fire Mages. Say hello."

For a moment, the old and new party members sized each other up in silence. The atmosphere seemed noticeably tense, until...

"Did you really have to bring that bloodsucker, Rex?" Grent asked, looking down at the shorter Mage across from him.

Rex snorted. "I thought it smelled of a milk drinker. Now I see it was you."

Grent glared even more fiercely. It seemed as if he was barely holding himself back from outright attacking the other man. The tension was so thick one could cut it with a knife.

Then, suddenly, Grent burst out laughing in long, bellowing waves.

Rex chuckled along as well, unable to keep up the facade any longer. The two men clasped forearms, which immediately turned into a contest of strength as both began to squeeze as hard as they could.

Irina rolled her eyes. "That's Body Mages for you."

Bernard also shook his head. "Valorians..."

But with that outburst, the tension was immediately broken, and both Irina and Bernard went to introduce themselves personally to the new members. Viola followed one step behind, trying to learn as much about their new companions as she could.

Before too long, the allotted hour was up.

The twins returned to the hall, forcing everyone into silence again. Every gaze locked onto them, and Viola also waited with eager anticipation. They came to a halt in the middle of the room before slowly sweeping their gazes around.

"It is time."