"The yield is minimum at best, Lady Zeref."
Serize spoke to me as I was sitting behind my research table.
She was quite a small woman. Very lean with very wrinkled skin. Hair as gray as spider web.
But the woman had an intense hard face and deep sharp eyes.
You could tell she had experienced and seen a lot in all her years of living. Even before she arrived to the forged land.
The new chief gatherer continued giving her report.
"After four days of continuous trips to the Weekday Dungeons, three of those days were when all dungeons were available, and the one day with only the Sinmiel Plateau accessible, the gatherers collected the requested resources in the following amount:
"From the Kendert Forest, we acquired two Azurine snails, a quarter gathering basket of Glowing Algae, and seven leaves of mature Spikebit plant.
"From the Sinmiel Plateau, we acquired four Deathdrop berries and two stalks of Black Barley.
"Lastly, from the Isralta Mine, we acquired half a cup of Moontear powder, one teaspoon of Killslow salt, and a thumb-sized Sourfire mineral."
I sighed at Serize's report.
From the woman's drooped brows, she expected me to react this way.
"Those are barely enough to make one vial of the cure-all antidote, Serize."
I told the chief gatherer.
"Forgive me, my lady. But all of the five gatherer parties had been tasked to focus on finding those items only. Each of the Weekday Dungeons was visited at least fifteen times. And still we could only get that much."
Ever since we cleared the eleventh floor for the first time, I ordered the chief gatherer to start collecting the necessary ingredients and materials for my antidote recipe.
It was likely we would need it in facing our opponents in the upcoming trials. Especially the third Quintal Trial.
Fortunately, from our experience frequenting the trial for the past days, we discovered the undead on the eleventh floor were not as lethally poisonous or venomous as I initially feared.
So the antidote would not be needed to challenge that trial.
But I still wanted the raid team to not be lacking of antidote whenever we needed to cure a poisoned hero during battle.
"Describe me your challenges, Serize."
I asked the chief gatherer again.
"The Weekday Dungeons simply doesn't provide us with abundant resources, my lady. At least not for those items you requested.
"Also, we don't have many miners experienced enough to extract Killslow salt. It's also hard to find gatherers who could swim, let alone dive deep enough to collect the Glowing Algae. All the other items posed minor to medium difficulties of their own as well."
Master had done well expanding the gatherer force after the addition of the third floor in the lobby.
But apparently it was still not enough.
Hopefully the Weekday Dungeons would be upgraded once we cleared the higher floors. Preferably the fifteenth floor.
It would be very difficult if the amount of high-valued resources we could obtain remained this sparse till the top of the tower.
I had asked and even looked around. There were some important ingredients and materials that were not even available in the Weekday Dungeons.
Mannalite, a very precious mineral, was unfortunately one of the resources unavailable at the moment.
"Get some help from the first floor trainees. Use them to form additional gatherer parties. Cooperate with Instructor Calle to find those who could be useful. Ask Pavarin, the chief servant, too. Some of the maids and butlers might be able to help as well. Teach those heroes with the necessary skills to make up for the lack of capable gatherers."
I instructed the chief gatherer.
After clearing the eleventh floor the first time, master made us retry the trial two more times.
I managed to level up in the process. Though the others did not.
At the moment, we were in the resting period before we resumed our climb to the twelfth floor.
We were nearing the fifteenth floor and I wanted to have a good supply of antidote once we climbed that high.
Serize immediately bowed at my instructions.
"As you wish, Lady Zeref."
As the small old woman left the magic hall, I got up from my chair and strode to a long table upon rows of it placed around the research tables at the center of the library.
Three of my pupils were sitting there.
The grimoire of the subquest reward was placed in the middle of the table. While other magic texts were laid around.
Each of the wildling was working on a formula simulation. For the very same grimoire formula I had been researching ever since we cleared the tenth floor.
Now that we had resumed climbing, I needed all the help I could get.
The wildlings had gotten along with their education far enough that they could perform the formula simulations. As long as I first provided them with the comparison formulas, of course.
"Our physical training and magic lessons are already tough as they are. Adding these formula simulations are just overkill, Serafina."
Yuxia said with a grunt as he was solving a complex problem regarding Danath Approximation Theorem.
I smiled at the elementalist.
"Consider this extra lesson. After all, the comparison formulas involved in each of your simulations are significant in your branch of sorcery."
"These complex Tamian enchantment formulas are killing me. The Ralean Fractions are even more absurd. I already dread having to practice them in our lessons later."
Vallerynne said from her side of the table.
Matrias nodded grimly beside her. His space was filled with the most notes and books, since he needed all the aid he could get.
"I can see why you haven't allowed me to practice my lightning magic. These sub-elemental equations are way more complex than the Ten Great Formulas. It's really difficult solving even just a tiny part of these problems without memorizing the Barrachian Index."
Despite their complaining, the three wildlings kept on working the simulations diligently.
I noticed from their low mana reserves that they had been practicing their magic skills really hard in the training hall earlier. That would take a toll on their strength and stamina.
It would only be right to appreciate their effort.
I raised my hand and channeled my mana into my pupils, reinvigorating them in the process.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Mana Transfer has levelled up to level 4!]
The wildlings, of course, noticed my action.
"Wow! I don't feel that sleepy anymore!"
Matrias commented.
"Mana Transfer. I really need to learn that trick soon."
Vallerynne said.
Which she should since transferring mana was a very basic spell in enchantment sorcery. Her first lesson in enchantment, actually.
"Why did you just give us part of your mana?"
Yuxia asked me.
"Consider it a reward after working so hard in my place. It was originally my sole duty to research the use of this grimoire."
I told him as I gestured to the subquest reward.
The elementalist suddenly made a frown.
"I actually have been wanting to ask you about this grimoire. Well, not exactly."
"What do you want to know?"
"I saw the tenth floor record and I noticed something. So I asked around and apparently there was a third subquest reward. An object placed inside the grimoire, yes? A feather?"
I nodded to the eastern man.
"It was slipped in the first page of the book. I have been keeping it safe in the alchemy lab."
Yuxia nodded. He had a disturbed expression on his face.
"I know you've been keeping it there. Since that feather has been whispering these odd voices whenever I came near it. What is up with that thing?"