PICK ME UP, ANOTHER LOBBY!

We went inside the lodging and found a completely barren hall.

"Huh? Where're the doors to the dining hall and the bedrooms?"

"The fireplace and the clock are gone too."

"It's like an animal pen in here."

The others said as they looked around.

We soon noticed a staircase in a corner of the room.

"Let's head up."

I told the others.

We then walked up the stairs and found ourselves inside this beautiful interior which reminded me of my family's villa in the countryside.

Carpeted floor. Draped windows. Chandeliers. Soft padded benches and pillowed chairs. Majestic fireplaces.

The place was leagues beyond the place we used to stay at.

Everyone in the lobby could be found here, adoring this new fancy place.

"Serafina!"

Jonah called out as he and Shanny discovered we had returned.

"What's happening, Jonah?"

I asked him.

"After you went to the dungeon, the fairy made us enter the storage."

Jonah said.

"That's when master started changing everything in the lobby."

Shanny added.

"It was like when we first arrived here."

Jonah told me.

He was referring to when we cleared our first trial together and master started changing the run-down buildings and built the previous training ground.

Pauline then joined us, looking all excited.

"You should see the rooms! They're much fancier and comfortable now. There's even a bathhouse too!"

"A bathhouse?!"

Trudy repeated excitedly.

"The dining hall is much cozier too. And the kitchen has been improved a lot and more ingredients were available. We'll be able to make more kinds of dishes now!"

I supposed master wanted to improve our condition of living.

I had to admit, if we were going to do trials as grueling as the fifth floor, it would be less bearable if we had to sleep our nights on those uncomfortable beds.

Improvement was nice and all, however I was not sure this change was what we needed considering the situation among the heroes.

"Haha! I can't believe the lodging is even better now!"

"First the food, now the beds! This place is truly heaven!"

"I can't wait to go to the bathhouse!"

The people from the other parties overjoyed upon the facilities' improvement.

I honestly was not happy with this when I remembered they did nothing to help collect materials in the Weekday Dungeon. Nor were they trying to train themselves to become better comrades for Party 1.

Did master really wished to reward these people for behaving this way? Did master really think these people will improve their behavior after being pampered in this manner?

It would prove demoralizing when such poor behavior was rewarded while some of us woke up before dawn every day and trained till our hands bleed.

"Hey, there're only 25 beds in here!"

Someone from the crowd shouted.

"What?! There are more than 30 of us!"

"How should we share the rooms?"

"Should we just draw lots?"

"Then what about the others who don't get a room?"

"Just sleep on the sitting room. It's much better than our previous rooms anyway."

Suddenly a small purple light appeared above us and from within emerged the fairy.

[Gosh, you folks are so noisy! Stop talking nonsense.]

"What?! Nonsense?! It's important to decide where everyone will sl--"

[Grhh! Shut up or I'll punch your teeth in!]

The fairy suddenly shouted which trembled the whole room.

The crowd immediately turned quiet, afraid of the winged-creature.

[Alright, now that the gatherer party has returned, master is summoning all of you. Everyone, come to the second floor square!]

As instructed, we exited the lodging and made our way to the huge stairwells by the stone gate which led to the lobby's second floor.

We climbed the stairs and dispersed at an empty square right above the rift of space-time.

Once we were there, I could finally see what was located on the second floor of the lobby.

Another summoning chamber right by the second floor square.

Having spent a lot of time in the forged land, I now could tell the difference between a synthesis chamber and the summoning one since the two buildings almost looked identical.

This summoning chamber, however, looked grander than the one on the first floor.

There was also another training ground at the second floor.

This new one was equipped with confined chambers which I did not know the purpose for as well as a caged field which I assumed was a duel arena.

Beyond the training ground was yet another large stone gate with the carving of the twin goddesses on it.

I wondered what difference it had with the stone gate on the first floor of the lobby.

To the side of the new training ground was the magic hall.

This facility had been improved as well judging from its new and grander exterior.

Instead of the regular spired manor, the building had expanded and was now surrounded by tall walls.

I could not wait to see what had changed inside. And most importantly, I was dying to see if my filtration process for the Dara extract was disturbed or not.

But alas, we needed to deal with what the fairy was about to tell us first.

[Okay, listen up! Master is giving you your facility assignment!]

The fairy shouted. She was staring at a hovering book which matched her miniscule size.

[Party 1! Serafina, Jonah, and Shanny! You three will be staying on the second floor of the lodging. You may use all the facilities on the lodging's second floor as well as all the facilities on the second floor of the lobby.]

The fairy must had been referring to the new training ground.

It seemed master was not allowing everyone to train there.

After all, that new training ground looked better equipped than the one on the first floor.

The crowd did not seem to object with this decision.

"Well, of course the mage and her party are staying on the second floor. They're the ones clearing the trials."

One of them spoke out loud.

[Gerrits, Gary, and Wesley, you craftsmen will be staying on the second floor too.]

"I was about to make a complaint if we aren't staying there."

Gerrits said, fully conscious of his crucial role in the lobby.

[Pauline, Giacomo, and Linnie, you cooks can stay on the second floor as well. From now on, you three will be responsible preparing the meals for the residents of the second floor only.]

The crowd began to turn uneasy upon the fairy's statement.

"Only the second floor?"

"What if some of us don't get to stay there? Who will cook for them?"

The fairy continued despite their chatters.

[Trudy and Tarran, you two can stay on the second floor of the lodging as well. You can also use the facilities on the lobby's second floor.]

"Yeay! I can't wait to try the bathhouse!"

Trudy shouted cheerfully.

"Really?! I've never slept on a bed so comfortable before!"

Tarran joined her.

The fairy then shut the book hovering in front of her.

She stared at the rest of the crowd with cold disgusted gaze.

[The rest of you lowlifes will be staying on the first floor. Also, you are banned from eating meat or any food from the Weekday Dungeon.]