Milton was definitely being deliberate, waiting until now to tell them.
...
"I know you all want to serve the Empire, but we need a buffer period inside the game."
"I need players who can clear the game, players with potential. I have no intention of turning that place into a bloody battlefield."
"There are only so many slots in the game. What good would it do to stuff ten thousand apprentices in there all at once?"
"They would just end up slaughtering one another, all for the Demons' benefit."
As a seasoned and prudent politician, Milton was well aware of his sole current mission: to cultivate players who could clear the game as quickly as possible.
But this couldn't be done blindly. It had to be handled with rhythm and restraint.
The players in the current round of the game were the ones most likely to succeed.
Only if they failed in this round of [Judgment] would Milton consider the new players from the next round.
