The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 03: Interview
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- The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild
- Chapter 03: Interview
“This is damned unreasonable, Lucius-sama,” Zens said. He was the representative of this city’s best alchemist guild.
They were in the office of Golden Hawk’s guild leader.
Lucius was negotiating with an alchemist guild he was close with.
Currently, he was striking a hard bargain.
“Until now, haven’t we been providing our products wholesale to Golden Hawk at unprecedentedly low rates? We’ve driven ourselves into the ground to deliver your goods within the time and price range you requested. We haven’t missed a single delivery. We’ve given our all, working for Golden Hawk. And, in response, you spit in our faces. We’re in the red every month, and we still have loans waiting to be settled. If we cut our prices any more than this, we really won’t be able to handle it anymore.”
“Very well, then. Today will be the end of our dealings with you and your guild. We’ll place our orders with another guild from here on,” Deanna, Lucius’s right hand*, said.
(T/N: Fun fact, the phrase to denote ‘right hand’ in the Japanese raws can also literally translate to ‘in a close relationship with Lucius’s armpit’. Which, like, okay, Deanna, if that’s your thing. Get it, girl.)
Lucius did not move a muscle. He closed his eyes, thinking about the situation.
Zens forced down the words clamoring in his throat.
Orders from Lucius always came in large quantities, so if he broke off the contract, they would have to let go of many of their employees.
It was not just that.
Lucius had a stranglehold on the weapons and metals market as well, and Zens feared that breaking off the contract would result in him being locked out of the industry entirely.
Deanna looked at the cornered guild representative disdainfully.
She always had this sort of sadistic side to her.
When the representative cast a look at Lucius, as though pleading for help, Lucius suddenly turned his chair to face him.
He spoke, smilingly. “Zens-san, don’t get me wrong. It’s not that we want to break off our partnership with you. But I’d like you to try a little harder from now to keep our deal going. That’s it.”
“…”
“A-Grade Iron, two hundred gold for each. You can do that for us, right?”
——
Zens left, exhausted.
As he watched from the window, Lucius let out a sigh.
“Good grief. He’s slow, isn’t he? How did he think he could defy us…”
“Ridiculous,” Deanna simpered. “No one could make a living in this city if they go against Lucius-sama. They ought to know better.”
Lucius seemed pleased at that, his dissatisfaction faded. “Well, then. What’s next?”
“An outing. A consultation with a noble, Count Elson, regarding a quest. We told him to think of our guild if he had anything he wanted assistance with. He issued the request personally.”
“Huh. I suppose even Count Elson is desperate to foster a relationship with us. Although, having nobles depend on me doesn’t feel too bad.”
Lucius stood from his chair and put on his coat.
As though it had just occurred to him, he turned back toward Deanna. “Speaking of which, how are you handling Laurent’s situation? You’ve been barring him from taking adventurers’ quests properly, haven’t you?”
Lucius’s interference was the real reason behind Laurent’s inability to come by any quests.
He had not held back at using his guild’s influence, pressuring the Adventurer’s Association to deny work to former members of his guild.
“Ah, Laurent appears to have established an alchemist guild.”
“An alchemist guild?” Lucius furrowed his brows, then smiled wryly. “Honestly, of all things, an alchemist guild. He has to know that we have the alchemist guilds under our control. Has he finally lost his mind?”
“He probably hasn’t realized that you’ve blacklisted him from the adventurer guilds,” Deanna said, giggling.
“We control the marketplaces for alchemical products. He has no capital. He doesn’t have access to the town market, either. How the hell is he going to operate a guild in that situation?”
“It seems that he named his guild Arsenal of the Spirits.”
Lucius laughed. “He’s calling it ‘Arsenal’. Does he plan on making weapons? I’m even more curious about how he plans to sell them.”
In the end, his only ability is to perceive others’ attributes. He’s too naive.
Deep down, Lucius felt threatened by Laurent, and Laurent’s senselessness put him at ease.
“Perhaps he plans on clinging on to his connection to Lucius-sama.”
“I see. There is that course of action.” Lucius ended up pondering it. “Well, we are old friends. If the fool comes crying, it’s not as though he can’t work for us. But we’ll only pay one hundred gold per piece of A-Grade Iron. I won’t pay him even a cent more. If he comes, tell him that.”
“Understood. I will pass it on.”
With just that, Lucius intended to leave the room, but suddenly changed his mind. He turned toward Deanna. “By the way, are you free, Deanna-kun? For dinner or something tonight?”
Deanna quickly withdrew her scornful smile, her cheeks reddening. “Yes, of course.”
“Then, the usual restaurant at about 6 PM.”
With just that, Lucius left without further delay.
Deanna sat on her desk, submerged in her unwillingness to organize the documents for a moment. Suddenly, she remembered something important. “Ah, I forgot to mention that Laurent is being backed by Lilianne.”
For a moment, Deanna thought to chase after Lucius and inform him, but she stopped herself.
If she did that, he might become displeased.
Eh, it’s fine. We control the city’s alchemist guilds, anyway. It doesn’t really matter if I don’t mention it, right?
With those thoughts, she started on the work set out in front of her, annoyed.
——
Laurent was interviewing the applicants for Arsenal of the Spirits.
Now that he was actually in the position to choose people like this, he felt pretty good.
Those out of work were desperately hoping for anyone to hire them.
To give the best first impressions they could, they flaunted their abilities.
They even deliberately flattered the interviewer and the guild.
The female alchemist that Laurent was interviewing right now was also trying her best to give a good impression.
“With its connections to Guardians of the Magical Tree, I think this guild has great future potential. I think that I definitely want to do work with this wonderful guild and its members who have such great potential, no matter what. I applied because I want to work at a fantastic guild under Laurent-san’s direction,” she said coyly, looking up at him with apparent bashfulness.
She was wearing overalls, a work outfit alchemists often favoured. While she had a hammer, along with other alchemical tools, she could still exude her femininity.
She knew she would be pretty bad at behaving like a meek girl, but she had let her sleek brown hair down instead of tying it up like usual, trying to appeal to him with her appearance.
If she was lucky, he would take an interest in her looks.
Laurent thought that if they were fawned over like this, it was no wonder that people grew as arrogant as Lucius.
Rather than ability, they also came to make a habit of being choosy about picking people that they like.
But, unlike them, I have the [Appraisal] skill.
Laurent used his [Appraisal] skill, bringing up the current skillset of the alchemist he was interviewing.
The alchemist interviewee, Arri’s alchemical skills, were written in words that were displayed in the surrounding space.
Ore Mining: E→D
Ore Refining: E→A
Metallurgy: D→C
Metalworking: E→D
Laurent asked, “Is there a role you prefer?”
“Yes, I want to take on [Metalworking]. I’m best at [Metalworking].”
Laurent laughed mentally.
At its current level and its potential, [Metalworking] was, in both aspects, at the lowest level in her skillset.
Perhaps she picked it because [Metalworking] was more popular and profitable.
“How about [Ore Refining]? The guild doesn’t have enough people taking [Ore Refining] at the moment.”
When Laurent asked this, she gave a troubled smile. “[Ore Refining]… huh. I’m not very good at it, so I would prefer [Metalworking]… Ah, but of course, if you employ me, I’ll do it,” Arri quickly amended, anxious that his impression of her would turn sour.
Laurent noted down on the paper he had at hand: ‘Arri. Ore Refining E→A.’
“Alright. Well then, we will send the results of your interview to your residence by next week.”
Arri went home, dejected.
You passed the interview though.
Laurent felt bad about the girl’s disheartened state. He decided to send out the notice of acceptance to her address as soon as possible.