The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 04: A Talented Alchemist's Reception
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- The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild
- Chapter 04: A Talented Alchemist's Reception
“Oof, I’m tired.”
After finishing the interviews for the day, Laurent was taking a breather when the helper Lilianne had entrusted to him spoke. “Thank you for your work.”
Lilianne had not just given him the funds and work to establish the guild, but she’d even sent over support staff to help with routine duties.
“It’s tiring, isn’t it? It’s the middle of the morning only, but you’ve interviewed twenty people already.”
“Yes, but if I don’t look with my own eyes, I can’t use [Appraisal]. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“However, must you really go as far as to appraise them yourself? Wouldn’t it be better to have the interviewees state their current skills themselves and then have a thorough interview?”
“Doesn’t work. If I just consider their current skills, I won’t know their future potential or any hidden skills they might have. If we look at it from a long-term perspective, it’s better to employ people after considering their future potential as well.”
“Sigh. Is that how it is?”
“Well then, it’s almost time for the afternoon interviews.”
Laurent glanced at the interviewees’ skills that he’d noted down.
In the end, the only A-rank skill is Arri’s [Ore Refining].
Laurent looked at the note again. Arri. Ore Refining E—>A.
With an A-rank [Ore Refining] skill, they could somehow manage the production of [Earth Stones] ordered by Lilianne.
They would be able to get the ores needed for [Earth Stones] moved to the old workshop he’d bought to be their base of operations within the next week.
Until then, I’ll get Arri’s [Ore Refining] as close to A-rank as possible.
——
Arri had mixed feelings as she arrived at Arsenal of the Spirits for her first day of work.
I mean, it’s good that I passed the interview, but from the look of things, he’ll make me do [Ore Refining], won’t he?
In Arri’s mind, a bitter memory of her old workplace resurfaced.
But what I really wanted to be in charge of was [Metalworking]. Though, I guess my [Metalworking] skill is nothing remarkable either, but compared to [Ore Refining]…
At the alchemical workshop she’d been working at before, she’d been responsible for [Ore Refining] but she’d gotten axed from it pretty quickly.
I wonder if I’ll get axed just as quickly here. Ughh.
Thinking about the past, Arri’s spirits couldn’t help but fall.
When Arri arrived before the guild’s workshop, Laurent was sweeping the entrance.
“Morning, Arri-san.”
“G-Good morning,” Arri said, summoning as much cheerfulness as she could.
At the same time, she thought about how strange it was that he was cleaning, even though he was the Guild Leader.
“Well, let’s get you started on [Ore Refining] straightaway.”
Eek. It’s really [Ore Refining].
She squashed down her unease and entered the refinery.
“We haven’t actually received the materials from Guardians of the Magical Tree yet, but I think the delivery will get here next week. Anyway, I’ll get you to start with refining some ores for practice.”
Hearing that there was a training period, Arri relaxed.
And anyhow, she thought, she would probably get paid by next week.
“Alright, let’s get started quickly. This is your workplace.”
Laurent showed Arri around the boiler room.
In the room surrounded by brick walls, the preparations for the refinement were already completed.
Coal had been prepared so that the fire for the boiler could be started whenever she liked. On the desk, iron ores lay arranged.
“You know all the basics for refinement, right? So let’s get started.”
Arri gulped anxiously, arranging the iron ores onto a tray.
It had been a while since she’d done [Ore Refining].
Could she really do it well?
Arri placed the ten ores she’d put onto the tray into the boiler and covered it with the lid. She put in the coal and chanted the incantation for a fire spell.
On the upper part of the boiler, there was a small window that she could use to peek inside.
With just that small gap, she had to grasp the state of the ores and adjust the strength of her fire magic.
As the inside of the boiler turned red, Arri watched over the ores in suspense.*
(T/N: I’ve typed ‘ores’ so many times I’m starting to mistype them as ‘Oreos’.)
When the refiner judged it to be just the right time, the ores were to be retrieved and stricken with a hammer.
That way, impurities would be shaken off, and a pure metal would be refined from the ores.
The inexperienced Arri could only rely on her own intuition, extracting out the reddened ores and striking them with a hammer.
She presented the refined iron to the Guild Leader.
In her opinion, the results of the refinement were trash.
– E-grade Iron ingots x9
– D-grade Iron ingot x1
E-grade Iron ingots were junk that couldn’t be used for anything.
D-grade Iron ingots were usable, but just barely.
Sigh. That’s why I said I wanted to do [Metalworking].
She could already hear the scolding she would get. She hung her head, feeling disappointed in herself.
But she didn’t expect the response that she got.
“That’s amazing, Arri. You refined a D-grade Iron ingot on your first shot,” Laurent said, his eyes shining.
“Um… uh?”
“Your [Ore Refining] skill is still E-rank, but you’ve already managed to refine a D-grade Iron ingot. You’ve got amazing talent.”
“H-huh?” she said blearily, unable to process his excitement.
“Alright, next one!”
“Y-Yes. I’ll just clean up the junk iron, then…”
“It’s fine. You just keep practicing [Ore Refining]. I’ll deal with the cleanup.”
“Eh? O-Okay.”
After that, Laurent made Arri continue her [Ore Refining] work.
Laurent cleaned and put away the finished iron while working Arri to the bone with [Ore Refinement] work.
Before her eyes, the piles of iron ores on the shelves dwindled, transforming into junk iron.
Nevertheless, Laurent kept her at it.
She made a fuss about doing the chores, but Laurent was adamant that he would do all the trivial work instead.
While she was glued to the boiler, Laurent made sure that the next ores were ready for her on the table. He brought the ores over from the warehouse, cleaned up the room and passed her tools. While she was hammering at the ores, Laurent cleaned out the boiler and prepared coal for the next batch.
Thanks to him, Arri could devote her full attention to observing the ores in the boiler.
She was being treated completely like a top-class worker.
I-I’ve wasted so many ores. Is it really alright?
Arri anxiously continued refining iron.
In the end, she consumed thirty pieces of iron ores that day, finishing with only three D-grade Irons ingots.
They continued in the same way the next day.
Before long, she was able to understand the slight color changes of the iron ores being heated in the boiler.
Little by little… I think I’m getting it?
She was starting to understand the subtle hues of the iron’s redness.
She was even getting used to how Laurent took on the chores.
At first, Arri had fretted over their superior-subordinate relationship, but Laurent kept treating her like an expert worker, as though she really was one. Eventually, she stopped worrying about it.
Because of that, she could focus more on her work.
When she finished the fifth [Refinement], she didn’t even glance at Laurent’s expression.
And when the tenth [Refinement] was done, she had somehow managed to refine nine D-grade Iron ingots and one C-grade Iron ingot.
I-I did it.
Arri turned boneless with relief.
A C-grade Iron ingot was marketable.
It was also a passing benchmark for newcomer alchemists.
And more importantly, she could stay in the guild.
“It’s done, Laurent-san. I’ve produced a C-grade Iron ingot,” Arri announced to Laurent, looking happy and confident.
But Laurent’s response was not what she’d expected. “This is not good.” Laurent tossed the C-grade Iron into the bin.
“Uh?”
“All the ores have to be refined into A-grade Iron ingots.”
“A-grade I-Iron…” Arri’s complexion whitened.
No matter how he put it, refining all the ores into A-grade Iron ingots was impossible.
Was there even an alchemist in this city who could do such a thing?
After that, Laurent continued to treat Arri like a top-class alchemist, with the top-class expectations that came with it.
Needless to say, Arri only spent her time on [Ore Refining].
She wasn’t allowed to even think about doing anything else.
I’ve never worked at a place that just makes you do [Ore Refining] like this.
Already, she was consuming an unbelievable amount of ores for a lone novice alchemist.
It takes time and money to be able to just exclusively focus on a single skill. He doesn’t blink an eye even though I’m burning through so many ores. This… unless he is certain that I have the [Ore Refining A] skill. Surely not?
Arri had to meet his expectations. Single-mindedly, she continued poring over the iron and her boiler.
A week passed.
I-It’s done. I did it.
Arri stared in dumbfounded amazement at the iron on the tray.
That polish and lustre of its surface.
It was clear with just one glance.
It could only be an iron of the highest grade; it was unmistakable.
And on the tray, there were ten A-grade Iron ingots laid out.
“Alright. Good job, Arri.”
“Yes. Thank you,” Arri half-sobbed in relief. Finally, she was recognised by him.
“Now then, we can start working through the request from the Guardians of the Magical Tree, at last. Which means that we’ll need one hundred [Earth Stones] within a month.”
Arri nearly fell over.
[Earth Stone] was a metal that was far more difficult to refine than iron.