The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 19.3

Chapter 19.3  Quest and Insider

***

Going back one week, in the ‘Golden Hawk’ guild, final decisions regarding the composition of each squad had been made, and notifications had been sent out to each member.

Their faces showed both smiles and disappointment.

Some were delighted to be included in the main squad, while others were disheartened to be excluded. Some were relieved, while others wore expressions of resignation.

The Cotter siblings were among those feeling disappointed.

“Sigh. Looks like we’ve been left out of the main squad again.”

“For a whole year now, it’s been like this for us.”

Though the three of them were technically Class B archers, support mages, and healers, whether they would be included in the main squad was always uncertain.

Their hope was to settle into the main squad as soon as possible.

In the “Golden Hawk” guild, there was a world of difference in treatment depending on whether or not one could enter the main squad.

“Oh, it’s time. We should head out soon.”

“Sigh. Another day, another salute to the members of the main squad.”

As they lamented, Deanna entered the waiting room.

“Oh, Deanna -san.”

“H-hello.”

They quickly stood up and saluted.

It was a well-known fact within the guild that if Deanna, Lucius’s lover, was displeased, it could spell the end of one’s career advancement within the guild.

“Oh, I’ve been looking for you. Lucius is calling for you.”

“Huh? Us?”

The three looked at each other.

What business could Lucius possibly have with them, who hadn’t made it into the main squad?

“Oh, you’ve come. Well then, please have a seat for now.”

Lucius greeted the three who had come to the leader’s office with unusual courtesy.

The Cotter siblings sat on the soft chairs provided for visitors, feeling tense and awkward.

“I called you here for no other reason than to entrust you with a little special mission.”

“Huh?”

“A special mission…?”

“Yes. Have you heard about the growing conflict between the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ and our guild recently?”

“Well, um…”

“Just rumors, I suppose…”

“They seem to be planning to develop another main squad to counter us. We absolutely want to thwart their attempts.”

“I see…”

“So, the ‘Golden Hawk’ has decided to form a new squad. It will be a squad tasked with obstructing the formation of the new squad by the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree.’ I want you to take command of it.”

“Huh? Us?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of the numerous contributions you’ve made to the guild. I’ve been thinking it’s about time to give you an important role.”

“Yes…”

“It’s an honor beyond words.”

“Obstructing their squad isn’t that difficult. You just need to clear the quests they’re aiming for on the 10th floor or below.”

“I see. That way, we can hinder their advancement in adventurer rank.”

“But how are we supposed to know which quests they’re aiming for?”

“We already have information about the quests they’re targeting.”

“Huh? How on earth did you…?”

“That’s something you don’t need to worry about.”

“Ah, yes.”

“S-sorry.”

“I believe you can handle it. Will you do it?”

“Yes, absolutely!”

“We’ll definitely meet your expectations.”

The three siblings, leaving the guild leader’s room, exchanged smiles of joy with each other.

“We did it! A special mission directly from the guild leader.”

“And it’s the command of the squad we’ve been longing for.”

“If we succeed, becoming one of the guild leader’s close aides wouldn’t be just a dream.”

“Alright. Now that we know, let’s get started without delay.”

With high spirits, the three of them left the room and began preparing for the mission.

“Was this all right, Wilkes?”

In a place where the three siblings couldn’t see, perhaps in a corner of the room, Lucius called out.

“Yes, Monika, Shaqma, and Euphene each have their own issues as archer, support mage, and healer. With the strength of B-class adventurers belonging to the ‘Golden Hawk,’ it should be easy to thwart quest completions.”

Wilkes said with a smirk.

“They won’t be able to reach above the 10th floor, correct?”

As Deanna handed Wilkes a drink, she asked.

It was none other than her who had turned Wilkes.

When she heard that Laurent had become a special advisor, she thought Wilkes might be dissatisfied and approached him to cooperate as a spy.

“Ah, thank you very much. Yes. They couldn’t even reach the 10th floor in the first place, so we recruited them. But then there’s this appraiser named Laurent. He’s not doing anything helpful for them. It’s pointless even for them.”

“Exactly. No, we’ve been troubled by him too.”

Lucius chimed in agreement.

“He’s achieved some results as a trainer mainly due to the backing of a major guild, namely ‘Golden Hawk.’ But he misunderstands it all as his own power and acts recklessly on his own… Oh, sorry. I’m starting to sound like I’m just complaining.”

“No, no, I completely understand your feelings.”

“In any case, we can’t just silently watch him do as he pleases any longer. Will you continue to cooperate with us?”

“Yes. I’ll work as a spy for the ‘Golden Hawk,’ right?”

“Spy sounds bad. Can’t you call it an information provider? This is an activity for both guilds to work together smoothly in the future. I hope you don’t misunderstand that.”

“Oh, I apologize. Well, anyway, those three won’t even become C-class archers, support mages, or healers, let alone B-class. It’s enough to thwart C-class quests within the first 10 floors. Then, if I succeed in developing C-class warriors as I’m doing now, Laurent will be under my guidance. Then, you can do whatever you want with him, Lucius-san.”

Wilkes nodded satisfactorily as he sipped the coffee offered to him.

“I’m counting on you. If you manage to effectively expel Laurent from the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree,’ I’ll promise you the position of special advisor to the ‘Golden Hawk.'”

“Oh, me, of all people, for such a…”

Wilkes basked in delight.

(If I can join the ‘Golden Hawk,’ I won’t need anything from the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ anymore. I’ll bid farewell to those guys and carve my name into history as the top appraiser in the biggest guild in town.)

Wilkes already felt like he had secured future positions and imagined the numerous fame he would attain.

“Lucius-san, I’ll do my best with this job. Let’s make sure to succeed.”

With an untroubled smile, Wilkes shook hands firmly with Lucius.

***

Returning to the present.

Laurent, suspicious that the quest targets were all being hunted down ahead of time, had returned to the city.

He visited the quest reception office and requested to meet with Claria.

Alone in a private room, Laurent questioned Claria about the quests.

The quests listed on the list she gave him had all been completed by someone else.

What on earth was going on?

It seemed like information was leaking from somewhere.

Did she have any idea?

Depending on the situation, it would not only affect her but also the authority of the quest reception office, so if she knew anything, he wanted her to tell him.

When Laurent questioned Claria sternly like this, she began to speak while shedding tears.

After the meeting with Laurent, a woman named Deanna visited her and threatened her to tell everything about the meeting.

She tried to consult her superiors, but instead of support, she was told that if she upset high-profile clients like the ‘Golden Hawk,’ it would be her responsibility.

It was difficult for her to resist this pressure in her position, so she ended up giving in to Deanna’s demands for information.

Hearing this from Claria, Laurent immediately rushed to the court and reported the situation.

The court took Laurent’s accusation seriously.

It took Laurent two days to go through these procedures.

“Damn it. We shouldn’t be doing this!”

Changing the person in charge of the quest reception office to eliminate any potential threats, Laurent obtained another quest referral and rejoined the squad to return to the dungeon.

He hurried to the location where the new quests had appeared in the past few days, holding the map of the dungeon in one hand.

A few days later, Claria would be fined three months’ worth of salary for breach of confidentiality and obstruction of official duties, and the ‘Golden Hawk’ would also be fined the same amount.