The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 22

Chapter 22   Monica’s Day Off

After returning from the dungeon, Monica slept for 24 hours before visiting the quest reception office.

When Monica informed the receptionist of her arrival, Amira, the receptionist in charge, appeared.

Amira was not only Monica’s receptionist but also responsible for Laurent’s entire squad in place of Claria.

“Welcome, Monica. Please, this way.”

Saying this, Amira guided Monica to a private room.

As soon as they entered the private room, Amira immediately bowed her head.

“I deeply apologize for the trouble caused by Claria. We will strive to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. We appreciate your continued support.”

“No, it’s alright. It’s all in the past now.”

Monica said this with a bit of nervousness.

The reason for her nervousness was that Amira was an impressive beauty.

Her hairstyle, with almost all of her bangs pulled up and a single lock left hanging, gave her a clean and appropriate look for a receptionist.

She had a prominent nose and piercing, powerful eyes.

Her beauty exuded a kind of dignity.

In her presence, Monica, who was being apologized to, felt more humbled.

However, there was a sense of reassurance that Amira would handle her duties efficiently.

Her confident demeanor, courteous manner, efficient administrative skills, and way of speaking all suggested that she was a top-notch individual.

In fact, she was regarded as a leading figure in this quest reception office.

“And what brings you here today?”

“Yes, I’m here to report on a quest completion and for adventurer class certification…”

“Understood. Please tell me about the quest.”

“It was to slay a Stormbird.”

Monica took out a bundle of Stormbird feathers from her bag.

“Oh, a Stormbird. This is impressive. This is the first time I’ve seen a bundle of Stormbird feathers.”

Amira accepted the feather bundle and expressed her admiration.

“Let me verify its authenticity, so please wait a moment.”

She activated the skill ‘Item Appraisal’ upon receiving the bundle of Stormbird feathers.

‘Item Appraisal’ allowed one to verify the authenticity, quality, performance, and even the acquisition history of the item.

Amira read the memories embedded in the Stormbird feathers.

The feathers conveyed how the Stormbird was defeated.

In her mind, Amira vividly saw Monica’s heroic figure as she defeated the Stormbird.

After examining the bundle of feathers from various angles, Amira closed her eyes in satisfaction and deactivated ‘Item Appraisal’.

“Indeed. This bundle of feathers is undoubtedly something Monica obtained.”

“Yes.”

Having completed the appraisal, Amira turned to face Monica.

“Understood. So, you wish to submit this bundle of feathers as proof of your quest completion to the quest reception office?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. Then, I will grant you the quest completion reward and the certification as an A-class adventurer. The certification and registration process should be completed by next week.”

She took out a document on the spot and wrote down her name and Monica’s name.

“This is your temporary A-class adventurer certificate. The official certificate will be sent to you as soon as it is issued. Is the guild ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ the correct place for the quest reward transfer?”

“Yes, please.”

“Understood. After this, you will need to attend a session for A-class adventurers. Please bear with us for a little while longer.”

Monica moved to a separate room to attend the session for A-class adventurers.

There, she was taught about the professional ethics, benefits, and monthly requirements to maintain the class status.

It was explained that A-class adventurers had access to special quests not disclosed to other adventurers.

Additionally, to maintain their class status, they needed to prove they reached the 10th floor of a dungeon each month and successfully complete a B-class quest.

As Monica was receiving her A-class certification, at the headquarters of the “Guardians of the Magic Tree,” Wilkes was diligently checking the reports submitted by Laurent, engaging in his own spy activities.

Wilkes tilted his head as he reviewed Laurent’s report.

It stated that Monica had slain the Stormbird and become an A-class archer, that Shaqma and Euphene’s skills were steadily improving, and they would likely become B-class adventurers within the month. Additionally, since they had defeated the Guardian, they planned to explore beyond the 10th floor from now on.

“Monica, an A-class? What is he talking about? That’s impossible,” Wilkes sighed, pitying Laurent.

“Poor Laurent. Trying to cover up with such a false report. Well, this will make him see reality. Starting next month, he’ll be trained under my guidance, in line with reality.”

Wilkes crumpled Laurent’s report and tossed it into the trash.

Of course, this information was never conveyed to Lucius.

After visiting the quest reception office, Monica went to the “Forest workshop.”

Having taken two days off after returning from the dungeon, she decided to have Charl maintain her “Silver Iron Breaker Bow.”

Charl received the “Silver Iron Breaker Bow” from Monica and placed it on a stand to check its wear and tear.

“How is it, Charl? Is my ‘Silver Iron Breaker Bow’ okay?”

“Hmm. The string seems a bit weak. Monica, have you been holding back when drawing it?”

“Yes, I have. I want to draw it more fully, but I was worried it might break if I pull too hard.”

“I thought so. I’ll strengthen the string tension so it’s easier for you to use.”

“Yes, please.”

(Monica’s draw strength is stronger than I expected. I should reinforce it thoroughly.)

“Monica, is there anything else that’s inconvenient?”

“Nothing else… Your ‘Silver Iron Breaker Bow’ is very easy to use, Charl.”

“Really? That makes me very happy to hear.”

Charl felt a mix of pride and shyness from the praise of her crafted weapon.

“Yes, so make sure to maintain it properly.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll make sure it’s even better than before.”

Charl was overjoyed to be treated as a full-fledged professional by Monica. She rolled up her slender sleeves and flexed her muscles.

Monica watched Charl’s display with a warm smile.

While Charl worked on maintaining the bow with her hammer and fittings, Monica sat on a chair in the corner of the room, observing her work.

(Amazing. Charl is the ace of the alchemy guild even though she’s so small. When I was her age, I couldn’t do anything yet.)

“By the way, won’t Laurent be coming here today?”

Monica asked in a slightly lowered voice.

“Laurent hasn’t arrived yet. He’s always so busy managing things and living alone, so he has a lot of chores. He usually comes here just before noon.”

“I see. That sounds tough.”

“It is. Laurent lives alone. I’d love to take care of him, but for some reason, he won’t let me into his house.”

Charl crossed her arms and made a difficult face.

“Haha, is that so?”

Monica couldn’t help but laugh at Charl’s innocence.

Despite being a silversmith, she was still very much a child.

She probably didn’t understand adult concerns and believed she could do anything.

(So, Laurent lives alone.)

Monica had somehow assumed Laurent was married, but upon learning he was single, she felt a subtle shift in her feelings towards him.

It was a feeling that something she had secretly hoped for was suddenly becoming a reality.

(Maybe I should bring him something next time.)

Laurent arrived at the workshop just after Monica had left. As usual, he received a report from Ranju.

Ranju was diligently managing the workshop, ensuring everything ran smoothly.

“It seems there are no major issues for now.”

“Yes, but I need to discuss something about the business.”

Ranju spoke in a slightly hushed voice.

From Ranju’s tone, Laurent sensed that something significant was amiss.

“Got it. Let’s have a meeting.”

Laurent and Ranju moved to a meeting room isolated from the workshop to avoid being overheard by the workers.

“We’re running out of silver?”

“Yes. It was already tight before, but now it’s getting critical. At this rate, we might not last the week, let alone the month.”

“This week? Are we really that short?”

“There are three main reasons for this.”

“Explain them one by one.”

“First, we’ve used more silver than anticipated for custom weapons like the ‘Silver Iron Breaker Bow.'”

“Ugh, I figured that might be the case.”

Laurent made a bitter face.

He knew it was an unreasonable demand to make all parts out of silver, especially for an unexpected urgent order.

“We’ll also need to use ‘Silver A’ for maintenance, won’t we?”

“Yes, if we want to maintain the quality of the weapons.”

“Understood. What’s the other reason?”

“The second reason is Charl.”

“Charl? What’s the issue with her?”

“As I mentioned, we’re running low on Silver A. I thought we could use Silver B or Silver C for crafting, but when I brought the silver to her, she refused, saying ‘I don’t want to use such inferior silver.’ She even went to complain to Arri.”

“…I see. That’s troublesome.”

“I managed to mediate that situation, but honestly, Charl’s demands are too much this time. Arri did nothing wrong. We can’t sustain the workshop’s operations if we keep using only Silver A.”

Ranju expressed his frustration.

Indeed, Charl had been growing increasingly arrogant lately, and her whims had become unbearable.

“You’re right. Maybe I’ve spoiled her too much.”

“So, we’re still in a situation where no products are being made unless we use Silver A. The workshop isn’t refining any ore that won’t produce Silver A because making Silver B or Silver C only increases our stockpile.”

“I understand… I’ll handle Charl. What’s the last issue?”

“Here.”

Ranju handed over a letter.

It was a letter from Count Elson.

“And this is?”

“A noble acquaintance needs a large quantity of silverware and has asked us to make it.”

“At this timing?”

Laurent pressed his hand to his forehead, troubled.

“Yes. We are already short on the silver needed for current orders, and now we have this large order for silverware. We can’t keep up. So, we’re short on silver ore, the craftsmen refuse to work with anything other than Silver A, and we’re facing additional large orders. If we don’t find a solution, we’ll run out of silver by the end of the week. We need to come up with a plan.”

“I see.”

Laurent folded his arms and thought for a while.

“Got it. I have an idea.”

“And that is?”

“I’ll talk to Count Elson. Maybe he knows a supplier who can provide us with silver ore.”

Ranju made a sour face.

“Laurent, I don’t know much about business, but asking a customer to help with our work—is that really acceptable for a business?”

“I know it’s not ideal. But Count Elson wants the silverware, and he probably wants to support and foster ‘The Forest workshop’ too.”

Despite Laurent’s explanation, Ranju still seemed dissatisfied.

Laurent chuckled softly.

He admired Ranju’s earnestness, stubbornness, and youth.

“Don’t make that face. You know the saying, ‘When one door closes, another opens.’ I used to think I had to handle everything on my own and ended up driving myself into a corner. But you know, if you share your troubles, sometimes people will help you out.”

(Just like Lilianne helped me when I was struggling.)

Laurent wrote a reply to Count Elson’s letter.

He explained that, while he appreciated the new order for silverware, the current situation made it difficult to fulfill immediately. He asked if they could meet to discuss a potential solution.

After finishing the letter, Laurent immediately headed to ‘The Forest Workshop’ to persuade Charl.

Upon seeing Laurent, Charl greeted him with unbridled joy, smiling brightly and hugging him enthusiastically.

“Charl, I’ve heard you’re refusing to use Silver B and Silver C for making silverware.”

Hearing this, Charl’s smile quickly faded. She stepped back and took on a guarded stance.

Her body language clearly conveyed that, even to Laurent, she was not willing to compromise on this matter.

“Please, don’t be alarmed. Before dismissing Silver B and Silver C as useless, take a look at this piece.”

Laurent pulled a piece of silverware from his bag.

It was an item that combined Silver C with iron and various gemstones, including rubies.

(What’s this?)

The moment Charl saw the silverware, she forgot her previous guarded stance and stared at it intently.

It was clear to any discerning eye that the item used subpar silver.

However, the dull color of the low-quality silver actually highlighted the beauty of the gemstones.

(I’ve always focused on making the best silver into the best shapes. But this piece uses subpar silver deliberately to achieve something that can’t be done with top-grade silver.)

Realizing this, Charl forgot her previous stubbornness, turned to her desk, and began sketching a design.

Now, she wasn’t a childish girl throwing a tantrum but a dedicated artisan.

Seeing this, Laurent felt satisfied.

(Showing the real thing to a craftsman is the best approach. This should solve the problem with Charl.)

After resolving the issue with Charl, Laurent wrote a letter to Ranju at the smelting workshop. He instructed him to restart the production of Silver B and Silver C since Charl was now designing with the inferior silver. He also requested that once Charl’s designs were ready, any additional metals required should be gathered.

There were no shortages of metals other than silver, so acquiring them shouldn’t be an issue.

With these tasks completed, Laurent headed back to the quest reception office.

Having addressed the workshop’s problems, Laurent now faced his responsibilities as a special advisor.

He needed to quickly assemble a team to explore the deeper levels of the dungeon.

(I won’t let anything hinder the development of the team. Before the enemy can strengthen their position, we’ll strike fast and outmaneuver them!)