The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 30

Chapter 30   Naked A-Class Adventurer

Laurent woke up to the soft sunlight filtering through the curtains.

From the intensity and warmth of the sunlight, he could tell that the sun had already fully risen.

(It’s already noon.)

When Laurent looked beside him, he saw Lilianne sleeping soundly, not a stitch of clothing on her.

“Mmm… Laurent… Mumble…”

She was sleeping with a peaceful expression, like a newborn baby.

It seemed she wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon.

Laurent thought it was understandable.

Last night, she had loved him passionately.

As a result, Laurent had fallen into a deep sleep, completely exhausted.

It seemed that she was equally tired.

Now, she was finally getting a proper rest after days of intense work and tension.

Her face was wrapped in bliss.

Watching her sleeping face, Laurent felt a gentle happiness filling his heart.

* * *

At the headquarters of the Golden Hawk, Lucius was being cornered by the investors.

The investors demanded an explanation from Lucius for yet again losing a dungeon to the Guardians of the Magic Tree.

They also harshly questioned him about his mistakes.

“What’s the meaning of this, Lucius?”

“Why are we falling behind the Guardians of the Magic Tree despite having numerous A-class adventurers?”

“Why are there many new A-class candidates emerging from the Guardians of the Magic Tree, but none from the Golden Hawk?”

“What exactly is the emergency budget allocated for this special unit?”

The investors criticized Lucius based on the accounts, but when it came to dungeon strategy, they were almost complete amateurs.

When discussions delved into the details of unit formation, personnel allocation, item and equipment procurement, and adventurer training, Lucius managed to deceive them with his smooth talk, preventing them from probing too deeply.

However, no matter how eloquent Lucius was, the fact that they had lost two dungeons and suffered revenue decline was undeniable, and Lucius had to admit his failure.

“You’re responsible for this. How do you plan to compensate for these losses?”

To protect the investors’ interests, Lucius promised to cut guild members’ salaries and lay off some of the staff.

While the Guardians of the Magic Tree were reveling in their success, the Golden Hawk was shrouded in a gloomy, almost funeral-like atmosphere.

Rumors of layoffs had already spread among the lower-ranking members.

From veterans to newcomers, everyone feared they might lose their jobs.

It felt as if the once-stable foundation was suddenly shaking and beginning to crumble.

In this situation, Jill vented her frustration to Daevin.

“I told you it was a mistake to expel Laurent.”

Daevin looked at her with a weary expression.

“Now, the Golden Hawk’s dominance is wavering. We used to capture all three dungeons, but now we’ve only managed to secure one, while the Guardians of the Magic Tree have taken two. And it’s not just that. If Laurent continues to strengthen the Guardians of the Magic Tree as he has been, the Golden Hawk won’t be able to capture any dungeons at all. Eventually, we’ll plummet to being just another insignificant mid-sized guild.”

Daevin attempted to start working by placing a broken sword on the anvil.

Jill grabbed Daevin’s shoulder and shook him. “Hey, are you listening, Daevin? Daevin!”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t tell me to shut up! I mean, what does he… What does Lucius even want? He keeps giving orders that undermine the unit. If he hadn’t issued those weird orders, we might not have lost. What’s he thinking?”

“I don’t think Lucius even knows what he wants.”

“Huh? What do you mean he doesn’t know what he wants?”

Daevin sighed. “The Golden Hawk has become too big. With so many people, departments, units, and a huge budget, it’s impossible to oversee everything. Besides, Lucius also has dealings with investors and business partners. He can’t keep track of internal relationships and affairs. At times like this, a leader should focus on external affairs and delegate internal matters to others. But he wants to have a say in everything. Maybe he doesn’t trust anyone other than himself…”

“Then, we need Laurent even more. Laurent would efficiently allocate resources and come up with clever unit formations.”

“That’s why bringing back someone we once expelled is a matter of the organization’s pride. Besides, Lucius dislikes Laurent. How many times do I have to say this to you?”

“We don’t have time for that. If we don’t hurry, those in the Guardians of the Magic Tree will continue to be trained by Laurent, and Laurent will forget about us. Daevin, don’t you care about this? Aren’t you feeling anything, Daevin?”

“Even if you say that, what am I supposed to do?”

“Let’s appeal directly to Lucius. Let’s bring Laurent back now. If we all bow our heads, offer a large sum of money, and show sincerity, Laurent will surely remember the old friendship. We have no choice but to bring Laurent back. If we don’t act fast, it’ll be too late once the Guardians of the Magic Tree grow bigger and the financial advantage of the Golden Hawk wavers.”

Daevin sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time today.

“So, why doesn’t Lucius bow down to Laurent? If you want to receive Laurent’s guidance so badly, why don’t you just quit the Golden Hawk and join the Guardians of the Magic Tree? Why are you so fixated on the Golden Hawk?”

“Why should I have to pay Lucius and leave?”

Jill said, biting off each word.

Senior members like Jill were contracted with the guild for around five years at a time, and if they wanted to leave the guild, they had to pay a penalty equivalent to one year’s salary.

“Well, that’s how it is. No matter how much you cry or scream, you have to keep working for this guild until your contract expires. Even if you can’t receive guidance from your beloved Laurent, you have to endure it.”

With that, Daevin turned away and began hammering the sword.

Jill stared at Daevin with a cold gaze for a while, then suddenly looked down.

“I see. I get it now. So basically, Lucius has no intention of bringing Laurent back no matter how much the guild may suffer. That’s what it boils down to, right?”

“Yeah, that’s about it.”

Jill nodded in understanding, then suddenly smiled as if she had come to a realization.

“So, it’s all Lucius’s fault after all. Because of him, we get strange orders in the unit, and Laurent can’t come back to the guild.”

“…Well, yeah, something like that.”

“Meaning, if we just… if we just get rid of Lucius from the guild, all the problems would be solved. Is that it?”

“Huh!?”

Daevin looked at Jill’s face instinctively.

And seeing the malicious grin on her face, he felt a chill run down his spine.

“I see. Got it. Thanks, Daevin, for indulging me.”

Jill stood up and moved to leave the room.

“Wait a minute. What are you planning?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

With just those words, Jill closed the door and left the room.

Amidst the fear of an uncertain tomorrow that loomed over every employee of the Golden Hawk, there was one person who remained optimistic.

That person was Savast, an A-class adventurer.

While many others worked with a sense of anxiety about the future (having to meet the quotas set by the guild regardless of their unstable status), Savast was the only one humming a tune as he strolled through the corridors of the headquarters.

“Hey, what’s with the gloomy face?”

“Oh, Savast.”

Savast called out to one of the members who was looking downcast while patting his shoulder.

“You’ll scare luck away with such a gloomy face. Hahahaha!”

Savast laughed heartily as he walked on.

The member who had his shoulder patted watched Savast’s back.

“Savast seem cheerful despite the guild being in this situation.”

“Well, he’s an A-class adventurer. Unlike us ordinary members, he doesn’t have to worry about layoffs.”

Saying so, they continued walking down the corridor with even more drooped shoulders.

Indeed, Savast was optimistic about his own future.

Although his contract was up next year, he was convinced it would be renewed without any issues, and he even believed there might be a raise.

“Savast, the Legal Department is calling for you.”

“Ah, it’s time.”

Savast, sitting in the lobby, received the summons from the attendant and rose ceremoniously, despite his slightly overweight frame.

With excitement in his heart, he entered the Legal Department.

“Now, I wonder how much the guild is planning to increase my salary. If they want to continue my contract, they better increase it by at least 1 million gold per month. Otherwise, I won’t have it.”

Savast pondered about the new luxuries he could afford with the increase in salary as he took his seat at the negotiation table.

However, upon seeing the newly presented contract, Savast’s face quickly turned red, veins bulging on his forehead. Without a moment’s hesitation, he stormed out of the room.

“Lucius!”

Savast burst into the guild master’s office, his shoulders tense as he entered.

Lucius, who had been looking over some ledgers with a worried expression, jumped in surprise.

Hastily, he shoved the ledgers under the desk.

“What’s with the sudden entrance, Savast? How about knocking?”

“That’s not important! What is important is this contract. Care to explain what it means?”

“What’s the problem now?”

“The problem is everything! Why on earth is my salary being reduced by 500,000 gold?”

Savast slammed the contract onto Lucius’s desk.

“Is that all?”

Lucius, looking weary, sat back in his chair.

“You must have heard about the talks of streamlining operations, right? Because of your blunders in the dungeons, I’m currently scrambling to raise funds. Our stable source of income has been cut off every month.”

“Something like that can be resolved by reducing the salaries or laying off lower-ranking employees!”

“That alone isn’t enough, which is why we’re deducting from your salary.”

Lucius said with annoyance.

“If that’s all, would you mind leaving now? As I mentioned earlier, I’m busy,” Lucius said, growing exasperated.

But Savast wasn’t satisfied and continued to protest against Lucius.

Finally, tired of it all, Lucius decided to threaten him.

“If you continue to throw a tantrum, I’ll consider it an act of rebellion and apply penalties!”

However, even then, Savast continued to passionately argue about how he had dedicated himself to the guild and served it diligently. Consequently, Lucius actually imposed penalties.

Savast was ordered to pay a fine of 200,000 gold and was put on home suspension.

“Get him out of here,” Lucius ordered his aide, and Savast was forcibly ejected from the room.

“You scoundrel, Lucius. If that’s your intention, then I have something in mind too,” Savast stormed into the guild master’s office again and slammed a resignation letter onto Lucius’s desk.

“Again with this. What’s the meaning of this?” Lucius asked.

“It’s quite clear,” Savast smirked maliciously.

“If you refuse to present a new contract, then I’ll resign from this guild.”

“I see. Then I’ll accept this resignation letter,” Lucius said firmly, taking the letter and placing it in the drawer of his desk.

“What!” Savast trembled with fear and frustration.

“What’s the matter? You’re no longer associated with the Golden Hawks. Go wherever you please. But remember, you’ll still have to pay the penalty fee,” Lucius said, his voice firm.

Savast’s contract still had a year left, so resigning now would incur a penalty fee.

Savast’s face turned red, but he quickly suppressed his anger and smirked wickedly.

“Hmph. Save your bark for later,” Savast said, and then he left the Golden Hawks.

In truth, at this moment, both of them had exactly the same thought.

(He’ll soon come crawling back, begging for forgiveness.)

“Throwing such a tantrum. Just because you’re an A-Class adventurer, what does that even mean? Can you gather people without the guild’s support? Can you organize a team? Can you provide items? Can you provide equipment? You probably can’t even pay the penalty fee. Who do you think is arranging the funds for adventurers to survive? It’s utterly ridiculous. You’re forgetting the favor you’ve been given and getting too cocky,” Lucius said to Savast’s resignation letter on the desk before pulling out the ledgers again, pondering over finances.

Savast headed straight to the Guardians of the Magic Tree after leaving the Golden Hawks.

(Lucius, acting tough as usual. But if he’s serious about it, then I have a plan too. I’ll join the Guardians of the Magic Tree and make Lucius regret it. The Guardians of the Magic Tree should be able to cover my penalty fee.)

In fact, it was widely accepted among adventurer guilds that if one guild wanted to poach talent from another, the recruiting guild would pay the penalty fee as compensation for the transfer.

(If a second-rate guild like the Guardians of the Magic Tree accepts me, an A-Class adventurer like myself, with gratitude, I’ll endure the disgrace of joining a second-rate guild for now. I’ll patiently endure this hardship until Lucius apologizes and offers better conditions.)

Feeling confident, Savast rushed into the Guardians of the Magic Tree. However, the guild master of the Guardians of the Magic Tree was shocked to hear Savast’s story.

The guild master had assumed Savast was sent by Lucius.

But upon hearing the full story, it turned out Savast had already left the Golden Hawks and was looking to give Lucius a hard time.

“This is no joke. I can’t afford to worsen my relationship with the Golden Hawks any further.”

Though the Guardians of the Magic Tree had put a stop to the Golden Hawks’ momentum earlier this month, their guild master still feared Lucius and the Golden Hawks. Consequently, Savast’s offer was politely declined once again, just as it had been when he first arrived.

“Damn them! How dare they treat my offer with such disregard, being just a second-rate guild!”

But getting angry wouldn’t solve anything.

If he continued like this, he’d end up being demanded to pay the penalty fee by Lucius, and he’d be left with nothing.

Fed up, Savast decided to rebel against Lucius.

He sent a rallying cry to his sympathizers, condemning Lucius’s tyranny and urging everyone to rise up.

They planned to go on strike collectively, demanding better treatment from Lucius and Savast’s reinstatement.

However, not a single person accepted Savast’s invitation.

All Savast received from his former subordinates were responses like the following:

“As members of the Golden Hawks, we must obey the guild’s orders. Savast-dono is neither a member of the Golden Hawks nor our superior. Therefore, we cannot follow your orders, let alone prioritize them over the guild’s commands. We hope you understand.”

“Guh…!”

Savast was infuriated and dismayed to find that not a single one of his former subordinates was willing to follow him.

Though Savast’s subordinates outwardly catered to him due to the organizational hierarchy, inwardly they were tired of his constant demands and tantrums during missions.

Even the occasional outing for drinks felt like harassment to them.

Savast’s inflated ego had become nothing but a nuisance to his subordinates.

“These ingrates! After all I’ve done for them, to think they’d turn out to be so ungrateful.”

Savast, at his wit’s end, pondered and pondered until finally, he remembered one possible solution.

“That’s right. Laurent. He should owe me a favor. Maybe he can help me out.”

In reality, it was Laurent who had provided Savast with the opportunity for advancement when Savast was struggling. However, in Savast’s mind, he was the one who had taken care of Laurent.

Savast headed to Laurent’s house.

“Laurent! It’s me, Savast. Remember when I was in the Golden Hawks? I did you a favor. I need to talk to you. Laurent, are you there?”

No matter how much he knocked on the door, Laurent didn’t come out.

Meanwhile, Laurent was at Lilianne’s house, enjoying some sweet moments with his lover.

Lilianne, who had just begun to wake up around noon, started to cuddle up to Laurent again.

“Laurent, you should go to work soon.”

“Why don’t we take it easy for today? Just the two of us, while everyone else is rushing around.”

“It can’t be helped. Just for today, alright?”

“Yes.”

Lilianne wrapped her arms around Laurent’s neck and kissed him.

Laurent wrapped his arms around her porcelain-like back and held her close. Her smooth and soft skin invited Laurent into a pleasant sensation.

“Ugh. Everyone’s treating me like a joke.”

“Savast-san? Could it be, you’re Savast-san, the A-class adventurer?”

“Who are you? Who dares to call my name?”

Savast turned around to see an unfamiliar man.

“I’m relieved. So, you’re indeed Savast-san. I’ve been sent by the court.”

“The court?! What does the court want with me?”

“We’ve received a complaint of contract violation from the Golden Hawks. ‘You, despite violating the contract between the guild and the adventurers, have neither responded nor compensated the guild. Therefore, both parties are requested to appear in court for arbitration and seek a fair judgment.’ That’s the situation. Therefore, if no settlement is reached between the two parties, the court would like Savast-san to appoint a lawyer and appear in court…”

“I have no reason to be sued!”

“Wait, Savast-san, what are you doing? Ugh!”

Savast punched the court representative and fled the scene.

As a result, Savast became wanted for obstruction of justice.

Unable to pay the guild’s breach of contract fee and now being pursued by the police, Savast left the adventurer’s town the same day, with nothing but the clothes on his back.

This scandal, where an A-class adventurer rebelled against the guild, committed a crime, and fled, shook the Golden Hawks to its core.