The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 35

Chapter 35   Training new adventurers

Under the leadership of the “Arsenal of the Spirit,” the alchemy guild began managing the dungeon.

Alchemists with shovels and pickaxes formed a line and steadily entered the dungeon.

“Ranju, here is the skill list for each alchemist.”

Laurent handed Ranju a revised skill list that had been submitted by each alchemy guild.

“Impressive as always.”

Ranju looked at the list handed over by Laurent and expressed his admiration.

“How’s the preliminary survey of the mines going?”

“It’s perfect.”

Ranju spread out a pre-made map to show him.

“On the 8th floor of the dungeon, there’s an ‘Earthcraft’ mine. On the 12th floor, there’s an iron mine, and on the 14th floor, there’s a silver mine. These three have the largest deposits in the dungeon. For this dungeon operation, I think we’ll mainly focus on these three mines.”

“Alright, that sounds good.”

After scanning the map to ensure there were no suspicious points, Laurent returned it to Ranju.

“Ranju, this time our goal is to bring the members of the alchemy guild over to our side rather than making a profit. Let them earn while keeping our profit pursuit moderate.”

“Understood. And the adventurer’s guild?”

“They’ve been arranged. They should be arriving any moment now… Oh, here they come.”

Laurent spotted his squad approaching, led by Monica.

In addition to the regular squad members, three newcomers—Rick, Lerio, and Marina—were tagging along.

The three rookies approached the dungeon entrance with tense expressions, facing their first mission.

“Ugh, I’m so nervous,” Marina said anxiously.

“Me too. I never thought we’d suddenly join the main force of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree,'” Lerio agreed.

Though all three had managed to graduate from the training academy, their grades were average at best. They never expected to land a job with a major guild like the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree.’

They had already received their fair share of envy and jealousy from their peers.

“Hey, you guys, stop chatting. We’re about to enter the dungeon,” Rick said in a leader-like tone.

His proactive nature had naturally positioned him as the leader among the three rookies.

(Training with the main force. This is a chance. If I can prove myself to the captain here, it might open the path to becoming a famous adventurer,) Rick thought, marching at the back of the line with high hopes.

“Stop! Form up!” Monica ordered, aligning the squad before running over to Laurent.

“Laurent, the squad is assembled,” she reported.

“Good work.”

(Oh, this is the person who interviewed us,) Rick realized.

Lerio looked at Laurent with curiosity.

(He looks like an appraiser, but… is he going into the dungeon too? Who exactly is this person?)

Rick also tilted his head in confusion.

(Monica, an A-class adventurer, is greeting him first. Is he really that important?)

While the three of them stood there dumbfounded, the other squad members greeted Laurent one by one.

“Excuse me, who is that person? He looks like an appraiser…” Rick asked a veteran squad member.

“Oh, that person is…”

“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Euphene interrupted sharply, scolding Rick and the others.

“That person is Laurent, the captain of our ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ second squad.”

“W-what!? No way!?”

The three of them exclaimed in unison, their voices full of surprise.

“Since you’re newbies, you especially need to greet him properly.”

“S-sorry about that!” Rick quickly bowed his head.

The other two followed suit.

(Huh? But was there a name like Laurent on the dungeon’s conquest monument?) Lerio wondered inwardly as he bowed.

The names of the dungeon’s conquest members were engraved on a monument at the quest reception office, where anyone in town could see them.

“Haha, it’s alright. I should have told you beforehand that I’m the captain. Anyway, now that everyone is here, let’s get started. Listen up, everyone.”

Laurent raised his voice to address the entire group.

“This mission involves supporting and guarding the alchemy guild. Everyone, cooperate to ensure the alchemists can work efficiently. Also, managing the dungeon during the downtime is a chance to maintain and improve our status. I’ll assign tasks to each of you, so make sure to complete them properly.”

“Yes!” the squad members responded in unison, splitting into their respective teams and entering the dungeon.

Most of them were enthusiastic, but the three rookies entered the dungeon feeling disheartened, worried they had already made a bad impression on the captain.

“Well, looks like the newbies underestimated you right off the bat, Laurent,” Shaqma teased.

“Damn it, I’ll have to give them a stern talking-to later,” Euphene added.

“I wonder… Do I really lack that much authority?” Laurent said, slightly dejected, as he put his hand on his face.

“Haha,” Monica chuckled wryly.

“Don’t worry about it. We know your true capabilities, Laurent. They’ll understand eventually too,” Shaqma said in a straightforward manner.

Even though the dungeon boss had been defeated and the monsters on the lowest levels had retreated, minor monsters still wandered around, sporadically disrupting human activities. If one let their guard down, these monsters could easily steal their possessions or even their lives.

Therefore, adventurers were indispensable for dungeon management. Their role was to protect the alchemists from monsters, clear the roads, set up fences at key points, and sometimes even construct walls.

“Alright, I’ll now assign today’s tasks. Rick, Lerio, Marina, step forward.”

Responding to Laurent’s call, the three stepped forward.

“Rick, your task is to carry 50 stones for the wall to the construction site. Lerio, you need to transport 200 potions to the warehouse. Marina, you are to carry 100 fire magic stones (which drain your mana just by holding them) to the warehouse. And you must do this while wearing your gear.”

Faced with these challenging tasks from Laurent, the three felt a wave of tension.

(This guild training is definitely different from the training at the academy. At the academy, the most we did was march while wearing gear. Carrying stones for the wall during a march… This will significantly deplete my stamina.)

“Any questions? No? Alright, moving on. Monica.”

“Yes!”

“You will carry 100 stones for the wall to the construction site. Shaqma and Euphene, you each need to transport 200 magic stones to the warehouse. Do this while wearing your gear, and if monsters appear, engage them in battle. Protect the

newbies and alchemists, and also lead your respective teams.”

“Yes!” they responded in unison.

(What? They have to complete twice the amount of work as us while also handling combat and leadership responsibilities? This is insane,) Rick thought, stunned by Laurent’s instructions.

He was equally astonished by how Monica and the others accepted the tasks without complaint.

Laurent continued to assign tasks to the other squad members, tailoring each assignment to match their abilities and goals.

“Alright, everyone has their assignments. Let’s start the mission.”

Laurent’s squad began their support mission for the alchemists.

“Ugh, whoa!” Rick grunted, struggling to keep up with the squad while pulling a rope tied to a stone for the wall.

The alchemists walked ahead without paying any attention to the heavy burdens the adventurers were carrying.

Monica passed by Rick, easily carrying two stones on her back while remaining vigilant and overseeing the actions of the squad.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Y-yes, somehow,” Rick replied, though he seemed to be reaching his limit halfway through the task.

“You shouldn’t push yourself too hard,” Monica advised.

“No, it’s nothing I can’t handle…” Rick insisted, though he was already out of breath.

“You’re already gasping for air. This area is safe from monsters, so take a break. Here, I’ll carry that stone for you,” Monica said, taking the stone for the wall from Rick.

“Ugh, sorry,” Rick muttered, collapsing to the ground to rest and recover his stamina.

As Monica ensured Rick’s safety and resumed her progress, Lerio quickly passed by her. He was tasked with transporting lightweight items like potions, but speed was crucial for his task.

(I need to hurry up. There’s no way I’ll make it to 200 potions by the end of the day at this pace,) Lerio thought as he sped ahead.

(He’s fast! His agility must be around 50-60…)

“He’ll reach an agility of 100 eventually,” Laurent said, suddenly appearing next to Monica.

“Oh, Laurent…” Monica turned to look at him.

“He’ll likely stand out as a classic archer,” Laurent continued.

“…” Monica remained silent.

“Are you okay?” Laurent asked.

Monica showed a slightly conflicted expression but then smiled bravely.

“I’m fine. I have my own way of fighting. Even if I don’t become a classic archer, I won’t be discouraged anymore.”

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear,” Laurent said, sounding pleased.

“Ah, about ten goblins are approaching,” Monica said, spotting the enemies with her Hawk Eye.

“I’ll intercept them,” she continued, setting down the rope tied to the stones and moving into a shooting position.

“Ugh, I can’t walk anymore,” Marina complained from the back of the line.

“You haven’t even carried five magic stones yet! We have to make ten trips after this, so get moving!” Euphene scolded, prodding Marina with her staff to force her to keep walking.

By midday, after several trips transporting stones, potions, and magic stones, Monica and the others had completed their tasks. Meanwhile, the three rookies had given up, having completed only about 60% of their assignments.

“Ugh, this is too tough,” Rick groaned.

“I can’t take another step,” Marina added.

“…”

“Good grief, you’re already exhausted? You haven’t even completed 60% of your tasks,” Laurent said, sounding exasperated.

“You’ve completely exhausted your strength,” Laurent remarked.

“Seriously, so pathetic,” Euphene added.

“Haha,” Monica laughed.

While Rick and his group of three were utterly spent, Monica and her team had completed their tasks and still had energy left.

(Ugh, these people. They’re working more than twice as much as us. How do they have so much stamina?) Lerio thought, massaging his swollen legs while watching Monica and the others with a disheartened expression.

Laurent assessed Rick’s stats:

Rick

• • • • Strength: 1-50

• • • • Endurance: 1-60

• • • • Agility: 1-30

• • • • Stamina: 1-50

(All of his basic stats have dropped to their minimum. Good grief. The fact that his agility is also depleted, in addition to strength, endurance, and stamina, shows that he still doesn’t know how to use his body properly.)

Laurent then used his appraisal skill on Lerio and Marina as well. Both of them, like Rick, had their stats significantly depleted.

(Tomorrow, after they’ve recovered, I’ll assess their stats again. They need to learn how to use their bodies effectively first.)

“Alright, that’s enough for today. Make sure to get plenty of rest for tomorrow,” Laurent instructed.

He told the three rookies to drink potions to enhance their stats and then left them to recover.

“Monica, are you all okay?” Laurent asked.

“Yes, we’re still good. But could you appraise our statuses just in case?” Monica replied.

“Ah, right.”

Laurent appraised Monica and her team’s statuses and confirmed they still had energy left.

“Yeah, you seem to be fine.”

“We plan to do some self-training now.”

“I see. I’ll be taking the three newbies back to town. Make sure not to overdo it. Wrap things up at a reasonable time.”

“Yes, you take care too, Laurent.”

(Next up is Jill’s training,) Laurent thought.

After returning to town and escorting the rookies back to the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ dormitory, Laurent headed to the training session with Jill, which he was most looking forward to. They had agreed to meet at the ‘Spirit Workshop’.