The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 36

Chapter 36   Status Enhancement

“What!?”

In the office of the ‘Golden Hawk’, Deanna raised her voice in astonishment upon hearing Zens’ report.

“The ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ are managing the dungeon on their own!? And Jill is cooperating with the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Zens reported to Deanna in a subservient manner, almost like a vassal.

Having been exploited by the ‘Golden Hawk’ for many years, he had completely adopted a humble attitude.

“So you weren’t aware of this?”

“Of course not. This is completely new to me.”

“Yes, I thought as much. It seemed strange to me too, that such an announcement would be made without any notification to us.”

“Damn.”

(Of all times, when Lucius isn’t here. That Laurent… he’s really done it now.)

“I’ve been burned by Laurent once before. That’s why I suspected it was his scheme this time as well. But I’m glad I was able to inform you before things got out of hand.”

Zens looked at Deanna with an expectant gaze, as if hoping for a reward.

It was an undeniably servile attitude.

Deanna gave Zens a cold glance.

“Ugh…”

“So, I understand that Laurent caused some trouble. But? What exactly were you doing while that seminar was going on?”

“Uh… well, that is…”

“Surely you weren’t just standing by and watching silently… right?”

Zens stammered and then muttered something incomprehensible before hanging his head dejectedly.

Seeing Zens completely shrink back, Deanna sighed deeply in exasperation and finally averted her piercing gaze.

“Well, fine. In any case, we need to deal with those alchemy guild people sternly. Zens, you’ll help with that, won’t you?”

“Y-Yes!”

Relieved to be free from Deanna’s cold stare, Zens quickly agreed.

Deanna was satisfied with his response.

(Still, this is a bit beyond my capabilities. But if I do nothing, Lucius will be disappointed… I’ll need a scapegoat.)

Deanna decided to shift the responsibility onto someone else.

“Zens. Thank you for informing me. The person in charge will contact you with further instructions. Until then, wait here. And don’t betray us.”

“Y-Yes!”

After seeing Zens leave, Deanna took out a document from Lucius’ desk drawer.

It was Jill’s guild contract.

(While I’ll leave the alchemy guild to others… Jill, I’ll have to handle this myself.)

“Really, such a troublesome girl.”

She muttered resentfully, glaring at Jill’s portrait hanging on the wall.

“Hello, I’m Daevin, the alchemist from ‘Golden Hawk’.”

Ranju looked at Daevin, who had visited the workshop, with a slightly suspicious gaze.

“Um, why is an alchemist from ‘Golden Hawk’ here?”

“I’m here because we haven’t heard anything about the joint project (while the demon Lucius is away).”

“Oh, the exhibition piece, right…”

“Uh, um, hello, Mr. Daevin.”

Charl greeted Daevin with a nervous expression, like someone meeting their idol.

“So, you’re the silversmith from ‘Spirit’s Workshop’.”

Daevin gave a gentle smile and bent down to be at Charl’s eye level.

“Y-Yes.”

“I saw your ‘Silver Iron Breaking Bow’. It was an impressive piece.”

“Yes. Thank you. Um, I used your ‘Iron Breaking Bow’ as a reference, and if you don’t mind, I’d like you to take a look at it later, if that’s okay?”

“Of course.”

“What’s this? You’re unusually well-behaved. You’re usually such a tomboy.”

“Oh, come on, Mr. Ranju! Don’t say unnecessary things.”

Charl lightly hit Ranju’s leg with a hammer.

“Ouch, hey! Don’t go swinging metal tools around!”

“Hello— Is Laurent… huh!? Daevin!?”

Jill, who had just opened the door and come in, was startled to see Daevin.

“Oh? Jill? What are you doing here?”

“What about you? Why are you here?”

“I’m here about the exhibition piece…”

(It seems like our guild has suddenly become a place for outsiders to come and go.)

Ranju watched Jill and Daevin argue with mixed feelings.

(Even though the ‘Golden Hawk’ folks are hanging around, it doesn’t really cause any problems, but still…)

A little while after Daevin and Jill arrived, Laurent also came to the ‘Spirit’s Workshop’.

“Ah, welcome back, Mr. Laurent.”

Charl greeted Laurent as he returned.

“Yeah, I’m back. Wait, Daevin? Why are you here?”

“Oh, Mr. Laurent, hello.”

Daevin and Charl had already started working.

The workbench was covered with prototypes and blueprints.

“I’m here regarding the joint project requested by Count Elson.”

“Oh, right. That was a thing. I completely forgot. Not good, not good. I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been forgetting all the little details.”

“Sorry for using your equipment without permission.”

“Oh, it’s fine. Just make sure to train our guys while you’re at it.”

“Of course.”

Daevin was relieved that Laurent’s attitude hadn’t changed.

“Ah, Mr. Laurent, welcome back.”

Arri popped her head out from the kiln room.

“Hey, Arri, I’m back.”

“Ms. Jill is here. She’s already doing warm-ups in the backyard.”

“I see. I’ll head there now.”

Suppressing his eagerness, Laurent made his way to the backyard where Jill was.

When Laurent reached the backyard, Jill was already running.

“She’s quite dedicated. I suggested she wait in the reception room until you arrived, but she wanted to warm up properly before training. She’s been running for over an hour now.”

“I see…”

Laurent assessed Jill’s stats.

• • • • Strength: 80-100

• • • • Toughness: 90-120

• • • • Agility: 80-100

• • • • Stamina: 170-200

(I see. She’s certainly prepared. Her stats, which had a margin of error of 30-50 before, are now down to 20-30. But it’s still not enough.)

“Mr. Laurent!”

Jill noticed Laurent and ran over to him. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was already sweating heavily, indicating she had run quite a distance.

“Jill. You’ve been running for quite a while.”

“Yes. I wanted to be fully prepared before receiving your training…”

“I see… But it’s still not enough.”

Laurent said sternly.

“Let’s see you run at double the speed you were going.”

(What!? Double the speed she was running before!?)

Arri, who was listening nearby, was startled.

“Yes!”

Jill responded immediately.

(What!? An immediate response!?)

Jill immediately started running at twice the speed as before. Even earlier, she had been running at a pace that was already quite fast for a long-distance run. At twice that speed, she was essentially sprinting.

“Um, is she going to be okay? She’s already run quite a distance…”

“Ah, she’s got extraordinary stamina. If we don’t push her that hard, she’ll complain that she’s not being challenged enough.”

Laurent said this with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“I-I see.”

(So that’s what it takes to become an S-class adventurer…)

Arri looked at Jill running, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

As for Jill, despite running desperately, she felt a sense of joy spreading in her heart.

(Haha, as expected of Mr. Laurent. To command such tough training right from the start. I wonder what kind of harsh training awaits me next… Haha. Oh, no, I’m drooling. But I can’t help but look forward to it… Haha.)

While Jill continued her training, Laurent decided to chat with Daevin.

“So, ‘Golden Hawk’ is in considerable chaos right now?”

“Yes, it’s impossible to get any work done.”

Daevin shrugged, looking exasperated.

“So, you escaped here too, huh?”

Laurent teased a little.

“Yes, exactly.”

Daevin replied wearily, without a hint of a smile.

(For Daevin, who usually goes at his own pace, to be this worn out… ‘Golden Hawk’ must really be in a terrible state right now.)

“Nevertheless…”

Daevin looked around the workshop.

“This is a great workshop. Everyone is working so energetically.”

“I’m glad to hear that from the best alchemist in town.”

“No, I’m not just being polite, I really mean it.”

Daevin said, looking down.

Laurent felt a pang of sympathy.

“Daevin, I can’t do anything for you right now, but you’re always welcome to come here. If something bothers you again, feel free to come by.”

“Thank you.”

Daevin managed a small smile.

“By the way…”

Laurent glanced at Charl, who was diligently working.

“What are you making now?”

“An S-class weapon.”

Charl showed Laurent a mysterious material.

“An S-class weapon… Um, what exactly is that?”

“Ah, sorry. While working together with Charl, we got carried away and somehow got off track, and before we knew it, we were talking about making an S-class weapon. Then we realized that to make an S-class weapon, we need to develop the material level.”

“I worked with Daevin, and I’m convinced. With our combined effort, we can definitely make an S-class weapon!”

“I see…”

Laurent accepted the material Charl offered.

It was a metal fragment with a color somewhere between black and silver, with an indescribable hue.

“Is this… a mixture of iron and silver?”

Laurent said as he appraised the item.

“I see. Trying to combine the hardness of iron with the softness and rust resistance of silver. But it’s still unfinished.”

As Laurent touched the material, it crumbled and fell apart.

“We’re currently experimenting with mixing metals and adjusting ratios.”

“We’ll definitely develop the best material!”

“R-Right. Good luck with that.”

(Is it okay to continue like this?)

About 10 minutes before Jill finished her run, Laurent popped back into the backyard.

Just as he did, Jill was finishing her run.

She had run a long distance at a speed even faster than double what she had been doing, so she finished her run earlier than planned.

“Pant, pant… Phew. Laurent, I’ve finished my run.”

Jill came up to Laurent, her breath ragged.

“Good job, Jill.”

Laurent placed a potion on the table nearby.

“Oh, thank you.”

Jill reached out for the potion.

“Who said you could drink the potion?”

“Huh!?”

Immediately after, a suit of armor was thrown in front of Jill.

It was a shoddy and heavy suit of armor.

“Um… Laurent, what’s this?”

“I’m heading out to complete a fortress construction quest. It’s due within a week.”

“A f-fortress construction!? And within a week!?”

“Yeah, you can drink the potion after that.”

Fortress construction was literally a quest to build a fortress with carved rocks to prevent monster invasions into a base.

The task was so grueling that even for several adults working together, completing it within a week was difficult.

For Jill alone, completing it within a week, working 24 hours a day for 7 days straight, was a delicate balance.

(Ugh. Despite being completely exhausted from running for hours on end, he’s telling her to carry heavy armor without even drinking the potion and to complete the fortress construction quest without sleeping for a week. What a sadistic task to assign… But that’s Laurent for you! He knows what he’s doing!)

“I understand. I was the one who asked for guidance. If I’ve asked for it myself, no matter how unreasonable it may seem… It’s only fair to see it through to the end.”

Jill stood up unsteadily, glaring accusingly at Laurent.

“Let me ask you again, Laurent. Are you really telling me to do the fortress construction quest right now?”

“Yeah. Right now! Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Jill flinched at the unexpectedly cold tone of his voice, then closed her eyes tightly in pain. She placed the potion she was about to drink back on the table and began putting on the armor reluctantly.

Then, with an air of resignation, she dashed off towards the Dungeon of the Demon Realm.

(Well, I can leave Jill alone for a while. Should I return to managing the dungeons?)

Laurent returned to the Dungeon of the Mines.

“Phew… I did it. I’ve transported 50 stones for the walls.”

Rick finished setting the last stone in its designated spot and struck a victorious pose.

Lerio and Marina, who had finished delivering potions and magic stones to the warehouse, rushed into the makeshift headquarters.

“We’ve transported 200 potions!”

“And we’ve finished transporting 100 magic stones!”

With this, all the newcomers had cleared Laurent’s task.

It had been three days since the task was assigned.

Monica and the others watched in astonishment.

(Even though it’s only the third day since the task was assigned, they’ve all cleared it… When we were newcomers, it took us at least three months to learn appropriate movements based on our stats…)

(No matter how accurate Laurent’s assigned tasks were, their growth speed is too fast.)

Initially, the three of them felt like it would take an eternity to clear the task. However, by observing and emulating the movements of higher-level adventurers in the same squad, they quickly acquired optimal movements.

“As expected of Laurent. To make those three grow so quickly… We can’t afford to be complacent,” Shaqma said, her face filled with rivalry.

Monica and Euphene felt the same way.

“Oh, have all three of you managed to clear the task?” Laurent appeared, checking on their work.

“Yes, somehow,” they replied.

“When we were told to transport 50 wall stones, we thought it would be impossible, but we managed to achieve it somehow.”

“We’re exhausted,” they said, sitting on the ground.

Their faces were filled with a sense of fulfillment.

Laurent appraised Rick’s stats.

Rick Dyer

Strength: 40-50

Endurance: 50-60

Agility: 20-30

Stamina: 40-50

(All stats are within a margin of error of 10. It seems they’ve learned how to use their bodies to utilize their stats.)

Lerio and Marina’s stats were also within a margin of error of 10, like Rick’s.

(It’s convenient that they grow just by being thrown into a squad. Being in a high-level environment really accelerates growth. Their use of stats doesn’t seem like that of newcomers. It’s all thanks to Monica and the others growing properly.)

This was something that could be considered the foundation of the guild.

Truly, it was a value that money couldn’t buy.

(They really have grown well.)

Laurent looked at Monica and the others with deep emotion.

However, there was no time to dwell on emotions.

He still had things he needed to do.

Rick and the others were already relaxed and laid back.

They seemed to think they had already achieved the standard expected of newcomers.

(From here on out, it’s training to improve their stats.)

“Rick, Lerio, Marina, you did well.”

“Well, it was a tough task, but we managed to achieve it somehow.”

“Yeah, I guess we cleared the first stage for now.”

“Huh!?”

“T-The first stage?”

“Then I’ll assign each of you the next task. First, Rick.”

“Y-Yes.”

“You’ll increase your daily quota from 50 wall stones to 60 starting tomorrow, and also transport 50 magic stones.”

“W-What!? 50 magic stones!?”

(Idiot. My magic power is only 10. There’s no way I can handle 50 magic stones.)

“Marina, your quota was 100 magic stones, but from now on, it’s 120. Additionally, you’ll also be transporting ores, potions, and equipment in the future.”

“E-Eh? T-That much?”

(Marina’s skills, ‘Ore Possession,’ ‘Equipment Possession,’ and ‘Potion Possession,’ can be cultivated even in dungeon management situations.)

“Um, Captain, what about me…?” Lerio asked timidly.

“You’re on a special menu. You’ll help me with my work.”

“Your work?”

“Yeah, my work.”

(If I extend Lerio’s status appraisal, he can also be used for squad operations.)

“Um, Laurent, about the ‘Silver Iron-Breaking Bow’ reinforcement, can we do it ahead of schedule?” Monica asked anxiously.

“Ahead of schedule?”

“Yes, I think sooner is better.”

“You must be tired from the tasks, right? Shouldn’t you rest?”

“It’s okay. I’m totally fine. Please let me do it!”

“I see. Understood. If you insist…”

“Laurent, let me help with your work too.”

“Ah, I’ll help too.”

Euphene and Shaqma also crowded around Laurent, appealing to help.

“Got it. Let me adjust the schedule.”

(With the newcomers’ growth pushing them forward, the ace trio is starting to get anxious too. That’s a good trend.)

In the ‘Dungeon of the Demon Realm,’ Jill felt fulfilled as she dragged heavy rocks.

(My arms hurt, my legs are heavy. My whole body is screaming. My throat is parched. But since it’s Laurent’s order, I can’t give up halfway. I have to give it my all. This is it. This is what I’ve been looking for. Ah, it’s the best.)

With a look of delight on her face, she stacked the heavy rocks on the foundation of the fortress.