The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 44.1

Chapter 44.1   Command and Authority

“Wow. That’s amazing, Rick.”

Marina sighed in admiration as she watched Rick push back the towering golem while riding on Laurent’s back.

“Yeah. He’s finally showing his true potential,” Laurent said contentedly while appraising Rick’s status.

[Rick Dyer’s Status] Strength: 80-90

(His stats have stabilized. As expected, Rick is the type who performs best when he’s in the spotlight.)

“What do you think, Laurent? I’ve defeated the towering golem,” Rick boasted, waving his hand toward Laurent.

Laurent responded with a thumbs-up.

“Alright. Everyone, don’t let Rick’s efforts go to waste! Let’s break through now!”

Laurent and his group advanced through the gap Rick had forced open in the enemy lines.

The remaining towering golem tried to turn its body to block Laurent and his group, but its movements were sluggish.

Though the towering golem had high strength, toughness, and stamina, its agility was extremely low.

Nevertheless, one of the golems swung its arm down, trying to land a blow on the tail end of Laurent’s group.

A massive shadow loomed over them.

Its long reach made it impossible to completely evade.

(Damn, getting through this without any damage is impossible.)

Just as Laurent braced himself for the inevitable, Rick leapt to the rear again and intercepted the golem’s attack.

“Rick!?”

“I’m fine, Laurent. I’ll hold them off here, so go on ahead!”

Rick cast a healing spell on himself, restoring his depleted stamina.

“Wait, are you sure? Fighting those towering golems alone…” Shaqma said, looking pale.

“…He’ll be fine. Let’s trust Rick and keep moving,” Laurent replied, reassessing Rick’s status.

[Rick Dyer’s Status] Strength: 80-90 Toughness: 70-80

(His strength is completely unaffected. Rick’s high toughness is impressive. Even if he takes some damage, it doesn’t diminish his stats.)

Toughness is a special attribute among the stats. Typically, stats get worn down from overuse or taking damage, but high toughness helps mitigate this wear.

Rick waited until Laurent and the others were out of the golem’s reach before casting ‘Agility Enhancement’ on himself and retreating.

Meanwhile, Alric and his team were in awe as they watched the new adventurer handle the towering golem with brute strength.

“Who is that guy?!”

“He just knocked over the golem!”

Alric furrowed his brow.

(For a rookie, he has incredible strength and toughness. He might become as powerful as Savast someday. No, it’s more than that. He can also use ‘Agility Enhancement’ and ‘Healing Magic.’ He’s more versatile than Jill. He might even become a mage knight in the future… Damn, Laurent, managing a dungeon and finding talent like that.)

“Captain! We’ve got another towering golem ahead of us!”

“Tch…”

Alric stopped watching Laurent and his group, refocusing on his own fight.

(We don’t have anyone with the strength to push back a towering golem here.)

“It can’t be helped. Deploy the troops. Shield unit to the front. Archers, prepare for anti-air shots. Mages, take up the rear positions!”

Alric and his team shifted from a double column formation into a combat formation with distinct front and rear units.

The towering golem charged forward, clashing with the melee combat unit.

Two warriors managed to barely restrain a single towering golem, while the attack mages and support mages provided assistance.

While Alric’s team engaged in a slow, methodical battle, Laurent and his group advanced further in their marching formation.

By the time Alric’s team finally subdued the golems, a nearly one-kilometer gap had opened up between Laurent’s unit and Alric’s unit.

As Laurent and Alric cleared the fifth floor, adventurers crowded around the quest reception bulletin board.

The bulletin board displayed the current positions of the leading adventurers in the dungeon.

A receptionist updated the board’s information.

“Attention, adventurers. The Laurent and Alric teams have cleared the fifth floor of the ‘Mine Dungeon.’ As such, the quests up to the fifth floor are now announced.”

“That was fast!”

“They’re already on the fifth floor?”

“It’s only been about two days.”

The adventurers were abuzz with surprise at the rapid progress of Laurent and Alric.

Among the crowd, Deanna observed the bulletin board with a bitter expression.

(So far, Laurent and Alric are almost neck and neck. I hope Alric manages to win somehow…)

As Deanna glanced to the side, she noticed a familiar face.

“Oh? Is that… Claria?”

“What? Deanna!?”

Deanna looked surprised to see Claria.

A tense atmosphere seemed to settle between them.

Deanna had always felt a kinship with Claria, sensing they were alike in some ways.

Both had a tendency to look down on others and disliked hard work, preferring to gain wealth by becoming someone’s mistress.

Thus, Deanna was always aware of Claria.

“What brings you here? I heard you got fired from the quest reception desk…”

“Well, after that, Mr. Laurent hired me. I’m currently working as his secretary.”

“Oh, really? That’s good for you.”

Deanna glanced at Claria’s outfit.

Claria was dressed in tasteful, neat clothes. They weren’t flashy, but the material and design were refined, clearly expensive.

“You’re wearing quite nice clothes.”

“Mr. Laurent bought them for me. He told me to wear something proper.”

Claria said this with a beaming smile.

“I see…”

(So, she became Laurent’s mistress.)

Deanna concluded.

This alone made her feel as if Claria had taken a superior position over her.

With Lucius on a downward trajectory and Laurent rising, their roles had reversed.

(Really, this girl was on our side not too long ago. She switched sides quite cleverly.)

“Oh, I have to go soon. It’s quite demanding being Mr. Laurent’s secretary, you know. I have to shuttle between the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ and the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree,’ as well as various alchemy guilds.”

“Is that so?”

Deanna smile was strained.

(Those alchemy guilds used to be on our side too…)

To Deanna, everything Claria said now felt like a boast at her expense.

“Well, I must be going. Good luck with the ‘Golden Hawk.’ It might be tough from here on out, but do your best.”

Claria bowed politely and walked away.

Deanna watched her leave, feeling her insides churn with anger.

Laurent and his group, having reached the seventh floor, were racing through the city.

“Enemy sighted. Ten mini golems, ten zombie archers, and ten vampires!” Monica reported.

Immediately, Lerio took off running.

“Zombie archers. It’ll be a ranged battle,” Laurent said.

“Yes, so the archers should take that building… Huh!?”

Monica was stunned to see Lerio already heading toward the building she was about to suggest.

(He’s moving before I or Laurent can even give orders. He’s fast on his feet and quick to judge. This is what a true archer is like…)

“Alright, archers, follow Lerio. Team two, support the archers,” Laurent commanded.

“Monica, focus on reducing enemy numbers with ‘Impaler.’ There’s no need to rely on agility.”

“Y-yes,” Monica stammered, hastily preparing for the fight.

(Finally, Lerio seems to be getting into gear. Maybe he’s been inspired by Rick’s performance.)

With the archers’ support, Laurent and his group managed to clear the area and reach the eighth floor.

“What is this place…”

Laurent and his team stood atop a steep cliff.

Below, a raging torrent roared.

“Mr. Laurent, is this…?”

“Yes, it’s the Torrent Dungeon.”

The Torrent Dungeon was a stage where they had to traverse several island-like plateaus to reach the goal.

Each island had monsters stationed on it, and stone bridges connected the islands. Falling off a bridge and getting swept away by the torrent meant returning to the start and starting over.

At the start of the Torrent Dungeon, there were usually special bridges called brittle bridges.

Brittle bridges collapsed if the number of people crossing exceeded a certain limit, and once they broke, they wouldn’t reappear for a while.

From the starting point, five brittle bridges extended to different islands.

Each bridge had the number 15 written in cracked characters.

(Only 15 people can cross. We’ll need to split into two groups.)

“Mr. Laurent, if we cross separate bridges here, we won’t be able to regroup until we reach the teleportation magic circle,” Monica said after completing her reconnaissance with ‘Hawkeye.’

“So, we’ll have to progress separately for an entire floor,” Laurent mused.

(But if we hesitate, Alric will catch up.)

“Alright. We’ll split into two groups.”

Laurent carefully divided the team to balance strength and roles between the groups.

One group included Monica, Marina, and Rick.

The other group included Shaqma, Euphene, and Lerio.

Laurent decided to join Monica’s group.

(Monica’s ‘Impaler’ needs Marina to activate, so they must stay together. Monica also performs best with a superior nearby, so I’ll join her group. Therefore, the other group will need a commander in my place. With Shaqma and Lerio’s high command abilities, they’ll lead. Marina can handle healing due to her ‘Potion Possession’ skill, so Euphene will go with the other team, and Rick will stay with us. That should do it.)

“Alright, Euphene will lead the other team. Marina.”

“Yes?”

“Provide Euphene’s team with mana recovery potions (made from Magic Cherries, which restore mana).”

“Understood.”

“Shaqma, Lerio!”

“Yes?” they both responded.

“You two will command the other team due to your high command abilities.”

“Yes,” they both responded again, with Lerio looking a bit tense.

“You’ll be fine. Your command skills are more than enough for the deputy role. I’m counting on you. Euphene!”

“Yes.”

“Remember what I told you before. Understand the role of a leader?”

“…Yes,” Euphene replied, looking slightly displeased but agreeing.

“Captain, the item distribution is complete!” Marina reported.

“Alright. Everyone, we’ll split into two groups and proceed separately. We must reach the goal simultaneously. It won’t help if only one team makes it while the other doesn’t. I trust you all.”

The two groups crossed their respective brittle bridges. As soon as they finished crossing, the bridges crumbled and were swallowed by the raging torrent.

“Do you think Euphene and the others will be alright?” Monica asked Laurent worriedly.

“…We can only believe in them for now,” Laurent replied.

Several hours after Laurent and his group arrived at the eighth floor, Alric’s team also reached the eighth floor.

“…The Torrent Dungeon,” Alric muttered.

The Torrent Dungeon was a perpetual headache for adventurers aiming to conquer it. It forced teams to split into multiple groups, complicating the command structure and constantly troubling the commanders.

The split teams often struggled to reunite efficiently, significantly delaying the floor’s completion.

(But this is our chance to catch up. Laurent’s team lacks experience. They’ll be confused about splitting into two groups. We can close the gap here.)

Alric selected the most experienced deputy among his subordinates and appointed them as the leader of the separate team.

* * *

Leading her team, Euphene recalled Laurent’s words.

(Laurent said such things to me!)

It was before they entered the dungeon that Laurent had called her aside and said:

“You don’t have the aptitude for a commander.”

Euphene had been indignant at Laurent’s words.

“How can you say that if I haven’t tried yet?”

“No, I know. With my status appraisal, I can tell,” Laurent replied, appraising Euphene’s status.

[Euphene’s Status]

Command: 40-50

“Your command ability is… well, at best, average.”

Euphene had looked dissatisfied.

“You can still be the leader,” Laurent continued.

“What do you mean?” Euphene asked.

“You’ll hold the position of the leader, but the actual command will be delegated to someone else.”

“So, I’ll be a figurehead leader?” Euphene questioned.

“Not exactly. It just means separating the roles of position and responsibility.”

“Hmm?”

“Many people believe that those in leadership positions must be skilled in command or management. However, that’s not necessarily true. In my view, a position merely indicates where the ultimate responsibility lies,” Laurent explained.

“…” Euphene listened intently.

“There’s a concept called a ‘staff officer,’ someone who alleviates the burden on the commander and sometimes takes command themselves. You can delegate direct command to a staff officer. Essentially, your role isn’t to give orders but to delegate authority to your subordinates and take ultimate responsibility. This allows you to focus on your primary role as a healer. If you can do that, then I believe you can handle being the leader.”

Laurent paused, looking earnestly into Euphene’s eyes.

“The ‘Mine Dungeon’ includes the Torrent Dungeon. This is an excellent opportunity to test the command potential of you, Shaqma, and Lerio. Euphene, can you take responsibility for your subordinates?”

(That Laurent, saying such things… Fine. I’ll show him. I’ll reach the goal faster with my command than he will!)

“Lerio, don’t hold back. I’ll take full responsibility for everything you do. Give your commands without hesitation.”

“Yes!” Lerio responded eagerly.

Euphene proceeded to divide the group into three squads.

As they crossed the bridge, she assigned Shaqma to lead the front squad, Lerio to the rear, and she took charge of the center.

Waiting beyond the brittle bridge were five life-sized mini-golems, blocking their path.

“Alright. Shield team, clear them out. Let’s move. ‘Defense Enhancement!'”

Shaqma chanted a spell, enveloping the shield team in a blue light.

The shield team, undeterred by the weight of the life-sized miniature golems, pushed the enemies back.

While crossing the bridge, Lerio checked his footing.

(It’s narrow.)

The bridge was just wide enough for three people to pass side by side.

(With this narrow space, changing formations on the bridge would be a formidable task. This means we need to complete the front and rear guard arrangements before crossing. But what if we face unexpected enemy attacks while crossing?)

The unit marching on the narrow bridge stretched out in a single file.

If attacked from behind in this formation, even Euphene’s healing magic might not be able to respond in time.

“Euphene.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“When crossing the bridge, the formation inevitably gets stretched out. We should have a plan for when the rear is attacked.”

“Attacked from behind? Would that even happen?”

“I don’t know. But it’s too late to make a plan after it happens.”

“Hmm. But to move quickly, we need to focus on attacking forward.”

“Of course, we don’t need to ease up on the attack. Let’s focus on defense at the rear and cover it with our stats. But since we can’t avoid some exhaustion, could you support us with healing magic?”

“Got it. Lerio, let me know whenever you need healing magic.”

“Understood.”