The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 49

Chapter 49   The Vacant Guild Leader

“Ugh, I’m really exhausted. Tackling two dungeons back-to-back is no joke.”

Returning from the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon,’ Euphene groaned to Monica beside her as she massaged her stiff shoulders.

“Just because it’s crunch time doesn’t mean we should be dungeon hopping like this. Laurent owes us a treat for this… Hey, Monica! Where are you going? Wait up!”

Euphene hurriedly chased after Monica, who had suddenly dashed off.

Monica headed straight for the quest reception desk.

She immediately checked the defeat count rankings.

(Alright! I’ve got the top spot for the month!)

Monica pumped her fist in triumph.

(It was tough, but I managed to pull through. Laurent will definitely acknowledge me now, right?)

As Monica was lost in her thoughts, she heard cheers coming from the street.

“What’s all the excitement about?”

“Not sure. Let’s find out. Excuse me!”

Euphene called out to a man walking down the street.

“Seems like there’s quite a commotion. Do you know what’s going on?”

“Oh, an S-class adventurer has been born.”

“An S-class adventurer?”

Monica and Euphene exchanged glances.

The two of them dashed into the street to get a better view of the parade.

In the middle of the road stood Laurent and Jill, receiving blessings from the people.

(Laurent… together with Jill…)

Seeing this sight, Monica felt a strange unease in her chest.

* * *

Lucius had disappeared.

The townspeople, caught up in the excitement of the birth of an S-class adventurer, took a while to notice his absence.

Lucius had become a wanted criminal.

The police quickly set up a cordon to prevent Lucius from escaping the town.

The town, which had been in a festive mood, suddenly turned tense with armed security forces patrolling regularly.

“Even though he’s declined since becoming the guild leader, he’s still a former A-class adventurer. Don’t underestimate him. When you apprehend him, do it in groups. At least three people. If you encounter him alone, stall for time until reinforcements arrive.”

The security captain warned his subordinates to be cautious.

The police also visited ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree’ to seek their cooperation.

Laurent watched the armored and armed security forces return to their regular patrol from the window of ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree.’

(I was persuaded by Deanna to inform the police, but was that really the right thing to do? I never imagined Lucius would disappear.)

While Laurent was lost in thought, Lilianne came up beside him.

“It’s unsettling, isn’t it? Lucius still hasn’t been caught. And the guild leader position of ‘Golden Hawk’ remains vacant.”

Laurent didn’t respond, continuing to stare out the window with a troubled expression.

(Lucius, what are you thinking? Are you planning to struggle in vain with these actions? The game is over. What good will it do to add more crimes to your name?)

The banker visited Laurent the next day.

“You want me to become the guild leader of ‘Golden Hawk’…?” Laurent asked.

“Yes, we would very much appreciate it,” the banker replied, puffing on a cigar in the reception room of ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree.’

“We’ve already received unanimous consent from all investors. Lucius has been dismissed, and we want you to become the new guild leader of ‘Golden Hawk.’ All that remains is your acceptance.”

“But this is so sudden… I’m currently busy with both ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree’ and ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ guilds…”

“’Golden Hawk’ is in a terrible state right now. Due to Lucius’s repeated failures, their profits have plummeted. If things continue as they are, the unemployed adventurers will flood the streets.”

“But I’m an executive of ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree.’ ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree’ is a rival guild to ‘Golden Hawk.’ For me to become their guild leader…”

“Jill Irwin.”

At the mention of her name, Laurent flinched.

“Wouldn’t it be a loss if she were prosecuted? For her, and for the city as well.”

“…”

“For whatever reason, she violated her contract with the guild. The decision of the next guild leader of ‘Golden Hawk’ is uncertain, but her position could be in jeopardy depending on their judgment.”

“Are you using her as a bargaining chip?”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean. It’s just that ‘Golden Hawk’ is in such dire straits, and we don’t have much time to turn things around.”

“…”

The banker pressed his cigar into the ashtray and stood up wearily.

“I’ll take my leave for today. Take your time to consider. But remember, we don’t have much time. We need your answer within a week.”

Inside the building of ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree,’ the atmosphere was still vibrant with the excitement of their recent victory. However, there was an undercurrent of unease that couldn’t be entirely hidden.

The rumor that Laurent had been offered the position of guild leader of ‘Golden Hawk’ had already spread, and everyone knew about it.

Amidst this, Monica, Shaqma, and Euphene were having lunch in the cafeteria.

“What do you think Laurent-san is going to do?” Shaqma initiated the conversation.

“He wouldn’t really leave ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree,’ right?”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would Laurent-san go back to ‘Golden Hawk’ now?” Euphene retorted sharply.

“‘Golden Hawk’ being the top guild in the city is a thing of the past. Now ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree’ holds the clear advantage.”

“That’s true. Laurent-san wouldn’t abandon us to go to ‘Golden Hawk,’ right?” Shaqma said, relieved.

“Exactly. So we need to focus on what’s in front of us. We have to train our stats and manage the dungeons in preparation for the next dungeon appearance. We have three dungeons to take care of, after all.”

“…”

“Monica? What’s wrong?” Euphene asked, peering at Monica, who had been deep in thought.

“Huh? Oh, nothing, really,” Monica replied.

“Are you sure? You look like you have something on your mind.”

“It does seem like you’re not all here,” Shaqma added.

“I’m fine, really. Nothing’s wrong,” Monica said, trying to cover up by sipping her soup.

“Alright, if you say so…”

But Monica quickly fell back into silence, staring down.

(“We have a clear advantage now… but Laurent-san cares about Jill-san…”)

Since returning from the dungeon, Monica had crossed paths with Laurent several times, but he always wore a troubled expression and said nothing to her.

Laurent visited the “Spirit Workshop” to make arrangements for managing the dungeons.

As soon as he entered the workshop, he heard Ranju talking to a sales representative.

“I’m telling you, we can’t take on jobs under 500,000 gold. We can’t even make them if we wanted to. We’re already months out on 1,000,000 gold deals. Ah, Laurent-san. Sorry, could you come back later?”

Ranju noticed Laurent’s presence and interrupted his conversation with the sales rep to approach him.

“Laurent-san, welcome back! We’re ready for the dungeon management meeting.”

“Alright, let’s head to the conference room.”

“Oh, it’s Laurent-san.”

“Welcome back, Laurent-san.”

As Laurent crossed the workshop, the workers greeted him. Among them were Arri and Charl.

“Laurent-san, could you check the refined silver later?”

“Laurent-san! Could you look at the maintenance for the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’ later?”

“Sure, I’ll take a look at everything later.”

As usual, Laurent inspected the workshop’s equipment, inventory, supplies, and the workers’ condition.

(This place really puts me at ease.)

When Laurent glanced at a corner of the workshop, he saw Jill and Daevin there.

“Jill. Daevin.”

“Laurent-san, sorry for intruding.”

“Hello.”

Both greeted Laurent with a bow.

Laurent felt a mix of emotions. While it made sense for Daevin to be there as an alchemist, Jill’s presence indicated that she had no place left in “Golden Hawk.”

“Daevin, sorry for making you stay until the end.”

“No, working with Charl is a learning experience for me.”

“Jill, I apologize to you as well. You still haven’t fully recovered from the battle with the Skull Dragon, have you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that…”

“Until we prepare for the adjustment of the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer,’ feel free to use the rest facilities of the ‘Spirits Workshop.’ Treat it like your own home and relax.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

With that, Laurent headed to the conference room with Ranju.

As they walked, they started their discussion.

“Currently, our workshop’s stock consists of 50 silver ore, 20 Earthstone raw stones, 20 Jianite raw stones, and 100 iron ore. For next month’s production, we’ll need 300 silver ore, 300 Earthstone, and 1000 iron. So, we aim to extract 250 silver ore, 280 Earthstone and 900 iron from the mines during this dungeon management.”

“I see.”

Ranju opened the door to the conference room.

On the table was a map of the dungeons, with red marks indicating the locations where ore could be mined.

“There are five ore deposits in the newly appeared dungeons that can yield over 1,000 ores. One each on the 9th, 11th, and 22nd floors of the ‘Mine Dungeon,’ one on the 13th floor of the ‘Forest Dungeon,’ and one on the 8th floor of the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon.'”

“Five, huh?”

“Yes. So, we need to assemble five teams to escort the alchemists and clear the monsters near these deposits. Can we manage five teams?”

“Hmm. ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree’ alone can muster only three teams at best. It’s not ideal to rely on outsiders either.”

“What if we get cooperation from ‘Golden Hawk’?”

“…I wonder. ‘Golden Hawk’ is in a tough spot right now.”

“…That’s true.”

Ranju didn’t press further and moved on to the next topic.

“A new silversmith?”

“Yes, to be honest, Charl has reached her limit. Not only is she making silverware, but she’s also developing new weapons and maintaining ‘Silver Ironbreaking Bows’ and other weapons. Her stamina is already at its limit.”

“Indeed, Charl’s stamina is at its limit.”

Laurent glanced out of the glass window toward the workshop.

The workshop and the conference room were separated by a glass window, allowing Laurent to always see the workers in the workshop from the second-floor conference room.

Laurent assessed Charl’s status as she worked.

[Charl Cotton’s Status]

• • • • Stamina: 30

(It takes 10 stamina to make one piece of silverware. Since she also needs to manufacture and design weapons, Charl can only make one piece of silverware a day, and at most 20 pieces a month. To increase revenue in the future, we need to produce more silverware and weapons. It’s indeed tough for Charl to handle it alone.)

“Got it. I’ll handle that.”

“Thank you.”

“Anything else?”

“Well… what about the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’?”

Laurent’s face clouded slightly.

“Hmm? Is there something wrong with the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’?”

“If… if we can continue to maintain a good relationship with the ‘Golden Hawk’… we can continue to handle the maintenance of the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer.’ In that case, we need to continue producing new materials. However, if we don’t receive maintenance fees from the ‘Golden Hawk,’ we will stop the production of new materials. What should we do?”

Aware of the offer for Laurent to become the guild master, Ranju spoke carefully.

“Hmm, I see.”

Laurent thought for a moment.

“Sorry, but I need more time to think about that. Can you wait?”

“Understood.”

“I’ll go see Arri.”

With that, Laurent left the conference room.

Ranju watched Laurent’s back with a worried expression.

“Look at this,” Arri said, showing Laurent two materials on a tray: the new material for the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’ and a new material called ‘NeoCraft.’

“This is…”

(They’re both the same new material, NeoCraft, but something’s different?)

Laurent examined the two NeoCraft materials offered by Arri using item appraisal.

[NeoCraft in Right Hand]

• • • • Quality: A

• • • • Weight: 16

• • • • Capacity: 16

[NeoCraft in Left Hand]

• • • • Quality: A+

• • • • Weight: 15

• • • • Capacity: 15

(The NeoCraft in my right hand weighs 16 and has a capacity of 16, while the one in my left hand weighs 15 and has a capacity of 15. Hmm? The one in my left hand is A+?)

“What do you think?”

“Yeah, there’s definitely a difference. One is NeoCraft A, and the other is NeoCraft A+. The latter has slightly less capacity. How is that…?”

“The materials are different.”

“Different materials?”

Laurent appraised the items again.

[Materials for NeoCraft A]

• • • • Iron A: 3 pieces

• • • • Silver A: 6 pieces

• • • • Jianite A: 1 piece

[Materials for NeoCraft A+]

• • • • Iron A: 3 pieces

• • • • Silver B+: 6 pieces

• • • • Jianite A: 1 piece

“Oh, the NeoCraft A+ uses Silver B+ instead of Silver A?”

“Yes, it was by chance. A newbie mistakenly used Silver B instead of Silver A. But thanks to that, we realized the existence of this special Silver B. And we discovered that we could create NeoCraft A, which supposedly could only be made with Silver A, using this special Silver B.”

“And this special Silver B is…”

“Over there,” Arri pointed.

Arri pointed to a stack of silver pieces. Laurent appraised the silver.

[Silver Status]

• • • • Quality: B+

• • • • Weight: 1

• • • • Capacity: 1

• • • • Magic Power: 90

(Quality B+. The weight and capacity are lower than ordinary silver, and the magic content is unusually high.)

“Arri, this is indeed a special kind of Silver B.”

“Is that so? I thought so too.”

“You figured this out on your own? Without item appraisal?”

“Yes. By touching and observing it, I felt something different.”

Arri smiled sheepishly.

“I heard that the main issue with operating the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’ was its weight and capacity, so I thought this might help.”

“Oh, it’s a huge help. Just reducing the weight and capacity of the new material NeoCraft by one makes a big difference.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Laurent appraised Arri’s status.

[Arri’s Status]

• • • • Observation: 90-100

(She’s improved her observation skills to 90-100.)

Laurent looked at Arri again. She seemed much more robust compared to when they first met.

(She’s been diligently working in front of the kiln all this time.)

“Laurent? Is something wrong?” Arri leaned in, peering at him.

“Hmm, how should I put it… I’m glad I hired you.”

“I’m also glad to be working at the ‘Spirit Workshop.”

The two smiled at each other.

“So… what about it, Laurent-san? Are you going to produce new materials next month? What about the ‘Golden Hawk’?”

Laurent fell silent with a troubled expression.

“Sorry. I’m still in the middle of discussing that with Ranju.”

“I see.”

“I’m going to Charl place. I need to tell her about the new material Neo Craft.”

“Yes.”

Arri watched Laurent’s back with a worried expression as he left.

In a corner of the workshop, Jill watched Daevin wield the ‘Dragon Slayer’ with a resounding clang.

“Thanks.”

“Hm?”

Daevin stopped striking abruptly as Jill spoke out of the blue.

“The ‘Dragon Slayer.’ Without it, I couldn’t have defeated the Skull Dragon.”

“That wasn’t a weapon I made.”

“Huh?”

“Charl-chan designed that. I couldn’t fully utilize the new material myself.”

“Is that so?”

“I thought it was impossible for me to make a weapon with that material. It’s too heavy to be a sword. But she suggested making a hammer in the shape of a sword. I just followed her idea. She’s definitely far superior to me in terms of design.”

“Hmm, that’s unusual. You praising someone so much.”

“It’s nothing. Just stating the facts. Anyway, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“You blatantly betrayed the ‘Golden Hawk’ like that. I was still following Lucius’s orders, so I have an excuse. But some people resent you. Especially those belonging to the Alric Squad. They think we could have won if you hadn’t betrayed us.”

“We don’t know what punishment the next Guildmaster will give you, but depending on the circumstances, you might not be able to stay in the ‘Golden Hawk’ anymore… no, you might not even be able to stay in this town.”

“I have no regrets.”

Jill said with a heavy expression.

“I would be fine as long as Laurent-san’s honor could be restored. As long as I can repay Laurent-san. I’m prepared to endure any blame for that. So…”

“I see. That’s quite a noble loyalty. Well, it doesn’t concern me. But what are we going to do about this ‘Dragon Slayer’? It technically belongs to the ‘Golden Hawk,’ but if you get expelled from the town, there won’t be anyone to wield it.”

Jill’s expression grew even more melancholic.

Daevin sighed.

(Oh well, can’t be helped.)

“I hesitated whether to say it or not, but I’ll tell you anyway. The next Guildmaster of the ‘Golden Hawk’ might be Laurent-san.”

“What!?”

“Yesterday, a carriage from the banker was parked at the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ building. The banker, who’s one of the investors of the ‘Golden Hawk.’ Rumor has it that they came to offer Laurent-san the position of Guildmaster.”

“Huh? But then… Laurent-san might come back? To the ‘Golden Hawk’?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a rumor. And Laurent-san has his own circumstances too.”

“I see. That makes sense.”

Jill slumped her shoulders.

“But, perhaps if you ask…”

“I can’t ask for something like that. He already saved my life once. It would be too much to burden him further…”

At that moment, a child’s voice echoed in the workshop.

“Jill-san!”

Charl approached Jill and Daevin, pulling on Laurent’s sleeve.

Jill startled and quickly withdrew her gloomy expression.

“Charl-chan. And Laurent-san…”

“I brought Laurent-san here. Let’s start adjusting the ‘Dragon Slayer’ right away.”

Laurent appraised the ‘Dragon Slayer.’

【Dragon Slayer’s Stats】

Weight: 96

Capacity: 96

Power: 200

Durability: 200

(Weight 96. Indeed, an absurd weight for a weapon. Even considering wearing armor, one would need a strength power of over 96 just to equip it properly. Even for someone like Jill, who has prepared herself physically, walking around the dungeon with this would be tough. Likely, just equipping it would drain stats. Furthermore, the capacity is also 96. Even an A-class item holder couldn’t carry it for long. But, on the other hand, both the power and durability are 200. With the power to defeat even A-class monsters or boss monsters in one blow and durability like a monster that never breaks no matter how many times you use it.)

“What do you think, Laurent-san?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s an amazing equipment. But, as expected, the weight and capacity are an issue.”

“Yeah, that’s right. What should we do?”

Charl pondered with her arms crossed.

“Take a look at this.”

Laurent took out the new material Neo Craft + from his pocket.

“What’s that?”

“Arri discovered it. It’s a new material called Neo Craft A. Same item but with different weight and capacity.”

“Let me see. Oh, you’re right. It’s slightly lighter and has less capacity. Well spotted.”

Daevin took it, felt its texture, and examined it with a magnifying glass.

“This should save about 7 in weight. The power and durability might drop slightly, but it should still be sufficient. If we adjust the design and train Jill’s strength power, I think we can use it as regular equipment.”

“Yay! Then, Jill-san, please try equipping it right away. Let’s adjust it.”

“Haha, spare me. Thanks to ‘Focused Burst,’ I’ve completely depleted my stats. Right now, I can’t even wield a sword with a weight of 20.”

Laurent also appraised Jill’s stats.

【Jill Irwin’s Stats】

Strength Power: 10-110

Durability Toughness: 10-120

Agility: 10-105

Stamina: 10-200

“Hmm. Indeed. It seems you should rest a bit more.”

“That’s the story. Charl-chan, cut her some slack.”

“Ugh.”

“Charl, you still have silverwork to finish, right? Instead of chatting with Jill-san, get back to work already,”

Ranju urged.

“Okay, okay. Jill-san, please recover your stats quickly. Let’s adjust this one’s ‘Dragon Slayer’!”

Charl said innocently.

Jill gave a wry smile.

“Yeah, that’s right. Hopefully, we can do it.”

An awkward silence fell over the group.

Charl, however, remained puzzled, tilting her head in wonder.

After finishing the meeting with Laurent, Ranju went to the break room and found someone already there.

“Oh, Arri-san.”

“Ah, Ranju-san.”

“How did it go? The talk about the silver B+. What did Laurent-san say?”

“He said it was well spotted and praised me. How about you? Is the dungeon management going well? Are you able to recruit adventurers?”

“Um, it’s difficult. It would go smoothly if the ‘Golden Hawk’ cooperates.”

“What does Laurent-san intend to do about the offer to become the Guildmaster of the ‘Golden Hawk’?”

“Hmm…”

Both of them, knowing the circumstances well, wore troubled expressions.

“If Laurent-san joins the ‘Golden Hawk,’ the income for ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ would purely increase.”

“But what about the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’?”

“That’s the problem. Plus, there’s Jill’s situation to consider.”

“That’s true.”

“Well, there’s no point in us discussing this matter further. It’s up to Laurent-san to decide.”

Dungeon management began.

Since it’s impossible for ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ and ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ to manage all three dungeons, they allowed guilds and adventurers who wanted to train their stats or collect items to enter for a fee.

However, they strictly controlled access to the mines where the highest quality ores were found, allowing only personnel from ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ and ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ to enter.

Laurent led his team while adjusting their stats, aiming for the ore bed on the 11th floor.

Ranju followed Laurent and mined the ore himself.

He dug up silver ore with his favorite pickaxe.

“Laurent-san, is this okay?”

Ranju held up the mined ore towards Laurent.

“Let me see.”

Laurent accepted the silver ore and appraised it.

【Silver Ore’s Stats】

Quality: B+

Weight: 2

Capacity: 2

Magic Power: 90

(Silver Ore B+. No doubt about it. It’s the material for the new Neo Craft.)

“Ranju, this is it. This is the right one. Please continue mining this ore.”

“Understood!”

Ranju used the skill ‘Ore Mining’ to dig out the ore.

With ‘Ore Mining’ now at level A, Ranju could extract any desired ore from the ore bed.

In no time, a large amount of Silver Ore B+ was excavated.

(For now, it seems like we can create Neo Craft A+. The rest depends on my decision.)

“Laurent-san.”

As Laurent pondered, a voice came from above.

“Lily? What’s up?”

“Our work finished unexpectedly quickly, so I came to see. But more importantly, I found something interesting.”

Though Laurent tilted his head in curiosity, he followed Lilianne with his team as she guided them in a certain direction.

Lilianne led Laurent and the others to a place where there was a giant dragon carcass.

“Oh, that’s…”

“It’s the carcass of the Skull Dragon.”

Monica and Shaqma approached with keen interest.

“Hey, look at that!”

Euphene pointed to a part of the Skull Dragon’s bones.

Where she pointed, there was a substance interspersed among the white bones, emitting a glossy shine in some areas.

“Could that be… silver!?”

As adventurers approached, it was indeed silver.

Immediately, adventurers began to destroy or chip away at the Skull Dragon’s bones with their weapons.

“Wow, this is amazing.”

“It’s a relief that we don’t need to dig.”

“I’ve heard rumors that the Skull Dragon’s bones are made of precious metals, but I never thought it was true.”

Adventurers dismantled the Skull Dragon’s bones and turned them into items.

Laurent looked at the Skull Dragon’s carcass with a melancholic expression.

Certainly, it was a valuable harvest for the guild.

However, the true person who should have obtained this collection was not present here.

As Laurent watched the Skull Dragon being dismantled with a sense of melancholy, Lilianne landed beside him.

“You don’t seem very happy about this, do you?”

“…It’s not like that.”

“I thought you’d be more pleased.”

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

“Laurent-san.”

“Hm?”

“How about taking on the role of Guildmaster of the ‘Golden Hawk’?”

“Huh? But…”

“Rebuilding the ‘Golden Hawk’ and developing the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree.’ These two goals are not contradictory, right?”

“Lily…”

“It’s okay.”

She gave Laurent a gentle smile.

“Decide as your heart guides you. This time, we’ll support you.”

The next day, Laurent visited the banker’s mansion.

“Good of you to come. Now, let’s get to the point.”

Laurent settled into a luxurious leather chair.

“The deadline for your answer hasn’t come yet, but by coming here like this, I assume you’ve made up your mind, correct?”

“Yes. I would like to accept the offer to become Guildmaster of the ‘Golden Hawk.'”

“Ah, good on you. Then…”

“However, there are conditions.”