The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 52

Chapter 52   Deanna’s Conspiracy

After brushing off Zens coldly, Deanna resumed her journey home, only to be called out again along the way.

“Hey, isn’t that Deanna?”

Deanna blinked in surprise when she saw the man carrying a halberd who had stopped her.

“You are… Gilbert.”

Gilbert was a B-class adventurer belonging to the second unit.

Despite being a veteran who had maintained his B-class adventurer status for over ten years, he was an oddball who refused to become a captain or a senior member.

According to him, positions of responsibility were too much trouble.

He and Deanna were old acquaintances.

“What’s wrong, Deanna? You’ve got that ‘things aren’t going well for me’ look on your face.”

“Shut up. I’ve just been given the cold shoulder by the guild master, so I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh, the new guild master. Even our unit leader has been complaining about him. Saying things like he neglects the captain and messes around with the subordinates.”

“That’s exactly it. We’re getting dragged around and it’s a real mess.”

“You’re having a hard time too, Deanna.”

Gilbert chuckled mischievously.

“Don’t talk like it’s someone else’s problem! Are you sure you’re okay? That guy Laurent is poking around about skill falsification in the second unit. Depending on how things go, you might be in trouble too, you know?”

“Hmph. I won’t make such a blunder as to let someone like him catch me. And I’m not planning on staying quiet about it either.”

“Oh, really…?”

Deanna sensed the smell of scheming and narrowed her eyes.

In fact, Gilbert, despite his carefree appearance and nonchalant attitude, was a man capable of maneuvering shrewdly.

For both Deanna and Lucius, Gilbert was an accomplice who had often provided conveniences and handled numerous dirty jobs to help control and manipulate the adventurers.

When she needed to buy weapons cheaply from the Alchemist Guild, when she wanted to expel an adventurer she disliked, or when assisting Lucius’s oppressive rule, Gilbert had always been working behind the scenes.

“How about it, Deanna? Want to go for a drink after a long time? I’ll listen to your complaints about the new boss.”

“Yeah. It might be nice to have a drink with you once in a while.”

The two of them headed out to the lantern-lit bar district, looking for a suitable place.

“This place looks good.”

Gilbert chose a quiet place, perfect for scheming, and went inside.

Once seated, Deanna began to vent her dissatisfaction with the current regime, and then started tearfully complaining about how devoted she had been to Laurent, yet how unfairly she was being treated.

It was thanks to her that Laurent was in his current position, but as soon as she was no longer useful, he started treating her coldly and trying to discard her.

It was just too much, and so on and so forth.

After listening to her complaints, Gilbert offered words of sympathy. He then suggested that, if she promised not to tell anyone, he could share a secret plan to regain her power. Deanna accepted this.

“Laurent must need the cooperation of the second unit.”

“How do you know that?”

“The plan to develop the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon’ existed even during Lucius’s time. However, it was understood that the cooperation of both the first unit, which had many mages, and the second unit, which had warriors, was necessary. In the end, the units competed, and the plan was shelved. Lucius decided it was more efficient to focus on developing the ‘Mine Dungeon’ with the ‘Golden Hawk’.”

“Oh, I remember that now,” Deanna said, recalling.

“Laurent needs the cooperation of the second unit to develop the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon’. Yet, resentment towards Laurent is growing within the second unit. We can’t miss this opportunity.”

Gilbert said while nibbling on some bar snacks.

“If I stir things up, the members of the second unit will band together and deepen their conflict with Laurent. That should trouble Laurent.”

“But won’t that just get the leaders of the second unit fired?”

“That’s where you come in. You can freely enter and leave the guild master’s office.”

“What do you mean?”

“You need to gather intel on Laurent. Find out how long and to what extent he can tolerate the second unit’s insubordination. I’ll use that information to manipulate the second unit. When the conflict between the second unit and Laurent reaches a critical point, we’ll offer to mediate. If we manage to play our cards right…”

“My influence over both Laurent and the second unit will increase.”

“Exactly.”

“Alright, I got it. I’ll start probing Laurent’s inner circle right away.”

“I’ll stir up the members of the second and third units.”

“If we succeed…”

“You’ll put in a good word for me with Laurent during my contract renewal to improve my conditions.”

“And you’ll continue to act as a bridge between me and the second unit, right?”

“Deal.”

They immediately sprang into action.

From the schedule she found in the guild master’s office, Deanna discovered that by the 19th of this month, they needed to send three B-class or higher item appraisers, and by the 23rd, over twenty B-class or higher warriors to the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon.’

Gilbert incited the adventurers by calling Laurent a “lapdog of the financiers.”

He spread the rumor that Laurent was teaching the adventurers skills that suited the financiers’ needs, using them up to generate profit, and planning to sell off ‘The Golden Hawk’ after driving it into chaos.

Jill was lifting the “Dragon-Slayer Hammer” in a room in the “Arsenal of the Spirits.”

“Ugh, grr…”

Jill struggled to lift the “Dragon-Slayer Hammer,” but gritting her teeth and with her arm muscles trembling, she somehow managed to hoist it onto her shoulder.

Laurent assessed her status from the side.

[Jill Irwin’s Status]

• • • • Power: 80-110

• • • • Toughness: 80-120

• • • • Agility: 80-105

• • • • Stamina: 140-200

(The recovery rate is around 70-80 percent. Even so, her stats are equivalent to an A-class adventurer. She should be able to handle most equipment with ease, but…)

[Dragon-Slayer Hammer’s Status]

• • • • Weight: 96

• • • • Capacity: 96

• • • • Power: 200

• • • • Durability: 200

• • • • Compatibility: 40%

(Jill’s power is 80, but the “Dragon-SlayerHammer” weighs 96! She can’t possibly handle it properly.)

As expected, Jill soon grimaced in pain.

“Ugh, oww…”

[Jill Irwin’s Status]

• • • • Power: 79 (↓1)-110

• • • • Toughness: 79 (↓1)-120

• • • • Agility: 79 (↓1)-105

• • • • Stamina: 139 (↓1)-200

[Dragon-Slayer Hammer’s Status]

• • • • Weight: 96

• • • • Capacity: 96

• • • • Power: 200

• • • • Durability: 200

• • • • Compatibility: 39 (↓1) percent

(This isn’t good. Just equipping the “Dragon-Slayer Hammer” drains her stats.)

“Jill, that’s enough.”

“Ugh, okay.”

Jill lowered the “Dragon-Slayer Hammer” onto the nearby stand and took a deep breath.

The stand creaked under the weight of the hammer.

Jill cracked the joints in her arms and shoulders, trying to recover from the damage.

“How is it, Laurent?” Charl asked with a tense expression.

“It’s no good. The compatibility rate of the ‘Dragon-Slayer Hammer’ with Jill is 40%. Moreover, it’s continuing to drop as her stats decrease.”

“I see, as expected,” Charl said, crossing her arms with a troubled look.

“As it is now, her stats will be depleted. If Jill’s stats were at their peak, she might be able to equip the ‘Dragon-Slayer Hammer’ alone, but Jill isn’t just equipping the hammer. She’s a heavy-armored knight, so she also needs to equip armor and a shield. At best, the compatibility rate would be around 70%. We need to reduce the weight or come up with a better design.”

“However, reducing the weight further is impossible,” Daevin said.

“One ‘Neocraft’ weighs 16, but it’s an extremely difficult material to process, and six are necessary to make a sword. If we try to make a sword with fewer than five ‘Neocrafts’, it would exceed the design limits, and even with Jill’s sword skill at level A, the accuracy and power would drastically decrease.”

Daevin explained while pointing to the blueprint of the “Dragon-Slayer Hammer” on the wall and the numbers written on it.

“Hmm. In that case, we’ll have to compromise on the weight of the armor and shield, or somehow improve the material itself.”

“That means it’s time for Silver B+,” Ranju said, entering the room while pushing a cart loaded with a wooden box full of silver.

“Ranju! Could it be…”

“Yes, it’s all Silver B+. We mined a lot. With this, we can produce a lightweight version of ‘Neocraft’.”

“Alright. Let’s create a lightweight version of ‘Neocraft’ and use that as the basis for a new ‘Dragon-Slayer Hammer’.”

At Laurent’s command, the members of the “Arsenal of the Spirits” began discussing enthusiastically.

(This should cover the “Dragon-SlayerHammer” for now. Next is…)

“Laurent.”

While Laurent was deep in thought, Jill approached and looked into his face.

“Oh, Jill. Are you okay? You must be exhausted from equipping the ‘Dragon-Slayer Hammer’.”

“I’m fine. But what about you, Laurent? Aren’t you busy as the guild master of ‘The Golden Hawk’? You came all the way to the ‘Arsenal of the Spitits’ just to adjust the ‘Dragon-Slayer Hammer’.”

“No problem. You’re a top earner for ‘The Golden Hawk’. Besides, we need to quickly establish the S-Class Monster Subjugation Unit.”

(To subdue S-Class monsters, we’ll need to venture outside the city. Our immediate goals are to establish a base outside the city and set up an information network…)

When Laurent glanced at Jill, she was blushing slightly and looking at him with an expectant expression.

Laurent smiled wryly.

“Ah, um, Jill, there’s a shortage of strong workers in the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon’. If you don’t mind, could you help out there?”

“Yes, I’d be happy to!”

Jill’s face lit up with genuine happiness at being given a job by Laurent.

She couldn’t help but be delighted with anything she received from Laurent.

“Laurent! Are you here, Laurent? Ah, there you are, Laurent!”

Claria came rushing in.

“I finally found you, Laurent. This workshop is so huge…”

She had clearly been running around asking for Laurent’s location, as her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a bit messy.

“Claria. What’s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Message from Alric. There’s a shortage of manpower for transporting ores, so he wants strong adventurers to be sent as soon as possible.”

“Oh, that’s right, Laurent.”

Hearing Claria’s message, Daevin also came over.

“What’s the status on the strong adventurers needed to procure ‘Chimera Feathers’ and the appraisers who can use ‘Item Appraisal’? If we don’t hurry, we won’t make it before the dungeon closes.”

“…Yeah, I know.”

(It looks like I have no choice but to seek help from the second unit… There’s no other way.)

They were supposed to meet with them later, but the conflict still hadn’t been resolved.

Thinking about it made Laurent feel depressed.

“Hey, Daevin.”

“Yes?”

“Do we really have to send the adventurers?”

“Huh? What are you saying? Of course, we do.”

“Ugh, yeah, I thought so.”

Daevin watched Laurent leave with a puzzled look on his face.

When Ist and his group entered the guild master’s office, Laurent had a bad feeling even before the conversation started.

He could already see the dissatisfaction on their faces.

“Good to see you, Ist. By the way…”

Laurent glanced at the people following Ist.

Several executives from the second unit were waiting there.

“I only called for you alone…”

“I thought it would be best if they heard directly from the guild master. I’ll have to relay the message to them anyway. It’s more efficient to tell everyone at once.”

“I see, well, that’s fine. So, about the changes in equipment and training for your unit that we discussed last time…”

(Last time, they refused due to a lack of facilities and equipment, but Claria should have everything prepared this time.)

“This time, everything should be properly prepared. Can you accept the changes in Miguel and the others’ equipment and training?”

“We’ve confirmed that the new facilities and equipment are ready. However, I’ll decide the timing for the changes and give the orders.”

Tension filled the room.

Laurent and Ist stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Well, fine. Anyway, I have a new mission for you.”

“A new mission?”

“Yes, we need adventurers with high strength power for managing the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon.’ I want you to take on this task.”

“First, you instruct us to change our training, and now you want us to help with dungeon management?”

“The guild master makes unreasonable demands.”

Ist and the others said mockingly.

“So, will you do it or not?”

“We don’t mind. But we have conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“Yes, we want the Alric squad to be withdrawn from the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon.'”

“Withdraw the Alric squad? No, that’s impossible. The Alric squad is in charge of managing the mine in the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon.’ I can’t cancel their mission.”

“In that case, we can’t cooperate.”

“What!?”

“Only one squad can be responsible for one dungeon. That was the unwritten rule in ‘Golden Hawk.'”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

Laurent started to get frustrated again.

(This is ridiculous. Handing over the first squad’s work to the second squad now? That would completely undermine Alric.)

“Unwritten rule or not, now is not the time to be saying such things. ‘Golden Hawk’ itself needs rebuilding. We need to put aside the friction between squads and cooperate with each other.”

“That won’t work. If two squads enter the same dungeon, conflicts will inevitably arise. From entering and exiting the dungeon to competing for base camps and item distribution. If one side doesn’t take the lead, disputes are bound to happen.”

“That might be true, but…”

“If you insist that we and the first squad work together, put the Alric squad under our command.”

“No, that’s…”

“If you can’t do that, we’ll have to decline this mission. Goodbye.”

“Hey, wait!”

Laurent called out to Ist and his group, but the second squad members left the room without stopping.

(Damn it, I can’t believe they’re so blatantly defying my orders…)

Laurent cursed internally.

“What should we do? I never expected them to defy even a direct order from the Guild Master.”

Claria, who had been listening nearby, looked at Laurent, bewildered.

“In this situation, we might need to take some strict measures, Guild Master.”

Deanna, who had been quietly sitting in the corner of the room, suddenly leaned forward and spoke up.

“Deanna…”

“If they’re not going to follow the Guild Master’s orders, then we have no choice but to take appropriate measures. Let’s dismiss Ist from his position as the leader of the second squad. Additionally, we should impose pay cuts, demotions, and suspensions on the key members as collective punishment. Strip them of their command authority. This will make the second squad comply with our orders.”

“That’s a bit… isn’t that too harsh?”

“Guild Master, it may be strict, but we can’t let this slide. It’s crucial to assert your authority right now.”

“No… Wait a bit before dismissing Ist.”

Judging by the behavior of the second squad earlier, their unity seemed strong.

If he rashly dismissed Ist and the others now, the rift with the second squad could deepen further.

(Their contract period is still ongoing. A decisive break with the second squad now would be disastrous. I need to find a way to persuade them and resolve this without causing further conflict.)

“Let’s wait and see for a bit longer. I’m sure we can come to an understanding through discussion.”

Deanna shrugged.

However, inwardly, she was smirking.

(It seems he’s afraid of a full-on clash with the second squad right now. Even when defied so openly, he can’t bring himself to impose severe punishment.)

Deanna couldn’t suppress the thrill of feeling in control for the first time in a long while, even though she maintained a composed exterior.

(Laurent can’t punish the second squad. I need to report this to Gilbert immediately.)

The members of the second squad, demonstrating their unity, continued to defy Laurent orders, training together in the same location and gathering at a tavern after work.

“Gilbert, we did as you said. We defied the Guild Master’s orders. This is the right move, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s going smoothly.”

Gilbert, raising his cup, spoke to the squad leaders.

“Listen up, this is crucial. Don’t lose your nerve. Keep making unreasonable demands while hiding our true intentions, and force them to make concessions. That’s the key to negotiations. Accept whatever they offer, and give nothing in return. Under no circumstances should they learn our true demands. If they do, they’ll definitely undermine and bargain us down.”

“But is this really okay? Defying them so openly. If the Guild Master gets furious and fires us…”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got spies keeping tabs on their movements. We’re making sure they don’t go overboard.”

“Really? Is that true?”

“You’re as shrewd as ever.”

“Laurent needs those with our appraisal skills. On the 19th… in two days, he’ll definitely make another move.”

Gilbert said, checking his pocket watch.

“For now, let’s just wait and see.”

“Got it. That’s reassuring to hear.”

“Yeah, if Gilbert says so, there’s no doubt about it.”

The second squad leaders breathed a sigh of relief.

“Listen up, everyone. The Guild Master is still new and his position is unstable. If there’s a time to push back, it’s now. Opportunities like this don’t come often. We’ll seize it. Remember, he’s just a young guy. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just because he’s sitting in the Guild Master’s seat doesn’t mean he can control us. Let’s teach him that.”

“Yeah, that’s right!”

“Let’s finally address our grievances and fulfill the second squad’s long-cherished desires.”

“Together, we’ll fight!”

When Gilbert raised his cup, the leaders did the same, swearing their solidarity.

(They only see what they want to see, believe what they want to believe. Heh, such simpletons.)

The next day, Laurent consulted with Alric.

He couldn’t directly ask Alric to support the second squad.

Instead, he indirectly conveyed Ist’s dissatisfaction with working under the first squad.

As expected, Alric frowned uncomfortably.

“Can’t we gather manpower from sources other than the second squad? For example, recruiting externally?”

“That won’t work. We can’t afford to spend more money. I need to find a way to come to terms with the second squad.”

With that, Alric shook his head wearily.

“Laurent, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you with that matter either. You’ll have to figure it out on your own.”

(What should I do? Should I follow Deanna’s advice and impose strict punishment on Ist and the others? But that might only increase the friction with the second squad. Should I just make the second squad directly subordinate to me? No, but…)

The Guardians of the Magic Tree, the Guild Master of the Arsenal of the Spirits, and the Guild Master of the Golden Hawk.

Even now, they were already stretched thin, and taking on more squads would be too much.

(But do they understand? If we don’t succeed in developing the Dungeon of the Demon Realm, the Golden Hawk Guild will have no future. They’re only thinking about the immediate situation, but in the end, it’ll be us who suffer.)

“It seems you’re troubled, Guild Master.”

As Laurent pondered, Deanna approached with an oddly relaxed demeanor.

“Deanna…”

“If you’d like, shall I mediate with the second squad for you?”

“Huh? You?”

“Yes. I’ve been on good terms with some members of the second squad for a while now. When I consulted them about this matter, some of them expressed willingness to mediate.”

For Laurent, this was a lifeline.

But even Laurent couldn’t help feeling suspicious.

(Strange. This is all too convenient.)

Laurent stared intently at Deanna’s face.

(Does she… know something?)

Internally, Deanna smirked.

(If Laurent relies on me here, he’ll have no choice but to leave the second squad to me in the future. And if I can gain Laurent’s trust, I can regain the power I had during the time of Lucius.)

“Guild Master, I assure you I won’t cause any trouble. Could you please entrust this matter to me?”

“Just give me a moment to think about it.”