The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 58 & 59

Chapter 58   Wandering Hawk

After settling things with Lucius, Laurent and his companions escorted Charl home and reported the events to the police.

Since it was already late at night, the investigation was scheduled for the next day.

Laurent and his team were also told to come back the following day.

The next day, Lucius’s body was recovered from the cave, and Laurent and his team were released after a brief questioning.

As Laurent left the police station, he passed by some children running and playing.

Ladies were gossiping cheerfully, and workers were diligently going about their tasks.

With the root of the problems removed, the town seemed to have regained its peace.

However, Laurent’s heart remained heavy.

A new month arrived.

The old dungeon closed, and a new dungeon appeared.

A new battle had begun.

Adventurers, eager for unseen glory and treasure, headed towards the dungeon with high spirits.

Along with this, the battle between Laurent’s “Guardians of the Magical Tree” and Ist’s “Golden Hawk” team ignited.

As predicted, the second team led by Ist couldn’t last beyond the fifth floor before becoming exhausted.

Monica and her group, prepared for a fierce fight, found the lack of resistance almost disappointing.

Even though defeat seemed inevitable for Ist and his team, they stubbornly pursued Monica’s group, only to collapse and become stranded halfway through the dungeon floors.

The “Golden Hawk” was forced to send a rescue team for them.

Reluctantly, Laurent ordered Jill to assemble a team to rescue the second unit.

As expected, the “Mine Dungeon” fell into the hands of the “Guardians of the Magical Tree.”

Monica’s team, celebrated as the strongest unit in town, basked in the people’s admiration, while the second team faced public ridicule and derision.

It was rumored that the second team would soon be disbanded.

Nevertheless, the dungeon was successfully conquered, and once again, the “City of Adventurers” was enveloped in a celebratory mood.

* * *

The well-dressed man stood at the carriage stop, map in hand, looking around curiously.

As he did so, another equally well-dressed man approached him.

“Oh, you must be the banker…”

“And you are… Count Elson…”

The two were not particularly close but were acquainted, having met and shaken hands at several upper-class parties.

“It’s quite rare for a lord like you to come to the adventurer’s town of the Free City.”

“I heard there is a parade to celebrate the dungeon conquest. Even though it’s a Free City, it is technically within my domain. I thought I might as well inspect it once in a while.”

“I see.”

“I wanted to witness the brave adventurers firsthand. By the way, what brings you here?”

“I’m here to listen to the monthly report from ‘Golden Hawk.'”

“Ah, yes, your bank has invested in ‘Golden Hawk,’ hasn’t it?”

“Precisely.”

“Then it seems we have the same person to meet.”

The banker looked slightly puzzled, and Count Elson smiled mischievously.

“Laurent, of course. I am also on my way to meet him. How about we share a carriage?”

The banker showed a slight wariness but shrugged.

“As a person of my status, I can’t refuse a lord’s invitation.”

Count Elson laughed heartily.

“No need to be so formal. This is the Free City; let’s forget about status. But if you’ll accept my invitation, I’m glad. Oh, here comes the carriage. Let’s get on.”

The two boarded the newly arrived carriage.

The driver took their trunks and stored them in the luggage compartment.

Count Elson and the banker engaged in small talk as the carriage rocked gently.

Soon, they could hear the sound of cheering approaching from a distance.

“Oh? Such an uproarious cheer.”

“It seems the parade is approaching.”

“Oh, so this is the celebratory parade held in the Adventurer’s Town. Let’s see, can we get a view from here?”

Count Elson opened the window and looked towards the sound of the cheers.

The carriage was traveling along a slightly elevated road, giving them a vantage point to see the adventurers marching through the town and the people cheering them on from the roadside.

The Laurent, Lilianne, and Alric squads, who had each conquered three dungeons, were being celebrated by the townspeople.

Among them, Monica was the most popular.

Nearly twice as many people had gathered around her squad, cheering them on.

She was quickly becoming a new symbol for both the Guardians of the Magic Tree and the Adventurer’s Town.

Leading the parade, she waved a flag adorned with the emblem, basking in the adulation of the townsfolk.

“That’s Monica Velmare, the renowned archer of the Guardians of the Magic Tree.”

“I hear she has once again ranked first in the number of kills this term, just like the last.”

Count Elson cast a somewhat lecherous glance at Monica.

“She’s a lovely young lady. She still has some immaturity due to her youth, but in another two or three years, she might become quite the beauty, perhaps even rivaling Jill or Lilianne.”

The straitlaced banker frowned at Count Elson’s words.

Count Elson smirked.

“Don’t look so stern. That’s Laurent’s talent at work. He finds rough diamonds among the stones and polishes them until they shine.”

With that, Count Elson tried to lighten the mood, while the banker, looking displeased, crossed his arms and sat back in his seat.

“The Guardians of the Magic Tree seem to be soaring to new heights, conquering dungeons and producing popular adventurers. Honestly, it’s bad for my business.”

“Is it going to take that long for the Golden Hawk to rise again? I heard Laurent became the guild master.”

“He resigned from the position.”

“Resigned? Why?”

“It seems he had some thoughts about the changes in Lucius. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand his feelings. I’ve been in this business for a long time, and nurturing leaders is truly difficult. When given great power, they quickly become arrogant and conceited. Especially young leaders. They behave as if they believe they can get away with anything, perhaps misunderstanding that they have already achieved something. Taking a position is just the beginning. The real challenge starts from there.”

“So? What is Laurent doing now?”

“He is focusing on training others. He still holds a special advisory position in the Golden Hawk.”

“I see.”

Count Elson propped his cheek on his hand and looked out the window.

(So the guild master position of the Golden Hawk is vacant once again.)

Count Elson turned his gaze towards the Golden Hawk’s building.

The statue of the hawk, the symbol of the Golden Hawk, adorned the ceiling of the grand hall. It stood there, looking somewhat forlorn.

The hawk, which usually gazed sharply at the ground from high above, seemed now to be lost and wandering, having lost its master.

* * *

Chapter 59   Bar Conspiracy

“Damn it, that bastard Lucius.”

The man was downing drinks at a seedy tavern.

“More drinks! Bring me more! I can’t take it without drinking.”

“Sir, you’ve had enough for today. Why don’t you stop now?”

“Shut up. This is a bar, isn’t it? Bars are supposed to serve drinks. Now get me another drink, quickly!”

Reluctantly, the bartender opened a bottle behind the counter.

“Hey there, how’s it going, Master?”

“Oh, it’s you.”

The bartender’s face brightened slightly at the sight of the regular customer.

“The usual, please.”

“Of course, with pleasure.”

The bartender put the first customer’s request on hold to prepare the regular’s drink.

“That guy over there seems pretty rough.”

“I’m at my wit’s end. He’s here every day, drinking his fill and putting everything on a tab he never pays. But I don’t want him causing trouble, either.”

“He’s quite a sturdy fellow. Isn’t he a notable adventurer?”

“Who knows. According to him, he used to be a big shot in the ‘Adventurer’s Town’ and quite skilled… supposedly.”

“Really? In the ‘Adventurer’s Town’? That’s impressive.”

“But now, he seems down and out. He just wanders from one bar to another around here, begging for drinks every day.”

“I see. Well, different towns have different dungeon characteristics. Just because you did well in one town doesn’t mean you’ll succeed in another. That’s the tough part of the adventuring business.”

“It’s fine if he doesn’t do well, but I wish he wouldn’t cause trouble.”

“Hey, Master! Where’s my drink? Can’t you see this bottle is empty?”

“Yes, yes. Coming right up.”

The bartender sighed and brought out another bottle.

“Well, that’s how it is. You’ll have to put up with the noise for a while.”

“Yeah, you have it tough.”

“Damn it, hic… Everyone’s treating me like an idiot. Do they even know who I am? I’m Savast, an A-Class adventurer.”

“Don’t you mean ‘former’ A-Class?”

“What did you say?”

Savast slurred his words as he glared at the thin, nervous-looking man who had spoken to him. Despite Savast’s intimidating presence, the man didn’t flinch and sat down at his table.

“You caused a violent incident in the ‘Adventurer’s Town’ and ran away. As a result, you lost your A-Class adventurer status because you failed to renew your qualifications regularly.”

“Who do you think you are! Do you know who I am? That’s disrespectful!”

“I’m someone who was also kicked out of the ‘Adventurer’s Town,’ just like you.”

“Wait, is that the emblem of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’?”

Savast squinted at the emblem the man showed him.

“Yes. My name is Wilkes, a former appraiser for the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree.'”

Wilkes spoke with a sinister twist to his lips.

“An appraiser… So that means…”

“That’s right. I was kicked out of the guild because of Laurent.”

“Humph. So what if members of a second-rate guild fought among themselves? Get lost. I don’t have time to deal with the likes of you.”

“But what if I told you Laurent has become the guild leader of the ‘Golden Hawk’?”

Following Wilkes statement, a warrior wielding a halberd sat down at the table.

“You… You’re Gilbert, aren’t you?”

“Hey, long time no see.”

Gilbert flashed a carefree smile at Savast.

“Laurent is the guild leader of the ‘Golden Hawk’? Wait, are you telling me you left the ‘Golden Hawk’ too?”

“I didn’t leave. I was expelled by Laurent.”

“What?”

“And let me tell you, I didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, I gave him advice. I told him it would be better to promote harmony between the First and Second Divisions. The guild being divided made everyone anxious. And what did Laurent do? He incited division between the divisions, used spies and informers to disrupt the guild’s operations, and turned the guild into a mess. Then, he pinned the blame on me, making it look like I was the traitor. He stirred up the guild members against me and had me expelled. That bastard took advantage of becoming guild leader and acted like a dictator.”

“What? Laurent did… such things?”

Savast was stunned.

To him, Laurent had always been a reliable, if somewhat reserved and unassuming, young man. What had happened to turn him into such a cold-blooded and manipulative ruler?

“Tell me what happened after I left town.”

Gilbert began to speak, adding his own spin to the events that transpired after Savast and Wilkes had left.

“The Second Division was dissolved?”

“Yeah, there were a lot of Lucius supporters in the Second Division. They were in the way.”

“Laurent… dissolved my Second Division!”

In reality, Savast had already been abandoned by the members of the Second Division, but in his mind, he was still their leader.

“I told him we should bring Savast father back. That would stabilize the Second Division since they respected you deeply. But do you know what Laurent said? ‘I have no intention of bringing Savast back because it was I who orchestrated his expulsion from the town.’ It was all part of his plan.”

“Lucius was also assassinated by him. In the dark, damp caves of a dungeon, he was surrounded by Laurent’s men and brutally murdered. Officially, it’s claimed to be self-defense, but I’m sure Laurent distorted the facts.”

“Damn you, Laurent!”

Savast slammed the bottle of liquor onto the table with a thunderous crash.

“What a vile man he turned out to be. I’ve never heard of such treachery. If only I could return to the Adventurers’ Town, I’d deliver justice with my own hands!”

“Hehehe. Savast, there’s no need to be so angry. I have some interesting news about Laurent.”

“What is it?”

“Laurent is heading to the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon’ to expand his business.”

“The ‘Island of the Fire Dragon’? You mean where the S-class monster ‘Grand Fafnir’ appears?”

“Exactly. We’re planning to give Laurent a taste of his own medicine there. What do you say? Will you join us?”

“Very well. If that’s the case, let’s hear your plan.”

“Alright, let’s get to the point.”

Wilkes and Gilbert began outlining their scheme to thwart Laurent’s plans.

“I see. If we use that method, we might indeed be able to teach Laurent a lesson.”

“So, Savast, are you on board with our plan?”

“Of course. I’ll do anything to take down that bastard Laurent.”

“Hehehe. Then it’s settled. From now on, we will operate as the secret guild, ‘The Laurent Victims’ Society’. Now, let’s seal our pact.”

The three ordered the waiter to line up sake cups on the table.

“No matter the hardships, we will not break our vow. We will stand united until the day we bring Laurent to ruin.”

“Until the day I cut down Laurent with this halberd.”

“Until the day I reclaim the Second Division from Laurent.”

The three of them filled their cups, exchanged drinks, and downed their sake in unison.

* * *

Surrounding the inland sea are four continents located in the north, south, east, and west. The final destination of ships that travel around these continents is the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon.’

In a cabin on the cruise ship heading towards the island, Laurent was relaxing. He held a letter from Lillianne in his hand. The letter was filled with heartfelt sentiments, asking him to leave the matters of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ and the ‘Golden Hawk’ to them, encouraging him to do his best for the new venture, and expressing her sadness at being apart for a while.

As Laurent put away the letter, he recalled the events of the past few weeks. After he resigned as guild master, the ‘Golden Hawk’ transitioned to a council system where six executives, including Laurent and the unit leaders, made decisions through discussion and majority vote. Lillianne and Ranju also joined as external officers. With such a team in charge, there would be no problems with the ‘Golden Hawk.’

Thus, Laurent obtained permission from the guild to go on a business trip to the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon.’

He stopped reminiscing and took out a brochure about the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon,’ their destination. The island has a large volcano that shapes the terrain and forms a dungeon. The residents have adapted well to coexisting with the volcano, constructing houses from special materials that protect against flying volcanic ash and fire sparks, and building their town according to specific rules.

Despite their efforts, they couldn’t handle the disasters caused by the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir,’ and they constantly sought help from adventurers’ guilds. The ‘Golden Hawk’ had decided to respond to their request and pledged to slay the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.’

Adventurers were drawn to the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon’ not just for the dragon. Volcanic eruptions often revealed rare minerals known as ‘Rare Metals,’ which solidify and cover the volcanic surface. These metals are used to create special equipment. Consequently, the island, renowned for its rare metals, had long been a hub for alchemy, with a guild of alchemists far superior to that in Laurent’s city. Every year, adventurers from around the world flocked to the island in search of these rare metals and the superior equipment crafted by its alchemists. This made the island the only place where adventurers from different continents competed for resources.

As Laurent was engrossed in the brochure, he heard the sound of the ship’s whistle. They were nearing the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon.’ Laurent decided to head to the deck to see the island for himself.

“So, that’s the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon,’ huh?” he said.

Many people crowded the deck, cheering. Before Laurent, an island silhouette loomed on the horizon, dominated by a massive volcano spewing smoke. Near the summit, a wide crater and the glowing ‘Magma Path’ were visible. Below the Magma Path, rocky terrain scattered with sparkling mineral deposits, known as the ‘Metal Line,’ could be seen. Lower down, at the volcano’s base, a forest extended, leading to the town. This forest acted as a buffer zone between the town and the dungeon.

The town was filled with inns for adventurers from the four continents and nearby islands. Laurent knew that the S-class monster ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ slept in that volcano. His mission was to establish a base and prepare the ground for the ‘Golden Hawk’s’ dragon-slaying quest.

As the ship approached the island’s port, the crew began preparing for unloading. Laurent mused about the high-level alchemists, adventurers from the four continents, and the unique monsters and items adapted to the volcanic terrain. He wondered what kind of adventures awaited him on the island.

The ship, filled with the excitement of starting a new venture, smoothly glided into the port.

“Attention, passengers. We will soon arrive at the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon.’ Please prepare your belongings and be ready to disembark.”