The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 124

Chapter 124   Seeds of Doubt

Charl was in the soundproof room, offering a prayer.

As she did so, a light descended from the lamp hanging from the ceiling, and a spirit inhabited the silver spear resting there.

The blade glowed brightly with heat, while the handle remained cool, like clear water.

(Alright, it’s done.)

Charl tapped the spear gently with a small hammer and touched it with her hands to check the quality, then quickly ran out of the soundproof room.

“Rody! Come here, please!”

“Charl, what’s going on?”

“Look! The ‘Fire Spear’ is complete!”

“This is…”

Rody took the ‘Fire Spear’ that Charl had made into his hands.

(A fully silver ‘Fire Spear’? Even Lizetta’s ‘Fire Spear’ has a wooden handle.)

“What do you think, Rody?”

“I’m impressed. This might even surpass Quartet’s ‘Fire Spear.'”

“Yes!”

“We won’t know for sure until Laurent appraises it, but this should be more than sufficient…”

Just as Rody was about to take the ‘Fire Spear’ to Laurent, he ran into Ranju standing at the entrance, his face twisted in an angry expression.

Charl instantly turned pale.

“Charl, did you use silver without permission again?”

“Eh? Charl, did you not get Ranju’s approval?”

“Wah! No, it’s not like that! Rody-san said it was okay to use it!”

“What!?”

“Don’t lie. I had a feeling you were up to something sneaky…”

“It’s fine! I made equipment that surpasses Quartet’s!”

“That’s not the issue here! Who’s going to use it when we don’t even have a customer who’s a spear-user?”

Wayne and Pat watched the scene, feeling a bit down.

(What a kid. She surpassed Quartet in just a few days after coming to this island…)

(What was all our effort for, then…)

“Everyone, gather around for a moment,” Laurent called out, and the workers started to gather.

“I’ve received a request from Elio and the others to create A-Class equipment.”

“A-Class equipment?”

“So, an A-Class adventurer is finally going to emerge from this island…”

“We’re going to create A-Class or higher armor, bows and arrows, staffs, and swords for Elio, Hans, Will, and Karla. First, Charl.”

“Yes!”

“You’ll be in charge of the silverwork, laying the foundation for all the products.”

“Understood!”

“Next, Aina.”

“Yes.”

“Strengthen the armor and bows with ‘Exterior Enhancement Coating’ to enhance their power and durability.”

“Understood.”

“Pat, you’re in charge of reducing the burden of exploration as much as possible using ‘Dragon Tone’ and ‘Demonic Tone.’ Coordinate with Nicola and the others as well.”

“Yes.”

“Arri, Lina, you’re in charge of ore refining and supplying Earthcraft.”

“Yes.”

“Ranju, you’re responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and managing all the projects.”

“Understood.”

“Rody, Aize, Lurie, Melinda, you guys will handle regular duties and support the main staff. Adapt as needed depending on the situation.”

“Understood.”

“Finally, Wayne…”

Laurent looked at Wayne with a particularly serious expression. Wayne met his gaze with a determined look, as if he had steeled himself for what was to come.

“Pursue the specs. Focus on maximizing the magic power of the staff and the lightness of the sword. Be meticulous to the extreme.”

While the Spirit Workshop was steadily preparing, Lizetta was also pushing forward with a new venture at Dragon’s Embers.

As soon as Lizetta was appointed as the leader to counter Spirit Workshop and began her work, Edgar approached her in a high-handed manner.

“You can’t possibly handle a new project on your own, right? If you’re really desperate, I suppose I could help you out.”

Lizetta smiled warmly and gently declined.

“Thank you, but we have more than enough hands for the job. Please focus on your own work.”

Lizetta then created a document listing the participants in the new project, along with their roles and responsibilities, and had Medes sign it. She posted it in a visible spot in the meeting room.

The document only included names from Lizetta’s team, with no mention of Edgar or his subordinates.

(With this, I should be able to prevent Edgar from interfering. Now I just need to focus on moving the project forward.)

“Now, it’s all well and good to plan on raising Ike to be an A-Class lancer, but what’s the right way to train him?”

Lizetta posed the question to the appraisers gathered in the room.

“It’s all about developing his skills,” said the appraiser with Skill Appraisal A.

“You can’t defeat A-Class monsters without A-Class skills. The primary goal should be to equip him with A-Class skills.”

“Wait a moment,” the appraiser with Status Appraisal A interjected.

“First, we should focus on building up his stats. Mr. Belford still has room to improve in both strength and agility. We should work on enhancing his stats before focusing on skill improvement.”

“Wait a moment,” the appraiser with Item Appraisal A interjected.

“Mr. Belford’s compatibility with the Fire Spear is not yet sufficient. We should prioritize increasing the compatibility between the equipment and the user.”

The three appraisers continued to debate, but they couldn’t reach a conclusion.

“Alright, let’s change the question. What kind of equipment should we create to help Ike reach A-Class?”

When Lizetta posed this question, the three appraisers fell silent. They were accustomed to appraising alchemists, adventurers, equipment, and items, but they had no experience in the comprehensive support required for equipment manufacturing or dungeon exploration.

Lizetta felt frustrated.

(It’s inevitable that a new project like this will involve some trial and error. We have no clear direction. But if I can’t overcome this, I won’t be able to defeat Laurent.)

No particularly good ideas emerged during the meeting. In the end, they reluctantly agreed that Ike should first challenge an A-Class monster-slaying quest, and then they would address any shortcomings that arose.

Realizing he couldn’t get involved in Lizetta’s project, Edgar decided to sway Medes instead. He casually brought up the new project during their daily tasks.

“Guildmaster, are you seriously planning to move forward with Lizetta’s new project?”

“We have no other options, so we have to let her proceed if that’s what she wants.”

“I’ve recently heard some unsettling rumors about her.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“They say Lizetta has been secretly meeting with Laurent late at night.”

“What? Is that true?”

“I can’t say for sure. I only heard it from someone else. But doesn’t it seem odd to you? Why launch a training program using appraisers ‘now’? Competing on their terms seems like it would only benefit Spirit Workshop.”

“Hmm…”

“I don’t know what Lizetta and Laurent are plotting, but is it really wise to leave her unchecked when she’s behaving so suspiciously?”

“What do you suggest we do, Edgar?”

“I think we should find some way to put a leash on her and keep her under strict surveillance.”

“…”

Medes withheld his opinion for the moment and dismissed Edgar.

However, Edgar considered this a sufficient success.

(I’ve planted the seeds of doubt. Now, I just have to wait for them to grow. Let them swell as much as they want—until they burst like a balloon.)

Lizetta proposed that Ike undertake the task of slaying an A-Class monster. But a problem arose.

Upon hearing Lizetta’s plan, Ike hurried over to explain.

“Endurance capability?”

Lizetta furrowed her brow at the unfamiliar term.

“If we’re going to the barren lands, simply upgrading the equipment to A-Class won’t be enough. We also need to consider how to prevent the wear and tear on the equipment and the unit during the journey.”

(What’s that supposed to mean? How am I supposed to do that?)

Reluctantly, Lizetta decided to seek out an adventurer who had previously been part of the Spirit Workshop alliance to learn how Laurent managed these things.

According to the adventurer, at Spirit Workshop, they use Earthcraft to maintain the durability of their equipment while also enhancing their training.

Armed with this information, Lizetta headed to the guildmaster’s office.

“Guildmaster, may I have a word?”

“Hmm? Lizetta, what is it?”

“There’s been a slight issue with the new project…”

Lizetta explained the need for Earthcraft.

“Hmm, is that so?”

Medes still looked somewhat unconvinced.

“Yes, that’s how it is. Therefore, I’d like to request additional funding for procuring and refining Earthcraft…”

Medes’ eyebrow twitched in irritation.