The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 131

Chapter 131   Earthcraft’s Weakness

With the “Spirit Workshop” alliance gone, the “Grand Alliance” was free to collect ores as they pleased. However, their relief was short-lived as they faced fierce attacks from the “White Wolf” on their way back.

The “White Wolf” thieves, taking advantage of the local adventurers’ exhaustion and low morale from the forced march, targeted them relentlessly.

Although the wizards from the “Crown of the Sage,” including Neil, Glen, and Ian, tried to support the alliance, they were gradually worn down by the “White Wolf’s” skillful diversions, ambushes, and surprise attacks.

After several assaults, the “Grand Alliance” collapsed.

In the end, the alliance failed to showcase the true strength of its A-class wizards, losing more than half of the collected ores. Additionally, about ten members of the “Crown of the Sage” were captured.

Neil and his group hesitated to return to town, fearing the criticism of the islanders. However, to their surprise, the residents showed no interest in the “Grand Alliance.”

Puzzled, Neil and his companions soon realized that the townspeople were too busy praising the “Spirit Workshop” alliance’s heroics.

Bards were singing songs celebrating the “Spirit Workshop” alliance’s bravery, and people were sharing tales of their heroism.

The residents viewed the “Spirit Workshop” alliance as the victors over the “Grand Alliance.”

Seeing this, Neil finally realized that they had been outmaneuvered by the “Spirit Workshop” alliance.

“Those ‘Spirit Workshop’ bastards… they’ve made a fool of us.”

“In the next dungeon exploration, we’ll outpace them, complete our mission faster, and return immediately!” Neil declared, brimming with determination. However, Ian’s expression remained conflicted.

(“The ‘Spirit Workshop’ alliance… they’re more troublesome than I thought.”)

After winning the race against the “Crown of the Sage,” skillfully evading the “White Wolf,” and returning to town with a large haul of ores, Laurent and his group were far from pleased with the situation.

“What is with those people?”

Once the local adventurers were gone, Rick angrily confronted Laurent.

“I understand trying to avoid unnecessary losses in the first half, but the attitude of the local guilds in the second half was unacceptable! We were charging forward, and they didn’t even provide support. I can’t fight alongside people like that. If we have to team up with them again, I’ll have to decline the next mission.”

“Rick, I understand your frustration, but…”

Laurent spent the entire day trying to calm down the members of the “Guardians of the Magic Tree.”

“Sigh… Rick just keeps complaining endlessly,” Euphene sighed wearily after helping Laurent calm Rick and the others down.

“I’m sorry, Laurent. I know you’re busy, and this is just taking up more of your time,” Euphene apologized.

“No, it’s fine. It’s actually a good thing when the complaints from the lower levels reach the higher-ups. It’s much better than having a stifled atmosphere. The real problem is when you hear nothing from the lower levels and mistakenly think everything is going well. Compared to that…”

“Laurent, do you have a moment?” Leon called out.

“Laurent, about the new workshop…” Aina also approached with a matter of her own.

“Ah, both of you, please wait. I’ll be right there,” Laurent replied, trying to balance their requests.

Euphene watched Laurent with concern.

(“Laurent seems busier than when he was in ‘The Adventurer’s Town.’ Leading a guild alliance must be really tough.”)

After parting with Laurent, Euphene remained in the tavern, lost in thought.

(“Laurent is so busy managing the alliance… I want to help lighten his load somehow. But what should I do? I also need to come up with some strategies against the ‘White Wolf’…”)

She pondered how to deal with an enemy that attacks and then retreats, never engaging in a direct battle of formations.

As she was deep in thought, someone sat down next to her.

“Hey.”

“You are… Ian,” Euphene blinked in surprise at the tall man who had appeared before her once again.

Ian gave her a refined smile.

“It seems like your dungeon exploration went well. The entire town is buzzing about the ‘Spirit Workshop’ Alliance. Your commander really played his cards right,” Ian remarked.

“It sounds like things didn’t go so well for you. I heard that the ‘White Wolf’ took most of your ore,” Euphene replied.

“Yeah, it’s been tough trying to recover from that,” Ian admitted.

“That’s what happens when you underestimate your opponent. You should be more careful next time,” Euphene advised.

“Haha, harsh words,” Ian chuckled.

“So, what do you want this time? I already told you we’re not teaming up,” Euphene said, her tone firm.

“This time, I’m here for something else,” Ian responded.

“Something else?” Euphene asked, growing more cautious.

“It’s about the ‘Earthcraft’,” Ian said.

Euphene’s guard went up. ‘Earthcraft’ was a crucial item for countering the ‘Crown of Sage.’

“I heard a rumor that during your last dungeon exploration, you guys gathered a large amount of ‘Earthcraft,’ more than you could possibly use yourselves,” Ian continued.

“…” Euphene remained silent.

“Actually, we’re in a bit of a bind right now—we’re running low on ‘Earthcraft.’ How about this? I’m willing to buy it at twice the market price…” Ian offered.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but we’re not short on money. If you want ‘Earthcraft,’ you’ll have to look elsewhere,” Euphene shot back.

“I see… So, that means the real purpose of your last exploration was ‘Earthcraft,’ wasn’t it?” Ian deduced.

Euphene was startled. (“This guy…”)

“So that means you won’t be able to go on another exploration until you’ve refined all that ‘Earthcraft.’ Is that right?” Ian pressed.

Euphene slammed her glass down on the table, placed a copper coin beside it, and abruptly left the establishment.

“Wait, where are you going?” Ian called after her.

“Don’t follow me, you stalker. I’m never speaking to you again,” Euphene snapped.

Euphene then went around to the members of the ‘Spirit Workshop’ Alliance, warning them, “Be careful of Ian Yugberg. If you talk to him, he’ll pry information right out of you.”

Meanwhile, Neil and Glen sat around a table in the ‘Crown of Sage’ quarters, their expressions grim.

They were preparing for another dungeon exploration, but obstacles loomed large in their path.

Local adventurers were hinting that they might switch allegiance to the ‘Spirit Workshop’ Alliance unless they received higher compensation, and even the ‘Dragon’s Ember’ was trying to take advantage of the situation.

Neil recalled his interactions with Medes.

“We’ve heard about the outcome of your dungeon exploration. It seems you were outsmarted by the ‘Spirit Workshop’ Alliance. My condolences,” Medes remarked.

“We just got a bit careless, that’s all. We won’t fall for the same trick twice,” Neil replied, brushing it off.

“Still, aren’t you concerned about your current equipment? How about purchasing not just more ‘Magic-forged’ swords and armor, but also ‘Black Bows’ and ‘Fire Spears’?” Medes suggested.

“Hey, don’t butt in where you’re not needed. We’ll choose our own gear. You alchemy guild folks should just stick to making what we order and delivering it,” Neil snapped.

“Neil, please consider our position. If the equipment we provide leads to a defeat at the hands of an upstart guild like the ‘Spirit Workshop,’ it tarnishes the reputation of the island’s top alchemy guild. Our brand would be damaged,” Medes said.

Neil angrily stood up. “Brand, huh? Don’t get cocky. Your gear isn’t as great as you think. The adventurers using the ‘Dragon’s Ember’ equipment have been getting beaten by thieves for a while now. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. If you keep this up, we’ll cut ties with you,” he threatened.

“Is that so? In that case, I’m afraid our negotiations are over. Please leave through that exit,” Medes replied calmly, lighting his pipe and taking a puff.

“Grr…” Neil’s shoulders shook with anger, but after taking a deep breath to calm himself, he sat back down.

“Sorry. I went too far. Forget what I said,” Neil conceded.

“Very well. Shall we continue our negotiations then?” Medes grinned smugly.

(What a hassle. These outsiders don’t realize that no matter how tough they act, they can’t do anything without our help.)

“So, what will it be, Neil? Are you going to purchase the additional equipment or not?” Medes pressed.

Although Neil managed to keep the conversation going, he couldn’t get Medes to agree to his terms.

(Damn it. They’re all the same. The moment we hit a rough patch, they take advantage of us. This island’s people…)

“Neil, the problem isn’t just with the ‘Grand Alliance’ or the ‘Dragon’s Ember,'” Glen said.

“We also need to negotiate the release of our comrades and local adventurers who were captured by the ‘White Wolf.’ Especially since the loyalty of the local adventurers to the ‘Grand Alliance’ is waning. We must address this immediately.”

“I know, I know, but…” Neil trailed off.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Ian said, entering the room as he opened the door.

“Hey, Ian! Where’ve you been? I told you we had a meeting at 5,” Neil barked.

“Got caught up gathering some intel. But it was worth it,” Ian replied calmly.

“Did you find something useful?” Neil asked, intrigued.

“Yeah. It seems ‘The Guardians of the Magic Tree’ are using ‘Earthcraft,'” Ian revealed.

“Earthcraft?” Neil echoed.

“The fact that the ‘Spirit Workshop’ Alliance moved so quickly during the march was largely due to them having Earthcraft,” Ian explained.

“I see. So that’s how it was. Then we should also get our hands on some Earthcraft…” Neil suggested.

“It’s pointless. It seems the real goal of their last exploration was to monopolize Earthcraft. They’ve already secured all the major Earthcraft mines, and only a small amount is circulating on the market,” Ian countered.

“What?! Damn it! So they were planning that all along?” Neil gritted his teeth in frustration.

“We’re completely behind now. ‘The Guardians of the Magic Tree’… they’re tougher than I thought,” Glen muttered, crossing his arms.

“But if you think about it, this might actually be an opportunity,” Ian suggested.

“What? How so?” Neil asked, curious.

“If they’ve made Earthcraft the cornerstone of their strategy, then that means they can’t start their next dungeon exploration until they’ve finished refining the Earthcraft,” Ian explained.

“I see. So if we enter the dungeon before they finish refining it…” Neil began.

“We can take the lead in the exploration and control the situation. We might even be able to shift the burden of the ‘White Wolf’ onto them, just like they did to us last time,” Ian concluded.

“Exactly,” Ian confirmed.

“Alright, if that’s the plan, let’s get to it! Have the ‘Dragon’s Ember’ guys prepare the gear as fast as possible. Call up the alliance members, and let’s form the squad in record time. You haven’t forgotten, have you?” Neil’s eyes sharpened as he glared at the two.

“We need to become the strongest mages in the ‘City of Mages.’ To do that, we have to defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ and reach S-class. We can’t afford to be slowed down by some upstart guilds like ‘The Guardians of the Magic Tree’ or the ‘Spirit Workshop,’ whoever they are,” Neil declared.

Ian and Glen nodded silently.

Neil then negotiated with ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ agreeing to pay extra if they could prepare the equipment in the shortest possible time. He also rallied the local adventurers by emphasizing the swift preparations, once again calling for their participation in the ‘Grand Alliance.’

Three days later, the ‘Grand Alliance’ had completed all their preparations and launched their dungeon expedition.

It was the next day when Laurent and his team finally finished refining the Earthcraft and gathered in front of the dungeon.

From the dungeon, they could see the “Fire Breath” of the Fire Dragon.

The “Grand Alliance” had already reached the “Metal Line.”

The members of the “Spirit Workshop” alliance couldn’t help but show signs of anxiety.

“Hey, Laurent, does this mean…?” Leon asked, looking toward the dungeon with concern.

“Yeah. The ‘Grand Alliance’ anticipated that refining the Earthcraft would take us time, so they entered the dungeon ahead of us,” Laurent replied.

“Damn it. So that’s what happened. We’ve been outmaneuvered,” Leon muttered.

“Earthcraft can instantly restore any equipment, but its only weakness is the time it takes to refine. Many guilds dislike this slow turnaround and intentionally avoid using Earthcraft during explorations,” Laurent explained.

(Ian Yugberk, huh? I knew he was an expert at gathering information, but he’s even more capable than I thought.)

Euphene stood beside Laurent, biting her nails in frustration.

(That smug bastard. Rick’s tantrum already gave Laurent a bad impression of us, and now he’s stolen information from me of all people. Just wait. If I see him in the dungeon, he won’t get away with it.)

“Laurent, I’m really sorry. It looks like the information leaked from me…” Euphene apologized, her voice trembling.

“It’s fine. You alerted everyone afterward and took precautions, right? It’s better that it was only this much,” Laurent said reassuringly.

“Laurent…” Euphene’s eyes welled up with tears, touched by his understanding.

(But this is still bad news,) Leon thought.

(We’ve lost a day against ‘Crown of the Sage,’ and we might have to fight the main forces of the ‘White Wolf’ on the way back. And… we’ve got our own problems to deal with.)

Leon recalled how Rick had stormed into Laurent’s room the other day, furious and ready to argue.

Leon didn’t know exactly what Rick had complained to Laurent about, but there had been a vague sense among them that something was brewing within the “Guardians of the Magic Tree,” and it seemed to involve them.

And they also had a feeling they were the cause.

(Can we really handle this, Laurent?)

As Leon pondered this, he heard a commotion from across the square.

Rick had finally arrived, though late.

(Damn it. So we really have to explore the dungeon with this group? I still can’t accept this.)

Although Rick had been convinced by Laurent, he still harbored unresolved feelings.

He didn’t bother to hide his displeasure, pushing through the surrounding adventurers with a stern expression.

“Hey, Rick. Glad you could make it,” Laurent greeted him cheerfully.

“I’m relieved you’re here. Without you, our front line’s strength would take a significant hit.”

Rick glared sharply at Laurent.

“Laurent, let me ask you again. During our last dungeon exploration, the way we fought against the ‘White Wolf’—do you intend to repeat that disgraceful performance? Answer me as the commander of the strongest unit of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree.'”

The tension in the air increased as Rick’s question hung in the air. The group of local adventurers, in particular, looked anxious.

Laurent responded with a serious expression.

“I understand. Of course, I don’t intend to let the ‘White Wolf’ do as they please forever. But… it’s not the right time yet.”

Laurent lowered his gaze.

“Right now, the local adventurers, through exceptional effort, have shown remarkable growth. They’ve fought their way here, resisting the interference of the ‘White Wolf’ and the twisted alchemical control of the ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ Just a little more time. I just need a little more time.”

Rick exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down.

“Fine. I’ll accept that for now.”

“Thank you. But as for how we fight the ‘White Wolf,’ there’s something I need to say as well. Rick, about your last battle—what was that?”

“Hm?”

“You charged in alone, got played by the enemy, and fought recklessly. I never taught you to fight like that.”

“…”

“You’re an A-class magic knight and the cornerstone of our front line. If you fall, it affects the morale of the entire team. You must always be aware of that.”

“I-I understand. I was just thrown off by the ‘White Wolf’s’ tactics and lost my cool. It won’t happen again.”

“Good. I’m counting on you. …Everyone, gather around.”

At Laurent’s command, the alliance members gathered.

“As you can see, the ‘Grand Alliance’ has gotten ahead of us, putting us at a slight disadvantage. But it’s when you overcome such disadvantages that you prove your true strength. We’ll stick to the same plan as last time: progress through the dungeon efficiently with minimal losses. The strategy remains unchanged—we’ll monopolize the ‘Earthcraft’ and force ‘Crown of the Sage’ out of the competition. We won’t back down an inch. Let’s catch up to the ‘Grand Alliance’!”