The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 136

Chapter 136   Risk

Hans, Claire, and Alice left the house to embark on their third dungeon exploration of the month.

As Hans walked towards the workshop atelier with his sisters, Laurent’s words echoed in his mind.

(“What we’re lacking is ruthlessness…”)

He recalled the contents of the meeting.

“Laurent, could you explain a bit more?” Leon asked.

“We’ve become capable of fighting even against the ‘White Wolves,’ but when you say we’re lacking ruthlessness, what exactly should we do?”

“Well, for example, in the last dungeon exploration, when Elio and Rick pushed back the enemy’s assault against the ‘White Wolves.’ At that moment, if the rear guard had charged forward to pursue the fleeing enemy, we could have inflicted even greater damage.”

“I see, so it’s about having the rear guard charge forward.”

“Exactly. To deal a decisive blow to the enemy, it’s not enough for the front line to hold strong. The role of the rear guard becomes crucial. Of course, it’s risky for the lightly armored rear guard to move forward, but…”

(That directive… he didn’t mention names, but it’s clear that it was aimed at me. Whether we can deal a fatal blow to the ‘Crown of the Sage’ depends on me…)

“Hans!”

Hans snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Will calling his name.

It seemed they had arrived at the meeting point.

“Oh, Will…”

“We still have some time before the exploration starts. Want to talk for a bit?”

The two of them decided to sit on a bench in the plaza until they were called to assemble.

“What do you think about what Laurent said at the meeting?” Will asked.

“You’re talking about not being ruthless enough… right?”

“Yeah, that.”

“I get it. He didn’t call me out by name, but Laurent’s clearly dissatisfied with my performance.”

“With our performance.”

“Will?”

“It’s our fault as the rear guard that we couldn’t secure the victory, even though Elio and the others in the front line were pushing back the ‘White Wolves’ attack.”

“What do you think, Will? What are we missing?”

“Well…”

Will paused thoughtfully before responding.

“Watching how the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ fight, I noticed that their approach to risk is different from ours.”

“Risk?”

“Yeah. They seem more willing to push forward, even if it feels a bit dangerous to us. Maybe, for guilds outside the island, even the rear guard needs to be more aggressive about moving forward.”

“I see… a mindset focused on taking risks and moving forward.”

Hans thought for a moment, then turned back to Will.

“Will, during this exploration, I’m going to try adopting a more aggressive stance. I’ll accept a certain level of danger.”

“Are you sure? The burden will double, and the responsibility will be huge.”

“I’m prepared for that.”

“Alright, if you’re that determined, I’ll back you up. Let’s go talk to Laurent together.”

The two of them approached Laurent and expressed their desire to be more aggressive in their pursuit of the enemy.

Laurent gave them permission, but with the condition that they still fulfill their primary roles of reconnaissance and supporting the front line.

After finishing the inspection of her troops, Euphene, accompanied by Lerio and Shaqma, observed the opposing “Grand Alliance.”

The “Grand Alliance” was wrapping up their preparations without any changes in their equipment or strategy compared to the last time.

“I thought they might try something different, but it seems they’ve come without any particular tricks,” Lerio remarked.

“Maybe they couldn’t come up with any effective plan?” Shaqma added.

“Who knows? We still don’t know what they might have up their sleeve. Don’t let your guard down—”

Just as Euphene was saying this, she unexpectedly ran into Ian.

“Reyes!” Ian called out.

“Shaqma, Lerio, let’s head back,” Euphene said, intending to return to their camp with the two.

“Reyes, wait! I need to talk to you!” Ian pleaded.

“I have nothing to say to you,” Euphene responded coldly.

“Please, just hear me out,” Ian begged.

“Enough. I’m done talking to you,” she said, brushing him off.

“Please, if we don’t cooperate, we’ll be playing right into ‘White Wolf’s’ hands. We need to work together—”

Euphene shot Ian a cold, mocking smile.

“Hmph. The only ones who’ll suffer from ‘White Wolf’s’ attack are you. This is what you get for always resorting to cheap tricks. You reap what you sow. Come on, you two, let’s go. We need to finish our final preparations.”

Ian, dismissed by Euphene, slumped his shoulders in defeat.

(No use. If it’s come to this, there’s no choice. We’ll have to rely on a joint front with ‘White Wolf’ and ‘Dragon’s Ember’ as Neil suggested.)

Ian glanced back at Euphene.

(This peace negotiation might have made them drop their guard a little. I’ve done everything I can. Now, I just have to wait and see what fate has in store.)

After dismissing Ian, Euphene immediately went to report to Laurent.

“I told him. I made it clear that we have no intention of joining forces with them,” Euphene said proudly.

“…I see,” Laurent replied, not with joy, but with a troubled expression. Euphene was puzzled by his reaction.

(Ian is an expert in gathering information. He must already know what was discussed at the ‘Spirit Alliance’ meeting. So why is he trying to negotiate peace now?)

“Euphene, once we enter the dungeon, be ready to cast a ‘Wide-Area Healing Spell’ immediately. Something might happen.”

After finishing their preparations, the ‘Grand Alliance’ quietly entered the forest at the foothills. The ‘Spirit Alliance’ followed shortly after (this time, the ‘Grand Alliance’ had significantly reduced their numbers from the previous time, allowing them to prepare more quickly. It seems they opted for a smaller, elite force).

Laurent and his team proceeded through the foothill forest without incident for a while.

They encountered occasional attacks from minor monsters but dealt with them easily and continued their exploration.

Although they couldn’t catch up with the faster-moving ‘Grand Alliance,’ it wasn’t a significant issue.

They planned to continue their exploration as usual.

Once they reached the ‘Metal Line,’ the speed of the ‘Grand Alliance’ would inevitably slow down.

There would be plenty of opportunities to turn the tables.

Everyone thought so.

That thinking changed when they reached the first plateau of the ‘Metal Line.’

Suddenly, the ‘Grand Alliance’ deployed their troops right in front of the vanguard of the ‘Spirit Alliance.’

The enemy was fully prepared, positioned on the plain, and ready for battle.

They launched an all-out attack on the surprised ‘Spirit Alliance.’

Although they managed to withstand the initial strike, the combined assault of the warriors clad in magically enhanced armor, Neil’s ‘Attack Enhancement,’ and Glen’s ‘Explosive Magic’ forced the vanguard to retreat.

After routing the ‘Spirit Alliance’s’ vanguard, Neil and his team, carried by their momentum, dashed down the slope with incredible speed and launched a fierce attack on Laurent’s main force.