The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 145

Chapter 145   Managers and Professionals

After finishing the handover to the night shift, Aina was approached by Laurent.

“Aina, are you free tonight?”

“Hm? Yes, I don’t have any plans.”

“Then, how about we go out for a meal?”

Aina felt herself tense up.

(Here it comes!)

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

“Great! Let’s go, then. I’ve already made a reservation.”

Following Laurent’s lead, Aina got into a carriage, and they headed to a restaurant on the outskirts of town.

“We’re going quite far, aren’t we?”

“Yeah. I was thinking of somewhere closer, but all the decent places were fully booked. This place is a bit pricey, but it was the only one available.”

“I see, that makes sense.”

Aina gazed out the window.

The forest visible through the carriage window was slowly enveloped in the twilight.

When they arrived at the elegant restaurant nestled in the woods, Aina followed Laurent’s lead and stepped inside.

“This place looks pretty expensive. Are you sure it’s alright to treat me at such a fancy spot?”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re an A-class alchemist, after all. Honestly, compared to all your hard work, this feels like the least I could do.”

“Is that so? Well then, I’ll take you up on that.”

Aina savored the luxurious dishes that were served.

With every bite of the rare and expensive delicacies she had never tasted before, she expressed her delight with genuine reactions befitting her age.

Laurent, too, enjoyed the exotic dishes from “Fire Dragon’s Island,” joining in the experience with her.

“Wow, thank you so much. I never thought I’d get to eat such a luxurious meal.”

As she finished her main dish, Aina spoke.

“I’m glad you liked it. It’s actually my first time at this restaurant too.”

“But is it really alright for me to enjoy all this by myself? I feel a bit guilty toward everyone else.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure to properly thank everyone else in due time.”

“I see. But in that case, wouldn’t it have been better to invite everyone along? Why just me?”

“Well, there’s something I wanted to give specifically to you.”

“Oh? Just for me?”

Aina narrowed her eyes and looked at Laurent through the wine glass.

Inside, the pink wine gently swayed back and forth.

“Yes. I have a special gift prepared just for you. I hope you’ll like it.”

“I’m definitely curious to hear about it.”

She wondered what would come after such an extravagant meal.

Would it be something like the “Dragon’s Tear” that he had given to Lilianne?

Or perhaps a key to a room?

She knew there was a hotel on the upper floors of this restaurant.

She had anticipated that it might come to this someday.

Aina respected Laurent and felt grateful for his mentorship and support.

However…

(In the end, all men are wolves, even Laurent.)

Aina maintained a composed smile, carefully concealing her inner caution, as she continued to watch Laurent speak with his cheerful demeanor.

(To think he’d invite me to such a fancy place, even while he’s seeing someone as beautiful as Lilianne…)

If Laurent were to try and seduce her, Aina had already decided what she would say:

(I’m sorry, Laurent, but I can’t be with someone who is already involved with another woman. It would be terribly disrespectful to be interested in another woman when you’re already with someone as lovely as Lilianne. If you want to discuss such things, please do so only after you’ve broken up with her.)

“What I want to give you, is…”

(Here it comes!)

Aina prepared herself, waiting for Laurent’s words, surprisingly calm.

“A new position. I’d like you to become the branch manager of the guild.”

“I’m sorry, Laurent, but I can’t become the guild branch manager… Wait, what?”

“What?”

The two stared at each other, momentarily dumbfounded, unable to grasp what the other had just said.

“Uh… branch manager…?”

“Yeah, I believe you’ve proven yourself to be a top-notch administrator, and I think you’re more than capable of managing the atelier.”

“Th-that’s it?”

“Yes. I thought you’d be thrilled to take on the role, considering how much you’ve wanted to run an atelier.”

Aina felt her face flush bright red.

(Oh no! I completely misunderstood…)

“But, this is a bit of a problem. If you don’t take the job, I’ll have to start searching for candidates all over again…”

“Oh, no, no, of course, I’ll take it! I accept!”

“Really? That’s great! I’m so relieved.”

Afterward, Laurent briefly went over the responsibilities of the position and the salary package. Both were favorable and honorable for Aina, but still embarrassed by her earlier misunderstanding, she spoke more than usual to cover her feelings, drinking more wine than she normally would.

After finishing their dessert and settling the bill, the two left for home. The restaurant’s carriage brought Aina back to her street. As Laurent said goodbye with a “Goodnight,” Aina replied with, “Goodnight.”

Even after the carriage carrying Laurent disappeared, Aina stood on the dark street, staring in the direction it had gone. When the night breeze cooled her flushed body, she finally turned and headed back to her home.

The next morning, Aina woke up feeling a strange fatigue that made it difficult for her to get out of bed.

As a result, she ended up being about ten minutes late for work.

“It’s rare for you to be late,” Laurent said with a teasing smile, making Aina’s face flush red again.

After wrapping up the morning’s work, Aina began to receive a detailed briefing from Laurent on the management of the atelier.

They discussed the accounting records, information about business partners, and eventually moved on to personnel matters.

“If you make the most of each person’s skills and status, you can efficiently create high-quality equipment. You already know that, right?”

“Yes. That’s why we need to effectively coordinate with your ‘Appraisal’ skill and place the right people in the right roles.”

“Exactly. But more than skills and status, you have to consider each person’s personality when assigning duties and tasks.”

“Personality…?”

“Yes. Pat, for example, has high analytical and thinking abilities, but tends to overthink things. If you notice he’s getting stuck, help him organize his thoughts. Lina is kind and highly adaptable, but lacks a sense of responsibility. Keep an eye out to make sure she’s not hiding anything. Rody is calm but tends to act in self-preservation; ensure he feels secure about his position so he can perform steadily. Aize is efficient with his work but a bit careless, so pay attention to the quality of his output. Wayne is competitive and highly concerned with his status, but he can also be quite conceited and self-centered. Be careful not to give him too much authority.”

“I see.”

“You need to recognize each person’s strengths and weaknesses, enhance their strengths, and manage them in a way that minimizes their weaknesses. Pay particular attention to Wayne. Because of his competence, he can be dangerous. You must always keep a close watch to ensure he doesn’t negatively impact the workplace.”

“Understood. I already make it a point to talk to Wayne every morning to diffuse any potential issues.”

“Impressive, as expected.”

(Compared to Ranju who projects strictness, Aina seems to prefer using a softer approach.)

“If Wayne expresses a desire to step up, encourage him to move into a specialist role rather than a management one.”

“Got it.”

With the general policy established, Laurent started searching through the shelves to pass on the documents he had been managing to Aina.

“Hmm, where did I put it…?”

Aina gazed at Laurent’s back with a heated look as he rummaged through the shelves.

Feelings she had pretended not to notice until now.

Feelings she knew she’d been aware of all along.

They kept surging up more and more as time went by.

(I like Laurent. I mean, how could I not? All the men at the atelier are just kids.)

She knew Laurent had Lilianne.

But maybe, with distance, his heart would drift away too, and eventually, he might turn his gaze toward her.

“Ah, found it! Here it is.”

Laurent turned to face Aina, holding the documents he had been looking for.

Aina quickly hid her fervent gaze and put on her usual expression.

However, a sharp pain of longing continued to throb in her chest.

After completing the handover to Aina, Laurent decided to conduct appraisals for the adventurers in the afternoon.

In the appraisal room were Ike Belford of the “Winged Dragon’s Torch,” Liz Leowill, the “Knight of the Black Wall,” and Archie Shetty.

All three had requested appraisals and were interested in the training program.

(So, this is the legendary appraiser…)

Liz looked intently at Laurent.

She had wondered what kind of person the legendary appraiser would be, but seeing him now, he looked like someone around her own age.

Skills and Status:

Ike Belford

Skill: Spearmanship: B → A

Power: 70 → 100

Liz Leowill

Skill: Archery: B → A

Agility: 70 → 100

Archie Shetty

Skill: Shield Defense: B → A

Power: 70 → 100

(I see. They all have B-class abilities, but they seem to be struggling to reach A-class.)

“You have high power and agility, but they aren’t stable. So, you aren’t sure what level of equipment to use, right? That seems to be the case for all three of you.”

“Indeed, that’s exactly it,” Ike agreed.

“I can handle equipment weighing up to 100, but it severely affects my stats. On the other hand, if I go with equipment weighing 70, it feels somewhat lacking.”

“I try to equip the best gear I can, but I just can’t figure out the optimal stats,” Archie added.

“Got it. Let’s start by reassessing everyone’s gear. First, Ike. You should carry equipment weighing 90 at all times.”

“Weight 90? Isn’t that a bit heavy?”

“Your power ranges from a minimum of 70 to a maximum of 100. To reach A-class, you need to raise and stabilize your minimum power to at least 90.”

“Hmm, I see. That’s how it works.”

“Archie, the same goes for you. Set your gear weight to 90 and practice moving around in the dungeon.”

“Understood.”

“Now, Liz, you have potential for growth in agility. So, in your case, we should lighten your gear.”

“Lighten my gear?”

“Yes. In return, I want you to increase your speed. During scouting and battles, you should always move with agility set at 90.”

“Agility 90…?”

“That’s right. Alice!”

“Yes!”

Alice, from the “Pegasus Archer,” who had been standing by, stepped forward.

“Show them a demonstration with agility set to 90.”

“Got it.”

In an instant, Alice sidestepped, readied her bow, and shot an arrow at a target set up in the room.

(So fast…)

“This is the movement at agility 90. I want you to be able to move at this speed whenever you need to.”

“Hmm, I wonder if I can do it.”

“You should be able to pull it off even now. Let’s start with ten attempts.”

Liz tried to imitate Alice’s movements. She succeeded 3 out of 10 times.

(I guess it’s not impossible… but…)

“It’s a bit unstable,” Liz admitted.

“Exactly. Stabilizing that instability is key. Once you can do that, your skill activation will also become more consistent, and eventually, you’ll reach A-class.”

“But…” Archie interjected.

“If we explore the dungeon with such high demands, won’t our stats deplete quickly?”

“That’s right. So, you’ll need to rely on your teammates for support inside the dungeon.”

“Support…?”

“Yes. The next task for you is to figure out what kind of support you need when your performance is unstable, or your stats are depleted. I will prepare the best equipment for you, so practice receiving support when your stats are unstable.”

“I see.”

“Understood.”

Liz couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

(Amazing. With just a quick assessment, he’s already figured out our challenges, potential growth areas, and the right training program… This is the power of an S-rank appraiser…)

Following Laurent’s instructions, Ike, Liz, and Archie trained on movements when their speed was reduced due to exhaustion, learning how to request and receive help from allies, maintaining proper distance to avoid being isolated if downed, and strategies to defeat or escape enemies even with unstable stats.

After finishing the appraisal of Ike and his group, Laurent was caught by Wayne.

The two of them headed up to the rooftop.

“A new job?”

“Yeah. I’m getting pretty used to my current work, so I think it’s time for me to think about stepping up.”

“Today’s work…”

“It’s all done.”

“And Aina…”

“I had Aina check it too. She gave it her stamp of approval, said the quality was fine. I’m not gonna screw up like I used to.”

“I see. You’ve really grown.”

“Right? Just leave it to me. I’ve got my current work down perfectly.”

“That’s good. I was thinking it might be time to give you something new.”

“Oh, as expected of the Guild Master. Always quick to the point. So, what kind of work do you have in mind for me?”

“I want you to make lightweight bows and arrows for Liz Leowill, the lieutenant of the ‘Black Wall Knights.’ Also, there’s someone in their group with a talent for magic, so I’d like you to carve new magic stones.”

“…No, that’s not quite what I had in mind.”

“Huh? You’re not happy about it? I thought you’d be excited to take it on. It makes good use of your unique skills and is for one of the external guilds that we’re looking to grow.”

“That’s fine, but I think it’s about time I had some subordinates too, like Aina does.”

Laurent gave a vague smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll still do my own work properly. I won’t neglect it by spending all my time on training others.”

“Of course, I don’t think you’d slack off. But… hmm, what did Aina say about it?”

Wayne made a displeased face.

“She keeps insisting I should become a specialist in magic stone polishing and lightweight crafting. That’s all she ever says.”

“What’s wrong with that? Being a specialist. You could earn a lot more by focusing on your field than by trying to manage a team.”

“…”

Wayne still looked dissatisfied.

“Okay then, let’s say ‘Fortress Archers’ just placed an order. What kind of budget and delivery time would make it worth your while?”

“Uh, well…”

“You’ve looked over the list of the ‘Fortress Archers’ adventurers’ skills, jobs, and stats, right?”

“Ugh…”

“Calculating things isn’t really your strong suit, is it? So, what do you think would happen if you tried to become a manager in that state?”

“What would happen…?”

“You’d end up like Edgar.”

“What?!”

Even Wayne’s expression grew serious at this.

(Are you saying I’d become a jerk like Edgar, using others and then tossing them aside?)

(You’re already pretty close to that right now.)

“It’s not such a rare story. Believe me, I’ve lived long enough to see plenty of people like Edgar. They step on others to rise up as managers or executives, but they’re so incompetent that they can’t actually run their organizations well. They end up throwing their subordinates under the bus just to cover themselves. If that’s the kind of person you want to become, I won’t stop you. After all, sabotaging others is a straightforward and effective way to climb the ladder. But this workshop has no place for people like that!”

“…”

“I do value you, you know. But I can’t promise something that’s impossible to fulfill. Think carefully about whether you truly need to have subordinates.”

Meanwhile, Medes was at the tavern.

When he heard that the ‘Black Wall Knights’ had canceled their contract, Medes flew into a rage and started taking it out on his subordinates.

“What is this? Just what the hell happened, huh?”

He tried to find out who was responsible, but no one could be singled out.

And for good reason.

All the employees accustomed to working under ‘Dragon’s Ember’ knew how to dodge responsibility. Besides, Medes himself was the one who had given the green light.

With no other choice, Medes berated the sales team and fired a rookie who had been involved in producing the defective equipment.

Even after venting his frustrations, he still felt angry, so he ended up wandering into a pub, as he often did in his younger days, and downing cheap alcohol.

“Damn it, all of them are just holding me back…”

As he muttered to himself like that, two members of the ‘Black Wall Knights’ entered the tavern at a bad time.

They sat at the table behind him, not noticing Medes.

“Wow, the equipment from the ‘Spirit Workshop’ seems even better than I expected.”

“Yeah, who would have thought there was still such a skilled alchemist on this island?”

“Fast work, great service—can’t ask for more.”

“We should have gone with them from the start.”

“Ha, you idiot, saying that now doesn’t help.”

“Hahaha.”

“Hmph… cough, cough…”

Medes deliberately cleared his throat loudly.

But the two men behind him continued their conversation without noticing him.

“And compared to ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ they’ve really fallen off.”

“Yeah, trying to tie us down with contracts just because they can’t match ‘Spirit Workshop’ in quality.”

“And in the end, they tried to push substandard goods on us.”

“It’s a joke to call them one of the world’s leading alchemy guilds.”

Medes, growing increasingly agitated, began tapping his foot nervously and slamming his glass down on the table, trying to get their attention.

The liquid splashed out onto the table.

“Ahem, ahem… ahem!”

Still, the two men remained oblivious to his presence.

“I never liked that guild, to begin with. I’m sure they were in cahoots with the Thieves’ Guild, doing shady stuff behind the scenes.”

“Yeah, the guild leader had a bit of a gangster vibe too.”

“Oh, looks like our drinks are here.”

“Then let’s have a toast—to our new partnership with a different alchemy guild.”

“And to saying goodbye to a lousy guild.”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Pu-RAAAAAH!”

Medes suddenly spun around and let out a strange, threatening sound.

The two men were startled.

“Huh?”

“What the…?”

“Enough already! You worthless adventurers!”

Medes kicked one of their chair legs and stormed out of the tavern.

The two men watched him leave with puzzled expressions.

“What was that about? That guy’s got some nerve.”

“Forget it. He probably had a rough day at work or something.”

Even after cursing out the two men, Medes’ anger still hadn’t subsided.

On his way back, he decided to attack the lodging of the ‘Black Wall Knights.’

Picking up some large stones from the riverbank, he began hurling them one after another at the windows of their lodging.

“Whoa, what’s going on?”

“Are we under attack?”

The ‘Black Wall Knights’ quarters fell into chaos for a moment.

Medes was subsequently arrested.