The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild

Chapter 159 The Abandoned

The “White Wolves,” prepared for a last-ditch assault, were advancing through the dungeon to attack the “Spirit Alliance.”

However, at this crucial moment, Gilbert was nowhere to be found.

Savast and Wilkes were uneasy.

“Hey, where is Gilbert? At such a critical time, where the hell did he go?”

“This is strange… He said he would join us after entering the dungeon,” Wilkes replied.

“Join us, you say? But we’ve already crossed the ‘Metal Line.’ At this point, there’s no way he can catch up…”

“… Gilbert’s hatred for Laurent is genuine. We should trust him,” Savast said, trying to calm himself.

Meanwhile, the staff of the “Dragon’s Embers” guild were overwhelmed with handling complaints.

The organization, thrown into chaos because of Edgar, was experiencing a series of administrative mistakes and a large number of defective products. Complaints were flooding in from the Adventurers’ Guild and local shops.

Within the guild, quarrels and unnecessary tasks were rampant. Morale had plummeted, leading to an increase in absences, workplace injuries, and breaches of work regulations. Senior staff were left scrambling to clean up the mess.

Even Raoul, who had previously been treated as untouchable, found himself having to stop his usual work to handle complaints.

“Mr. Raoul, there’s a complaint from the Sepia Trading Company,” a staff member reported.

“Another complaint?” Raoul asked, exasperated.

“It seems a large number of the armors we delivered were defective…”

“Tch. Fine, I’ll handle it,” Raoul sighed.

(“Damn Edgar, leaving the guild at a time like this…”) he muttered inwardly, cursing his colleague.

Edgar had abruptly announced a few days ago that he was going on a business trip, leaving everything in the hands of Raoul and Charles before departing.

(“The guild is in such chaos, and he’s off on a business trip?”)

While Raoul was overwhelmed with handling complaints, yet another junior staff member came running in.

“Mr. Raoul! There’s trouble!”

“What’s it this time?” Raoul asked, frustration evident in his voice.

“The former guild master has broken into the workshop and is causing a commotion! He’s demanding to see Edgar!”

“What?! Medes?” Raoul exclaimed.

(“Wasn’t that guy supposed to be detained?”)

“He’s not even a member anymore! Throw him out!” Raoul ordered.

“We tried, but he broke through the reception area,” the staff member replied, visibly anxious.

Suddenly, there was a scream from the reception area, followed by the sound of something being knocked over.

It was Medes, rampaging through the guild.

Raoul couldn’t help but clutch his head in exasperation.

“Edgar! Where is Edgar?! You set me up! I won’t forgive you, Edgar!” Medes shouted.

“Please, stop! This area is restricted to authorized personnel only,” a staff member tried to intervene.

“Shut up!” Medes yelled, pushing the female staff member aside.

He then advanced on the remaining male staff member.

“Eek!” the male staff member whimpered.

“Hey, you! Where is Edgar? Where is that bastard?” Medes demanded.

“The guild master is away on a business trip,” the staff member replied.

“What?! A business trip? At a time like this? What kind of guild master goes on a trip when things are falling apart?” Medes roared.

The staff member was visibly intimidated.

Although Medes had been officially stripped of his title as guild master, he had originally been the one who hired many of the current staff.

Being yelled at by him triggered an instinctual fear and submission.

(“Damn that traitor! But no matter… I have to recover those funds quickly.”)

In the vault of “Dragon’s Ember,” there was dark money that Medes had earned during his time in the underworld. If the authorities found it, his charges would increase, and his assets would be seized.

He had to launder the money and protect his assets before that could happen.

(“Getting thrown in prison is inevitable now. But that money… the money I worked so hard to earn… I must protect it at all costs. Edgar being absent was unexpected, but fine. It’s actually better for moving the assets. I must act quickly while I still have this temporary release…”)

Medes used a spare key he had kept to open the guild master’s vault and tried to retrieve the gold bars stored inside.

But the vault was empty.

(“W-what? My… my gold bars?!”)

Not only was Medes’ illicit money gone, but all the guild’s shared funds had disappeared too.

“There he is! It’s Medes!”

“Restrain him!”

Raoul arrived with security guards.

“Gah! W-what are you doing? Let me go!”

Meanwhile, at the deserted harbor, two men were hiding in the shadows, observing their surroundings.

“How’s it look, Gilbert?” one of them whispered.

“All clear, no one’s around. We’re good,” Gilbert replied.

“Alright, let’s get to work then,” the other man said as he began moving.

The two men, Edgar and Gilbert, who had been hiding, started stuffing the gold bars they had taken from the “Dragon’s Ember” vault into wooden crates that were scheduled to be loaded onto a ship the next day.

“That old man… I can’t believe he was hiding such huge gold bars,” Gilbert remarked, eyeing the bars.

“Heh heh heh… Those fools at the guild have no idea we’re making off with everything in the vault. Right about now, they’re probably frantically dealing with complaints. By the way, Gilbert, it’s that ‘Black Market Town’ we’re heading to, right? The place where they exchange dubious promissory notes and assets? Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah, no doubt about it. I’ve turned shady assets into cash there before, back when I was still with my old guild, before the ‘Golden Hawk.'”

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

“Well then, let’s load this onto the ship and get the hell out of here. I’ll miss the sights of this island, but…”

“What about your buddies? Savast and Wilkes, right? Weren’t they from the same town as you?”

“Ah, forget them. I only intended to use them from the start. I was getting tired of those fools anyway.”

“Heh heh heh, you’re quite the villain.”

“Oh, not as much as you, sir magistrate.”

“Ha ha ha!”

“Who are you calling a magistrate, you rotten scoundrel?”

“!!”

The two men suddenly turned around at the sharp voice that cut through the air.

Standing there were Wayne and Pat.

“Just as I suspected. So much for a ‘business trip.’ This is nothing but embezzlement!” Wayne glared intensely at them.

“Stealing from the guild, huh? You’ve finally sunk to the lowest of the low, Edgar.”

“Edgar, that money belongs to the guild. It should be used to rebuild ‘Dragon’s Ember’ and pay the staff. There’s still time. Please reconsider,” Pat urged, speaking more firmly than usual.

“Huh? Wayne, Pat, who do you think you’re talking to?” Edgar sneered.

“Wait, Edgar. Let’s not make things more complicated,” Gilbert interjected.

“Wayne and Pat, was it? How about this—we split these assets four ways. Leave the selling to me, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

“Like hell we’re falling for your tricks! We’ve been deceived by you enough times to know better!” Wayne shouted, and then lunged at the two men, fists ready.

In the “Volcanic Dungeon,” “White Wolf” was launching its final attack against the “Spirit Alliance.”

Savast, upon seeing Jill, charged immediately.

“You must be Jill Irwin, right? I haven’t forgotten how you, a mere rookie, surpassed me to become the most popular adventurer in town! Our meeting here today marks the end of a hundred years! I’m going to defeat you and become an S-Class—Gwah!”

With a single effortless blow, Savast was sent flying by Jill, soaring far across the battlefield.

Wilkes, who happened to be nearby, ended up being pinned under Savast.

(Did something just hit me? I thought I heard someone calling my name in a familiar voice…)

Jill tilted her head, unable to recall who had spoken. Shaking it off, she charged back into the main forces of “White Wolf.”

“White Wolf” had assumed the “Spirit Alliance” would be severely weakened from their battle with the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir,” but the “Spirit Alliance” had not been worn down nearly as much as they had hoped.

In fact, there were even more A-Class adventurers than when they had left town, and their forces were bolstered.

Each time “White Wolf” launched an attack, they were met with fierce counterattacks, forcing them to retreat repeatedly.

Laurent decided to take this opportunity to gain a decisive advantage by delivering a crushing blow to “White Wolf.”

Rodo commanded the “Fire Dragon” to attack the “Spirit Alliance” from the sky.

However, the “Spirit Alliance” countered by deploying their own “Fire Dragon.”

But it wasn’t just an ordinary “Fire Dragon.”

It was the “Barrier Dragon,” a dragon capable of erecting barriers.

Not only could it use its regular “Fire Breath,” but it also had the ability to create barriers. Rodo’s ordinary “Fire Dragons” were no match, and his dragons were decisively defeated.

(No… My dragons…)

Pat’s “Tuning” skills had improved, and having gained experience in the “Barren Lands,” the bard Nicola had become capable of controlling even A-Class dragons.

Rodo, left with no choice, ordered a retreat.

Laurent was quick to seize this opportunity.

“Rei, can you play the ‘Demonic Tone’ and ‘Wolf Sound’ for us?”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Ray, the captain of the external guild “Crimson Sand Players,” immediately gave orders to his companions.

“Finally, it’s our turn.”

“We’ve been waiting forever.”

The bards of the “Crimson Sand Players” began playing their harps, flutes, and string instruments, all “tuned” by Pat’s “Tuning.”

Almost immediately, the surrounding woods and rocky shadows began to stir, and demons and wolf clans sprang out, pursuing the fleeing “White Wolf.”

Even the most agile thieves of “White Wolf,” who were well-trained in hit-and-run tactics, could not escape the wolf clans, who quickly flanked them.

Soon, they found themselves being closed in on from behind by the warriors of the “Spirit Alliance.”

“There he is! The one using the ‘Dragon Tone’!”

“Surround him!”

“Urgh…”

Rodo, realizing that further resistance was futile, quietly surrendered.

The only force left was the main unit led by Jamil.

Laurent expanded the search network using archers and thieves, scouting for the position of Jamil’s “White Wolf” main unit.

As they scouted while quickly descending the mountain, Liz finally discovered the enemy’s location.

Laurent immediately dispatched the strongest forces of the “Spirit Alliance.”

Jamil, while keeping a wary eye on his surroundings, impatiently waited at the predetermined meeting point with Rodo.

(Rodo hasn’t returned? Could it be that he was taken down by the “Spirit Alliance”?)

Just then, the thieves who were patrolling the area returned.

“Captain, the ‘Spirit Alliance’ is heading our way. It seems we’ve been discovered.”

“Captain, we’ve been outflanked, and our escape routes are blocked.”

(Damn it.)

“Prepare for battle. Hurry!”

Cornered, Jamil readied himself for a decisive battle against the strongest unit of the “Spirit Alliance.”

But it was futile.

The front lines were decimated by the defense of Archie, who had risen to A-Class, and the attack power of Ike. Then, Jill’s charge finished the job, and in less than an hour, Jamil’s forces were annihilated.

Jamil was forced to flee the scene alone.

Jamil, using his natural speed and quick judgment, was almost able to escape to the forest, but his path was blocked at the last moment by a single thief.

It was Karla.

“Damn it. Move!”

Jamil swung his sword at Karla, but she easily dodged it with her superior agility and counterattacked.

(What… the…?)

Struck on the shoulder, Jamil collapsed to the ground. In the process, his eyepatch slipped off.

“Stop resisting; it’s pointless now. Your group is finished. Surrender quietly.”

Despite clutching his wounded arm, Jamil laughed eerily.

“Heh… I can’t do that.”

“Fool. Can’t you see that the battle is already decided? Why do you keep resisting?”

“No matter how cornered I am, it doesn’t matter. There’s no turning back for me now. I’m just like you… a person abandoned by the island!”

“Wha…? You are…”

Jamil’s eyepatch completely fell away, revealing his true face.