The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 66

Chapter 66   Light and Durable Equipment

As Elio was heading home, troubled about his equipment, a friendly adventurer named Phil called out to him.

“Hey, Elio! What’s going on?”

“Oh, Phil. Well, those ‘White Wolves’ guys got the better of us again.”

“Cheer up, man. Hey, let’s go to that diner on the outskirts of town. My treat.”

“A diner?”

“Yeah, they’ve got a cute girl working there now.”

“Well, I’m not really in the mood right now.”

“Come on, don’t say that. I’ll listen to your troubles.”

Reluctantly, Elio followed his friend’s suggestion and headed down the road to the outskirts of town.

“Welcome!”

The diner was a friendly place for the general public. It offered classic home-cooked meals and set menus at reasonable prices, the kind of place you’d want to visit every day.

However, Elio’s mood didn’t improve.

“This really is serious for you,” Phil said.

“Yeah, because it’s my fault our guild is stuck. If my stats were just a bit higher, we could have taken on a higher-level quest ages ago.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not all on you.”

“But this is the third time this month. Every time it counts, my lack of stats keeps me from pulling through.”

“You’re too serious. Take it easy. Come on, let’s have a drink.”

“Excuse me, are you two adventurers?”

A girl who seemed to be a waitress, wearing an apron, approached the two of them.

Elio quickly realized she must be the famous waitress he had heard about. Indeed, she had a charming, simple appeal.

“Oh yeah, we’re adventurers,” Phil said, trying to impress her.

“I thought so. If you don’t mind, please take a look at this,” she said, handing them a pamphlet.

“Hmm? An alchemy guild? Isn’t this about the guild operating behind this place? Wait, didn’t the old man there retire?” Phil asked.

“Yes, my grandfather did retire. But fortunately, someone else who wanted to use the workshop came along. We’re open for business again,” she explained.

“Really? That’s great. Oh, look, the guild’s name has changed to ‘Arsenal of the Spirit’s.'”

As Elio casually glanced over the pamphlet, a particular phrase caught his eye.

“Free consultations for adventurers by an S-Rank appraiser!”

(Free consultations by an S-Rank appraiser?)

“So, if you’re interested, please feel free to use the alchemy guild’s services as well,” she continued.

“Sure, if we need any ores refined, we’ll definitely check it out,” Phil replied.

As the girl started to walk back to the kitchen, Elio hurriedly called out to her.

“Wait a minute, miss. This S-Rank appraiser…?”

* * *

Aina was recalling her conversation with Laurent as she forged a sword.

“Create a sword of C grade at a lower cost?”

“Yes. So far, you’ve been making a C grade sword with 50 units of iron. But now, you’ve acquired B class ‘Metal Shaping’. If you use your skills well, you should be able to make a C grade sword with just 40 units of iron. Your next goal is to make a C grade sword with as little iron as possible. Can you do it?”

As Laurent said this, Aina’s expression darkened.

“……”

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s… that girl, Lizetta, said that two people making a B grade sword isn’t nearly enough. She said that ‘Arsenal of the Spirit’s’ won’t survive like this.”

“Oh, that.”

“So, shouldn’t I be able to make stronger weapons by myself?”

“Don’t worry about what she said for now.”

“But…”

“She seems to take pride in crafting equipment alone, but I don’t believe working alone is everything. Knowing how to use people effectively is important too.”

“Using people?”

“Yes. By using people effectively, you can get the support you need and compensate for your weaknesses. You’ve already been doing that, haven’t you? By borrowing Rody’s strength and toughness, you’ve increased your production capability. As a result, you’ve been able to complete quests like making ten C grade swords in a day, which you couldn’t do before, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Let’s combine our strengths to create weapons even better than those from ‘Dragon’s Ember’. Trust me, your skills as an alchemist are definitely improving. Eventually, you’ll be able to make even more powerful weapons. But for now, let’s focus on the task at hand. Making ten C grade swords a day. Let’s keep at it, alright?”

“Yes.”

Aina finished her recollection and refocused on forging the sword in front of her.

(That Lizetta girl, acting all high and mighty. Just watch. I’ll make weapons even better than hers someday!)

Rody, observing Aina, felt relieved.

(Thank goodness. I was worried about how she’d handle being shown up by that Lizetta girl, but it seems Aina’s spirit hasn’t broken. Laurent’s support worked well.)

Rody flipped the iron on the workbench in sync with Aina.

(I’m counting on you, Aina. This place has pretty good conditions. My livelihood depends on you.)

“Rody. The rough shaping is done. I’ll start the fine shaping now, so put both swords on the bench.”

“Alright.”

Rody placed the partly finished swords on the bench, and Aina resumed her forging.

(Still…)

As Aina worked on the sword, she noticed a different feeling.

(What is it? I don’t seem to be getting as tired today…)

Despite this being her tenth sword of the day, she showed no signs of fatigue.

Laurent assessed her status.

[Aina’s Status]

• • • • Strength: 40-50

• • • • Endurance: 40 (↑20) – 50 (↑20)

• • • • Agility: 60-70

• • • • Stamina: 40 (↘︎30) – 70

(↑↓ indicates a permanent increase or decrease, ↗︎↘︎ indicates a temporary increase or decrease)

(Her endurance has increased. As a result, her other stats are more stable. Aina’s stats are improving steadily. She’ll be able to handle even more work in a day at this rate. The issue is…)

Laurent stopped assessing Aina and turned his attention back to his discussion with Dylan, both of them wearing serious expressions.

“Dylan, I hate to complain, but isn’t there any better work?”

Several documents detailing alchemical job offers lay on the desk in front of him.

Dylan had scouted these jobs from various alchemy and adventurer guilds, but they were all low-quality, low-paying gigs.

“I understand the numbers are tight, Laurent,” Dylan said, rubbing his forehead.

“But the fact remains that ‘Spirit’s Workshop’ doesn’t have a strong reputation on this island yet. High-paying jobs just aren’t coming our way.”

“The problem isn’t just the pay, Dylan,” Laurent said, pointing to the documents.

“The quality of the work is an issue too. This atelier was established to train alchemists to maintain S-class weapons. Improving our alchemists’ skills is essential. These low-quality quests won’t challenge them enough, and their skills will stagnate.”

“I understand,” Dylan replied.

“Look, Dylan, the concept of this guild is to grow alongside the adventurers’ guilds. Currently, there are many small adventurers’ guilds on this island. Among them, there must be some looking to grow and step up. We need to find those guilds.”

“I get that too,” Dylan said, leaning back in his chair, exasperated.

“But just having a record of making C-rank swords isn’t enough to get anyone’s attention. Ambitious guilds will go to ‘Dragon’s Ember’ first.”

“Even so, without requests from guilds, we can’t build our track record,” Laurent said.

“So we’re stuck with no options,” Dylan concluded.

The two of them slumped, disheartened.

“Excuse me, is Laurent here?” Saki called out, opening the atelier door.

“Saki? What’s up? It’s not time for tea yet, is it?”

“There’s an adventurer in the dining hall who wants your appraisal, Laurent.”

“What?” (A job!)

“I’ll be right there,” Laurent said, standing up and heading towards the dining hall.

In the bustling dining hall, filled with adventurers returning from dungeons, Laurent appraised Elio’s stats.

[Elio’s Stats]

• • • • Strength: 10-60

• • • • Endurance: 30-60

• • • • Agility: 30-40

• • • • Stamina: 20-80

(These stats are typical for a C-class shield bearer. His strength is unnaturally depleted. This is likely because…)

“The weight…” Laurent began.

Elio stiffened.

“When taking damage from enemies, endurance should be the first stat to deplete. The fact that your endurance remains while your strength is significantly drained suggests that you’re wearing equipment far heavier than your strength can handle.”

Elio was impressed by Laurent’s skill.

(He can deduce this much just from appraising my stats, without even seeing my equipment. This is the power of an S-class appraiser…)

“Heavy equipment slows you down, doesn’t it? With your current gear, you can’t properly explore dungeons, can you?”

“Yeah, exactly. I’m always dragging my team down. That’s why I’m considering changing my equipment rank.”

“What did the alchemist handling your gear say?”

“They told me to train my strength and endurance. They said if I have complaints about the gear, I should lower its rank. If I don’t like it, they said I should find another guild.”

“I see.”

(If I were in his guild, I could support him in completing strength-enhancing quests. But right now, we’re just business partners. And besides…)

“That said, Elio, your guild, ‘Dawn Shield,’ seems to be a small guild with limited resources for extensive training to improve stats, right?”

“Exactly. The guild keeps pushing me to complete high-reward quests because our finances are tight. But on this island, high-reward quests usually mean mining ore in the ‘Metal Line’ or hunting dragons.”

“I see. So you have to wear B-class equipment to handle those quests.”

“Yeah, but my stats aren’t high enough for B-class gear. I’m always caught between my guild and the alchemy guild.”

“And you can’t compromise on the durability and defense of your equipment because of the threat from PK guilds on this island.”

“That’s right, exactly.”

Elio felt a bit of relief as he confided his troubles.

(This is the first alchemy guild that has taken my concerns so seriously.)

Elio let out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks for listening to my worries, Laurent, was it? Just being able to vent has helped me organize my thoughts a bit. I still have concerns about the future, though…”

“Well, how about this? What if we make it for you? Lightweight gear with high defense and durability.”

“What? Is that possible?”

“Yes. Our guild can do it.”

“R-really?”

“Yes, with the unique skills of our guild’s alchemists, it’s possible.”

(If it’s this alchemy guild, they might just be able to solve my problems.)

“It might take a little time, though…”

“That’s great news, Elio. Let them make your gear here.”

Phil spoke up.

“Hey, but…”

Elio looked down, feeling uneasy.

“…Is something wrong?”

“When it comes to equipment with unique skills like that, it’s bound to be expensive, right? I’m not sure if my guild will approve switching suppliers… Like I said, we’re a small guild with tight finances.”

“What about installment payments or a lease contract?”

“Well, we still have a lease contract with ‘Dragon’s Ember’ that’s not up yet. And, well, ‘Arsenal of the Spirit’s’ is also a small guild, right? I’m not sure if I can convince my guild.”

“I see. How about this, then? What if we offer a free trial?”

“A free trial?”

“Yes, try using it in a dungeon once. If it doesn’t work out, you can return it. No charge.”

“Really? Is that okay?”

“Yes. What do you think?”

“Alright, I think my guild will agree to that. I’ll bring it up right away.”

The next day, ‘Dawn Shield’ officially requested ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ to create lightweight and durable armor.