The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 71

Chapter 71   Premonition of Revolution

Loran was so engrossed in appraising Karla that he momentarily forgot she was standing right in front of him.

[Karla’s Status]

Power: 30-40 → 40-50

Toughness: 20-30 → 30-40

Agility: 40-50 → 120-130

Stamina: 40-50 → 120-130

(Her power and toughness are low, but her agility and stamina are high. She’s clearly a typical thief… Wait a minute!)

“Hey.”

[Karla’s Unique Skill]

Whirling Sword Dance: E → S

(A unique skill that allows her to unleash wide-range slashes, and it’s S-class potential! She could definitely be trained as an S-class swordsman…)

“Hey!”

(But still, with low power and toughness, she’ll need support from shield bearers…)

“Hey, I’m talking to you!”

Laurent snapped back to reality as Karla grabbed his shoulder.

He focused on the girl standing in front of him.

“Well? Can you make a sword that can defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ or not?”

“Uh? Oh, sorry. I got too caught up in the appraisal…”

“Appraisal?”

Karla eyed Loran suspiciously.

“Yeah. I’m…”

“Um, if I may…”

Saki, who had somehow entered the room unnoticed, interjected between the two of them.

“Shall we discuss this inside the shop?”

It was only then that Laurent realized they had been standing and talking in the middle of the workshop.

“Here you go—specialty ‘Dragon Tea’ from the ‘Island of Fire Dragons’.”

Saki offered tea to Laurent and Karla.

They had moved to the dining area.

“Sorry, we don’t have a guest room in our workshop yet.”

“No need to apologize. Let’s focus on the equipment.”

“So, you want to defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’…”

“Exactly. If I don’t act now, the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute’ will slay the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’. I need to defeat it first.”

“You mean to compete with the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute’?”

Dylan was astonished. Even without appraisal skills, he could tell by looking at her flimsy gear that she wasn’t strong enough.

“I tried talking to ‘Dragon Ember’ too, but they’re useless. They said they’re too busy maintaining the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute’s’ equipment. But I heard that you can make unique gear here. Can you help me?”

“Of course, we have staff with unique skills who can create custom weapons for you. However…”

“Really? Then please, right now…”

“However, with your current strength, you can’t defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’.”

Karla slammed the table and stood up.

“Why not? You don’t know unless you try!”

The room fell silent.

Karla realized her outburst and sat back down.

“…Sorry.”

“It’s okay. But why are you so fixated on defeating the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’? Wouldn’t it be better to start with simpler quests?”

“I don’t want outsiders to beat us to it. We need to solve our own problems with our own strength.”

“Hmm.”

(Is it local pride or sheer determination? Either way, if she’s determined to defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’, she could be the kind of person we need. But…)

“Karla, was it? Based on my appraisal skill, I believe you have the potential to become an A-class adventurer in the future. We’re currently looking for companions to help us defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.’”

“Then…”

“But it’s too soon. The ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ is not an enemy that can be defeated overnight. It requires training, information gathering, and preparation. Here…”

Laurent handed her a pamphlet.

“What’s this? ‘Skill and Status Training by an S-Class Appraiser’?”

“Yes. Despite how I might seem, I’ve trained and developed numerous adventurers, including some who reached S-class. Given time, you could…”

“That’s not good enough. While I’m doing that, the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute’ will…”

“They won’t defeat it.”

“Huh?”

“They won’t be able to defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.’”

Laurent’s confident declaration left Karla momentarily speechless.

“Why are you so sure? They’re the strongest adventurers from the ‘Western Continent,’ right?”

“My appraisal skill tells me so. They can’t defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.’ But right now, you’re just potential.”

“Appraisal skill? That’s it? That’s your only basis for saying something so irresponsible?”

“Hey, watch your mouth.”

Dylan, who had been silently listening, now spoke up angrily.

“And even if you say you want us to make gear, can you pay for it? Your equipment and status are weak, and does your guild even support your idea?”

“Well, that’s…”

Karla faltered.

“Dylan, calm down.”

Laurent urged, and Dylan reluctantly sat down.

“Karla, I understand that you have urgent reasons and serious intentions for coming here. But right now, you’re still just potential. Why not take some time to properly train your skills and status? For your own growth…”

“It’s no good.”

Karla bowed her head, her voice strained as she spoke.

“Talking about growth for some distant future isn’t good enough. It has to be now!”

With that, Karla ran out of the workshop.

“Hey, wait a minute… she’s gone already.”

By the time Dylan ran out to the storefront, Karla was nowhere to be seen.

“Is it okay to let her go, Laurent? She seemed pretty talented.”

“Yeah, but it can’t be helped. All we can do is support her. If she doesn’t have the will to grow, there’s nothing we can do about it. Besides…”

“Besides?”

“She’ll come back.”

(With that much potential, there’s no way her talent will stay dormant. Her abilities will inevitably lead her back to us.)

At the ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ a meeting was in progress.

The guild master, Medes, and the members of the Quartet were seated around a round table.

“As a result of our negotiations, our guild will be responsible for the maintenance and manufacturing of weapons for the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute.’ Each of you in the Quartet will be handling this task.”

A tense atmosphere filled the room.

A major job like this from an external guild would significantly affect their evaluations and salaries.

“Their request involves weapon maintenance and the production of ‘Fire Spears’ for their members.”

(Fire Spears. Currently, the most effective weapon against dragon species.)

Charles looked around the meeting table.

(Unlike ordinary spears, these require modifications to emit high-temperature magic from the tip. Normally, Raoul would handle such tasks, but…)

The four members of the Quartet closely watched Medes’ every move.

“Maintenance of weapons and armor for thirty people will be evenly divided among the four of you. The issue is the Fire Spears. Normally, Raoul would handle such tasks, but this time, you’ll need to maintain the Dragonhead Gauntlet. Therefore, I’m considering assigning the Fire Spear task to Lizetta…”

“Hey, wait a minute.”

Edgar stood up, looking dissatisfied.

“Why does it have to be Lizetta? I can make Fire Spears just as well!”

“My silver crafting skills are superior to yours,” Lizetta retorted.

“I think Edgar should handle the Fire Spear task too,” Charles interjected.

Lizetta glared at him.

“Lizetta’s skills have certainly improved lately, but she still lacks experience. It’s too soon to entrust her with such a major job.”

“Are you kidding? Can either of you make A-class silver crafts?”

“What did you say?”

“Guild Master, I will absolutely take on this task.”

“Edgar, Lizetta, sit down. I understand your eagerness given the importance of this job. But this time, Edgar, you need to let Lizetta handle it. The Fire Spear requires advanced silver crafting skills, and silver pairs well with magic. Currently, Lizetta’s silver crafting skills surpass yours. The ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute’ are very particular about magic. To satisfy them, we need the highest quality. Our guild values competition and quality. The more skilled craftsman should take on the task. Do you agree?”

“Tch,” Edgar grumbled as he sat down.

“Does anyone else have any opinions? No? Then, let’s move on to the next agenda item. Regarding the education program for junior staff…”

After the meeting, Edgar and Charles walked down the hallway, chatting.

“Damn it. So the Guild Master did give the Fire Spear task to Lizetta.”

“Even after all the planning we did beforehand.”

In reality, the two had conspired before the meeting. They had anticipated that Lizetta would be assigned to the Fire Spear project and had planned to push for Edgar instead, hoping to split the rewards between themselves.

“This is bad. We’re already on the verge of losing more clients this month.”

“You mean ‘Dawn Shield’?”

“Yeah. I thought they’d give up quickly, but they’ve canceled all their contracts.”

“Haha, tough luck.”

“You think this is funny? Are you just going to sit back and accept this?”

“Of course not. I have a plan… and look who’s coming now.”

Down the hall, Jamil and Rodo from ‘White Wolf’ were standing.

“Hey, what’s up? You look down.”

“If you have any troubles, we can help out. Like with ‘The Grand Alliance’ or something.”

Edgar grinned.

“Heh, I guess we’re all thinking the same thing.”

* * *

The day after Karla visited and abruptly left ‘Spirit Workshop,’ another new client came to see Laurent. This time, it was a party of three: one man and two women, all carrying bows.

“You want to accept a quest?”

“Yeah, we got ambushed by a thieves’ guild on our last dungeon expedition and nearly went bankrupt. Haha.”

“Nearly bankrupt? Is everything okay?”

“No, it’s not. We’re on the brink of going out of business. But then, like a godsend, we found your flyer.”

The man showed Laurent the flyer he had posted on the bulletin board in the square, advertising the ‘Earthcraft’ mining quest.

“This isn’t the time to joke around, Hans. We’re about to end up on the streets.”

“That’s right. We’ll have to shut down the adventuring business that’s been in our family for generations, and ‘Dragon’s Ember’ will take our house, which we put up as collateral.”

“I know, Claire, Alice. That’s why we’re here to consult with Laurent, the S-Class appraiser. According to this flyer, Laurent offers skill development, equipment enhancement, and tactical training. It’s exactly what we need.”

“You’re too trusting, Hans. That’s why we always end up in trouble.”

(These three seem quite close. Are they family?)

【Hans Bergamot】

Bow Shooting: C → A

Silent Running: C → A

Magic Shooting: E → A

【Claire Bergamot】

Bow Shooting: C → B

Silent Running: C → B

Long-range Vision: C → A

Rapid Fire: C → A

【Alice Bergamot】

Bow Shooting: C → B

Silent Running: C → B

Quick Shot: D → A

Focused Hatred: D → A

(The same surname… they must be siblings.)

Hans seemed like a good-natured older brother, Claire the earnest older sister, and Alice the lively younger sister.

(Each has a bow shooting skill of B or higher, along with Silent Running and agility. They pass as proper archers.)

“So, what do you think, Lautent? Can you make new equipment for us?”

“Before I answer, may I ask one thing? Why haven’t you joined ‘The Guardians of the Magic Institute’?”

“What?”

“Right now, the adventurers on this island are debating whether to side with them. If your finances are tight, shouldn’t you participate in their quest to slay ‘Grand Fafnir, the Giant Fire Dragon’?”

“Hmph. Well, logically, yes. But their methods don’t align with our principles. Think about it. In a mishmash of different people like that, a small guild like ours would get swallowed up. We’d rather take our chances teaming up with other small guilds. I know it’s unrealistic to think I can change this big trend with my meager strength. The guilds outside the island are growing stronger while those on the island are weakening year by year. Small guilds like ours should probably seek alliances with external guilds. But even so, as locals, we want to show some pride. That’s why we chose your quest. Amidst everyone following them, we opted for your quest as our form of resistance. It’s the only way I can fight against this tide.”

“I see.”

(Revolutions often start in places like this.)

“Understood. I’ll create equipment for you and accept your quest. However, there are conditions.”

Laurent then provided them with strategies for their growth.

A few days later, adventurers gathered in front of the dungeon, at the base of the volcano. Most of the island’s adventurer guilds were present. The magic knights of ‘The Guardians of the Magic Institute’ were equipped not only with their polished magic knight armor but also with the ‘Fire Spears’ they didn’t have when they landed on the island.

Almost all of the island’s adventurer guilds had gathered, responding to the call of ‘The Grand Alliance’ over the past few days.

At the right moment, Sein began his speech.

“Everyone, thank you for gathering here. As the proponent of The Grand Alliance, I am overjoyed. With this combined force, we are the strongest adventurer group on this island. The path to domination is open before us. Now, let’s go! To the top of the mountain where ‘Grand Fafnir, the Giant Fire Dragon’ awaits! I hereby declare the formation of The Great Alliance!”