The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 82

Chapter 82   Strategy

Laurent quickly began advising “The Dawn Shield.”

“Alright, the mission this time is to collect as much ‘Earthcraft’ as possible. ‘Earthcraft’ is a special item that can instantly restore equipment durability, which means it enhances an adventurer’s ability to sustain combat and increases their activity time within the dungeon. It’s indispensable for focused short-term growth. Collect as much ‘Earthcraft’ as you can and ignore everything else. Monica?”

“Yes?”

“Take this.”

Laurent handed her a list of monsters that appear in the “Volcanic Dungeon.”

“These are the monsters you’ll encounter in the ‘Volcanic Dungeon.’ With your ‘Hawkeye’ ability, you should be able to avoid most encounters, but if you do have to fight, take on the B-class monsters or above. Leave the rest to Leon and the others.”

“Understood.”

“Hey! You’ve been giving all your attention to ‘The Dawn Shield.’ What about us?”

Alice from “Pegasus Archers” put her hands on her hips, visibly annoyed.

“We’re partnered with ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ too, so we need proper guidance as well!”

Laurent chuckled, realizing how much more people relied on him now compared to before.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t forget about you guys.”

“Laurent, what about us?” Hans asked.

“Pegasus Archers, it’s the same as before. Keep refining your hit-and-run tactics to increase your agility.

Your agility should allow you to evade even ‘Fire Dragons’ for three days.

In the current dungeon, it’s quite possible to survive and strengthen yourselves.

Gather as much ‘Earthcraft’ as you can while doing so.”

“Okay. So, we’re running around inside a volcano again.”

“Alright. I’ll focus on boosting my agility and refining my ‘Rapid Fire’ skill.”

Alice said with determination.

“Avoiding close combat is also important. I’ll support you with my ‘Farsight’.”

Claire said.

“Well, that about covers it. Any questions? No? Alright then, off you go. Good luck to everyone.”

With that, the members of ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers’ left the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ and headed for the ‘Volcanic Dungeon’. Watching them from the shadows was a lone figure.

It was Wilkes, an appraiser affiliated with the ‘Laurent Victims Association’.

Wilkes had appraised the statuses of the members of ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers’ and brought the information back to their hideout.

Savast, who had been keeping watch, stood up when he saw Wilkes.

” Wilkes, how did it go? What’s the situation at the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’? Did you find out anything?”

“Two adventurer guilds left the ‘Arsenal of the Spiirts’ and headed for the dungeon. They seem to be guilds under Laurent’s influence. Savast, please deliver this information to Gilbert.”

“Ugh, another errand. Day after day, all I do is these trivial tasks. When will we finally bring justice to Laurent?”

“Savast, calm down. This is the crucial moment. These persistent intelligence activities will eventually bear fruit and bring us victory.”

“But how many months have we been at this? It was great when Laurent got expelled from ‘Dragon’s Ember’, but since then, the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ has steadily grown in power. While he’s quietly expanding his influence, I’ve been stuck here with poor food and peeling walls, feeling miserable. When will I be able to return to the second unit of the ‘Golden Hawk’?”

“Now is the time to wait for the right opportunity. Don’t worry. The chance to bring justice to Laurent will definitely come. We just have to endure until then. Now, take this information to Gilbert.”

With a face twisted in frustration, Savast took Wilkes memo, disguised himself, and headed to Gilbert.

At ‘Dragon’s Ember’, a meeting was being held.

“Alright, let’s start the meeting.”

Medes began, seeing the quartet seated at the conference table.

“As you all already know, our ‘Dragon’s Ember’ has officially received a request from the ‘Crescent Knights’ to manufacture and maintain their weapons. This time, the ‘Crescent Knights’ have planned three dungeon expeditions. They’ve asked us to maintain the S-class magic sword Granir and to manufacture the fire spears. As usual, Raoul will handle the maintenance of the magic sword Granir, and the standard equipment will be evenly distributed among the quartet. Now, regarding who will be responsible for the production of the fire spears… Edgar, I want you to take on this task.”

“Got it. Leave it to me,” Edgar responded energetically.

“Wait a moment!” Lizetta stood up to object.

“The production of the fire spears requires silver crafting skills. I believe I should handle it rather than Edgar…”

“Lizetta, I understand your point, but there are concerns within the guild about your fire spears. In fact, during the last dungeon expedition of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute’, the fire spears was ineffective. If this information reaches the ‘Crescent Knights’, it could be problematic.”

“But, that was…”

“Lizetta, I know you have your reasons, but the results are what they are. Please let Edgar handle it this time.”

“Ugh…”

“Alright, that settles the matter with the ‘Crescent Knights’. Now, onto the next order of business. We’ve received a request from Sir Gilbert. It’s about that conman… what was his name again? Ah yes, Laurent. He wants us to take measures against Laurent’s guild, the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’.”

(Laurent?)

Lizetta, who had been looking down, suddenly perked up her ears.

“That man started an alchemy guild to spite us, thinking he couldn’t achieve anything. But to our annoyance, he’s managed to run it surprisingly well. There are already two adventurer guilds contracted with the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’.”

“Well, that’s impressive.”

“Running an alchemy guild with nothing but smooth talk and bluffing, huh?”

“At this point, it’s practically a talent.”

“The ones getting fooled are at fault too. What on earth are they doing?”

“Well, there have always been people who fall for cheap scams.”

“It’s troublesome.”

The quartet exchanged their thoughts.

“Well, it’s still a small alchemy guild and poses no significant threat to us. We could ignore it, but Sir Gilbert of the ‘ Knights of Hail ‘ is particularly concerned. He says it affects our standing with the higher-ups.”

“Him?”

Raoul made a slightly exasperated face.

He wasn’t very fond of Gilbert.

“Sir Gilbert has asked us to crush the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits.'”

“Crush it?”

“Yes. By attacking the adventurer guilds contracted with the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits,’ we can undermine the credibility of their products and indirectly deal a blow to the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits.'”

“I see.”

“Indeed, that could certainly hasten the downfall of Laurent’s guild.”

“I want one of the quartet to take on this mission. So, who among you is up for it?”

(I can definitely beat the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’!)

Lizetta thought.

(My reputation has started to decline because of the ‘Guardians of the Magic institute.’ I must redeem myself at all costs.)

“Please let me handle this mission!”

Lizetta raised her hand.

“Wait a minute, Guildmaster. Let me take this on.”

Edgar also raised his hand.

“Edgar, you already have the task of manufacturing the fire spears, don’t you? Are you sure you can handle both?”

“No problem. Dealing a blow to Laurent can be done in my spare time.”

“Guildmaster, Edgar is already responsible for the fire spears. That’s enough for him. Please let me take on this mission.”

Lizetta responded, unwilling to back down.

“This mission will require coordination with the adventurer guilds. Lizetta, you lack the necessary experience.”

“Guildmaster!”

“Alright. Let’s leave this to Edgar.”

“Alright!”

“No way…”

Lizetta turned pale.

Edgar smirked.

(Great. I’ve snatched another job from Lizetta. If I keep taking her work, her reputation will naturally decline. Soon enough, I’ll be able to get her kicked out of the guild.)

Edgar, entrusted with two special tasks by the Guildmaster, quickly set to work.

However, he soon realized that the workload far exceeded his capacity.

(Handling both the fire spears and the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ countermeasures simultaneously is too much. Plus, I have my regular clients to deal with. What should I do…?)

After some thought, Edgar decided to use Lizetta.

“Lizetta, you wanted to handle the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ countermeasures, right? How about I let you help out?”

Lizetta looked at Edgar coldly.

“What do you say? Will you cooperate?”

“No! Of course not! Why should I help you with your work?”

“Don’t say that, please. Lizetta, you’ve been in bad standing with the Guildmaster lately. Think of this as a chance to redeem yourself.”

“You’re just going to take all the credit after getting my help. That’s your real intention, isn’t it?”

“…..”

“If you can’t handle it, you should decline the job and formally assign it to me. That’s the proper way to do things.”

“If I do that, it’ll look bad for me. Come on, Lizetta. I’m really in a bind here.”

“I don’t care about that. I’m already swamped with my own work. I don’t have the luxury to help you just so you can take the credit. Goodbye.”

With that, Lizetta walked away.

“Tch. What an uncooperative person.”

Left with no choice, Edgar decided to consult Charles.

“Of course. I’ll help you out.”

“Really?”

“It’s a give-and-take thing. We’re friends, after all.”

“You’ve saved me. Lizetta was so uncooperative.”

“Ha ha. She’s determined to climb up on her own merits.”

“Such poor teamwork. Anyway, I’m grateful to have a friend like you. I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me. My ‘Product Design’ and ‘Ore Refining’ are A-class. I won’t lose to anyone from Laurent’s guild. But I have my own work too, so we’ll need another staff member for ‘Metal Shaping.'”

“I’ll take care of arranging that.”

Edgar called upon three of his junior subordinates.

One was Wayne, a strong-willed and spirited young man.

Another was Pat, a shy and somewhat difficult young man.

The last was Lina, a timid but kind-hearted girl.

“All three of them have a B rank in ‘Metal Shaping.'”

“I see. That should be enough for the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ countermeasures. Now we just need to arrange the adventurer guild.”

“Here are the status details of ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus’ Archers’ provided by Gilbert.”

“They’ve even done reconnaissance on the enemy. He’s certainly thorough. Hmm, they all seem to be C-class adventurers. Just a small-time guild. Huh? This Monica girl has a note attached. ‘Take note: she’s an A-class archer with the skill “Hawkeye.”‘ ‘Hawkeye’? What’s that?”

“It must be a mistake. Her agility is too low for an archer. She’s definitely C-class.”

“Alright, then we don’t need to worry about that note. In that case, we should send ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ against them. They have B-class warrior Breda, and they’re a subsidiary of ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ They won’t mind doing some dirty work.”

“Okay, it’s settled. Everything is in place. Wayne, Pat, Lina, you three will handle the manufacturing of the equipment for the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ countermeasures.”

“Yes, sir.”

(I’ll have them do the work, and I’ll take the credit. Heh, this is easy.)

Thus, the production of the equipment to counter the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ proceeded at a rapid pace, and the next day, it was handed over to the adventurers of ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven.’

They entered the dungeon, marching quickly along the path believed to have been taken by ‘Dawn Shield’ and ‘Pegasus’ Archers,’ and swiftly pursued both guilds.

Monica was leading ‘Dawn’ Shield.’

Using ‘Hawkeye,’ she carefully avoided encounters with monsters whenever possible, and when unavoidable, she chose paths with weaker monsters.

Jeff followed Monica, feeling a sense of security uncharacteristic of being in a dungeon.

(Is she really controlling our encounters with monsters? Unbelievable. My ‘Farsight’ can somewhat detect approaching monsters, but her ‘Hawkeye’ is on a completely different level.)

At a crossroads, Monica used ‘Hawkeye.’

(There are many ‘Armored Orcs’ waiting on the right. The left has only ‘Goblins.’ The left is the better choice.)

“Everyone, we’ll take the left path. There are ‘Goblins’ ahead, but they should pose no threat with our combat abilities. Huh?”

“What is it?”

“Well, it seems… there’s a group of adventurers coming from behind us?”

“Another guild, huh?”

“Then it should be fine.”

“Yes, usually it would be… but something feels off.”

(This movement… they’re not just exploring the dungeon. They’re tailing us? This feels like…)

“I’ve confirmed it too.”

Jeff used his ‘Farsight’ to spot the enemy.

“It looks like they’ve recognized us. They’re chasing us. It’s like they’re trying to PK us!”

“What?”

“Why would they?”

“They’re almost here. They’re arming themselves!”

“Damn it. What do we do?”

“Do we run… or fight?”

“Everyone, stay calm. The enemy’s speed is impressive. We can’t outrun them with our agility. There’s no place to hide. We have to fight!”

Monica quickly identified a position that would be advantageous for them, considering elevation, wind direction, and cover using her ‘Hawkeye.’

‘Dawn’s Shield’ set up a defensive position on high ground. Elio, the shield-bearer, took the front, Monica and Jeff took shooting positions, and Leon and Cecil were positioned to support, ready for the attack.

The members of the ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ guild charged up the slope, ready to ambush ‘Dawn Shield.’

“Damn, I hate this job. Attacking fellow adventurers like bandits.”

“But we have no choice. It’s an order from ‘Dragon’s Ember.'”

“They promise us the best weapons. We can’t refuse.”

“Surviving as adventurers on this island means having connections with ‘Dragon’s Ember.'”

“Well, ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus’ Archers’ are just small fry. Let’s finish this quickly and get back to our main task.”

“No doubt.”

“Hey, it looks like the enemy plans to fight back. They’re setting up a formation.”

“They’re quite bold, aren’t they?”

“Whatever, it’s what we want.”

“Our equipment and stats are far superior! We’ll crush them with ease!”

The members of ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ advanced, using rocks and sparse trees for cover. They moved their archers forward, getting as close as possible.

However, Monica and Jeff quickly incapacitated them with their accurate shooting.

Despite their attempts to hide, Monica’s ‘Hawkeye’ allowed her to track their movements precisely.

“Damn, their shots are too accurate!”

“We can’t advance any further!”

Forced to retreat, they pulled back their archers and sent in their shield-bearers.

“Engage them in close combat!”

But even the shield-bearers were weakened by Monica’s shots.

Eventually, by splitting into three groups, they managed to reach the enemy’s position and engaged in melee combat.

At this critical moment, ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ deployed their ace, Breda, equipped with B-class gear.

Elio stepped forward to face the warrior Breda.

The outcome of the battle hinged on this duel between Elio and Breda.

Elio’s ‘Blue Armor’ Stats:

Power: 70

Durability: 70 (boosted to 90 by ‘Enchance Coating’)

Weight: 50

Special Effect: Reflect

Compatibility: 90%

Breda’s Gear Stats:

Power: 70

Durability: 70

Weight: 70

Compatibility: 50%

The two heavy warriors clashed.

Although their offensive and defensive capabilities were nearly equal, Elio had several advantages: his higher position, the Reflect effect from his ‘Enchance Coating,’ and his higher compatibility, which provided better mobility and reduced agility penalties. These factors led to Breda’s sword being shattered and armor destroyed, sending Breda flying backward.

‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ began to panic.

Seizing the moment, Leon and Cecil launched a swift counterattack.

‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ was soon overwhelmed and forced to surrender to ‘Dawn’s Shield.’

During Leon’s interrogation, they discovered that the attack on ‘Dawn Shield’ was ordered by ‘Dragon’s Ember.’