The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 88

Chapter 88   The Wizard Brother and Sister

Edgar realized something important while carrying out his daily duties at the branch of ‘Dragon’s Ember.’

That realization was that commuting to the branch every day distanced him from the headquarters of ‘Dragon’s Ember.’

At this rate, his opportunities to make suggestions to the guild leader, Medes, or to attend important meetings at the headquarters would drastically decrease.

(Damn, this is like being exiled to a remote island.)

Conversely, if someone spoke ill of him to Medes, his current position would be in jeopardy.

Within the guild, there were many enemies of Edgar, including Lizetta.

(This is no joke. If I don’t do something, I’ll be ousted from my current position even if I manage to take down ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ and make a name for myself.)

Edgar hurriedly gathered his staff.

“Listen up, everyone. I’m leaving the branch and returning to headquarters starting today. There’s an urgent task that I must handle there. So, Lina, I’m entrusting everything here to you. You’ll need to investigate the inner workings of ‘Arsenal of the Spirits,’ steal their clients, meet sales quotas, supervise and train the staff, and manage the workshop. Submit a report to headquarters every weekend. I’m counting on you.”

With those words, Edgar headed back to the headquarters of ‘Dragon’s Ember.’

At this time, he was still unaware that ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ had already suffered a devastating blow from Monica.

Lina, now in charge of the branch, was at a loss.

(What should I do? I have no idea how to manage a branch.)

She was still struggling to handle her own tasks and had never led subordinates.

At ‘Dragon’s Ember’ branch, the situation continued where the shop would open but fail to properly display products, causing adventurers to leave without buying anything.

(If this keeps up, Edgar will be furious. What should I… Oh, that’s it!)

Lina remembered a man named Dylan who had visited the shop recently.

Dylan, who was in charge of wholesale at ‘Arsenal of the Spirits,’ had told her to consult him if she ever had any trouble.

In desperation, Lina ran to ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ and sought help from Laurent.

Laurent was entertaining a girl from the rival guild who had come to him for help, in the dining hall.

When Dylan offered to pay, Lina ordered two meals and started eating with great speed.

Laurent and Dylan watched her intently.

“Sorry, munch munch. I’ve been so busy, chomp chomp. I haven’t eaten anything since this morning, gulp gulp.”

“That’s okay. Take your time and eat. Would you like to order more?”

“Well, I’ll take you up on that. Excuse me, can I get another order, please?”

(She’s going to eat more?)

Dylan was a bit put off by her appetite.

“Chew chew, gulp. Phew, thank you for the meal. So, what were we talking about again?”

Lina finally said after finishing her meal.

“You said you were having trouble managing the branch and needed help…”

“Oh, right. Edgar, who was running the branch, went back to ‘Dragon’s Ember’ headquarters, so I’ve been left in charge, but I don’t know what to do.”

“I see.”

“He told me to steal customers from ‘Arsenal of the Spitits’ and secure sales. What should I do?”

(Are you seriously asking us that?)

Dylan silently retorted in his mind.

“I understand. So, you want us to direct some of our customers to your branch. Is that correct?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Hey, Laurent?”

“Got it. In that case, can I ask you to refine some ‘Earthcraft’ for us? We’ve received a large request from an adventurers’ guild we partner with, and we were looking for a guild to help with the refining. Can you take it on?”

“That would be wonderful. We’d be happy to take on the task.”

(Hey, hey, hey)

“Great. Let’s have a meeting about it this afternoon.”

“Yes, please.”

(Are we really okay with this?)

Dylan watched the situation unfold with a sense of nervous anticipation.

“Oh, thank you so much! Now I won’t get scolded by Edgar. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Is there anything else you need help with or are having trouble with?”

“I’ve also been told to gather information about ‘Arsenal of the Spirits.’ If there’s anything you can share that wouldn’t be a problem, it would be really helpful. And if you could teach me how to manage and supervise the branch staff, that would also be a big help.”

“Understood.”

(This girl has no sense of restraint, does she?)

Dylan was starting to feel more impressed than exasperated.

Laurent handed Lina a hastily scribbled document detailing the number and skills of the staff at ‘Arsenal of the Spirits,’ though it was mostly fabricated.

“Will this do?”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

Lina accepted the skill list Laurent had written.

“This is very helpful. I can use this to create a report for Edgar.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

(This is way too sloppy. It’s like a child’s game.)

“And about supervising the staff? I’ll help with that later too. I’m an appraiser, so if I assess the staff’s skills and statuses, I can assign tasks appropriately. Depending on the situation, I might even be able to delegate additional work.”

“Wow, thank you so much for everything.”

“Alright, prepare for the afternoon transaction and come back here, okay?”

“Yes, I’ll bring the estimate, contract, and order forms.”

Satisfied, Lina returned to the branch.

“What a straightforward girl,” Dylan remarked.

“Yeah,” laurent agreed.

“She was so nonchalant it almost made me uneasy.”

“Looks like ‘Dragon’s Ember’ isn’t attacking us out of clear hostility; they’re just reluctantly following orders. Anyway, this gives us the perfect opportunity to gather intel on them, and we can focus on running our workshop.”

“Laurent, can I have a moment?” Saki approached with a pot in her hands.

“Saki, what’s up?”

“There’s an adventurer who wants to have an appraisal done by you.”

“Got it. I’ll be there right away. See you, Dylan.”

“Yeah, go ahead. Things at the workshop are really looking up while our enemies are fumbling around.”

The adventurers waiting for Laurent’s appraisal were a male and female mage duo.

Will Wombat’s Skills:

‘Explosive Magic’: C → A

Lana Wombat’s Skills:

‘Geocrust Magic’: C → A

“Originally, we were supposed to join ‘Crescent Knight’s’ expedition to slay the giant fire dragon, Grand Fafnir,” the composed mage, Will, explained.

“But we couldn’t meet their participation requirements. Then we heard about you guys. An appraiser who can provide the right equipment and skill enhancement advice. We thought it was a perfect opportunity to reassess our abilities and improve our skills.”

“Brother, are you sure it’s wise to consult with them? Wouldn’t it be better to ask a big guild like ‘Dragon’s Ember’?” Lana hesitated.

“No, Lana. Don’t say that. laurent is taking the time to advise us, and it would be rude to dismiss his help.”

“Yes, Brother…” Lana blushed and looked up at her brother with an intense gaze, unusual for a sister.

“I understand. I’ll prepare equipment to boost your skills. Also, if you’re interested, I can introduce you to a partner guild.”

“Oh? You can do that here?”

“Yes, we have clients with strong shield-bearers and archers in their guilds. They could certainly use your skills.”

“That would be great. Our mage skills are useless without frontline shields.”

After taking on the job from the two mages, Laurent promptly discussed the matter with Aina.

“Equipment for C-rank mages?”

“Yes. Monica’s vacation is almost over, and she’ll be returning to the adventurer’s city. To withstand attacks from ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers’ will need firepower and defense to fill the gap left by Monica. Will and Lana are perfect for that role.”

“I see. Let’s see here. Equipment that can use C-rank ‘Explosive Magic’ and ‘Geocrust Magic’… Is this enough?”

Aina asked as she looked over the specifications Laurent handed her.

“Yes. Both Will and Lana have A-rank potential. Just giving them the right equipment and letting them use their magic will naturally improve their skills.”

“Got it.”

“So, Aina, can I leave the creation of this equipment entirely up to you?”

“Me?”

“Yes. The equipment you made for A-rank archer was excellent. You’ve also been helping out the other workers recently. I don’t think anyone will oppose you being in charge. I’d like to entrust this project to you completely, if that’s alright.”

“No, really, if you’re willing to trust me with this, I’d be honored. I’ll gladly do it.”

“I appreciate it. I’ll make sure to address your compensation as soon as possible, too.”

“Thank you.”

(Laurent praised me. Alright, I’ll do my best!)

Aina, more motivated than ever, stepped through the meeting room door.

“I think we can increase production speed by combining Aize’s agility with Rody’s ‘product design,’” Aina said at the meeting where everyone was gathered.

“When we made the A-rank arrows last time, I realized it’s impossible to create the perfect product from the start. So, Aize can make prototypes, and Rody can create blueprints based on them. This should reduce the number of failures.”

“I see.”

“Sounds good to me,” Aize and Rody agreed.

“Wait a minute,” Wayne interrupted the flow of the conversation.

“Are you serious? Do we really need three people to work on C-rank equipment? That’s way too much labor cost.”

“It’s fine. We’re speeding up production by working together.”

“There’s no need to go to such lengths for C-rank equipment. One person can handle it. That’s how I did it back at ‘Dragon’s Ember.’”

“Our guild focuses on making equipment that lasts, even if it takes a bit more effort.”

“I could make it much cheaper. You don’t have enough cost awareness.”

“That’s not true. We calculate everything properly.”

“No, you don’t.”

Aina frowned.

(What’s with this guy? He keeps arguing. He’s not a dog, for goodness’ sake.)

(She’s actually making stronger weapons than Edgar. Ever since I came here, I’ve been losing to Aina. If this keeps up, I’m in trouble. If I can’t win with the quality of my work, I need to win with words. Otherwise, I’ll really get fired.)

“This guild is way too soft on adventurers. ‘Dragon’s Ember’ is much stricter with them.”

“Alright, I get it. You used to work at a big guild. But we have our own way of doing things here.”

“Do you really think your ‘way of doing things’ is going to work forever?”

Wayne stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

The atmosphere in the meeting room turned tense.

“Wayne, Aina is in charge this time. Tone it down,” Laurent said.

Wayne clicked his tongue and sat back down, sulking.

“Seriously, what’s up with Wayne?” Aina vented to Laurent when they were alone in the hallway.

“He keeps opposing everything we say, always bringing up ‘Dragon’s Ember.’”

“He’s still influenced by how things were done at ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ It’s understandable. It’s hard to change ingrained values.”

“But still… this is our Workshop. He should follow our methods by now.”

(Even Aina is struggling to handle Wayne.)

“I get it, Aina. You can leave Wayne to me for now.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll handle him directly.”

Lina compiled her report and submitted it to Edgar.

“These are the skills of the workers belonging to ‘Arssenal of the Spirits.'”

“Oh, you’ve done your research well.”

“Yes, I subtly gathered information from each worker as they left the workshop and thoroughly investigated.”

“And the sales figures are solid. Good job. Pat, how about you? Have you finished your work?”

“Just a little more time, please.”

“Damn it, don’t dawdle. Lina’s already finished her work properly. If you’re a craftsman, move your hands and feet and finish quickly.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Pat, get ready to receive ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven.’ They should be returning soon. Prepare people and space to immediately collect and maintain their equipment. Now, get moving!”

Pat left the room.

Edgar turned back to Lina.

“Damn, slowpokes are such a pain. By the way, Lina, you haven’t shown this report to the guild master yet, have you?”

“…No, of course not.”

“Good. I’ll make sure to hand this report to the guild master myself. I’ll also report your contributions this time, so you can continue focusing on the branch operations and monitoring ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ without worry.”

“…Yes.”

Lina had an intuition.

Edgar had no intention of accurately reporting her work.

He planned to take credit for her efforts.

He would present the findings and sales she achieved as his own accomplishments to the guild master.

However, she decided to turn a blind eye.

It wouldn’t be wise to make an enemy of Edgar in this workshop.

If she opposed him, her ability to work would be significantly hindered.

(Let’s let Edgar take the credit for now. I’ll pretend to be harmless, ordinary, and obedient to avoid provoking him and stay out of trouble. There’s no need to worry; his reign won’t last long. He’s overburdened with work and making enemies everywhere. Soon, the strain will catch up to him, or someone will undermine him, and he’ll fall. Pat and I will bide our time and wait for his downfall. As long as I’m with Pat, I can endure some hardship and misfortune. I can handle it.)

While she was thinking this, she heard voices and footsteps coming from the adventurers’ entrance.

“Oh, it seems ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ is back. Let’s see how they did. I hope they managed to hit them hard enough to damage ‘Arsenal of the Spirits.'”

However, Edgar was shocked when he saw the returning adventurers.

(What the hell is this? The B-class equipment is all tattered.)

“Hey, you guys really had a tough time, huh? You’re all beat up,” Edgar said, trying to sound calm despite his growing unease.

“So, did you manage to take out ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers’?”

“Well, actually…”

The adventurers from ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven’ started explaining the situation, their words halting and unclear.

Edgar was speechless after hearing their story.

“What? So you’re telling me you used up all this equipment and still lost? Even though we provided the gear and came up with the plan?”

“Yeah, um…”

“We’re sorry.”

(What the hell is going on here?)

Pat looked at the damaged equipment in horror.

(It’s true. The enemy has an A-class archer. Not only that, but this archer’s skills have evolved!)

Edgar regained his composure.

(We can’t afford any more failures. We must succeed this time. Luckily, I have another plan ready.)

“Lina, what’s the status of ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’?”

“Yes, as of today, the adventurers haven’t returned yet.”

“Good. Before they get back, we’ll launch another attack. This time we’ll use support magic. We’ll equip B-class armor with ‘defensive enchantment’ from support mages. No matter how bad the hits are, their armor won’t be pierced!”

Edgar hurriedly prepared new equipment for ‘Dragon Knight’s Haven,’ using up the additional budget.

“Now, take the support mages with you and try again! This time, make sure you succeed. If you fail again, I won’t forgive you!”

‘Dragon Knight’s Haven,’ now equipped with new gear and accompanied by support mages, headed to the ore mine where ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers’ were thought to be.

Fortunately, they managed to find and engage their targets.

They fought with warriors clad in B-class armor, bolstered by defensive support magic, confident in their invulnerability.

However, Monica’s archery easily pierced the supposedly high-defense armor, forcing them into a hasty retreat once again.