The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 90

Chapter 90   How a thief fights

In “The Workshop of Arsenal of the Spirits,” a morning assembly was held with new members and an added workbench, refreshing the atmosphere.

“Alright, Wayne, Pat, and Lina, I want you to improve your unique skills from now on.”

“Yeah, yeah. Unique skills, right?” Wayne replied, sounding uninterested.

Seeing his attitude, Aina frowned.

(Is this guy still not trusting Laurent’s appraisal abilities? He should really acknowledge Laurent’s power by now.)

“Wayne, I’ve already assigned you a task. You need to use ‘Magic Stone Cutting’ to create equipment for A-class wizards. In addition to that, you’ll be competing with these two using your unique skills. Take a look at this.”

Laurent pointed to a harp and a used armor placed on a nearby table.

“First, Pat. I want you to fix the sound of this harp.”

“The sound?”

“Yes. This harp was brought in for repair by a certain bard in this town, but its scales are off. I want you to fix it.”

Laurent played the harp, producing a sound so terrible that even a novice could tell it was out of tune.

“Fix the scales? I’ve never dealt with music before.”

“Don’t worry. What you’ll be doing is essentially alchemy.”

[Explanation of the skill ‘Tuning’] Alchemy can restore the distorted scales of musical instruments. When applied to equipment, it can sometimes grant special effects.

“You can do ‘Metal Molding,’ right? Try applying it to this harp.”

“Alright…”

Still not fully understanding, Pat started hammering the harp.

(Oof. What’s going on?)

Without even checking by playing the instrument, Pat felt the harp’s scales had changed.

When Laurent played the harp, it was clear that the sound had improved.

“Yes. It sounds much better.”

(This is a strange sensation. It’s as if the moment I struck it, I could intuitively understand what was happening inside the instrument… It’s a feeling I never experienced when I was hammering iron.)

“Do you somewhat understand the feeling of using the ‘Tuning’ skill now? Alright then, keep working on the harp until the sound is completely fixed. Next, Lina.”

“Yes.”

“You need to regenerate iron from this armor.”

“Regenerate iron…?”

“Yes, that’s your unique skill, ‘Waste Recycling.'”

[Explanation of the skill ‘Waste Recycling’] By re-refining shaped metal, you can restore the metal.

“The method is straightforward. First, break down this used armor into a size that can fit into the refining furnace. Then, refine it. Can you do that?”

“Understood. I’ll give it a try.”

Without questioning, Lina began her task.

First, she hammered the armor into manageable pieces and then fed them into the furnace.

(She’s a straightforward child. She seems easy to handle.)

Pat continued to experiment with the harp on his assigned workbench.

(I can somehow sense that the sound is changing, but since I’ve never shaped a musical instrument before, I’m not quite sure what I’m doing.)

Pat sighed and fell into thought, he had a habit of drifting into thought when he hit a roadblock in his work

(Did I really make the right choice coming here? I left ‘Dragon’s Ember’ on impulse, but that was a clear breach of contract. Even if I was treated poorly, that’s…)

Just then, Wayne came over to the neighboring workbench and placed some iron on it.

“Hey, Pat. You ended up here too?”

“Wayne…”

“Edgar must’ve set you up, right? That guy’s a real piece of work.”

“I just… I couldn’t stand the way things were there anymore.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Well, I guess it makes sense. You were always on Edgar’s radar.”

“….”

“But you know, this place isn’t much better. That guild master, Laurent, his instructions and training methods are all over the place.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is. I’ve had a rough time because of him. Man, there’s no decent workplace anywhere, really.”

“…Speaking of which, Wayne, weren’t you ordered by the guild master to work on cutting magic stones?”

“Huh? Doesn’t matter. I’ve got to beat Edgar. I don’t have time to follow Laurent’s orders. Besides, what is this ‘Magic Stone Cutting’ skill anyway? Never saw that at ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ Unique skills don’t just pop up like that. What does an appraiser know about alchemy? You need to be careful too…”

Just as Wayne was saying this, Lina’s voice came from the refining furnace area.

“Laurent! I’ve regenerated the iron!”

“Let’s see. Oh, this is Iron C! Well done!”

Laurent examined the iron Lina brought with keen interest.

(That armor was originally made from Iron B. I guess it’s tough to regenerate it back to its original quality. Still, this is more than good enough for reuse.)

[Lina Hart’s Unique Skill] ‘Waste Recycling’: C (↑2)

(Skills that haven’t been used much tend to grow quickly. She moved from E to C class with just a bit of guidance.)

“This is amazing, Lina. With this quality, we can save a lot of iron just by taking in used goods.”

“Yes. I never thought I could do something like this myself.”

“Let’s keep up the pace and do more ‘Waste Recycling.'”

Pat was impressed as he looked at the regenerated iron.

“Incredible. To perfectly regenerate iron from such a worn-out armor… I’ve never seen a skill like that.”

(So Lina had such a skill in her. And to think that S-class appraiser Laurent saw it right away. He was treated like a fraud at ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ but maybe he really knows his stuff.)

“Hey, Wayne, about Laurent… Wayne?”

When Pat tried to talk to Wayne, he saw Wayne frantically putting away the iron and starting to work on the magic stone cutting.

The rough magic stone was quickly smoothed out, taking on a brilliant shine.

Wayne, breathing heavily, handed the finished magic stone to Laurent.

“Huff, huff. Hey, Laurent, I finished the ‘Magic Stone Cutting.’ Appraise it.”

“Let’s see… You did it! The unique skill’s effect is clearly showing.”

[Storm Magic Stone] Magic Power: 50 (↑40)

“Of course. This kind of thing is a piece of cake for me.”

“However, it’s still not enough for A-class staff parts. Keep working on it.”

Saying this, Laurent handed Wayne a new magic stone.

“Tch. Just wait, I’ll make A-class equipment in no time!”

Wayne returned to his workbench and started cutting the magic stone with renewed vigor, as if his earlier laziness had been a lie.

(I’m already losing to Aina. I can’t afford to lose to Lina too!)

Seeing Wayne’s determination, Pat chuckled.

(Wayne hasn’t changed. He gets so fired up when it’s a competition.)

“Laurent, can these also be regenerated into iron?”

Aina brought a cart loaded with rusty tools.

“Oh? Where did you get those?”

“They were left in the back storage. After seeing Lina’s unique skill, I thought maybe they could be used.”

“That’s a good idea. Lina, can you give it a try?”

“Yes, I understand.”

(Lina’s full of energy too. This workshop has a nice atmosphere.)

Pat felt he could work here for a while.

[Wayne Melzer’s Unique Skill] ‘Magic Stone Cutting’: C (↑2)

[Pat Garcia’s Unique Skill] ‘Tuning’: C (↑2)

*

“Lawsuit?”

Raoul looked puzzled when he heard the unfamiliar term from Medes.

“Yes. Recently, Laurent seems to have been coming and going from our workshop despite being banned. Moreover, he apparently incited our guild members to break their contracts and join his guild. This cannot be overlooked. I believe we should file a lawsuit against ‘The Arsenal of the Spirits.'”

“Aren’t you jumping to conclusions? First, we should call in those two who disappeared and verify the facts…”

“That’s not possible. This was suggested by none other than Gilbert.”

Raoul frowned at the mention of Gilbert’s name.

“Hey, another suggestion from Gilbert? We’re being used too much just because he’s a valuable customer. We haven’t even received the advance payment yet…”

“The amount of work is considerable. Besides, Gilbert said this is the last favor he’ll ask regarding ‘Arsenal of the Spirits.'”

“Even so…”

“Raoul, think about it. It’s a serious issue if there are people breaking contracts because of Laurent’s persuasion. It might happen again in the future. We need to deal with it properly.”

“I think just holding the two who broke the contracts accountable is enough…”

“Raoul, the decision has been made. It’s no use arguing now. More importantly, the ‘Crescent Knights’ will be back from dungeon exploration soon. Make sure you’re fully prepared for that.”

“I understand.”

Raoul glanced out the window towards the ‘Volcano Dungeon.’

(It’s quiet. Looks like Lord Yugan didn’t end up fighting the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ as originally planned.)

While ‘Dragon’s Ember’ and ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ were having their skirmishes, Yugan and his ‘Crescent Knights’ were not idly wasting time either.

They had already led the local guild on their first dungeon exploration.

Let’s go back in time a bit and follow their footsteps.

When Yugan and the ‘Crescent Knights’ arrived at ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ they were warmly welcomed.

“Welcome, ‘Crescent Knights.'”

Medes greeted them with his usual charming smile he always put on a friendly front at the beginning.

“Thank you, Lord Medes, for your hospitality. Hey, Raoul. Your skills haven’t dulled, have they?”

“Of course not. It’s good to see you well, Lord Yugan.”

Raoul greeted Yugan with uncharacteristic politeness. While he usually carried himself with an air of arrogance toward most, he made an exception for S-class adventurers. He respected them as one of the few capable of mastering the equipment he crafted.

Yugan handed over his magic sword, “Granir,” to Raoul.

“Take care of this for me, will you?”

“Leave it to me.”

“And about the new equipment we need to manufacture…”

“Hold on. First, we need to investigate the dungeon and the movements of the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.'”

“In that case, we can provide the information we’ve gathered independently and then suggest the appropriate equipment.”

“Thanks. I’ll listen to that in detail later. But the ‘Crescent Knights’ also want to gather our own information.”

“There’s no need for such efforts. The locals know best about their own region. Please leave it to us.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Yugan firmly stated.

“It’s not that I doubt you, but information tends to get embellished. Especially between alchemist guilds and adventurer guilds, there’s often a discrepancy in perspectives. We need to have our own sources to correct such discrepancies. For us adventurers, misinformation can be fatal. We can’t afford to trust others blindly. Don’t take it personally.”

“However, it is customary for visiting adventurers to use the equipment we manufacture. Our proposals have been very well received among adventurers. For now, we suggest a fire spear for countering ‘Fire Dragons’…”

“The well-received proposals you mentioned led to the ‘Guardians of the Magic’s Institute’ making a huge blunder, didn’t they?”

Medes’s smile tightened slightly in irritation, though the change was so subtle that only someone with keen observation skills might have noticed it. He managed to maintain his genial expression.

“Understood. For now, we’ll limit ourselves to maintaining the existing equipment and providing estimates for new ones.”

“Sounds good. Thank you.”

The ‘Crescent Knights’ left their equipment with ‘Dragon’s Ember’ and went into town to gather information.

“As expected of an adventurer with a Double S rank. They’re much more composed than those greenhorns from the Magic Institute,” Raoul remarked, impressed.

“Hmph. I’m not so sure. Being too experienced can be a problem too. They start trusting their long-held instincts too much and become less receptive to others’ advice.”

“What? Why are you in a bad mood?”

“I’m not. I’m not in a bad mood at all.”

The ‘Crescent Knights’ conducted an investigation and calculated that their funds would allow them to explore the ‘Volcano Dungeon’ only three times.

Therefore, Yugan planned to collect the guild’s required ores on the first exploration, defeat the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ on the second, and use the third exploration as a contingency.

The challenge was collaborating with the local guilds. When the local adventurers heard that the ‘Crescent Knights’ were going to explore the ‘Volcano Dungeon,’ they flocked to their inn, eager to offer their assistance.

One of them said:

“‘Volcano Dungeon’ is a labyrinthine place. Without a local guide, exploration is nearly impossible. We must also consider battles with the thieves’ guild. Allow us to serve as your guides or shields.”

Another said:

“You’ll need manpower to transport the ores. The ‘Crescent Knights’ are known for their mobility, not for heavy lifting. We are experienced in ore extraction, transportation, and handling. Let us be your labor force.”

Yet another said:

“If the ‘Crescent Knights’ delve into the dungeon without involving the local guilds, you will turn all the local guilds against you. Even for the ‘Crescent Knights,’ bringing back any spoils would be extremely difficult. The local guilds simply want compensation for continuing their trade. Pay them, and they won’t turn against you. If you are wary of collaborating with just anyone, we can select trustworthy local guilds and introduce them to you. Leave it to us to balance the interests.”

Thus, the crafty local guilds exerted pressure on the ‘Crescent Knights,’ compelling them to include more adventurer guilds in their exploration than originally planned.

However, unlike the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute,’ Yugan’s group did not ally with every local guild that volunteered. They rigorously screened the guilds based on their size, requested compensation, financial status, track record, and the skills and stats of their adventurers. Only those that would not be a burden were selected to form alliances (although their overall proficiency was significantly lower than the ‘Crescent Knights,’ inevitably lowering the average skill level).

It took three days to complete all these preparations and gather everyone at the entrance of the ‘Volcano Dungeon.’ Coincidentally, this was the same day Monica and her team defeated the first wave of attackers sent by ‘Dragon’s Ember.’

Before entering the dungeon, Yugan reiterated:

“We are about to begin our exploration of the ‘Volcano Dungeon.’ As previously communicated, we will tackle the dungeon in three stages. The first stage will focus on ore extraction, postponing the defeat of the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ for later. Each guild should cooperate with one another during the exploration.”

With that, the ‘Crescent Knights’ and their allied guilds plunged into the dungeon.

As soon as they entered, a ‘Fire Dragon’ attacked, causing a slight stir among the allies.

“It’s ‘Fire Dragon!'”

“Damn, right off the bat?”

“Hey, you go first!”

The local guild adventurers hesitated, trying to push the fight onto each other. They lacked the specialized equipment to combat ‘Fire Dragon’ effectively, and they knew they would be severely depleted if they fought it head-on. They didn’t want to exhaust themselves so early in the exploration.

The ‘Fire Dragon,’ sensing their fear, flew leisurely around them, exerting its oppressive presence. The adventurers, inching backward, felt their spirits being crushed.

“Damn it, can’t be helped.”

An archer from the ‘Crescent Knights’ and a warrior equipped with the ‘Fire Spear’ stepped forward.

The archer’s arrow struck the ‘Fire Dragon,’ enraging it and causing it to charge at the archer. The archer skillfully dodged, acting as a decoy to distract the dragon. Meanwhile, the warrior leaped in from the dragon’s blind spot and thrust the ‘Fire Spear’ into its throat.

The superheated tip of the ‘Fire Spear’ burned through and pierced ‘Fire Dragon’s’ throat. The adventurers erupted in cheers.

“Whoa, we did it!”

“As expected of the ‘Crescent Knights’!”

(Damn, these guys are all talk.)

Yugan internally scoffed at the local adventurers’ sudden change in demeanor.

(Still, turning these guys into enemies would be too troublesome. We’ll have to placate them and use them effectively.)

“The ‘Crescent Knights’ will handle ‘Fire Dragon’ and other dragons. Local guilds, focus on the lesser monsters and the thieves’ guild.”

Yugan issued his orders, careful not to let his dissatisfaction show.

With clearly defined roles, the alliance cooperated smoothly, progressing through the dungeon without friction.

While directing the alliance, Yugan remained vigilant of their rear.

(This feeling… no doubt about it. The thieves’ guild is tailing us closely, waiting for an opportunity. Sneaky bastards.)

“Is something wrong?”

The deputy of the ‘Crescent Knights’ asked Yugan.

“No, it’s nothing. Let’s keep moving.”

(They might be a pain to fight, but they’re not our match. If they come at us, we’ll just take them down.)

Thus, despite having enemies at their backs, Yugan and his group pressed on through the dungeon, collaborating efficiently and reaching the ‘Metal Line’ after about a week.

Yugan instructed them to start mining the ore and allowed the local guild to mine freely as well.

“Phew. At least we made it this far.”

“The exploration is going smoothly.”

“I hope… that’s the case.”

“?”

(The thieves’ guild hasn’t made a move. Maybe they can’t, or maybe they’re waiting for something. Either way, we’ll find out on the way back.)

The thieves’ guild must have invested a considerable amount into this dungeon exploration. It was unlikely they would end things quietly.

(Now that we’re weighed down with ore, we’re prime targets for them. But so what? If they come, we’ll deal with them.)

Yugan placed his hand on the hilt of his magic sword, Granir, ready for battle.

The ‘White Wolf’ thieves were also struggling to find an opening to attack Yugan’s team.

“Damn it. Those guys aren’t showing any openings.”

“There’s no sign of conflict between the external guild and the local guild either.”

“That’s Yugan, Double S-class, for you. He’s got plenty of experience.”

“According to our information, Yugan doesn’t plan to fight the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ this time.”

“So, once they’ve finished mining the ore, they’ll be heading down the mountain. What do we do, Jamil?”

Rodo glanced at Jamil, who was lounging against a rock with a relaxed demeanor.

Jamil smirked.

“Don’t worry. They’ll be weighed down with ore on the way back, slowing them down. That’s when we’ll strike. Besides… heh. Defeating the enemy isn’t the only way to fight. I’ll teach those outsiders that lesson in due time.”

After spending a day gathering a substantial amount of rare metal, Yugan and his group began their descent down the mountain.

As soon as they left the ‘Metal Line,’ the ‘White Wolves’ made their move.

(Killing intent! They’re here.)

Multiple piercing cries echoed through the sky—the cries of the ‘Fire Dragon.’

“The ‘Fire Dragons’ are here!”

“From the left!”

“Five, six, seven of them!”

The ‘Crescent Knights’ quickly deployed to the left, while the local adventurers shifted to the right.

Seeing this, the thieves began their attack.

Arrows rained down on the right flank of the alliance.

The local adventurers, eager to impress, acted as shields to block the arrow barrage.

However, none of them moved forward.

In fact, they steadily retreated.

“What are you doing? Move forward and attack the enemy!”

The vice-captain of the ‘Crescent Knights’ shouted, but they focused on defense and refused to advance.

They had already gathered enough resources and didn’t want to expend any more energy.

Although they appeared to be fighting for the ‘Crescent Knights’, their true desire was to return to town without any further incidents.

The ‘White Wolves’ archers, emboldened by the lack of resistance, continued to advance.

Meanwhile, the local guild kept retreating until they were practically back-to-back with the ‘Crescent Knights’ warriors fighting the ‘Fire Dragon.’

This situation risked negatively impacting the ‘Crescent Knights’ fighting the dragons.

“Damn it. Looks like I’ll have to step in.”

Yugan drew his sword and moved past the local guild warriors.

“Yugan is coming out!”

“Concentrate your fire on him!”

The thieves focused their aim on Yugan, but he deflected the onslaught of arrows with his sword and steadily advanced.

“Ugh, uwaah!”

“Run!”

Unable to withstand it any longer, the thieves began to flee.

However, there was no escaping Yugan’s agile agility.

Yugan closed in on the fleeing archers.

But just as he was about to enter striking distance with his sword, the thieves stopped, threw down their weapons, and turned towards Yugan.

“Huh?”

They raised their hands in a surrendering gesture.

Moreover, they grinned smugly.

“What’s the meaning of this? What are you planning?”

“Hehehe, as you can see, we surrender.”

“According to the island’s rules, attacking surrendered individuals is prohibited.”

“Please refrain from excessive retaliation against us now that we’ve disarmed ourselves.”

“We will surrender as prisoners to the Crescent Knights.’ Please treat us with courtesy.”

“Tch.”

Yugan destroyed their discarded bows and arrows, then struck one of them in the stomach.

“Ugh!”

“Guugh!”

The thieves collapsed unconscious to the ground.

“No use defeating these grunts. Where’s their boss?”

However, by the time Yugan resumed his search, the thieves had already withdrawn from the battlefield and vanished.

“Lord Yugan, we’ve successfully repelled ‘Fire Dragons.’ What about the thieves?”

“They got away. Those lying there are prisoners. Tie them up and drag them along.”

“Yes, understood.”

(However, this is a bit troublesome. We can repel the enemy but can’t deliver the decisive blow. If we can’t finish this, we might have to prepare for a prolonged battle.)