The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 96

Chapter 96   Penalty

The ‘Crescent Knights’ had withdrawn.

As a result, the expected work for ‘Dragon’s Ember’ disappeared, and Edgar was being scolded by Medes in the guild leader’s room.

“Edgar! What the hell happened? You said, didn’t you? That if we withheld the ore, we could squeeze more gold coins out of the ‘Crescent Knights.’ And what now? They didn’t just refuse to pay, they pulled out of the island entirely!”

“Uh, that’s strange. According to the information, they should still have a third exploration left…”

“There’s no point in talking about a third exploration now. You’re too lenient. If we had just supported them normally, we might have gotten the third round of manufacturing and repair fees. But thanks to you, that’s all ruined. How are you going to take responsibility for this, huh?”

(Damn it. This bastard is trying to pin all the responsibility on me. He was all for my plan too.)

“Edgar, you didn’t meet the targets last month either. If you fail again this month, you know what will happen, right? I won’t let you off easy.”

Edgar was lectured for a good hour.

Medes’ angry shouts could be heard even in the workshop of the Quartet.

“Edgar’s really getting chewed out. Is he going to be okay?” Charles said worriedly.

“Hmph. That’s what he gets for being greedy and overconfident. He stole my work,” Raoul said indifferently.

“Exactly,” Lizetta added, also sounding unsympathetic.

At ‘Spirit’s Workshop,’ where they had successfully crafted the ‘Dragon Harp’ and the magic stone staff, Laurent was pondering new challenges to assign to Wayne and Pat for their development.

However, before he could do that, Wayne approached Pat with a certain proposal.

“Lower the quality of the equipment?”

Pat frowned at the words that had just come out of Wayne’s mouth.

“Yeah, at this rate, we’ll never be able to beat ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ The only way to crush them is to steal their customers. And to do that, we need to lower our prices. To lower prices, we have to reduce the quality of our equipment to some extent. Even if we mass-produce rough items, we just need to grab customers. Don’t worry. The adventurers on this island are short-sighted fools. They won’t notice if the quality drops a bit.”

“No way. That’s against the ‘Spirit’s Workshop’ way.”

“Sure, Laurent would oppose it at first. But that’s exactly why now is the time. With our recent success, Laurent won’t just dismiss our proposal. If we both suggest it, it will definitely pass. Once we get the job, it’s ours. When Laurent sees the increase in customers, he’ll change his mind. We’ll increase our customers, make profits, and then handle the well-paying guild jobs from outside with care. This way, the cheap equipment will break quickly, boosting sales, and we can use the reputation of external adventurers to enhance our brand.”

“But that’s just like ‘Dragon’s Ember.'”

“It’s fine to be the same. Otherwise, we can’t beat ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ Think about it. Laurent makes equipment tailored to each adventurer. We can’t keep going like this. We have to take action. Let’s start a rebellion ourselves.”

“Wayne!”

Pat confronted Wayne with an unusually stern expression.

“W-what?”

“I understand you hate ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ I have my own grievances too. But I can’t agree with the idea of doing anything to crush them. I’m at ‘Spirit’s Workshop’ because we provide detailed service to local adventurers. If you stray for profit, I can’t overlook it, even as a friend. If I see any such actions, I’ll report them to Laurent or Aina. That’s all.”

“Wait, Pat. Hey, wait!”

Wayne called out to Pat’s back, but Pat walked away, indicating there was nothing more to discuss.

(Damn, Pat. He’s still the same. He’s a good guy but too rigid. It makes things difficult without his cooperation. …What should I do?)

Lina was smashing broken armor, kneading, and refining it.

(Alright. Looking good.)

The scrap iron pieces were rapidly returning to their original form.

After refining, the extracted iron was of the highest quality ever.

“Laurent, I finished the Recycled Scrap Metal. Look.”

“Alright, let’s see.”

When Laurent appraised the iron Lina brought, it was Iron B.

(Iron B, huh. This is the best we’ve done so far.)

[Lina Hart’s Skill]

Waste Recycling: B (↑1)

“Well done, Lina. This is the best you’ve achieved.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“With this, we can make B-class equipment. Let Aina know we made B-class iron. It can be included in the future B-class equipment production plans, so discuss it with her.”

“Yes!”

Lina immediately took the B-class iron she had recycled to Aina.

“Aina, I successfully recycled the B-class iron. Laurent asked me to include it in the future production plans.”

“Got it. In that case, could you also handle the recycling of used B-class equipment?”

“Understood. Aina, there are some pieces of equipment that can’t be efficiently broken down without high strength. May I ask for Rody’s help?”

“Sure. Rody, finish the design work in the morning and then assist Lina in the afternoon.”

“Understood.”

Aina promptly adjusted the plans in response to Lina’s skill improvement.

Laurent observed Lina’s work.

(Even though she hasn’t been here long, she’s already adapted to the cooperative culture of ‘Spirit’s Workshop.’ She’s a highly adaptable girl who can seamlessly fit into the organization’s environment.)

Lina was already moving around and working in the atelier as if it were her own home.

(She’s already well-adjusted to the atelier. It’s probably okay to bring up that matter.)

“Lina, could I talk to you for a moment?”

“Yes?”

“After lunch, I’d like to discuss something with you in the guild master’s office.”

“Understood.”

Laurent led Lina to the rooftop of the atelier after lunch.

They were alone there.

“Your Waste Recycling skill has reached B-class. You’ve been working hard.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, aside from that…”

Laurent averted his gaze as he spoke.

“Lina, you’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

“Huh? W-what do you mean?”

“This arrived from ‘Dragon’s Ember.'”

Laurent pulled out the complaint.

It detailed that both Pat and Lina had been poached despite still being under contract with “Dragon’s Ember.”

Lina’s lips tightened as she froze.

“I asked Pat about this. He genuinely seemed unaware. But you, Lina, you knew, didn’t you?”

“Um, well…”

“If you came here in violation of your contract, you must have received a complaint as well.”

“…”

“Please, tell me. As the guild master, I need to handle this swiftly for your sake too.”

“…Yes.”

Gilbert was wandering the halls of “Dragon’s Ember.”

(Damn it, Yugan went back. That plan fell through. What’s next?)

He was searching for another useful fool when he saw someone familiar walking toward him.

It was Laurent.

(Huh?)

Gilbert hurriedly hid behind a pillar.

“Hey, you can’t just barge in here. Excuse me, hey!”

Ignoring the receptionist’s attempts to stop him, Laurent strode deeper into the building.

After Laurent passed by, Gilbert quietly followed him, careful not to be noticed.

(Why is Laurent here? Did he somehow catch wind of my plans?)

“Damn that old man, chewing me out for a whole hour.”

Edgar cracked his neck to relieve the stiffness, grumbling.

“Rough day, huh?” Charles said with a laugh.

“It’s more than just a rough day. Try being in my shoes,” Edgar grumbled.

“The guild master does go on and on. Hey, isn’t that…?” Charles’s eyes widened as he looked across the street.

“Huh?”

“The guild master from the ‘Spirit Workshop.'”

Edgar looked over and saw that it was indeed Laurent.

Both of them watched Laurent pass by with mixed expressions.

Laurent glanced at Edgar and assessed him.

Edgar Rogue’s Status:

Strength: 80-100

Endurance: 90-100

Agility: 80-90

Stamina: 100-120

(Basic stats all over 80. However, he lacks deep thinking ability. A typical muscle-head. He might have made a good partner for the thoughtful Pat.)

Laurent recalled his conversation with Lina.

She had said:

“Pat is at a crucial stage right now. I wanted to help him stay focused. If he knew he was causing trouble for you, Laurent, he’d want to leave…”

Lina had continued:

“I’m really sorry, Laurent.”

Eventually, Laurent reached the door to Medes’s office.

Just then, Medes stepped out and was startled to see Laurent.

“You… Laurent!? What are you doing here?”

“I came because I was called.”

Laurent pulled out the complaint and thrust it at Medes.

“Regarding Pat and Lina’s contract violation, you’re the one who sent this complaint, aren’t you?”

Edgar, watching from the shadows, panicked.

(Damn… Is he trying to bring Pat and Lina back to us? Don’t do it. We finally got rid of those two and blurred the lines of responsibility for dealing with the ‘Spirit Workshop.’ Don’t bring this up again!)

The exchange between Laurent and Medes continued.

“So, what are you here for? Hmm? Back to trying to strike a deal with us? If that’s the case, you can leave. We don’t have time for your transparent scams.”

“I have no intention of dealing with you!”

Laurent said sternly.

“Since coming to this island, being rejected by you, and opening the Alchemy Guild, I have been observing everything. The operations of ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ the actions of the island’s adventurers, and the fate of external adventurers. As a result, I understand clearly. The disaster of the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ was caused by the sloppy management of ‘Dragon’s Ember’ and you! As an executive of the ‘Golden Hawk,’ I cannot recommend any dealings with you to the guild!”

Medes looked exasperated.

“Is that all you came here to say? We’re busy…”

“Yes. That’s why I’m here to ensure we never have to meet again. Take this…”

Laurent took out a bag of gold coins and tossed it to Medes.

“…What is this?”

“The penalty fees for Pat and Lina. I want you to drop the lawsuit against them. They are at a critical stage in their growth. I can’t allow their progress to be hindered by your interference.”

(Phew, so that’s all he’s here for. He really scared me.)

Gilbert and Edgar, eavesdropping from behind the pillar, sighed in relief knowing their misdeeds hadn’t been discovered.

Laurent took out a contract and thrust it at Medes. It stated that in exchange for the gold coins, the lawsuit would be withdrawn.

“Sign this. Once you do, I will never come here again. You won’t have to see my face anymore.”

“…Fine.”

Medes sighed and signed the document.

Laurent took his copy and left.

“Good grief. What is with that guy…”

Medes muttered as he watched Laurent walk away.

Wayne was running towards the ‘Dragon’s Ember.’

He had heard that Laurent was heading there.

“That bastard…”

When he arrived at the ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ Laurent was just coming out.

“Laurent, you…”

Wayne approached Laurent aggressively, almost grabbing him by the collar.

“Wayne? Why are you here…?”

“Why the hell do you think? Why did you go storming into ‘Dragon’s Ember’ without me?”

“It wasn’t a storming in. It was a civil discussion. And this matter has nothing to do with you.”

“Huh? Still spouting that nonsense, are you…”

“Wayne, stop.”

Pat, who had chased after Wayne, grabbed his shoulder from behind to stop him.

“Laurent, I’m sorry. This is all because of me…”

“Pat, I talked things over with the guild master of ‘Dragon’s Ember.’ The lawsuit has been withdrawn. From now on, you are officially a member of the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits.’ You’re not thinking of quitting, are you?”

“…No. I will work under you with all my heart. No matter what happens, I will follow you.”