The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 98

Chapter 98   Laurent vs Rodo

“What? An alchemy guild is leading the alliance?”

At the thieves’ guild ‘White Wolf’ hideout, Jamil frowned at the report brought by his subordinates.

“Can an alchemy guild even lead adventurers?”

“Which guild is doing such a foolish thing?”

“It seems to be a guild called ‘Arsenal of the Sprits.'”

“Arsenal of the Spirits? Never heard of it.”

“Still, it appears they’ve gathered quite a few guilds. Over 10 guilds and more than 50 adventurers are participating.”

“Well, well.”

“That’s something we can’t ignore.”

“Shall we attack?”

“Yes, but I can’t go right now.”

Jamil glanced at his current gear. At the moment, he was not wearing his sword or armor. His equipment was currently being held by ‘Dragon’s Ember’ for repairs, having been damaged in a battle with Yugan. Due to the shortage of ‘Fire Repellent Ore,’ the repairs were expected to take some time.

(What to do…)

“I’ll go,” Rodo said.

“My ‘Dragon Whistle’ is intact. It seems there are no adventurers from outside. We should have no trouble with just the men we have on hand.”

“…Alright. I’ll leave this to you.”

“Great. Those with spare equipment, come with me.”

Rodo, accompanied by those with less damaged gear, headed towards the dungeon. Jamil watched Rodo’s departure with a troubled expression.

“What’s wrong, Jamil? Is something bothering you?”

“No…”

(The timing of the alliance’s formation coinciding with the shortage of ‘Fire Repellant Ore’… Is it a coincidence? Or is it deliberate?)

“Hah, no way. I’m probably overthinking it.”

Jamil found it hard to believe that any adventurer on this island, who had long been accustomed to relying on outsiders, could be so decisive. He stopped pondering and sank deeply into the sofa.

As the ‘Arsenal of the Spirit’ alliance climbed the volcano in formation, another ‘Fire Dragon’ attacked them.

Jeff quickly checked his position relative to Elio and took his shooting stance.

(I just need to hit it with an arrow and lure the ‘Fire Dragon’ in.)

Jeff’s arrow struck the ‘Fire Dragon’ squarely in its body.

“Gyaaaa!”

The ‘Fire Dragon’ roared and rapidly approached.

“Over here! Come this way!”

Jeff turned and ran, drawing the ‘Fire Dragon’ after him. Thanks to this, Elio could move into the dragon’s blind spot.

(Good. Nice job, Jeff.)

Elio rushed into the ‘Fire Dragon’s’ range and executed his ‘Shield Charge’ skill on its head. The stunned dragon was then struck down by Leon and Cecil.

The coordination of ‘Dawn’s Shield’ was improving. Jeff’s archery and decoy maneuvers, Elio’s ‘Shield Charge,’ and the follow-up attacks by Leon and Cecil were becoming increasingly seamless.

“Elio, how was the decoy maneuver just now?”

“It worked perfectly, Jeff. I was able to dive in easily.”

“Good. Let’s continue with the same approach next time.”

(My ‘Archery’ is lagging behind compared to Hans and the others. I’ll make up for it by refining my coordination with Elio and increase our subjugation count.)

“It’s going well, isn’t it, Jeff?” Laurent approached and said.

“Yeah, thanks to the tactics you taught me, this makes the third ‘Fire Dragon’ we’ve taken down.”

“Keep it up.”

“Sure thing.”

Jeff ended his brief conversation with Laurent and resumed scouting with his ‘Far Sight’ skill.

(Come at me anytime, ‘Fire Dragon’. I’m ready to take you on.)

Gone was the shadow of Jeff’s earlier days when he lagged behind Elio and got distracted by expensive ores.

Now, he was fulfilling his role perfectly.

Laurent watched Jeff’s determined figure with satisfaction.

(When Jeff sets a goal, he goes straight for it. He’s a passionate guy.)

Responding to Laurent’s request, adventurers from ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Silver Eagle Alliance’ began brainstorming how they could contribute beyond ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers’.

Could they withstand ‘Fire Dragon’s attacks for a while, lure it as decoys, or focus on supporting from the rear and eliminating other monsters? They considered their skills and statuses, preparing to report back to Laurent.

“If we had one more shield user, we could withstand ‘Fire Dragon’s attacks…”

“Alright. Then team up with ‘Guardians of Ore’. They have several excellent shield users.”

“We’re short on healers.”

“Got it. Let’s get a healer from ‘Silver Eagle Alliance’.”

“We have low defense, so we want to focus on other monsters besides ‘Fire Dragon’…”

“Understood. Then team up with ‘Mountain Cats’ and focus on tackling ogres and wolf tribes as a low-defense squad.”

They soon had an opportunity to test their strength.

Before the alliance reached “Metal Line,” they were ambushed by three “Fire Dragon,” along with a mixed unit consisting of “Great Ogre,” “Armed Goblin Hobgoblin,” and “Clawed Giant Wolf Clawwolf.”

Without needing words, “Dawn’s Shield” and “Pegasus Archers” engaged the “Fire Dragons” approaching from both sides.

Laurent commanded the other squads.

“Decoy team and defense team, draw the attention of the ‘Fire Dragons.’ Everyone else, prepare to deal with attacks from the ‘Great Ogre,’ ‘Armed Goblin Hobgoblin,’ and ‘Clawed Giant Wolf Clawwolf’!”

The units moved into action, a half step behind.

The decoy team struggled to hit the “Fire Dragons” with arrows but managed to successfully lure them towards themselves.

The defense team, though sluggish, stood before the “Fire Dragons,” holding their shields and enduring the attacks.

Eventually, “Dawn’s Shield” and “Pegasus Archers” finished off the “Fire Dragons” and rushed to reinforce.

The remaining “Fire Dragons,” ogres, and wolves were quickly repelled.

Wayne and Pat watched Laurent’s command in astonishment.

“What’s he up to? Is he really raising adventurers while exploring the dungeon?”

“And that’s not all. He’s not just raising them—he’s also strategizing.”

Hans and the others, impressed by Laurent’s leadership while defeating the “Fire Dragons,” commented:

“Wow. He can command a squad too. He’s really something.”

“Yeah, the alliance, though still awkward, seems to be functioning. Having a competent commander makes battles like these much easier.”

“Heh, Laurent seems to have cast his magic on us again.”

“Not only managing the alchemy guild, but also commanding squads. Truly a man of endless depth.”

Even as he commanded, Laurent didn’t forget to assess their performance.

He began sorting out which guilds were effective and which were not.

“Monica, how much further to the mining site?” Laurent asked.

“Alright. At this pace, we should reach the first mining site by tomorrow,” Monica said as she confirmed with ‘Hawkeye.’

“Good. Then let’s camp here for today. Monica, you can rest too. Well done,” Laurent replied.

(When Laurent commands, I feel reassured exploring. He’s wonderful.)

Monica sent a warm glance Laurent’s way while taking a break.

The next day, the alliance arrived near the ore mining site.

“Laurent, once we cross that hill, we’ll finally reach the mining site,” someone reported.

“Alright. Regarding the order of entry, first will be members of ‘Arsenal of the Spirits,’ followed by ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers.’ After them, it will be ‘Ore Guardians,’ ‘Silver Eagle Alliance,’ and ‘Mountain Cats.’ The rest of the guilds will enter last,” Laurent instructed.

Upon hearing this, the adventurers became anxious.

It was clear they were entering the mining site in order of their contributions.

Unusually, the commander was closely observing the adventurers’ efforts.

Moreover, he was prioritizing those who faithfully followed his orders.

They felt a stronger need to contribute to the alliance or to impress Laurent with their work.

First to reach the mining site were ‘Dawn’s Shield’ and ‘Pegasus Archers,’ who immediately prioritized gathering ‘Fire-Repellant Ore, Fire rest.’

At the same time, they also searched for materials to enhance their own weapons.

Jeff walked around the mining site with Elio, looking for materials to lighten his weapon.

“Light materials?” Elio asked.

“Yeah, from what I’ve learned in this exploration, to make the most of your ‘Shield Charge,’ I need to play the decoy role effectively,” Jeff replied.

“What I need is agility to quickly escape after landing an attack, rather than focusing on power. So, I think lightweight materials would be best.”

“I see. Makes sense.”

“So, any good materials you think could work? Maybe Aina’s ‘External Enhancement Coating’? I guess I’ll consult Laurent first to be sure.”

The two settled on a new approach for now and focused on gathering Fire Repellent Ore (Fire Rest) at the scene.

“I want to make a silver dagger. Any ideas?” Cecil asked Aina.

“Hmm… Right now, we’re short on silver artisans in ‘Spirit Workshop.’ However, I’ll convey your request to Laurent,” Aina replied.

Meanwhile, Nicola found materials that seemed suitable for harp strings.

“Pat, what do you think of this material?” Nicola asked.

“Let me see.” Pat tapped the stone lightly using his skill, ‘Tuning.’

A clear, melodious sound resonated.

(Interesting…)

“Nicola, this might be a good material. It could enhance the ‘Dragon’s Tone.’ Take it back and consider it,” Pat suggested.

Elsewhere, Will discovered a magic stone.

“Lana, take a look at this,” Will called out.

“What is it?”

“It’s the ‘Earth’s Magic Stone.’ It might enhance the power of your ‘Geocrust Magic,'” Will explained.

“Wow, and it’s quite large. Impressive, Brother,” Lana replied.

“Wayne, what do you think?” Will turned to Wayne.

“Huh? What about it?” Wayne responded lazily.

“Your job is to work with magic stones, right? I’m thinking of making new equipment with this one. What do you think?” Will pressed.

“Yeah, whatever,” Wayne shrugged.

Will frowned.

(What’s with this guy? So arrogant…)

As Laurent led the last guild into the mining site, Aina approached to report on the ore extraction progress and the adventurers’ requests.

“I see, a silver dagger,” Laurent remarked.

“Yes, that’s what I’m looking to make,” Cecil replied.

(We might need silver artisans in our branch soon.)

“Understood. Let’s stockpile silver for now. If we have extra resources, we’ll gather more silver,” Laurent decided.

“Yes.”

And so, Laurent’s group continued their exploration of the next mining site using the same method.

They allowed entry to the mining site in order of guilds ranked by their contributions.

They prioritized gathering ‘Fire rest’ that repels flames and, if possible, materials for weapon enhancement.

In this way, Laurent steadily took command of the troops.

Almost all of the remaining ‘Fire rest’ in the ‘Metal Line’ was collected.

Now, their challenge was to safely transport it back to the city.

On their way back, they encountered Rodo and his ‘White Wolves’ lying in wait.

As Laurent’s group departed from the mining site, the ‘White Wolves’ immediately launched an attack.

“!! Three ‘Fire Dragons’ approaching from the right. Archers from the left. It’s the ‘White Wolves’!” Monica shouted.

(They were waiting after all.)

“Nicola, focus on ‘Dragon’s Tone.’ Warriors with shields, deploy to the left! Form a defensive line,” Laurent commanded.

Under Laurent’s leadership, the alliance smoothly adjusted their formation to counter the ‘White Wolves’ attack.

Nicola moved to the right, playing ‘Dragon’s Tone’ to halt the movement of the ‘Fire Dragons.’

Shield bearers shifted to the left, raising their shields to intercept the incoming rain of arrows.

(As expected of Laurent, his command flows smoothly. But the real challenge starts here.)

Monica bit her lip tightly, watching the battle unfold.

As the enemy’s arrows momentarily ceased, Laurent issued new instructions.

“Archers, use intimidation shots! Melee units, charge!”

The archers aimed their arrows towards the enemies positioned at higher ground.

The enemies at higher ground visibly became unsettled.

It was a perfect opportunity for a charge.

However, the shield bearers and swordsmen remained unmoved.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you charging?” Laurent rebuked, but they still didn’t move.

(I see. So this is what Monica was talking about. Having obtained the ore, they don’t want to exhaust themselves further. Hence, they’ve become reluctant to engage in combat.)

Seeing that the alliance wasn’t attacking, the thieves regained their composure and started showering arrows once again.

The alliance’s shield squad began to slowly retreat.

(This is bad. If this continues, we’ll be gradually worn down and eventually collapse.)

Laurent glanced towards the right where the ‘Fire Dragons’ were.

The ‘Fire Dragons’ had been indecisive since earlier, circling the same spot.

It seemed they were unsure whether to attack here or not.

They seemed torn between the thieves’ ‘Dragon’s Tone’ and Nicola’s ‘Dragon’s Tone.’

Nevertheless, if they did nothing, they would inevitably be worn down.

(What should we do?)

Even the ‘White Wolves’ were similarly perplexed.

(The ‘Fire Dragons’ aren’t attacking? Why not?)

No matter how much Rodo played the ‘Dragon Whistle,’ the ‘Fire Dragons’ were circling the sky as if they had lost sight of the enemy.

(No way! Are there humans among the enemy using ‘Dragon’s Tone’ just like me?)

“Tch.”

(I’m in trouble. This wasn’t in my calculations. If the ‘Fire Dragons’ can’t be used, then I have no choice but to defeat the enemy head-on.)

While continuing to play the ‘Dragon’s Tone,’ Rodo prepared his swordsman unit for a direct assault.

Nicola played the “Dragon’s Tone” desperately on his harp, urging the Fire Dragons to retreat, but they continued to show indecisiveness.

(Ugh. They still won’t completely obey. Controlling dragons influenced by other ‘Dragon’s Tone isn’t as straightforward as with normal dragons.)

Nicola looked at Laurent with a pained expression.

Laurent also understood that Nicola was at his wit’s end.

(Even Nicola can’t fully control the Fire Dragons under enemy influence. If that’s the case, we have no choice but to repel the enemy with swords and bows.)

Laurent looked again at his melee units.

They still hesitated to charge and only continued to slowly retreat against the enemy onslaught.

laurent called out to Elio.

“Elio, can you see that high ground over there?”

Laurent pointed to a protruding spot.

Despite the rain of arrows, it was an instruction to hide behind shields.

Unlike the other high grounds occupied by the enemy, the location Laurent pointed to was independent and unreachable for reinforcements.

Due to its narrow and flat surface, only a limited number of people could be stationed there.

In other words, it was the weakest point among the high grounds occupied by the enemy.

“Yeah.”

“We need to drive out the enemies occupying that place and establish our position. Can you do it?”

“Got it. I’ll give it a shot.”

Following Laurent’s instructions, Elio launched a ‘Shield Charge’ towards the high ground.

With support fire from archers, he swiftly ascended the slope, drove away the five archers who were stationed there, and took control of the position.

On the other hand, the ‘White Wolves’ also attempted to reclaim their high ground, but Lana’s ‘GeoCrust Magic’ quickly reinforced their defense.

The thieves’ attacks on the high ground were completely repelled.

As a result, Hans and the others were able to occupy the position and directly shoot arrows into the enemy’s camp.

Meanwhile, the ‘White Wolves’ found it difficult to initiate melee combat due to the fear of attacks from above.

Both sides took cover from high ground and engaged in a shootout.

Ultimately, no clear winner emerged that day, and the thieves retreated with the setting sun.

The next morning arrived.

Before the sky began to lighten, Laurent roused the adventurers and swiftly descended the mountain with a forced march.

(If we can’t defeat the enemy, we must occupy advantageous positions ahead of them and focus on defense!)

Laurent pushed his units to run as fast as they could, reaching strategic high points and blocking paths by midday, ensuring no avenues of attack remained open.

Rodo noticed Laurent’s movements and hurriedly pursued, but by then, the Alliance had completely fortified all sides and prepared defensively.

Forced to abandon his attack, Rodo decided to stake everything on the next day.

The following day, Laurent once again descended the mountain swiftly with a forced march.

He ran through rugged terrain, up and down steep paths, panting heavily.

Rodo also woke his forces early that day and set them running, but once again, Laurent secured key positions quicker.

Rodo gritted his teeth as he surveyed the Alliance’s camp.

(Damn it! Why? We’re mainly a light-armored force of archers and thief units. Why are those heavily armored guys, loaded with items, moving faster than us?)

Despite being burdened, Laurent had Monica use “Hawk Eye” to find defensible positions in advance, navigating through paths with fewer monsters, enabling swift movement.

Furthermore, local adventurers were cooperative, eager to return to town quickly and secure their achievements.

Such passive strategies with “Golden Hawk” would surely invite criticism.

This pattern continued day after day.

The Alliance steadily approached the town and eventually reached a vantage point where they could overlook it.

Growing impatient, Rodo launched a direct assault on Laurent’s position.

However, their attack was easily repelled, and to their surprise, they faced a counterattack. The White Wolves were forced to retreat.

Laurent considered pursuit, but the thieves’ escape was swift, and he couldn’t catch them.

(I see. They can hit and run as a unit. A battle strategy utilizing agility and quickness. Well thought out. Even if we achieve local victories, we can’t deliver a decisive blow. This is troublesome.)

Laurent gave up on pursuit and instead relocated his camp, bringing his forces closer to the town.

Although the White Wolves hadn’t suffered devastating losses, reorganizing their units proved challenging for Rodo.

Seizing this opportunity, laurent swiftly passed through the edge of the forest and returned to the town.

It was a dignified return with his forces intact.

The townspeople were astonished.

Accustomed to seeing adventurers return battered, they exchanged surprised remarks, shaking their heads in disbelief.