Chapter 2

(Sigh. I guess I can’t really take on quests without being part of a major guild, huh.)

As Roland sighed and trudged down the quest reception hall, he was called out by a tall mage.

“Oh? Roland? Could it be that you’re Roland?”

“Ah, Lilianna.”

“It’s been a while, Roland.”

She politely tugged at her skirt and bowed.

Lilianna was a senior member of the guild ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree.’

The guild ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ was the second-largest guild, right after the ‘Golden Eagle’ guild.

“I truly appreciate your help the other day. Thanks to you, I was able to rise to the rank of A last month. I owe it all to you for discovering my unique skill ‘Levitation.’”

Lilianna bowed deeply.

In fact, she believed she had advanced in her career thanks to Roland.

She and Roland had met when the ‘Golden Eagle’ and ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ had collaborated on a quest.

At the time, she was already one of the strongest in the city in terms of magic power and firepower, but her critical hit rate was low, making her ineffective as a backliner.

It was Roland who discovered her skill ‘Levitation.’

For some reason, her hit rate significantly improved when she cast spells downward.

With her original firepower and the skill ‘Levitation,’ she quickly rose to the rank of A.

“No, I didn’t do much. You earned your A rank through your own abilities.”

Roland was relieved by Lilianna’s attitude.

She was truly an egalitarian person, treating everyone with respect regardless of their status.

“By the way, why are you at the quest reception? I thought someone of your position in the ‘Golden Eagle’ would have others take on quests for you.”

For some reason, she thought Roland was a high-ranking member of the ‘Golden Eagle.’

In reality, he was just a regular member, but no matter how many times he told her, she wouldn’t believe it.

“No, actually, I’m no longer part of the ‘Golden Eagle.’”

“Oh, so you’ve gone independent? With your skills, you should be able to earn more on your own.”

“No, actually… I was kicked out of the guild.”

“Kicked out? You?”

Lilianna looked shocked.

“That… I don’t know what to say.”

She stood there in a daze for a moment, then shook her head and smiled gently.

“It’s lunchtime. Would you like to talk somewhere more relaxed?”

The two of them left the building and entered a lunch spot.

“I’ve been wanting to thank you for a long time. I’m sorry for not keeping in touch, but I’ve been busy.”

“No, it’s fine. You were busy, so it’s understandable.”

“Here’s a small token of my gratitude. Please let me pay for the meal.”

“No, that’s not necessary…”

“But you don’t have a job right now, do you?”

“Well, that’s true…”

“Let me do something to repay you, please?”

Lilianna looked up at him with pleading eyes.

She just wanted to do something for Roland, anything.

Roland smiled wryly.

He couldn’t say no to her.

“Then I’ll accept your offer.”

“Still, how did it come to this? I always thought that guild was supported by you. As long as you were in the ‘Golden Eagle,’ I thought our guild ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ would never be able to compete. Even Jil, who has been performing so well recently, owes it to your skill appraisal, doesn’t he?”

“No, that’s not true. Lately, I’ve been holding everyone back…”

“No, there must have been some reason.”

“Yes, I didn’t get along well with the guild leader, Lucius. But I also think that being just a skill appraiser has its limits as an adventurer.”

“But your skill appraisal was the driving force behind the guild’s success. It’s unfair to kick you out just because you don’t have the aptitude for adventuring, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I thought Lucius valued me. I always put the guild and him before myself, considering him a close friend. But to Lucius, I was just one of many subordinates.”

Roland’s voice was somber as he looked at the teacup on the table.

Lilianna looked at him sympathetically, then clapped her hands to cheer up.

Roland was taken aback.

Lilianna smiled warmly.

“Don’t be so down. If you’re not suited for adventuring, you can always find another job.”

“Hmm. Another job…”

“Yes, for example, a production job that doesn’t involve adventuring. How about the alchemist guild?”

“The alchemist guild?”

“Yes, my guild ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ is currently looking for an alchemist guild that can take on a large order of ‘Earthcraft.’”

“Ah… So that’s why you were at the quest reception. To commission alchemists.”

“Roland, would you consider taking on my request? Our guild ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ wants to surpass the ‘Golden Eagle’ in production skills. But existing alchemist guilds tend to prioritize orders from larger guilds. We need a way to gain an advantage over the ‘Golden Eagle.’”

“I’d love to help, but I don’t have any alchemy skills.”

“That’s fine. If you don’t have the skills, you can hire someone who does. You have the ‘Skill Appraisal’ ability, don’t you? Use it to find talented alchemists and hire them as guild staff.”

“I see. But can I do it? I’ve never been in a leadership role.”

“You can do it. I believe in you.”

Lilianna took Roland’s hand and looked at him earnestly.

(It’s strange. When she says it, I really feel like I can do it.)

“Alright, Lilianna. Let’s give it a try.”

“Will you do it?”

“Yes, I’ve been feeling dissatisfied with the way things are. Let’s give Lucius a taste of his own medicine.”

“Yes, let’s do it.”

The two of them shook hands firmly, pledging to work together.

The next day, Roland applied to the government to establish a new alchemist guild and began recruiting members.

The guild’s name was ‘Spirit Workshop.’

Thanks to the endorsement from the major guild ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree,’ the guild received a flood of applications the next day.