Chapter 51

The comic adaptation has been decided.

I've posted an article about it in the activity report, so please take a look if you have the time.

After meeting with Alik, Jill, and Dowin, Roland continued working in the guild master's room late into the night.

(Huh. Just talking with the main members took up the whole day. Running a large organization is tough.)

Roland recalled the meeting with the leaders of the 2nd and 3rd squads.

They, like Alik, showed a posture of outwardly following Roland, but their attitude was somewhat distant, and it was unclear what they were thinking.

It seemed they were harboring some issues but were unwilling to confide in Roland.

It had become the norm for the squads to keep secrets from each other and handle matters internally.

That was the impression he got.

(There have been tensions between the management and the adventurers for a while, but it seems to be getting deeper now.)

If this continued, there might be a rebellion, leading to the guild's disintegration.

(I need to bridge the gap between each squad and improve communication. I'll start with this.)

"Here you go."

As Roland pondered the future, Dianna brought him a cup of tea.

"Oh, thank you."

Roland took a sip of the tea and then pulled out more documents.

"Are you still working?"

"Yes, today, after meeting with the leaders of each squad, I realized that the internal communication within the 'Golden Eagle' is quite poor. I want to start improving that."

Roland glanced at the clock.

At this rate, most of the adventurers would have left the training ground and gone home by now.

"Dianna, please gather all the adventurers at the training ground first thing tomorrow morning."

"All the adventurers...?"

"Yes, I want to meet the members at the grassroots level to understand what's happening on the ground. I can get a sense of things by appraising them."

"Such a thing. Wouldn't it be better to leave it to the appraisers at the grassroots level?"

"I want to see it with my own eyes. I'll leave it to you... Oh!"

Roland suddenly remembered Dianna's day.

Come to think of it, she had been working all day too.

"By the way, you've been working all day too. I can handle the rest on my own. You can go home today."

"That's not possible. Since the guild master is still working, I will stay and assist you."

"Is that so? I'll leave it to you then."

"Understood."

And so, the two of them continued working silently.

The clock's hands were approaching midnight.

(That's strange.)

As Roland looked at the list of members, he noticed that some members of the 2nd and 3rd squads had an unusually rapid improvement in their skill and status.

(Their skills and status started improving at an abnormal rate from a certain point. They didn't change their equipment or complete quests, so why...?)

As Roland was wondering, he felt a weight added to the edge of the desk.

Looking up, he saw Dianna sitting there.

She was so close to Roland's documents that his gaze naturally fell on her waist.

Moreover, Dianna casually crossed her long, slender legs on the desk, exposing her shapely legs and tempting thighs through the deep slit in her skirt.

It was as if she was saying, "This is the view the guild master gets."

"Even on your first day in office. To take control of the 'Golden Eagle' and all its squads... I am truly impressed. You are indeed the S-rank appraiser who turned the 'Guardian of the Magic Tree' into the best guild in the city overnight. You are far superior to the arrogant Lucius."

"Is that so? I still feel like not everyone has fully accepted me."

"That's not true. All members of the 'Golden Eagle' now follow your authority and are grateful for the benefits they receive from you."

"Umm, thank you."

While Roland thanked her, he pulled the documents away to maintain some distance.

Because of her familiarity with the internal affairs of the 'Golden Eagle,' she was currently being used as a close aide, but Roland did not trust her.

He believed she was partly responsible for the decline of the 'Golden Eagle.'

From the time she became a senior member, Lucius's negligence and arrogance became more apparent.

If he got too close to her, he might end up like Lucius.

"You are quite cunning. If I had known you were this impressive, I would have aligned myself with you from the beginning instead of Lucius."

"Heh. I still have a lot to do."

Roland kept his eyes on the documents and spoke without looking at Dianna.

Realizing that her seductive behavior was not having the desired effect, Dianna decided to take it a step further.

She leaned forward and spoke in a sultry voice.

"Guild master, it's good to be dedicated to work, but you should also take a break. If you'd like..."

At that moment, the door to the room opened.

Claria burst in energetically.

"Excuse me!"

"Claria."

Seizing the opportunity, Roland cut off his conversation with Dianna and turned his attention to Claria.

"Roland, regarding the 'Spirit Factory' and the 'Guardian of the Magic Tree'..."

Roland and Claria immediately started discussing things together.

Dianna realized her attempt had failed and reluctantly got off the desk.

The next day, Roland appraised the adventurers gathered at the 'Golden Eagle' training ground one by one.

First, he appraised a girl wearing a heavy sword and armor.

[Aina]

Status:

Strength: 60-70

Endurance: 30-40

Equipment:

Sword: Weight 40

Armor: Weight 40

(The sword and armor together weigh 80. With a strength of 60, the equipment is too heavy. This will not only make it difficult to handle the weapon but also deplete her status quickly.)

"Why are you wearing armor that weighs 40? Isn't it too heavy?"

"Well, my endurance is low, so my superior recommended that I wear high-endurance armor to join the main squad..."

Roland re-appraised Aina's status.

[Aina's Status]

Endurance: 30-40 (→ 30-40)

Health: 60-70 (→ 90-100)

(Indeed, as a front-line warrior, her endurance is low. But her health can still improve.)

"You are better suited to be a light swordsman. Dowin!"

"Yes."

Dowin, who was taking notes nearby, responded.

"Change her armor to something suitable for a light swordsman. Make her sword heavier instead."

"Understood. Should I increase the sword's weight to enhance its power or durability?"

"Power. She is better suited as a light swordsman. Enhancing her power is more important, even if her durability is slightly lower."

"Understood."

Dowin scribbled notes on the paper.

"Aina."

"Y-Yes!"

"From now on, you will fight by compensating for your low endurance with your high health. Increase your health training."

"Understood."

Roland looked at the next adventurer's name on the list.

(The next one is Oscar. He... has a talent for item appraisal.)

[Oscar's Skill]

Item Appraisal: E → A

"Which squad are you in?"

"I am in the 2nd squad."

"The 2nd squad...?"

(What should I do?)

Roland was still unsure how to handle adventurers with appraisal skills.

Should he immediately assign them to Dowin's squad?

Or should he form a specialized squad for dungeon management by selecting appraisers from each squad as needed?

(Well, it's fine. He won't become an A-class item appraiser immediately. For now, I'll just assign him training to improve his appraisal skill.)

"Oscar, from now on, you will also focus on training to improve your appraisal skill."

"Appraisal skill...?"

"Yes, you have the potential to become an A-class item appraiser. You will be an important asset in the new 'Golden Eagle.'"

"Understood."

(Next is...)

Roland appraised the third adventurer.

(Miguel. He wants to be a shield bearer. I've heard his skills are already at a B-class level...)

Roland checked the documents in front of him.

Indeed, the equipment he was wearing was at a B-class level.

He was also a member of the 2nd squad.

He had a somewhat timid appearance.

(Are there any overlooked skills or status...? Huh!?)

Roland frowned at the appraisal results.

"Miguel, you..."

"Yes?"

Miguel looked puzzled at Roland's tense expression.

"Never mind. You can go."

"Okay."

Miguel left the room, looking somewhat unsatisfied.

Roland marked Miguel's name on the document for later reference.

Later, Roland called Miguel and a few others to the guild master's room.

He interviewed each one individually, starting with Miguel.

"I appraised your skills, and there is a significant difference between what is recorded in this document and your actual skills. What's going on?"

"I think my skills and status have declined since the last declaration."

Miguel said this without any remorse.

Roland sighed.

"You're lying, Miguel. You have never reached the level of skills and status recorded in this document. In other words, you made a false declaration about your skills and status."

"But we declared the skills and status that were communicated to us by the appraiser."

"Is that true? Do you mind if I record your statement here?"

"..."

Miguel was speechless.

"My 'Skill Appraisal' can see not only your current abilities but also your future limits. You can't hide anything from me."

[Miguel's Skill]

Shield Defense: C → C

The document stated that Miguel's 'Shield Defense' was at a B-class level.

"Tell me, why did you make a false declaration? You can't have taken the appraiser's judgment at face value."

"I apologize. I made a false declaration."

Miguel bowed his head.

"Why? Why did you do such a thing?"

"By the order of the former squad leader, Sebast. If we made a false declaration, we could join the main squad... So, with the cooperation of the 2nd squad's appraiser, we created a false declaration. This way, more funds would be allocated to the squad..."

"Funds... Miguel, if you make a false declaration for funds, it will hinder your growth as an adventurer. It's meaningless, isn't it?"

"Yes, I have no excuse."

"Understood. I'll leave this matter here. I'll correct the skills and status to the correct values. I'll also adjust the training based on the actual values, so start from today."

"Understood."

After that, Roland questioned other adventurers who had falsified their skills and status, and their stories were mostly the same.

They were advised by their squad leaders to make false declarations.

If they did, funds would be allocated to the squad, and in return, they would be allowed to join the squad.

(Well, well. I didn't expect there to be adventurers who falsified their skills and status. What are they doing? I was wondering why Sebast's squad was lagging behind the incomplete Monica's squad. No wonder they were weakening.)

Most of the adventurers who falsified their skills and status were in the 2nd squad.

"Dianna!"

"Yes."

"Here."

"Is this...?"

"This is the new training