Chapter 6

When Jil entered the room, Lucius was not there.

Only Dianna was there, frowning and crossing her arms.

"Jil? What is it? You didn't even knock."

Dianna greeted Jil, who had suddenly entered, with a puzzled expression.

Jil ignored Dianna's demeanor and looked around the room.

"Where is the Guild Master?"

"He's on a business trip right now. What is it? You didn't even knock. No matter how high a rank you have, it's too rude."

"Dianna, why did the Guild Master exile Roland?"

"Roland? Ah, that appraiser."

Dianna said it with a lack of interest.

"Roland... He is someone who will bear the future of this guild. We cannot afford to lose him."

"He seems to be on better terms with the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' than us."

"The 'Guardians of the Magic Tree'? How... Why?"

"During a joint quest before, he got close to Lilianne and even helped develop her unique skill. It seems he fell for that witch's charm. Recently, his series of failures were because he was asked by that woman to hinder us."

"That's... impossible."

"He not only granted her skills but also sold his loyalty to the guild."

"There must be some mistake. Roland is not that kind of person. He opened the path for me. Even if he sends salt to a rival, he would never pull the legs of his allies."

"Anyway! We can't keep a traitor like that in the guild. You too! Be careful with your words. If you defend a traitor just because you were helped, it won't set a good example for other members. It will affect morale."

Jil turned to leave the room.

"Wait! What about your answer?"

"...I can't... say anything bad about him."

Jil said that and left the room.

The sound of the door closing echoed.

Dianna sighed.

(Oh dear. Her sense of duty is troublesome. She should just forget about that down-and-out man since she got what she wanted.)

Suddenly, Dianna's face twisted into a cruel smile.

"He'll probably be crushed soon even if we leave him alone. But just to be safe, we should take some action."

---

Roland was supporting Arie's work while also conducting interviews.

(Thanks to Arie, the 'Earthcraft' business is finally on track, but it's not guaranteed to go smoothly forever. The 'Golden Eagle' alchemy guild still controls all minerals except for 'Earthcraft'. We need more A-class personnel in other positions.)

Currently, a young man named Ranz was being interviewed by Roland.

He had tanned skin, a medium build but muscular, and was wearing a tank top.

He looked like a typical miner.

His sharp eyes suggested a high level of competitiveness.

"So, what position are you interested in?"

"Mineral extraction. I can only do that alchemy skill."

Ranz scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

Roland activated his 'Appraisal' skill.

Mineral Extraction B → A

(Interesting. Currently at 'Mineral Extraction B', with the potential to reach A. A smart boy who knows himself well. But he's still a bit naive.)

Roland continued to use 'Appraisal' to check if Ranz had any other notable skills.

Workshop Management D → A

Store Management E → A

Mine Management C → A

(Three high-potential management skills!)

Roland's eyes sparkled.

(If I hire and train him, he will eventually become a core member of the guild.)

"I see. Understood. I'll hire you for 'Mineral Extraction'. By the way, are you interested in management duties?"

"Management duties?"

"Yes, if you help manage the workshop, I can double your salary."

"Hmm... But I've never managed a workshop before."

"Of course, we'll provide guidance and support."

"Then... I'll give it a try."

Ranz scratched his cheek again.

It seemed to be his habit.

From that day on, Roland had Ranz handle all the management tasks in the workshop.

He taught him inventory management, bookkeeping, and furnace room management.

At first, Ranz's movements were awkward, but he quickly grasped the essentials.

The workshop, which had been cluttered, was soon neatly organized.

The process from receiving minerals to shipping them to Arie became much more efficient, eliminating waste.

Seeing Ranz's quick learning and high initiative, Roland decided to give him more autonomy.

"Ranz, your mission is to help Arie produce as many 'Earthcraft A' as possible. Organize the workshop to maximize her productivity!"

The effect was immediate.

Ranz immediately started thinking about how to make Arie's work easier.

He handed her the minerals when she needed them, the hammer when she needed it, left the room when she needed to concentrate, and brought her water when she was thirsty.

He arranged everything to make her work easier.

Arie's productivity quickly increased, and she was able to refine 12 'Earthcraft A' per day, up from the previous limit of 10.

Arie was pleased.

"Thank you, Ranz. We were struggling with just the two of us."

(As expected of Roland. To provide such an excellent support staff.)

Ranz scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

---

While Roland was training Ranz in management, the main force of the 'Golden Eagle' was approaching the deepest part of a recently discovered dungeon.

The soldiers were tired but still in high spirits.

It had been a long time since such a large-scale dungeon was found.

Clearing it would bring in a huge income.

They were approaching the final barrier.

No monsters had appeared for a while, indicating they were close to the dungeon's goal.

The boss must be on the other side of the hill they were climbing.

"Stop!"

At the top of the hill, the captain, Marco, ordered the troops to stop.

Below them was a plain filled with countless coffins.

Marco counted and found there were over 100.

"Are these... coffins of skeleton swordsmen?"

One of his subordinates asked, surprised by the number of coffins.

"Yes, it seems this is the final boss of the dungeon."

Marco said with a wry smile.

(What a pain. After all the wear and tear on our armor and swords, to face this at the end.)

Marco turned to check the state of his troops.

His unit consisted of 30 members, divided into six teams of five.

The state of the troops was dire.

Everyone's equipment was damaged.

Throughout the dungeon, they had faced enemies and events that seemed to target their equipment, like slime monsters that corroded their gear.

A battle with skeleton warriors who keep moving until shattered would likely be a fierce melee.

Fighting with damaged equipment was dangerous.

"Each team, report the state of your equipment!"

"Team 2: Three members' equipment is half-destroyed. The remaining two have minor damage."

"Team 3: Four members are half-destroyed, one has minor damage."

"Team 4: Same, four members are half-destroyed, one has minor damage."

"Team 5: All members are half-destroyed."

"Team 6: Same, all members are half-destroyed."

"I see..."

(My team 1: Three members are half-destroyed, two have minor damage. Out of 30 members, 24 are half-destroyed, 6 have minor damage. This is as far as we can go.)

Marco sighed in resignation.

Minor damage could be fixed on the spot, but half-destroyed equipment required a return to the city or 'Earthcraft'.

"We're retreating."

"Yes, retreating?"

"Yes, fighting 100 skeleton warriors in this state is too dangerous. Just understanding the final boss is a significant achievement. We'll return, prepare, and come back. We'll request 'Earthcraft' and melee combat troops from the 'Golden Eagle' headquarters."

"But... retreating without doing anything seems too passive, doesn't it?"

"At least let us engage in one battle..."

"The key to clearing this dungeon is how quickly we can prepare melee combat equipment. We can't afford to waste time. We must retreat quickly."

(We need about 30, no, 60 'Earthcraft' for 100 skeleton warriors. And... we might need to rely on Jil again.)

With her high defense and stamina, she could maintain the front line, act as a shield, and break through the enemy.

Even surrounded by skeleton warriors, she could handle it, and her greatsword could crush 2-3 skeleton warriors in one swing.

For a prolonged melee battle, relying on her, the strongest in melee combat, would be the best choice.

Marco smiled wryly.

Lately, he had been in her debt.

He needed to find a way to repay her.

As he thought this, a murmur spread through the troops.

"What? What's happening?"

"Captain! New enemies behind us!"

"What!? New enemies?"

"That's Lilianne and the main force of the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree'."

A unit of 30 members, consisting of 20 warriors, 5 mages, and 5 archers, passed by Marco's unit.

They were heading up the hill Marco had just climbed.

"Captain, this is bad. If they get ahead of us..."

"Don't worry. Their equipment is also at its limit. Look."

Marco pointed out.

Lilianne's melee combat unit was in even worse condition than Marco's.

Some had broken swords and stripped armor.

It seemed unlikely they had the strength to fight the boss.

(The 'Golden Eagle' alchemy guild can prepare 60 'Earthcraft' in a month. The 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' can't compete.)

The 'Golden Eagle' had strong ties with alchemy guilds, while the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' had strong ties with apothecary guilds, a fact known to anyone in the city.

(Still, we can't be complacent. If we dawdle, they might get 'Earthcraft' faster.)

Marco's resolve to retreat hardened.

"Since the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' have reached this point, we need to prepare even more quickly. Let's go!"

Marco said to his troops and turned away from the plain of coffins.

However, as they started to retreat, the sound of coffins opening came from behind.

(What? No way?)

Marco turned around.

Lilianne was in combat stance, using her 'Levitation' skill.

Her melee combat unit had also descended onto the plain.

"Captain, they're going to fight."

"Impossible. It's too reckless."

Indeed, Lilianne's firepower was formidable.

She could take out 10 skeleton warriors with one hit.

However, she had a weakness.

After one attack, she would overheat and couldn't cast another spell for a while, nor could she stay levitated.

She had to land, replenish her mana, and rest, meaning ground support was essential.

No matter how many skeleton warriors she crushed, if the ground troops were defeated, she would be torn apart by the skeleton warriors when she landed overheated.

(What are they planning?)

Marco and his troops stopped preparing to retreat and decided to watch the battle.

As they watched, the skeleton warriors awoke, and the plain was soon filled with sword and shield-wielding skeleton warriors.

Lilianne gave a signal in the air.

The troops immediately took out items.

In their hands were glowing blue stones.

"That's! 'Earthcraft'!?"

"What!? Impossible. We have control over the workshops that can refine 'Earthcraft'. How do they have so much 'Earthcraft'!?"

Moreover, their 'Earthcraft' was of exceptional quality.

All of it looked like 'Earthcraft A'.

Their equipment was instantly restored to like-new condition.

The melee combat began.

The sound of clashing swords and shields echoed, and the skeleton warriors gradually gathered around the adventurers.

At the right moment, Lilianne cast a lightning spell.

A thunderclap and a surge of energy blew away about 15 densely packed skeleton warriors.

The formation of the skeleton warriors was momentarily disrupted, but new ones quickly arrived, not giving the adventurers a chance to rest.

Lilianne, overheated, wobbled and landed, but the melee combat unit had formed a solid position, preventing enemy intrusion.

Lilianne landed safely and replenished her mana.

The battle lasted for a long time.

Eventually, the adventurers' equipment began to wear down again.

Marco was relieved.

They wouldn't be able to clear it.

However, defying Marco's prediction, Lilianne's melee combat unit took out 'Earthcraft' again and restored their equipment.

Lilianne flew back into the air.

She observed the battle from above.

Her unit stood firm against the sturdy skeleton warriors.

(What a wonderful sustained combat ability. Thanks to Roland.)

The second lightning strike sounded.

This time, it shattered over 20 skeleton warriors.

Already, over 70% of the skeleton warriors were eliminated.

With a numerical advantage, the melee combat unit advanced from their position and went on the offensive.

The third lightning strike did not come.

Lilianne's melee combat unit had annihilated all the skeleton warriors.

Thus, Lilianne and the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' cleared the dungeon.

With the boss defeated, all adventurers in the dungeon except for the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' were forcibly returned to the city.

For the next month, until the dungeon disappeared, the guild 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' had the exclusive right to collect and use all resources within the dungeon, including minerals, plants, and monsters.

According to the adventurer's code, no one except the guild members and those they permitted could enter the dungeon.

Those who violated this code would be executed.

If you found this interesting and are curious about the continuation, I would appreciate it if you could rate it