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Volume 1 Chapter 5




Shortly after entering the workshop, Laurent was working.
There was only a small, short table and a plain chair in the room.
Wooden boxes and alchemist’s tools are piled up and cluttered next to it.
The reception room and the workshop are all in one place.
Anyway, the building itself is small with only one room. There isn’t enough space for several roles.
Now, lay on the small desk in front of him are the ten pieces of 『Earth Craft』 that has been refined by Arie.
The appraisal result:
（Wonderful. This is enough to satisfy Lilianne-san’s demand. ）
Lilianne request was to deliver 100 pieces of 『Earth Craft』 within a month.
From that amount, he wanted less than 20% of good below D-rank.
At this pace, they will be capable to fulfill the request.
Laurent is the one tasked with packing the 『Earth Craft』 with a blue glow into the shipping box.
After he finished the packing, he must deliver the box to 『Guardian of the Magic Tree』.
Since he wants Arie to concentrate on refining as much as possible, Laurent performed all of these tasks.
「How are you doing, Laurent-san? 」
「Lilianne-san. 」
While Laurent was packing the finished product in the box, Lilianne enters the workshop.
「Please wait, I’ll make you some tea. 」
When she entered the workshop interrupting what Laurent was doing, making hand gestures at him to stop.
「Thank you, but I’m good. Are you working? Please don’t stop on my account. 」
「I’m sorry. I’ll finish it first. 」
He quickly filled the boxes.
Afraid that she’s going to be a hindrance to his work, Lilianne looked at him working from a distance.
When Laurent finished his work, Arie comes with a tray carrying 『Earth Craft』 in her hand.
「Ah, guild leader. I just finished refining the 『Earth Craft』. Please have a look… eh? Lilianne-san? 」
「Come here, Arie. Our investor, Lilianne-san, has come for a visit. Show me the refined 『Earth Craft』. 」
「O-okay. 」
Arie shyly turned towards Lilianne.
While she looked at her, Lilianne gave her a friendly smile.
She was dressed like a craftsman.
Arie’s brown hair was laid on her right shoulder in a single braid.
Her hands were covered with gloves for working with iron pot, and her face was covered with glasses to reduces the flame’s light.
They were all bought by Laurent.
Unlike the interview, she didn’t wear any accessories and look natural.
「Hello. You are the refiner that Laurent was talking about. 」
「The 『Earth Craft』 was made for her. Arie, show the finished 『Earth Craft』 to Lilianne-san. 」
「Hai. 」
「That’s wonderful. 」
Lilianne looked at the finished 『Earth Craft』 in her hand.
The percentage of 『Earth Craft』 A was higher than the previous one.
「It’s all on her.」
「Wow, you’re doing this by yourself? 」
Lilianne turned her eyes to Arie.
Arie, who wasn’t accustomed to this sort of treatment, was simply frightened.
「No, I just followed the guild leader’s instruction. It’s not much. 」
Lilianne was famous. Meeting her made her feel nervous, shy, and happy all in one.
「Earth Craft is a unique item used to polish for all kinds of weapons and armor. High-quality Earth Craft is essential for quick weapon maintenance. If you provide this to 『Guardian of the Magic Tree』, the ability of party belonging to 『Guardian of the Magic Tree』 on the battle will increase significantly. I’m looking forward to working with you. 」
Lilianne continued to cast expectant glances at Arie.
Arie felt so honored she couldn’t answer. Her face was red, so she just nodded her head slightly.
Laurent activates his 『Appraisal』 skill and sees the displayed ability floating next to her.
Her E-ranked 『Ore Refining』 turned into an A-rank.
Laurent saw Lilianne off on the workshop entrance.
「Thank you for visiting us today, Lilianne-san. 」
「No, no, it’s alright. By the way, is her skill good? 」
「Hai. Also, your approval will help Arie to be more confident in her skill. 」
「It’s no problem. I only tell her the truth. 」
She said as she approached Laurent and bring their face close together.
「It was your power that helped her, right? 」
The proximity of their face, close enough to touch, makes him nervous.
Her eyes stared passionately at Laurent.
He laughed in a deceiving manner.
Lilianne laughed with him.
「Alright, sorry for asking.」
「It’s fine. Thank you again for today. 」
「Likewise. 」
When Jill returns, the new members and lower-ranking members of the guild all lined up to welcome her.
「Oh, Jill-san. 」
「Hurry. Open the way. 」
Seeing Jill, the guild guards quickly giving her the way.
In 『Golden Hawk』, the hierarchical relationship is absolute.
Jill, who was ranked first in the last month’s list of defeated monsters total, even though she was a newcomer, she became a senior member of 『Golden Hawk』, one of Lucius’s close aide.
Now, she’s recognized among the famous adventurers.
She walks through the wide corridor from the entrance like in a palace.
On both sidelines, the lower-ranking members posed showing their loyalty to the guild with their head bowed a little and hand on their chest.
Newcomers and people with low rank on the list must do this to senior members.
She calmly walks through them.
Suddenly she looked at the people lined up on her sides.
Most of them joined the guild at the same time as Jill.
Jill’s promotion for senior members was an unusual step.
Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but feel complicated.
Jill walks on the flower path, and at the end of the day, the members beside her are happy.
The difference between them is their luck.
With that in mind, she wondered whether she really deserves the spotlight.
（I can stand here today. It’s all thanks to Laurent-san. ）
Jill remembers her spending her days with Laurent.
At that time, she’s a newcomer with slow growth.
They labeled her with no prospects and assigned her to Laurent.
But her assignment to Laurent changed her fate.
Laurent changed her from light archer to heavy knight.
「Jill, you can become a heavy knight. 」
Shortly after meeting her, he said that.
「I don’t have the physical strength to walk around the dungeon wearing heavy armor. 」
In fact, her stamina was E-ranked.
「It’s okay. In the future, you can have A-ranked stamina. 」
She doubts it but still following Laurent’s guidance.
Although the training imposed by Laurent was extremely severe, it dramatically improved her stamina.
Not only that.
He negotiated with the guild to buy her the best armor for her.
Because of that, her defenses have risen dramatically.
「Laurent-san, thank you. Now I can contribute to the guild with my defense as a tank. 」
「No, Jill. Your role is not a tank but an attacker. 」
She couldn’t believe Laurent’s words, but he just gave her a big sword.
On the contrary, he forced her to subjugate the Golem army.
She grew rapidly in the fight and defeated 3 Brick Golems.
Defeating 3 Golems in a single dungeon dive is unusual, not only as a newcomer but also as an adventurer.
Most adventurers run out of physical strength in the middle or taken damage so much that their potion is gone.
But she can run around the dungeon all day long in her heavy armor with her endless supply of stamina, her defense is unperturbed when struck by a hammer, and her offensive ability can knock down any hard and huge enemy.
（Everything thanks to Laurent. If he didn’t change me, I’d ended up as an ordinary archer. ）
She remembers.
Under his guidance, he praised her for her small growth, and it makes her a little proud.
（He was really good at timing her praise and scolding. ）
Making her flourish as a heavy knight didn’t satisfy Laurent.
He gave her goal to defeat 5 Golems in a day.
The goal hasn’t been achieved yet.
Along the way, Lucius redeployed her into the guild’s main force.
She became popular and continued working for the guild without resting.
After she became part of the main force, she showed her power without regret.
She’s an excellent tank and attacker, and she was able to do all kinds of quests.
Her appearance is gorgeous, so she was also useful for advertisement.
She isn’t just fighting in the frontline, and she was pulled to the PR.
Thus, her days were hectic and full of life, but she finally took a day off today.
She wants to see Laurent, who has been neglected since recently.
（What will he say when he saw me growing? Since I became a B-rank adventurer, will he acknowledge me? Or will he say I still had a long way to go? ）
She was planning to reminiscence the old days and catch up with Laurent.
（Oops. ）
Before meeting Laurent, she decided to dress up.
Recently, she appears in public representing the guild, and she always paid attention to her appearance, but when she meets Laurent, she paid attention to her hair more than usual.
「That’s enough. 」
（Do I look okay? ）
She’s sure that Laurent is still guiding newcomers somewhere in the corner of the guild.
She felt sorry for the newcomers because today she’s going to use her privilege as a senior member.
（Maybe I’ll get invited for dinner as a prize for my growth? No, no, I’m expecting too much. I’m sure he will yell at my ears and work me hard until I vomit. Maybe I can stay late at night. That’s my reward, fufu. ）
Jill forget to schooled her expression that the smile was spilling from her lips before it was gone and open the newcomers’ guide door.
「Laurent-san? He’s not here anymore. 」
「Ha? 」
Jill didn’t understand the meaning of what the newly appointed officer said, and she looked like a peashooter with her expression. 
「Lucius-sama kicked him out a while ago. 」
「Why… 」
「Lately, he’s been making a lot of mistakes. So, there’s no other choice. Eh, Jill-san? 」
Without listening to the word that has been said, Jill quickly left the room and rushing into the guild leader’s office.
She opened the door without knocking and barging in.
「Guild leader! I have something to talk with you! 」
t/n: i ended up doing this chapter translation in one sitting because i need a distraction