As she finished handing over to the night shift group, Aina was approached by Roland.


    Aina," Roland said. Are you free tonight?"


    ?"　Yes, I did. I don''t have any special plans.


    Well, how about we have dinner now?"


    Aina braced herself.


    （Here she comes!)


    Yes," he said. No problem."


    Good. Let''s go then. I''ve already made reservations.


    Aina followed Roland''s lead and took a carriage to a restaurant in the suburbs.


    You are going very far, aren''t you?


    I''m not sure. I was going to go somewhere closer to home, but all the appropriate places were booked up. It was a little expensive, but this was the only place available.


    I see. I see."


    Aina looked outside.


    Dusk was already falling on the forest that could be seen from the car window.


    When she arrived at the elegant restaurant surrounded by the forest, Aina followed Roland''s escort and stepped into the restaurant.


    It looks like a very expensive restaurant. Are you sure you want to be treated here?


    I don''t care, I''m a class-A alchemist. Compared to all the hard work I''ve put in, I''m rather apologetic about this.


    Really?　Well, then, be my guest."


    Aina tucked into the sumptuous food that was brought to her.


    Every time she brought an expensive delicacy she had never tasted before to her mouth, she expressed her delight with an honest reaction appropriate for her age.


    Roland joined her in enjoying the delicacies of the mountains and seas of Fafnir Island.


    ''Well, thank you so much,'' he said. I never thought I''d be able to enjoy such a sumptuous meal."


    When we had finished the main dish, Aina said.


    I''m glad you liked it. It was my first time here too."


    But are you sure you want to do this?　I''m the only one who had such a good time. I feel bad for everyone else.


    I don''t care. I''m going to give everyone else what they deserve sooner or later."


    I see. But then, why didn''t you just bring everyone with you? Why only me?


    In fact, I have something I''d really like to give just to you.


    Heh. Just me."


    Aina squinted and looked at Roland through her wine glass.


    The pink wine swayed in the glass.


    ''Yes,'' she said. I prepared something special for you. I hope it will please you.


    I''d love to hear that."


    What will be served after the sumptuous meal?


    Will it be "Tears of the Dragon" like the one I gave to Lilianne?


    Or the key to the room?


    I knew there was a hotel on the floor above this restaurant.


    I knew this would happen eventually.


    Aina respects Roland and is indebted to him for his nurturing.


    But .......


    (I guess all men are wolves after all. It''s the same even with Mr. Roland)


    Aina stares at Roland, who continues to smile and talk, smiling with a smile that is spacious enough not to reveal his inner wariness.


    (I can''t believe you invited me to a restaurant like this while dating someone as beautiful as Lillianne.)


    If I were to be seduced, I already knew what I would say.


    I''m sorry, Mr. Roland, but I can''t go out with you if you are dating another woman.


    I''m dating a beautiful woman like Lillianne, and it would be a punishment to have my eyes on another woman, wouldn''t it?


    I would like to talk about that kind of thing only after you break up with Lillianne first.


    I want to give you something. It''s ......"


    (Here they come!)


    Aina was in perfect shape, waiting for Roland to say something.


    She was surprisingly calm, even to herself.


    A new position. I''d like to ask you to be the head of the guild''s branch.


    I''m sorry, Mr. Roland, but I don''t want to be the head of a guild branch ......, eh?"


    Huh?"


    Neither of the two could instantly understand what the other was saying, and both were stunned.


    The other said, "Um, ......, are you the branch manager ......?"


    Oh, yeah. I think you''ve become a first-class administrator, and I think you''re good enough to take over the studio.


    That''s it?


    I''m not sure. You also wanted to have a workshop (atelier), so I thought you would be happy to take it on. ......


    Aina felt her face turn red.


    （Oh, no. I''ve made a terrible mistake. ......)


    ''No, but I''m in trouble. If you don''t take the job, I''ll have to start looking for another candidate from scratch. ......"


    Oh, no, no, no. Of course I will accept your offer. Of course I will.


    What?　Really?　Good. That''s great.


    Roland then briefly presented her with the handover regarding management and the salary.


    All of these things were a great honor for Aina, but she was still a little shy, and to cover up her embarrassment, she talked more talkatively than usual and drank more of the wine that had been brought to her.


    After eating dessert and paying the bill, they headed home.


    The restaurant''s horse-drawn carriage took Aina back to her street.


    As they were leaving, Roland wished her a good night.


    Aina replied, "Good night.


    The carriage left with Roland on board.


    After the carriage left, Aina stood there for a while on the street at night, watching the direction the carriage had gone.


    When the night wind blew and her burning body began to cool down, she finally stopped looking at the night road and returned to her house.


    The next morning, Aina woke up but was struck by a mysterious malaise and had difficulty getting out of her futon.


    She ends up being about 10 minutes late for work.


    Aina was very surprised to find that she was late for work. I can''t believe you''re late.


    Aina''s face turned red again when Roland laughed at her and told her so.


    When the day''s work was over, Aina received a handover from Roland regarding the management of the workshop (atelier).


    She took over the accounting books, business partners, and other matters one after another, and finally moved on to personnel matters.


    She said, "We can efficiently make high-quality equipment by taking advantage of the skills and stats each of us is good at. You already know that, don''t you?"


    Yes, I do. To do so, we need to utilize the right people in the right places in perfect coordination with Roland-san''s ''appraisal'' skills.


    I''m not sure I''d like that. That''s right. But more than skills and status, we must also consider the person''s personality and assign duties and tasks.


    Is it a personality ......?"


    Yes," he said. While Pato is a highly thoughtful and analytical person, he also has a tendency to overthink things. If he seems stuck, help him organize his thoughts. Leena is gentle and adaptable, but lacks a sense of responsibility. Be careful that she is not hiding things from you. Roddy is moderate, but he tends to be self-protective, so make sure he doesn''t feel insecure about his future. He will be a steady performer as long as his employment is assured. Ize is quick to get the job done, but he can be a bit rough around the edges, so pay attention to quality. Wayne is competitive and status-conscious, but he is also egotistical and self-centered. Be careful not to give him too much authority."


    Mmm-hmm.


    The first thing to do is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each person''s personality, and then take the reins so that the strengths are enhanced and the weaknesses are minimized as much as possible. Be especially careful with Wayne. He is dangerous because he is so competent at what he does. We need to keep an eye on him at all times to make sure he doesn''t have a negative impact on the workplace."


    Yes. As for Wayne, I talk to him first thing in the morning every day to get his mind off the toxicity.


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do it. That''s quintessential."


    (Compared to Runge, who is all about rigor, Aina seems to use a lot of softer methods.)


    If Wayne wants to step up, encourage him to move into a professional position, not a managerial one.


    I understand.


    After confirming the general policy, Roland began rummaging through the shelves to hand over the documents he had been managing to Aina.


    Let''s see, where did I put them ......?"


    Aina looked feverishly at Roland''s back as he fished through the shelves.


    An emotion she had pretended not to notice until now.


    Feelings that I had actually noticed long ago.


    As time goes by, more and more of them are welling up.


    (I love Roland. I can''t help it. All the men in the workshop are children.


    I know that Roland has Lillianne.


    I know that Roland has Lillianne, but as they are far apart, their hearts are also far apart, and there may come a time when they will look back at me.


    There it is. Here it is.


    Roland found the document he was looking for and turned to Aina.


    Aina quickly withdrew her eager gaze and turned to face him as usual.


    However, a sad pain was still throbbing in her chest.


    After handing over to Aina, Roland decided to spend the afternoon appraising the adventurers.


    In the appraisal room were Ike Belford of "Pterodactyl Lights" and Liz Lewill and Archie Shetty of "Knights of the Black Wall.


    All three said they were interested in the appraisal and training program.


    (This is the legendary appraiser ......)


    Liz looked seriously at Loran.


    She wondered what a legendary appraiser he was, but when she looked at him like this, she saw that he was a young man almost the same age as herself.


    Ike Belford''s Skills and Status


    Spear Art": B to A


    Arm strength (power): 70-100


    [Liz Revill''s Skills and Status


    Bow shooting: B to A


    Agility: 70-100


    [Archie Shetty''s skills and status


    Shield defense": B to A


    Arm strength (power): 70-100


    (I see. So, everyone is equivalent to a B class, but they''re not growing at the stage where they become an A class?)


    The "can produce a high level of power and agility, but it is not stable. So I don''t know how much equipment I should be wearing.


    I''m not sure I''d like to be a part of that. That''s right."


    Ike agreed.


    If I wanted to, I could handle equipment with a weight of 100, but that would cause a severe drop in status. So I would wear equipment with a weight of 70, but I feel like that''s not enough.


    I try to wear the best equipment I can, but I don''t know what the best stats are.


    Archie agreed.


    He said, "Hmmm. I understand. Then let''s all start by reviewing our equipment. First, Ike. You must always carry equipment weighing 90.


    Weighing 90? Isn''t that a little too much weight?


    Your power is 70 at minimum and 100 at maximum. We need to get it up to 90 and stabilize it."


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do it. Is that how it''s supposed to be?


    Archie. You''re no different. Get your gear weight up to 90 so you can be active in the dungeon."


    I understand.


    Now, Liz. You have a lot of room to grow in agility. So I''m going to go the other way and lighten your equipment.


    Lighter equipment?


    Yes," he said. In exchange, I''ll ask you to move faster. During reconnaissance and combat, always move at 90 agility.


    Agility 90......?


    Yes. Alice!


    Yes, sir.


    Alice of "Heavenly Horse Arrow," who had been waiting by my side until then, came forward.


    ''Show her an example. Agility 90.


    Roger that."


    Alice moves sideways in an instant, readies her bow and arrow, and shoots at a target set up in the room.


    (is fast ......)


    This is the movement of Agility 90. I want you to be able to move this fast too, always at the right time."


    I was like, "Hmmm. I wonder if I can do it.


    You should be able to do it even at this stage if you want to," he said. For now, let''s try ten.


    Liz actually tried to imitate Alice''s movements.


    The success rate was 3 out of 10.


    (Surely ...... can''t do that?　(But ......)


    It''s a little unstable.


    Yes. It is important to stabilize that instability. Once you can do this, you will be able to stabilize the activation of your skills, and eventually you will reach Class A."


    But ......"


    Archie said.


    ''If you''re going to be exploring dungeons under such a high load, isn''t it going to be a drain on your status?''


    I agree. So you need to be followed by your companions while in the dungeon."


    Follow ......?"


    Yes. What kind of follow-up is needed when performance is unstable and status is depleted? That is your task until the next exploration. We will provide you with the best equipment, and you will be trained to take cover while your status is unstable.


    I see.


    Mm-hmm. I understand."


    Liz couldn''t help but let out a sigh of admiration.


    (Great. With just a little appraisal, she was able to instantly determine everything from the challenges we are facing to the room for growth and programs for improvement. ...... This is the power of an S-class appraiser ......)


    Ike, Liz, and Archie followed Roland''s instructions and received instruction on how to move to ask an ally to follow them when they were worn out and slowed down, how to stay close to an ally so that they would not be isolated when down, and how to train to defeat or outrun an enemy even in unstable status.


    After Ike and the others finished their appraisals, Roland was captured by Wayne.


    The two of them go up to the roof.


    ''New job?''


    Oh. I''m getting used to my current job. I think it''s time for me to take a step up.


    Today''s work is at ......."


    I''m done.


    You can tell Aina at ......


    Aina said she checked it out. She said, "Aina has checked it out, and she''s endorsed the quality of the product. They''re not going to screw it up like they did before.


    I see. You''ve really grown up."


    Right?　I''ll leave it to you. I''m perfect at my job now."


    I''m sure you''re right. I was just about to give you a new job myself."


    Oh, that''s the guild leader. You''re a very quick talker. So?　What kind of work do you want me to do?"


    "I want you to make a lightweight bow and arrow for Liz Lewill, the second-in-command of ''Knights of the Black Wall. Also, one of them has a talent as a mage, so I want you to sharpen a new magic stone for me."


    ...... No, that''s not what I meant."


    What''s that?　Are you dissatisfied?　I thought you would be happy to take it on. It''s a job that utilizes your unique skills, and it''s for an outside guild that will be growing at our company.


    That''s fine and dandy. I think it''s time for me to have my own subordinates. Like Aina.


    Roland smiled vaguely.


    Don''t worry," he said, "I''ll do my job. I''m not going to cut corners just because I''m busy teaching my subordinates.


    Of course I don''t expect you to cut corners. Just ......, umm, what does Aina say?"


    Wayne looks uninterested.


    He wants me to become an expert in magic stone polishing and weight reduction. That''s the one thing he said.


    That''s good," he said. A specialist. You can make a lot more money specializing in your own field than having a subordinate.


    ......"


    Wayne was still frustrated.


    ''Yes, I suppose so. For example, let''s say I just got an order from ''The Fortress Archer. What kind of budget and turnaround time do you think would be reasonable?


    What?"　Oh no. ......"


    I''m sure you''ve looked over the list of skills, jobs, and stats for the ''Archers of the Fortress'' adventurers, right?"


    Ugh.


    It''s not in your nature to do the math, is it?　What do you think would happen if I tried to manage in such a state?"


    What''s going to happen? ......


    You''ll end up like Edgar.


    What?


    Even the quintessential Wayne dropped his eyes in seriousness.


    (Are you saying I''m going to be a scum like Edgar, who uses and devalues others as much as he uses them?)


    (Though it''s already quite dangerous at this point.)


    It''s nothing unusual. I have a lot of experience in life. I''ve seen many examples like Edgar. He has successfully kicked others down the ladder and risen to management and supervisory positions, but because he is incompetent, he is unable to manage the organization and can only protect himself by shifting the blame to his subordinates. If you want to be like that, I won''t stop you, okay?　In fact, pulling other people''s legs is a simple and effective way to get ahead, if only for one reason: to get ahead. But there is no place for such a person in this workshop (atelier)!"


    ......"


    I still think highly of you," he said. But I can''t promise you a wish I can''t fulfill. Think very carefully about whether you really need to have subordinates."


    Medes came to the bar.


    When he heard that the contract had been canceled by the "Knights of the Black Wall," Medes was furious and lashed out at his men.


    What is this? What the hell is going on? What is this?


    And so they searched for who the war criminal was, but never found him.


    That''s as it should be.


    The staff members who were accustomed to working at "Dragon''s Fires" were all very careful to avoid responsibility, and Medes was the one who had given the go-ahead in the first place.


    Medes had no choice but to fire the rookie who was responsible for producing the defective equipment after he had slammed the sales department.


    Despite taking it out on him, he was still angry and, as is his habit when he was young, went to a tavern to enjoy a few cheap drinks.


    I''m so sick and tired of it. They''re dragging me down with them. ......


    While I was mumbling like this, two members of the "Knights of the Black Wall" entered the restaurant at the wrong time.


    They sit down behind him, not noticing Medes.


    Medes said, "Oh no. You look better than I thought you would. Equipment from the "Arsenal of the Spirits."


    Oh. I didn''t know an alchemist of that caliber was still on the island."


    They work fast and provide good service. I can''t say enough good things about them."


    We should''ve gone this way in the first place.


    What a bummer. That''s the end of it.


    "Ha ha ha."


    "Hoo, hoo, hoo. "Duh, duh, duh."


    Medes coughed deliberately.


    However, the two men behind him were still unaware of Medes'' presence and continued chatting.


    The two behind him, however, were still unaware of Medes'' presence and continued chatting with him. They too have fallen, haven''t they?


    Oh," he said. Because they couldn''t beat the Arsenal of Spirits in terms of quality, they tried to bind them with contracts.


    And to top it all off, they''re trying to get me to grab their inferior products.


    The world''s leading alchemy guild is appalling.


    Medes was frustrated and poor and tried to get them to notice by slamming his glass on the desk with a gun.


    The contents overflowed and splashed onto the desk.


    ''Dang, dang, dang.


    But still the two did not notice the medes.


    ''Generally I didn''t like it, that guild. They were definitely working with the thieves'' guild behind the scenes, doing all kinds of evil stuff."


    I guess so." The head of that guild was a bit of a gangster.


    "Whoa, looks like the booze''s here."


    Let''s celebrate, then. To meeting a new alchemy guild.


    To say goodbye to the Guild of Clunkers.


    "Kampai."


    Pruaaaah!"


    Medes turned around and uttered a menacing, unintelligible sound.


    The two look up.


    What?"


    What?


    I''ve had enough of this. f*ck you, you f*cking adventurer!"


    Medes kicked one of their chair legs and left the store.


    They looked suspiciously toward the exit.


    ''What the hell?　That old man. He''s got a bad attitude.


    Leave it alone. You must have had a bad day at work.


    Medes shouted abuse at the two, but that did not calm his stomach.


    So, on his way home, he decided to attack the "Knights of the Black Wall" quarters.


    He picked up a large stone from the riverbank and threw it at the window of the "Knights of the Black Cliff" quarters.


    "Whoa! What is it?


    Enemy attack?


    The "Knights of the Black Wall" dormitory was temporarily in an uproar.


    Medes was arrested.


    <>