I’m an Appraiser, But What the Heck is a [Divine Eye]? ~I Want to Live Freely as the World’s Best Beginner Class~ - Episode 28: The Royal Castle 3

Episode 28: The Royal Castle 3

—In a certain room within the royal castle.

Here, Shriden Kingdom’s King Gozef, Queen Amanda, and their only daughter, Princess Maria, were engaged in a secret discussion.

“That woman… her name was Haruka, wasn’t it? We don’t need sharp, perceptive adults like her.”

“Why was someone like that included in the Hero Summoning that was supposed to be limited to easily manipulable children?”

King Gozef Shriden sighed in frustration, to which Queen Amanda Shriden responded in agreement.

“But, thanks to my teleportation magic, I’ve already sent her to the Forest of Demons. So it’s no longer an issue, Father, Mother.”

It was Princess Maria Shriden who possessed teleportation magic. It was also Maria who had sensed that Haruka was suspicious of the Shriden Kingdom.

“You truly have a keen eye for people.”

“As expected of our daughter.”

“Right now, the Hero and the others are now focused on leveling up. So things should be calm for a while.”

Gazing out the window, the vast royal garden came into view. There, students were training under the guidance of knights. Among them, the four with special-class professions stood out for their rapid growth.

“Kouya-sama, Arata-sama, Madoka-sama, and Yuria-sama are truly remarkable.”

“As expected of the special classes.”

“However… it seems Madoka-sama and Yuria-sama are hiding something.”

It was Maria who pointed this out.

“…Did you see something?”

“Yes, both of them have a black mist around their chests.”

“Is this black mist the same as the one you saw around Haruka?”

“Yes, Mother. It’s possible that Madoka-sama and Yuria-sama could also become dangerous individuals.”

Maria possessed a rare skill called “Magic Eyes”. By activating it, she could identify individuals harboring ill will, which manifested as a black mist around them.

“The mist is still small at this point. So while they may have some suspicion of us, they haven’t yet reached a point of certainty.”

“With Haruka, you said she should be eliminated immediately. Is this different?”

“Yes, Father. The mist around Haruka covered her entire upper body. When it reaches that stage, no matter how much we try to convince her, it’s nearly impossible to change her mind.”

“Well, in her case, she was an advanced class, so we dealt with her quickly. But Madoka-sama and Yuria-sama are special classes, so we might want to observe them for a bit longer.”

“However, Mother, if their levels rise, they could survive even in the Forest of Demons. We should decide sooner rather than later whether to keep or eliminate them.”

Maria’s advice was accepted by Gozef and Amanda.

It was about forty years ago that the Kingdom of Shriden had secretly dispatched its elite to the Forest of Demons to carve out a teleportation magic circle. Among them was one special class and five advanced classes, all said to be unbeatable at the time. Despite their abilities, they only managed to reach the edge of the Forest of Demons. The mission had been top secret. And once the magic circle was completed, the team returned to the kingdom using the teleportation magic. However, to cover their tracks, the five advanced classes were executed on the spot, leaving only the special-class warrior alive.

It was said that a single special class was worth the strength of five advanced classes. As their levels increased, the chances of two special class individuals surviving and escaping from the Forest of Demons also grew higher.

“Yes, level 10 is probably the critical point for making a decision.”

“Indeed, darling. If the black mist hasn’t disappeared by then, even if it’s small, we should eliminate them.”

“With both the special-class Hero and Sword Saint among our warriors, the day when Shriden rules the world is near. Especially—if we have the Hero.”

Maria spoke these words while casting her gaze toward Kouya, who was training with the knights.

“The special classes possess Charisma skills. Kouya-sama, being the Hero, has an especially high level of it… but he’s no match for you, Father.”

Kouya believed that his Charisma skill was the reason why the students followed him obediently. And while this was true, he hadn’t realized that he himself was under the influence of an even higher-level Charisma skill. It made him compliant without knowing it.

“Madoka-sama and Yuria-sama became suspicious of us before the skill could fully activate… Once suspicion sets in, it becomes harder for the Charisma skill to take effect.”

“Well, there will always be a few like that.”

King Gozef Shriden’s Charisma skill was at level 10, the highest possible. Unbeknownst to Kouya and Arata, their thoughts were already being influenced, preventing them from seeing through Gozef’s control.

“Hehe, I can’t wait for you to awaken to that power, Kouya-sama, just as the prophet foretold.”

The royal family eagerly awaited the day when that latent power within Kouya would finally emerge.