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 111: A Life in Another World that is Far from Free 48

Episode 111: A Life in Another World that is Far from Free 48

That night, we all decided to rest early in preparation for the battle tomorrow. Usually, we’d chat during dinner. But tonight, the atmosphere was quiet. Everyone was too tense to relax. One by one, after finishing dinner, people quietly returned to their rooms. I was one of them, quickly excusing myself and heading back to my room.

“…Sigh. Tomorrow is finally the battle.”

Of course, there was no way I’d back out now. But I couldn’t help feeling nervous. After all, from Yuria’s and my perspective, there was a high chance we’d end up fighting—maybe even killing—our classmates. I didn’t know how much leveling up they’d done in Shriden, but Yuria had been wiping out magical beasts in the Forest of Demons for quite some time. So her level must be pretty high among other special classes. Whether it’s Kouya or Arata, I’m confident she won’t lose.

“But if it comes down to killing… they’ll probably have the upper hand.”

As Madoka and Yuria had said, if they were being controlled like puppets, they’d probably kill us without hesitation. Even though I’m mentally prepared, I doubt many people could actually kill someone easily. I know Yuria definitely isn’t that kind of person. Madoka? Well, that’s a given.

As for Sensei, she already declared that she wouldn’t kill anyone. But I wonder what her plan is. To me, Sensei’s life is more valuable than our classmates’. I really want to find a way to protect her.

“…Maybe paralyze them with lightning magic?”

But that might be too strong… Well, I’ll do what I can. The only ones I really want to protect are Sensei and Arata.

“Now that I think about it, I barely even remember the names of the others.”

I remember Kouya because he was the student council president. But we never really talked. For some reason, he always glared at me. Did I do something to him?

The only other people I remember are the troublemakers I avoided on purpose.

“Who was that one again? I never talked to her, but that red hair really stands out.”

How did the school let her get away with such flashy hair? Maybe they tried to stop her, and she just ignored them.

“Anyway, it’s a good thing she didn’t end up with a special class. If she did, someone would probably be dead by now.”

She always bragged loudly about her fights. Mostly about street brawls. Honestly, it was pretty scary.

“Yeah, I remember now… Akagi Ena.”

She’s terrifying.

I wasn’t the target, but I saw her start a fight just because someone made eye contact with her. And it wasn’t even clear if he actually looked at her—the other guy insisted he hadn’t.

She still made him apologize in the end. Ever since then, I’ve made sure to look away whenever I saw Akagi.

While thinking about that—

—Knock knock.

There was a knock at my door.

I would’ve preferred to be alone tonight. But since they saw me return to my room, I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t here. I got out of bed and opened the door, expecting a certain someone—but I was wrong.

“…Yuria? What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk for a bit.”

Honestly, I thought it would be Madoka standing there. So I was a little surprised.

“Uh, yeah. Come in.”

“Thanks.”

Wait… I just let her into my room. Was that okay?

“Tomorrow’s the day.”

“Hm? Yeah, it is.”

“…Aren’t you nervous?”

“Of course I am. Your and Sensei’s life are on the line tomorrow, and we might even be fighting against Arata. Plus… there’s Akagi.”

Just thinking about the possibility of facing Akagi gave me chills.

“Ah… yeah, I’m not a fan of Akagi-san either.”

“You’ve talked to her?”

“A little. She was pretty normal with the girls, but she didn’t seem to like Madoka much. I always felt uncomfortable around her.”

Realizing that Akagi could become our enemy tomorrow, Yuria sighed deeply after a moment of silence.

“……But why were you thinking about Akagi-san?”

“I was just going over tomorrow in my head, and she popped up. We’ve never interacted, but she left a strong impression.”

“What about Arata?”

“Well, I spent more time with him than the others. He’s my friend, after all.”

“…F-Friend!?”

Why does that shock her so much?

“…So you *do* have friends, Maki.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s just….. you’re usually by yourself or with Madoka. I never thought…”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true at school.”

“Did you hang out outside of school too?”

“Don’t act so surprised! …Sigh. Well, just a little.”

Yuria’s reaction was rather disappointing. But talking about school life oddly helped ease my nerves.

“…Did you come here to help me relax?”

“Hmm, half right. I was nervous too.”

“……I see. Makes sense.”

“It’s hard to talk to Madoka about this.”

Since Madoka isn’t joining us in this war, I guess it can’t be helped.

“Well, I’m going to head back!”

“Yeah.”

“…Let’s do our best tomorrow, okay?”

“Of course. You too, Yuria—don’t push yourself too hard.”

“…I know.”

“I’ll tell you everything I find out with my Appraisal, alright?”

“I know, I know! Thanks a lot, Maki!”

As Yuria left the room with a beaming smile, it shone brightly in my eyes.

Not just Sensei—I won’t let Yuria die either.

With that firm resolution in my heart, I drifted off to sleep.