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 114: A Life in Another World that is Far from Free 50

Episode 114: A Life in Another World that is Far from Free 50

Most of the knights were led by Glenn and Vil-san to head straight to the lodging town. Meanwhile, the Knight Commander, Vice Commander, and various squad leaders gathered at Alicia’s mansion to discuss what comes next. From the Granzawall side, present at the meeting were me, Yuria, Sensei, Alicia, Captain, and Leyreina-san. Dietrich-sama had also accompanied us.

“Alright! Let’s start by sharing the information we have!”  

“—! …Y-Yes, thank you very much.”

Despite being indoors, the Knight Commander spoke in a booming voice, causing Alicia to give him a strained smile. While she likely found it annoying for him to confirm the information so loudly, it wasn’t just her—it was everyone in the room. Thankfully, the Vice Commander seemed to understand this and took the initiative to speak.

“I will explain. I am Narssen Ruzens, the Vice Commander of the knights.”  

“Yes! I look forward to working with you!”  

“Indeed! I trust you’ll handle this well!”

Alicia, that reaction is a bit too obvious, isn’t it? However, the Knight Commander didn’t seem to mind, nodding vigorously and leaving the explanation to his second-in-command.

—Summarizing the Vice Commander’s explanation, here’s what it boiled down to:

According to the latest intelligence, Shriden still had an army of 100,000 soldiers. However, since it would be impossible to mobilize the entire army for a siege, we would likely only face a few hundred elite soldiers guarding the king. The knight corps that came this time numbered only 500, a small force in comparison. But since we could use teleportation to infiltrate the castle, it would be a race against time. If we could take down the king quickly, the rest of the army wouldn’t matter, according to their high command. In fact, in past wars, as long as the commander or general was eliminated, the enemy army would collapse rapidly.

“…So it’s just like fiction, huh.”  

“Hmm? Did you say something, Mihiro-sama?”  

“No, nothing important. Please continue.”

Apparently, my mumbling was overheard. But I quickly urged the Vice Commander to proceed.

“Therefore, after we teleport in, we will immediately require your assistance, Mihiro-sama.”  

“You need me to Appraise the king’s location, right?”  

“Yes. We ask that you head directly toward him… and please, do not concern yourself with our sacrifices.”

“—!”

I couldn’t nod or respond to those final words. While it was natural that Yuria and Sensei were my top priorities to protect, I wasn’t planning to disregard the knights’ lives from the outset. I couldn’t simply reply with “Yes, I understand” when told not to care about their sacrifices.

“…No, I will minimize the sacrifices as much as possible.”  

“And what if, as a result, you allow King Gozef of Shriden to escape?”

…Wait, so the King of Shriden is named Gozef? I only just found that out.

“…Killing Gozef is the top priority. In doing so, I will also minimize casualties.”  

“Do you truly believe you can do that?”  

“I do. …However, I acknowledge that there will likely be some casualties. Please forgive me for that.”

If eliminating casualties was the goal, we wouldn’t be going to war in the first place. But since Shriden had declared war, it was only a matter of time before they threatened Adelreed as well. The potential loss of life from future conflicts would far exceed the sacrifices we might make now…

“HAHAHAHA! Don’t worry about it, boy!”  

“…K-Knight Commander?”

As I wrestled with my difficult decision, the Knight Commander let out a loud laugh.

“Who do you think we are? We’re knights! We don’t fear death!” 

“But—”  

“No ‘buts’ about it! Going to war means facing such things! Boy, you just focus on protecting those around you! Not a single one of us knights here can’t defend ourselves!”

Laughing while saying such things isn’t exactly appropriate… but it seems I lacked the resolve. And I also hadn’t trusted in the knights’ commitment and resolve.

“…I understand.”  

“Thank you, Mihiro-sama. Then, we can be sure to—”  

“I will ensure that Gozef is taken down while keeping casualties to a minimum. However, while I will be grateful for any sacrifices made, I swear I will not mourn them.”

“Mihiro-sama!”  

“Just as the knights have their determination and resolve, I, too, have the resolve to do what must be done! I will never abandon a life that can be saved!”

The Vice Commander and I locked eyes, tension hanging in the air. And then, as expected—

“HAHAHAHA! You’re amusing! Very amusing! Boy, I’ve received your spirit loud and clear!” 

“V-Vigul-sama!”  

“It’s fine! Let him do as he pleases! Fewer sacrifices are a good thing!”  

“But if we let King Gozef escape—” 

“The boy said he’d take him down! Then let’s believe him—as comrades fighting alongside each other!”

––—! …Comrades, huh? Yeah, that’s right. We’re already comrades in arms.

“…I will definitely do it. Please believe in me, Vice Commander.”  

“…Understood. Mihiro-sama, we are counting on you.” 

“That’s the spirit! Alright, let’s head out as well—to the teleportation magic circle!”

After finishing our discussion, we left Alicia’s mansion and hurried off toward the lodging town.