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 117: A Life in Another World that is Far from Free 53

Episode 117: A Life in Another World that is Far from Free 53

Chasing after the knights, I dashed out. Yuria followed closely behind to protect me. Since she had been given permission to accompany me as a guard by His Majesty and Dietrich-sama, she was likely there to protect me.

“Who are you?!”

“Where did you come from?!”

“Intruder! An enemy has breached the castle!”

As those thoughts raced through my mind, I heard voices from the front. It was followed by the sound of metal clashing violently. It seemed that the enemies colliding with the Knight Commander had been cut down along with their armor, collapsing onto the floor and staining it with bl00d. 

In that moment, I was hit by a wave of nausea. I covered my mouth with my right hand and stumbled toward the wall, bracing myself with my left hand. Just then, I noticed a knight leaping out from the front, attacking with a sword.

“Get out of the way!”

“Guh?!”

Yuria had jumped in with a fierce shout. After slipping between me and the enemy, she landed a sharp punch that crushed the enemy’s armor and sent them flying backward. The speed of her attack was something I had never seen before, and the unfortunate enemy collided with the wall at the end of the room.

The shocking sight made my nausea vanish completely.

“Maki, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, thanks, Yuria.”

“This is just the beginning, so keep your wits about you.”

“I never thought I’d hear that from you.”

“I’m planning to throw up later.”

Her words made me realize once again that this was war. It was normal for people to die, and it was also normal for my classmates to be among the fallen.

“…Alright, I’m good now. But this has turned into quite a brawl.”

The knights fought to protect us as we stood against the wall. I could hear the Knight Commander wreaking havoc at the front line, accompanied by the sound of intense sword clashes. Although there should have been enemies at level 40, Yuria being here suggested we might be at a numerical disadvantage.

I quickly opened my status screen to assess the situation. If I could find the locations of the five high-level enemies, I could keep Yuria by my side for a bit longer. If we attacked from a surprise angle, our chances of victory would improve.

“…Huh? One of the high-level enemies is missing?”

I glanced toward the front line, but there were only four enemies at level 40. Where was the fifth?

I scanned the floor map displayed on the status screen from one end to the other. Then—

“Right in front of me?!”

“Oh, did you notice?”

“Maki!”

Just as I attempted to raise my head, I heard a woman’s voice come from above. Instantly, I felt a strong impact on my right shoulder and found myself hurled across the floor, bouncing multiple times.

“Guh!”

“Kyaah!”

“Oh? That was perfect timing, wasn’t it?”

I somehow managed to open my eyes and turn my face toward the enemy, only to see Yuria collapsed in front of me. Just as that woman had said, I had been protected by Yuria—and I had been injured in the process.

“…Y-you!”

“Hehe. A man being protected by a woman is roaring? How amusing!”

I gritted my teeth against the pain and propped myself up to look at Yuria. …Wait, seriously?

“…Yuria?”

“…Ouch! You jerk!”

“Can you still move?!”

“Get lost!”

“Wait—guh?!”

…S-scary. Yuria’s face contorted with rage, even though she had been down for a moment. That enemy had been a strong foe at level 40, yet she had taken her down in one blow. 

Moreover, her fist had smashed right into her face… She may be a woman, but wow.

“—Ah, this is bad.”

“Maki, are you okay?!”

“Somehow. I’ve been saved twice in such a short time… thanks.”

“Forget about that, drink the potion quickly!”

The potion I had been given beforehand… Oh, it hadn’t broken. 

As expected, the Knight Commander had prepared a sturdy potion. The bottle had been reinforced with magic, so it didn’t shatter even after a fair amount of impact. I gulped down the potion and then lightly swung my arms.

“…Alright, I’m good. But…”

“Yeah. It seems a few knights have been taken down by that last foe.”

Several knights who had been fighting around us were now on the ground. Were they dead, or just unconscious? I could check with the status screen, but I had to give another command.

“Tch! Yuria, we’re moving forward!”

“What’s going on?”

“Gozef is on the move!”

In the room where Gozef had been, there was a hidden passageway leading away from the main corridor. He was beginning to move from there.

“Let’s inform the Knight Commander and pursue him! It’s okay; we can still catch up!”  

“Got it! Just follow me!”  

I ate not only bananas but also grapes to enhance my Speed. I then followed Yuria as we headed toward the front lines.