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 134: An Unexpected Survival Life 5

Episode 134: An Unexpected Survival Life 5

“――… Huh… where is this?”

Sensing that the light had faded, I slowly opened my eyes and looked around.

It still seemed like we were in the Forest of Demons. But the scenery was clearly unfamiliar. I recalled the moment we were enveloped in light and remembered that I wasn’t the only one brought here.

“Hey, are you okay? Madoka, Arata?”

The two of them were lying on the grass at my feet.

I shook their shoulders while calling their names. As I brought my face closer, I could confirm that they were breathing. It gave me some relief. Next, I used my Appraisal skill to figure out where we were.

“Appraisal: Current Location.”

Looking at the map of the Forest of Demons displayed on the screen, I finally understood why the place seemed unfamiliar.

It appeared that we had been teleported deep into the forest.

“Was that teleportation magic circle also set up by Maria Shriden?”

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I realized that couldn’t be it.

Maria couldn’t have come to this place directly, and the teleportation circle she set up at the Transfer Shrine had a limited range.

“Appraisal: Who Set Up the Teleportation Magic Circle?”

……..No good.

Just like when the Lesser Earth Dragon suddenly appeared, the screen displayed [Unknown]. I couldn’t figure out what that meant, at least not with my current abilities.

“…Ugh…..”

“…Mmm…”

As I stood there feeling at a loss, I heard the voices of the two starting to wake up and turned my gaze toward them.

“Are you okay? Madoka, Arata?”

“Maki… kun?”

“Mihiro… What happened to us?”

Arata asked as he slowly sat up. I shook my head slightly in response.

“I’m not sure. I was able to check our location, but I have no clue who set up the teleportation magic circle.”

“Even your Appraisal skill couldn’t figure it out?”

“No matter how many times I try, it just says [Unknown].”

“[Unknown], huh?”

The unexpected result made Arata frown, while Madoka looked uneasy.

After letting them know that we were farther inside the forest than the area we’d been exploring, we began discussing what to do next.

“Are there any magical beasts around?”

“I’ve checked. And for now, it seems like there aren’t any… actually, there don’t seem to be any for quite some distance.”

“Is this place similar to the one where we found the fruits that temporarily boosted our abilities?”

“If that were the case, there should be fruits around. But there aren’t any here.”

If we had those fruits, we could make our way toward Granzawall on our own. But right now, we didn’t have any. The fruits were stored in Alicia’s magic bag.

“…So, what should we do?”

“Even if we try to go back, the magical beasts around here are probably stronger than us, right?”

“Yeah… their levels were close to, or even over, triple digits.”

“…That’s not doable.”

Madoka hung her head. Though Arata, standing next to her, seemed even more disheartened.

“…I’m sorry, both of you.”

“Why are you apologizing, Arata?”

“It’s because I couldn’t escape from the magic circle, right? That’s why this happened.”

“No, that’s not it, Mitsurugi-kun.”

“Exactly, it’s not your fault at all. This was clearly Mirelle-san’s fault.”

Mirelle-san had ignored our instructions and acted on her own, which led to her getting into trouble and being saved by Ricott-san. Because Ricott-san had to come to her rescue, Arata ended up facing the Lesser Earth Dragon almost by himself. It delayed his response to the teleportation circle.

“Let’s just blame it on Mirelle-san and give her an earful when we get back.”

“That’s right, Mitsurugi-kun. Besides, it couldn’t be helped. I didn’t notice it either until the very last moment.”

“Yeah… me neither. Let’s just say it’s all the work of this [Unknown].”

“…….Thanks, both of you.”

Though Arata’s smile still seemed a bit forced, he appeared to relax slightly. It eased the tension in his shoulders.

—Rustle.

At that moment, a sound came from deep within the forest.

There was no magical beast icon on the map.

“Appraisal: What’s Approaching?”

……..Ha… seriously? Is this how it’s going to be?

“….Mihiro?”

“….It’s not a magical beast.”

“…..Then… is it a person? An animal?”

“…..I don’t know. All I can see is [Unknown].’”

I wasn’t sure if it was a person or an animal, an ally or an enemy. But at least it wasn’t a magical beast… I think.

It felt like we were being toyed with by this [Unknown]. We braced ourselves and waited cautiously for this [Unknown] to reveal itself.

—Rustle. Rustle, rustle.

The sound was getting closer. I still didn’t feel any hostile intent. And then—