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 177: Granzawall 5

Episode 177: Granzawall 5  

The group that had parted ways with Maki had arrived at the inn town.  

Waiting there were Madoka, Ricott, and Vil. They all welcomed the returning Alicia and Yuria with joy.  

However, noticing Maki was not among them, Madoka glanced around anxiously.  

“Um, Yuria-chan, where’s Maki-kun?”  

“Maki holed himself up in his room to rest already.”  

“Ah, yeah, Mihiro’s totally like that, isn’t he?”  

Yuria’s casual remark made Ricott chuckle wryly, and Madoka seemed slightly relieved.  

Since they had been to the royal capital, a part of her had feared Maki might not return at all.  

“Madoka, you’re such a worrier.”  

“Maybe so, but… still, I’m glad he came back.”  

“By the way, Alicia-sama, what brings you here?”  

“We wanted to see everyone’s faces.”  

Vil was moved by Alicia’s response and appeared slightly teary-eyed.  

Alicia gave a bittersweet smile at his reaction, but quickly regained composure and continued speaking.  

“Also, during the discussions, we decided to advance to the land with shifting climates starting tomorrow.”  

Realizing this was the main topic, Madoka, Ricott, and Vil all straightened up. They listened attentively.  

“We thought it’d be good to scout the area in advance.”  

“Yeah, we ended up talking about that on the way here!” 

Yuria chimed in cheerfully after Alicia’s explanation.  

“I tried to stop her, but Kondō insisted on going to see it first…”  

“Oh, come on! We’re heading there tomorrow anyway. No harm in checking it out early!”  

“No, I’m saying it’s dangerous without Mihiro’s support—”  

“Then what about you and Arata? You guys explored ahead on your own before!”  

“Th-that’s because we had Haku and the others with us—”  

“Well, we’ve got people this time too! No problem!”  

“………. Well, that’s about it.”  

Ultimately, Arata gave up on persuading them. However, since Alicia also wanted to inspect the land beforehand, she didn’t oppose Yuria’s suggestion.  

“In that case, we should prepare some fruit provisions before heading out.”  

“Ricott and I will take care of that!”  

“Yes, Captain!”  

Though Vil’s earlier mood was serious, Ricott sounded excited. It was likely because she’d be working alongside Ryan.  

Alicia watched Ricott’s reaction with a warm smile.  

“Alright, let’s head out once the two of them get back.”  

“I’m looking forward to it—the land with changing climates! Thunderstorms!”  

“What’s there to be excited about? It’s seriously dangerous!”  

“Oh, come on, lighten up! Plus, once we make it through, I might even get a familiar. Isn’t that exciting?”  

“So that’s your real motive.”  

“Aha, ahaha!”  

Knowing why Yuria wanted a familiar, Alicia couldn’t help but offer a wry smile. Arata tilted his head in confusion but refrained from pressing further.  

—

When the two returned, everyone snacked on some grapes before setting off. Arata and Haku led the way through the Forest of Demon.  

Although Yuria expressed a desire to take the lead, she was firmly denied. Only the two strongest members could lead, given the current dangers.  

“This is so boring. How am I supposed to level up like this?”  

“Please bear with it, Yuria-chan. This time, even I agree with Mitsurugi-kun.”  

“Hmph… Well, since the two of them were trained by Taiku-san, I guess it can’t be helped.”  

Hearing Madoka’s reasoning, Yuria pouted but begrudgingly accepted it.  

About two hours into their trek, Yuria and Alicia encountered a strange sight. Their expressions were clouded with suspicion.  

“……Could that be what I think it is?”  

“……It’s definitely a dangerous place.”  

“Many powerful magical beasts stronger than those here reside within.”  

“Even for us, navigating through that area while fending off beasts seems like a tall order.”  

Thick thunderclouds loomed overhead, refusing to drift away. The area remained locked in a perpetual downpour, with the surrounding forest bogged down by its effects. Even outside the storm’s immediate range, the ground was slippery and hard to traverse.  

“This place must be awful up close.”  

“And a bottomless swamp to boot… terrifying!”  

“I told you it’s dangerous. Even we retreated quickly from this place last time.”  

“Tomorrow, we’ll rely on Maki-kun for guidance. But leave dealing with the magical beasts to us.”  

“… R-right. We’d probably only get in the way otherwise… Um, Yuria-san?”  

“…Huh? Oh, yeah. Totally.”  

Alicia agreed with Madoka’s assessment. But whether Yuria truly heard her remained a mystery to anyone but herself.