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 222: Hot Springs, Hospitality, and Trouble 22

Episode 222: Hot Springs, Hospitality, and Trouble 22  

We had just stepped out of the Onsen District. We were into the depths of the Forest of Demons when we encountered a magical beast.  

Legerico started complaining immediately—though that didn’t last long.  

“Y-You lot! H-Hurry up and kill it! Hiiiiiiiiee!!”  

At first, he had arrogantly proclaimed, “I’ll take care of this!” while casting magic with confidence. But the moment his spell was casually swatted away by the beast, his face froze in shock.  

Still clinging to his pride, he cast a few more spells. But only for them to be deflected, destroyed, or absorbed without so much as a scratch on the beast. The creature even scratched the area where the spell hit as if it were an itch. That was the breaking point for Legerico.  

“W-What are you doing!? Protect me at once!”  

“Gahahaha! Sorry, Legerico! My duty is to guard His Majesty!”  

“Same here.”  

“Y-YOU TRAITORS! You there, help me!”  

He next turned to Ryan-san. But Ryan-san was busy fighting another magical beast that had approached from a different direction and completely ignored him.  

“Ugh! F-Fine, Leyreina!”  

“Y-Yes!”  

Finally, he called on his daughter, Leyreina-san. With her magic, she could certainly handle or even defeat the beast, but—  

“Hurry up and step in front of me!”  

“”“…Huh?”””  

“What are you waiting for?! I’m ordering you to shield me with your body!”  

…Is this guy serious? She’s a Mage. Isn’t it standard practice for Mages to attack from a distance? Why on earth is he demanding she go up front?  

“…….Hey, Alicia, this is a joke, right?”  

“…I’m afraid it’s not, Maki-san.”  

“…Father… How could you…”  

“I am the head of the Maguire family! Now, protect me with your life!”  

This idiot of a father… using his own daughter as a shield to save himself? He’s hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. How did this fool become the head of a prestigious mage family?  

Maybe the Maguire family follows a strict primogeniture system? If so, what a colossal waste of potential.  

“…Leyreina-san, show him what you’re made of!”  

“…Don’t worry, Leyreina-sama. We’ll protect you, so do what you need to do!”  

“…Understood, Maki-sama, Alicia-sama. I’ll do it!”  

“Yes! That’s my daughter! Now, protect me with your—”  

“Giga Flame!”  

“………..Ha?”  

Leyreina-san unleashed her most powerful fire spell, Giga Flame. The massive fireball, nearly five meters in diameter, formed above her upturned palm.  

We’d seen it before. But for His Majesty and the others, including Dietrich-sama, a fellow Mage and Sage, it was their first time. Their eyes widened in astonishment.  

As for Legerico, his mouth opened and closed like a fish. He was too dumbfounded to react properly.  

“Take this!”  

“W-Wait a second! I’m still here—GWAHHHHHH!?”  

—BOOOOM!  

The Giga Flame slammed into the magical beast. It created a deafening roar and sent a wave of heat rippling through the surroundings.  

The nearby magical beasts fighting the knights and soldiers turned tail and fled. They were seemingly terrified of the sheer power of the magic.  

Did the magic scare them off? ……Yeah, it looks like it. These magical beasts must be unusually intelligent. Normally, they wouldn’t back down based on instinct alone.  

“Well, whatever. We achieved our goal.”  

The purpose of this outing was twofold: to let His Majesty experience the Forest of Demons firsthand and to showcase Leyreina-san’s abilities to Legerico.  

Judging by the astonished faces around us, that goal was thoroughly accomplished. Legerico would have no grounds to claim she lacked ability after this.  

“Ah! M-My apologies, Alicia-sama!”  

“What is the matter, Leyreina-sama?”  

“……I couldn’t salvage any materials!”  

“Don’t worry about it. After all, you were saving your father.”  

Alicia smiled warmly at Leyreina-san. But her gaze soon shifted to Legerico.  

The man was seemingly paralyzed by the fear of the magical beast or the explosion. He sat there frozen, tears and snot streaming down his face.