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 267: The Hero, the Sword Saint, and the Appraiser 8

Episode 267: The Hero, the Sword Saint, and the Appraiser 8

“…Heh. Fine, let’s do it!”

“Wait a minute! Ride-san, don’t just drag me into this all of a sudden!”

Seeing Gies-san all fired up, Arata raised his voice in a flustered manner.  

However, Ride-san didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down. And with a smile, he spoke to Arata.

“It’s fine. While he certainly seems strong… he’s not quite at Arata-sama’s level.”

Huh? How does Ride-san know about Gies-san’s strength?  

Thinking that maybe this was the case, I used my Appraisal skill… and directed it at Gies-san and Ride-san.  

“…Ah, I see. So that’s what this is about.”

I now understood why Ride-san had suggested such a risky challenge. It seems that Ride-san is a skilled Appraiser—specifically a Holy Item Appraiser, an advanced class of Appraiser.  

His Appraisal skill is at level 8, which certainly explains why Dietrich-sama values him so highly.  

And after Appraising Gies-san, it seems that Ride-san must have concluded that Arata could indeed win.  

“Sounds good, Arata.”

“Mihiro, you too?”

“This is probably the fastest way to convince the three of them and get into the city.”

“…If that’s the case, maybe we should just head to the next city already—”

“Arata-sama! Please, I implore you!”

Before Arata could finish, Ride-san cut him off. He was pressing the matter further.  

“……Sigh. Fine, let’s do it.”

“Heh~? You really think you can beat me?”

“I don’t think I can. But since these two are saying it, I think it’s safe to assume I’ll win.”

“‘These two’, huh?”

Hey, Arata, don’t say weird stuff now!  

Gies-san turned his gaze toward us. He was clearly reacting to what Arata said.

“Since we’re aiming for fairness in the judgment, could we ask you, Rugda-sama, to officiate?”

“Me?”

“Yes. Since the mock battle was our suggestion, it would only be fair if the referee were from your side.”

“Eh, sounds good, Rugda-san. Doesn’t matter if it’s fair, I’m still going to win!”  

Saying that, Gies-san pulled out a spear that was even longer than the one on his back. And he began twirling it around.  

“Your attacks won’t land on me! I’ll crush you with an overwhelming victory!”  

“Then I’ll finish this with one strike without receiving any of your attacks.”

“Confident, huh?”

“That goes both ways.”

At first, Arata was hesitant. But now he was fully motivated.  

Well, even though Arata isn’t as excited as Yuria, he does enjoy mock battles with strong opponents. So it’s likely that, deep down, he’s looking forward to this challenge, knowing his opponent is formidable.  

Plus, there hadn’t been any strong opponents using long spears before. So this might be good experience for Arata.  

“Well then, Rugda-sama, please take care of the judging.”

“Y-yes, understood.”

Arata and Gies-san positioned themselves, weapons drawn, on a spot just off the road.  

From the direction of Osdis, voices could be heard wondering what was going on. But I hoped someone would step in to explain………… And just then, Vice-Captain Irina approached to help clarify things.  

“I’m going to cut you down!”

“Shouldn’t you stab instead of cutting?”

“If you think it’s just going to be a simple stab, you’re in for a surprise!”

“I know that much.”

At first, the two exchanged words. But as time passed, their conversation became less frequent.  

Then, when they stopped speaking altogether, Rugda-san raised his right hand.

“Alright, then, the mock battle… start!”

At the signal, it was Gies-san who shot forward.

“I’ll stab you just like I said!”

He rushed straight in, closing the distance to the spear’s range. Before he stepped in sharply and delivered a powerful thrust.

“Don’t think I’ll go down that easily!”

The spear tip never reached Arata. Instead, his sword sharply swung upward. It knocked the spear aside.  

Despite the powerful thrust, Gies-san wasn’t done—he quickly pulled his spear back and launched a series of thrusts.

Arata easily read every move. He was evading and deflecting each attack without taking a single hit.

“Not bad!”

“I can’t afford to lose! I’m going all out!”

Though Arata had been on the defensive, he suddenly made his move. He charged forward.

He dodged the thrust and moved into Gies-san’s range—just as Gies-san attempted to sweep his legs with a horizontal strike.

It seemed Arata had predicted that move, as he raised his left leg high and—stepped directly onto the shaft of the spear.

“What the—!?”

“Time’s up!”

For Gies-san, this must have been completely unexpected.

With a surprised shout, Gies-san found Arata’s sword pressed against his neck. In the same instant, Rugda-san called out that the battle was over.