Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

Even If Cute, It Was A Super Rare Monster

“…Come to think of it, Roo-chan, you were strong, huh…”

“…Is this really the time to be saying that?”

“…Hmm, but I don’t really know what else to say, Aroru.”

Yuuri, who had muttered this with a distant gaze, caused Aroru, who stood next to him, to sigh. The white snake coiled around Aroru’s neck as usual let out a soft hissing sound, but it had a lazy, annoyed air about it. The focus of all three? of their gazes was on Rooks, who was bouncing with a “kyui-kyui” sound. This was as usual, so no issue there. The problem was what surrounded them.

…For some reason, around Rooks, there lay a group of thuggish-looking people, sprawled and lifeless.

“Kyuu!”

Rooks cried out. It seemed to be saying, “Praise me! Praise me!” Well, to be fair, Rooks had done something praiseworthy. In a way. Just…maybe a biiit too much. Rooks seemed like one of those familiars where you’d think, “Like master, like familiar,” after witnessing it.

The cute, bouncing Rooks would appear to be a lower- to mid-tier slime based on its looks alone. However, in reality, it was a mutated version of an ultra-rare Ancient Slime, and a named one at that—a bombshell existence. Secrets, however, were kept just as they should be—hidden. Probably.

“Roo-chan, were these people bad guys? Why did you beat them to a pulp?”

“Kyuu?”

“I mean, I don’t think you’d go around beating people up for no reason, right? So, what’s the story?”

“Kyukyu!”

When questioned by Yuuri, Rooks wobbled as if confused. It seemed to be saying, “What are you talking about?” To Rooks, the thuggish individuals scattered about were enemies that naturally needed to be eliminated. But Yuuri didn’t understand that.

…Why did he have to return from a grocery run and find Rooks in a back alley surrounded by the remains of a battle scene? Sometimes, reality was stranger than fiction.

“…Kidnappers.”

“Kidnappers?”

“To be specific, familiar kidnappers.”

Aroru muttered bitterly. As a monster tamer, Aroru liked monsters. This was because she could communicate with them in a way most couldn’t understand. But here stood Yuuri, someone who found both Rooks and Aroru’s familiar, the white snake Nadja, adorable.

Thus, Yuuri’s expression darkened. He murmured “What the hell.”, in an unusually low voice. While usually mild-tempered, Yuuri had certain things he couldn’t stand. And when he made up his mind, he would become incredibly upset. Often it involved things like underage drinking or recklessly overexerting oneself, so everyone understood that the ones being scolded by Yuuri were in the wrong.

And now, Yuuri was more than a little upset, practically seething, with metaphorical flames burning behind him.

“So, these people were trying to snatch away our Roo-chan and Aroru’s Nadja, huh? Nefarious types?”

“…Whether they’re truly ‘good’ or not aside, they are a group intent on kidnapping others’ familiars and selling them off.”

“Kyukyu!”

“So Roo-chan, you figured out these guys were kidnappers and took them out?”

“Kyuu!”

Yuuri patted Rooks on the head as it bounced as if asking for praise. Though he was smiling kindly as always, there was no laughter in his eyes. Aroru let out a small groan.

She knew. When Yuuri, who was usually carefree, became angry, it was nothing but trouble. The sprawled kidnappers lying around them should’ve just been handed over to the guards, but she had a feeling this wasn’t going to end so neatly.

“Roo-chan, you can rough them up a little more.”

“Kyuu?”

“Some of them are still conscious and clearly not reflecting on their actions, so go easy, but…”

“Kyui!”

“…Yuuri.”

Yuuri pointed at one man who was shakily attempting to stand. Normally, Yuuri would never say something like that. But right now, he was the image of a furious guardian deity. And who could blame him? The [God’s Eye] was still giving a red warning, indicating no trace of remorse.

…Even if they were criminals or malicious people, [God’s Eye] wouldn’t turn red unless they bore ill will or hostility. It was to warn Yuuri of potential danger from those before him. Understanding this, Aroru sighed. The kidnappers had undoubtedly stepped on the worst possible landmine. No question.

“Kyuu!”

Rooks let out a cute cry and then extended part of its body like a whip, striking the man with a Rood smack. Not satisfied, it wrapped him up and spun him around in the air. It was a somewhat surreal sight, but Yuuri smiled pleasantly. …An angry, fair-hearted man could be terrifying.

Well, since it was only spinning him in the air, it probably didn’t do much damage. Probably. Rooks was, after all, following Yuuri’s instructions to not inflict any serious injuries.

…Just being able to contemplate such things meant Rooks remained as overpowered as ever as a familiar. If one knew its true identity, its capabilities made perfect sense, but even without knowing, the fact that it was “Yuuri’s familiar” was enough for everyone to understand. For some reason.

“Aroru.”

“…What?”

“What should we do with people like this?”

“…Ah, so you still want to hand them over?”

“Of course. I don’t like violence.”

Yuuri’s words were lighthearted, but Rooks was still spinning the man in midair beside him, making it less than convincing. Having one’s familiar hurl people around couldn’t possibly count as nonviolent. At least, that’s what Aroru thought. She chose to stay quiet. She didn’t want to get dragged into the situation. That was the thought process of a ten-year-old self-preservation expert.

“If we call the guards, they’ll handle it properly.”

“I see. Then can you call the guards for me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“And also, I’d like them to take care of these people’s base of operations.”

“…Huh?”