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

Gifts from the Harvest Dungeon

Step by step, Yuuri and the others walked down the newly formed passage. The suddenly appearing path was wide enough for two adults to walk side by side comfortably, and the ceiling was no different from other areas, so there was no sense of suffocation. The only thing that induced a slight wariness was the fact that it was an entirely unknown new path.

That said, this was a dungeon with a difficulty level so low that even ordinary people could enter without issue. Moreover, they knew the Dungeon Master was favorably disposed toward visitors. The shared understanding among the group was that there likely wasn’t any real danger here. …That being said, adventurers—especially treasure hunters—couldn’t afford to let their guard down in unexplored territory, regardless of how safe it seemed.

The formation of the party walking through the passage had been adjusted with these factors in mind. At the front was Ali. Normally, it would’ve been Kurresh, the scout, who took point, but given the unpredictable situation—especially one involving Yuuri…—where the unexpected and the absurd were practically guaranteed, Ali was the one leading. As a master appraiser, his [Mystic Eyes] could detect sudden anomalies or traps.

Right behind Ali walked Kurresh, jotting down notes on the path they were taking onto his map. Gifted with spatial awareness and cartography skills, he was meticulously recording their route despite his exasperation at the sudden appearance of the passage. Following him was Brook, positioned so he could leap ahead of Ali at a moment’s notice if needed. Incidentally, trailing behind Brook with a carefree gait was Yuuri, so Brook also doubled as his guard. Of course, bouncing along at Yuuri’s feet was Rooks, hopping around in his usual manner.

Walking beside Yuuri with a gentle smile was Ireissia. Though she carried her scythe at the ready, she wasn’t here as a combatant or Yuuri’s guard. Simply put, she was another one of those under Brook’s protection. Behind them, Leopold walked gracefully, though never neglecting his vigilance, while at the very rear, Lelei strolled along, swaying happily.

In short, the formation was straightforward: the non-combatants Yuuri and Ireissia were placed in the center, surrounded by fighters at the front and back. The reason Lelei was assigned the rear was because, having inherited traits from her cat-beastman father, her heightened senses and instincts made her the best candidate to react instantly if anything happened.

“This path doesn’t feel any different from the others, Kurre.”

“Yeah. …But there wasn’t supposed to be a passage here. Why’d it appear?”

“………………I wonder why~?”

“Yuuri?”

“………………I wonder why?”

“…………Was it your fault…?”

“I didn’t do anything…”

Yuuri averted his eyes and played dumb, while Kurresh interrogated him with a dead-serious expression. Brook, caught between them, didn’t engage in their banter. After their exchange, Kurresh—having concluded Yuuri was the culprit—slumped his shoulders in resignation before returning to his work. Yuuri’s denial seemed to have gone unheard.

Well, technically, Yuuri hadn’t done anything. That much was true. The one who had created the path was the mysterious child who had been overjoyed to receive coconut juice and cookies from Yuuri. Their face had been hidden under a hood, making their age and gender unclear—but they were likely the true culprit.

However, since Yuuri was the only one who had seen the child, there was no way to discern what they really were. Yuuri’s [God’s Eye] hadn’t flagged them as dangerous, so he’d followed Ali’s teaching of not recklessly appraising others and refrained from inspecting the child. As a result, their identity remained a mystery.

As the group continued down the passage, Kurresh—though only taking notes—was seriously observing their surroundings, knowing they’d have to report to Guildmaster later. From behind him, Lelei, strolling leisurely with her hands clasped behind her head, called out.

“Hey, Kurre, maybe you don’t need to check so thoroughly~?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because, well… we probably won’t be able to come back this way.”

“…………Eh?”

At Lelei’s airheaded remark, Kurresh let out a dumbfounded noise. Though they didn’t vocalize it, Aliand Brook also stopped and turned to look at her. Under their collective gaze, Lelei pointed behind them and casually declared:

“The hole’s completely closed up behind us. The passage itself hasn’t disappeared, though.”

“Seriously!?”

“Yep. Maybe only chosen people can pass through? Good thing we all made it, huh~?”

Lelei grinned lazily, while Kurresh slumped to the ground in despair. His workload had just increased. Lelei might’ve said they didn’t need to investigate since they couldn’t return, but it was the opposite—if they didn’t know when they’d next be able to pass through, they had to gather as much information as possible now. In other words, Kurresh’s responsibilities had just gotten heavier. Ali and Brook sympathetically patted his shoulders from either side.

Watching them, Leopold sighed deeply and spoke up.

“True. It’s a good thing we all made it. If only Yuuri was allowed through, the path might’ve closed after he passed.”

“In that case, me, Ireis, and Leone-san wouldn’t have gotten through.”

“Indeed. Not that we’re helpless… but being left behind as three women would’ve been unpleasant.”

“Yeah~.”

“Wait, no. You’re not a woman, are you?”

Ali’s sharp retort cut into Leopold and Lelei’s cheerful conversation, but they breezily ignored him. The beautiful onē sometimes lumped himself in with the women. Not that he cross-dressed or insisted on being female in daily life—it was probably just a mood thing. The onē was a man, yet also a woman, and yet also neither—such was his existence. …Probably.

As they pressed on, encouraging the still-recovering Kurresh, he suddenly groaned in frustration while comparing the map to their current location. When Ali turned to him, Kurresh wearily shared his findings.

“Leader, I think this path leads to the dungeon core.”

“…I see.”

“Going by the map, we’re heading toward either the core or a room connected to it…”

“…………I had a feeling.”

“Seriously?”

“Give up. It’s a hidden path Yuuri pulled.”

Ali stated it flatly. Yuuri mumbled, “I didn’t do anything,” but was ignored. True, Yuuri might not have taken any noticeable action—he hadn’t pressed a hidden switch or anything. But he had been the one invited. So, even if he denied it, he probably bore some responsibility. Reality was cruel.

Amidst the grumbling and lighthearted chatter, the group proceeded and, just as Kurresh predicted, arrived at a room connected to the dungeon core. The moment they all stepped inside, the passage sealed itself as if it had never existed, reverting to an ordinary wall. Kurresh’s shoulders slumped further at the sight.

“…………Odd.”

“Ali-san, what’s wrong?”

“This room leading to the dungeon core should have monsters, unlike the others.”

“……There aren’t any.”

“Yeah.”

Indeed, as Ali said, this room should’ve been populated by monsters—fairly strong ones, at that. After all, it was the chamber preceding the dungeon core, the heart of the dungeon. …Yet, for some reason, not a single monster was present, as if the place had been perfectly cleared out.

While Ali pondered the anomaly, Yuuri tugged at his sleeve. Following his gaze, Ali spotted a treasure chest—because of course there was one.

“That chest?”

“The rooms connected to the dungeon core have chests containing harvest items.”

“Huh?”

“Like I said, anything can come out. Inside is every possible harvest item from this dungeon, randomized.”

“……A gacha chest.”

In Yuuri’s mind, this was undeniably a gacha. Can I open it? he asked excitedly. Ali sighed but gave permission. His [Mystic Eyes] had already confirmed the chest was safe, and more importantly, Yuuri’s cheat-tier appraisal skill, [God’s Eye], hadn’t raised any alarms.

“Treasure chest, open!”

Yuuri cheerfully lifted the lid—his first time opening a treasure chest—only to tilt his head in confusion at its contents. In his mind, this was a harvest dungeon where you could obtain delicious ingredients. So, naturally, he’d expected food. Instead, what lay inside was…

“A flower……?”

What rested within was a beautiful, beautiful flower. It resembled lily of the valley, with clusters of small, pale blue blossoms—but their shape was unusual. The petals formed a star-like pattern. Yuuri picked it up curiously, then noticed Ali sighing heavily behind him.

“Ali-san?”

“……Of course. Of course it’d be this if you opened it.”

“Eh?”

Yuuri’s face clearly asked, Is it not just a pretty flower? Ali, however, stared off into the distance. It seemed this flower was… something else. Deciding to investigate, Yuuri activated his trusty [God’s Eye].

The appraisal result:

――Stargazer Lily

A rare plant said to bloom only once every few decades, on nights when stars fall.

Admired for its lovely appearance and calming fragrance.

Often kept as an ornamental by nobles, though its flowers are used for perfumes, and its leaves, stems, and roots serve as medicinal ingredients.

Native to high-altitude mountains, making it extremely difficult to harvest.

“……Whoa.”

It was that kind of flower. Sure, it was pretty and cute, but it definitely wasn’t the kind you’d casually display in a vase back at the hideout. Yuuri found himself genuinely stumped over what to do with it.

“My, my, Yuuri dear, you really do have absurd luck~. I’ve never heard of anyone pulling Stargazer Lilies from here before~.”

“Wait, Leone-san, I thought this was a dungeon where you get food ingredients?”

“Not quite. To be precise, it’s a dungeon where you can obtain all sorts of plant-based materials.”

“…Oh, I see.”

“Though, since ‘plant-based’ includes a lot of edible things, it seems word spread among the capital’s residents as a place to gather ingredients.”

“…Wow.”

While it was great to have the mystery solved, Yuuri couldn’t help but think, So it got rebranded, huh? He mused to himself about how utterly bizarre this dungeon was—though if the others could read his mind, nine out of ten would’ve retorted, Says you. Ignorance was bliss.

For now, Yuuri tucked the Stargazer Lily into his school bag, deciding to figure things out later. Meanwhile, Kurresh finished inspecting the now-sealed wall, and the group proceeded toward the exit leading to the dungeon core. Normally, a guardian monster would’ve been stationed there, but today, it was absent.

After a short passage, they arrived at the dungeon’s heart—a chamber housing the core itself. At its center floated a large, glittering crystal-like object, shimmering as it slowly rotated. Yuuri couldn’t help but feel a little awed.

“Weeeeelcome~.”

A child’s voice greeted the group—Yuuri, still cheerfully oblivious, and the others, who remained cautiously alert. Turning toward the sound, they spotted the same hooded child from earlier, now floating cross-legged beside the dungeon core, swaying gently. The little figure wore a mouse-gray robe and red shoes, with only tiny hands and feet peeking out. Their face remained hidden, revealing only a smile.

While the others tensed, Yuuri beamed, completely unfazed.

“Is this your room?”

“Yeeep.”

“Why’d you invite me?”

“Looked… fun.”

“Huh?”

The child giggled behind their hands, watching Yuuri’s puzzled expression. Their speech was halting, but the silent room made every word clear.

“Lotsa people come… but none just… enjoy.”

“Really?”

“They’re happy… but not fun happy.”

“Ah, got it.”

Yuuri nodded sagely. Visitors came for the dungeon’s bounty, not for enjoyment. But Yuuri? He’d wandered in purely for fun—and even shared snacks. That, it seemed, had delighted the child. Their shy, stumbling explanation was so endearing that even Ali’s group gradually relaxed.

“Mind if I ask something?”

“Hm?”

“Are you the Dungeon Master?”

“Yeeep.”

The child tilted their head as if the question were obvious. Though Ali had heard the Master was a reclusive adult, the kid explained they merely pretended to be one for formal meetings. Ali nearly facepalmed.

Meanwhile, Rooks plopped into the child’s arms, eliciting happy squeaks. The sight of a tiny kid cuddling a soccer-ball-sized slime was so heartwarming that even the hardened adventurers softened. Yuuri, for one, wished he could’ve taken a photo.

“Hey, question—”

“Huh?”

“That path we took. Will it open again? For others?”

“Nope. Never.”

Kurresh crumpled at the answer—all his meticulous mapping, wasted. Lelei patted his shoulder sympathetically (though her strength made him wince).

“You’re not using that path anymore?”

“Nuh-uh. Left it open ‘cause… didn’t want you to leave.”

“Aww.”

Ali looked ready to protest, but Brook and Leopold clapped hands over his mouth. Arguing with a whimsical dungeon entity and Yuuri’s brand of logic was futile.

In the end, they stayed for tea, swapping stories with the Dungeon Master—now firmly in “info-gathering mode”—and left laden with gifts, including crystals that delighted the hideout’s ladies.

And because the child had pleaded, “Come play again~,” Yuuri found himself revisiting the harvest dungeon now and then.

…Somehow, his list of non-human friends kept growing.