I Became a Raid Boss

For a few days, I was bedridden from the aftereffects of activating the blessing.

And for several days, I sailed toward Laxia.

During that time, I worked hard to learn the communication methods of the Demonic Race.

The aftereffects of the blessing, which had left me bedridden, were now barely noticeable, so I had no trouble moving my body, but it still faintly scratched at my nerves.

Also, the fact that I couldn’t communicate properly was starting to become frustrating.

As a result, I was able to reach a satisfactory level.

Though I still couldn’t understand the entire conversation, I could grasp the gist of what was being said.

For example, if someone said, “The apples are really cheap and tasty,” what I’d understand would be, “Apple, cheap, tasty.”

The information was fragmented and disconnected, but…

So, it was sometimes easier to comprehend than through conversation.

As long as I had enough vocabulary to read between the lines of these fragments, I could piece things together.

Even for someone like me, who lived far from any sort of formal education, I had enough vocabulary for that.

There were still times when I couldn’t fully understand, and moments when my words weren’t properly conveyed, but I knew I would improve over time, so I wasn’t too worried.

“Is this… an attack?”

That’s why I could understand when Celine spoke with a devastated expression as she looked at the corpses.

“No.”

I approached one of the bodies sprawled on the beach.

Although it had started to decay, it was still in good enough shape that I could estimate the cause of death.

“There aren’t any big wounds, so I don’t think it’s that.”

The other bodies I saw seemed similar.

There were some small wounds, but nothing severe enough to be the cause of death.

“Ugh…!”

Da-eun kept retching.

Well, it wasn’t surprising since, as an Earthling, Da-eun likely hadn’t seen such sights before.

Unless she lived in a conflict zone, which I doubted.

Celine, though not as shaken as Da-eun, was clearly disturbed as well.

“If it wasn’t an attack, then why… are there so many bodies…?”

“No idea.”

Just like them, I had only just arrived at the scene.

“That’s something we’ll have to figure out.”

Why did they die?

And why were the bodies left here unattended?

‘…Do the Demonic Race not have funeral customs?’

But then again, I’d seen Artisha running around tirelessly, collecting the bodies.

The more I thought about it, the more it felt like I was getting lost in a maze, so I stopped pondering for a moment.

Meanwhile, Da-eun, who had barely stopped her dry heaving, staggered over.

“Ugh… Kana, are you okay…?”

“I’m used to it.”

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a decaying body. I had seen them often enough growing up, so it would be ridiculous to act squeamish over a few bodies. ＲΑΝȱβĘŠ

I’d seen far worse than this.

Besides, after fighting in battles, if I were to act like Da-eun and start retching now, those I killed would laugh at me from beyond the grave.

“…”

I didn’t regret killing them because if I hadn’t, I would have died.

Still, there were moments when I wondered what it would’ve been like if I had followed my father’s advice and lived a peaceful life.

Of course, even if I could go back, I would likely make the same choices. But, it’s okay to wonder, right?

I exhaled briefly and turned around.

I saw Celine, closing her eyes and offering prayers for the dead, and Da-eun, pale-faced.

Noticing the significantly brighter glow from Da-eun’s ring than before, I said,

“We don’t have time. Let’s go.”

It’s sad, but we can’t afford to stay here and mourn forever.

That’s not why we came all the way from the distant eastern shore.

Whether I wanted to or not, if we headed to the center, we’d uncover the truth.

According to Artisha, there seemed to be some Demonic Race members still alive there.

“Ugh, yeah…”

“…”

I looked up worriedly at Da-eun, who was murmuring absentmindedly like someone half out of it.

Would she be okay…?

I brought her along because of my selfishness, but seeing how uneasy she seemed, I began to wonder if I should’ve left her behind.

“Should I send her back now?”

Even though Artisha’s boat had already drifted far away, we could still catch up if we tried.

Of course, we wouldn’t be able to catch up using the small boat we had switched to, so I’d have to put in some effort.

“No! I’m really fine!”

“…Really?”

“Of course! Totally fine! Can’t you see these bulky muscles?”

“I don’t see anything.”

“What? After all the hard work I put into exercising? Look, Kana! Take a good look.”

“If you win an arm-wrestling match with me, I’ll admit it.”

“I’m just soft, boneless meat. Please enjoy me… Ow, ow, ow! Did you actually bite me?! Did you really bite?!”

Da-eun hastily pulled her arm away.

Her pale arm, which she had proudly shown off earlier, was now marked with a clear bite mark.

I wiped my mouth casually, as if nothing had happened, and calmly said,

“…You told me to enjoy you.”

“I was just joking! Who takes that seriously?!”

“Well, here I am.”

“Why is it that you only listen well at times like this, when you ignore me every other time?!”

“Isn’t it better to start listening now?”

“I mean, you’re not wrong, but…”

Da-eun, who had been nodding as if agreeing, suddenly sharpened her gaze.

“You’re not really like that, Kana!”

“Buuu-”

“This brat!”

Da-eun grabbed both my cheeks and squished them.

If anyone were to see me now, they’d probably think my protruding lips made me look like a fish.

“Haha, you look like a fish. So cute.”

Of course.

Celine chuckled softly, expressing a sentiment similar to what I had just thought.

“Buuu-”

I almost spat at her.

But for some reason, I had a bad feeling, so I held back.

It felt like I’d see the worst of humanity if I didn’t…

Anyway, it seemed like the tension had eased, which was a relief.

Da-eun probably didn’t realize how much I was considering her feelings.

‘I should be the bigger person as an adult.’

Yes, exactly.

“…Your gaze seems a bit disrespectful.”

“Buuu?”

“Sigh… What am I even saying to a kid…”

“I can hear you.”

“I wanted you to hear it.”

Da-eun pinched my squished cheeks lightly before letting go.

Thanks to my new communication skills, I could now somewhat understand what Da-eun was saying as well.

“Falling for someone is a crime… What? A lolicon? Hey! Do you think falling for someone only has that meaning? It can also mean a pure feeling of being drawn to someone! I don’t care. Ban anyone talking about polar bears or whatever!”

Unlike with Celine, even though I understood Da-eun’s words, I still didn’t fully get them.

…Polar bears? Why bring up polar bears all of a sudden?

The polar bear I remember is a bear that lives in the Arctic, but is there another kind?

“I don’t know…”

It wasn’t just Da-eun’s words I didn’t understand; I also meant the path we had to take ahead.

Seeing how I felt more unfamiliar than close to Da-eun, who is from the same world as me, I guess I’m more of a Silia person than an Earthling.

Even if there are memories that the fierce vortex between dimensions and the harsh experiences couldn’t erase.

“…We still have some time.”

I’ll think about it when the time comes. When the time comes.

“Rest in peace…”

With Celine’s solemn farewell as the last gesture, we left the coastline littered with corpses behind.

Celine seemed troubled by leaving the bodies as they were, but she didn’t insist on burying them before we went.

Instead, she promised to take care of it on her way back to the Ardina Continent.

As Artisha said, we followed the paved road and headed toward the center of Laxia.

We walked for a while.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The state of the road was far from good, to say the least.

The stone pavement, whose laying date was a mystery, was cracked and uneven in places, and blackened bushes or debris frequently blocked the path.

One thing was clear—it wasn’t much help for walking.

When you think about how roads are supposed to make travel easier, it wasn’t doing a great job.

‘Still, I guess it’s better than nothing.’

“Whoa?!”

It seemed like Da-eun disagreed with my thoughts because, almost immediately, she stumbled over a protruding stone.

I quickly caught her by the waist to prevent her from falling.

“Be careful.”

“Th-thanks.”

Leaving Da-eun, who was patting her chest in relief, I looked around.

“It’s stuffy.”

“Huh? You’re talking about me?”

“No. The air.”

“Whew, I thought you were calling me stuffy…”

“Well, you can be a bit stuffy.”

“What?!”

But this time, I wasn’t talking about Da-eun; I was referring to the heavy, oppressive air around us.

Even the simple act of walking took more effort than it should, thanks to the magi surrounding us.

I don’t know how big Laxia is, but if they call it a continent rather than an island, it probably isn’t small.

If it’s already like this now, how much worse will it be in the center?

“I still don’t see anyone.”

“Only corpses.”

“Y-yeah…”

Though not as many as we saw on the beach, we occasionally came across cold, lifeless bodies as we walked along the road.

“Were these people also heading toward the sea like the others?”

“Maybe.”

I half-heartedly agreed with Da-eun’s words as I drew my sword.

To deal with the monster that was growling as it approached from a distance.

“Don’t bother me.”

Screech!

The monster, still clinging to life in Laxia, was quite resilient, but that was as far as it went.

The beast, which had bared its teeth so ferociously, soon fell into the eternal silence of death after being struck by my sword energy.

What kind of creature had that been before it turned into a monster?

Judging by the horns, it might’ve been a cow.

After dealing with a few more monsters along the road, Da-eun nervously spoke up.

“K-Kana, why didn’t you tell me to fight this time?”

Ah.

So that’s why she kept fidgeting, gripping and releasing her sword and stepping back and forth. She must have been expecting me to tell her to fight.

“The monsters here are pretty tough.”

The one that appeared just now was something Da-eun could probably beat if she gave it her all.

But if she wastes her energy and ends up poisoned by magi, that would be a disaster.

With the fuse of the magi bomb burning away with every second, there was no room for carelessness.

And lastly—

“I said I’d protect you here, didn’t I?”

“Kana…!”

I’m just keeping my promise.

So, there’s no need to look at me with such a moved expression.

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