I Became a Raid Boss

I examined the woman’s face again closely.

I had thought they looked similar before, but after hearing her answer, the resemblance to Artisha became even more apparent.

The gentle, almost sleepy eyes, the slender jawline. Her voice also had a subtle similarity to Artisha’s… If you took the exhaustion off Artisha’s face, this might be what she would look like.

“Having a grown-up daughter with that appearance… Isn’t that cheating…?”

“It’s possible.”

“What do you mean possible! She looks the same age as Artisha, or even younger…”

“A mother who looks younger than her daughter? That only happens in comics,” Da-eun muttered.

The fact that the Demonic Race can live for a long time without aging was something she should have known by now.

Well, I could understand why Da-eun might feel that way. Justina’s appearance could easily pass for a minor if you were being generous.

“Your way of speaking is weird.”

“You impudent child, are you in a position to speak to me that way?”

“Hm, I suppose not.”

After poking fun at her, I was immediately met with a sharp retort. How cunning, using straightforward logic… Truly fitting for the leader of a clan. Very wise indeed.

“I’m Canaria. Just call me Kana.”

With Justina’s introduction setting the tone, Da-eun, Celine, and I all introduced ourselves. Da-eun hesitantly raised her hand.

“Um… What should we call you?”

Her voice trembled with nervousness as she asked.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“…From a human perspective, this is like meeting a king. Honestly, I’m more amazed that Kana can respond so casually.”

“Hm… Is that so?”

I heard Da-eun’s words but still didn’t quite understand. After all, hadn’t all the people she met so far been far from ordinary?

Even standing next to her were a former knight captain and a trainee saintess, not to mention that she had even met a deputy leader and a prince before.

She hadn’t been this tense then, so why now?

“Don’t tell me, you’re looking down on them just because their kingdom is already fallen?”

“No, I’m not!”

…Could she really be that kind of person?

As I shot her a disappointed look, Da-eun frantically shook her head.

“Well, I got to know you and Celine before finding out who you were, so I didn’t have time to be shocked… And honestly, Ashié didn’t really feel real to me.”

“Hmmm…”

“But I did feel nervous when I talked to Aeron! Though, maybe it was for a slightly different reason…”

“Different reason?”

“…Ah. Let’s just forget I said that.”

Nervous is nervous, what does she mean by ‘a different reason’?

Even after pressing her further, Da-eun firmly shut her mouth without giving me any answers.

…Something is fishy. Even though I felt that way, I had no choice but to stop my questioning.

After all, it wasn’t just the three of us here, and we couldn’t keep chatting among ourselves forever.

“If you’re done chatting, may I speak now?”

Of course. Just as the conversation began to dwindle, Justina interjected.

“Humans call me the Demon King, don’t they? You can continue to call me that, or you can call me Lady Justina, it doesn’t matter.”

“Th-then, I’ll call you Lady Justina.”

“Sure. Justina.”

“And where did the ‘Lady’ go, leaving it behind?”

“In the Ardina Continent.”

With an expression full of things she wanted to say, Justina stared at me for a long while before turning her gaze away without a word. It was as if she were saying, “Better to bear it than die.”

“…Perhaps.”

A single word slipped from Justina’s lips. She hesitated, unable to continue her sentence easily, but eventually closed her eyes tightly, as if she had made up her mind about something.

“…If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me a little more about Artisha?”

It seemed that a simple assurance that she was doing well wasn’t enough to ease the mind of a mother worrying about her child.

“Was it that hard to ask?”

“…How could it not be difficult to ask about the well-being of a child I drove away with my own hands? Anyone with a sense of shame would naturally feel the same.”

“Oh. Um, sorry.”

…I didn’t know that. Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I watched as Justina let out a deep, weary sigh.

“I did not say that expecting an apology. It is my burden to bear—who else could I blame?”

“Artisha spoke as if she left on her own.”

“That is because she is kind enough to cover for others’ faults… Judging by your expression, it seems you are curious about what happened.”

“To be honest… yes, I am curious.”

“It is nothing too remarkable.”

Though Justina’s eyes were directed at us, it was clear she wasn’t truly seeing us. Lost in a distant memory, she began to recount her story slowly.

The previous leader of the Demonic Race.

That is to say, Justina’s husband and Artisha’s father, who was the only person to have successfully undergone the Ascension Ritual, yet he was also a failure.

He believed that if he could ascend once more, he might be able to resolve the Magi that plagued Laxia.

With that hope, he attempted the Ascension Ritual again but vanished without a trace, along with a large amount of Magi.

After him, Justina took on the role of the leader.

“As he did, I too attempted the Ascension Ritual. It is the leader’s role to shoulder responsibilities befitting their position, is it not?”

Artisha was displeased with Justina’s decision, but she did not oppose it.

After all, Artisha was also a member of the Demonic Race. She could understand Justina’s sentiments.

“On the day I conducted the Ascension Ritual, a creature called a Dimensional Creature appeared.”

“…What?”

I tilted my head in confusion as I listened quietly to Justina’s story.

“When did this happen?”

“I do not recall exactly, but it must have been several decades ago. But why do you ask?”

“I’m just… curious.”

The first appearance of a Dimensional Creature on the Ardina Continent was only a little over a decade ago, but she spoke of decades. The timeline doesn’t seem to align, does it?

‘Is time flowing differently between the Ardina Continent and here?’

For a moment, I entertained the thought with a chuckle.

‘That can’t be true.’

I had thought that the Dimensional Creature from over a decade ago was the first to appear in the world of Silia, but perhaps that wasn’t the case. Though I hadn’t heard anything specific from Edel, it made sense that a place where corrupted mana gathered would be more vulnerable.

Justina resumed her story after a brief pause.

“However, I was preoccupied with the Ascension Ritual, and news of the creature’s appearance reached me belatedly. Had it appeared a little earlier or later, I would have confronted it myself…”

Under normal circumstances, the strongest, Justina, would have dealt with it herself. But the creature appeared at an oddly perfect time, as if taking advantage of the moment she was immersed in the ritual, leaving her unable to intervene.

In her place, Artisha stepped forward.

“Because of that fierce battle, Artisha lost one of her horns. For us, horns are as vital as the source of our life. Even though she was in such a state, Artisha wanted to stay here, but Laxia’s environment was too harsh to endure with just one horn.”

So Justina made the decision to send Artisha away to the Ardina Continent, against her daughter’s wishes.

To save Artisha.

It was a decision she made as a mother, even before being the leader of the Purifier Clan.

“How could I stand by and watch my daughter slowly die? I could not bear it. All I had left was my daughter.”

“I see.”

“Don’t you think your reaction is rather dry?”

“Would you prefer I cried?”

“…Never mind. That would feel like I was forcing an apology.”

It wasn’t just an issue of my sensitivity.

It wasn’t even a sad story in the first place, so isn’t it natural to respond calmly?

“Artisha was regretful about losing her horn, but she said she was proud.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Just what I said.”

She fought against a powerful foe and was able to protect her people.

Artisha said that her broken horn was a badge of honor that proved that.

“If she says she’s proud, wouldn’t it be more disrespectful to feel sad about it?”

“…I was short-sighted. You’re right, insolent child.”

“You didn’t really need to add the ‘insolent child’ part, did you?”

“I added it deliberately because you left behind what you should have brought.”

“…Petty.”

Holding onto that one missing ‘title’—how childish can she be?

“Anyway, that’s the end of my story.”

Her eyes were expectant.

So, now that she’s done with her story, she wants me to share mine, right?

I tugged on Da-eun’s sleeve.

“Joanie, it’s your turn.”

“…Huh? For what?”

“She said she wants to hear about Artisha. Go ahead and tell her.”

“Me? I’m the one?”

Talking isn’t my style.

Reluctantly burdened with the task, Da-eun seemed flustered, but under Justina’s expectant gaze, she hesitantly began to speak.

From the moment we first met Artisha to when we brought her to Laxia.

Other than the time Krumo’s Shadow attacked, I didn’t think there were any particularly significant events. But Da-eun had a knack for making even those ordinary stories sound captivating.

Even I, who had been there at the time, found myself listening intently.

Is this what they call the talent of a streamer?

If she had been a bard, she would’ve excelled—my assessment became all the more convincing.

But…

‘Isn’t she embellishing it too much?’

I twisted a lock of my hair with an awkward smile.

Calling me a hero of the village, saying I fought off the shadow without regard for my own well-being.

With all the flowery words and praise, I didn’t know where to put myself.

“I didn’t think she had such a spirit of self-sacrifice. Quite surprising.”

“Of course. Our Kana is very kind.”

“No, I think your first impression was more accurate.”

See? Even Justina says the same.

I wasn’t sacrificing myself to save the Demonic Race—I just foolishly overexerted myself.

The one who truly saved them wasn’t me, but Da-eun.

“She fought against a Breath Attack to save a child.”

“Oh…”

“T-that was reckless…”

“Even if it was reckless, offering one’s life for others isn’t something just anyone can do. You should take pride in that.”

After hearing about Da-eun’s achievements, followed by Celine’s tireless efforts in tending to the Demonic Race day and night, Justina’s expression softened considerably.

I’m glad the shameless praise paid off.

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