I Became a Raid Boss

Liberi, Sedeth, Baltora.

Except for Ordo, which we visited first, every major city we stopped in took from a few days to a week to pass through.

Of course, those times weren’t wasted meaninglessly.

In fact, they were times we needed to spend.

But it’s true that such waits felt tedious.

‘…It might be worth a try.’

So, as soon as I heard Da-eun’s words, I went straight to Justina.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, Justina was still in her office, handling her duties.

I wondered for a moment what kind of work she might be doing, but before I could ask, Justina questioned me about why I had returned.

“…If I understand you correctly, are you saying you want to gather the Magi of the Demonic Race to obtain the Magi needed for the Ascension Ritual?”

“That’s right.”

“I have a lot to say about that.”

Justina pressed down on her eyes.

She looked more tired than when I had seen her during the day.

She looked so weary that, with a bit of dark circles, she might even be mistaken for Artisha.

“Do you really think that’s possible?”

“…It’s not?”

“It is not.”

“Why? Doesn’t it seem feasible enough?”

“Hoo.”

Justina let out a short sigh and spoke.

“Yes, the idea itself is good. But do you know how difficult it is to gather that amount of Magi? It would require collecting all the Magi from everyone here, and even then, it might barely be possible.”

“Then can’t we just do that?”

“Listen to the end. These people struggle just to sustain themselves, and do you think they could remain intact amidst the Magi released by so many at once?”

“Maybe if we absorb it quickly, it might be okay.”

“It would not be okay at all.”

…She was firm.

Her words left no room for rebuttal.

“Even if, as you say, it were somehow possible, there’s another issue. To us, Magi is like a necessary evil. It is what drives us toward death, but at the same time, it’s also what allows us to continue living. In other words, using up all our Magi is the same as draining all our life force.”

“Well, I hadn’t thought of that.”

“…Draining life force?”

“Think of it like draining all the blood from your body.”

“Gasp.”

“No, it’s not quite that extreme.”

Magi exhaustion is no different from mana exhaustion in name, but the risks are indeed the same.

In severe cases, it can endanger one’s life or leave permanent disabilities.

However, it is rare for a person to reach a life-threatening state solely through their own will.

“Joanie, can you hold your breath until you die?”

“Wha- what did I do wrong? Why are you suddenly saying something so ominous…?”

“…I thought you didn’t understand, so I’m trying to explain it to you.”

“…Ah, I see?”

When I looked at her pitifully, Da-eun gave an awkward laugh.

“Without using your hands or any tools?”

“Yeah. Just holding your breath naturally until you reach death?”

“Um… I don’t think so. Wouldn’t you unconsciously start breathing at that point? There’s this thing called the survival instinct.”

“Exactly.”

Even someone with strong willpower wouldn’t be able to do it.

“It’s the same with mana. It’s fundamental to life, so even if you try to use it all, it’s not easy to push yourself to the limit.”

That’s why while typical cases of mana exhaustion are common, it’s extremely rare to see someone suffer such severe mana exhaustion.

Unless someone has a will strong enough to risk death or is influenced by another’s will.

“It’s still bad for you either way.”

“It seems you already know, so I don’t need to explain further.”

Thud.

Justina closed a thick book and signaled that the discussion was over.

“If you’ve said your piece, you may leave now. It’s about time I went to sleep.”

“Hold on. I’m not done yet.”

“…What else is there?”

Justina’s eyes turned sharp as she looked up.

“You don’t necessarily have to use up all the Magi, right? If you only use about half, then the Magi exhaustion you’re worried about wouldn’t happen, would it?”

“Did you ignore what I said earlier? I told you that we’d barely manage to gather enough if we collected all the Magi from everyone here. Even then, I can’t guarantee it would work… Or do you not understand what ‘all’ means?”

“We can make up for the shortage of Magi from somewhere else.”

“…Make up for Magi?”

Where from?

Justina’s question was met with me quietly raising my hand and pointing outside the window.

It was already night, and the twilight had given way to darkness.

The moonlight seeped through the Magi, faintly illuminating the black barrier.

“There’s something perfect right there.”

“Are you referring to the barrier, by any chance?”

“The barrier? If you mean that pitch-black wall, then yes.”

“Absolutely not!”

Bang!

“The barrier is crucial for preventing the Magi in the center from leaking out and protecting the inside from external threats! If we were to remove it and fail, it would bring about a disaster… Such a thing is utterly unacceptable!”

Justina, uncharacteristically agitated, struck the desk as she vehemently argued.

I listened quietly, waiting until she finished and caught her breath before speaking.

“Then, do you plan to keep throwing people into the Magi every time it accumulates? Knowing they’ll die?”

“…!”

“Well, it doesn’t look to me like you value their lives all that much. Isn’t there a big gap between what you say and what you do?”

“…They volunteered willingly.”

“You’re just dressing up the fact that you stood by and let it happen.”

“You also came here seeking to perform the Ascension Ritual. By your reasoning, I should be stopping you from undergoing the ritual as well. Is that what you want?”

“Of course not.”

“In that case, there’s no need to discuss this further. Although I am upset, I acknowledge that your point has some merit, so I’ll overlook your rudeness this time. But the next—”

“The premise itself is flawed.”

“….”

When I interrupted Justina’s words, she furrowed her brow slightly.

“You can’t put them and me on the same level.”

Even if they failed, they intended to offer their souls to contribute to the world. But I wasn’t like that.

“I’m going to succeed, no matter what.”

If I expected failure, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.

I still have things I want to accomplish while I’m alive.

“You seem to have confidence in excess. But do you know? That overconfidence can be a shortcut to ruin.”

“I appreciate the concern, but it’s really unnecessary.”

I’ve never had excessive confidence.

I did what I could do, and I did what I had to do.

That’s how I’ve always lived, from my childhood until now.

And it’s no different now.

“I understand your unease. But we can’t stay cooped up behind these walls like trapped animals forever, can we? If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you, but that’s not the case, right?”

They say that age makes people stubborn…

Maybe that’s why convincing Justina, who must have lived for at least a few hundred years, wasn’t easy.

Seeing how unmoved she was, I clicked my tongue.

“Edel said that after performing the Ascension Ritual, you no longer have to worry about the mission that binds you. You’re free to live as you please.”

“…!”

Justina’s eyes widened in shock.

“Are you saying that Lady Edel said such a thing…?”

“I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

“She said we don’t need to worry about the mission… Are you certain she said that?”

“Yes. She even apologized for making things so hard until now.”

“Are you absolutely sure she said that?”

“How many times do I have to say it? Yes, she did.”

Justina asked me the same question over and over.

Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t annoyed by having to give the same answer repeatedly. But understanding why Justina reacted this way, I patiently gave her the same response every time she asked.

Yes. I’m kind like that.

Justina, who had been leaning forward, questioning me, finally leaned back into her chair.

“I’ve never thought ill of the mission that Lady Edel bestowed upon me. However, there were times when it felt overwhelming…”

She spoke of when she felt the power of purification weakening, when she realized her body was changing to adapt to the Magi, and when she had to resort to the Ascension Ritual as a last resort.

And countless other moments that weighed heavily on her shoulders, she said.

“So, do you feel relieved?”

“Isn’t it too early to ask that? We haven’t even succeeded in the Ascension Ritual, nor have we begun preparing for it.”

And to ask such a thing outright…

Justina grumbled.

“No sense of empathy at all…”

“That’s how I grew up.”

“There it is…! Kana’s signature move…!”

“…Signature move, really?”

It seemed Da-eun had stayed quiet for once, but the moment the mood lightened, she started spouting nonsense again.

I quickly dealt a jab to Da-eun’s side to quiet her down and waited for Justina’s answer.

It didn’t take long before Justina shook her head and spoke.

“A life without a mission… It’s still hard to imagine.”

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder if Edel had put them under some kind of hypnosis.

Just as I was thinking that—

“But I will accept your proposal. As you said, we can’t live trapped behind the barrier forever.”

“A wise decision.”

Justina, who seemed unshakeable, was swayed the moment Edel’s name came up.

If I had known this, I would have brought up Edel from the start.

All the other talk was just a waste of time.

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