I Became a Raid Boss

“…Are you sure you’re okay?”

The man asked Eric.

“We managed to trap that monster… No, that girl, but not all the dangers around here have disappeared. What if a monster shows up? In your current state, you wouldn’t be able to handle even a single goblin.”

“Hey! No matter what, I can handle a goblin—”

Eric’s voice, which had risen in protest, gradually faded away until it disappeared into the air. While he had regained a bit of strength, he still couldn’t move properly.

As a result, he could do nothing but tremble under the pitying gaze of his subordinate, feeling humiliated. But he tried to look on the bright side. Despite his irritating tone, wasn’t he ultimately showing concern?

Thinking that way, Eric’s sharp temper cooled down a bit.

“Imagine, the captain of Ordo’s guards dying to a mere goblin. How embarrassing would that be? If you died like that, no one would ever respect us as guards.”

“You little…!”

It’s just that his concerns are slightly misdirected.

The man wasn’t worrying about Eric’s safety but rather about the reputation of the guards. Unable to hold back, Eric gritted his teeth.

“Just wait until I recover.”

“People who say ‘just you wait’ are never really that scary.”

“Oh yeah? Then I’ll show you what real fear looks like myself.”

“Well, then I suppose I should make sure that never happens.”

“Whoa, you little brat! Watch out, or I might actually strike you!”

Despite their banter, Eric knew that the man had no real intention of staging a mutiny. If he had, he would have done it long ago. So, Eric took it as a joke, not taking the words seriously.

But they couldn’t joke around forever.

“Enough of that. Most of the monsters likely fled during the commotion earlier, so the situation you’re worried about probably won’t happen. So don’t worry about me and just go.”

“I don’t recall anyone ever coming back safely after saying something like that.”

The man gave Eric a doubtful look but still stood up.

“Try not to die.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Eric lazily waved his hand, watching as the man disappeared into the trees before lowering his arm.

“That brat, always with the ominous remarks. Who’s dying here? I haven’t even gotten married yet.”

Eric had no intention of dying in a place like this.

His dream was to marry a kind, gentle woman, live a peaceful life, and quietly close his eyes one day in front of his grown children.

Though, at the moment, the only woman he knew well was the barmaid at his favorite tavern.

But you never know—perhaps love would come unexpectedly.

Eric firmly believed that one day, fate would bring him such a miraculous encounter.

“Maybe I should have asked him to set me up with a nice lady instead.”

A light voice suddenly came from behind Eric, interrupting his mumbling.

“Where have you been all this time?”

“I was negotiating with your superiors. So, do you need one?”

“…Need what?”

“A nice lady, of course. If you want, I could introduce you to a few.”

“Really?”

“Of course. For a promising talent like you, why not? But it’s up to you to win over their hearts. Even as a mage, I can’t just manipulate someone’s feelings at will.”

“I thought that was something mages could do?”

“Haha. Well, it’s not impossible, but would you really be satisfied if you won their heart that way? A love gained through shortcuts fades quickly.”

“Oh, thank you for the wise words. I’ll remember them for life.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just glad I could offer some advice to a bright young talent.”

A man, holding a staff that looked more like an antique art piece than a practical tool, stood behind Eric without him noticing. Although their casual conversation suggested familiarity, Eric found it hard to get used to talking with him like this.

‘…It’s a bit uncomfortable.’

Honestly, Eric was not accustomed to conversing with this man so casually. Just a few years ago, they had been fighting to the death, and now trying to chat like nothing had happened felt more awkward than anything else.

Noticing Eric’s discomfort, the man smiled and spoke.

“Don’t be like that. You didn’t fight because you wanted to, right? Same goes for me. We were both in the same boat, so there’s no need to hold a grudge.”

“I wouldn’t say we were exactly in the same situation… but I suppose you’re not entirely wrong since we started it.”

“Exactly. The real troublemaker is gone now, so let’s get along from now on. No point in humans fighting each other, right?”

“…”

Eric had to stifle a laugh. The man’s words weren’t wrong, but hearing them from him, of all people, was almost comical.

A man known as the Sage of the Arka Empire talking about dreams and ideals that sounded like they belonged in a child’s mouth… Eric was proud of himself for not bursting into laughter right away.

“Why do you keep calling me a promising talent, anyway? It’s embarrassing to hear that from the Sage of the Empire.”

“You should reward subordinates who accomplish things. You achieved something remarkable, so I’m simply showing respect. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to succeed. It surprised me when you managed to land a blow on her.”

“…You saw that too?”

He hadn’t even realized he was being watched. Then again, if he could detect someone of that skill level, the man wouldn’t be called the Sage of the Empire.

The title “Master Mage” was enough to dispel any doubts Eric had.

“That was just a lucky hit. I didn’t even know what I was doing. If she had been in her right mind, it wouldn’t have worked.”

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that you achieved something significant. Modesty is good, but too much of it can be insulting. Even she would have praised you for that strike.”

“Not so sure about praise; she chased me like she was out for blood.”

“You know she’s always been a bit awkward with her feelings. It’s just her way of showing embarrassment, so try to understand.”

“At this rate, her embarrassment will kill a lot of people. But is that thing safe?”

“A failure once, but it won’t fail again. Last time, it was built with a different goal in mind, so it had a flaw. But this time, it’s a barrier made solely for blocking her. You can trust it.”

“…A failure once?”

Eric muttered at the strange remark, but the man had no intention of explaining further.

“Well, it’s not going to hold forever. We should resolve this quickly.”

The man pointed toward the barrier.

A dark energy was slowly rising from the ground where the radiant silver barrier touched the earth.

“How long will it hold?”

“At most, a week. At the shortest, until tomorrow.”

“Isn’t the difference between a week and a day too big?”

“That’s only in the worst case. As long as I don’t provoke her, it should last longer.”

A week. Not a long time, and Eric’s face stiffened.

“Now that I think of it, I haven’t explained what I discussed with your superiors, have I?”

Let me explain now.

The man tapped the ground with his staff before continuing.

“As you know, Magi is more toxic to living beings than any poison. Facing her means being prepared for death. Even if you survive, there’s no guarantee you’ll come out unscathed, just like your current condition.”

“…Hah, so you were aware of my condition.”

Eric forced a bitter smile at the man’s words.

“As the man said, Eric’s body wasn’t in good condition.

While it was true he had exhausted all his strength, the accumulated Magi from repeated clashes was slowly eating away at his body.

“But we have a useful card, don’t we? One that isn’t afraid of Magi poisoning or death.”

“…Don’t tell me you’re thinking of bringing in the Demonic Race?”

“Oh, come on. Why burn the whole house down to catch a bedbug?”

“Then who are you talking about?”

The man’s lips curled into a smile.

“I’m talking about those whom Edel personally brought here. If there’s anyone who would face her fearlessly, it’s them, those who cannot die.”

“The Apostles…”

Eric finally understood whom the man was referring to. Indeed, if it were them, they could fight against the Magi emanating from Canaria without being affected.

However—

Eric expressed his doubts about the man’s plan.

“I don’t think they would be able to accomplish that.”

They had great power, but if the question was whether they could defeat the Commander, the answer was a definite no.

“Don’t worry. Edel will be watching over them.”

“…Do you really think so?”

“Of course. This is all according to Edel’s will. And…”

“…?”

Before Eric could voice his doubts about the cryptic words of the so-called sage, the man continued.

“Strength isn’t everything. Who knows? Perhaps through their interactions with the Apostles, she might regain her senses.”

‘Snake.’

Eric completely understood why the Commander, Canaria, called this man a snake. Always acting like he knew everything, never revealing his true intentions, slithering around like a cunning serpent.

“What if a week passes without any results?”

“Well, in that case…”

The man shrugged.

“The Empire will have to step in.”

There would be considerable damage, but leaving things as they were would cause even greater losses. That’s what the man implied.

No matter how powerful Canaria was, she couldn’t withstand the might of the Empire on her own.

In such a case, there was only one outcome awaiting her.

“….”

After a moment of silence, Eric asked one last question.

“Then, when do you plan to mobilize the Apostles?”

“That will be—”

The man replied.

***

“…An extermination order?”

Da-eun, hastily moving through the city, stopped as if entranced, staring at the notice on the wall.

The description on the low-quality paper was all too familiar to her.

—

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