I Became a Raid Boss

“Whoa….”

Da-eun exclaimed.

“Should we call this a spectacle?”

As she looked at the mountain of monster carcasses, her gaze turned toward me.

“What do you think, Kana?”

“…Why are you asking me?”

“The intention behind a work is best asked of the author. What if you interpret it freely and then I say, ‘That wasn’t my intention?’”

“Isn’t that a worry we don’t need to have?”

That’s not a work, and I’m not an author, so what intention are we even talking about?

“Is there really anyone who sees that as a work in the first place?”

“Kana, even if it seems meaningless to us, if the author has something to convey through it, we can call it a work.”

“That’s why I said I’m not the author.”

What does ‘to convey’ even mean? There’s no way someone as far removed from art as I am would have any of that. If I have something to say, I’ll say it myself, not in some roundabout way… If I wanted to put it nicely, it would be cultured; if not, it would just be frustrating.

I’m not into appreciating art, either.

When was it, again…?

Oh, I remember now. It was when I was invited to an aristocratic banquet.

“I’m proud to show you this work.”

“Hmm….”

“I spent over a hundred gold coins to acquire this!”

“…Is it really that expensive?”

“Yes! Surely, even a simpleton like you has heard of Fernando? This is his tenth masterpiece! It’s a stroke of luck to have obtained it…! It was all thanks to Lady Edel’s grace.”

“Do you really think a god would grant grace just to buy a painting?”

“Just a painting?! What do you mean?! Even if you have plenty of money, it’s something you can’t just get!”

“…Right, right. But did you call me here just to show me this?”

“Yes! Isn’t it splendid? …Ahem! Well, if you’re okay with it, I could explain this work to you~”

“Thanks, but I’m really not interested.”

“…You! Hmph, fine! I’m a busy person too, you know?! I took the time to think this through…!”

Was she the daughter of an earl or a marquis?

Anyway, it was a banquet thrown by a noble of my age, where she bragged about getting a precious masterpiece.

But having never heard of Fernando, her boasting didn’t resonate much with me.

So when I responded indifferently, she fled with a face that was either upset or about to cry.

The word “fled” seems odd, but the frantic way she walked could only be described as fleeing.

For the record, when I got home and told my dad about what happened at the banquet, he said this to me.

“…You need to be more delicate.”

That’s the expression I remember him making, one that was hard to define and has stuck with me.

The point of this story is that I have no interest in art.

I would’ve reacted more passionately if they brought out a master sword instead.

“That was quite the experience.”

After my brief reminiscence, I looked up.

Around the pile of monster carcasses, the demons were bustling about.

What they were doing was extracting mana from the monster’s remains.

It was something my party and I couldn’t help with, so we stood still, watching them extract the magical energy.

Now that we’re at this point, it really is all or nothing.

Not that I wanted to go back…

If I had to put it metaphorically, it would be like putting meat on the fire.

You can’t take half-cooked meat off the flames, can you?

“Uh, um… That’s a really Kana-like metaphor…”

“A Kana-like metaphor?”

“There must be other metaphors, yet you insist on comparing it to meat. I see how much you love it.”

“…What’s wrong with that?”

“It’s not wrong; it’s just cute.”

“Everything’s cute to you, huh?”

There really is a lot to find cute.

I brushed off Da-eun’s teasing, accustomed to it.

For a moment, the conversation slowed down.

No matter how chatty Da-eun is, she can’t talk for 24 hours straight, so obviously there would be pauses.

And during such times, Selin usually interrupts, but today, she was silent, too.

A quick glance at Selin revealed a tense expression.

“Nervous?”

“…It seems so. It’s probably the first time I’ve taken on such an important role. I can’t relax, thinking that if I make a mistake, Kana might be in danger… Did it show that much?”

“Yeah, a lot. If someone saw you, they’d think it’s you undergoing an initiation.”

“Aren’t you nervous, Kana?”

“Of course I am.”

I’m a person; how could I not be nervous?

At my answer, Da-eun’s jaw dropped.

“Kana is nervous too?!”

“…If you thought that, then why did you ask?”

“Uh, no… I was just surprised to hear your answer…”

“What’s so surprising about it?”

“Well, your nervousness is hard to imagine. You say you’re nervous, but your face and demeanor don’t show it at all.”

People usually have tense faces, sweat, or can’t keep still, and fidget.

That’s what Da-eun said.

To that, I had only one response.

“I can do this because I’m used to it.”

I’ve had enough life-or-death experiences to be numb to them.

I was really nervous the first time I went to a battlefield.

I don’t remember clearly, but I might have shivered like I was in an earthquake.

But when you repeat such experiences numerous times, you naturally become desensitized.

Part of it is that I’ve become strong enough that my life isn’t constantly at risk.

“And I’ve said it several times: I’m not going to die here.”

“Kana, do you know what the number one last words of young men are? ‘It’s okay, I won’t die.’ Among those who die by accidents, no one thinks they will die. Accidents always happen when you least expect them. So always be careful, be careful!”

“…Ugh, so preachy.”

Chirp chirp.

Who doesn’t know to be careful? Everyone knows; it just sounds loud when you say it.

As Da-eun finished speaking, I removed my hands from my ears.

“Anyone would think you’re my mother.”

“…If I had a cute daughter like Kana, I’d be delighted. But can’t you just call me sister? Saying I have a grown-up daughter makes me sound so old!”

“A grown-up….”

I nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“What is it, what is it? Do you like being called grown-up?”

“…Nope.”

“Of course not. Your mouth is grinning like it’s about to burst into laughter.”

“…!”

I instinctively put my hand over my mouth.

My lips, tracing a straight line, weren’t a perfect reflection, but I could tell my mouth corners weren’t stuck up as Da-eun had suggested.

When she said my mouth was grinning, it meant I was smiling broadly.

I shot her a sulky look, and Da-eun smiled sweetly.

“See? You really do like it. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t have checked. You’ve been caught!”

“I only checked because I was baffled. There’s no way I’d laugh that much.”

“…Now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you laugh. I’ve seen you smile or chuckle occasionally, but have you seen Selin?”

“Nope. There’s no way I’d have seen something Joanie hasn’t.”

“Hmmm….”

“…Why are you staring like that?”

“When I see you smile occasionally, I can’t help but think you’re not incapable of laughing…. ”

“Should I use healing magic?”

“Oh, good idea!”

“…?”

Huh.

I said it without thinking, but for some reason, a debate unfolded.

It wasn’t a joke; Selin’s holy power brushed over my body.

The warm sensation wrapping around me was so absurd I just stood there, and Da-eun and Selin began to whisper to one another with serious faces.

…This is just ridiculous.

“Do you really need to laugh that much? You’ve smiled before, just like Joanie said.”

There wasn’t much of a reason to have laughed.

“That’s true, but it’s been quite a while since I first met Kana. Doesn’t it seem strange that in all that time, there hasn’t been anything to laugh about?”

“I think Kana has an unusually high threshold for feeling emotions. Whether it’s laughing or not, I don’t see her expressing her feelings prominently.”

“Ah, that’s not entirely true. If something bothers me, it definitely shows. Like when my swordsmanship doesn’t meet my standards or if there’s too much vegetable on the table….”

“Aha, I see. Indeed, Joanie seems to know you better than I do.”

“Hmm. Since we’ve spent time together, you’ll eventually catch up. Kana is surprisingly simple.”

“Yeah, I need to work harder.”

“…Excuse me, you do realize I’m listening, right?”

I’m not a lifeless tree; why would they speak of me with such nonchalance?

I couldn’t help but express my disbelief as I opened my mouth, only for Da-eun to click her tongue and shake her finger.

“If we talked about you in a place where you couldn’t hear, that would be worse. Gossip is bad.”

“Wow. This is the first time I’ve heard such off-base logic.”

Da-eun seems to have the ability to make everything she says sound absurd.

If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t be in such disbelief.

If she were to claim that the sun rises in the east, I feel like I would doubt it just because it came from her.

“Actually, reading Kana’s emotions isn’t too difficult…”

“…?”

“Reallly?”

“Honestly, it’s quite clear. ‘I’m feeling good right now,’ or ‘I’m feeling down, so I shouldn’t be touched’… that kind of thing. Just for reference, even if I’m looking incredulous right now, my mood isn’t bad.”

“Seriously, so baffling.”

“Alright! I’ve made up my mind!”

Da-eun clenched her fist.

“From now on, my goal is to make Kana burst into laughter!”

“You finally thought about changing your profession to bard? Good thinking.”

Even if one decides their path, it’s only natural to feel pity for someone wasting their talent.

That’s why I applauded Da-eun for discovering her abilities.

“Eh? Bard? What’s that—”

“Let’s hold off on the banter for now.”

A voice interrupted Da-eun.

Justina, who had been constantly busy, approached us.

“The extraction process is complete.”

“That was quick.”

“Now we just need to recover the barrier, and it will be done. Once that’s done, there’s no going back, so if anyone has second thoughts, speak now.”

Second thoughts.

Suddenly, Da-eun placed her hand on my shoulder.

Her hand trembled on my shoulder.

She had pretended everything was fine until now, but it seemed she couldn’t hide her tension any longer.

The one undergoing the ceremony is me, so why are the others more nervous?

But does Da-eun realize?

“None.”

That trembling actually helped me solidify my resolve.

I have to move forward; I can’t retreat.

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