I Became a Raid Boss

A strike that contained a lifetime.

Eric’s strike pierced through the thick mana surrounding Kana and reached her.

‘…Can I do it again?’

No, it’s impossible.

Eric shook his head.

With just one determination to make contact, he rushed in, and before he realized it, he had made contact.

How he wielded his swordsmanship and how he managed to reach Kana was something even Eric himself could not comprehend.

“…Haha!”

Yet, one thing was certain.

Even if it was a miracle born from a series of coincidences, once he made contact, there was no reason he couldn’t do it again.

The greatest harvest was realizing that his limits were not yet reached.

Of course, the price for that was not trivial.

“Huff… huff… if you have the strength to laugh…! Can’t you come down and jump, huff…?!”

“Sorry. I have no strength left.”

“Agh…!”

The first price paid was that, lost in a trance and pouring out all his strength, he had no energy left to even move a finger.

Eric hadn’t expected it to turn out like this and, thinking it was all over, was saved only because a subordinate noticed Eric’s condition and carried him away.

Whoosh!

“Uwaah! The captain has gone mad!”

“…Ugh! Don’t yell in my ear! Huff… I have no strength to even move a finger, but look at you, overflowing with energy, huff!”

“Huh? Was this guy just living a lie?! Am I supposed to hear that after seeing this arm?”

“Agh, get that orc leg out of the way! I can’t see ahead!”

“What? Orc leg? Orc leg?!”

“Is that important right now! Just deal with that quickly! Ugh!”

Feeling a sense of dread, the man instinctively threw himself forward.

He almost fell because he abruptly changed direction while running, but the man managed to regain his balance.

To put it simply, the man’s choice was the right one.

Crash!

The black mana swept through the spot where the man had just been.

Black scars marred the ground as remnants of the mana slithered up from the jagged surface.

The man had no chance to feel relieved that he had escaped death as he jumped up and down to evade an incoming attack.

Kana, who had previously responded passively even when attacked, changed her demeanor drastically the moment her body was wounded by Eric’s sword.

Evading the pouring mana from Kana’s dead eyes, this was the second price that Eric had to pay.

Though in reality, it wasn’t a price but rather achieving the intended goal of luring her elsewhere.

Observing the mana that continued to surge fiercely, cutting through dozens of trees, Eric felt none of the satisfaction that usually came from achieving one’s goals.

Glance.

“Hm.”

Eric, carried on the back of his subordinate, looked back.

Fortunately, Kana’s walking speed remained roughly the same, so they were able to escape without being caught.

“Honestly, if the captain had been in his right mind, this distance wouldn’t be much. Lucky, huh?”

“If I had been in my right mind from the start, I wouldn’t have had to do this!”

“…Oh. That’s quite clever.”

If Kana had heard that, she would have clapped and said how lucky she was to have such a fool as a subordinate.

“Right turn.”

Without a second thought, the man turned as Eric instructed.

Guided by instinct and Eric’s direction, the man successfully exited the forest.

In the vast clearing, where the horizon was just visible, the man, catching his breath, asked Eric.

“Will this really work?”

“Of course! It’s definitely going to work.”

“Ah, so the captain has it all planned, huh?”

“Well, if it doesn’t work, we all die. What’s the big deal?”

The man’s eyes turned cold in an instant.

As expected.

I’m such an idiot for trusting a guy like this for even a moment.

‘Should I just drop him and run away?’

While the man was seriously contemplating this, Eric spoke up.

“Just kidding. It will definitely work.”

“Y-Yeah, of course, it will.”

“…This guy?”

Eric shot a fiery glare at the man.

How dare he show such insolence to his heavenly superior!

‘Back in my day, I would never have dreamed of such a thing. How dare he challenge a superior like that?’

What a world we live in.

As Eric looked down at the man carrying him, he clicked his tongue.

With all his heart, he wanted to get up right now and bring down orders but…

Sadly, Eric was in a situation where he couldn’t budge without the man’s help.

‘…Guh! If only my body was fine…’

Tears threatened to spill as Eric spoke in a trembling voice.

“…Ahem. If I’ve wronged you in any way lately, I apologize.”

“…What’s with the sudden change?”

“Just thought, in times of crisis, we should stick together, you know?”

“I’ve said it countless times; if you have the energy to ramble on, just get off my back. It doesn’t feel good carrying a grimy man around.”

“…Hey! Do you think I enjoy this?! I don’t want to be in this position either!”

“Then just get off!”

“I don’t have the strength to go down!”

He didn’t really remember being particularly unreasonable, but the perspective must be different from the subordinate’s.

Fearing that he might be abandoned, Eric found a glimmer of faith in the man’s reaction; that he wouldn’t just leave him behind.

…Seeing his revulsion, though, didn’t really make him feel good.

Just a tad.

…Really just a smidgen.

“I honestly can’t trust that guy.”

“What guy?”

“That guy. If it was possible to trap him here, he should’ve done it sooner. It’s odd asking us to bring him here now, don’t you think?”

“When did magicians ever act in ways you could understand? Why are you surprised now?”

“…True. That does make sense.”

Because he was a magician.

That one statement was all it took to persuade the man.

The disdain for magicians that began with Kana had reached Eric, and through Eric, spread to others.

“And you can trust that guy.”

“…Captain, are you feeling alright? Did you eat something wrong today? Or maybe came into contact with mana…? Ugh, it’s probably my fault the captain is…”

“Put on a real show.”

Eric nudged the man with the little strength returning to his legs.

“That guy is the most skilled magician I’ve ever seen.”

“…Captain, aren’t you from the Crimson Aegis?”

“Yes, why?”

“Then perhaps… is he also from the royal magician’s lineage or something?”

“Have you suddenly gotten more polite?”

“Excuse me? Oh no, don’t accuse me. When have I ever acted so rudely? I’m not the type to call people ‘that guy’ without reason.”

“Oh, really.”

Did he lather his tongue in oil or something?

His words were so smooth it was utterly ridiculous.

“He’s not from the royal court.”

“Geez, why did you make me anxious? The next time I see him, I’ll make sure to…”

“Even higher than that.”

“I’ll treat you to all the specialty foods from Ordo!”

Simply by comparing their positions, the magician who had come to see Eric stood in a position that could not be compared to the royal magician of Grasis.

The Arka Empire, reigning over the Ardina Continent.

How could one possibly compare the renowned sage of the Arka Empire to a mere royal magician from a small country?

For Eric, who had personally seen and felt the magic that he unleashed on the battlefield, it was utterly impossible.

‘…What’s his intention?’

But it was undeniably suspicious.

It’s strange for someone of such ability and status to suddenly show up and say they would help.

How they knew was secondary; his true intentions were the mystery.

‘He might be a shield, after all.’

Traveling east past Ordo would lead into the Empire’s territory.

‘If Captain ends up entering the Empire’s territory like this, that would be quite a mess.’

Although Eric wasn’t particularly fond of the Empire, he didn’t think it would be a pleasant sight.

CRACK!

While Eric’s mind was in turmoil, a tree at the edge of the forest snapped in half.

With a thud and a cloud of dust settling, a girl emerged from the haze.

Though quite a distance away, Eric could tell her pink eyes were fixed right on him.

“A girl with obsession is not my type.”

“That means if there’s no obsession, it is my type, isn’t it?”

“…You little?!”

Is this guy trying to send me to hell?

Without realizing it, Eric glanced around, then sighed in relief that no one else could hear their conversation.

“Listen well. My type is a fantastic figure that has it all in the right places, not a bland little brat like her.”

As soon as his words ended, Kana’s glare at him sharpened—must be wishful thinking.

The man carried on, chewing on his lips out of frustration at Eric’s excuse.

“Is it really okay?”

“What now?”

“That person seems to know the captain.”

“…”

Eric fell silent.

Given that they were openly calling him captain, he didn’t think they would miss the connection.

After a brief moment of silence, Eric finally responded.

“It better be okay.”

He couldn’t just let it go by saying it wasn’t okay, could he?

“They seem intent on chasing us to hell, so what can we do? Their obsessive nature hasn’t changed a bit since then.”

They exchanged conversation, slowly backing away.

Kana, chasing them, started to draw closer.

When Kana, who had been scattering black mana, reached the center of the clearing…

“…!”

Flash!

A magic circle hidden in the clearing shone with blinding light.

Feeling the unsettling mana from the magic circle beneath her feet, Kana glared fiercely, causing the mana emanating from her body to swell.

However, before Kana could take action, the magic circle completed its formation.

With geometric patterns intricately woven, a massive silver barrier surged up in the clearing.

The man, watching the astonishing scene with his mouth agape, muttered to himself.

“…It’s over—”

BOOM!

“Uwaah?!”

“Gah!”

Before he could finish, the barrier trembled and emitted a deafening noise.

The ground trembled with such force that the man lost his balance and fell.

Eric, who had been carried on his back, also plummeted to the ground.

“Ow, my back…”

Grabbing his back, Eric groaned as he fell flat.

In contrast to Eric’s nonchalance, the man, with tense eyes, eyed the barrier and spoke.

“…Is this the end?”

“Probably.”

After that, a series of explosive sounds and a tearing noise echoed as if the barrier might break, but it steadfastly held its position.

Only then did the man, relieved, slump down to the ground.

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