I Became a Raid Boss

A few days after leaving Baltora, Da-eun’s mood was soaring high.

Hehe.

Whether riding a horse, eating, or before going to sleep.

Staring at her ringed hand with a silly grin made it impossible not to notice.

“Kana, did you know? The finger you wear a ring on changes its meaning. For example, wearing it on the left ring finger means ‘token of love,’ so wedding rings must go on the left ring finger.”

“Um….”

Now that I think about it, I guess there was some meaning like that back on Earth.

Tradition…? Or superstition, perhaps.

Anyway, I wasn’t too sure if such things existed in Silia.

I wasn’t really interested in that stuff anyway, so how would I know?

“What does that mean?”

“Huh? This one?”

Da-eun smiled widely.

The ring on her left index finger sparkled in response to her smile.

“It’s a secret!”

“…?”

What’s that about?

I didn’t really care enough to be overly curious… but it felt somewhat frustrating to be left in the dark by Da-eun.

Even if the conversation itself was pretty pointless.

i “Looks like you really liked it.”

i “Of course! It’s the first gift Kana has ever given me!”

i “Hehe, you’ve already said that more than five times.”

i “Ah….”

I wasn’t entirely sure what Selin had said, but hearing it made Da-eun smile awkwardly as she subtly hid her hand.

There were no people around, and even if someone saw, they probably wouldn’t immediately recognize that Da-eun’s ring was made from a Dragon Orb.

They’d likely just think, ‘Whoa, that’s a really fancy and pretty ring!’

If they were bad people, they might add, ‘I should steal that!’ or ‘I’ll kill her and take it!’

…But I wonder if it’s even possible to steal something from players.

I remember chopping quite a few players while living on the mountain, but I don’t think I ever saw anyone drop their stuff.

But I definitely couldn’t ask Da-eun about that.

I thought I’d have to ask Edel later and swallowed my questions internally.

*

The Raxia Continent is across the western sea.

So, it was a given we had to return to where we originally set off, a place that had once been Grasis’s territory.

Of course, smart people figured out that the land I was standing on wasn’t flat but round.

So, if we took a ship from the eastern edge of the Ardina Continent and kept sailing east, we could eventually reach Raxia, but…

At least, I’d never heard of anyone arriving in Raxia that way.

How many people have even seen Raxia directly, anyway?

Without knowing how long it might take or how to chart a course, we couldn’t just set sail aimlessly.

Our goal was to reach the Mad Continent, not to discover new routes.

And even if I rambled on about finding a ship to Raxia from the eastern sea, no one would respond.

To the Ardina people, the Mad Continent Raxia was like a land of death.

“Hey? Isn’t it the same for the west? If we talk about perception, it seems like the west with its monsters would be worse.”

“Yeah. That’s true.”

Da-eun spoke sharply.

As she said, the further west we went, the worse the reputation of the Demon Race became.

“So, if we go to the western edge, won’t it be impossible to find a ship to Raxia? No one would want to go to their own doom. Well, it’s disappointing, but it can’t be helped, right?”

With a face full of blooming smiles, Da-eun said this.

“Here it is.”

“…Huh?”

“The person who wants to go to their doom.”

Knock knock knock.

Pointing at me, Selin, and Da-eun in succession, the smile on her face wilted instantly.

Well, it wasn’t entirely incorrect.

Just getting close to the Demon Race’s village would be like a death sentence for Ardina people, so obviously, nobody in their right mind would want to go.

Even if we managed to get a ship, wouldn’t most people die during the voyage?

They probably wouldn’t even know the route to Raxia.

“…So, it really is the case?”

Da-eun brightened up again.

“But we’re going anyway.”

“…So it really is the case?”

Her tone was the same, but the emotions felt worlds apart.

If someone saw this, they might think we were being led to the slaughterhouse.

“If there’s no ship, we can just run.”

“…Where? Across the sea?”

“Yep.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

In that moment, Da-eun seemed to have thought of something.

“No, if it’s Kana….”

Muttering softly, she suddenly looked up.

“-Maybe it’s possible! But I flatly oppose it! I never want to experience that again…! Once was enough for feeling nauseous!”

“Isn’t it the same if you get seasick on a ship?”

“It’s different! It’s completely different!”

After Da-eun had been screaming as if she were about to collapse to the ground, she finally quieted down after I said I was joking.

Her strong opposition didn’t change my mind.

It was just that if we really crossed like that, things could get messy when coming back…

Yep, that’s it.

“….”

“Kana? Why do you look so serious all of a sudden?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing. I thought something was bothering you because you looked so serious.”

Serious expression?

I didn’t think I had one.

I was just blinking quietly, which somehow made Da-eun scratch her cheeks.

“Is it just me overthinking?”

“Of course. Anyway, I also think that way of going is too hard, so I don’t want to do it.”

“Yikes…!”

“…Why?”

“I’ve never heard Kana say something was hard before.”

“It’s hard when it’s hard.”

If my hands slipped and I drop something, I’d have to fish it out again.

If I grip tightly not to drop it, my hands might get crushed.

I have a lot on my mind too, you know.

Tilting my head slightly, I realized that I wasn’t so much exhausted as I was annoyed by the prospect.

“Oh, so that’s what you meant by hard. Then that makes sense.”

Not sure what she understood, but seeing her nodding, it seemed she found her own answer.

“But then what do we do? We could get a ship if we spend money, but we can’t just buy someone to sail it…. Kana, can you sail a ship by any chance?”

“Of course not.”

“That’s what I thought. Selin, do you know how to sail a ship?”

i “Um, no. I’m sorry I can’t be of help.”

i “Oh, oh no. I’m the same, really.”

Da-eun looked surprised and bowed her head to Selin.

Seeing her like that sparked a sense of mischief in me.

“Joanie, that was bad.”

“…Kana doesn’t even know what Selin said! If you want to understand, study hard!”

“Uh-huh….”

Da-eun ruthlessly messed up my hair.

The pink threads swirling in front of my eyes were so uncomfortable that I let out an unintelligible whimper.

With my hair looking like a bird’s nest, Da-eun began to gently smooth it down.

“So… since Selin doesn’t know how to sail either, do you have any good ideas?”

While her words were framed as a question, her tone made it clear she was convinced I had an answer.

I fulfilled Da-eun’s expectations.

“I told you earlier. ‘Ardinians going to the Demon Race’s hometown of Raxia is like a death sentence.’

Therefore, we just have to not be Ardinians.”

Upon hearing this, Da-eun’s eyes widened.

“Wait, are you seriously thinking about hiring a Demon?”

“Yep.”

This is why quick-witted people are great.

They can pick up what you’re putting down with just one word.

“The Demons would know the route to Raxia. They could endure the magical energy too.”

Even if they left because they couldn’t withstand Raxia’s magic, being a race that lives alongside magic, they should be able to bear it for the time it takes to disembark from the ship.

Isn’t that what we mean by a suitable crew?

“Well, uh… the plan sounds plausible, but….”

“But?”

“Will the Demons really listen to us? I don’t think they’d have a favorable view of Ardinians…. What if they misunderstand and think we’re planning something against Raxia?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

According to what I heard from Edel, they wouldn’t be able to refuse our offer.

Like Da-eun was worried, they might not trust what we said.

But if it’s Selin’s word, they would definitely believe her.

Selin is a nun who serves Edel.

Not just any nun, but a special one—a holy apprentice nun at that.

“…What does Selin being an Edel believer have to do with the Demons? Oh, is it because the Holy Kingdom mediated during the race war?”

“Quite the opposite. They trust the Holy Kingdom because the Holy Kingdom mediated, not the other way around.”

“Uh-huh?”

Everything that exists in Silia was created by Edel’s hands.

In this world where gods exist, that’s accepted as fact.

If, after hundreds of years, Edel’s appearance faded from everyone’s memory and records, it might be different then, but that time is certainly not now.

And the Demons knew very well they were crafted by Edel’s hands.

“If we’re talking about faith, the Demons might be more devout than the Holy Kingdom.”

If not, they wouldn’t have lived in Raxia for that long.

“…Urgh??”

Da-eun still looked like she couldn’t understand.

“I don’t know what you mean but… Is that okay to say?”

She took a glance at Selin as if she were concerned.

It’s natural for her to be nervous since she said that in front of a Holy Kingdom’s apprentice saint.

But I figured if it were Selin, she wouldn’t be upset by what I said.

“It’ll be fine.”

She’ll know the backstory about the Demons.

Feeling my patience wearing thin, I decided to keep my mouth shut after that.

Since once we reach Raxia, they’ll know what I meant anyway, there’s no need to explain everything in detail now.

What do they call that?

S…

Hmm, it was definitely a word that started with an ‘S,’ but I couldn’t quite remember it.

I twirled my hair around, deep in thought, but eventually gave up when it didn’t come to me.

“…What is it? Huh? What does that mean?”

However, unlike me, Da-eun couldn’t give up cleanly and clung to me.

When I finally kept my mouth shut, she puffed up her cheeks in a clear pout.

Though she seemed to be trying hard not to meet my gaze, I could feel her eyes on me clearly.

Who knows who’s treating whom like a child here?

Letting out a sigh, I shook my head.

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