I Became a Raid Boss

In the Crimson Aegis, there was a traditional question commonly asked when a newcomer joined.

“Why did you come to the Knight Order?”

Some would give outrageous answers, while others would overlap with the responses of others, and some would stammer and evade the question altogether.

Most of the third type didn’t bode well.

The majority would lose their will and walk out on their own, and in the worst cases, they would be carried out as corpses.

And those who became strong the fastest and persevered the longest were those who answered, “For revenge.”

Parents, siblings, lovers… sometimes close friends lost.

Those with strong motivations would endure and overcome whatever hardships came their way.

Having witnessed such people, I couldn’t deny that goals and motivations were necessary for a person.

Perhaps it wasn’t just me who thought this way.

There were many stories of heroes who awakened from some sort of incident in this world, and the abundance of such stories was proof that there were many others who thought like me… or so I thought.

Hmm, maybe I just wanted to see stories of people overcoming adversities and succeeding.

Anyway, the one-armed swordsman was also someone who had experienced such a motive.

He lost his comrades, lost his left arm, and resolved to become stronger.

And the one who provided him this catalyst was me.

‘…But why don’t I dislike him?’

I felt like I wouldn’t have been able to see it positively if I were in his position.

I couldn’t understand why, but as long as he didn’t come at me hostilely, I had no reason to kill him either.

After one sparring match ended, I exchanged blades with the man a few more times.

“Looks like it was still too much for me to handle. But thanks anyway.”

Maybe he appreciated me easing off and meeting his sword; when our final match ended, he wore a satisfied smile.

As Da-eun watched the man, who was gradually moving away while awkwardly expressing his thanks in broken Granic, she spoke.

“What the heck was that…?”

“Who knows.”

It was a question I couldn’t answer.

It was my first time experiencing someone I fought against treating me with emotions other than a desire for revenge or fear.

I simply couldn’t take my eyes off the way he left so freely, for some reason.

I kept watching until his figure faded below the horizon.

I still couldn’t understand his heart.

*

“I got attached…”

Vroom!

Da-eun said, not hiding her disappointment, as she stroked the horse’s nose.

Maybe she wasn’t the only one saddened by parting, as the horse being petted by her tossed its head.

“We can’t help it.”

From Ordo to the Holy Kingdom, and from the Holy Kingdom to the western continent, to the city bordering the Demon Race’s territory.

After weeks of traveling together, it was natural to feel attached.

I understood her feelings, but that’s why we had to leave the horse in this city.

Unless we wanted to see the horse we cared for become a monster, devoured by Mana.

“But Selin can’t stay attached to it all day, can she?”

“Right…”

With a downcast tone, Da-eun gave the horse one last affectionate stroke before pulling away her hand.

After such a tearful farewell, we stepped back onto the street.

Being near the Demon Race’s territory meant we were constantly under threat from monsters.

Perhaps due to this, most of the people on the street were carrying weapons on their bodies.

There were also quite a few Apostles.

I ignored the curious gazes coming our way.

“Let’s just buy what we need quickly and leave.”

“Wait? We’re not stopping here at all?”

“Yeah.”

The atmosphere in this city wasn’t something that could be called good, even as a mere jest.

Living amidst the looming threats of life and death, those fighting to survive had little choice.

Someone might listen to me and ask, “Then can’t you just move to another city?”

But leaving behind the life you’ve painstakingly built just to try and establish a new one elsewhere wasn’t easy.

Not all of them, but most of the people living in this city were in tough situations.

The mercenaries stationed here were people so desperate for money that they disregarded their own lives.

Ah, of course, the Apostles were the exception.

Anyway…

I could understand why the city had this kind of atmosphere, but understanding it didn’t mean I’d stay here.

Having seen several small and big scuffles happen in the little distance from the city entrance to the marketplace, I had no desire to rest.

I felt like resting here wouldn’t even count as resting.

Crash!

“~~~~~!!”

“~~! ~~~~!”

No sooner had my thoughts finished than a stall collapsed, sending fruit flying.

Thud.

I snatched a rapidly flying apple.

The state was… Okay, not bad.

Taking a bite out of the deliciously ripe apple, a crunchy flesh and sweet juice poured out.

Maybe I bit too hard; the juice that couldn’t fit in my mouth dribbled down, which I wiped with my hand.

Ugh, sticky.

I looked around, trying to find somewhere to wipe it, and then rubbed it on Da-eun’s cloak as she got distracted by the commotion.

It seemed there was some issue between the fruit vendor and a mercenary.

If it came down to brute strength, the mercenary would obviously win, but a sane person wouldn’t pull a knife in a place like this.

So, it was clear that the mercenary fighting the vendor was out of his mind.

Swish!

The mercenary brandished his gleaming axe.

His eyes, lost in rage, gleamed just as much as the axe he held.

“Hey, are you insane?!”

“Grab him! Grab him! Get that bastard!”

Feeling the tense atmosphere, nearby mercenaries watching him quickly stepped in and dragged him away.

Thanks to that, his attempt ended up in being thwarted, but judging by the gazes of the surrounding vendors, it didn’t seem like the dragged mercenary would be able to operate smoothly in this city again.

Buying one apple would likely cost more than the average price.

“It’s so peaceful.”

“…Peaceful?”

Clearly, it was sarcasm.

Whether Da-eun looked at me in disbelief or not, I took another bite of the apple.

The apple was still delicious.

“Kana, that apple.”

“Yeah?”

“What about the apple?”

I showed her the apple I had been munching on.

“Does Joanie want one too?”

“No, it’s not that… Didn’t it just fly over here? That means you didn’t pay for it.”

“…”

“You have to pay for what you eat! You can’t just eat it like that!”

I hurriedly hid the proudly acquired apple behind me.

Da-eun shook her head as if I were hopeless and walked determinedly towards the vendor.

“I’m sorry. My younger sibling picked up an apple that flew over here. Here’s the payment…”

“Oh, I honestly wouldn’t have noticed if you had just walked past, but I appreciate your honesty.”

“I’m truly sorry…”

“I’m fine, so just remind your sibling to be careful not to eat anything that fell on the ground. You know, picking things off the street can be risky. Especially in a place like this…”

“A place like this…?”

“Miss, it seems like you’re new to this city, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. How did you know?”

“In all that chaos, it’s hard to find someone who would come to pay for a single fallen apple. Most people would think of it as a stroke of luck and stay quiet.”

“Oh, I see…”

Zap.

As Da-eun talked with the vendor, she shot a sharp glare at me.

I sneaked behind Selin.

Selin chuckled awkwardly, trying to hide me with her nun’s robe.

… It was just swept up by the atmosphere; I hadn’t intended to steal it…

“If you go just a bit outside the city, you’ll enter the influence of the Demon Race. So the people here don’t go out much. If they do, it’s usually inland. Ah, except for mercenaries.”

“It’s likely due to the Mana, huh?… Is this city safe?”

“Yes. There are priests and nuns from the Holy Kingdom here. Thanks to their efforts, the inside of the city is relatively safe, but…”

Suddenly the vendor lowered his voice.

“…There are sometimes those who sell contaminated stuff while pretending to sell it cheaply. So you need to be cautious. Especially with food.”

“Ah… So that’s why you said not to pick up what falls on the street…?”

“Yes. If you eat something contaminated by Mana, it could lead to poisoning. Even if it’s not contaminated, eating things dropped by mercenaries could be problematic. These mercenaries are rougher than those in other regions.”

“Oh, I see….”

Nodding, Da-eun glanced around.

Seemingly looking for something, her eyes darted until she spotted me hiding behind Selin and came over quickly.

Then she relayed the conversation she had with the vendor.

“Got it? Kana. Just because something looks delicious doesn’t mean you can eat whatever.”

After finishing her talk, she earnestly warned me.

However, my reaction to her words was-

“… Is it really that bad?”

…What’s the problem?

It didn’t seem like it would be an issue just to eat something a little contaminated by Mana.

I was sure I could win in a scuffle with mercenaries and would be fine.

“Kana!”

Hearing my answer, Da-eun’s eyes lit up with anger.

Then her mouth unleashed a torrent of nagging in a rapid-fire manner.

Even if there was no Mana, eating things off the street wasn’t hygienic; I could get sick…

“Ugh… I won’t eat it. I just need not to, right?”

After wasting time yelling after a small mistake, I surrendered.

I hadn’t even eaten anything that fell on the ground, let alone thought about it…

I mean, I wasn’t a child who would pick that up.

In the past, I had no choice but to eat it to survive.

“It’s a promise.”

“How childish… Okay, fine.”

Seeing me hesitate to extend my pinky, I noticed Da-eun’s eyebrow twitch and quickly linked my finger with hers.

Since I was the one in the wrong here, I meekly followed her to the vendor, who waved his hands saying it was okay.

“That’s fine. Here, would you like a cherry?”

“Thanks… um… Thanks, war.”

Out of nowhere, I received another piece of fruit.

I looked up at Da-eun, wondering if I should eat it, but she was too caught up in talking with the vendor to give me any attention.

When I offered it to Selin, she gently smiled and declined.

Well, I guess there was no choice; I had to eat it all myself.

Nom.

“-So, what brings you to this city? It’s not a place for young ladies to visit.”

“Ahaha, I’m somewhat of a mercenary too.”

“A mercenary? Ah, I didn’t see you wearing a sword. Well, this is a decent place for mercenaries to earn money. Back in the days of Grasis, there was no support at all, but after it fell, funding for monster eradication comes in regularly…”

“Were you from Grasis?”

“Oh, no. I’m from another kingdom. I ended up here looking for a way to make some money. As you can see, things aren’t great here.”

Pointing at the broken stall, the vendor shrugged.

“Anyway, while making money is important, if you ever feel something is off with your body, it’s best to head home quickly. I’ve seen many who got themselves killed by being overly greedy.”

“Hmm… Thanks for the advice, but I’m not here to make money.”

“Huh? Then why are you in a place like this…?”

“I’m heading to the Demon Race’s village.”

“…The Demon Race’s village?”

The vendor’s face scrunched up as he spoke, directly showing his disgust.

“You’re going to that ‘dump’?”

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