I Became a Raid Boss

Chapter 100

Two days have passed since Krumo’s Shadow attacked the village.

I still haven’t left the sickbed, and in front of me was Da-eun, holding a spoon and smiling brightly.

“Kana, say ah~”

“….”

“My arm’s getting tired. Come on, say ah~”

“I can… eat by myself….”

“A patient… talking back…?!”

“…Sigh.”

“Oh, oh no, it’s going to spill! If you don’t eat it quickly, the red stew will drip all over the white sheets, and then the person doing the laundry will have a hard time cleaning it! Kana, you wouldn’t ignore such a thing, right? No, you wouldn’t, because you’re kind and thoughtful-”

… My ears are going to bleed at this rate.

I reluctantly opened my mouth, and only then did Da-eun finally stop talking.

Looking satisfied after achieving her goal, Da-eun began humming a little tune.

As I chewed and swallowed the stew filled with finely chopped meat, I spoke.

“I think Da-eun would be better as a bard than a swordswoman.”

“Huh? Really? Well, I do have a bit of a knack for speaking. I also think my singing skills aren’t that bad….”

“Hmm….”

That wasn’t what I meant, but…

Since she seems satisfied, let’s just leave it at that.

‘… How did things end up like this?’

Being fed like a baby bird… what a pitiful state I’ve come to.

Sighing inwardly, I accepted another spoonful of stew from Da-eun.

To be honest, my condition still wasn’t great.

Although I was better than I was two days ago, there were still moments when the dull pain caused me to furrow my brows.

But even so, I don’t think I’m so weak that I need this level of care, yet the way everyone looks at me feels like they’re watching a bird that’s had its wings broken.

Yesterday, I thought I’d go out for a short walk and opened the door, but then—

‘Wait a minute! Kana, where are you going?’

‘I’m feeling stuffy. I just want to get some fresh air.’

‘You can barely walk, and you want to go out? I’ll open the window for you, so bear with that. Okay?’

‘No.’

‘… There’s no choice, then. Celine, please take care of it.’

‘Leave it to me.’

‘?!’

… They went as far as using holy magic to keep me inside.

I probably could’ve broken through if I tried, but I was so dumbfounded that they’d go to such lengths that I just obediently went back inside.

That’s not what holy magic is supposed to be used for.

And that wasn’t the only thing bothering me.

—Hmm… Hooh… I see….

‘… Can you at least keep your muttering to yourself?’

—No, I don’t want to.

‘You said you woke up earlier. Go back to sleep.’

—You woke me up, didn’t you? Now you’re telling me to leave as soon as we’re done talking? That’s too much.

As soon as my body started to recover a bit, the lizard immediately noticed and began to pester me again.

This was another reason I didn’t want to activate the blessing.

Shouldn’t dragons have a more serious demeanor?

The dragons I know weren’t like this.

—”It’s a bias.”

‘Yeah. Seeing you, I’m sure of it.’

—That’s also a bias. Do you think I show this side to just anyone? I’m showing you kindness because I like your soul.

‘…Ugh.’

…It feels gross.

Does he expect me to be all, “Wow, what an honor!” and be happy about it?

If this lizard thought I’d be thrilled by his favor, he was sorely mistaken.

Well… I’ve been enduring both inside and out like this.

Whenever I say I’m thirsty, they bring me water, and if I say I’m hungry, they serve me food. Not a feast, but still tasty enough.

Most importantly, the absence of any green, leafy vegetables was what I liked the most.

“Of course, the best trick with picky eaters is to cut the veggies so small they can’t see them.”

“Huh?”

“…I didn’t say anything!”

Anyway, if you ask whether this is uncomfortable or comfortable, it’s definitely comfortable…

Without lifting a finger, everything I need is brought to me. How could it not be comfortable?

But being comfortable and feeling stifled are two separate things.

“…Sigh.”

Laying down quietly has helped me recover faster than I expected.

Just one more day.

Maybe two at most.

I resolved inwardly as I obediently accepted the food Da-eun was offering me.

***

Da-eun looked nervously at Celine.

“…How is it?”

“It’s delicious.”

“Hehe, right?”

Da-eun finally let out a sigh of relief and grinned proudly when Celine said it was tasty.

For the past few days, Da-eun had been in charge of preparing meals for the party.

Since food touched by the hands of the Demonic Race would naturally be tainted with Magi, it was only logical.

‘Though, that’s just an excuse.’

It’s not like only the Demonic Race knew how to cook. Celine was right next to Da-eun the entire time.

For simple dishes, Celine could have easily handled it.

Even though she knew this, Da-eun took on the troublesome task herself for one reason.

‘So cute…!’

It was because she wanted to see Kana munching on the food she made.

Every time Kana chewed, her round, chubby cheeks moved.

Da-eun and Kana talked about the things they hadn’t been able to say before.

Da-eun apologized for stubbornly ignoring Kana’s words and putting her in a difficult position.

Kana, in turn, apologized for leaving Da-eun alone, which led to her experiencing something dangerous, and for misunderstanding her.

When asked what misunderstanding it was, Kana firmly kept her lips shut and didn’t say anything more, so Da-eun couldn’t find out.

But seeing how Kana went along with her stubbornness over the past few days, Da-eun thought it must have been bothering her quite a bit.

“What on earth did she misunderstand?”

Although she was curious, Da-eun didn’t ask Kana about it.

It hadn’t even been a few days since she apologized for making Kana feel troubled, so she didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

And so, she quietly buried her small curiosity inside her.

“Tomorrow’s finally the day.”

Celine, who was helping Da-eun with the tableware, spoke.

“Pardon? …Oh, you mean our trip to Laxia?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Oh, right…

Da-eun had momentarily forgotten about Laxia, but now she remembered Kana discussing the ship and the schedule with Artisha.

She also remembered that they were set to depart tomorrow.

“Are you still nervous?”

“No, not really.”

Da-eun shook her head back and forth.

When Kana first told her they were going to the infamous ‘Magic Continent,’ Laxia, she had been nervous.

However, after spending a few days in the Demonic Race’s village, known by humans as the ‘Garbage dump,’ she realized that the image of the Demonic Race commonly known to the world was far from the truth.

The Demonic Race weren’t vicious monsters who tamed savage beasts and ate humans alive.

They were just like normal people, with the exception of having horns and a different skin color.

In some ways, they even seemed more innocent.

Listening to what others say isn’t always the answer.

Da-eun, who once again learned the lesson that one must see and judge things for themselves, no longer felt afraid of Laxia.

“Laxia is just another place where people live, after all.”

Da-eun gazed fondly at a flower placed on one side of the kitchen.

Even though it had withered due to Magi, it had once bloomed brilliantly.

Thinking of the child’s face, who smiled brightly as she held out the flower as a token of gratitude for saving her, put Da-eun in a good mood.

“…But, will I really be able to handle it?”

However, she couldn’t completely shake off her anxiety.

Especially after the recent attack, Da-eun, who had come to recognize her limits, couldn’t easily overcome her unease.

Despite the numerous members of the Demonic Race who praised her.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“Uh, um…”

In any case, Da-eun didn’t really have a choice.

At this point, all she could do was follow along.

Besides—

‘I promised I wouldn’t leave. I made that promise confidently, so I can’t run away just because I’m scared.’

With the magic tools and Celine by her side, she thought she could manage somehow.

With a somewhat optimistic mindset, Da-eun scooped stew into a bowl.

Leaving for Laxia was one thing, but she still had to eat well.

Da-eun, holding the stew with finely chopped vegetables, headed to Kana’s room.

‘Oh, come to think of it…’

If they were departing tomorrow, that meant she’d have to get back to her main job starting tomorrow.

The time to resume her streaming, which she had abandoned under the pretext of taking care of Kana, was right in front of her.

‘…Maybe I should rest a bit longer?’

Knowing what kind of reaction her fans would have once she resumed streaming, Da-eun hesitated.

She had suddenly stopped streaming and hadn’t gone live for several days, so it was bound to be quite a commotion.

An inner demon whispered to her.

‘Honestly, you’ve worked hard up till now. It wouldn’t hurt to rest a little longer, right?’

Not wanting to lose, an angel also whispered.

‘If you’re going to rest anyway, it might not be a bad idea to come back when everyone’s completely calmed down.’

…Was that really an angel?

Looking closely, its wings seemed to have turned black…

Although the sweet temptation swayed Da-eun, she ultimately managed to overcome it.

“I’ll just explain the situation first…”

Past me, why were you like that?

‘But I didn’t want to show them that I was struggling.’

That’s never something to be laughed at.

Stupid girl, irresponsible girl…

Da-eun consoled herself from the complicated feelings by scolding her past self with every word she could think of.