I Became a Raid Boss -
Chapter 203
Actually, there wasn’t much to explain.
The moment the eye appeared, time for me stretched unnaturally, like the voice of a wound-up spring being drawn out.
But regardless of how it felt, not much actual time had passed.
So, explaining what happened that day didn’t take long.
“…Hmm.”
When my story ended, Edel let out a short hum as if she were contemplating.
It wasn’t a big reaction.
In fact, the one who reacted more strongly was someone else.
“So that’s what happened…”
Da-eun was looking at me with a face full of concern.Well, maybe because it’s Da-eun, she could empathize more.
After all, Da-eun freezes up every time she sees a monster.
“Yeah. Da-eun’s a scaredy-cat.”
“…What? Is that a challenge? If it is, I’ll gladly take it.”
Unfortunately, Da-eun’s desire didn’t materialize.
“You saw a creature beyond the wall?”
“If what I saw is what you mean by a creature beyond the wall, then yes.”
Da-eun, who had been wiggling her fingers mischievously, clicked her tongue and stepped back at Edel’s words.
Even Da-eun, known for her playful antics, seemed to have the common sense not to joke around in this kind of atmosphere.
I had expected her to make a clueless joke regardless of what Edel said.
Thank goodness she didn’t.
“…You were the one who provoked me first!”
Da-eun whispered, unable to raise her voice, as I ignored the hand that was lightly brushing against the back of my neck and focused back on Edel.
“There aren’t many entities capable of exerting that level of pressure on you, so this incident is definitely their doing.”
Edel tapped the cube with a dissatisfied expression.
“When on earth did they leave this thing behind? Cockroach-like creatures, as always…”
Even gods hate cockroaches, huh.
I stored this new information in my mind.
Not that it seemed particularly useful.
“Do you know what kind of creature I saw?”
“Hard to say. They have such varied and chaotic forms that your explanation alone isn’t enough.”
“As I expected.”
“But I do have one guess. Whatever you saw isn’t ordinary.”
“Wow. That’s incredibly helpful information.”
That was truly a groundbreaking revelation, wasn’t it?
“If it weren’t for you, Edel, I wouldn’t have known that at all.”
“Listen to this tiny one being sarcastic.”
“Well, you said something obvious as if it were groundbreaking news. That’s on you.”
In other words, my remarks were entirely self-defense.
As I spoke words that were more serious than playful, I sighed deeply.
“…Are there really so many monsters beyond the wall?”
“What’s this? Are you intimidated? That’s not like you.”
“…Not like me?”
“Yeah. You’re always annoyingly confident—that’s your charm…no, your defining trait, little one.”
“….”
Is it that hard to say anything even remotely flattering?
Just when I thought she was saying something decent, she had to add that correction. It was irritating.
But when I looked up and saw Da-eun making a similar expression as Edel, I decided to stay silent.
‘…Intimidated, huh.’
I thought I was just a bit startled, but to their eyes, I must’ve seemed different.
They say people can’t objectively see themselves.
No matter what one thinks of themselves, others might see something entirely different.
So maybe, just maybe, the two of them were right.
“Hmm…”
If those creatures invade, I’ll obviously fight back.
I don’t have a choice, do I?
If we don’t fight, the entire world will be devoured.
Of course, even if I had a choice, I would still choose to fight.
But even now, thinking about the creature I saw that day, I couldn’t convince myself that I could defeat it.
If such thoughts subconsciously surfaced, it’s no wonder the two saw through me.
While I was lost in thought, Edel spoke up.
“To answer what you asked earlier…”
“Asked earlier? …Oh.”
I had asked if there were a lot of those creatures beyond the wall.
“Well, there aren’t few.”
“…I see.”
“But maybe you’re misunderstanding something.”
Edel straightened her posture from leaning against the chair.
“You stand up to me so boldly, so why are you afraid of just one creature?”
“…? Edel, are you stronger than that thing?”
“Stronger or not, if I were weaker than something like that, the world would’ve been destroyed ages ago.”
“…Ah, I see?”
“You’re basically saying I look weaker than that thing. That’s pretty insulting, you know.”
Edel, seemingly genuinely upset, began muttering incessantly under her breath in a low voice.
“How could anyone look at that thing and think it’s stronger than me? Have I lost my edge from resting too long?” and so on.
She even went as far as seriously suggesting that I get my eyes checked by an ophthalmologist.
“…Alright, I get it. I was wrong. So, stop grumbling.”
Unable to bear it any longer, I raised my hands in surrender.
“But I didn’t feel anything like that from Edel.”
So, isn’t it natural for me to think that way?
When I said that, Edel gave me a look that could only be described as exasperated.
“Well, that’s because there’s no need for me to flaunt my power all the time. Only fools scatter their presence everywhere when they’re perfectly capable of containing it. You’re doing the same thing right now.”
“…Hmm.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but she was right, so I couldn’t argue back.
Unless someone’s deliberately trying to intimidate others, there’s no reason to recklessly let their presence seep out.
Sure, in the past, when one lacked control, it might have been unavoidable, but after reaching a certain level, it’s easier to contain power.
“And you know, the creature you saw likely let its presence spill out because it couldn’t control its own power.”
“What do you mean? A creature that powerful can’t control its strength?”
“Exactly. At least, based on what I’ve seen.”
When my expression clearly showed I didn’t understand, Edel chuckled softly.
“Why do you think they invade other dimensions to gather energy? If they have a home base, wouldn’t it be easier to sustain themselves there?”
“…Because invading is more efficient than self-sustaining?”
“Or maybe because self-sustenance is impossible for them?”
Da-eun and I each offered an answer, and Edel nodded in agreement.
“It’s not confirmed, but that’s what we’ve speculated.”
They couldn’t supply the energy they needed on their own, or if they could, it was nowhere near enough.
“Otherwise, why would they spend hundreds or thousands of years invading other dimensions? The damage must be immense. Humans are the same, aren’t they? The more barren the land, the more likely they are to invade neighboring countries.”
“…That makes sense.”
“So, how does that connect to what you were saying earlier?”
“It means they’re not exactly top-tier entities. They’re desperate enough to risk death to invade other dimensions just to gather energy.”
“Are you feeling sorry for them?”
“…Are you out of your mind?”
“Never mind then.”
If Edel had said they were pitiful, I would’ve seriously thought she’d lost it.
Fortunately, Edel seemed perfectly sane.
“What I’m saying is, it’s not surprising that such creatures can’t control their power and let it spill out.”
“Hmm, I get what you mean.”
“So, don’t be too scared. While there are certainly strong Dimensional Creatures, they’re not as impressive as you think. I never thought I’d be giving you a pep talk…”
…Was that supposed to be comforting?
Isn’t comfort supposed to be delivered in a warmer tone?
But Edel’s words had been blunt and straightforward, more like a lecture from a historian than actual reassurance.
Still, if it made me feel a bit better, maybe Edel was right after all.
“Is that all you were curious about?”
“For now.”
She’d already promised to let me know as soon as she figured out the nature of the cube.
And asking about the incident’s details would only yield the same answers.
So, that wrapped up my business with Demoninus.
Just like I’d told Da-eun, it ended surprisingly quickly.
“Then hurry up and leave. I have to wrestle with this thing now.”
“I was planning to leave without you saying so.”
“Oh, goodbye…”
Edel waved her hand dismissively, issuing an unofficial dismissal order.
It was when I left her office and stepped into the elevator.
As I watched the numbers on the display change rapidly, Da-eun suddenly grabbed my hand.
“…?”
“Hehe.”
When I turned around to see what was going on, Da-eun greeted me with a cheerful smile.
“There’s still plenty of time. Want to go shopping on the way back?”
“…Do whatever you want.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Does this really require a promise?”
“I feel like Canaria would quickly say no and run away. You don’t like shopping, do you? Am I wrong?”
“I don’t like it.”
Unless it’s somewhere quiet, and this place is anything but.
“Let’s not go to the department store this time. How about the market instead? There are snacks there you can only find at the market. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
“…Do you think I’ll like it just because it’s snacks?”
“So, do you not want to?”
“….”
Avoiding her piercing gaze, I subtly turned my head.
And then, hesitantly…
“…What kind of snacks can you only get at the market?”
“Pfft! See, I knew you’d like it.”
…It’s not like I agreed just because of the snacks.
Even as I thought that, I felt Da-eun’s hand playfully ruffle my hair, though I didn’t say anything in response.
It wasn’t because I was embarrassed or anything.
—
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